Five Great Albums From 2015 (so far!)

July 13, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

So the mid way part of the year has passed and with a bit of time to reflect, here are my top 5 of 2015 so far. It is hard to rank, as so many great records have been spinning their way into my psyche. So I reserve the right to change my mind later.

5) Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool

Built around strong guitar work and soaring vocals, Wolf Alice bridges the gap between the 90’s alt-rock revival and the more modern Brit-Rock led by the Arctic Monkeys and their recent disciples Royal Blood. It would have been fun to play Guitar Hero to their tunes.

4) Best Coast – California Nights

Gone is the warm washing fuzz of reverb on everything that had the words lo-fi and surf rock attached to their records, and in is a more ‘nineties-esqe’ alt-rock tone that could be slipped into a mix between the Lemonheads and Garbage. California Nights has a way of sinking under your skin and making you want to play them over and over again.

3) Leon Bridges – Coming Home

He’s got the brass sounding like the legendary Memphis Horns, a deep groove reminiscent of Duck Dunn and the minimalist guitar leads that you might swear were coming off Steve Cropper. Then you mix in a style that slides in a suave 60’s Bacharach martini dance party and you get a glimpse of the power possessed in Coming Home. In essence, Bridges is the ‘new old soul.’

2) Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit

Sarcastic and playful in the most observational of ways, Courtney Barnett makes stinging shots sound like a musical sit-com. Characters inhabit a ‘Seinfeld-esqe’ place where nothing seems larger than life and decisions don’t necessarily lead to conclusions. However, the journey is one hell of an adventure.

1) Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color

If Alabama Shakes debut Boys & Girls was a first shot across the bow against musical mediocrity, then Sound & Color is a full on declaration of war. Not content to merely ride the wave of being the best rock ‘n’ soul or Southern rock band to currently grace the planet, they expand and grow. It’s the kind of growth and experimentation one got from Radiohead when they leapt from The Bends to OK Computer; or in other words – WOW!

A Kaleidoscope Of Sound or Zeus – Busting Visions

July 12, 2015July 12, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

A kaleidoscope pumps out from the stereo and a good day gets better. That is how I started the morning off. Reaching for some black vinyl, I clean it, spin it and my kids beg me to stop singing along as Zeus break into “Are You Gonna Waste My Time?” from their 2012 LP Busting Visions. Mesmerizing textures built around sound craft shake the morning cobwebs from my cranium. Who needs caffeine when they have Zeus on the turntable?

In the last few years they have been one of my favourite bands. Like the short lived 90’s acts Jellyfish and The Grays, they play highly developed power-pop that takes the Beatles and Big Star models and filters it through a Jeff Lynne/ELO lens. The results is a gathering of tunes that catch you musically on an emotional level without stooping into that “baby baby” bag of tricks plaguing the airwaves with ‘Disney-fied’ hits.

You can feel free to ‘rock out’ without your brain going into a syrupy malaise. “Love/Pain” starts off in a “Glass Onion” conversational place before building into an all instruments in climax. “Anything You Want Dear” pours in the power-pop confection with the fast/slow drama of relationships in flux. The one liners drop: “If you’re under water / Send a message in the bubbles.” I could and probably should go on, but the important thing is the music. You really should give it a listen.

For now there are only four options open – vinyl, CD, digital download and streaming. The 180 gram vinyl comes in a gatefold sleeve and has a download card included. It sounds freakin’ fantastic.

The only problem I have with Busting Visions is how to follow the damn thing up. Do I jump back to the 60’s, maybe the 90’s or, just play one of their other records? So many options and only one set of ears.

You can pick up Busting Visions at your local record retailer or online from Arts & Crafts.

I wonder… does the future still freak them out? Or Motion City Soundtrack – I Am The Movie

July 10, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

Box after box opened, pulling out the literary contents and placing them on carts to be shelved by other peons. Day after day, month after month, year after… ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! It’s good to work, but the isolation of a receiving dock can sometimes get a little, um… mind numbing. So the 2003 version of me brought in a boombox with auxiliary for my first gen ipod to keep me company and I kept in search of energetic music to distract myself. The second cycle of Brit-Pop with the Kaiser Chiefs leading the way helped a bit, but I needed more.

At lunch I started reading magazine reviews and a name kept popping up – Motion City Soundtrack. Like most Epitaph albums I Am The Movie started out with a flood of guitar but as things progressed it became something else, something really cool. A friend had a Napster shit download copy on a burned CD. Light synth backing up a dual guitar attack put together with lyrics that had tongue planted firmly in cheek emanated through crappy speakers and I smiled. Songs were sarcastic, confessional, and ridiculous. Like life they played through all the various range of emotions, but most all, it was fun.

So after my shift finished, I journeyed the suburban strip mall sidewalk to the big box record store and they of course looked at me like I was an alien.

“What soundtrack?”

“Not a soundtrack, a band! Motion City Soundtrack!”

“Why would they call themselves a soundtrack?”

“Not sure, but if I ever get to LA, I’ll ask?”

Eventually I ordered the thing online, because, well, the dead eyes of mindless big box suburban record store floor staff that see boy bands as high art really piss me off.

Fuck yeah – I’m a music snob. If you got a problem with that we can thumb wrestle.

It’s been more than a decade, and like most music I love have an attachment to, I want it on vinyl. With only two options open to me, the decision is pretty easy. Sealed copies of the now out of print original 2003 pressing run for about $35 and up on reseller markets.

Hot Topic just recently released a limited orange translucent version of I Am The Movie. While I had thought it sold out back in March, it showed back up and is now spinning on the turntable. My 11 year old is even trying to “bust a move.”

See what I did there… oh never mind. Buy the record and you’ll get the joke.

Do Do Doo Lookin’ Out My Back Door or Credence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory

July 10, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

Swamp rock practitioners, steeped in soul and a heavy dose of blues, Credence Clearwater Revival were one of the brightest lights of the post-psychedelic era. They balanced great song writing with a penchant for picking stunning covers and in only four years put out seven studio albums that captured a wide range of emotional upheaval that ultimately captured the mood of their time.

Cosmo’s Factory itself is probably the best of their albums, with a virtual ton of FM classics including “Travelin’ Band” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” “Run Through The Jungle” “Who’ll Stop The Rain” and the 11 minute cover of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.”

Of course, it’s well documented that upheaval was also something the band faced within. In fact, the very reason I had never previously purchased CCR was in fact because John Fogerty told me not to. Well, not directly, but he sure had a hate on for all things CCR in the 80’s and made it clear that we shouldn’t. Being an impressionable teenager, I listened. Anyway, I’ve given up on figuring out the politics of this band and have finally decided to take the plunge.

And… what a plunge! Cosmo’s Factory has no less than 129 editions to date. So let’s take a peek at a few purchasing highlights and try to narrow the choices down.

The original 1970 vinyl pressing sold over 500,000 copies in its first six months of release. Needless to say you can find a copy pretty easily, how well it plays will be the real question. It can range from a couple bucks, to… well, again if it’s near mint, you can get a fair price.

Everything in the next decade was simple reissues until 1980. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab did a complete remaster that year using their half speed recording process. Again, due to age you might find copies while crate digging but the costs will vary wildly. Near mint ‘vinyl and cover’ will set you back anywhere between $75 dollars and up. I even managed to find a reseller offering up an unopened copy for near $200 US.

By 1984, the CD pounced on the market and in 1986 Digital Compact Classics did a complete remaster for a 24k Gold edition. These CD’s still sell for about $50 in the resale market.

It would be sixteen years before anything big happened again for vinyl lovers.

In 2002, Fantasy Records licensed Analogue Productions to do a remaster of Cosmo’s Factory. Doing strictly reissues from the original analog tapes, Analogue Productions is quite well known for quality work. Their 180 gram version of Cosmo’s Factory still sells for over $90 with some resellers asking for as much as $150. This is where things get interesting. The same two people responsible for this remaster, Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman, were brought back to do the recent 2014 200 gram vinyl remaster. Furthermore, these two are also responsible for the quality of the 2015 180 gram vinyl Newbury Comics edition that was limited to 1000 copies in red translucent wax. Going through the audiophile sites I’ve seen a couple comments praising their work with one person declaring the recent remasters are superior to the original pressing. The 200 gram vinyl is widely available at record retailers and will set you back about $40 and Newbury still has copies of their 180 gram available for only $20 US.

So of course it is a great record, and my copy sounds awesome, but now I have an overwhelming urge to get more.

Oh wait, that’s normal. I always have an overwhelming urge to get more.

Super Heroine “Seether” Emerges From The Flames With A Guitar In Her Arms or Veruca Salt – Ghost Notes

July 8, 2015 / ds barrett / 1 Comment

How exactly the musical time cycle works (you know, that comic book like mystical place that makes old things new again) is beyond me, but I’m pretty damn appreciative of it at times. Such is the case with Veruca Salt and the ‘new/old original line up’ who sound like they just picked up from a few weeks off rather than the 18 years between albums proper. As they put it themselves on Facebook: “hatchets buried, axes exhumed.”

Ghost Notes begins with the self proclamation anthem “The Gospel According To Saint Me” which promises “it’s gonna get loud” in a bold RAWK star posture. They may very well sing it in those pretty harmonies, but there is no mistaking that ‘us against the world’ stance that is willing to blast you away with amplification. The second track “Black and Blonde” starts to chug through the opening chords and that “us” impression is completely verified as Louise Post has her ‘drop the mic’ moment cracking “I’m the greatest fucking thing that ever happened to you.”

Even the reminiscences of “Empty Bottle” fit the ‘don’t screw with us ‘narrative’ as Post belts “count the stars and we can bring them down.” The song may be a promise of loyalty but the lyrical imagery of gushing blood and universal destruction exude power immeasurable.

Perhaps that is the point and perhaps not, but Veruca Salt are now playing music with the confidence of a Stan Lee superhero. Picture it, Super Heroine “Seether” emerges from the flames with a guitar in her arms. Having beaten the ghosts of years past she emerges the conquering hero.

Now, grab the popcorn sit back and give it a listen.

Ghost Notes comes out on July 10^th and is currently streaming on NPR.

http://www.npr.org/2015/07/02/418654442/first-listen-veruca-salt-ghost-notes

With Honour and Reverence or Chris Bell – I Am The Cosmos

July 7, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

Posthumous releases hold a strange place in the collective consciousness of the music masses. In most cases we see established artists whose lives have been cut short having albums put out by record companies mining demos for a last nugget of gold. Other times, records were near completion when tragedy struck and band members finish recording as a memorial. Chris Bell didn’t fit either of these bills.

The failure of Big Star’s #1 Record to get recognition beyond critics and music insiders meant that Bell never received or understood the extent of his talent and eventual influence. Disillusioned he left Big Star and from time to time he recorded out of differing studios hoping to release something that might connect and ultimately gain a modest amount of respect and adulation. Of course, it never happened. Other than the limited 1978 7” for “I Am The Cosmos” and “You and Your Sister” nothing was released before a car accident took his life on December 27^th 1978.

So it was that others were left with the task of compiling a record together to at once honour, shine a light and in many respects introduce the brilliance of a young and gifted solo artist. In 1992, the first Ryko edition of I Am The Cosmos arrived on record store shelves in only the CD format. Cassettes were sent out as promos to various media outlets and for quite a while, that was it. Mean while, the first wave of the Big Star revival was taking place and interest in the late artist was increasing with a bunch (Posies, Jayhawks, This Mortal Coil…) of recording artists doing cover versions of the title track.

With more knowledge of both Big Star and Bell, many people have wanted to get their hands on a definitive copy of I Am The Cosmos. The problem with that is there isn’t much more to expand upon beyond the quality of the initial release.

So here are the options:

The initial 1992 CD copy by Ryko

A 2006 180 gram vinyl version released by Four Men With Beards

In 2014 Rhino released a two CD remaster with companion disc containing alternate versions of some songs as well as three songs from Bell’s pre-Big Star days. (Some copies went out with a bonus 7” reproduction of the original “Cosmos” single)

Going through the various forums sound quality on all versions has come into question amongst the audiophile community. It isn’t that the criticisms aren’t valid, but certain facts need to be pointed out. Bell didn’t record a completed album, and had bounced between several studios in producing all the material that went into it. While I’m certainly no authority on recording studios in 1970’s Memphis, I can hypothesize that not all are equal. Different equipment and atmosphere from place to place means that things can be disjointed in terms of overall sonics.

That said, the songs are incredible and they rise above such criticism by the sheer beauty of the captured moment. Having both the Ryko and Rhino editions I can hear slight variance, but the music captures me in such a way that I quickly forget about any such thoughts. Honestly, I fully intend on purchasing the vinyl as well; trusting that the recording process was done with the same reverence as I carry for this record.

It’s a gorgeous record with some great songs and one I even hold amongst the greatest all-time. Give it a listen.

Can’t Beat This; The English Beat Recording and You can get in on the action!

July 3, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

Trolling the internet as my seven year old sings along to “Mirror in the Bathroom” and I start to wonder about the sweet ska sounds of The (“English” In North America, “British” in Australia) Beat emanating from my speakers. So a quick google later and BANG!

The Beat is using Pledge Music to raise funds for a new record with plenty of exclusive items being given in exchange for your participation. Some of the items included are t-shirt ($25), autographed CD ($34), vinyl ($40) a phone call with vocalist songwriter Dave Wakeling ($103), and a bundle that includes the CD, vinyl, t-shirt, stickers, poster and a recent tour pass laminate. Not only will you be helping the band get a new record into your hands but also 10% of all proceeds will be given to Doctors Without Borders.

If you’re interested you had better act quick, items are selling fast (seriously, the autographed vinyl is already gone) and many items are down to their last few.

Check it out at http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/theenglishbeat

Hey Ho… Really, That’s all I have To Pay… Let’s Go! – Ramones (Coloured vinyl studio records)

July 3, 2015 / ds barrett / 3 Comments

Paying money for a Ramones record any time at any price will never be questioned by this guy. You see, you can talk about best and greatest and define this thing and that, but – without question or argument, if you ask me who was or is, the “Coolest Band” to have ever graced the planet, one word folks – Ramones.

By themselves they could never sell out a stadium. They did not create actual “hit” records that saw airplay on major radio stations resulting in huge sales. They didn’t own a jet, blow millions and become a Spinal Tap influence. Nope, these guys played in bars and earned their fan base one gig at a time, and in the end became recognized as the first and greatest of all punk bands. People know the songs; they jump up and play air guitar, dance or pogo when any number of their tunes gets played. They can’t name the tune but they sing along all the same. Ramones defy logic, and we love them for it. My own children aged seven and eleven can identify only two bands with just a couple notes – The Beatles and Ramones. Which makes perfect sense if you consider that in a 2002 Spin magazine edition listing the 50 Greatest Bands of All-Time; those two bands were ranked one and two. Well that, and the fact that both bands see an ample amount of time on the stereo.

So how do you build a vinyl altar worthy of the all time “Coolest Band?”

For me, it’s pretty simple – you collect something as visually stunning as the music they played.

Starting in 2000, Sire started releasing remastered copies of the Ramones records on 180 gram red translucent vinyl. The first was their self titled. Resellers are asking for $25.00 or more FOR STILL SEALED COPIES.

Road To Ruin was also released in 2000 and will set you back a minimum of $20.00

Leave Home was the next album released (2001). Resellers are asking less than $20.00 in some cases. Then Rocket To Russia and End Of The Century saw 2005 as their release dates with both records hovering around the $20 mark. Again remember, these prices are for sealed copies of audiophile vinyl, and I’m only covering the first five studio albums.

Other coloured versions of these records have been released since in limited quantity, but the resale asking prices on these starts to get a little more ‘pricey.’ There are a virtual ton of options open for collecting Ramones wax, but if you play your cards right, you can find really cool things for pretty reasonable prices. Then again, I could spend the kids college fund… and… oh come on, it was just a thought!

Whre To Buy S!#t vol 3 (Blog rendition) – Newbury Comics

July 1, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

What do Wolverine, autographed CD covers and exclusive vinyl have in common?

Newbury Comics

If you’re hunting for the perfect gift for the geek in your life and you don’t want to leave your comfy chair, this is the place to start. The home page of Newbury’s website opens to three major products: comics with limited edition (variant) covers, autographed CD booklets and limited edition coloured vinyl from an eclectic variety of artists.

For the comic lover, Newbury sells exclusive variant editions of the latest comics, with new products available every week. Arriving from every major comic company, some of the most recent material has covers created specifically for Newbury customers. For instance, the new Marvel comic X-Men ’92 with exclusive Newbury cover, is now available. On the left is the Newbury edition and on the right is the one you see at your local comic retailer.

If you have an autograph seeking fan of say… Metric or Karen O, then Newbury can set you up with that. A quick click on their Autographed CD cover link reveals a large assortment of artists that have signed their work, ranging from Paul Anka to Spoon with many choices in-between.

However, the real treasure for me is the gift I keep playing on my turntable. A while back, in my quest to find cool vinyl, I found an offer for Nirvana’s Bleach in limited edition 180 gram maroon/black vinyl; I leapt at the chance to own it. Since then, I’ve found myself getting awesome variant wax releases on a fairly regular basis. This recent addiction has gone from Christmas gifts (Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas), to alt-rock (The Strokes – Room On Fire, Black Keys – Rubber Factory), classic-rock (The Velvet Underground – Velvet Underground & Nico, Lou Reed – Transformer ) musicals (The Rocky Horror Picture Show), jazz (Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue) and my personal holy-grail album: Big Star – #1 Record.

For a couple of years now, Newbury has been offering music fans a chance to get “limited edition” vinyl. The prices are competitive with regular vinyl editions that sit on the shelves of most record stores and the shipping costs are quite reasonable. To date, I’ve never had problems with any of the vinyl shipped to me. As for sound quality, I’ve played Big Star’s #1 Record gold coloured variant against the recent 180 gram edition and I’ve found both items sounding great… in fact, I’d lean more towards the gold variant as it “seemed” to have more presence in the guitar and vocals.

At Newbury, new items seem to hit the market every week (the Violent Femmes eponymous debut this week) and the choices, as mentioned earlier, are pretty eclectic; ranging from the Coltrane to The Clash and points in-between. Check them out, you might find yourself signing up to the old mailing list and buying something from time to time. Just don’t be too disappointed if it gets sold out before you get your shot. It’s happened, a couple of times, to me and caused a slight bit of teeth grinding and cursing. But then again, that’s all part of the fun of getting something unique.

“MY” Top Five Canadian Songs for Canada Day!

July 1, 2015 / ds barrett / Leave a comment

Generally, I’m not a big fan of lists, but here I go.

By no means is this a list of the “BEST” Canadian songs of all time. I intentionally skipped over the most obvious songs and people and just went with songs that meant something to me back in the day, and still tug at the heart strings. After all, music is far too subjective for little ol’ me to step forward with such a declaration. Instead I’m picking my favourite 5 songs written by Canadians. Feel free to argue or suggest others. Happy Canada Day folks!

5) “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” – The Rheostatics

I could have picked a dozen Rheostatic’s tunes and not even have scratched the surface of their repertoire. Still, how much more Canadian can you get having an awesome band cover Canadian legend Gordon Lightfoot. Let’s not even get started with the fact that Dave Bidini, (guitars & vocals) has written a book (On A Cold Road) on Canadian bands touring this great land of ours. Give it a read – and them a listen!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpiXS62EwyI

4) “Painted Ladies” – Ian Thomas

As a child I used to hear this song all the time and it never left me. As other people wanted to learn how to play “Heart Of Gold” as they started to learn guitar, I was trying my hand at “Painted Ladies.” There is something so ‘setting sun’ glorious and desperate about this song that catches me off guard every time I listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgLG9MvIVhs

3) “Five Days In May” – Blue Rodeo

Five Days In July is definitely my favourite Blue Rodeo album, and “Five Days In May” my favourite song from them. It captures the mood of “Four Strong Wind” the desolation of “Helpless” and is just plain heartbreaking in its own right. Saw them play it at Fort York which also seems to me to be a cool ‘Canadiana’ thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuUnApNzIz0

2) “Bleed A Little While Tonight” – Lowest of the Low

Not only is it a great Canadian song, but it name checks the streets of my awesome city. So while the ‘Low’ have been on and off again over the last few years, Shakespeare My Butt... still has regular rotation on my stereo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZSNXyeLdSg

1) “Echo Beach” – Martha & the Muffins

Called a new wave band at the time Martha & the Muffins “Echo Beach” was anything but a genre hit. It was played on AM, FM, pop and rock stations throughout the world. This Martha & the Muffins song charted in Canada, Australia, the UK and even the US dance charts. It was a monster that was an instant classic to my 13 year old ears… and still remains so to this day. Hell, it even has a concert venue named after it on Toronto Island.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEQkIEkxm7k

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