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Find out now.
The NIDCD (a branch of the National Institute of Health) has a quick test, here. You listen to a few seconds of each of the sound samples, and click YES if you think the tune was played correctly, NO if you think it was off-key or out of tune. It takes about 5 minutes.
My result: 21 out of 26 correct. “Congratulations, you have a fine ear” for tonality.
[posted with ecto]
On iTunes right now: “I'm A Mummy” from the album Levitate by Fall, The
While clicking through some of my favorite sites recently, I found a really cool entry on Fifty Quid Bloke. Instead of doing the trite year-end countdown thing, the FQB simply -- and passionately -- wrote about the 30 songs he most enjoyed listening to this year. Here, I borrow this great idea, but with one less for the money -- just 29. (Please visit the Bloke's site, but not just yet... his looks and reads better than mine, and I'm afraid you won't come back.)
So, here are the 29 songs I most enjoyed listening to in 2005. I think I may have a stunted taste in music.
Hittin' On Nothing
Detroit Cobras, Mink Rat or Rabbit 
I sort of did the full-on fan boy thing with the Cobras these past couple years. I just rounded up all the disks I could find. “Hittin' On Nothing” got my attention from the get-go. It's a revved-up version of the Irma Thomas hit, and Rachel Nagy's vocal is just balls. Total confidence. This is one of only a couple songs that I would listen to a few times in a row.
Revenge
Black Flag, The First Four Years
Rise Above
Black Flag, Damaged
I listened to a lot of the pre-Rollins Black Flag stuff this year. First Four Years and Everything Went Black, especially. That music really holds up.
Laughing At You
Detroit Cobras, Life, Love and Leaving
What a vocal. For my money, Rachel Nagy's got the sexiest, toughest voice around. (I've never heard the original, by a group called the Guardinias. I can't find anything about them online.
History Lesson Part II
Minutemen, Ballot Result
Well, I'm getting older. Nostalgic. No apologies from me. When D. Boon says “the punk rock changed our lives,” I know what that means. Goddamn. What if? What if there was no Ramones? What if there were no Clash or Devo? What, then, would the knuckleheads have called me (derisively) in high school and middle school? What if I'd never heard X, Black Flag, or the Misfits? Don't want to think about it, because that music formed me. It helped chisel away at what I wasn't, until who I was emerged... with a stupid grin on my face.
Yeah, whatever. I'm getting older, not wiser; and plenty more nostalgic. But still, “this is Bob Dylan to me.”
Call of the Wreckin Ball
The Knitters, Poor Little Critter on the Road
Someone Like You (demo)
X (The Knitters), Beyond & Back: The X Anthology
I came to the Knitters party a little late, admittedly. But what I lacked in foresight I made up for in passion. I listened to more Knitters stuff this year than The Stooges, Sex Pistols, and Nirvana combined. I was lucky to see them play a scalding show at Irving Plaza back in August. DJ Bonebrake is the shit.
Bessa
Tilly and the Wall, Wild Like Children
I listened to Wild Like Children a lot, and I think I played this song most of all. I love these Tilly kids. They're wrapping up work on their next record, and I can't wait to hear it.
Night of the Living Dead
Tilly and the Wall, Wild Like Children
This was immediately my favorite track on the album. It's a rave-up; I've been at some gigs where they brought the house down with this one.
Papillon
Rilo Kiley, Initial Friend (EP)
I listen to these earliest songs, and I'm struck by just how great their songwriting was and how confidently they played, even early on. This EP is a third version of the first two -- self-titled -- EPs. There's info and tracklists here. Pretty hard-to-find stuff, but if you're into the illegal download kinda thing, you should be able to gather up all these tracks from some kind, sharing Rilo fans out there.
Pata Pata
Miriam Makeba, Miriam Makeba
For sheer exuberance, nothing tops it. The piano line is simple and powerful, and Makeba does this scream/shriek thing about two minutes in that blows me away.
Room 8 (L)
Rilo Kiley, Austin TX 08.09.03 (bootleg)
As far as I know, they've never recorded this song. They played it now and then on the '03 and '04 tours. This performance has Matt Ward sitting in on guitar.
A Better Son/Daughter
Rilo Kiley, The Execution of All Things
As always. The all-time favorites never go away.
Do You Realize??
Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
This one sort of switched gears for me this year. I used to hear it as a love song, but now it sounds like a life lesson. Maybe becoming a father last December started me looking for life lessons in pop songs.
No Values
Hank III, Rise Above - 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three
I love this guy. I read somewhere that he often includes a Black Flag song in his live sets, so he was a natural for the WM3 record.
Phobias
L.A.L., #1 USA
What if the Kinks and the Velvet Underground were one day forced to collaborate? It might sound... a little... like this. I dig the chugging rhythm and the paraphrased “Victoria” melody.
Teenagers From Mars
The Misfits, The Misfits
Another one of my all-time favorites. I'll probably never stop listening to this.
Breakaway
Detroit Cobras, Mink Rat or Rabbit
Always
Rilo Kiley, Take Offs and Landings
Somewhere around August, I realized I couldn't get enough of this song.
So Long It's Been Good To Know Yuh
X, Live at the Whiskey A Go-Go on the Fabulous Sunset Strip
I've been sort of OD'ing on this song of late. I have about four different versions of it (including a John Doe/Dan Zanes duet) and I've been playing them all. Sometimes I put the disk in my son's little CD boombox so I can listen to it over and over again, while giving the appearance that I'm just playing it for H.
She Said
The Cramps, Off The Bone
This is a cover of an old Hasil Adkins song that I rediscovered this summer. Lux Interior is the only singer who can do it justice.
Daddy Sang Bass
Johnny Cash, Complete Live at San Quentin
This is a simple -- and great -- song. It was a crowd pleaser in 2005, if the “crowd” was baby H. Like goofballs, his mommy and I would sing the chorus parts to him (“Daddy sang bass... mommy sang tenor...”)... and he'd laugh. Silly. Sue us.
Bite
See
Break
Kleptones, A Night at the Hip Hopera
I burned a lot of copies of this for friends this year. Everyone dug it. Look, I'm about the least likely guy to listen to mash-ups, but this collection of Queen-meets-rap is godlike. I think Eric Kleptone took the mp3s off the net, but his website is a logical place to start your search.
Stop And Go
Lisa Loeb and Liz Mitchell, from the TV special NOGGIN: Move to the Music
Where did this gem come from? Don't care. For the last 12 months, it has made my son smile and dance every time it comes on. When Liz and Lisa sing “stretch,” and we first saw H throw his arms in the air, we were practically apoplectic with joy and pride. (Confession: I've never been a Lisa Loeb fan, In fact, 'round these parts, if you or what you do can be described as “Loebish” or “Loebishness” -- you're persona non grata.)
Yip Roc Heresy
Slim Gaillard, Laughing in Rhythm
This guy brought the mac vouty! Info here.
Sister Kate (I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My)
Ditty Bops, The Ditty Bops
My wife? She hates this song. Hates it. I don't know what her big problem is with it. What's not to like? It's Ragtime-ish, with a little Western swing and a jazzy vocal thrown in. The Ditty Bops are what Squirrel Nut Zippers would be if they had a little fun and some sex appeal.
Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side
Magnetic Fields (Stephen Merritt), 69 Love Songs / Pieces of April
I listened to so much Magnetic Fields stuff this year, once I convinced my pal Jake that I did indeed want to borrow and burn all three disks of 69 Love Songs. He thought I was nuts. The first time I heard “Luckiest Guy” was on the superb Pieces of April soundtrack.
[posted with ecto]
This is based on an untitled piece by Curt Cloninger in Paste Magazine (Oct./Nov. 2005). I saw it, liked it, thought I'd give it a try.
Stuff I'm not supposed to like, but do...
“I Will Always Love You,” Martha Stewart's “Apprentice,” The Strokes, Dogma, Jenny McCarthy, Wikipedia, Jimmy Buffet, Primer, Nick Hornby, LCD Soundsystem, “SNL,” the designated hitter, Angelina Jolie, IKEA, gorillamask.net, Conor Oberst, Shattered Glass, “The Office” (USA)
Stuff I'm supposed to like, and do...
Ramones, Murderball, “The Daily Show,” No Direction Home, iTunes, “Anderson Cooper 360,” Rabbit Fur Coat, bulgogi, Neighborhoodies, Crash, ecto, Pat Kiernan
Stuff I'm not supposed to like, and don't...
Gwen Stefani, drunk drivers, MTV, “Genius Of Love,” poker on TV, “American Idol,” reunion tours, “FACK,” hearing someone say “agreeance” (i.e. “we are in agreeance on that”)
Stuff I'm supposed to like, but don't...
Portobello mushrooms, The Killers, The Beatles, Queens Boulevard, football, Talking Heads, Star Wars, “24,” Kanye West, Ray, Trader Joe's, video iPod
Stuff I like the IDEA of, but don't really like...
Catherine Wheel, Myspace, Chuck Klosterman, “Hollaback Girl,” Dane Cook, Mapquest, Howard Stern, “Lost,” New York City's subway system, anime, Devendra Banhart
[posted with ecto]
On iTunes right now: “Crepuscule With Nellie” from the album At Carnegie Hall by Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane
...happened tonight.
I sat on the couch with my wife, our son sat between us, and we watched Finding Nemo in its entirety. H made occasional babble talk at the screen, but mostly sat quietly, alternating resting his head on my chest and S's lap. At times, he turned around to face me, as if to see if I just saw what he saw.
It was lovely. I've never had such a contented feeling in my life. I had everything just then. Wow. I hope you can imagine what that's like -- to feel as if you've got everything you've ever wanted, and to feel that way for 99 whole minutes.
H is 18 months old and hotwired; he rarely sits still for longer than a few minutes, so his nesting with mommy and daddy tonight was doubly phenomenal.
[posted with ecto]
On iTunes right now: “Sweet & Lovely” from the album At Carnegie Hall by Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane
“Funny thing about weekends when you're unemployed... they don't mean quite so much. 'Cept ya get to hang out with your workin' friends.” -- Primus, “Spegetti Western”
Today, a no-nonsense F10, the final one for 2005.
01 All Shook Down - Replacements: Alright, even diehard fanboys like me know that the Don't Tell a Soul album was a crock. Westerberg's songwriting was subpar, and the band's hearts weren't in it. The follow-up, All Shook Down, still feels like a Westerberg album, and there's at least there's a full side of good songs. The first six songs are really good, and the duet with Johnette Napolitano on “My Little Problem” is hot snot. I was never crazy about this title cut, but you've got to love that vocal. It sounds accidental, as if PW is smoking a cigarette and talk-singing some freshly written lyrics to himself.
02 When Love Turns Around - Buzzcocks: This is from the live Paris: Encore Du Pain disk. Amazing. There is not a bad second on any Buzzcocks record. Try and find one.
03 Sweet Thing - Rufus (feat. Chaka Khan): In 1973, my family and two others made a holiday season trip to Miami. From New York. By car. I was six. Wild ride, great trip, and it was the first time I heard Rufus, as they're first album was on the radio a bit that year. They were a bit more rock then than in later years, when Chaka Khan began to emerge as an uncontainable voice. It's from the Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan album.
04 Redundant - Green Day: From Nimrod. Man, I used to hate Green Day. Didn't get the first record, didn't get Dookie, didn't get the second one. I'd written them off as a third-rate Buzzcocks rip-off, whose lead singer had the worst British affectation I'd ever heard. Then, something happened. Around the time I was working in London, I started listening some more, and ended up buying everything. I still buy their stuff. They're good guys, and they know their music.
05 The Observer - Flaming Lips: This isn't so much a song as it is a... soundscape. Eeesh. I hate using new agey, marketing words like that, but the Wayne and the Lips make some of the most listenable and interesting music out there. This is from the perfect Soft Bulletin disk, but nearly everything they've released is worth a listen. Like Zaireeka, a set of 4 CDs meant to be heard simultaneously. I've got it, but I've never gotten around to doing the full-on, four disk thing. Probably because, uh... where am I going to find three other geeks like me to press “play” on my cue?
06 No Compromise - Rhino 39: Fifty-four seconds of punk rock from Rhino 39, a mid-seventies punk band from Long Beach. Pretty hard to find stuff, but this songs on the Dangerhouse Volume 2: Give Me A Little Pain comp. Tip: pick up anything you find on the amazing Dangerhouse label.
07 Hang Em High - Booker T & the MGs: Right on. There's a great cover of this song on the Diver Down album. Booker T & the MGs were THE Stax band, and they're still unbeatable. This one's on a ton of comps and greatest hits collections, you can find it anywhere, but check out the Soul Limbo CD.
08 Heroin - Velvet Underground: From Velvet Underground & Nico. Great backstory: Lou Reed wrote this pre-VU, when he was still a freelance songwriter for Pickwick Records. In 1964. Can you imagine the stones on that kid, writing such a song for a label in 1964?!
09 Those Damn Blue Collar Tweekers - Primus: (From Sailing the Seas of Cheese) Another band that was hand-delivered to me by my pal MicKen. We've been friends for a few months over 20 years, and he's turned me on to some of the best music I've ever heard. He's musically curious like me, so he's always thrown stuff my way. Some of it I love (Living Colour, Walt Mink, Rites of Spring, Squirrel Bait), and some of it I can't get to (Chris Whitley, Self) but I always appreciate the challenge of these new sounds. When MicKen starts talking up some artist, I listen. It gets a little weird sometimes when he asks me a month later if I ever checked out the _____ album he told me about, and I reply yes -- plus, I bought the back catalog, the new one, the singles box set, a bootleg of demos, and I read the biography. Like I said, I can be a diehard fanboy sometimes. An idiotic, completist diehard fanboy.
10 One Way Out - Allman Brothers: Yeah. So? It's an Elmore James classic, and the A-Bros do it right. This is from the Almost Famous soundtrack.
DIY: Put your digital jukebox or mp3 player on “shuffle all songs,” and tell us the first ten to come out.
[posted with ecto]
On iTunes right now: “Get Revenge” from the album The Stains by Stains, The
It happened in the old neighborhood, too, but here in the Anti-Canine Belt of Forest Hills, it's worse. I go out walking Jackson, and hear one of the following comments or questions:
1) Does he bite?!
2) Do he bite? Why he got a muzzle on then?
3) That dog must be vicious.
4) Beagles aren't mean... that dog shouldn't have a muzzle on.
5) Why do you have that muzzle on him?
6) What's that muzzle on his face?
It's annoying as hell, but at least these are the people who speak up or ask. I get a lot of dirty looks from people who just walk past silently. I watch moms and dads quickly pull their children out of the way of the oncoming “feral Beagle.” I think it's worse in this neighborhood, too, because it's not very dog-friendly in Forest Ills. The apartment building situation has been well-documented. But everywhere we go on our walks, I see signs warning that grass has been “chemically treated” to keep dogs away. (Um, poisoned?) One sign, near the YM-YWCA, shares the information that “dog waste transmits disease.” (To be fair, pet owners in this area aren't exactly helping their own cause. Are my wife and I the only ones who pick up their dog's business?)
So, anyway.
Stop asking. It's not a fucking muzzle. It's a Gentle Leader. Among its many benefits, it prevents Jackson from gagging himself when he pulls at the leash, because it puts the pressure on the back of his neck instead of the throat. It's not a fucking muzzle. He could bite. But he won't. I will.
[posted with ecto]
On iTunes right now: “Punished or Be Damned” from the album Demos 1977-78 by Screamers, The
Sticking Point reader Alan R. emailed me this link to a review of the X @ Roseland show, and this one to a site with some pics from the show. (Thanks!)
[posted with ecto]
On iTunes right now: “Speedwash” by Enzymes, The
I spent most of this week dreading the eight daily hours in the office. Layoffs were coming, they were rumored to be massive and deep, and I kind of figured that my position would be on the bubble. I could barely eat, I could hardly sleep, and my stomach felt like a bagful of scalding nickels. I spent the days behind my desk, with one eye on the computer and the other on the door, lest any bearer of bad news should enter.
Well, it happened. I got laid off yesterday. Officially, my “position is being eliminated,” and I have to go with it.
My boss really couldn't have handled things any better than he did. He was upfront; he said all the right (and kind) things, and his tone was sensitive to what he figured I'd be feeling. He did it right and I appreciated that. My company's HR department put together a severance package that will keep my family financially, medically, and dentally sound for a little while. I actually left the building yesterday feeling much much better than when I walked in. I felt relieved. Relieved to finally know my fate -- I fucking hate surprises -- and relieved of the tumult in the pit of my stomach.
This morning I sat for coffee with S as she fed H his breakfast, then the three of us took our dog out for a walk and smirked at some of the gaudy riche houses on the other side of the neighborhood. It was nice.
Later, I hit the gym like a freight train and found three years of psychotherapy in a pair of 60-pound dumbbells. It felt so good to get back with the iron. I missed that so much. Doubly satisfying is the fact that I really like the gym in my new neighborhood. Little by little, the gloomy murk of Forest Hills is parting, and I can see a little light.
Today's Friday 10 is three floors. The free-weights and squat rack are upstairs.
01 My Goodness- X: Did I tell you that last week's X show was unbelievable? Maybe it's due to the emotionally draining weeks I'd been through, but standing there at Roseland, seeing and hearing the Almighty ones play was... moving. I got choked up a number of times. It was fucking religious for me. And have you seen any reviews of the show? I haven't. A blogger friend sent me a photo he took, and we promised each other we'd share the setlist or a review if we find one. Goddamn, it's hard to Google that band. X. You've got to throw in a handful of other keywords. “My Goodness” came off the Live at the Whiskey CD.
02 Ffun - Con Funk Shun: This is a 45 I've had since I was about nine years old. I didn't know until many years later that the song is this Memphis group's tribute to the Atlanta dazz band Brick. I don't have a lot of Con Funk Shun stuff, but I like whatever I've heard. Theirs is good soul stuff, and worth digging up if you're into that Ohio Players / Parliament / Jimmy Castor stuff.
03 Commando - Ramones: From It's Alive. H has a Ramones T-shirt that features a slight rewording of this song's lyric: “First Rule -- Be Nice To Mommy.”
04 Orchid - Black Sabbath: I don't know if I have more than a few dozen instrumentals on my iTunes. This one's hot shit. The Master of Reality album was the first Sabbath I ever owned, and I only got it because my sister's boyfriend gave it to her when it came out and she hated it. She chucked it my way and I've never been the same since. There are a couple different printings of Master floating around. My original vinyl has the album title in black on the cover, while later pressings and CD versions have it printed in easier-to-read grey. I... am... a... geek.
05 Here We Go - Shelter: I think I first heard this on a CMJ comp that used to come out with the New Music Monthly magazine. (Does that still exist anymore?) I liked the song, bought their disk. Just like the labels hope. No sweat. The lead singer of Shelter is none other than hardcore Krishna Ray Cappo -- from Youth of Today. What a band that was! Those guys were part of the late first-wave straight edge scene, made great music, and all moved on to other bands where they'd make even more solid and challenging music. Check out Youth of Today info here. “Here We Go” is my favorite song on the Mantra album.
06 Right Now! - Zeros: That the Zeros were called “the Mexican Ramones” tells you everything you need to know about them. They were right there in the pocket in L.A. in 1976, playing alongside all those bands you know and love. Ever hear the Muffs' “Beat Your Heart Out”? That's a Zeros song. They broke up in 1981, but get back together every now and then to record and tour. This song is actually from 1999, on Right Now! The Don't Push Me Around comp is worth checking out, too.
07 Intergalactic (Colleone/Webb Mix) - Beastie Boys: A fun remix from their Blow-Up Factor 12“. I don't know who, what, or where re: Colleone/Webb.
08 Yvonne - Saw Doctors: I like a ton of Saw Doctors songs. This isn't one of them. (That's what ”shuffle all songs“ gets you sometimes.) Why is it on my iTunes? Because it's off their blazing second album, All The Way From Tuam. That thing starts with ”Green and Red of Mayo,“ ends with ”Never Mind The Strangers,“ and is loaded with great songs in between. (”Yvonne“ aside.)
09 Joy - Lucinda Williams: I've been listening to her Car Wheels on a Gravel Road CD continually for nearly seven years now. It got me through some shit times back then, and it still sounds as focused and pure to me now. What a perfect record that is. I've seen her play live a couple times and I own a couple bootlegs. If you don't have Car Wheels -- get it; and if you ever see Lucinda's name on an ad in the music section of your city's free paper -- buy tickets ASAP. She brings it.
10 My Fallen Words - Bettie Serveert: It was my pal Rob who turned me on to this band. It must have been about '95 or '96. I remember, we were talking about our mutual admiration for Luna, and he said he'd also been listening to a lot of Bettie Serveert. ”They take me to a special place,“ he said. This song is from years later, from their impeccable Private Suit album. Check them out live -- they smoke.
Today's F10 included some of the best live acts you'll ever see. I've never seen the Zeros or Con Funk Shun, but the other eight? Whoa. Do it yourself now: Put your mp3 player or digi-jukebox software on ”shuffle all songs,“ and tell us what the first ten out the chute are.
”The Friday 10 and that Harry Potter movie are, like, my top two things for 2005. For those year-end list things.“ -- Madeleine Stowe
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[posted with ecto]
From today's Times; by Ben Ratliff:
On Nov. 19, Mark E. Smith, the witheringly cynical singer for the British band the Fall, read soccer results on a BBC television show, “Score and Final Score.” First he cleared his throat - he seemed to have a cold - and then, in a voice like a sharp stick, he began. “Charlton Athletic 1, Manchester United 3. Chelsea 3, Newcastle United nil.” And so on, for about four minutes. Fall fans on the Internet have been fascinated by this, as others would be fascinated by Bob Dylan reading the Lotto numbers, but I haven't found anyone stating the obvious: it's like a Fall song. A report, cut into stentorian bursts of Manchester, anti-sentimental, full of proper nouns and not open to debate. (It can be accessed through WFMU's blog)
[posted with ecto]
On iTunes right now: “Don't Call Me Darling” from the album The Idiot Joy Show by Fall, The
All this and a bag of fish...
01 Blue Spark, from Under the Big Black Sun: What a song. It came on just as I was walking out the front door of my new Forest Hell apartment building, and it felt good. Good to be starting the day with some of the coolest riff-and-rumble opening notes in rock. I hope they open with this tonight.
02 White Girl, from Wild Gift: Wild Gift is it, friends. This is the first Clash album for the LA punk scene -- a must-have Encyclopedia Americana of the sound and the scene. Remember when the Chili Peppers sampled "White Girl" on the Mother's Milk album? Laughable.
03 Come Back to See Me (live), from The Unheard Music DVD: I stripped this mp3 off the DVD; I don't think this version of the song appears on any CD. Unheard Music is a really good document of what the band is all about, and has some phenomenal live footage. I recently read an interview with John Doe where he said he was glad the DVD was out, but he wished X were given the chance to give commentary or new interviews. He felt it was a little boring to have some of the video clips sitting in there without proper context.
04 Breathless, from More Fun in the New World: I tell everyone they should start with this album. From here, you can get anywhere, backward or forward through X's catalog. Here's a question: When you're getting someone started on one of your favorite bands, how do you decide which disk to recommend? Is it the first one you got? The one with the hit everyone knows? Or the dense, hard-to-grok one -- to test your friend's commitment?
05 Trail of Time (The Knitters), from Poor Little Critter on the Road.
06 Because I Do, from Live at the Whiskey A Go-Go.
07 The New World, from Live at the Whiskey A Go-Go.
08 See How We Are, from See How We Are: Amazing song, incredible album.
09 So Long (It's Been Good to Know Yuh) (John Doe & Dan Zanes), from Night Time: Even my 18-month old son loves this one. Of course. It's a Woody Guthrie song, and WG had a knack for writing some pretty heavy songs... that children dug.
10 The World's A Mess, It's in My Kiss, from Unclogged: It looks like it's out of print and Amazon doesn't carry it, but it's definitely worth grabbing a copy off eBay or Gemm. Probably won't cost you more than seven or eight bucks. Unclogged is X's take on the "Unplugged" idea. There's a lot of live stuff from the band out there, but this is the only one fully acoustic.
By the way, follow this link for a list of albums John Doe Himself recommends.
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It might have been a great "regular" Friday 10, too. When I swtiched over to "shuffle all" I heard Coltrane ("Locomotion") and King Crimson ("Elephant Talk").
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Play it yourself: Put your mp3 player or digital jukebox on "shuffle all songs," list the first 10 in the comments section below.
Heinrich von Kleist: Michael Kohlhaas (The Art of the Novella)
Geraldine Brooks: Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women
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