Team America: World Police

Happy Birthday America, you beautiful son of a bitch. What are you, like 234 years old today? Well, God damn... you don't look a day over 157.

Team America may just be the most under appreciated film of the early 21st century. Do you hate terrorists? Well, so does Team America. Hate douchey celebs telling you how to vote? Check that one for Team America as well. How about marionette love making? I know you love it, and so does Team America, bitches. What may be even more amazing is this film's, and brilliant soundtrack of course, ability to explain U.S. foreign policy better than any Washington assclown. Is it pretty? No. But neither are marionette fuck scenes. Yet they are both necessary.

So happy birthday to America, easily the coolest country North of Mexico. And let's tip our hats to the founders of this nation, especially John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Jesus.

America. Fuck Yeah.

...enjoy...

Rainaway Town

Sweden's Kristofer Astrom (Fireside) released this uber friendly folk/pop album anno 2007, proving that sometimes simple and straightforward songwriting is the way to go. Catchy yet introspective acoustic guitar rock rules the day here. The album flows with a familiarity that makes it a fine companion to long summer drives and camp side fires. Fellow Swede Mattias Hellberg (of this band and that band, etc.) lends his talents to "Just a Little Insane." "Conjure Me," despite the multiple high points this album provides, is easily the winning track off Rainaway Town. Don't believe me? Then download it and let me know why I'm wrong. asshole.

...enjoy...

David Gilmour

In 1978 David Gilmour opted to step out of the massive and looming shadow of Pink Floyd with this, his first solo effort. I was five months old. Gilmour used this album to spread his wings and cement the sound and musical vision that is unmistakably his. Can you hear Pink Floyd in these songs? Of course, because Gilmour himself had become an integral song writing contributor to the band. Just take "Comfortably Numb" from the as of yet unreleased epic The Wall, it could easily be slipped from the double album over to Gilmour's solo as a nice companion piece to the second track "There's No Way out of Here." This album also served as a portent of the reborn Pink Floyd from 1985-1994 sans Waters and under Gilmour's direction. Have I ever told you how much I love The Division Bell? Well, I do.

...enjoy...

High

I know it hasn't been long since my last New Model Army posting... but I just can't help myself.

There aren't too many musicians who are two decades deep into their journey and are still able to create with such urgent passion and purpose as NMA. Justin Sullivan and the boys are true poets of the working class.

I really posted this because I imagine that there is some grimy old bastard out there that used to be a NMA fan back in the eighties and has since lost touch or interest with them. If you should be that grimy old bastard, first I congratulate you on your mastery of the intraweb, but really I think you need to get back on board with NMA. High (2007) is a perfect reintroduction for you and your old friends. And should you not be an old acquaintance of NMA, what the Hell have you been listening to?

Their 10th album proves that it is not just youth alone that is able to create inspired post punk/rock anthems. Youth has no monopoly on New Model Army's expression of urgent humanism. The music of High is without a doubt more mature as a result of years of finely tuned songwriting for this road tested band ( see: "Sky In Your Eyes" and "Rivers"), but that classic New Model Army call to action is alive and well. I for one am able to sleep just a bit better, knowing that New Model Army still tend to the flame and wave their flag high.

Face into the wind, boys, face into the wind

16 Tons (Ten Songs) 2003 KCRW Session

Over time it will become clear to you just how much of an Eels loyalist I am.

I believe this was only available for sale during their "Eels with strings tour" and has since disappeared from the retail world. That's not fair and I think you should be able to enjoy it as much as any other red blooded American who was smart enough to catch the "..with strings" tour. You shouldn't suffer for what I am sure was but a momentary lapse of judgment on your part.

Recorded live in 2003 for the KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic radio show, Mr. E, Kooool G. Murder, Puddin' and Golden Boy laid down some righteous rock and roll for the radio listening public. They performed eight classic Eels tunes (each slightly re-envisioned) and two cover songs. One being "Sixteen Tons" by Merle Travis, and the second being "I'm a loser," which was written by some guys named Lennon and McCarthy. The latter two were apparently in some band a long time ago. Anyway, your Eels collection just got a little cooler with this live album included... even if you don't have a physical copy of it like the hip kids...

it's hard to laugh as you choke

Blackfield

Blackfield is the result of a collaboration between Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Israeli pop singer/songwriter/peace activist Aviv Geffen. Their music is a dreamy sort of pop/rock with some atmospheric as well as prog moments (it is Steve Wilson after all). With this self titled first release (2004) they've created a very accessible and lush sounding album. At times, the duo seem to summon the likes of Pink Floyd as well as John Lennon. That's definitely a compliment.

I had the pleasure of catching these guys during their NYC show in March of '07. There was a ridiculous snow and ice storm that night and the trek to the show was like that time in Voyage of the Mimi when that creepy captain almost died of hypothermia. Did you know Ben Affleck was on that show? Crazy huh? Anyway, trust me, it was cold that night. The show was great, you really screwed up by not being there.

..enjoy..

Bonus Video NYC

rajaportti

Driving melancholic rock is the name of Finnish group Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus' game. Their music flirts with metal but generally stays within the rock arena and their melodies are of the mournful Finn variety. Rajaportti is an easily accessible and catchy album. Now, here's the kicker: it's all in their native tongue. I don't speak a lick of Finnish...okay, maybe like three words, but they aren't helping me much with this album. Still, Timo and the gang are masters at communicating emotion through song, even with a language barrier firmly set between us. There is one line that I know is somewhere on the album, although I'm not sure where because again, I don't speak Finn, but I believe it conveys the sentiment of Rajaportti well, "It is difficult to hang ones self when the ceiling is too low and the rope too thick." Can you argue with that notion? I cannot.

.enjoy.

Win Us Over

I caught these guys on a whim while spending New Years in North Carolina's Outer Banks with my best gal. We went to a local restaurant in Atlantic Beach for the hush puppies and instead got a fist full of rock. ASG play mostly up tempo rock n roll, with influences from Southern styled stoner metal to pop-punk. Don't let the latter scare you away, it's minimal and adds to the album's enjoyability. They were playing a fundraiser for neighborhood surfers (apparently surfers in OBX don't have to work for a living as people are kind enough to raise money for them) when we had the pleasure of watching these guys rock the shit out of their local fans. "Gallop Song," "Palm Springs" and "Win Us Over" are the best on the album, they could easily be included in one of those Warren Miller ski documentaries where Glen Plake jumps off the sides of mountains, does all kinds of dope tricks, and cruises effortlessly through miles of powder. I think these guys have a solid following with some of the hip skater kids, but please don't hold that against them either. Their sound is youthful and high energy at times, with tons of melody and pretty damn righteous riffs. Plus, their record comes in a very handsome orange vinyl. I tried my hardest not to like this album, but in the end they just wiggled their way into my cold black heart.

Surfs Up!

The Ghost Of Cain

Post punk, rock, folk ... describe New Model Army as you will. The spirit of their music is genuinely revolutionary, humanist and socially vital. The Ghost of Cain from 1986 is their third full length and it is chock-full of punk fervor. It is filled to the brim with anger, frustration and the beauty of honest insight and expression. There's the vigilante's theme "The Hunt" (covered later by Brazil's Sepultura), the very personal "Love Songs" and "Poison Street", as well as the socially aware protest songs of "Master Race" and "Heroes". The biggest splash from this album was the politically charged "51st State," proving to be NMA's biggest hit to date. But it's not all about creating "hit" songs, is it? No, it is not. The album as a whole paints a bleak world view from the perspective of 1980s England. The empire in decline, the rise of American imperialism and the spread of American cultural values across once seemingly impenetrable national boundaries. Never was the sun supposed to set on Great Britain. Never were children meant to grow up realizing their dreams were just that, and nothing more.
But NMA offer more than just protest. Always present beneath the anger, the frustration, the disillusion, is the faint flame of humanity. Led by lead singer/songwriter Justin Sullivan, New Model Army's music speaks the plain truth of the common man and woman, never sugar or corn syrup coated, that along with the daily injustice and sufferings at the hands of indifferent and incompetent masters, comes the most basic of human conditions: the struggle for something better.

No police No summons No courts of law

novocaine for the soul (e.p.)

Novocaine for the Soul, from their debut album "Beautiful Freak," was a break out hit for the Eels. It proved to be more of a curse than a blessing for the always enigmatic and sensitive Mr. E. Somehow, this melancholy ode became some sort of a douche-bag anthem during the summer of '96. Frat boys descended upon the Eels like white on... well, frat boys. Odd cause it's quite a good tune. Anyway, on this here e.p. you have the aforementioned hit Novocaine for the Soul , Guest List (a touching diddy, also on the proper album), a live version of My Beloved Monster and the previously unreleased Fucker. I know Fucker would be released on at least one live album, but here it is in proper studio form. Or maybe the live version is proper form. Whatever. I hate you.

fucker

The Brimstone Solar Radiation Band

Looking for a record to bridge the gap between you and your ex-hippie old man? Well, say hello to The Brimstone Solar Radiation Band. These Norse gents practice a form of 1960's inspired psychedelic rock, with a generous helping of Hammond organ. The songs are light and pop conscious, but still pretty damn cool. No squares here. This album, their first effort circa 2004, makes me want to grow a mustache, maybe look into some hip Eastern religions. Hey, I heard there's some cool cats out in California, at Spahn Ranch, starting a commune or new religion or something. Yeah... I think we should go check that out ...

groooovy