MOG - River Lethe's Posts

River Lethe's mid-year round up super happy listmania time.

River Lethe — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:28:00 GMT

Been awhile since I posted, but I've lurked and commented often. As many of you know, last year Dale collected our mid-year favorites. This year, it's being done by SA: http://mog.com/SA/blog_post/169238.

I have a love/hate relationship with these aggregations. Lots of interesting choices get lost to the tallying, and what ends up happening seems like a list that's populated with over-hyped indie darlings you can read about anywhere and everywhere. What I really like is seeing people's individual lists, but I hate to limit things to street dates. That just seems to feed into the industry side of the music business, whose death throwes most of us are enjoying being spectators to. Plus, there's always stuff from the previous year that I didn't get into until this year. Some of which I dearly love. But there's gotta be some kind of rules, or we'd never whittle contenders down to a list. I also noticed that my mid-year list from last year was drastically different from my end-of-the-year list. But I can't help it. I've got to list, and so do you.

My grudgingly narrowed (and ordered) list is made of these:

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

2. The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia

3. Murder By Death - Red of Tooth and Claw

4. Russian Circles - Station

5. Byzantine - Oblivion Beckons

6. Genghis Tron - Board Up the House

7. Made Out Of Babies - The Ruiner

8. Scott Matthew - Scott Matthew

9. Torche - Meanderthal

10. Man Man - Rabbit Habits

I pick things based mostly on what really moved me to keep listening to the album even though there was so much more in which I'm interested. Here are the near list-makers:

The Black Keys - Attack and Release

The Company Band - Sign Here, Here and Here

The Devil and the Sea - Heart Vs. Spine

Firewater - The Golden Hour

Meshuggah - Obzen

Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Other albums of note for me this year are:

Arsis - We Are the Nightmare

The Black Crowes - Warpaint

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

Hate Eternal - Fury and Flames

Isobell Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Sunday at Devil Dirt

M83 - Saturdays = Youth

The Mars Volta - Bedlam in Goliath

Mike Patton - A Perfect Place

Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV and The Slip

Opeth - Watershed

Origin - Antithesis

Portishead - Third

Protest the Hero - Fortress

The Raconteurs - Consoler of the Lonely

The Roots - Rising Down

Saviours - Into Abaddon

Scott Kelly - The Wake

Soul Embraced - Dead Alive

Spiritualized - Songs in A & E

Steve Von Till - A Grave is a Grim Horse

Taint - Secrets and Lies

Testament - The Formation of Damnation

This Will Destroy You - This Will Destroy You

Thrice - The Alchemy Index vols. 3 & 4 Air and Earth

Tindersticks - The Hungry Saw

Transistor Transistor - Ruined Lives

Withered - Folie Circulaire

Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Zodiak - Sermons

Here's some stuff from last year that I've really been digging this year (here's my post from last year: http://mog.com/River_Lethe/blog_post/133114):

Balboa and Rosetta split - Project Mercury

Black Cobra - Feather and Stone

Black Mountain - In the Future

Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Buried at Sea - Ghost

Deathspell Omega - Fas--Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum

Dodheimsgard - Supervillain Outcast

Feist - The Reminder

The Hours - Narcissus Road

Killwhitneydead - Nothing Less, Nothing More

Light Pupil Dilate - Snake Wine

Mum - Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy

The Ocean - Precambrian

Orange Goblin - Healing Through Fire

Rosetta - Wake/Lift

Skeletonwitch - Beyond the Permafrost

St. Vincent - Marry Me

The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza - Danza II: The Electric Boogaloo

Trap Them - Seance Prime

We Are Wolves - Total Magique

Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters

Yael Naim - Yael Naim

Yeasayer - All Our Cymbals

And how goes the boycott, you might ask? I have not caved. The only new purchases I have made this year (yes, all year) are the Deluxe Editions of Nine Inch Nails "Ghosts I-IV" and Sigur Ros "Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust". And when I say "new", I mean factory sealed new product like you'd buy in a brick and mortar retailer. I've been to shows and bought merch and things directly from the groups, but I have not purchased anything else new from anything that came out on a major label. When in doubt, I buy used. In order to reward the artists whose albums I love this year, those will be purchased brand new and direct from the artist or label. So, RIAA and major labels, if you're reading this, take a look at the list above to see how much revenue you lost from me this year alone. I really urge others to do this as well; help drive the nails in their coffins people! We love music, but we will not submit to aggressive and overbearing business tactics.

Now if we could only find a way to do this to the oil companies. . .

I've had it.

River Lethe — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:36:12 GMT

I'm a bit frazzled and depressed about the current state of the music industry. Right now, I don't even feel like listening to music. I feel a death. It's literally akin to the feeling I had the morning after Dime was shot onstage. I'm at a point in my life where I can't justify supporting an industry that continues to take from the people that support it (artists and consumers alike). There are too many other goals and hobbies competing for my money (nonetheless of which is getting my wife through grad school and buying our first home in the near future). I'm not saying I'm giving up music, it's in my blood, but I suggest a change for us all. I am working out the logistics of boycotting the big four music companies and all their subsidiaries. When you look at the lists of labels this includes, it's depressing, because not only are they numerous, but there are also many labels whose artists are among my favorites. It will be a major sacrifice (no pun intended). In the near future, only truly independent artists and labels will receive my dollars. I have yet to decide if I will include indie labels that are merely distributed by the big four, or if I should just find the ones with RIAA ties. As I said, I'm still working on the logistics. If we want to speed up this process of killing off the old regime, we have to make them feel it in their bank accounts (and let me assure you, I filled their coffers aplenty). Vote with your dollars. Vote with a bullet. Fuck 'em.

Ah, our need for order and lists! My best of 2007 in music.

River Lethe — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 21:55:10 GMT

Well, this year I put much more time into my listening and choices. It was an excellent year in music, and I had a really hard time narrowing albums down to two, top 10 lists (and even more trouble putting them in order, except for my absolute favorites). There is still a ton of stuff I haven't gotten to, but towards the end of the year, I just cut myself off from being able to add new contenders. These are the albums that moved me this year, and quite simply, the albums I probably listened to the most.

METAL:

10. Atreyu - Lead Sails Paper Anchor

9. Machine Head - The Blackening

8. Divine Heresy - Bleed the Fifth

7. Chimaira - Resurrection

6. Baroness - Red

5. Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb

4. Neurosis - Given to the Rising

3. High on Fire - Death is This Communion

2. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works

1. Between the Buried and Me - Colors

EVERYTHING ELSE:

10. The Bravery - The Sun and the Moon

9. Okkervil River - The Stage Names

8. Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris

7. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero

6. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha

5. Carina Round - Slow Motion Addict

4. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

3. Saul Williams - The Inevitible Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust

2. Bat For Lashes - Fur & Gold

1. The National - Boxer

Ire Works almost beat out Colors for my fave metal album, but Colors wins just because they surprised me (I knew the DEP was going to be phenom). Both are similar in that they don't really stick to one genre or style, and yet have an unmistakable sound. Colors somehow melds the epic songwriting of Queen with death metal, whereas Ire Works is like Faith No More on steroids. Machine Head was a late addition because I had forgotten that it had come out this year. Atreyu is just a fun, anthemic rock record (and they take the place of Avenged Sevenfold this year for throwback, arena metal; A7X meanwhile, put out a toothless and mediocre followup to the excellent City of Evil from 2005).

Other noteworthy metal releases: Every Time I Die - The Big Dirty; A Life Once Lost - Iron Gag; Clutch - From Beale St. to Oblivion; As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us; Devildriver - The Last Kind Words; Evergreen Terrace - Wolfbiker; Apocalyptica - Worlds Collide; Darkest Hour - Deliver Us; Poison the Well - Versions; and Comedy Central's cartoon band from Metalocalpyse, Dethklok - Dethalbum.

Metal's big disappointments of 2007: Down III Over the Under; Demon Hunter - Storm the Gates of Hell and Avenged Sevenfold - self-titled.

The National's Boxer is my album of the year, hands down. It wasn't even close. It's music for the night, loaded with introspection and soaked with alcohol and cigarette smoke. It's a melencholy record, except for the fact that the drums are just too lively to keep it down, and the lyrics and vocal melodies are just too tasty and sing-alongable (yeah, I know I totally made up that word). Bat For Lashes won me over with their video for What's A Girl To Do and a live performance of Trophy (you can find both on Youtube). Saul Williams album, produced by Trent Reznor, refuses to be hip-hop and refuses to be rock, and yet is somehow both (and I'm not talking about the BS from the 90's like P.O.D. or Limp Bizkit either). Read his lyrics and check out some of his other writing and interviews, and you'll be won over by him too. Carina Round could technically be disqualified since her album really came out overseas in 2006, but had distribution problems here in the states until this year. The Bravery is a fun album, and they managed to add new layers to the retro dance-rock of their debut album.

Honorable mentions: The Editors - And End Has a Start (it's ok, this will be on everyone else's list); Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City (and the B-sides, Another Weekend in the City); Kings of Leon - Because of the Times; Jose Gonzales - In Our Nature; Interpol - Our Love to Admire; Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga; Hot Hot Heat - Happiness Ltd.; Grinderman - self-titled; Arcade Fire - Neon Bible; and Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.

Disappointing: PJ Harvey - White Chalk (I love, love, love her, but her voice just doesn't work with these arrangements. Please pick up the guitar again and leave the quiet, piano-driven songs to Tori); Tori Amos - American Doll Posse (I just haven't been able to get into her stuff since From the Choirgirl Hotel); and Elliott Smith - New Moon (can we please stop with the post-humous, unfinished demo track releases? Thank you.)

A few other quick mentions:

BEST EP: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is

BEST SOUNDTRACKS: Glenn Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Once; Various Artists - I'm Not There; and Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

BEST HARBINGER OF INDUSTRY CHANGE: Radiohead - In Rainbows; Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero, Year Zero remixed and the Limitless Potential; and Saul Williams - The Inevititble Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust. Playing by their own rules, cutting out the middle-MAN and being successful as well as leading the way for many bands to follow. Major labels' days are numbered. Tick tock, tick tock.

Trying to whittle down my best of 2007 lists

River Lethe — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:42:22 GMT

Had to make two lists this year, one for metal and one for everything else (especially here on MOG, since there's little to no metal love). There's not much else on my radar for the rest of the year (although there's still some I will want), so I think it's safe to start compiling candidates.

Metal list: Without a doubt, my number 1 is Between the Buried and Me - Colors. Everything else in the running: Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb; High on Fire - Death is This Communion; Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works; Chimaira - Resurrection; Divine Heresy - Bleed the Fifth; Clutch - From Beale Street to Oblivion (although I'm not sure this belongs in the metal list); Baroness - Red; Evergreen Terrace - Wolfbiker; Every Time I Die - The Big Dirty; Neurosis - Given to the Rising; A Life Once Lost - Iron Gag; As I lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us; Atreyu - Lead Sails Paper Anchor; Darkest Hour - Deliver Us; Devildriver - The Last Kind Words; Down III; Poison the Well - Versions and Prong - Power of the Damager.

My other list: Without a doubt, my number 1 is The National - Boxer. Everything else in the running: Bat For Lashes - Fur & Gold; Iron & Wine - Shepherd's Dog; Editors - An End Has a Start; Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City; PJ Harvey - White Chalk; Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris; Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust; The Bravery - The Sun and the Moon; Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero; Kings of Leon - Because of the Times; Radiohead - In Rainbows; Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha; Jose Gonzales - In Our Nature; Carina Round - Slow Motion Addict; Tori Amos - American Doll Posse; Interpol - Our Love to Admire; Once OST; Okkervil River - Stage Names and Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

I suspect that some of my old favorites like Tori Amos and Radiohead are going to get knocked out by some of the whippersnappers this year. Many of these I need to spend some more time with, and there's also still some stuff I haven't heard yet (not in this list, but for instance, the I'm Not There soundtrack). I also have to take into account the fact that many of these albums just won't wander too far from my ears despite the sheer amount of other albums I haven't even listened to yet. And, like always, I'm sure I forgot something.

Let's keep it clean, favorite artists. No mudslinging. Win by your own merits and reputation, and at the end of the day, the job you can do to keep me entertained.

Between the Buried and Me: The Radiohead of metal?

River Lethe — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:01:23 GMT

What do you get when you combine the sounds of Meshuggah, Coroner, Dillinger Escape Plan, Mr. Bungle, Voivod and Queen (or maybe Muse, who have been sounding a bit Queen-ish themselves)? You get an interesting and genre-bending metal band called Between the Buried and Me.

Why did I compare them to Radiohead? I just think they are playing with their genre the way Radiohead changed the face of Brit rock starting with OK Computer and continuing to this day.

Last year, they put out an unironic covers album titled The Anatomy of. . ., which included staples of metal, but also the likes of Blind Melon, Soundgarden, Queen, Motley Crue, Faith No More and Counting Crows. Check that out here:

http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Between-Buried-Me/dp/B000FIHJFG/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-2942954-9860851?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1189100513&sr=8-1

Now they have put up a website for their album to be released on the 18th, titled Colors (no, not the Gene Hackman movie). You can preview a new track each day, but the older tracks will disappear after 24 hours. They have edited some visuals to go with the songs as well. Check that out here:

http://www.victoryrecords.com/albumtrailers/colors/

They take a patient listener, as the song structures can be lengthy and complex, but if you're curious from the mention of the bands in the first paragraph, or are just looking for something different, go check it out.

Members of Codeseven and Classic Case form new band.

River Lethe — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:36:42 GMT

Telescreen was formed in the spring of 2007 by members of Codeseven and vocalist Jared Draughon from Classic Case. Both bands having gone on hiatus and needing a new platform to release musical ideas, created Telescreen. The bands debut show will be September 1st 2007 in Raleigh.

Listen to their song here:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=225073700

Faith No More fan? Then check out this forgotten album.

River Lethe — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:24:47 GMT

I popped this album in for the first time in awhile the other day. I just looked in their artist lounge here on MOG, and found only 1 post, which was lumping them in with a lot of radio rock bands and bashing them.

Let me set you straight. If you don't like Faith No More, Incubus and/or Glassjaw, then just stop reading now, because that's basically what this album sounds like. So why is it any good, since we have other albums by the aforementioned bands?

Well, mainly because Faith No More have been gone a long time (and might I add that they are NOT responsible for rap-rock in the 90's; if you really listened to them, you'd know they covered pretty much every genre there is); Glassjaw have played a few shows recently, and keep threatening to make a new album, but basically, they're gone too; that leaves Incubus, who started cannibalizing their own radio hits somewhere around Morning View (to be fair, I haven't heard the last album).

Finch grew from a mediocre pop-punk band with a few good songs to what could very well have been the next Faith No More album on Say Hello to Sunshine.

They've since broken up, so I guess most people agreed with the bashers on the other post, but I thought those of you with a Faith No More jones might appreciate this album.

That BS you hear on the radio? That ain't country, motherf**kers!!!

River Lethe — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:02:53 GMT

Been putting this off for a couple of days now, as I haven't really felt like writing, but here goes.

Went to see Hank III the other night. He comes here pretty often, and I've heard about his live shows for some time, but never gone. This time, I had to check it out.

For those of you that haven't heard him, Hank III sounds more like his grandad than his dad. This is outlaw country x666.

I had been aware of his music, but never really paid attention until I noticed he was playing bass in Superjoint Ritual, which is a NOLA hardcore/metal band with ex-members from Eyehategod and Pantera. It's no secret that I'm a metal fan, but I'm even more of a fan of artists that do their own thing and aren't afraid to cross genres. Sometimes people like this end up being a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none, but others prove to be quite adept at whatever they pick up.

It rained like hell that night, probably to punish the hippies that wanted to see Widespread Panic "playing" for the nth time down at the river. Sorry to be negative, but that crap is awful! Instead, prepared myself for a varied crowd, the likes of which you can also see at a Willie Nelson or Tom Waits show. Hank III is a musician that appeals to young and old, hipster and hillbilly, redneck and dirtbag metal/punk-head.

First off, they play their country set. It is twangy, energetic, no-holds-barred outlaw country, the likes of which you just don't hear anymore. I'm not talking about the Kid Rock quasi-outlaw style that Shooter Jennings is trying to do either. It's about real country life, not the white-washed, right wing bullshit you hear on the radio. Nashville is an industry just like the rest of pop music, and that's what makes outlaw country what it has been for generations. A middle finger to Nashville. Nothing's really changed apparently; I mean the biggest star country radio has to offer right now came off of a reality show (I'm not saying Carrie Underwood's not talented, I'm just saying she's symbolic of the industry in general)!

Hank III's band includes a creepy, stand-up bass player named Joe Buck, a fiddler, an incredible drummer, and whatever the hell you call that slide guitar-like thing (like the one Robert Randolph plays). All the songs are about drinking, smoking, cocaine, pills, fucking, fighting, the devil and murder. While I can't say I can identify with much of this (and usually I HATE when bands sing about drinking or drugging as the entire topic of their songwriting, but this is done so convincingly and over-the-top that it works), but I'd sooner identify with this kind of country than the My-man's-a-bastard or The-USA-is-gonna-put-a-boot-in-your-ass variety. Or even worse, songs about the Lord. Sorry, I know songs about the devil might be ridiculous too, but I just don't see any authenticity in country music that appeals to Bible-Belt America. You're being fooled so you'll buy their product. When you see Hank III perform, you will have no doubt that these men live life on the edge.

After a few songs, I'm really thinking this is gonna be the highlight. It's good, the place is packed, everyone's having a good time. I hadn't heard any of the stuff that was to come because Hank's albums are all country. They haven't recorded any of their other stuff as far as I know. Maybe you can hear some on Myspace, I don't know.

Next set, with no break, they turn into Hellbilly. Same setup, except Hank changes out his acoustic for an electric, and an additional vocalist comes up. This set is hard rock, bordering on metal, but somehow still country-fied via the slide and fiddle. Hank plays leads during this set and trades vocals with the other guy. The vocals are now more in Black Label Society and Pantera range. I'm starting to realize that this could be just as good, if not different, as the first set. I should also note that at this time I had been aware that he does a half and half set, with the heavy part referred to as Assjack. I didn't know at the time that this was just a precursor, and like I said before, called Hellbilly.

The set from Hellbilly got slightly heavier as it went on, and some of the older and more cowboy fans started to thin out a bit. Then they took a break.

What was to come was Assjack, and I was not prepared. But I dug the hell out of it. This is one of the heaviest bands I've ever seen. And it's steeped in that dirty NOLA feel. It feels unsettling and maybe even wrong. But I happen to like that. Think Eyehategod, Acid Bath, Superjoint Ritual, Crowbar. It just kept getting heavier and sludgier and uglier. And so did the pit.

Now slightly off-topic, let's talk about pit ettiquette real quick. I'm 35, so I don't do this anymore, but in my day, I could rule a pit. I could take down guys 2 or 3 times my size. Pits seem a little different now though. There's the majority that are just there for a good, if not violent, time. But it really is good-natured. It's like Fight Club set to music, and most people know that when someone goes down, you pick them back up again and clap them on the back before you shove them back into the fray. But there's always gotta be the guy that wants to be up there but doesn't want anyone to slam into him. There's always gotta be the guy that takes on a personal vendetta if he gets hit. That is not what it's for, and you shouldn't be up there if that's the kind of little girl you're gonna be. And I don't mean that as disrespect to girls, because that night I saw a girl that couldn't have been bigger than 5' totally own that circle. And don't even get me started on those kids with the Jennifer Anniston haircuts doing karate kicks and throwing elbows. There's an unofficial set of rules and an unspoken code in the pit, and intentionally trying to hurt someone will get you punched in the throat. That reminds me of the last kind of offender, and that's the prick with a shaved head, shirtless, camo shorts and a freakin' mouthpiece that just wants to fuck someone up like Ed Norton did to Jared Leto, and it's just not cool. Luckily, these last two types were not in attendence, and for the most part the pit was well behaved.

For Assjack, the other vocalist takes over and Hank just plays guiter. Joe Buck switches to a standard electric bass from the standup. Gone are the fiddle and slide, replaced with some synths and several disturbing samples (much like Eyehategod). Also to keep in mind is that by this point, Hank, Joe Buck and the drummer are playing their 3rd high-energy set. I would put this music up there with the other heavy NOLA bands that I've already mentioned. Really adept and absolutely crushing and dark.

I'm not sure how the country seems to sit so well side-by-side with such brutal metal, but it has something to do with their attitude and stage prescence and the fact that they slowly ease into the different styles over the course of the whole show. And it has to do with being pissed off in the South. Any of you that also live here might understand that.

Oh also, the studio albums do not do justice to what you hear live; I wish they'd just go in, hit record and play live like Clutch or Black Keys.

Even if you don't like either country or metal, I'd still recommend seeing Hank III live, just for the spectacle. Spectacle is the reason I went, but now that I've seen/heard it, it won't be the reason I will go back.

Waits and Lanegan, bound by spirit?

River Lethe — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:23:19 GMT

Has anyone else noticed these similarities between Tom Waits and Mark Lanegan?

Yes, Waits has a more varied palatte, as well as about 30 years of material on Lanegan, but there's just something there that makes me wonder if Mark couldn't be a long, lost son.

Not just the gravelly voice, but also the wretched and ruffian characters in their songs (though admittedly, Waits' are probably characters, or at least other people, and often Lanegan's are himself), the DIY, the bastardization of blues for their own purposes (listen to Lanegan's album, I'll Take Care of You, of blues covers that he makes his own), the late night tales of drink, smoke, women and other possibly (probably) illicit behavior?

And also, the style of their album covers. I give you these for comparison:

Remastered Foo Fighters?

River Lethe — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:57:36 GMT

Ok, I like Foo Fighters just fine, but why is this being remastered already? Why hasn't anyone tackled something that really needs to be remastered; for instance any of the classic Cure albums up through Disintegration, because they sound like ass compared to other music in my collection. Or maybe even Tool's first couple of albums (Aenima needs some serious tweaks on the knobs).

Check it out:

http://www.amazon.com/Colour-Shape-Foo-Fighters/dp/B000QEIORG/ref=sr_1_26/103-5139123-9996621?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1183672345&sr=1-26

So, as a part two, I ask you, what albums would you like to hear remastered?

Show your Bulby!

River Lethe — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:22:00 GMT

Some fun from the boys in QOTSA:

As the Queens of the Stone Age get ready to set out rocking the nether regions of America on The Duluth Tour, our friend Bulby has decided that he won’t be left behind while the Queens revel in all the pizza and chicks that comes with being on tour.

So he wants to visit your town! That’s right! He wants you to print him out of your porn box and show him around your town, trailer park or city. And if you take a picture of Bulby and post it HERE the best pictures will be picked personally by Bulby. Then, after he shows them to those hoods in Queens of the Stone Age, he is going to hook up the winning photographers with free tickets to the date of their choice on The Duluth Tour!

Print Bulby HERE

P.S. Bulby’s preferences are photos with him and your girlfriend, him and your ex-girlfriend or anyplace where your girlfriends hangout.

Juxtaposition

River Lethe — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 22:01:16 GMT

On May 31st, Damien Rice played the Orpheum in Memphis. I had seen him live before at the Pageant in St. Louis with the Frames (it's one of my first posts), and somehow again, I caught the last show of this U.S. run. There was a lot of great moments (like a dramatic re-enactment of Cheers Darlin'), but the absolute highlight had to be Accidental Babies. This song kills me anyway (I'll try to remember to post the lyrics below), but this version was just him alone at the keys. Towards the end, it suddenly gave way to When A Man Loves A Woman. Many women and girls in the audience wept it was so good (my wife and another of my best friends included). I can't find a whole version on Youtube, so I'm going to post both songs, and you'll just have to imagine it. The audio/video isn't the best, but I guess he didn't do this at any other shows.

Well I held you like a lover Happy hands and your elbow in the appropriate place

And we ignored our others, happy plans For that delicate look upon your face

Our bodies moved and hardened Hurting parts of your garden With no room for a pardon In a place where no one knows what we have done

Do you come Together ever with him? And is he dark enough? Enough to see your light? And do you brush your teeth before you kiss? Do you miss my smell? And is he bold enough to take you on? Do you feel like you belong? And does he drive you wild? Or just mildly free? What about me?

Well you held me like a lover Sweaty hands And my foot in the appropriate place

And we use cushions to cover Happy glands In the mild issue of our disgrace

Our minds pressed and guarded While our flesh disregarded The lack of space for the light-hearted In the boom that beats our drum

Well I know I make you cry And I know sometimes you wanna die But do you really feel alive without me? If so, be free If not, leave him for me Before one of us has accidental babies For we are in love

Do you come Together ever with him? Is he dark enough? Enough to see your light? Do you brush your teeth before you kiss? Do you miss my smell? And is he bold enough to take you on? Do you feel like you belong? And does he drive you wild? Or just mildly free?

What about me? What about me?

Neurosis new album info and interview

River Lethe — Thu, 03 May 2007 17:32:54 GMT

In my opinion, one of the heaviest bands on the planet, and also one of the first to incorporate multimedia art into their live shows (at least that I'm aware of). Incredible band, and one of the most crushing live shows you will ever see. Really looking forward to the new album.

Definition: Irony. . .

River Lethe — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:32:34 GMT

Wow, I can't believe noone has posted this yet! In the biggest display of irony imaginable, the RIAA is at it again!

from Blabbermouth.net:

Launch Radio Networks reports: The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which has become notorious for suing anyone from high school students to retirees for downloading music from the web, has gone after web sites such as Idolator that have posted leaked songs from the upcoming NINE INCH NAILS album, "Year Zero". The problem, however, is that the tracks were leaked intentionally. Several songs from the album were left on computer hard drives at venues on the band's current European tour, with fans finding and posting them on the web for others to download and swap. According to Billboard.com, the RIAA sent cease-and-desist emails to web sites that posted the tracks, leading one industry source to say, "These f*ing idiots are going after a campaign that the label signed off on."

While a number of songs have been intentionally released, the entire NINE INCH NAILS album has not leaked online yet. The CD arrives on April 17.

In addition to the leaked tracks, the marketing campaign for "Year Zero" has featured cryptic messages on T-shirts and a maze of linked web sites that expand upon the album's storyline of a future U.S. on the brink of apocalypse.

The same source told Billboard that NINE INCH NAILS frontman Trent Reznor views the campaign as a "new entertainment form." The source added that the campaign will continue for the next 18 months.

"Year Zero" is reportedly the first of two concept albums, the second of which Reznor hopes to finish next year.

NINE INCH NAILS finishes its European tour on April 10 in Finland and has just announced another round of shows on that continent beginning in August. A trip to Australia and Japan is planned for May. North American dates have not been announced yet.

Death 'N Roll!!!

River Lethe — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:53:53 GMT

The new Poison the Well album, Versions, which comes out tomorrow, may be heard here:

http://www.myspace.com/poisonthewell

I will add my 2 cents in a bit, but here's another review, from Wookabus on theprp.com:

http://www.theprp.com/reviews/poisonthewell3.shtml

I usually trust the reviews on PRP, and it's not very often something gets a 5 out of 5. I don't know that I'd give it a perfect score, but I'm definitely digging it on my initial listen.

Now, I have to admit that I haven't realy listened to this band much in the past; just cursory spins when I ran a music store, but I'd never bought one and fully absorbed it.

I would call this Death 'N Roll. Though I haven't spent any time with the lyrics yet, I can say the music is rock, but with a really nasty swagger that verges into hardcore territory from time to time.

In my opinion, Death 'N Roll, kind of started when Entombed (and later, Carcass) abandoned their straight-forward death metal sound, and went for a more mid-tempo and dirtier sound on the Hollowman EP (and followed by the Wolverine Blues album).

This style is probably best embodied by Converge and the Hope Conspiracy (and pretty much everything on the Deathwish label). Also, check the Converge side project Doomriders.

What you get here is an extremely dirty guitar and vocal sound, often with a southern hardcore groove; and yes, like the PRP review says, there are elements of country here. There are more clean vocals present than I remember them having before as well; imagine if Cave-In had stayed raw instead of moving towards prog-rock, but still managed to keep the new-found melody.

This is just my first listen, so take it with a grain of salt, but I do believe I'll be picking this up tomorrow. If you like any of the aforementioned bands, check it out.

Since noone's written about them yet. . .

River Lethe — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 16:17:35 GMT

So yesterday, I was feeling a bit manic and anxious. Ill at ease, as Martin Blank said. I had been having bad feelings about various things (as well as something I couldn't put my finger on, which to me is worse; an impending sense of doom or loss that isn't reasonable) for a few days already. I don't have any clinical conditions that I know of, but it was near unshakable, which for me these days is rare. You see, I'm a bit older, a bit wiser, happily married, great job, etc, but I happen to have a pretty dark streak that I won't ever shake (and wouldn't want to).

So, I listened to a lot of music at work yesterday to try and get my mind off of things; various stuff that's come out this year, but one stood out in particular yesterday because it seemed to match my mood perfectly. Battle of Mice "A Day of Nights" (although this one came out late last year).

They sound like later Neurosis fronted by a disturbed PJ Harvey. Julie Xmas is the vocalist (also from Made Out of Babies) and one of the guys from Red Sparrowes is a member as well. Well, apparently, the album is about the F'd up relationship these two had (it always amazes me how bands can write, record and tour under these circumstances; see Fleetwood Mac, White Stripes, and I know there are others I can't think of right now). It's a kind of disturbing listen, but also badass.

And I have to say I have quite the crush on Ms. Julie. A younger, less-well-adjusted me would have wanted a woman like this. Because not only is she incredibly sexy, but frightening as well. You know, that person that you know damn well you shouldn't be attracted to because it's gonna end up horrible, but you just can't help it? Like you'd wake up one night, and she's just propped up on her elbow watching you sleep. With a butcher knife from the kitchen in her hand. To be both lucky and misfortunate at the same time. That's what Battle of Mice makes me feel anyway.

I should note that this is not a commentary on my relationship or even who I am now, but rather just my imagination running wild. Oh, and I feel better today, but anyway, if any of that intrigues you, check 'em out. I know that's kind of a strange review of an album, but a lot of people have been bitching about the lack of the personal in music posts lately. So there you go.

Public Domain: Copying Rights

River Lethe — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 21:29:06 GMT

Since this topic comes up often here, as pertains to music, I thought some of you might find this interesting. Lately, several hip-hop artists have made their music available for free download, like Talib Kweli and Madlib, as well as the Chrome Children vol.2. Nine Inch Nails has also made 5 tracks and a video, among other things, available as well. He is rumored to have put the entirety of the Closure videos online as well, since it seems there is some sort of problem getting it out on dvd. Semi-related article follows:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17662282/site/newsweek/

March 26, 2007 issue - If mediocre artists borrow, and great artists steal, what kind of artists share? Until recently, mostly unknown ones. But that is starting to change as big-name artists, who don't need to give away their work free of charge, are doing just that. Inspired by the idea that appropriation and influence are inherent to the artistic process, musicians and writers are posting their work on the Web for anyone to borrow or adapt. Many of these artists make their work available via licenses from Creativecommons.org, which lets artists give away limited or total access to their work, instead of the standard "all rights reserved." Since its inception in 2002, the nonprofit organization has issued an estimated 150 million licenses.

Playwright Charles Mee, author of "bobrauschenbergamerica," instructs writers to "pillage" the structure and contents of his plays as resources for their own work on a section of his Web site he calls "the (re)making project." And science-fiction writer Cory Doctorow posts original stories on his blog for readers to do with as they wish. "No artist is so successful they can't benefit from exposure," says Doctorow. Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer of the sketch-comedy trio Lonely Island got jobs on "Saturday Night Live" after posting their video shorts online, along with their fans' "remixes" of the footage. (Samberg is in the cast; the other two are writers.)

In the latest twist on the movement, writer Jonathan Lethem is now accepting proposals for a film adaptation of his new novel, "You Don't Love Me Yet." The winning filmmaker must pay Lethem 2 percent of the film's budget as well as agree to release the film's rights to the public domain after five years, so fans can re-edit, borrow from and share the movie. Last week the offers weren't immediately rolling in. But Lethem's already gotten something out of the deal, and it's also free: some good publicity for the new book.

Here Come the Waterworks

River Lethe — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 10:07:24 GMT

Big Business is a two-piece powerhouse, recently added to the Melvins line-up. You can check out their newest album here:

http://www.herecomethewaterworks.com/

Water Is Not Enough

River Lethe — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 09:25:58 GMT

dj ivi posted about this yesterday, but it deserves attention again. Copied from www.theprp.com:

"Neurosis' new track "Water Is Not Enough" has been posted online for download here (http://www.neurotrecordings.com/media.aspx) and streaming on their myspace page here (http://www.myspace.com/officialneurosis). The song comes from the groups new album "Given To The Rising", which is expected out through Neurot on May 08th. Furthermore, the band have announced a number of European stops with a preliminary schedule available here (http://collect.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bandprofile.listAllShows&friendid=41484480&n=Neurosis)."

If you can see Neurosis live, by all means do so. If you're a fan of bands like Pelican or Isis, they were shown the way by Neurosis. These guys are true indie artists, and are still cool enough to chat up their fans at shows. I also recommend the solo records from members Scott Kelly and Steve Von Til.

This is not a post about the Arcade Fire

River Lethe — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 15:48:25 GMT

OK, since everyone that isn't already talking about the Arcade Fire will be soon (the album is fantastic!), I don't want to add to the over-hype.

Instead, let me talk a bit about the new Chimaira album, Resurrection. This is for those with too much metal for one hand, so if you don't dig this kind of music, there won't be anything here to persuade you. But if you do. . .

I had almost written them off. While a lot of people liked their last, self-titled album, I thought it was derivative and boring. I loved the previous two albums, and I really thought they were going to end up being Roadrunner's flagship metal band after Slipknot lost steam. I don't know what happened, but they're now on Ferret, which has a ton of great bands for an imprint as small as they are (I think they're owned by Sony though). Let me tell you, Resurrection is an apt title.

This is not metalcore, not like the wave of new American metal that steals dual guitar solos, black-metal keyboards, and grindcore blastbeats from across the sea. And the previous reference is nothing against Mastodon or Lamb of God, both of which are forging their own path through all the cookie-cutter metalcore bands, and both of which whom I love dearly. No, Chimaira is just metal. It's old school, but not in the sense of the throwback metal that gained popularity last year either (see Sword, Trivium, 3 Inches of Blood, etc.). Rather, it's for those of us that loved Machine Head before the odious term Nu-metal was invented (which is nothing but an insult; a way to describe heavy music you don't like). It's for those of us that loved Fear Factory before they started cannibalizing themselves for material, and before they decided it would be a good idea to throw out mastermind/asshole, Dino Cazeres. Or maybe for those of us that liked Sepultura, pre-Soulfly. It's for those of us that get off on great guitar riffs, tasteful solos, and the occasional seamless transition to Alice-in-Chains-like vocal breakdowns before launching into brutality once again.

They are clearly re-invigorated, charging through their songs with more energy and malice than the last album. Like a new, young band eager for blood. And with the return of original drummer, Andols Herrick, the rhythm section is back on track.

Like any of the bands I mentioned, or the way I described the music? Then check it out, and get ready for the first great metal album of 2007.

http://www.amazon.com/Resurrection-Chimaira/dp/B000MNOXJ4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-1533964-1867641?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1173303058&sr=8-1

Rockers making room for rappers in Hall

River Lethe — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 13:28:25 GMT

Since this has been a topic of discussion the past few weeks (and lots of posts about hip-hop, in general), I copied this from MSNBC.com. I didn't see anyone else post about it, but if they did. . .sorry.

Updated: 12:37 p.m. CT March 6, 2007 NEW YORK - Ask Grandmaster Flash about hip-hop stars deserving of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he’s quick with a list of rap icons.

“Afrika Bambaataa. Run-DMC. KRS-One,” he says, barely pausing for a breath. “Big Daddy Kane. LL Cool J. Eric B and Rakim. Tribe Called Quest. The list goes on and on.”

Flash left himself out, with good reason: The DJ and partners the Furious Five enter the Hall on March 12 as its initial rap inductees. The Bronx hip-hop pioneers are part of an otherwise traditional class: R.E.M., Van Halen and a pair of fellow New York City performers, Patti Smith and the Ronettes.

As the first citizens of hip-hop nation in the Rock Hall, the arrival of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five signals a new age at the Cleveland attraction: Smith likely marks the end of the ’70s punk inductees, and the time of hip-hop is upon us.

“This announces the beginning of the rap era for the Hall,” said Bill Adler, a hip-hop historian — currently editing the “Eyejammie Encyclopedia of Hip-Hop” — and member of the Hall’s nominating committee. “Flash and the Furious Five are going to open the floodgates.”

Adler, a publicist for the hugely influential Def Jam Records in the mid-1980s, offered his own list of rappers destined for induction: “The Beastie Boys, very quickly. Run-DMC and LL Cool J will get in pretty quickly. Slick Rick.”

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five enter 25 years after their groundbreaking single, “The Message,” about hard times in their native borough during the Reagan Administration. It was the first popular rap song with a social theme — “It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from going under,” went the hypnotic chorus.

“One of the pivotal points in hip-hop history,” said Furious Five rapper Melle Mel, who acknowledged his group initially wanted to pass on the song.

The group, which also featured Kid Creole, Cowboy, Mr. Ness and Raheim before an acrimonious 1983 split between Flash and Mel, had missed induction on two previous occasions. So when word arrived of the honor this year, Flash said he was initially skeptical.

“When it sank in that we were in, it was a good feeling for hip-hop,” Flash said. “I think it’s bigger than Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. To get that kind of respect is good for hip-hop.”

Melle Mel recalled lying in bed — “I usually sleep with the TV on” — when he heard the news that R.E.M. and Van Halen were in. Before he could roll over, the announcer added the name of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

“The fact that we’re in the Hall of Fame speaks volumes,” said Melle Mel. “People try to separate hip-hop music like it stands alone, but it really doesn’t. We’re in with all the great groups in the history of music. It further legitimizes hip-hop.”

Admitting a hip-hop group to the home of rockers from Chuck Berry through U2 is a bigger step for the Hall of Fame than it is for many rap aficionados, said Erik Parker, director of content at the hip-hop web site SOHH.com.

“The average hip-hop fan long ago learned to live without validation,” said Parker. “They realized it was already accepted as part of the mainstream culture.” (VH1 started honoring rap’s pioneers three years ago in a Rock Hall-like ceremony, and two years ago honored Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five).

The Hall is undeniably an equal opportunity inductor: its first class included James Brown and the Everly Brothers, while last year’s group featured Miles Davis and the Sex Pistols.

But its requirement that candidates can’t get inducted until 25 years after their first release kept many of rap’s founding fathers from a shot at stepping inside the Hall until recent years. Unlike rock, which dates back more than a half-century, rap is a relatively young genre — about 30 years old.

Parker said the timing for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s induction was impeccable.

“This is what’s really key: their ‘Message’ is still relevant today, 25 years later,” he said. “The words in that song couldn’t ring truer.”

5th track from Year Zero

River Lethe — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 12:28:46 GMT

Someone grabbed this off the radio, so it has the DJ at the front, but you can at least hear/download it until it shows up on the website with the others.

http://www.theninhotline.net/news/index.php#1167500615

Declaration of Independence for $2.48!!!

River Lethe — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:43:37 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A rare, 184-year-old copy of the Declaration of Independence found by a bargain hunter at a Nashville thrift shop is being valued by experts at about 100,000 times the $2.48 purchase price.

Michael Sparks, a music equipment technician, is selling the document in an auction March 22nd at Raynors' Historical Collectible Auctions in Burlington, North Carolina. The opening bid is $125,000 and appraisers have estimated it could sell for nearly twice that.

Sparks found his bargain last March while browsing at Music City Thrift Shop in Nashville. When he asked the price on a yellowed, shellacked, rolled-up document, the clerk marked it at $2.48.

It turned out to be an "official copy" of the Declaration of Independence — one of 200 commissioned by John Quincy Adams in 1820.

He didn't know he had such a valuable piece until doing some online research and then having appraisers at Raynors' offer an opinion.

My obsession continues, the breadcrumb trail to Year Zero

River Lethe — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 09:15:23 GMT

Here's the cover art:

http://yearzero.nin.com/0024/yearzero_cover.jpg

I know people have posted on this, but do you realize how brilliant this is?

River Lethe — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 16:09:35 GMT

The following text after this paragraph comes from MTV.com. It's a long read for a blog, but if you like NIN, believe me, it's worth it. For a little background, NIN will release Year Zero in April. Trent has said it is a grander concept than what he's attempted before, "a soundtrack to a movie that doesn't exist". Earlier this week, zip drives were left in the restrooms or dressing rooms in several venues after NIN shows. They contained an mp3 from the new album entitled My Violent Heart which was briefly "leaked" online (I've been unable to find it since, as once word got out online, all links and mirrors soon vanished like Kaiser Sose). Also encrypted on the drives were a jpeg (which I've also been unable to view) and a website url. The rest of the story is below, and I'll paste links to the websites below the MTV story. This is a brilliant combination of marketing AND art, as it's looking like the clues he's left around are part of the concept itself.

A dystopian civilization in the throws of extinction. A government poisoning its own citizens through the drinking water. Military police raiding private residences. The end of civil liberties. The creation of a Church-State. Mind control.

The contents of some conspiracy theorist's personal manifesto? The plot of a rote first-person shooter? The results of a quick jaunt through Snopes.com? Actually, it's all part of the elaborate (and somewhat terrifying) concept behind Nine Inch Nails' upcoming Year Zero album (due April 17), details of which are currently being disseminated through a series of increasingly spooky — and downright odd — Web sites.

Strangely enough, the story actually began on the back of a T-shirt sold on NIN's current European tour. Dates and cities are listed, with certain letters highlighted. When those letters were arranged, they spelled out the phrase "I am trying to believe," which most saw as just another statement of shattered hope from NIN mastermind Trent Reznor ... that was, until one particularly, uh, "enterprising" individual decided to Google the phrase.

What was revealed was a rather unsettling site (IAmTryingToBelieve.com) dedicated to information on "Parepin," a drug allegedly added to the water supply by the federal government at some unknown date to protect citizens from bioterror attacks. While all appears to be normal, the author of the site — who is not identified — paints a different picture, referring to Parepin as "bioterrorism" being waged on U.S. citizens without their knowledge, designed to placate them.

But in some cases, the opposite occurs. Dosage is not controlled and, according to the site, the more water that unknowing citizens drink, the harsher the side effects. "Parepin affects brain chemistry — specifically dopamines. Dopaminergic overactivity is linked to schizophrenia. Parepin dosage is not controlled. It's just in the water. The more water you drink, the more Parepin you ingest," the author states. "Parepin may make some people more susceptible to visions and hypnagogic hallucinations (those very vivid dreams you have when you think you are awake.)"

The site also makes mention of citizens witnessing something called "The Presence," which is shown in a series of blurry photographs as what appears to be a giant hand descending from the heavens.

"I used to dismiss conspiracy theories about the Administration's 'real reason' for adding Parepin to our water," the author writes. "Now, I'm not so sure."

Hidden on the site is an e-mail address to contact the author, yet all correspondence to the address is answered with the following auto response, which indicates that he or she has changed (or, possibly, was forced to change) their opinion:

"Thank you for your interest. It is now clear to me that Parepin is a completely safe and effective agent developed to protect us from bio-terrorism. The Administration is acting purely in the best interests of its citizens; to suggest otherwise was irresponsible and I deeply regret it. I'm drinking the water. So should you."

And things only grow more confusing — and unnerving — from there. Members on a NIN fan site, EchoingtheSound.org, soon began to uncover even more sites, all seemingly unrelated upon first glance. But through careful — and some may say obsessive — examination they all began to tie together, creating a rather Orwellian picture of the United States circa the year 2022.

AnotherVersionOfTheTruth.com is, on the surface, a site created by "the U.S. Bureau of Morality," featuring a fluttering flag superimposed over a rippling cornfield and emblazoned with the motto "Zero Tolerance. Zero Fear." But if users click and drag their mouse across the image, what is revealed is a black-and-white photo of a bombed-out wasteland. Visitors are then taken to a secret "messageboard" with topics like "End of the World?" and "Cops Murder Muslim Kid."

On the board, members — or perhaps government agents — discuss Parepin and the Presence (sample entry: "Was it an angel? Devil? Alien? God? I don't know. It was a Presence,") the rise of a new drug called Opal — which, we're told, was created by the U.S. Government after global warming destroyed coca leaves in South America — and a secret-police raid on a Muslim home in Saginaw, Michigan.

Several audio samples are also available on the site, including one taken from the cell phone of a girl in the Michigan home, and an "angry sniper" who opens fire (what he calls an act of "violent resistance") during a baseball game.

The messageboard also contains a link to BeTheHammer.org, the site belonging the "angry sniper," and makes mention of "Consolidated Mail Systems," both of which are important clues to advancing the story.

On BeTheHammer, the sniper says he worked for the secret police, raiding homes of Muslim-Americans, torturing and in some cases murdering them. He also makes mention of time spent in the 105th Airborne Crusaders.

And, of course, a quick Google search of "105th Airborne Crusaders" turns up a site dedicated to a special-forces group formed "as part of our nation's swift answer to the atrocities in Los Angeles," and made up of "men and women who kept a personal relationship with our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ and allowed the Holy Ghost to guide their rifles true." According to posts from former members of the 105th, the Crusaders launched campaigns in Iran (even mentioning the detonation of a nuclear device in Tehran), Yemen, Chad, Turkey, Syria and the Kashmir Region.

There are also mentions on that site of a New Evangelical Church, which donated land to the 105th. Somehow — and we're not entirely sure how — this led NIN fans to the discovery of another site, ChurchOfPlano.com, run by a fictitious New Evangelical outfit that practices "Neighborhood Cleansing" and holds sermons about the Presence.

And finally, as if all of that wasn't mind-bending enough, a Google search of Consolidated Mail Systems turns up a purported e-mail in-box owned by someone with the handle "NoOneImportant," which contains a police-manual definition of Opal that suggests it causes users to suffer the same hallucinations as those who ingest too much Parepin. Are we to believe, then, that in the future the government has really been drugging its citizens? Will we engage in a Holy War with Muslim nations? Will secret police groups creep in the shadows at night? We're led to believe that the answer to all of these questions is "Yes."

And it all brings up a couple of new questions: Just who is behind all these Web-related shenanigans in the first place? And what do they have to do with Nine Inch Nails? Well, in relation to the former: all of the sites are registered through Domains by Proxy, an Arizona-based company that protects the identities of site owners (when reached for comment, a spokesperson for DBP would not reveal exactly who registered any of the sites as it would "violate the terms of service provided by the company.") But according to reports published on the Web site of the U.K.'s Digit magazine and elsewhere, the sites are part of an alternate reality game, created by 42 Entertainment, a marketing company responsible for one of the most famously ambitious ARGs in history: "I Love Bees," an effort that combined Web sites, banks of public telephones and vials of honey sent through the mail to create, well, "buzz" for the fall 2004 release of "Halo 2" (see " Want To Live Like Neo? Alternate Reality Games Might Be Your White Rabbit").

When contacted by MTV News, a spokesperson for 42 had no comment on the company's involvement with NIN.

And about the latter: When the band's label, Interscope Records, was contacted they too had no comment, though they did release a statement by Reznor which seemed to put the whole project — and the concept behind Year Zero — into focus.

"This record began as an experiment with noise on a laptop in a bus on tour somewhere. That sound led to a daydream about the end of the world. That daydream stuck with me and over time revealed itself to be much more," Reznor said in the statement. "I believe sometimes you have a choice in what inspiration you choose to follow and other times you really don't. This record is the latter. Once I tuned into it, everything fell into place ... as if it were meant to be. ... The record turned out to be more than a just a record in scale, as you will see over time.

"Part one is Year Zero. Concept record. Sixteen tracks. What's it about? Well, it takes place about 15 years in the future. Things are not good. If you imagine a world where greed and power continue to run their likely course, you'll have an idea of the backdrop," he continued. "The world has reached the breaking point — politically, spiritually and ecologically. Written from various perspectives of people in this world, Year Zero examines various viewpoints set against an impending moment of truth."

http://www.iamtryingtobelieve.com/ http://anotherversionofthetruth.com/ http://105thairbornecrusaders.com/ http://bethehammer.net/ http://churchofplano.com/ http://www.opalescenthaze.com/

For those of you interested in soundtracks/scores

River Lethe — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:57:53 GMT

This is from aicn.com:

ScoreKeeper Tells You About A Super Cool New Film Music Publication!! Go Find It!!

Greetings! ScoreKeeper here with more cyber-goodies for your inner film music geek. A shiny new online publication called “Film Music Weekly” was launched a few days ago. I just signed up myself and downloaded the first issue and it’s fantastic! Best of all it’s free! It’s truly a wonderful time to be a fan of film music...

Here’s more information:

FILM MUSIC WEEKLY LAUNCHED

New weekly electronic magazine includes film and television industry and soundtrack news, articles, CD and technology reviews and more.

(Los Angeles -- February 7, 2007) Film Music Magazine announces the launch today of Film Music Weekly (http://www.filmmusicweekly.com), a new weekly electronic magazine about the world of music for film, television and video games. Film Music Weekly will be published each Monday electronically, while Film Music Magazine will continue to be published in print form every other month and will focus on in-depth articles and columns about the industry.

Subscriptions to Film Music Weekly are available at no cost, and each issue includes industry news, soundtrack news, upcoming CD releases, plus special exclusive features including:

SCORE OF THE WEEK: A look at a new score, the film, and the composer

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY AND YOU - A column by composer and technology expert Peter Alexander featuring a look at new technology for composers

NEW SOUNDTRACKS - Each week veteran journalist Daniel Schweiger reviews the latest in soundtrack album releases

THE SCOREBOARD - A comprehensive list of composers and what films they've been signed to score.

Film Music Weekly features hyperlinks throughout the magazine for emails and websites, and is available in PDF format for onscreen viewing or printing. In addition, subscribers will receive special news updates by email between issues with late-breaking stories and news items.

"We're very excited about Film Music Weekly and the opportunity to bring our readers a weekly look at the industry in an easy to read format that delivers news, information and commentary in a timely, interactive format. Our editor Mikael Carlsson is one of the most well-respected and knowledgeable journalists in the industry, and we're thrilled that he's expanded his role with with this new publication." said Film Music Weekly publisher Mark Northam.

For a Free Subscription to Film Music Weekly and to download the current issue, visit http://www.filmmusicweekly.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Questions about Film Music Weekly And Industry News Submissions: Mark Northam mark@gmdgroup.com

Soundtrack News Submissions: Mikael Carlsson: mcarlsson@filmmusicweekly.com

Advertising Inquiries: Steve Schatzberg steves@gmdgroup.com

Who wouldn't suffer the wrath of Barry?

River Lethe — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:34:52 GMT

So a few hours back, Crash Pryor posted about Stevie Wonder using a paraphrase of the GREAT line from High Fidelity. I'm going to assume everyone here knows what I'm talking about.

So, in the interest of discourse, what artist/s do you think has NEVER put out a bad album or had a "suck" period?

I don't have an answer yet myself, but I'm curious what will come up. . .

A brief history of my affair with Patton

River Lethe — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 23:05:27 GMT

So at work, I've loaded albums into my player that I wanted to give some more attention to, and Tomahawk's "Mit Gas" happened to be one of them.

I've been a huge Mike Patton fan since way back, but lately I've found that I can't listen to much of his stuff anymore. Maybe I've outgrown it, or maybe I'm just different (although in the case of Faith No More, modern rock radio ruined that for me like they did with Alice in Chains). His solo records are mostly noise. The last Fantomas record was cartoon sounds mixed with spastic metal spurts. Lovage is pretty good, but the novelty has worn off. Mr. Bungle is understandably, an aquired taste as well as requiring a certain kind of mood to listen.

Dog Fashion Disco picked up the baton from Mr. Bungle, and now they are done too. I held hopes for Incubus to fill the Faith-No-More-sized hole in my life at the beginning, but then they turned into a carbon copy of their own radio hits and left the varied genre-bending behind (I do kind of like the new single though).

I dug the track Patton did on the latest Handsome Boy Modeling School record, and I thought it would show what he might be doing for the long-awaited Peeping Tom.

After having listened to Peeping Tom a lot since it came out in May or June, I have to say there's really only a couple of songs I really like. Also, Darryl Palumbo put out the latest Head Automatica record at the same time, and beat Patton at his own game. Popaganda is the perfect pop album of the year (and I shake my fist at the young whippersnappers at Hot Topic that flocked to the band). Darryl went from being a Mike Patton disciple to resurrecting the songwriting and sounds of the Cars and Elvis Costello. It's just a much better album.

So, I revisited Tomahawk. And lo and behold, it rocketh! I forgot how good it was! Two pretty solid albums (and a rumored third to come), so I can breathe easy as I leave my old friends of Faith No More, Mr. Bungle and the billion other projects he's done, behind.

What music is sexy to you?

River Lethe — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 22:49:29 GMT

It seems like a lot of the posts I've been involved in lately have been kinda heavy, so here's a fun one:

What music is sexy to you? Not who's hot (although I guess you can talk about whatever you want), but what music sounds sexy to you?

Here's some of mine:

Bloc Party, Death From Above 1979, Head Automatica, Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, Mark Lanegan, PJ Harvey, Nearly, Carina Round, Saul Williams, She Wants Revenge (in small doses)

Great-ness

River Lethe — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 16:42:42 GMT

So recently, David has posed the question about greatness since Nirvana (and then again in the punk realm since Rancid). I've been thinking about this for awhile now. I think the question may be flawed, and here's why:

You have to look at the culture and the music industry at the time when these "great" bands came into play. Take the Beatles first. Will another band have the same kind of impact they had on popular culture, the music industry and musicians in general? No, and it's because the landscape was different. With the growth of the media and other technology, the whole world was subjected to a phenomenon that wouldn't have been possible in an earlier time.

Now let's jump to Nirvana. As I mentioned before, we were coming out of the hair-metal era. Aerosmith was huge again. Country and rap were moving into the mainstream (and not good country or rap either; the good acts remained in relative obscurity). Could we go anywhere but up? This was also before the revolution of technology we have now. The Seattle scene was born of the Sub-Pop culture, which espouses the old school idea that for a band to make it and be great, they need to play lots of clubs, pay their dues and build a following one flannel-clad fan at a time. Not so these days. Anyone can now post their home-created music online for people in any country to hear. The market is so over-saturated (because our reality-tv culture leads people to believe that ANYONE can be a star and that the cameras are always rolling), that it's harder to standout even though more people can potentially be hearing your material. How do you top the over-the-top image of someone like Marilyn Manson or Slipknot? How do you overshadow the personality and antics of an Eminem?

And with that being said, perhaps the "Great" that you're looking for didn't occur in rock music at all! Maybe it occurred in the rap and hip-hop world. Look at what dominates the charts for most of the year (although we seem to be coming back to rock again). The rise of rap is a mixed blessing, because I believe it added fuel to the fire for the industry to look for flash-in-the-pan hits and singles. I would argue that most top-selling rap acts don't have solid albums; just a few singles. For the most part, the really good hip-hop acts with solid song-writing, lyrics and albums are not the big sellers. This trend moved over to rock, with bands like Nickelback and the like becoming huge. Most of the bands you hear on the radio now will be gone in two years (confirmed by the fact that a good portion of bands from two years ago faded away). Unfortunately, many are here to stay as well, forever polluting the airwaves on classic rock stations (ie. Nickelback, Godsmack, etc.)

The indie scene (be it college rock, metal hip-hop, whatever) is alive and well though. I doubt labels like Matador or Kill Rock Stars suffered as much as the bigger labels due to the new technologies. The very landscape of the music industry is changing (like this very website for example), and has yet to find it's feet. There's TONS of good music out there, and it frustrates me greatly when people say the industry is stagnant. The business-end may be stagnant, but good artists will always find a way to keep creating.

So, are we poised for some new band to come in and blow us away again? I say yes, because the state of artistry is similar. Just give it time. Or maybe, the new revolution in music is that there will be no figurehead act. Maybe we're shifting to a model of music for the people, by the people (cue national anthem, flag-raising and oscillating fan).

Just some thoughts. It's just a theory though. What do you guys think?

Metal under-represented on MOG?

River Lethe — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 22:22:06 GMT

I listen to a lot of different types of music, as do many of you. What I've noticed though, is that very few people are writing about metal at all. And by metal, I mean heavy music, whether it's hard rock, grindcore, screamo, whatever. There's been some really good releases this year in this genre. Now, if it's not your taste, that's cool. But is anyone out there have anything to say about the genre or an artist or album these days (several albums made my top 10 so far this year, which I'll write about later this month)?

Just curious.

"I am hope."

River Lethe — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:12:36 GMT

OK, so this isn't about music. But it is about art.

I was lucky enough last night to have seen and heard Neil Gaiman speak at UCA (he was also teaching creative writing classes during the day, but I was unable to attend those due to work). For those of you that don't know, Neil Gaiman is the creator of the graphic novel "Sandman", which is still one of the best stories in comics today, as well as being responsible for people in the literary world beginning to take the medium seriously. Since then, he has written many novelas and books for children and adults alike, poetry, short stories, screenplays, and most recently the fairy tale movie "Mirrormask". Several of his works are currently being adapted for the big screen.

I have read probably about 75% of his work, which runs the gamut from being fantastical, horrifying, Britishly-funny, just-plain-cool and almost always charming. It makes me feel child-like to read his work, and by that I mean the kind of wonderment you had at new things, when you believed in monsters and got excited at Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrated).

He is no less charming in person, full of quick wit and humor and wonderful analogies.

He began by reading a poem titled "The Day the Saucers Came", which I won't ruin by talking about; if you're interested, read it yourself. I will say it was quite fantastical, funny and by the end, touching.

He then spoke about his work, his creative process and mostly about Myth. If you've read his work, you know what I'm talking about. He constantly tells stories based on popular (as well as obscure) myths from ancient times to now. But he always does it with a twist. From a different, lesser character's point of view, or by filling in the gaps left by popular folktales. Imagine something like the movie "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead", or maybe a version of VH1's Behind the Music that features gods instead of rock stars, and you'll understand what he does. His main analogy for myth was that of a compost heap you would have in your garden. A place where all the leftovers go to pile up and rot, and through that process it becomes a place teeming with new life.

After that, he read an unpublished short story, to be in an anthology sometime next year, titled "Orange". The premise for which, was that he wanted to write a story in which the content was answers to a questionaire where you didn't know the questions asked. That might sound kind of dry, but it was very funny, slightly disturbing, and as always, charming.

He finished with questions from the audience (and secretly I feared he would soon hear the dumbest and most inane ramblings he had encountered). Most questions were pretty good. A few were not. Every one of his responses was light on it's feet, quick-witted and always led to an interesting story or personal insight, even from the dumb questions. One of the best answers? When asked which of his works was his favorite, he replied "The ones that haven't been written." If you're a writer, you know what this means. He explained how your finished work never lives up to the version in your head; the story that HASN'T been written. Oh yeah, another good one was what else he would be if he weren't a writer (he had also stated ealier that, as a child, he had wanted to grow up to be a werewolf, which sadly, wasn't the case). The best answer; a freelance religion creator (for money, of course). Hey, it worked for L. Ron Hubbard (whom everyone should remember was a science-fiction writer, not a prophet)!

Lastly, he was willing to do a signing until everyone was taken care of (and there was about 1000 people there). They had to put a two-item-per-person limit on it, but I'm not one of those people. I just wanted one, as I'm not a collector, I just care about the stories; so I took my favorite story arc from Sandman, the "Season of Mists" trade paperback. My wife bought a new copy of "Good Omens" (which is now our third copy of this particular book), which is her favorite, for him to sign. It was a long wait, but he remained pleasant to the end. I told him that Sandman was something I read whenever I felt depressed or sick, and it always makes me feel better, so thank you. To which he replied, "You are most welcome! It's good to have comfort reading, but the interesting thing about comfort reading is that it isn't always what you'd expect." I'm not sure I understand what he meant, but I didn't want to hold up the rest of the line that had waited over an hour behind me. I can only guess that maybe he meant that when you become so familiar with a particular work, sometimes repeated exposure grants you new secrets and revelations--things you hadn't noticed before or maybe things you experience differently than the last time because you are now a different person.

So now, this different person than I was from before will be delving back into my comfort reading to see what surprises are in store.

The Traveling Wilburys Second Incarnation

River Lethe — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 18:56:15 GMT

What if?

Tom Waits, David Bowie, Nick Cave and Iggy Pop.

It'd be so cool the world would explode.

Tom Waits in Memphis

River Lethe — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 22:03:33 GMT

First time to see him, and was not disappointed. It's strange to see someone like that; you think there's going to be a godlike aura emanating from the stage. But there isn't (I felt the same way after seeing both Bowie and Radiohead). He's just a weird and very charismatic guy that happens to be a wonderful songwriter, musician and performer. And he obviously loves what he does. He's touring because he wants to; his last album came out two years ago, and as far as I know, there's no pending album yet; he wasn't there to promote anything, but rather to just do what he does. My friend, Shanna, went with me and commented afterwards something like the following: "You end up paying attention to what he's saying/singing and how he says/sings it that you forget how cool the music is that's going on underneath the words." The live show really drives this home. It's easy to get caught up in his wonderful weirdness and forget that there's about a million different musical styles happening through a very competant band as well. Great stuff, and over the next week, I will be breaking out his older albums that I tend to forget listening to because I love the last 4 so much.

Don't you love it when you find a great, new band by accident?

River Lethe — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 00:08:12 GMT

So, a couple of years ago, my wife and I went to see Damien Rice at the Pageant in St. Louis (which is an excellent venue, by the way). It ended up being one of the best shows I've ever seen, and only partly due to the brilliance of Rice and his band.

See, a band, which I'd never even heard of at the time and also from Ireland, called the Frames were opening. It also happened to be their last night on tour after six or so weeks together.

The Frames blew us away! Their first song was instrumental--a slow burn that ended up like a huge Mogwai-like, noisy rock out. Amazing musicians, all, but led by the extremely charismatic, extremely Irish Glen Hansard.

It was like an episode of VH1 Storytellers, and despite never having heard any of their songs before, we were rapt with the songs and the in-between song banter. Later, I would realize, after listening to another live recording, that you couldn't necessarily believe what he told you the songs were about or rather, what inspired them, as the stories differed. I find this a bit charming as well.

If you have never heard the song 'What Happens When the Heart Just Stops', you must listen. If you are old enough to have ever been in serious relationships, the song will hurt you. I mean this in a good way, although it's really a bittersweet hurt. His lyrics and songwriting remind me sometimes of Adam Duritz of Counting Crows, but somehow more earthy, more steeped in blue-collar pain and struggle.

Two-thirds or so through their set, Glen invited Lisa, the female vocalist from Rice's band, up to sing 'Star Star' with them. As she made her way down from the sound booth in back, they continued the song. Well, somehow, one of the security guys that worked the Pageant missed all of this and also didn't seem to know who Lisa was. So as Lisa tried to climb onto the stage, he thought she was just a smitten fan and so was trying to remove her physically from the area. Glen, while still playing, had been shooting glances to the side of the stage, watching this unfold.

Suddenly, he ripped his guitar off, threw it to the stage and stormed over to where the guard and Lisa were. The rest of the band played on. Without a mic in front of him, you could still hear him screaming "Fuck off! Just fuck off!" and pointing an accusing finger at the bewildered guard. He then reached down and pulled Lisa up onstage to finish the song. Don't ask me how his guitar was still pretty much in tune after that, but he strapped it back on and the show continued.

A bit later, after someone explained to the band and guard what had happened, Glen offered a pint and a hug to the guard, bringing him onstage as an apology. Ah, the stereotype of the fiery, drinking Irish!

One of my favorite shows (and I've seen greats like Bowie and Radiohead) ever! Both bands, during Rice's amazing set, crowded the stage for a version of 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond'. I would highly recommend seeing either band, especially at a venue as intimate as the Pageant. Although, I have to warn you, if you go, please be quiet during the softer songs or I might get fiery as well and punch you in the nose!