Tim Armstrong’s “A Poet’s Life”

Feel Good Album of the Summer. RIP in Joe Strummer, but rest knowing someone’s carrying the psuedo-Trenchtown torch.
I’ll openly confess my knowledge of this genre is limited (though I did see Armstrong’s Rancid at Lollapalooza ‘96) but I know a good record when I hear it.
I have been listening to “Poet’s Life” the past two days and my fairweather interest in ska/rude boy/reggae rock is piqued here. You’ve probably heard “Into Action”, a Specials-sounding call to arms as it has been in regular rotation on KEXP. “Inner City Violence” is a standout here, as well. Immediately recalls plenty of Clash tunes, especially the faster-paced “Guns of Brixton” and “Know Your Rights.” The production quality is good and the variety of the songs are varied in tempo and tone, keeping it fresh for that backyard BBQ with the neighbors.
Give it a spin.

Popularity: 6%

Freak Scene Fun Tonight

I had some bizarre dream last night in which a friend of mine who was wed last year was having his wedding and his family was so rich and famous and powerful that their wedding took place during the Grammy Awards and I had to watch it on TV.  Luckily, in the dream, they had another ceremony which took place at the church I was raised in out in the country (which was odd since they’re both devout Catholics from Seattle and I grew up a Lutheran in the country) and all sorts of crazy stuff happened that seems very vague now, but in the morning it caused me to wake up and think, “Golly, I wish I could see a Spoils show tonight.”

And then I realized that today there is a SPOILS show!  And more…

Tonight at the ReBar, initially conceived as a “Metal Composers Battle” by Luke LaPlante (keyboardist for prog-grind madman duo Sean and drummer for Scary Bear and Spirit of Radio) has booked another in a series of experimental shows at the ReBar.  He grouped a bunch of his favorite Seattle shredders together into small groups who had to write and perform original songs.  The lineups are as follows:

Swarming Sean of Wor:

Blaine (Swarming Hordes shred master)

Luke LaPlante (madness distorto-keyboards from Sean)

Jay (drum slayer from Wizards of War and Fortress of Victory)

VS.

Forever Seventeen

Dave Webb (Wah Wah Exit Wound/Girth)

Dave Abramson (Diminished Men - Climax Golden Twins - Spider Trio - dudeness)

Arran McInnis (Lesbian shredmaster)

To round out the bill, there is also Morraine.  I’ve only heard their MySpace posts and it sounds great.  It’s a string quartet with drums.  Very nice.

And then of course Spoils, and must I reiterate that if you have ever uttered the words “I like to listen to rock music” and you live here in Seattle and you have not attended a Spoils show, you may have to renege that statement.

ReBar

1114 Howell Street

9 p.m.

$5

Popularity: 6%

Mutant Sounds

If I had thousands of expendable dollars per month, I’d probably buy tons of records based solely on reviews, the cover art, who played on them, the label that put them out, or even the year and country of release. Many of these would get played once and shelved, adding only to my pool of worthless knowledge and ability to reference them in drunken conversations later. Helping me curb my credit debt is Mutant Sounds.

This site has been getting my attention almost daily for a few months now. Basically it caters to the absolute outer fringes of music nerdom. I’ve heard of about 10% of the stuff listed on here, and would consider buying about 1% if it was readily available. From an educational standpoint, it is unbelievable. Mutant Sounds posts about 200 rare, limited, out of print, and otherwise difficult to find albums a month (including artwork and release info). These are all free to download with the following disclaimer:

“The albums are for promotional and preview purposes only. Make sure to delete them within 24 hours If you like an album, support the artist And go buy it.”

I couldn’t agree more. If you can find them that is. Most of the posted recordings are direct uploads of LPs and cassette tapes from the 70s and 80s. If you are interested in Krautrock, this is THE place. Noise, avant guarde, progressive/space rock, psychedelic folk, traditional/ritual music, and more await. Enjoy and remember that it’s for educational purposes only!

Popularity: 8%

Bumber-Poop

The City Comes Alive… with my lovely lady humps.

What has happened to Bumbershoot? I’m sure all of you fellow fans were waiting with bated breath for the big announcement on July 9th. And then we got it… Fergie. Are you friggen kidding me? Fergie? The crack head with the lady lumps. Shit. This is a new low for the festival that seems to be on an ever increasing downward spiral. I mean hell, Fergie topped the Rolling Stone most annoying. #1 on their list AND mine beating out both Celine Dion and Nickleback (which I’ll get to later). Not that the rest of the “lineup” is much better. They even dropped the Rat City Roller Girls which were worth the price of admission alone last year. How much time do they really expect me to spend in the beer garden… or is that their plan all along?

For the second year in a row, I’m much more excited for the Capitol Hill Block Party’s stellar lineup featuring the likes of Spoon, Blue Scholars and Silversun Pickups. And this is a neighborhood event without having to outsource their promotion to AEG… the bummer that is Bumbershoot’s new promotion agent/partner. But we DO get Crowded House… remember them?

AEG was signed on this year to help bring in the big names and the big crowds. Yay. Now I know that stuffing a festival with Indie and blues bands won’t bring in the kind of crowds needed to pay for the venue and acts (not to mention lining AEG’s pockets) even though Cap Hill has been doing it year after year. Looking at their resume, I’ve seen them bragging about some big bookings they’re proud enough of to put into print. We’re talking about the BIG names like Nickleback (Deathbus), Celine Dion (DEATHBUS!!) and Yanni (just strap his lame ass to the roof). Not that AEG is all bad. They ARE responsible for Coachella which hosted the likes of Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, and Brother Ali to name just a few. It’s a festival I’ve always felt Bumbershoot was aspiring towards but failed sadly.

Now having spewed all this nonsense, I’m most probably still going to attend. There ARE some gems to pluck from the turds. Saturday’s headline is Kings of Leon with BRMC opening. Both bands’ latest releases are incredible. Also look for local greats the Blakes, The Cops, and North Twin. And others such as Rodrigo y Gabriella and The Gourds.

Popularity: 7%

I Don’t Care For Led Zeppelin

Sorry for the heresy, but I don’t care for them (fighting words in today’s [faux-]nostalgia-crazed music scene).

In high school I listened to Zeppelin hour almost every night on the radio. I read Hammer of the Gods. I had a bunch of their albums.

It just hasn’t stayed relevant to me. Sure it’s a big sound, sure it evokes fantasies of Viking ships crossing chilly seas, and yes whatshisname played with drumsticks so big they were nicknamed “trees”. All very good, but not my cup of tea. I swore them off in the early 1990s and haven’t looked back.

I still enjoy a few numbers off of Houses of the Holy, but that’s, er, because of a certain nostalgia.

Popularity: 6%

Spoon’s New Album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Leaked, Rocked, Reviewed, Dug

Background

I think Spoon’s A Series of Sneaks is one of the best rock albums ever recorded. It’s about as perfect as they get for me… track after track of Quality Listening ™, ala Pixies’ Surfer Rosa.

Ok, bar set.

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Naturally, further Spoon — or any — material is going to have to blow my mind to measure up to Series. Spoon’s new record Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga doesn’t measure up. (Spoon’s good song/bad song ratio has been getting worse since Girls Can Tell.)

[But the sky is not falling. Gimme Fiction’s “I Summon You” is brilliant. No other word for it. The rest of Gimme doesn’t stack up, but that track is as near to perfect as music gets. How to follow that up?]

At first listen, a friend said “Don’t Make Me A Target” sounded like that other song of theirs. Probably she meant “I Summon You” — one of a handful of Spoon songs on her laptop — in which case I understand her point…

Popularity: 16%