Cezanne is the now-NYC based one man band of John Daugherity, who has previously recorded under the name Ten Everlasting Seconds. Possessing a voice pitched almost flawlessly between worn and ragged, and airy and smooth, these seven songs instill fond remembrances of past peaks set by folks like Chavez, Archers Of Loaf and Pavement. No-nonsense indie-rock and roll like this is pretty hard to find nowadays, so why don't you let Cezanne transport you back to better days?
Below, I've posted the stream to 'Hells Bells.' If you loved Mudhoney and Dinosaur Jr., you'll really appreciate this song.
Believe it or not, one of my fondest memories is that of Ted and I arguing until the wee hours one morning as to which was the better Stone Temple Pilots record: Purple or Core. As it turns out, I was a Core man, while Ted was a Purple man.
What makes the argument so fascinating is that each album has so many strengths to draw upon. Purple was more commercially viable, lending us tracks like 'Vasoline,' 'Big Empty,' and the magnus opus 'Interstate Love Song.' ("Only yesterday you lieeeeed!"). Additionally, Scott Weiland seemed to permanently transform his voice to a much higher (but appealing) register on this album.
Core, on the other hand, was the debut culmination of a band that sounded a lot like grunge rockers Pearl Jam at the time---but when really examined, didn't really sound like Pearl Jam at all. STP's music, even in its earliest stage, was more cleaned up, more primed for radio than Pearl Jam's Ten and Vs. ever seemed to be. Sure, STP's 'Dead and Bloated' and 'Sex Type Thing' seemed laden with punked-out anger, but Pearl Jam's 'Go' and 'Animal' were even angrier. And to top it all off, Core took a page out of the Dark Side of the Moon playbook with instrumental transitions that segued tracks like 'Wicked Garden' to 'Sin.,' and 'Plush' to 'Crackerman.'
When it comes to making the final decision between Core and Purple, the ultimate factor, for me, is the strength of the supplemental tunes: the non-singles. While Purple is certainly a classic album for the band,tracks like 'Army Ants' or 'Kitchenware and Candybars' seem too clean or too cloned from its immediate antecedent. (Does anyone not think that 'Kitchenware and Candybars' sounds like a 'Where the River Goes' part II??) Conversely, Core contains songs of passion and conviction, even if they do lack the studio cleanliness that Purple's 'Big Empty' perfects.
Regardless of where you may stand on the issue, I've included a song off each album: Core's 'Sin' and Purple's 'Still Remains,' for your own studies. Even if you may not possess a strong opinion either way, be sure to enjoy!
Here's a thoroughly entertaining video that has been blowing up online lately. I'm perfectly sure I'm not the first to link to it, but hey, as a fan of a'capella, beatboxing, and of course the mighty Phil Collins, this track was just too hard to pass up.
The group is Naturally 7, an R&B/Gospel septet hailing from NYC. All of the instruments the band plays - percussion, bass, keyboard, guitar, and horns - are made solely from vocal rhythms and harmonies. The band calls this style "vocal play" as opposed to "a'cappella," to represent that they don't merely sing without instruments, but AS instruments. Naturally 7seems to bring a heightened spiritual and emotional level to the music, and the result is not only catchy, but physically impressive.
The group's single takes on the often-sampled chorus of Phil Collin's classic "In the Air Tonight."Naturally 7 have garnered a strong European following, and the rumor surrounding this video is that it was filmed on board a Parisian subway train. To my knowledge, the group's new album, Ready II Fly, has been released in Europe for a couple months now, but has yet to make a U.S. appearance.
Here's the link to the group's official music video for the song. The official version has significantly better audio quality, but I still find the mass transit version alot more fun.
Although probably their least acclaimed album, The Soft Parade spawned a number of daring tracks that strayed away from the usual Doors model.
'Tell All the People' was just one such number. With marching brass prefacing Morrison's vocals, the entire canticle comes across as one bloated, over-produced, Fat Elvis of a song that...surprisingly works.
Perhaps it is its sirenesque hook, or its whimsical lyrics:
"Follow me across the sea/Where milky babies seem to be; Molded, flowing revelry/With the one that set them free"
Or perhaps, instead, it is the fact the song was composed by guitarist Robbie Krieger that 'Tell All the People' comes across as a breath of fresh air for those treading the Doors catalog.
While 'Tell All the People' may never top the trendy influence of 'Crystal Ship' or 'Love Street,' it will always hold an important spot as a flavorful sensation within the vaults of deep Rock and Roll.
Catch "Breakfast With Korn," a live event that will be presented Tuesday, March 6, between 8-10 am PST and broadcast on the world famous KROQ. This event will feature intimate performances by the band, as well as several interviews, all from a secret location!
Everyone has the opportunity to catch this sure-to-be groundbreaking performance by going to AT&T's Blue Room music site. After this live set has commenced, the AT&T Blue Room will be looping the broadcast for up to 24 additional hours for those who were unable to catch the original airing. Additionally, the interviews will be archived for permanent access.
If you can't experience Korn live, and in person, enjoy the next best thing: "Breakfast With Korn" via AT&T's Blue Room, Tuesday March 6 at 8am PST.
OK, I'm not one to rush out to see most films upon release to theater. In fact, I'm not even one who waits for the release to DVD. No, I'm one who usually is begrudgingly persuaded by a friend or loved one to invest two hours into watching a movie that everyone else has been raving about for the past year or so long after the production has been removed from the new release racks of most video stores.
Usually, I'm not impressed, and I end up regretting that the last two hours of my life I spent watching the movie are a couple I will never get back again. But sometimes, the movie-watching experience is strangely worth my while.
The latter affair is exactly what happened to me when I watched The Devil Wears Prada via my girlfriend's Netflix selection. Not only was the movie unexpectedly entertaining for me, but the soundtrack was surprisingly delectable as well.
One track by Jamiroquai known as 'Seven Days in Sunny June' particularly struck my fancy. Not straying too far from the typical Jamiroquai form, the song renders a punctual reflection of the world of the fashionista; chilled out and jazzy, the melody is all things cosmopolitan.
While you may not agree with my sentiments regarding the film, I hope you share my opinion when it comes to the tune:
You just never can tell what some random browsing of YouTube will provide a music-savvy user such as myself. After checking out their network for a few moments, I stumbled upon this so-called "rare footage" of power pop master, Matthew Sweet, in an interview from 1989.
The half-minute video is apparently an excerpt from a show known as Alternate Beat, a program that aired on local access cable in Cleveland, Ohio during the time just before College Radio hit the mainstream. And to echo the comments of user Operanaka1 on the YouTube page, Mr. Sweet does appear to have an "intense look" emitting from his eyes.
One of my favorite Matthew Sweet songs is 'Sick of Myself,' and you can listen to it here:
Otherwise, you can view the interview video from '89 below:
Blogs are for Dogs has a link to a sample of "Walken," a tune contained on the forthcoming Wilco album. Sky Blue Sky is the expected name of the new long player, and it is scheduled for release in May.
The Long Play, a film written by Mick Jagger, will be directed by Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese. The movie will be about two friends in the music business and their lives within it.
This isn't the Beach Boys your parents listened to in junior high. Instead, this is the Beach Boys your parents may have heard in passing while attending college. Written over the course of two years, 1973's 'Sail On, Sailor' was the carefree band's attempt at recaputuring a position in the Top 40.
'Sail On, Sailor' was more soulful than other Beach Boys singles quite simply because it was sung by Blondie Chaplin, a South African who briefly joined the band in the early seventies. Minus the defining vocals and sound of musical architect Brian Wilson, 'Sail On, Sailor' sounds more like Stevie Wonder and less like the earnest oceanside pop that dominated Stateside summertime radio stations in the sixties.
Although released back in 2005, it was only recently that I was introduced to this tasty space rocker. 'The Zookeeper's Boy' is from the Danish quartet Mew's last album, And the Glass Handed Kites.Its celestial chorus beautifully compliments the jaded verse sung throughout the rest of the single, while the song as a whole is a driving epic.
You can check out Mew's 'The Zookeeper's Boy' here.
American Idol is, once again, in full-swing. And although there are no Chris Daughtrys' I can rally around this year, there is another "Chris" who I'm rooting for. That "Chris" is Chris Sligh, the Jack Osbourne look-alike who isn't afraid to take verbal jabs at Simon.
Last night, Sligh sang a catchy song that I was unfamiliar with. Come to find out, after a day or so of researching the tune between working and other errands, the song is called 'Typical' and is by the New Orleans based Mute Math. Furthermore, the album that 'Typical' is contained on was only released a few months ago in September of 2006.
Kudos to Sligh for not only choosing a great song, but for highlighting a track that is fresh and under most of America's radar.
Here's a great lazy Sunday tune. I saw this video on MTV Hits last night, and was instantly drawn to its deliberate Queen-like sound. Not to mention, I'm a sucker for piano rock.
First and foremost, Happy Valentine's Day. I understand some of you may be celebrating whilst others are sulking in apathy to the utter commercialization of the holiday, but either way, I'm here to add that little extra something to your day.
The concept oflove may be the single biggest inspiration in all of songwriting. Songs about love may easily date back to the dawn of man. And while countless songs continue to be written about the subject, we never grow tired of them. It's an emotional experience that everyone can relate to in one way or another, and something that continues to baffle minds and break hearts. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but speaking from experience...
Now, I could have easily taken the nihilistic approach and posted something like Cannibal Corpse's "F$&%#@ with a Knife;" however, I've chosen the high ground, and picked a song that is dear to my heart. That song is Pet Shop Boys' "Love Comes Quickly," from their phenomenal 1986 album Please.
One of my personal favorites - particularly within the PSB catalog, "Love Comes Quickly" is an optimistic song for anyone who hasn't found a special someone. I was going to post the original music video to the song, but then I found this awesome live performance from London's Wembley Arena, and my mind was made. If you're one of those people who thinks love will never get to you, don't fret. Sooner or later, this happens to everyone.
Pet Shop Boys - "Love Comes Quickly" (Live at Wembley Arena, 1989)
The King of Pop may appear on American Idol, and may even mentor contestants, our online source proclaims. The plan, if all goes well, is to have a Michael Jackson-themed week on the reality show, with the music star coaching the participants.
This is all part of a planned American comeback for Jackson.
Although only in existence for a little over a decade, Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest has become a rock institution. With many popular bands getting their big break on the festival's "second stage", Ozzfest has contributed greatly to the vitality of metal today.
That contribution was extended yesterday, when Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon, announced that there will be no price attached to tickets for this year's show.
That's right, Ozzfest 2007 will be free:
"Everybody has been so good to us over the years, and year after year ticket prices get higher and higher and higher,” Sharon Osbourne, who is Ozzy’s manager as well, said. "We just thought we can't keep on raising ticket prices because there is not that much money out there anymore. Hey, kids can go online and download music, why not go to a show for free too? What the heck?"
Fans can plan on getting tickets through sponsors' websites, and the sponsors will pay for the tickets. However, nothing is on release yet.
Ryan Stewart with TechCrunch presents an impressive breakdown of the eight or so social music sites currently out there on the Internet. From Finetune to MyStrands, Stewart's article is the one to check out if you are looking for the best sites to share and discover the most important music to you.
Then, just today, the band made a statement on their website that a new studio offering, to be titled Year Zero, will also be released this spring, with a date set for April 17th.
The six year wait between NIN's 1999 double-album The Fragile and 2005's With Teeth may have felt like an eternity to some fans, but now the band seems to have picked up steam again, and it will be exciting to see what they have to offer in 2007.
From the press release:
Blogs are for Dogs
