Apologies for my lack of posts as of late. Where do I even start when there is so much to discuss? My recent absence from the site has in no way reflected a minimal level of auditory intake on my behalf. Au contraire. I've been quite busy catching up on a plethora of tuneage - both new and recycled. With this particular post, I've decided to share a couple personal highlights, and plan to do so with plenty of name-dropping and hyperlinking.
Men Women and Children - I recently heard of this group via
Do it Old Maid and was a bit surprised that I had been out of the loop, beings that ex-
Glassjaw guitarist Todd Weinstock is at the helm. MW&C finds Todd taking a very similar path as the Long Island hardcore band's vocalist, Daryl Palumbo, who currently fronts the eclectic
Head Automatica. Like Palumbo, Weinstock's new work ditches hardcore in favor of Latin rhythms, hip-hop beats, and the excess of disco and funk. In my opinion, MW&C's new studio track 'Dance in My Blood' describes the band best: "You don't need a reason, to get out on the dancefloor" This band definitely finds me wanting to put on my boogie shoes to shake my groove thing on disco mountain.
Stereogum recently posted the mp3 of
Elbow's 'Teardrop' cover. As one of my all-time favorite
Massive Attack songs, I have been looping this track repeatedly.
Collisions, the fourth and most recent album from
Calla has also been receiving recognition on my
iTunes lately. Tracks like 'Swagger' and 'It Dawned on Me' are two of my favorites from a well-rounded album that should appeal to old and new fans alike.
Currently, my most-played track is one that I found while digging through the archives on
Between Thought and Expression. Dating back to July - a stellar
mash-up between
The Prodigy's 'Smack My Bitch Up' and
Prince's 'When Doves Cry.' The end product? A well-blended remix; titled none other than 'Smack My Bitch Up When Doves Cry.' Not only does it invoke a need to break out a pair of glow sticks, but it also seems to provide an interesting association between violent relationships and questioning lost love - a lyrical connection that many mash-ups seem to ignore.
And lastly on tonight's list of mentionables...
Pearl Jam's rare Mtv Unplugged album. Having recently acquired the full two-disc recording, I have been pleased to be able to hear the show in it's entirety (disc one is the band's soundcheck). Recorded in 1992, when their debut
Ten was still new, the band is heard performing powerful acoustic versions of songs from that album, plus b-side 'State of Love and Trust' and a cover of
Neil Young's 'Rockin in the Free World.' Eddie Vedder's signature vocals are on point and continue to grow in intensity throughout the performance - occasionally finding him spinning out of his emotional limits. On 'Porch', the band erupts into a full-out jam session, and in the process creates my favorite guitar solo of the album. With random tunings and banter thrown in between songs,
Pearl Jam: Mtv Unplugged is an insider's look at a fifteen year-old rock juggernaut during their rise to fame.
Former Soundgarden frontman/current Audioslave lead singer Chris Cornell is suing his ex-wife, claiming she "she conspired to divert money that belonged to Cornell to other Soundgarden band members. The lawsuit also claims that [Susan] Silver held his library of music, lyrics and two Grammys hostage."
Pearl Jam