We have so much fun on this podcast. Commentary on the Grammy's, Lady Gaga's Super Bowl halftime performance (and Lady Gaga in general), the impact and retirement of Black Sabbath, Sabbath related holograms, loves songs to drugs, and so much more. Thanks for listening!
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by Dwight Cornel III (guest writer)
A couple weeks ago I got a text from my friend (and, um, boss I guess) Erik Ritland. He was listening to a new album and, since we sometimes share a similar taste in music, he asked my opinion. “I think I like it, especially the first track,” he said, “but I’m not sure if the lyrics are so bad that they ruin the song. And the album.” It turns out, as is sometimes the case, that Erik’s instincts were correct. The lyrics on Near to the Wild Heart of Life everything bad with indie songwriters today. I wonder where they got the idea that they need to try and be philosophers, or some kind of edgy social commentator. Sorry, Brian King (Japandroid’s lyricist –ed), you’re not Bob Dylan, and someone also needs to get that message out to Ought’s Tim Darcy, Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith, and each member of Ages to Ages. Some of King’s worst offenders: It was last call at my local And I stalled saying goodbye So the girl behind the bar came over And she took me aside She kissed me like a chorus, said “Give 'em hell for us The last drink of the night, last night in town Baby, this one is on the house” from “Near to the Wild Heart of Life” “Last call at my local”? Local what? Post office? Fire department? I have never once in my life heard someone refer to a bar as a “local,” but then again I guess I’m not very hip. Perhaps worse, “She kissed me like a chorus” is a terrible, obvious analogy. The scene created, like each one in Dawes’ equally trite“When the Tequilla Runs Out,” is beyond forced. From earlier in the same song: The future's under fire The past is gaining ground I was destined to die dreaming When one day, my best friend With passion and pure provocation Summoned me and said "You can't condemn your love To linger here and die Can't leave your dreams to chance Or to a spirit in the sky May your heart always be ardent Your conscience always clear And succumb to the city and surrender, baby I'll be waiting here" Boy do I hate shit like “the future’s under fire/the past is gaining ground.” What is so terrible about the past? What automatically makes the present – which was evidently going to lead to some sort of utopian future that is now under fire – so inherently better than the ideas of the past? We aren’t happier, we aren’t smarter, we aren’t more creative, and most of us are on drugs simply to function. Maybe we should be looking to the past for answers instead of condemning it for simply having the chronological misfortune of not being today. And that’s just the beginning. Has there been a more pretentious line than “one day my best friend/with passion and pure provocation/summoned me and said”? Provocation? Summon? Settle down there, buddy. Then there’s the prerequisite - and super edgy! - cheap shot on religion (“you can’t leave your dreams…to a spirit in the sky”) followed by more unnecessary wordiness (using “ardent” in a rock song should be an arrestable offense). In addition to being about four minutes too long, the lyrics on 7+ minute “Arc of Bar” are about as bad: She sauced my needs out of my dreams And baptized me in flesh that seeds And then she lay me like a baby On a bed of Spanish moss And for her love, I would help the devil To steal Christ right off the cross “She sauced my needs out of my dreams”? Seriously? I’m all for wordplay and imagery, but that means nothing and sounds stupid. “And she baptized me in flesh that seeds/and then she lay me like a baby/on a bed of Spanish moss” isn’t coherent (“baptized in flesh that seeds” makes no sense), is again unnecessarily wordy (“and then she lay me…”), and absolutely trite in its sad attempt to use religious imagery in a secular context (the reference to baptism and the last two lines). News flash: ripping on Christianity isn’t new, exciting, or edgy. In fact, it’s dreadfully boring. The worst of King’s faux-losophy comes on album ending “In a Body Like a Grave,” which is so filled with pretentious preaching and tired clichés that it’s hard to isolate a line or two as an example. The first three lines will suffice: Christ will call you out School will deepen debt Work will sap the soul Okay, okay, enough. Christianity is self-loathing, school is expensive, and work is hard – what penetrating insights. I know I’m just a lowly writer, but I have some friendly advice for King: put down the latest Ought album and study William Blake, Charles Bukowski, and the lyrics of Hank Williams, John Fogerty, and Rivers Cuomo. The combination of actual depth, contemporary snark, and fresh simplicity will get you closer to what you’re going for without going so constantly over the rails. Freelance writer Dwight Cornel III is a political commentator for the Ragbag Ramble. Find him on Twitter, @DwightCornellIII. ![]() by Erik Ritland Hello everyone and welcome back to Rambling On's #NewMusicFriday! This week, English psychedelic indie rockers Irma Vep create an atmospheric minor masterpiece and Japandroids ruin their decent album with terrible lyrics. Thanks for reading! Irma Vep – No Handshake Blues Lo-fi rock / Indie rock / Psychedelic rock A veteran of the flourishing Manchester DIY scene, Edwin Stevens releases solo material as Irma Vep. Lo-fi but realized, ramshackle but intentional, he creates haunting atmospheres with layers of heavily echoed guitars and otherworldly vocals. No Handshake Blues begins with haunting, ambitious “A Woman’s Work is Never Done.” The dark piece of alternative and psychedelic rock slowly builds, over nearly 12 startling minutes, into an explosive freakout. Equal parts Built to Spill and Pink Floyd, but filtered through Steven’s effortless style, “A Woman’s Work is Never Done” is a good example of how indie rock can be original and take chances without trying too hard. The rest of the album is split between songs that are more typical of the Irma Vep name – with Stevens simply accompanying himself on (usually layers of) guitar – and other fleshed out full band material. The guitar songs are mostly sad, dark, and hypnotic (“The Moaning Song,” “Armadillo Man”). Most of these tracks are reminiscent of Kurt Cobain’s softer side: speed up “I Want to be Degraded” and add a full band and it could be a lost Nirvana song. Like “A Woman’s Work is Never Done,” closing tracks “You Know I’ve Been Ill” and “Still Sorry” are more fully realized and feature a full band arrangement. The tighter, more rock oriented feel shows a maturation in Stevens’ songwriting. Japandroids – Near to the Wild Heart of Life Indie rock / Pop rock On Near to the Wild Heart of Life, Canadian indie rock outfit Japandroids make the leap from edgy garage rock to smoother, more radio-ready pop/rock. Whether this is a leap forward or backwards is open to interpretation. With Near they are certain to lose a sizable part of the pretentious indie rock fanbase that put them on the map. While this isn’t usually a bad thing, this time those folks may have a point, as the album is overcooked. The sound is too shiny, the vocals are too far up front, and the lyrics range from palatable to trite. At best, the lyrics are simple and universal, although Pitchfork would call them cliché (and, indeed, actually has). At their worst, which they most often are, they’re typical of so many indie rock songwriters: bad attempts at being philosophical, imagery that makes no sense and tries way too hard to sound cool, and lots of condescending jabs towards people with a worldview outside of the accepted left-leaning indie paradigm (mostly religious people). For a more detailed diatribe about the lyrics on this album, check out Dwight Cornel III’s blog about it. Underneath the too-sleek sound and overcooked lyrics is a damn fine pop/rock album. Near to the Wild Heart of Life is filled with catchy choruses (I doubt any band this year will top the title track in that regard) and the same energy that made their earlier work so fun. When listened to only on this level, it’s an enjoyable album. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
Hello everyone and happy 2017! We begin the year with a look at our 2016 top albums list. The dizzying variety includes Swedish psychedelic band Goat, jazz guitarist David Hunter, Americana genius from Farewell Milwaukee and Alejandro Escovedo, swampy rock n' roll from Jimbo Mathus, country icon Willie Nelson, Minnesota songwriting icon Mark Mallman, a troubled, creative offering from Wilco, and David Bowie's swan song. Thanks for listening!
by Erik Ritland Mark Mallman is nothing less than a Minnesota music icon. An artist of significant depth, there is always something more to his smart, catchy, piano driven pop/rock. In March of 2016 he released perhaps his finest work, The End is Not the End. More than just a songwriter, Mallman is also an intelligent and intellectual thinker. Although centered on his new album, our interview turned into a discussion of life, death, philosophy, time, and how he moved forward from a dark period in his life. The End is Not the End is a varied album. There are laid back, well-crafted pop songs (“H.R.H.,” “Let it Shine,” and “Hologram Jesus”), dancier, more synth heavy songs (“Parasite Eyes,” “Terrified,” and “Monster Movies”) and then some pretty much directly in between (“The End is Not the End,” “Trying to Fight Fire with a Fist,” “Soul Pressure”). How did the different types of songs on the album come about? I set out from the very beginning to make an album where I wrote the music before writing the lyrics. I had very specific poems and lines I needed to incorporate, a theme, and a tone. From seeing the process of the films I've been involved in, this album was much like making a movie. Epic intentions with a methodical, scripted rule book to follow. “This whole album is about accepting loss, not like a break up in any way, but this notion of death. I do not believe in death. A break up is more of a death and a death is more like a break up. Death is something that happens in this portion of reality. Time is flat, so, it's more of a notion that we've been conditioned to believe is real. There is no real.” One of the strongest songs on The End is “H.R.H.,” which started out as a weightier track called "Lessons" (released on a limited edition box set in 2016). “H.R.H.” is more subtle and balances light and dark in a welcoming way. For example, a line like “the first cigarette is the best that it gets/the rest you’ll forget/so you might as well quit” feels aggressive in “Lessons,” whereas in “H.R.H.” it feels like cool, good-natured advice. How did that song evolve? “H.R.H.” is about a king and a queen who got split momentarily. “Lessons” was a mean spirited song toward one of the most horrible people I've ever encountered in my life, who I also had the misfortune of dating. I didn't feel she deserved a song on a record. Instead, I reworked the lyrics into something positive. “H.R.H.” is a book written by Danielle Steele. This whole album is about accepting loss, not like a break up in any way, but this notion of death. I do not believe in death. A break up is more of a death and a death is more like a break up. Death is something that happens in this portion of reality. Time is flat, so, it's more of a notion that we've been conditioned to believe is real. There is no real. Were any of the songs a particular turning point in your writing/the writing for the album? There are about 30 complete songs for this album. They are fully recorded and mixed. I haven't been afflicted with the “magic” of songwriting since I was a beginner. Songwriting is a skill, so the turning point was when I said to myself “I want these songs to create magic for the listener.” That involves focus and intent. The magic being, if one gives full focus and intent to the songs front to back, the will feel empowered against silly notions of death, time, and reality. A lyric in “Hologram Jesus” is “ain’t gonna tuck in my shirt/just so I can get stuck in the paperwork/of trying to buy my fantasy/why pay for what you can get for free?” This seems like a subtle, creative critique of the contemporary music industry and the difficulty of trying to make a living as a songwriter. It's taxing to follow one's dreams. There is no guaranteed amount of fame or money that comes with writing a song. There's also no guarantee that anyone will hear it. Someday I will make a decent living off this stuff, but right now the money is complete bullshit. Some people try to buy their way into art. You can buy art, but you can't buy being an artist, that takes risk and sacrifice. "If one gives full focus and intent to the songs front to back, the will feel empowered against silly notions of death, time, and reality." Talk about some of the personal experiences behind the songwriting on The End is Not the End. I had a complete breakdown, it was only partially my cause. My breakdown was aided by living amid the toxic energy of drug dealers, prostitutes, and gangs of the Sex World district of Minneapolis. It was also aided by vampiric social climbers. My epiphany has been that we can have any sort of reality we choose, and to a great degree, we can change feelings on the inside by changing forces on the outside. For instance, I used to sleep with a giant painting of Cthulhu over my bed. Maybe someday I'll be in a place where I can sleep under Cthulhu and not be frightened. But now, I surround myself only with people who lift me up, friends who introduce me as Mark not Mark Mallman. And I listened to happy music, and I work out, and I eat natural healthy foods. I don't drink alcohol or caffeine, and sweets are very rare. I go to Yoga. I've eliminated the negativity around me, and in turn, the negativity in my head. Talk a little bit about what inspired the dancier, more industrial songs on the album, “Parasite Eyes,” “Terrified,” and “Monster Movies.” DJ Jake Rudh gets all the credit for that. During the period of my life you are referring to, after my mother's crossing over, there were two places of refuge for me. One was the gym, and the other was dancing at Jake's Transmission night. Dancing opens the soul. I would be out on the dance floor thinking, “I'm going to make music that could be played on a night like this.” So yeah, what we ended up with was not a hip-hop album. It's been said that it's the greatest rock record of 2016, but my intent was retro roots. "The End is Not the End" is a profoundly spiritual song, in a way that is both concrete and abstract but also personal. It’s powerful, in the way the best hymns can be. What message were you trying to get across with it? The message is, don't believe the stories, there is no end to ours. If you think about it, the history of all stories is beginning, middle, and ending. Life is not that. Life is only middle. It is always middle, because as I said, time is flat. “The End is Not The End” is a badass rock song that could easily fit onto a Who record, but the lyrics around about letting go. To let go of the notion of end, is to free yourself from time, and therefore become more deeply connected with the moment. As in “Mindfulness.” “I surround myself only with people who lift me up, friends who introduce me as Mark not Mark Mallman. And I listened to happy music, and I work out, and I eat natural healthy foods. I don't drink alcohol or caffeine, and sweets are very rare. I go to Yoga. I've eliminated the negativity around me, and in turn, the negativity in my head.” Throughout your albums you’ve made references to the Christian tradition in a creative, tasteful way. The End feels like your most spiritual album in that it deals with deep themes that go deep inside you, and your mind, in a metaphysical way. There are also some biblical allusions (“the truth will set you free” in “Trying to Fight Fire with a Fist"; “never fall asleep when you’re supposed to be praying” in “H.R.H."; the “David and Goliath” line in “Soul Pressure”). How would you describe the spiritual elements of The End is not the End and in your music in general? It's Bob Dylan that did that to me. When I was about 14 I read Songwriters on Songwriting many times, and I believe it is in there where Dylan talks about Christianity as the only modern mythology we can all agree on. If I were to start singing about wormholes, vortices, or spectre lights, I feel it would pull away from the genre of music I write. Though I very well might start going in that direction in the future. I was raised Christian, and I think all religions are beautiful. My songs are about the human experience in the 21st century, religion is a huge part of that. There's a lot of denial going on in contemporary art about spirituality because it doesn't help sell music. That's money minded bullshit, and it pulls us from the path. Then again, money is a religion too, I suppose. “Hole in the Night" is a beautiful song, packed with emotion and meaning, yet is also catchy and accessible. “Hole in The Night” is a true story of a dream where my mother and I had a very heartfelt conversation about the other side. We were in a grocery store. I was crying. I said “I want to see you, but you are dead.” and she laughed, “I am not dead, I'm right here with you in your dreams, any time you'd like to you can see me.” It's where I really came to grips with knowing. I know in conversation one might say that the end is not the end. But in our hearts, at the core of our essence, we must do more than believe. It is crucial that we know it, that we know it to be true. This is the nature of all faith. “I was raised Christian, and I think all religions are beautiful. My songs are about the human experience in the 21st century, religion is a huge part of that. There's a lot of denial going on in contemporary art about spirituality because it doesn't help sell music. That's money minded bullshit, and it pulls us from the path. Then again, money is a religion too, I suppose.” The lyrics of album closing "Soul Pressure" are some of the best on the album: “’cuz David faced Goliath/with his sling and stone to win/because they laughed the brothers Wright/they laughed when Dylan plugged it in/it wasn’t funny but they laughed/they just kept laughing anyway/but he kept rocking without stopping/now who’s the one laughing today?” Quite powerful.
From its very inception the intent was to close the record with “Soul Pressure.” I started writing Soul Pressure in 2011, when I first felt it. When I talk about Soul Pressure I'm talking about anything that puts negativity on one’s experience. It's a song of personal exorcism, like in a movie where a person says “I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore” only my version is “I'm powerful in my heart with joy but I'm not going to take this anymore.” Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter. by Erik Ritland
Happy New Year! Peace and love to everyone. This years Rambling On Albums of 2016 includes some favorites and many surprises. Each album is definitely worth checking out, so be sure to support the artists by buying their work. Thanks a lot for reading. From all of us at Rambling On, Happy New Year! We love you all. We’re going to start with #1, because if you only get through a few at least you’ll hit the best ones. 1. David Bowie – Blackstar Far too many creators, innovators, and talented men and women who touched our lives in important ways died in 2016. It all started with David Bowie, who died a mere two days after the release of his final album Blackstar in January. For me, it didn’t get any worse than losing Bowie, my childhood hero and one of my biggest musical influences. Fortunately he left us a final love letter in Blackstar that worthily stands with his best work. It’s a classic David Bowie album: the melodies are strong, his voice soars, and the songs are intense, mature, and innovative without losing the pop sensibilities that Bowie always excelled at. Blackstar is a fitting parting gift from one of the most important creators of the 20th century. 2. Mark Mallman – The End is Not the End Minnesota songwriter Mark Mallman’s 2016 release The End is not the End has everything: big, catchy pop/rock songs, boundless energy, emotional and philosophical depth, and ingeniously clever lyrics. Written following the death of his mother, Mallman has taken his grief and channeled it into the best, most emotionally charged songs of his career (“Hole in the Night,” “The End is Not the End,” “Soul Pressure”). “Parasite Eyes,” “Terrified,” and “Monster Movies” have a slightly more industrial feel although they lose none of their catchy pop edge. Effortless, melodic “H.R.H.” and “Let it Shine” show how much Mallman’s songwriting has matured. With The End is not the End Mark Mallman has crafted about as close as you can get to the perfect pop/rock album. 3. Wilco – Shcmilco I understand that Jeff Tweedy doesn’t want to be bogged down by trying too hard (see: A Moon Shaped Pool, the majority of contemporary indie music). Today it’s very easy for bands to get a little too full of themselves, and as a creative person he doesn’t want to fall into that trap. It’s a shame, though, because the last two Wilco albums have been stunning in their understated beauty, yet you’d never know it by their titles (Star Wars and Schmilco) or their ridiculous album covers. If Tweedy would have allowed himself to take things a bit more seriously, together these two difficult, intensely creative albums could have been their strongest artistic statement since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. As it is, Scmilco is an emotional return to form for a band that had been floundering creatively for years. It’s the best of everything the band has been since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: layers of guitars and keyboards keep things sonically interesting, Jeff Tweedy’s lyrics are penetrating, and although dark and difficult on the surface there are many catchy elements to be discovered. 4. Farewell Milwaukee – FM FM, the fourth release from Minnesota band Farewell Milwaukee, is their masterpiece. It is filled with sparkling, melodic, mature, gorgeous Americana. It avoids the pitfalls of so much contemporary work in that genre: it isn't too lyrically straightforward, the songs and arrangements go so much further than the flat melodies and journal entries over random chords of many of their peers, and the bands energy is undeniable. The most overlooked album of 2016. 5. Willie Nelson – For the Good Times: A Tribute to Ray Price Every year Willie Nelson releases at least one late-era classic. 2016 was no exception, as For the Good Times conjures the spirit of Ray Price at a time when country music can surely use such an elixir. That’s not to say that contemporary country radio is bad; it’s fun, let them be. It’s also not like alternatives to new country (the boring, gutless, hopelessly overrated new Sturgill Simpson album comes to mind) is any better. Regardless of your opinion of them, country radio and its alternatives are not much like the classic, twangy era of country (the ‘50s-‘70s), so these new Willie Nelson albums are essential. There’s little better for an old school country nerd than Willie Nelson covering Ray Price, and For the Good Times doesn’t disappoint. Willie’s band is laid back and hits each groove with ease, and the sound of the album recreates the organic sound of ’70s country perfectly. Every song is a highlight. God bless Willie Nelson. 6. Alejandro Escovedo – Burn Something Beautiful On Burn Something Beautiful Alejandro Escovedo teamed up with eccentric Minus Five leader Scott McCaughey. The results are impressive, Escovedo’s knack for melody accentuated by McCaughey’s jangly pop/rock background. Different palates are used throughout, something like a classic ‘60s Beatles album: “Horizontal" features a wall of guitars and is big, weird, and grooving; “Sunday Morning Feeling” is somehow both jangly and macabre; “Suit of Lights” is a gorgeous acoustic ballad; and closing “Though I’d Let You Know” is dark and lovely. The highlight, however, is “Farewell to the Good Times,” an effortless, endearing folk song with a memorable melody and one of the most creative lyrics of the year. 7. Jimbo Mathus – Band of Storms Although busy with a newly reformed Squirrel Nut Zippers, Jimbo Mathus found time in 2016 to release Band of Storms, a solidly swampy follow-up to his 2015 roots rock masterpiece Blue Healer. It has a ramshackle sound, almost like it was recorded on the road. The songs themselves, however, are smart and well-written: “Let’s Play with Fire,” “Stop Your Crying,” and “Keep it Together” are dark and ruminative, the swampy soul of “Gringo Man” channels early 70s Rolling Stones, and “Massive Confusion” is garage rock that practically falls off the rails (in the best way). Subtle and beautiful, Band of Storms is full of Mathus’ Mississippi blood, guts, and soul. 8. Charlie Hunter – Everyone Has a Plan Until They Get Punched in the Mouth If the title of jazz guitarist Charlie Hunters 17th album doesn’t draw you in, the music certainly will. The Mike Tyson quote that it’s named after is cool, but the music is cool. With Punch Hunter adds an intentional blues element to his sweet, soulful jazz. Highlights include the funky groove of “Leave Him Lay,” swampy calypso rocker “Latin for Travelers,” and blues/funk/r n’ b/jazz amalgam “(Looks Like) Somebody Got Ahead of Schedule on their Medication.” 9. The Devil Makes Three – Redemption and Ruin Redemption and Ruin is a dizzying and original blend of practically every kind of traditional American music. Americana is done best when it conjures the past without boringly copying it, and Redemption and Ruin does just that. “Champaign and Reefer” is straightforward blues, “I Gotta Get Drunk” a mix of western swing and Dixieland, “Chase the Feeling” is a slow, emotive folk song, and spooky “Waiting Around to Die” is led by atmospheric accordion and fiddle. 10. GOAT – Requiem On their latest release Requiem, anonymous Swedish band GOAT took another step forward. The lush, expansive soundscapes of the album are filled with layers of reverb-heavy acoustic guitars, piano, and a wide variety of percussion. Fantastic grooves are found throughout, ranging from hypnotic and droning (“Goatband,” “It’s Not Me”) to sounding like a neo-pagan drum circle (the magnificent “Temple Rhythms”) to Middle Eastern and Caribbean (“Alarms” and “Trouble in the Street” respectively). They may remain anonymous, but their creative psychedelic rock is anything but. Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
Last podcast, host Erik Ritland debuted a new feature: In the Jukebox. For each ItJ the Rambling On staff discuss the variety of music that they've been listening to. In this edition things get typically eclectic, ranging from rock and country legends Chuck Berry and Hank Williams to progressive rock pioneers King Crimson.
![]() by Erik Ritland Hello everyone and welcome to the second in our new series New Music Fridays! This week features Americana throwbacks Dawes, anonymous Swedish psychedelic rock band Goat, and the abrasive punk of GØGGS. Playlists of each album can be found below the review. Thanks for reading! Dawes – We’re All Gonna Die Indie rock / Indie pop / 70s rock On their 1999 masterpiece Summerteeth, Wilco progressed from their typical roots-y rock into dark, mature power pop. Similarly, We're All Gonna Die, the fifth record from Americana rock group Dawes, finds them shifting from their '70s throwback sound for indie rock and contemporary AOR. While Summerteeth went deeper into Wilco's natural sound and influences, expanding their Americana background into a mixture of dark folk and power pop, We're All Gonna Die is less natural and more stilted. Instead of organically progressing their sound, Dawes attempts to be a trendy, smooth indie pop band. As such, they've abandoned their roots for something less, not more, interesting. The albums upbeat feel, dance-able rhythms, and myriad of synths and noises are weird for a Dawes album, but they're pretty ordinary in the context of indie rock and AOR. Trite hipster party anthem "When the Tequilla Runs Out" is made for mainstream pop radio. And, in some sense, there's nothing wrong with that. We're All Gonna Die is filled with the sort of catchy, upbeat, dance-able songs that people today absolutely love. The problem is that it feels more like Dawes are latching onto a fad than they are progressing their sound. Where Summerteeth sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released almost 20 years ago, this albums contemporary sheen already sort of feels dated. It would be different if the songs were stronger, but they simply aren't. They're sometimes catchy but nothing makes them overly interesting or engaging. Many call Taylor Goldsmith's lyrics "literary." I'd call them faux-losophy, whether in the many story songs that don't seem to go anywhere or outright preachy tracks like "Quitters." While the lyrics sometimes seem like they are philosophical or have depth, in actuality they're only slightly more thoughtful than typical banal pop lyrics. I have known and respected Dawes practically since their inception. I was even at a sparsely attended show of theirs at First Avenue in Minnesota around the release of their debut LP (I'm sure you're happy for me). I know that We're All Going to Die is a meaningful statement from a band that is attempting to experiment and progress. They'd be better off, however, continuing on their own unique path. It'd be more natural for them to move forward by incorporating different organic approaches and sounds from their Americana and 70s rock foundation. Instead they replace it with a contemporary ethos that lacks soul and feels disposable.
Goat – Requiem
Psychedelic rock / Indie rock / World The members of Swedish psychedelic rock band Goat have remained anonymous through three albums. That nobody knows the names of any members of a band in 2016 nothing short of a miracle. Sure, the Residents were able to pull off anonymity, but that was in the stone age of the 70s and 80s. Like the Residents, the mystique of Goat works in their favor, adding to their enigmatic, pagan aura. Layers of reverb-heavy acoustic guitars, piano, and a variety of percussion create a lush atmosphere throughout Requiem. The album is heavy on fantastic grooves, ranging from hypnotic and droning (“Goatband,” “It’s Not Me”) to a Middle Eastern and Caribbean influence (“Alarms” and “Trouble in the Street” respectively). "Temple Rhythms," which sounds like a neo-pagan drum circle, is magnificent, and "Goatband" finds the psychedelic foundation of Goat on full display. Anonymity can be a shtick, but it works when you back it up with music this good.
GØGGS – GØGGS
Punk / Garage rock / Indie rock GØGGS are everything you’d expect from a collaboration between Ty Segall and Ex-Cult vocalist Chris Shaw: the former brings his raucous, lo-fi, garage rock aesthetic, the latter an authentic punk attitude and growl. The results are rowdy, sloppy, discordant punk rock. “Falling In” is explosive and crazy, “Shotgun Shooter” is fast and raw, and the weird noses and mind fuck ending of “Final Notice” is furious punk rock filtered through Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
In the Jukebox! Ft. Miles Davis, Gustav Holst, Alejandro Escovedo (Music Ramble Podcast #7)11/3/2016
Looking to expand your musical horizons? You've come to the right place, as this week we debut a new feature: In the Jukebox. Learn about everything from mind-bending classical (Holst's The Planets) to jazz fusion (Miles Davis and John Coltrane) to new Americana rock (Alejandro Esovedo). Thanks for listening!
Here are playlists of the albums mentioned:
![]() by Erik Ritland Hello everyone and welcome to the first in our new series New Music Fridays! Each week we'll be reviewing three recently released albums. This week it's the experimental jazz of BadBadNotGood, garage rockers Omni, and some riffy complexity from TTNG. Thanks for reading! Note: a video or playlist with each albums contents appears below each review! BadBadNotGood – IV Experimental modern jazz / hip hop / modern rock BadBadNotGood mix jazz, hip hop, and space rock in a delightfully bewildering way. Often they’re reminiscent of a slightly less spacey Sun Ra (“And That, Too”) and the jazzier, more improvised moments of King Crimson. Samples, keys, synths, and a myriad of horns create compelling atmospherics throughout. There are two distinctive sides to IV, the first half being more experimental, while the second half features more traditional sounding jazz (the title track) and smoother, more soulful material (“Structure #3,” “In Your Eyes”). A beautiful, well-crafted album. Omni – Deluxe Indie rock / garage rock / punk Omni, which features members of indie rock favorites Deerhoof and Carnivores, exceed expercations on their debut Deluxe. It has all the qualities of a great album proper: a uniform sound, enough variety to stay interesting, and a running time that doesn’t overstay its welcome at 30 minutes. The songs are short and simple, sticking to a guitar/bass/drums formula, but with high energy and engaging layers of clean tone guitars. Although predominately garage-y and jangly, the songwriting has a childlike Syd Barrett energy, immediacy, and feel. “Earrings” has the goofiness and melody of an outtake from David Bowie’s Lodger, while“Jungle Jenny” and “Siam” are good examples of how catchy the songs are throughout. The psychedelic freak out at the end of "Siam" is a high point of the album.
TTNG - Disappointment Island
Math rock / Indie rock TTNG stands for This Town Needs Guns. The band changed their name because they felt like its irony wasn’t clear enough. It’s too bad, because that’s a great name, and I hate it when people are forced to dumb themselves down. Like their previous two albums, Disappointment Island is fairly straightforward math rock. Fast, intricate clean guitar tones are the focus, while the bass and drums tightly keep an array of dizzying time signatures. The musicianship is jaw-dropping. Like most math rock, however, it can start sounding the same after awhile, no matter how many interesting time signatures they throw in. Although the vocals are practically just an ornament for the music, Henry Tremain’s singing is a bit whiny (a little bit of echo on them would have gone a long way). His lyrics are poetic and worth sitting down and reading, though, even if they are sometimes a bit insular. Disappointment Island is musically and lyrically interesting if you like intricate rock. I’d almost prefer if the stunning guitar work and musicianship would be turned into rap beats, though. Math rock hip-hop. Somebody needs to get on that.
Erik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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AuthorErik Ritland is a writer and musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. His blog and podcast Rambling On features commentary on music, sports, culture, and more. He was also Lead Staff Writer for Minnesota culture blog Curious North. Support Erik's music via his Patreon account, reach him via email, or find him on Facebook and Twitter. Archives
February 2017
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