J-Ship June 5th, 2007
NADA SURF
I like ‘em well enough. Their last couple of albums off the Barsuk label, Let Go and The Weight Is a Gift, are good standard alt-rock fair. But, the name Nada Surf. Dumb. Other dumb names they could have had – No Straw Hat, Zip Tacos, No Way Jose Tea Cozy.
J-Ship May 15th, 2007
MAGNETIC FIELDS
You must listen to 69 Love Songs. Magnetic Fields’ (aka Stephen Merritt’s) album that is at the zenith of the Magnetic Fields’ creative energies. Three CDs, chock full of swell pop songs with oodles of goofy lyrics, different styles and with a multitude of different themes based on l’amour. I told my granny, as I drove her to bingo in my Daewoo last Thursday, that the music we were listening to in the car was called “69 Love Songs.” She slapped me and said, “Filthy trash!” I love her, sure, but the slanderous comments she’s made throughout my young life have hurt. I mention to her, from time to time, that seniors commit suicide more than any other age group, minus teens, but she keeps playing bingo.
J-Ship May 1st, 2007
LATEEF, YUSEF
A tenor sax great, Yusef Lateef (born William Huddleston in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1920) has played with the best, including Milt Jackson, Paul Chambers and Dizzy Gillespie. He found Islam in the 1950s and changed his name. A note, now, from the White House: He’s a terrorist! Watch out America! Fear him! His name is Yusef! He’s Islamic! YIKES! His sax is probably booby trapped with explosives. He’s Islamic! He’s a menace to the great world order. His name is Yusef! Do you know any Yusef’s that aren’t bloodthirsty demons?!
J-Ship April 11th, 2007
Keane
From East Sussex in the UK they started as a cover band. They played Oasis, U2 and Beatles songs. U2, okay. They’re pretty good. “LEMON!” Oh yeah, U2’s sweet, and sour (“LEMON!”). The Beatles? Well, they’re icons, dude. “Eleanor Rigby” – I dare you to find a finer song. But singing Oasis covers? Ummm…Not good, Keane boys. Oasis is comprised of mental deficients who happened to have found a beat. My respect for you is lost, Keane. Lost forever.
J-Ship March 28th, 2007
Jack Johnson
The Jack Johnson who sang the “Curious George” soundtrack, the Jack Johnson who was a professional surfer before picking up the guitar to great success, the Jack Johnson who recorded “Brushfire Fairytales” is NOT the same Jack Johnson who was the first African-American to be a world heavyweight champion boxer. I looked like a complete idiot at Trivia Night this weekend at Shooter’s Bar & Grilll, a complete idiot! So, yeah, I guess this guitar playing guy isn’t black either.
J-Ship March 13th, 2007
Braille “I”
ICELANDERS
They know how to rock, our Icelandic brothers and sisters. Bjork, of course. But Sigur Rios?Awesome. And Emiliana Torrini? Neato! And the rap group Quarashi? Honestly, tell me a better Icelandic rap group. Seriously. Come on! You can’t even think of one. That’s because Quarashi is the end all and be all of Icelandic rap. God bless them. God bless them all!
J-Ship March 1st, 2007
HALEY, BILL
He sang “Rock Around the Clock.” When that song was popular Elvis had yet to chart nationally, Chuck Berry’s first single had barely been recorded, and Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly didn’t even have contracts. Haley was at the time, in other words, the only white rock ‘n’ roll star in the world. Now there are all sorts of white rock ‘n’ roll stars, like Nelson. Without Bill Haley, there might not be “(I Can’t Live Without Your) Love and Affection” and we’d all be the worse for it. Thanks Bill Haley. Thanks Matthew. Thanks Gunnar.
J-Ship February 7th, 2007
Garfunkel, Art
Two things, Artie, if you’re reading this.
1) Find a good barber.
2) Lay off the weed.
Gender
From Chico Instrument Encyclopedia:
An important part of the Indonesian gamelan ensemble, the gender looks something like a xylophone. It usually has twelve or fourteen thin brass “keys” suspended over tube shaped resonators. Because these resonators have different lengths and therefore tunings, you hear different pitches sounding when the keys are stuck with padded mallets. These resonators used to be made from bamboo, which did not prove to be very long-lasting. Now they are exclusively made out of zinc which may be painted a bamboo color.
J-Ship January 31st, 2007
FLEETWOOD MAC
There have been many changes to the Fleetwood Mac lineup. The drummer Mick Fleetwood (he’s the Fleetwood in Fleetwood Mac) and the bassist John McVie (he’s the Mac in Fleetwood Mac) have been the constants, which, of course, is quite handy in that the name of the group, as I’ve mentioned, is Fleetwood Mac. Other names the band could have chosen during its various personnel changes – Spencer Brunning, Fleetwood Green, Kirwan Spencer, McVie McVie, Welsh Fleetwood, Walker Weston Welsh, Buckingham McVie McVie, Vito Nicks, Bramlett Burnett, Fleetwood Nicks. I could go on but I won’t. I will, however, say something about Stevie Nicks. She’s a terrible singer! Come on! It sounds like her voice box was thrown in a wood chipper.
J-Ship January 18th, 2007
Rumsfeld and the Kyrgyz leader absolutely adore the letter ”E”
”E EATS EVERYTHING,” by THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
I have a 3-year-old girl. It’s challenging to find music that we can both agree on. She likes Beck, though, so that’s cool. However, it hasn’t taken her too long, upon hearing “Motherfuker” on his Mellow Gold album, to start questioning the lyrics of said song. That’s problematic. That’s why we listen to They Might Be Giants together. They’re creating kids albums these days and even if you don’t have a tot the albums are worth checking out. “E Eats Everything” is on their Here Comes the ABC’s album. No! is an even better album. There’s a song on it about a belligerent broom. And, as a plus, there’s no reference to mother fucking. I’m a good parent.
Downloads Reviews
