Heartache With Hard Work

Okay, so it’s actually Wednesday. I’ve been busy – sue me. Along those lines, I’ve got some big stuff I want to talk about, but I’ll leave it for next week and just hit a couple things quickly that irked me recently.

Stickshifts and Safetybelts – Cake

First, from people that routinely drive me nuts, how about this quote from Cato (emphasis added):

Once we’ve accepted a definition of “public health” expansive enough for government to dictate what we can and can’t put into our bodies, it’s a short leap to seat belt laws, motorcycle helmet laws, assisted suicide bans, and prohibitions and restrictions on all sorts of other risky behavior.

I’m not even going to get into the argument about whether we ought to have seatbelt laws (we obviously should) – I just want to point out that Cato presents it first as if it were obvious that such a spillover would be devastating. Imagine the consequences if suddenly the state could create seat belt laws! Living as I do in the ONE state in the Union that does not already have seat belt laws, let me just say that our message to the seat-belt terrorists is “bring it on.”

Also, in case you were wondering, seat belt laws are overwhelmingly popular, with over 60 percent of the population supporting primary enforcement (i.e. – laws that let the cops pull you over for a seatbelt violation alone).

The second thing that annoyed me was this, from digby, who I normally love reading. It’s nothing important – just a small example of the echo chamber effect of liberal blogs that sometimes drives me nuts.

The thesis of the post (and of every single comment) is that those wacky conservatives are so silly, based on this quote from (the, to be fair, certifiably nuts) Charles Krauthammer

To cut off Petraeus’s plan just as it is beginning — the last surge troops arrived only last month — on the assumption that we cannot succeed is to declare Petraeus either deluded or dishonorable. Deluded in that, as the best-positioned American in Baghdad, he still believes we can succeed. Or dishonorable in pretending to believe in victory and sending soldiers to die in what he really knows is an already failed strategy.

Digby suggests that the point of this comment is to say that “we should stay in Iraq because it would insult General Petreus if we didn’t” and she quotes another blog as saying “if we pulled out troops it would say bad things about General Petraeus and that’s totally not fair. No, seriously.” And the commenters trip over themselves to make fun of such a ludicrous premise.

As far as I can tell, no one makes the (pretty obvious, to me) point that this is not at all what Krauthammer was saying. He is implying that if people want to cut off the surge, they must prove that a respected general is, in fact, deluded or dishonorable. They can’t just say he is wrong – they have to go out on a limb and call him incompetent or a traitor. It has nothing to do with not criticizing him because it would be mean. He is using the credibility of Petraeus to demonstrate why people ought to doubt those who criticize him.

Now, his point is still absurd for a number of reasons, which is all the more reason why people should just answer him instead of making up some stupid story.

A few assorted thoughts on a Sunday evening.

First, what the hell is this?

If it’s any sign of what else is to come, I think Modest Mouse will be easily knocked off the perch for “most disappointing album of the year.” Yuck.

* * *

Watched the new Harry Potter movie this week. It was pretty good – probably the best of the movies, actually. Which is pretty interesting since I thought the book was one of the weakest (only saved from being the bottom by The Chamber of Secrets). But the weaknesses of the book were turned into strengths on the big screen – the endless pages spent on Harry being emo were trimmed down to a few well-acted scenes by Daniel Radcliffe (who is increasingly impressive, by the way, and hopefully won’t end up typecast as Harry Potter for the rest of his career). Time concerns also forced them to tweak a few elements of the story, which was another blessing in disguise since in past movies they’ve worked very hard to cram in stuff that was great on paper but less than satisfying on film. This time they just resigned themselves to losing some stuff and making minor modifications, and it paid out well.

It’s the first time I’ve seen one of the movies and said to myself “I really want to re-read the book” which, given my feelings about the book, is especially impressive.

Sadly, pressures on my schedule make trying to re-read Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince before Saturday impossible, so I’m just working my way through book 6 in anticipation of the big release.

I realize that it’s a little geeky, but frankly if you’re not excited about the final Harry Potter book, you’re really missing out on a major cultural moment (and some great reading).

Also, it’s really disturbing how attractive the characters in the movie are, given that most of the actresses are actually pretty close to the age they’re portraying. I am so old. At least Tonks is age-appropriate.

* * *

I realize I’m a week late in mentioning it, but did anyone else watch the last few days of Wimbledon? An insane comeback for the young Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the quarterfinals against Andy Roddick, an unbelievable marathon of a match between Dokovic and Baghdatis, and incredible upset of the #1 seeded Justine Henin by the virtually unknown Marion Bartoli, and a final showdown betwen (who else) Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. It looked like this had a chance to be Nadal’s first win against Federer on grass when he had two separate games at 15-40 in the last set, but Federer gave us a glimpse of why some people think he might be the best tennis player of all time with a roaring effort to secure his fifth straight Wimbledon title.

I don’t watch tennis much, but I usually find a way to take in Wimbledon each summer. There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching tennis on grass that I can’t even really explain.

* * *

Finally, this is fascinating – a study of an Amazonian tribe which challenges some long-held beliefs about the biology of language.

The Pirahã, Everett wrote, have no numbers, no fixed color terms, no perfect tense, no deep memory, no tradition of art or drawing, and no words for “all,” “each,” “every,” “most,” or “few”—terms of quantification believed by some linguists to be among the common building blocks of human cognition.

I really have no idea about the science of it, but it’s an intriguing article.

It’s been a good year for bluesy, percussion-driven, Midwestern rock. The obvious leader is of course The National, but another record very much in the same vein (if not quite as good) that has not been getting nearly the attention it deserves. The band is called New Ruins and the record is The Sound They Make (eMusic) (and a hat tip to Amy at Shake Your Fist for introducing me to them)

It’s the sound of the small town, of short, cold February days, of summer evenings that never seem to end, the smell of corn that drapes over you like a blanket, the lure of the big city that is never quite strong enough to convince you to leave.

Musically, the feature cyclonic guitars that make tight circles around percussion so sharp you could cut yourself. In both these respects, it is hard to ignore the similarities with The National. But it is really in the vocals where the comparison become eerie. They feature two vocalists, one of whom fits nicely in the tradition of roots-rock with a nice melodic hook and an emotional edge, and a second who virtually perfects the weary-baritone role made famous by Matt Berringer.

Book Lung – New Ruins
Ships – New Ruins

The albums two best tracks provide the best examples of this. First, the opener “Ships” which kicks the album off with a bang – quick paced guitars that pummel like a thousand tiny fists, while the deep vocals drag you slowly under. Second, the clear standout track on the album is the wonderful “Book Lung” which features a percussive refrain that rattles you like gunfire and vocals which move with a sense of terror, well-hidden by the languid grace of their delivery, but still unshakable. To hear this song is to walk through a dying town, to see the ghosts of past lives flitting around you, to stare into the distance and wonder what lies out there, just beyond our ability to see. Repeated endlessly is the phrase: “your ghost still walks all around these hills” – it is to realize that somehow you have grown old, that where you once dreamed of getting out now you dream of mortgage payments if you even dream at all.

Sadly, no time for any of the longer posts I want to do, but here’s a neat little slice of dark-but-sweet Swedish pop with a New Wave vibe.

Dance With Your Shadow – The Fine Arts Showcase

It’s from a new cover album which according to their press release is “entirely based on songs from the Swedish, rather unknown, jangly, lo-fi band Rough Bunnies.” It’s called, not surprisingly, The Fine Arts Showcase Sings The Rough Bunnies. So that’s certainly interesting. And I’ll admit to having no idea who the Rough Bunnies are, but I am certainly interested in finding out now.

I don’t do “promotional” posts here because I don’t really see this blog as a place to push records. It’s more a place for me to talk about the things that I love. So instead of trying to get a post up quickly, I’ll give myself some time with a record to see how my impressions grow.

That said, every once in a while, I’m just too excited to wait. Today is one of those times.

The new Stars record is out. It’s called In Our Bedroom After War, and the official release date isn’t until September 25, but their label is releasing it for digital download right now. From the Arts and Crafts page:

Traditional music business practice says we are to begin sending out copies of this album now. We give advance copies to print publications in hopes of securing features that coincide with our September date. We meet with radio stations in hopes of securing airplay. etc, etc.

Inevitably someone will leak the album.

Throughout this process, the most important people in this value chain, the fans, are given only two options – wait until September 25th to legally purchase the new album or choose from a variety of sources and download the album for free, at any time.

We hope you’ll choose to support the band, and choose to pay for their album. However we don’t think it’s fair you should have to wait until September 25th to do so.

We believe that the line between the media and the public is now completely grey.
What is the difference between a writer for a big glossy music magazine and a student writing about their favourite bands on their blog? What differentiates a commercial radio station from someone adding a song to their lastfm channel? or their myspace page?

As such, we are making the new Stars album available for legal download today, four days after it’s completion.

This is exciting to me both because the new Stars record is finally out (!!!!!!), but also because it’s a demonstration that there are labels out there who get that things are changing, and understand that the ridiculously long lead-time provided for albums puts those of us who love music in a difficult position. After hearing that the Stars record had leaked, I don’t think I could have held off from finding myself an illicit means of downloading it, but with Arts and Crafts making it available, I was more than happy to pay 10 bucks to get a legal copy of the new record from one of my favorite bands.

I hope other bands and labels adopt the same policy for their new releases. And I hope that you, the readers of this little blog, support a great band and a great label by taking the opportunity to go get yourself a copy.

As for me, I’ll be listening to this record tonight, and once I’ve had some more time to digest, I’ll be providing a full review.

It’s that time of year again, where my obsession with ranking things forces me to produce a top 10 list for a year that’s only half over. As always, I reserve the right to change my mind on any of these by the time December rolls around.

General thoughts: it’s been a good year for music, even if I’ve been slightly disappointed in a number of new albums from some of my favorites (my #s 4-8, for example, are all surpassed by some of the artists’ earlier work), thanks to some others producing their finest work yet and some completely new faces.

1. Cloud Cult – The Meaning of 8

It’s not just the best record I’ve heard this year – it might be the best of the last three or four. Breathtaking in scope and intensely personal, it is as much a work of literature as a record. When I first reviewed it I compared them to Arcade Fire, but frankly The Meaning of 8 is simply better than Funeral ever was. My current favorite song is the “The Deaf Girl’s Song.” Just try to listen to Minowa whisper “she’ll make the world stand still” and not have your heart break. Best song: Chemicals Collide

2. Tegan and Sara – The Con

Alright, this one isn’t officially out for another two weeks, but it’s just too good to leave off the list. These ridiculously talented Canadian sisters haven’t made a bad record yet, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. It’ll appeal just fine to the Grey’s Anatomy folks but certainly does nothing to disappoint long-time fans (and in a year when I’ve been a little let down by good-but-not-great records from old favorites, it’s especially welcome). A full review is forthcoming but in the meantime go pre-order a copy and wait anxiously for July 24. Best song: The Con

3. Trembling Blue Stars – The Last Holy Writer

Intricately crafted and delicate beyond words, this is the record I’ve always been hoping for from Trembling Blue Stars. To listen to this record is to know how it feels to ride on the wind. Best song: Idyllwild

4. The National – Boxer

I’ve been putting off writing about this one because basically everyone in the world has already chimed in and I’m not sure I have anything to add. I still have some thoughts rumbling around and might post in detail later, but for now let me just say that this is a good record made spectacular by the interplay between Matt Berringer’s world-weary baritone and some of the finest percussion heard in years. It lacks a fiery climax like “Mr. November” but this is a feature rather than a mistake. Where Alligator was all about peaks and valleys, Boxer is a study in slowly building pressure. As the album concludes you can only wonder whether it is a dam on the verge of bursting or a series of knots being drawn ever tighter. Best song: Apartment Story or Start a War

5. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

I’ve posted in extensive detail about my thoughts on this record already. The only thing I’ll add is that more time I spend with it the more ambiguous are my feelings. It’s still one of the best records of the year, though. Best song: Antichrist Television Blues or No Cars Go

6. Brandi Carlile – The Story

It lacks the spine-tingling moments which dotted her self-titled debut, but it’s still an incredibly solid batch of folk-rock tunes. Best song: My Song or The Story

7. Laura Veirs – Saltbreakers

Features all of the clever lyrics and silvery delivery we’ve come to expect from Laura Veirs, but combines them with an unexpected, but much appreciated, pop aesthetic. It’s certainly her most accessible record, which is not to say by any stretch that it is uncomplicated. Best song: Don’t Lose Yourself , which might very well be my favorite song of the year.

8. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

It’s a testament to just how much I love Modest Mouse that this record is one of my 10 favorite of the year and still feels like a tremendous disappointment. If you want my full thoughts, check out the full review. Best song: Missed the Boat or Spitting Venom

9. Kissaway Trail – The Kissaway Trail

The best thing to come from Denmark in a long time, with cascading guitars crashes that bleed into choruses strong enough to knock you to the ground. It’s a bit hit-or-miss with three or four barn-burners and a few tracks that are quite skip-able, but the highlights do more than enough to vault this into the top 10. Best song: Smother + Evil = Hurt, which is another strong contender for song of the year.

10. Six Parts Seven – Casually Smashed to Pieces

The best instrumental album I’ve heard in quite some time. As I suggested a few months back, “If I could date a song, it might very well be this one. Guitars that are warm and comforting with just a hint of mystery, horns that stand waiting for you in the baggage terminal after many months away from home, percussion that feels like a soft caress.” It’s the kind of record you can take out on the town or take home to meet the parents with equal ease. Best song: Stolen Moments

The Last Time – The Sinister Turns

The Sinister Turns combine quite a few of my favorite things: cheery piano based indie pop (think Mates of State with maybe a little more bubblegum), a fair number of oooohs and woahs, a little ukelele, and glorious female vocals that just scream summertime. Plus, they’re from Harvard and pay homage to the general Cambridge zeitgeist with songs like “I Support Women in Science” and references to Herman Hesse, Pallas Athene, and the uncertain progress of life.

Susan Putnins, singer and bandleader, described them to me as “Sylvia Plath on pop rocks” which is far better than anything I could come up with myself. There are few things more fun than a good hook and The Sinister Turns have them in abundance. The last minute of “The Last Time” alone is as full of exuberance and joy as anything I’ve heard in years and makes me wish I had known about them when I was actually living in Cambridge

They’re currently in hiatus, due to some post-graduation shake-ups, but hopefully will get re-settled in the Fall and release some more beautiful music and play some Boston-area shows. In the meantime, you can listen to some more songs at their myspace, and pick up a copy of the EP Turn to the Left there, too.

You may have noticed a lack of posting here recently. I’ve been in DC for the last few days for a wedding and to visit some friends, which has left me little time to work on posting anything here.

I do have a few big things coming up over the next couple weeks, once I get settled into East Lansing, including my top 10 records of the half-year. Until there, here’s a brief audio tour of my last few days.

Never Going Back to New Jersey – Less Than Jake

I briefly contemplated going substantially out of my way on the drive down just to avoid having to go through New York and New Jersey. In the end, I figured I could get through around noon and the traffic couldn’t possibly be bad enough to justify taking a 100-mile detour. Big mistake. The traffic was stop-and-go for hours and I barely made it down here in time for the rehearsal dinner despite leaving with a big cushion of time. So, lesson learned, I’m never going back to New Jersey.

On Marriage (re.defined by Carissa’s Wierd) – Six Parts Seven

It was a beautiful wedding, especially since these were two of my oldest friends. They’ve been dating for 9 years, which is just staggering in this day and age, and it’s a real testament to the power of love in good people. I was there when they started dating and we all were in high school, and I was glad to be there to see them make it official.

Find the River – R.E.M.

One of my favorite R.E.M. songs, from my favorite of their albums, posted here to commemorate the trip we took on Sunday out to Harper’s Ferry to go floating on the Potomac. There are few things more enjoyable than sitting out on a river on a beautiful summer afternoon.

Wilmington – Doug Kwartler

I’ve spent very little time in my life in Delaware. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve been there other than driving through on the 95, but I met someone last night who actually went to school there. And this song is just too good to not find an excuse to post it again. As good as Americana can get – I don’t know much about Doug Kwartler but I do know this song is tremendous.

I Am John – Loney, Dear

Running about six months behind on posting this one, but it’s just such a perfect summer song, and has been featured prominently in my listening habits for the past couple weeks, that I don’t feel too bad about running behind the curve.

The whole song is a giant, escalating spiral as verses double back and trample on one another and the chorus jumps out whenever it has a chance until the end when the falsetto emerges and it is repeated as a final running-over-itself refrain. Yes, Loney, Dear is yet another pop artist from Sweden so if you’re getting sick of me posting that sort of thing, you may want to give it a miss. But I will say that even if it’s not normally your style there is simply too much exuberance, too much awkward joy, to ignore.

Given how expansive it feels, I can’t help but be amazed that it’s all the work of a single guy, Emil Svanängen, layering sounds in a tiny home studio. The album is Loney, Noir and is available stateside from Sub Pop.

These Days – That’s Him! That’s the Guy

I have kind of a thing for music with a clearly defined sense of place, particularly when it’s a place I know well. That’s part of the reason I enjoy That’s Him That’s the Guy, a Michigan based folk-duo, who make music which reflects their geographical orientation. Appropriately enough, on first listen there is more than enough twinkly bells and delicately plucked strings to call to mind a Michigan-era Sufjan, which may or may not be your thing. But if that doesn’t sound appealing, don’t let it deter you from everything else they have to offer. They are less precious than Sufjan, and quite a bit warmer.

The highlight has to be the romping “These Days” where they manage to turn a relatively simple piece of DIY production and composition into a two minute tempest, thanks to some rat-a-tat-ing percussion and a few well-placed bells.

Another shining moment is the dreamy “Help Me I’m On Fire” which is as beautiful a piece of instrumental ambient dream-pop I’ve heard in many moons. It’s the campfire that crackles in front of you and the shadows that dance in the trees on a cool midsummer night on the shores of Lake Superior.

Their EP is called Help Me I’m On Fire (eMusic), and if you’re in Michigan this summer, I highly recommend checking them out. Myself, I’m going to do my best to make it to East Lansing in time to catch the July 7th show.