Deadline Publishing

Updating My iPod

I’m really not neglecting the blog its just far down on my list of blogs to update. One thing I can relay to everyone is that I’ve been stuck wit the same 100 songs in my iPod phone for the past month without access to my home PC. I had to download iTunes to my work laptop and burn all the CDs I’ve been slowly bringing into the office and finally got an update to my cell.

What’s playing now?

Audioslave, Revelations: Here’s a revelation, this album sucks. I’ll still listen because the last two Audioslave albums grew on me. Let’s hope there’s something I want to grow on me here.

Thom Yorke, Eraser: Not a good “walking to work in downtown Chicago” album because only a few tracks are upbeat and loud enough to cover the din of city life. Still a great album though.
Strike Anywhere, Dead FM: Not as good as their last disc but still good, hard punk rock. This time it’s more melodic and I think that actually damages the group’s sound. The last track, a real slow one, is painfully off course for them. Most of it is pretty rocking though. 

The Mars Volta, Amputechture: I hated The Mars Volta’s (is that like The Ohio State University?) first record. Perhaps I was too pissed off at the end of At The Drive-In, but I just never got into it. Luckily $9 price tags at Best Buy keeps me buying their discs and after their live album I’m more of a fan. Now the group has finally put together that break through disc that shows the proper balance of psychedelic guitars and hard charging rhythm. Highly recommended.

Dirty Pretty Things, Waterloo to Anywhere: They’re British. I got the disc free. It’s pretty good.  Mostly it’s just filler between everything else.

Old stuff also on there: Pearl Jam, Greatest Hits; Nebula, Apollo.

New Discs

As I move on to my next full time gig covering the automotive industry I find a lot of my music coverage has lagged. I’ll be putting some thoughts here since I don’t have a lot on my freelance plate right now. Here’s a quick round-up of recent discs and my thoughts.

Snow Patrol, Eyes Open

This has got to be the most boring, most generic rock record I’ve heard this year. It’s actually been a great year for new music so I guess it could be worse for the Patrol, but if I wanted to hear a somber retread of Oasis meets the Goo Goo Dolls I’d…well I’d never want to hear that. I don’t understand why this record is getting so much buzz.

Download: “Chasing Cars” (it proves my point)

More on Thursday, Wolfmother and Tool after the jump.

Pearl Jam: Chicago Night 2

Part of being a Pearl Jam geek fan is critiquing the setlist night from night. In that way last night blew me away. The second show also seemed a bit sweeter because my wife could go with me. She’s not a fanatic like me, but she always enjoys the shows and is going to Grand Rapids with me Friday and Summer Fest in June. How Supportive is that?

OK here’s the set with my favorites in bold. And after the jump I’ll talk about all the photos.

Main Set: Severed Hand, Worldwide Suicide, Life Wasted, Animal, Marker in the Sand, Do The Evolution, Whipping, 1/2 Full, I am Mine, Even Flow, Gone, Insignificance, Betterman, Save it for Later, Down, Garden, Inside Job, Lukin’, Why Go

Encore 1: Wasted Reprise, Man of the Hour, Footsteps, Once, Alive (Backwards Mamasan Trilogy)

Encore 2: Last Kiss, Last Exit, Glorified G

Encore 3: Small Town, Crown of Thorns, Rocking in the Free World, Yellow Ledbetter

Pearl Jam: Chicago Night 1

OK so I went to the first night of the Chicago two-night stand and it was great. Before you go off saying “of course” the band sounded better than ever even if the setlist was “standard.” There were loooooooong jams on Even Flow, Porch and Alive and the encore was Go, Blood and Indifference. Really great stuff. Some photos Below. The wife joins me tonight for the show, too bad she missed Baba O’Reilly last night though.

Thanks to Bill for the ticket! 12th row from a fellow 10 Club member.

 

Set list: Release, World Wide Suicide, Life Wasted, Severed Hand, Comatose, Given To Fly, Lowlight, Corduroy, I'm Open, I Got Shit, Even Flow, Unemployable, Daughter/(W.M.A.), Present Tense, Do The Evolution, Jeremy, Save You, Porch

1st Encore: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Betterman, Come Back, State Of Love And Trust, Black, Alive

2nd Encore: Go, Blood, Indifference, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

Pearl Jam Disc Gets Here Early, Dave Rejoices

Friday afternoon I got a surprise package in the mail. The copy of Pearl Jam’s new self-titled album I had preordered arrived a full five days before its official release date. Oh joy. And while the NFL Draft disappointed me on so many levels, the album didn’t really leave me wanting much.

It certainly is one of the heavier albums the band has produced in some time. Starting off strong isn’t unusual for a Pearl jam disc and “Life Wasted,” “Worldwide Suicide” and “Comatose” (sounding a lot like “Spin the Black Circle”) are sure winners. But Pearl Jam is best at the soaring “epic” tracks.

“Marker In The Sand” is the one that struck me right off as adding more creativity to the formula. But I don’t think any of the songs have the adventurous traits that Riot Act gems like “You Are” featured. The entire album sounds much more stripped, bare bones and raw.

Slower tracks like “Parachutes” (sounding a lot like “All Those Yesterdays” from Yield) and album closer “Inside Job” (the band sounds just like the Afghan Wigs on it) don’t really do it for me either. Luckily, “Gone” is one of those stark, well-written ballads that resonates with the sincerity that first turned so many people on to the band fifteen years ago. It’s one of the album highlights.

I know the new disc will grow on me, as they always do, and the rock songs are terrific. But there are quite a few songs, “Army Reserve,” that probably won’t succeed in getting my vote for “musts” when I go see the band live this month.

Pearl Jam Countdown Continues

Today I bring you the video for the first single “Worldwide Suicide” from the new self-titled album out Tuesday. It’s pretty much straight footage with a guy balancing a ball/globe. And like past Pearl Jam videos I think the audio was recorded live.

Pearl Jam and Draft Week

OK it is a huge week for two of my favorite things in life besides my wife, family etc etc. Saturday is the NFL Draft and my, now Ricky Williams-less, Dolphins draft #16. For more on that go to Orange and Teal where I’m really detailing everything to death.

Then a week from today Pearl Jam is releasing their new album. A lot of people out there think Pearl Jam hasn’t made a record since 1995. But in truth the past few records have turned out some amazing material, plus the b-sides of Lost Dogs was a perfect package. In honor of the band’s upcoming album I’m bringing out some nuggets found on YouTube. Here’s Eddie Vedder with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. For those that think Eddie can’t hold a candle to the Boss, watch this. It’s a fun one. Also you can check out some new Pearl Jam stuff for free on Amazon and Best Buy’s sites. Plus my old college buddy Jonathan Cohen wrote an amazing piece for Billboard.com on the band’s new efforts. And if you like Bruce, AOL.com is streaming his new album too.