Straight from the Pumpkin's mouth...

“In Pumpkins logic, if you’re going to make people wait for six minutes for the payoff, the money shot better be good. Ultimately, this became the musical statement of the album. The drum take is one of Jimmy’s crowning achievements. It’s worth the price of admission. Lyrically, the song reflects the decision I made when we were in Scottsdale to stop watching all network or cable news. I noticed the effect that had on me–I stopped being afraid. In general, I’m not afraid of getting on the stage in front of 60,000 people, so why should I be afraid of a plane crashing into my house? I was trying to wrap my head around the way we’re being force-fed a level of paranoia. It’s a personal reflection on what it all means. The ‘revolution’ in the lyrics isn’t the revolution of picking up a gun. That’s never worked, and it never will work. Jesus was right.”

Billy Corgan - commenting on the song United States

Paper Darren

Full-time drummer, part-time actor. Darren King of Mute Math in his acting debut. Watch out Hollywood, he's on the move.

Thought of the day

A friend to all is a friend to none...

Sin City Volume 1: The Hard Goodbye

There's something about Marv...

As I finished the last page of Sin City Volume 1: The Hard Goodbye, I sat there and saw Marv's face staring at me, dead in an electric chair, yet still seemed alive. In fact there are so many times throughout this series where Marv should have been killed, but wasn't. The guy would not die! I really liked Marv. He was hell-bent on getting revenge for Goldie. Who's Goldie, you are wondering? She's a hooker who showed him kindness before she was killed, a kindness that Marv never felt before. So when he finds out she's been killed and he's been framed for the murder, he goes on a mission to bring justice in memory of her. And he will do it no matter what comes his way. Nothing can stop him. Nothing. Not the corrupt cops, not a vicious dog, not a twisted cannibalistic fuck and his priest friend. And toward the end it seemed not even an electric chair, which turned out to be the only thing that would finish him. What a great story in which a guy seeks justice for a murdered girl who most of the characters brush off as a "worthless whore"..

You can't keep a good man down, not even Marv...

Danielson: a Family Movie

Danielson: a Family Movie

I would have never known about Danielson if it had not been for Sufjan Stevens. And ironically, if there were no Danielson, there would be no Sufjan (musically speaking). I just watched a good movie/documentary over the weekend about Danielson Famile called Danielson: a Family Movie. It follows the siblings' story from their beginning when Daniel Smith was in Rutgers University, to the indie icons they (and Sufjan) have become. In the movie, you travel with them to various shows and get to see parts of their performances, along with fans who really dig the music but can't quite figure out the band. Included also are narratives by the band members, interviews, and home video clips giving a close look as to what moves this creative monster of a band known as Danielson.

And if you're still not interested, just see it to watch a band perform on stage with matching nurse uniforms. It doesn't get any cooler than that.

Maximo Park

Never heard of this band before. Out of the blue I got an email about them, and I decided to check out their album Our Earthly Pleasures. One distinct feature is the thick British accent in the singer's voice. You know how when some musicians from Britain sing, they lose their accent (i.e. Elton John, Sting, etc)? Not Maximo Park. Take a listen and you'll get a full dose of some jolly good Brit accents. Of course the accent is not the only thing worth checking out. But it does feel like your listening to a real Brit rock band. Add in hyperactive pop/punk background music, and you have a group that seems like they could give bands like Franz Ferdinand some competition.

Eisley w/ Mute Math @ The Filmore, Irving Plaza NYC (10-18-07)

Last night marked the third time I saw Mute Math live in NYC, and the first time for Eisley. If you weren't aware, Eisley has been opening up for Mute Math on their current tour. Although Eisley is an opening act this time, they could easily have headlined their own tour.










First off, the girls' harmony in the songs is hypnotizing. If you heard their album, you know what I mean. But hearing them live, their voices get magnified and you just get taken away by each song. Take Many Funerals for example. A great song. There's something about the part in the song when they sing "Rain, rain dowwnnnnn..." that gives you a high. And I only had one beer last night, so I knew it must have been the music that had me buzzed. (I'm wondering, since their music provides a natural high, a more fitting tag for their show could be "Get High With Eisley!" I should get that copyrighted.) Anyway, as I was saying about the show. It was amazing.










Throughout their set they played some other tracks from their latest album Combinations, as well as some older songs that I wasn't familiar with. But after hearing them I will now make it a point to check them out. Then came their closing song Invasion. They couldn't have picked a better song to close with.

After their set, Mute Math came on. Put it this way, my ears are still ringing fifteen hours after the show ended. Loud, chaotic, energetic. Everything you'd expect from one of the best bands out there.

World Peace: Courtesy of Air Supply

I have a solution for World Peace. It occured to me while driving to work. I was thinking of all the different ways people work towards world peace. We have summits and peace treaties out the ass. I'm sorry, but those sound BORING. I imagine that about 20 minutes into those summits, 95% of the audience's attention is lost on something more interesting, like text messaging. So what, exactly, is involved in this peace plan?

2 words: Air Supply.

You know that mushy feeling you get when an Air Supply song comes on? Well imagine a world, where instead of spending billions of dollars on defense to support a war, why not use the money to give your enemies Ipods filled with Air Supply songs? Imagine the results. Why waste time trying to bargain with the president of Iran when you can just provide him an Ipod full of Air Supply songs! He'll be putty in your hands. So instead of bombing our enemies, let's save the earth, with the help of Air Supply.













And remember, you heard it here first...

New Luna Halo Album! (Finally...)

After much delay due to changing labels (Warner Bros to Columbia), and God knows whatever else put this on hold, the word is that Luna Halo's new album is being released on October 30th. Since it's my pleasure to recommend good music to you all, I have to mention this one. So, after hearing the advanced copy of the album, all I can say is, "This album is gonna fucking rock."

Nuff said.

Do check it out and let me know what you think.

That's The Way (My Love Is)

How deep is your love?

About that infamous comment...

"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. ... We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first-rock 'n' roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."
-John Lennon

And so the Holy War began against John Lennon and the Beatles. I'm too young to have been around then, but I think it would have been funny to see all the religious folks get all uptight and fired up.

Maybe to stick it to them I would have said: "Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend. We can work it out."

But seriously, I was just listening to the Beatles and I remembered that statement by John. I think people totally missed the point of what he was saying. Check out the last part of his statement again.

"Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."

To that I say, "Yeah John!"

Any haters out there, you may now fire away at me...

"Christ you know it ain't easy,
You know how hard it can be.
The way things are going
They're gonna crucify me."

M.I.A.

This a jungle banger, I said cold jammer
I'm bored of banana want gwanabana
I gon warm my buns this summer summer
Coz I'm sitting down chillin on gun powder
Strike match light fire, who's that girl called Maya
M.I.A. coming back with power power
I said M.I.A. is coming back with power power
I said M.I.A. is coming back with power power!!

-from the song Bamboo Banga

M.I.A.
Kala

Damn I love this album. Where to begin about M.I.A.? She grew up in Sri Lanka and London. She uses her A.D.D. (who doesn't have A.D.D.?) to create music in which she raps, chants lyrics in Jamaican lingo, and makes her own beats. Sound interesting? Well it is. This is also not some mindless club music that is only good for the beats. If you tune into what she's saying in her songs, you'll find some socially/politically conscious lyrics in there. For a girl who grew up in a war torn area before moving to London, she sure as hell used those experiences to her advantage. A very gritty and eclectic piece of art. You'll just have to listen for yourself.

Vote for Arcade Fire!

Since MTV started out as "Music" television, it's ironic that nowadays they play everything BUT music. And the small chance they do play music videos, good luck trying to find anything other than the same pop/emo/Top 40 rock that drives pre-teens gaga. I normally don't keep up with what's going on at MTV, but upon hearing that Arcade Fire is up for an award, I wanted to encourage everyone to flood MTV with votes for them. It would be bittersweet to see them win. And who knows? Maybe we'll see bands like them given more airplay. Unless we're satisfied with Justin Timberlake and Fall Out Boy... ;)

Disappointed By Candy

Disappointed By Candy

Have you ever been disappointed by candy? Where you expected candy to taste a certain way and you were let down? And speaking of candy, the other day my son gave me some Bertie Botts, the very unique flavored jelly beans like the ones in the Harry Potter films. When I say unique, I mean flavors like vomit, earwax, earthworm, grass, soap, and sardines. And man do they live up to the flavors! Blecch! Anyway, where am I going with this? I was thinking of the name of this band called Disappointed By Candy. I wonder if they had a traumatic experience with candy (like I did with Bertie Botts) that scarred them permanently, thus leading to the name of their band. All kidding aside, they did find a catchy name for their band, don't you agree? So the next thought in your head is probably, "Yeah their name is catchy, but how the hell is their music???" Sometimes I notice that bands will use a real witty name to make up for the lack of creativity in their music. That's not the case with these guys. How do I know? I have in my possession an advanced copy of their new CD. The band consists of Gabe Ruschival and Jeremy Lutito, who also happen to play with Jars Of Clay on tour sometimes. Their musical experience and influences displayed on the album show their appreciation for good sounds. Not settling for mediocrity, they combine multiple styles (including a nice 80's influence) while retaining a consistent sound throughout. A pretty damn good album by this up and coming band. Look out for their new release soon. Now if I could just figure out the meaning behind their name...

One by One

Time is short, and mystery's lacking
I taste the bitter drink, and my insides cringe
I crave the pure wine, which is harder to find
Like a treasure buried in the Caribbean
Like a song only found on an 8-track
I stumble for meaning, and purpose is tiring
So I find my hands withering under the sun
I kicked the dirt, I cursed the sky
I stared in the mirror at a familiar stranger
Consumed with revenge, I said "Your death will come swiftly"
And at the end of it all, I'm back to square one
Where the beginning meets the end
Where the rubber meets the road
Where liberty is taken
And where secrets that were hidden, are killed off one by one