Courtney Barnett: A Sea of Split Peas

     In my brain

     I re-arrange

     The letters on the page to spell your name.

     Those, my friends, are lyrics from the song "History Eraser" by Melbourne, Australia's Courtney Barnett. Earlier in the song, she modestly sings "In my dreams I wrote the best song that I've ever written...can't remember how it goes". She must have remembered long enough to record it, because it is in fact "History Eraser". The song begins by channeling Nirvana's "About A Girl", which is appropriate since she fronts a three-piece band and plays guitar left-handed. The song recounts a night out partying and goofing around. The second verse starts out, "I found an Ezra Pound and made a bet that if I found a cigarette I'd drop it all and marry you. Just then a song comes on: "You can't always get what you want"- The Rolling Stones, oh woe is we, the irony!" The final verse closes out with another great line: "You said, 'I guarantee we'll have more fun, drink till the moon becomes the sun and in the taxi home I'll sing you a Triffids song'". I have no idea who The Triffids are, but that line is fantastic. And she says "home" with that awesome Australian accent.

     I've meant to write a post about this album for a few months, but I dropped the ball with Sound Mind this summer. Technically speaking, this isn't an album. A Sea of Split Peas is actually comprised of two EP's; 2012's I've Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris and 2013's How To Carve a Carrot Into a Rose. Tracks 7-12 are from the former and 1-6 the latter. Back in the Spring, I randomly heard a few of these songs on WRUW and each time I'd think to myself, "That's a cool song". Then I'd forget about Courtney Barnett until the next time they played one of her songs. Then one night, Courtney Barnett was the musical guest on Jimmy Fallon and blew me away with her performance of "Avant Gardener". She was rockin' out on a left-handed Telecaster and I was hooked. The next day, I went out and bought the CD and she has quickly become my favorite new songwriter. Her greatest strength as a lyricist is clever wordplay. For example, the song "Avant Gardener" is about Courtney having an asthma attack and has the following lines: 

* I'm breathing, but I'm wheezing. Feel like I'm emphysem-in

* The paramedic thinks I'm clever cos I play guitar. I think she's clever cos she stops people dying

* I take a hit from an asthma puffer. I do it wrong. I was never good at smoking bongs. I'm not that good at breathing in

     Courtney is a unique songwriter, but she does have some obvious influences. "Don't Apply Compression Gently" has a decided Flying Nun vibe; David Kilgour in particular. "David" is a blues-y rocker that lifts the riff from Bowie's "The Jean Genie". However, the overriding influence is Nirvana. This is especially evident on the track "Lance Jr". It begins with that same "About A Girl" structure and the lyrics could be interpreted as being about Kurt Cobain. 

     The most personal song in the set is "Are You Looking After Yourself?" It's about her family worrying about her trying to make it as a musician. She sings, "I don't want no 9 to 5 telling me that I'm alive". Then she's asked, "Have you got some money saved...just in case you fail?" I think the moral of the story is if you have a passion for something don't have a backup plan...just do it. I hope it works for Courtney and she continues to write amazing songs that connect with people. Peace.

Marketing For Dummies by U2

     Let me preface this post by saying I love U2. I've loved them since "I Will Follow" and "Gloria". I knew my wife completed me when I realized I had all the 80's U2 and she had all the 90's U2. We've since spent the 2000's adding to our U2 collection. A few years ago, we finally saw them live at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Over the years, I've managed to compartmentalize Bono's activism and religion and ZOOTV and (red) and everything from the music. With the release of their latest album, Songs of Innocence, I may have finally reached my breaking point on a few counts.
     I feel a bit sheepish about discussing Songs of Innocence on Sound Mind, because it's not technically in my collection...yet. However, since U2 released it for free, after getting paid up front by Apple, I'll forge ahead. Unlike many people who go out of their way to be offended, I had no problem with U2 downloading their album to iTunes at no charge to the user. U2 still have enough clout to get a company like Apple to pay them millions for digital content to, in turn, provide free to their customers. Then U2 can turn around and sell physical Cd's and LP's to old-timers like me. It was a clever plan, but no good deed goes unpunished. People in the First World have made a choice to give up countless privacy concerns for connectivity. Somewhere in the back of their minds they know they have no privacy and are being monitored, but they don't want to be reminded. It's like when you eat at a restaurant or buy food that's been canned in a factory. You know there's a certain amount of rodent hair in the can. You know there's a chance someone in the kitchen has a cold or didn't wash their hands after hitting the head. But we still eat out and we still buy processed foods. So, when a new U2 album just shows up in iTunes without their permission, they freak out and feel violated. Well, except my wife who didn't realize until I asked her about it.
     My problems with Songs of Innocence mainly revolve around the musical content. I've finally come to the realization that U2's best music is behind them. It happens to every artist if they hang around long enough; The Stones, The Who, Bowie, Neil Young, Elton John, etc... U2 are a brand now that puts out middle of the road, slickly produced music. Maybe it struck me more with this album, because of the TV commercial that featured the track "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)". It starts out with a part of the song where The Edge is playing the only guitar riff on the whole album. Then you see images of The Ramones and The Clash. Wow, maybe this new U2 album is going to rock out. Why else would they conjure images of punk bands to promote Songs of Innocence? But no. The first time my wife listened to the album she asked, "Where's that song from the commercial"? I told her it was the first track. See, she has this annoying habit of listening to five seconds of a song and then skipping to the next one. She thought the song started with the guitar riff and, in fairness, it should have.
     Now, I'm not saying this is a horrible album. If you like their last few albums you'll like Songs of Innocence. I will probably buy the LP at some point, because I'm a completist. There are even a few high points. My favorite track is "California (There Is No End To Love)". It starts with a Brian Wilson-y bit where they repeat "Santa Barbara", then it kicks in to a nice groove propelled by Larry Mullen Jr. It's also one of the few tracks where the band doesn't retreat to the background when Bono sings. "Sleep Like A Baby Tonight" is another interesting track. Most of the song is typical U2, but at the end The Edge plays a guitar part that is very similar in style to Steven Drozd circa The Flaming Lips album The Terror. Otherwise, The Edge just sounds like The Edge.
     I know U2 don't need advice from me, but I would love to see them go into a studio for two weeks and just bash out a ragged, raw album. On some level it has to suck to carry the mantel of being "The Biggest Band In The World" for 25 years. You naturally lose your edge (pun kinda intended) and stop taking chances. Maybe they should let Foo Fighters or somebody else carry that weight and get back to the music. Peace.

Rock Hall Nominees 2015

     I think it's time for The Rock Hall to take a page from Cooperstown and change it's induction policy. Baseball's Hall of Fame inducts members based on "merit" and not an annual quota system. A couple years ago, they didn't induct anyone into Cooperstown. One can still argue who merits induction, but there are very few undeserving players enshrined. The Rock Hall has come to a point in history where almost all the no-brainers (except The Zombies) are already inducted and there just aren't five acts every year who merit induction. That being said, I can list five acts who should be in and weren't nominated this year; The Zombies, Cheap Trick, Electric Light Orchestra, Duran Duran and Yes. Anyhow, I voted this morning in the fan ballot and only voted for two groups, The Smiths and Green Day.
     In the 80's, The Smiths weren't in my wheelhouse. I was mainly listening to Sabbath, Priest and Maiden and couldn't wrap my head around "This Charming Man". Even today, Morrissey is a walking, talking nonsense machine. However, over the years I have grown to like much of The Smiths' catalog and recognized their vast influence on alternative music. I still don't like "This Charming Man". In fact, I'm probably in a small minority who prefer Moz's solo albums to The Smiths. Bottom line, they are way overdue for induction.
     At the risk of losing my hipster cred, I like Green Day. It's true. Three of my favorite albums are Dookie, Nimrod and American Idiot. My only gripe with them is they seem to have been an influence on horrible bands, such as Blink-182. However, based on their own merit, I feel they deserve to be inducted.
     After some consideration, I decided to pass on Sting and Stevie Ray Vaughan. While I love The Police and secretly wish I were more like Sting, I don't feel his solo material merits induction. I give him some credit for having the balls to release a lute album, but that's not a ticket to The Rock Hall. And he wrote "Soul Cake". Sorry Mike. As for SRV, that was a tough call. Back in the day, I was all about Stevie and even got into the Blues because of him. I still love "Pride and Joy" and "Cold Shot", but overall his music hasn't aged well for me. He's an interesting nominee but I don't feel he merits induction.
     I can lump the rest of the nominees into two groups; those I hate and those I wonder why they were even nominated. The latter group includes The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Chic, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Marvelettes, N.W.A., The Spinners, War and Bill Withers. Rounding out the nominees with those I hate are Kraftwerk, Nine Inch Nails and Lou Reed. In fairness, I strong case could be made for all three of them, but not by me.
     In the future, it's hard for me to conceive of five acts that are locks for The Rock Hall, period, let alone five every year. Other than Pearl Jam, Radiohead, The White Stripes and Foo Fighters I'm stumped. Consider Cooperstown. Peace.

Kasabian: 48:13

     Since today marks  the U.S. release of Kasabian's new album, 48:13, I thought I'd post about my second favorite band of the 2000's. I've been a fan for a decade, so when I got on social media I began following them. I was confused by all the hype for the release of 48:13 back in June, because I could find nothing about it's release in the States. I finally broke down in August and ordered it as an import. Perhaps it's late release in America was a record label decision to coincide with their short tour of the States, but I took it as an indictment on the U.S.
     Let me preface what I'm about to say by pointing out I'm not usually a fan of things that are popular with the masses. However, how is it that Kasabian can headline Glastonbury 2014 and sellout stadiums all over the U.K. and Europe, but in the States...crickets. Kasabian were just in America and played a handful of shows at clubs like The Metro in Chicago. I just don't get it. Luckily for them, they seem to be successful enough in the rest of the world that they apparently don't need to be big in America. Selfishly, I wish they were on a 50 date U.S. tour and were playing The Quicken Loans Arena with their full show.
     Before I get to 48:13, let me backtrack a bit. My introduction to Kasabian was the use of their song "Clubfoot" in a commercial for a TV show. I don't remember the show, but I had to check out the band behind that song. At the time, my wife had a job interview in Georgetown and I tagged along. While I was killing time during her interview I happened across the Kasabian album at Barnes and Noble and picked it up. That CD is still our "go to" when we're in the car together or want to just listen to music at home. It is a perfect combination of rock and British club music. There is not one bad song and there are several standout tracks, like, "Clubfoot", "I.D.", "L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)", "Reason Is Treason" and "Test Transmission". If my kids decide to check out my Kasabian collection  I recommend they start with that album.
     48:13 is another strong set from the band that builds on their previous albums. Kasabian are one of those bands with a charismatic lead singer, Tom Meighan, who doesn't write the lyrics. Those duties fall to multi-instrumentalist and producer Sergio Pizzorno. At this writing, the tracks that stand out to me are "Glass" and "Stevie". "Glass" is a song about how the media tries to control us. We are urged to "turn off everything" and warned that "we are taught to watch the puppets, not the hands controlling". There's also a good class warfare rap by guest vocalist Suli Breaks. "Stevie" is about gun violence. The title character is a kid with problems who's off his med and get his hands on a gun. He's urged to resist violence and live to fight another day. Part of Kasabian's appeal is sexual energy. It's not particularly what draws me to their music, but I enjoy in the song "Bumblebee" when they sing about being in ecstasy and imploring "all you pretty things get on board this mothership". If you aren't familiar with Kasabian and you like high energy rock music with a groove check them out. Peace.

10 Most Influential Albums

     Last week, Lucky Records Dave posted his personal 10 most influential albums, so naturally I had to reciprocate. I have posted about some of these albums in the past, so I beg your indulgence. Just a reminder, these are my personal top 10 influential albums, not necessarily my favorites or the albums I perceive to be the best. Here goes...

1) Kind of Blue- Miles Davis: This is cliche, but true. I attempted Bitch's Brew first and wasn't ready. I almost wrote Miles off at that point, but I took a shot on Kind of Blue and it blew my mind. After devouring all the Coltrane and Second Quintet releases, I returned to Bitch's Brew and was finally prepared.

2) Night at the Opera- Queen: In junior high we were divided into two camps; Team Bohemian Rhapsody or Team Dream On. I was squarely in the Bohemian Rhapsody camp. That single opened my mind to the possibilities of music. As a kid it seemed like such an epic song. It wasn't verse, chorus, repeat. There were movements. There was the crazy Galileo part that I didn't even understand, but it amazed me nonetheless.

3) Greatest Hits- Elton John: I don't know if greatest hits albums count, but I played the hell outta this record. I was a rural white kid who couldn't make out most of the lyrics, but I treasured these songs. Even though it's preposterous to imagine Elton John (or even Bernie Taupin) as the protagonist of "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", I smile every time I hear that opening riff. Maybe a couple of the sounds Elton John really likes are indeed switchblades and motorbikes. Part of me likes to think it's true.

4) Reality...What A Concept- Robin Williams: I was a huge Mork and Mindy fan, so when Reality...What A Concept came out I was all over it. I was young and didn't get the vibrator references, but this album really helped me through an awkward adolescence. I was timid, lacking in confidence and hadn't formed much of a personality when this album came out. I was amazed at how fast Robin Williams' mind worked and how much people loved him because he was funny. I realized humor was a viable alternative to being a jock or popular or good looking. His comedy was a life line. R.I.P.

5) Permanent Waves-Rush: I was already aware of songs like "Working Man", "Fly By Night" and "Closer To The Heart", but Permanent Waves completely sucked me into Rush fandom. I will love Rush till the day I die.

6) In The Aeroplane Over The Sea- Neutral Milk Hotel: My most read post, by a wide margin, is the one I did for this album. Go ahead and read it again:)

7) Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots- The Flaming Lips: This album did two things in my life. It got me through my divorce from my first wife and it got me back into rock music at a time I'd pretty much given up on it. In the near future I'm going to post on Wayne Coyne again, but in many ways he has changed my life. This is by no means my favorite Flaming Lips album, but it means the most to me personally. Hopefully that makes sense.

8) Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot-Sparklehorse: My favorite album and the one that speaks to me on a spiritual level. If you are interested read my Sparklehorse post, as well as my Cracker post which ended up being mainly about Sparklehorse.

9) Reckoning- R.E.M.: This is my favorite R.E.M. album. When it came out, I was in heavy metal. Still, something about their combination of rock, country and jangle spoke to me. In the late 80's, I had no use for G 'n' R or Metallica or hair metal anymore and I returned to Reckoning. Since then I've listened almost exclusively to alternative and indie rock.

10) Never Mind The Bollocks- Sex Pistols: I grew up in rural mid-Michigan and never heard this album until my senior year of high school (1983). My friend Kyle's brother let a few of us hang out in his basement one night. It was my first time drinking. We sat around talking about girls and listening to Kyle's brothers records. The two records that blew my mind were Joe's Garage and Never Mind The Bollocks. It woke me up to the fact that there was more music out there than what was played on AOR radio stations. No offense Journey.

     Since I didn't post anything this summer, I will be playing catch up for awhile. I will be getting around to Courtney Barnett, Parquet Courts, Popstrangers, Kasabian and many more. Peace.

Facebook and Social Media

     I've confessed in previous posts that I am loathe to embrace technology. I don't have a smart phone. I don't text. I don't download music. I'm not on Twitter. You name it...I'm not doing it. Unwittingly this Spring, my wife gave me her hand-me-down Samsung tablet and my descent into the time suck of electronic gadgetry began.
     At first, I viewed the tablet in much the same way I would a rattlesnake. I didn't touch it and only looked at it warily from a safe distance. After considerable coaxing on her part, I finally began playing around with it. I quickly came to the realization that this device could free me from the shackles of a desktop computer. I was able to go on the interwebs while sitting in the family room with my family. That was the moment the rattlesnake became a crack pipe. My wife realized too late what she had unleashed. I was, and still am, on it all the time.
     On April 21st, I had a brilliant idea for Sound Mind world domination. I would set up a personal Facebook page, then create a page for Sound Mind and promote it on social media. I was not deterred by the fact that when I started Sound Mind I was required to create a Google+ account and have never figured out how it works. Anyhow, I set up my Facebook page and began liking the hell outta shit; bands, authors, comedians, TV shows, restaurants, blah, blah, blah. Then I began receiving friend requests from family, friends, co-workers and ghosts from my past. I was bombarded with electronic stimuli. However, there was one person who I liked that lead me down a rabbit hole...John Hodgman.
     I've been a fan of Hodgman for quite awhile, going back to his appearances on The Daily Show and his commercial role as the PC. Then he wrote three hilarious books of fake world knowledge; Areas of My Expertise, More Information Than You Require and That Is All. I was not aware at the time that he also hosts a podcast called Judge John Hodgman. In his podcast, he solicits people to bring their disputes to his internet courtroom and submit to his rulings. The complaints are usually funny, as are the proceedings. Occasionally, the case is a heartfelt concern on the part of one party and the judge's ruling is very poignant. Unfortunately, I enjoy the podcast immensely and there are over 170 episodes. I've probably listened to about 120, much to my wife's chagrin. To further compound this problem, Hodgman lead me to another podcast hosted by his friend John Roderick of The Long Winters called Roderick on the Line. RotL is co-hosted by Merlin Mann and is basically a 90 minute B.S. session between two friends who talk about music, life, philosophy and history. It's very funny and thought provoking. Unfortunately, there are over 120 episodes. of which I've listened to about 100. Needless to say, I spend considerable amounts of free time dicking around on my tablet, rather than blogging, writing or socializing with my family.
     Not surprisingly, I still haven't created a Facebook page for Sound Mind. I determined that Sound Mind was not ready for prime time and needed some sprucing up before going on Facebook. I intended to go back and insert videos and links into old posts and incorporate them into future posts. I was also slightly concerned about feedback from Facebook friends to particular posts. Another result of the Facebook time suck was I went months without writing a post. It felt ridiculous to put Sound Mind on Facebook when I hadn't been actively posting. Now that I'm posting again, I plan on creating a Sound Mind Facebook page very soon. Now I just have to get going on the Sound Mind book. Peace.
   

Farewell GbV and Centro-matic

     Maybe Gene Simmons is right and rock is dead. At least it feels that way to me as my two favorite bands, Guided by Voices and Centro-matic, decided to shut it down this past week. I shouldn't be upset. Both of these bands are prolific and have left behind an amazing catalog of music that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Hopefully, my kids will discover my hoard some day and be touched by these bands as well. Selfishly, I am upset. Guided by Voices' breakup was perhaps the most abrupt thanks to social media. When I checked my Facebook feeds the other day (more about that in a future post), there was a post about GbV adding shows in Detroit and Columbus. I wasn't particularly interested because I already had a ticket for their upcoming show at The Grog Shop in Cleveland. I couldn't believe what I was reading a few posts later when they announced their breakup and cancellation of the remainder of their tour. It really sunk in when I received a refund notification for my ticket. I didn't want a refund, I wanted an effin' rock show! What the hell could have happened in a couple hours where you go from adding shows to breaking up? I'm sure Kevin Fennell can attest that Pollard is a hothead and a loose cannon, but come on. Apparently, there isn't a straight forward explanation coming from Uncle Bob anytime soon. However, he did seem to leave open the possibility of reuniting another iteration of GbV in the future.
     If you are a loyal Sound Mind reader, you know Robert Pollard and Tobin Sprout are two of my favorite songwriters of all time. Tobin has a true gift for pop song craft, whether as Pollard's "George Harrison" or as a solo artist. If you aren't familiar with his work check out some of his songs, such as, "Atom Eyes", "It's Like Soul Man", "Scissors", "Dodging Invisible Rays", "E's Navy Blue", "All Used Up" and "Paper Cuts". I've recently had to wrap my head around the fact that he has political views that I don't agree with, but I've managed to compartmentalize that from his music.
     Robert Pollard is a savant who seems to hold the entire history of rock music in his brain. His unique gift is word collage. I'm confident he will continue to churn out music at an alarming rate with his various side projects and solo albums. I do have to admit one thing though. Back when I did a post on his best non-GbV songs, I realized that with the exceptions of Not In My Airforce and From A Compound Eye his solo albums are not very good. I much prefer him in the context of GbV and hope he revives one of the Doug Gillard lineups in the future.
     Then there's Centro-matic. Loyal Sound Mind readers also know Will Johnson is my favorite songwriter, bar none. He is also very prolific, but Centro-matic is my preferred Will Johnson vehicle. Their breakup is more gradual as they opt for the farewell tour approach. Sadly for me, they will not be coming to Ohio. As much as I love them I can't drive to Buffalo in the middle of December. I saw them once and they played to a very small crowd at the Beachland Tavern. Not to be that guy again, but it's discouraging that a band like Centro-matic couldn't breakthrough on even a Kings of Leon or Death Cab For Cutie level. Ironically, I probably never would have heard of them except they came up on a search I did for similar bands to Guided by Voices. Redo The Stacks is every bit a lo-fi masterpiece as Bee Thousand. I wish I had the ability to quantify why Will's songs mean so much to me. It's an emotional, soul level connection that defies explanation. Yet, you can't even walk into an independent record store and find a copy of one of their albums in stock. Well, maybe in Austin.
     I hope Gene Simmons is wrong. I hope kids still work out their chops in the garage and dream of making it big. Gene has probably never listened to "The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton" by The Mountain Goats, but John Darnielle wrote a line that he may want to heed. "When you punish a person for dreaming his dream don't expect him to thank or forgive you". Even if their dream will likely never come true. Peace.