Archive for the 'rock' Category

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Published
by
billy
on October 14, 2008
in ccr, creedence clearwater revival, mp3, music and rock
. 1 Comment

I thought, once, about possibly posting frequently about great bands of yesterday.  Unfortunately a lot of good ideas here at TWF have come and gone without really taking root in my blogging routine.  And that might be a shame.  This marks the second installment in Music History here on TWF.  Previously I posted about The Who, this time around I’m talking about Creedence Clearwater Revival.

CCR was a band made up of three high school pals, John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook, who had a good time playing music together and hanging out.  Occasionally, and to spice up their live sets, the boys would back John’s older brother Tom Fogerty.  Eventually graduation came to pass, John and Doug served brief stints in the armed forces, and an album was made under the moniker The Golliwogs.  Eventually the kinks were worked out, everyone found their place in the band, John took the microphone from his brother and the boys settled on a name.  Although they only recorded for a brief five year stint they found a way to make songs that have endured through four decades of change and still ring true when used in various forms of media.  Eventually the bandmates proved too acerbic a combination and they broke up, bitterly, after their final album in 1972.

mp3 : Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
mp3 : Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend

Fortunate Son hails from CCR’s 1969 album Willy and the Poor Boys (amazon) (itunes).  Originally it appeared as the first track on the second side of the album which was ranked number 392 in Rolling Stone’s list of greatest albums of all time.  Up Around The Bend comes from what is thought to be CCR’s masterpiece album, 1970’s Cosmo’s Factory (amazon) (itunes), and again this track orginally appeared as the first track on the second side to the album.  Rolling Stone apparently thought this album superior to Willy and the Poor Boys as they ranked it number 265.

Also of particular interest to today’s music crowd it might be worth noting that before starting a little band known as Nirvana, Kurt Cobain played in a Creedence Clearwater Revival cover band.  If they were good enough for Kurt they’re more than good enough for you.

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Weezer

Published
by
billy
on June 3, 2008
in album, mp3, music, rock and weezer
. 2 Comments

At least seven tracks on the new Weezer album, which most are calling The Red Album (amazon) (itunes), are masterfully done. And by masterfully done I mean they feature Rivers on lead vocals. There’s really only one gripe that I find with their new disc and that is the few songs that don’t have Rivers’ trademark vocals. I mean honestly, if I wanted to listen to you other cats sing I would buy the albums by your other bands {which I don’t own yet and don’t intend to}.

All that aside, my opinion is that this could be the best Weezer album since Pinkerton. I’m not going so far as to say they’ve eclipsed either Pinkerton or The Blue Album, but most of these tracks go a long way toward capturing those glorious moments once again. From start to finish I love the entire album {although I might be slightly biased} and I’m excited to hear a new Weezer album that both references their past success while still moving forward as an ever maturing band.

mp3 : Weezer - Pork and Beans
mp3 : Weezer - The Greatest Man That Ever Lived

I’m including Pork and Beans here, even though it’s been out for awhile, due to the story surrounding the song. Apparently the execs at Geffen told Rivers that he needed to write more commercially viable music so he and his bandmates could move more product. In response Rivers sat down and wrote Pork and Beans as their first single {hence the chorus “I’m a do the things I wanna do, I ain’t got a thing to prove to you…” and the repeated phrase the entire band sings in the song’s bridge, “I don’t care.”} Also worth noting is the music video for Pork and Beans. Simply classic. The other track here is my favorite song on the album and has the band putting together ten distinct styles of music all revolving around one central musical theme.

As a note I’d like to point out Circuit City has the album available for only $5.99 for those of you who have one of those stores close by.

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The Interiors

Published
by
billy
on May 22, 2008
in interiors, mp3, music and rock
. 4 Comments

The Interiors is a three piece band out of the closest big city to me, Chicago. I was unsure what to expect when I started listening to the eponymous debut, which will be released in June of this year, but I was quickly caught up in the album and quite taken with their sound. At times they sway close to a musical style reminiscent of The Strokes mixed with The Dodos and at other times I feel they’re part of the leading edge in modern rock.  That they’re part of the paradigm changing set {akin to the genre spawning movements started by acts such as The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Killers, and the most contemporary benchmark, Vampire Weekend}.

As far as comparisons can take us there is one way to sum up their album. It is great. As I was listening to the entire album I was immediately struck by how catchy each and every successive track is. Honestly, the hardest part of listening to this album was picking my favorite two songs to put in this post. After each track ended my head would mentally tick off and say “ok, that’s going online,” but as soon as the next track would start I would find myself in a quandary because each and every track is just as good as the one before it.  This is easily one of the best debut albums I have heard in a long time.

mp3 : The Interiors - A Crooked Line
mp3 : The Interiors - Shooting Off

I told you they were good. And there is a least half a dozen other songs on this debut album that I could have put here on TWF. I’ll shut up now so you can listen more closely to the wonders of The Interiors.

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Joseph Arthur

Published
by
billy
on January 23, 2008
in indie, joseph arthur, mp3, music and rock
. 5 Comments

I was first introduced to Joseph Arthur through a rather eclectic roommate I had in university because this friend of mine admired the paintings that Mr. Arthur made. I must admit I wasn’t particularly thrilled when shown the artwork {although I do admire a lot of his work}, but I was immediatley blown away by the other endeavor of Joseph Arthur, that being the creation of music that will stand the test of time. Regardless of how much fame he achieves, or fails to achieve, I believe the cannon of Joseph Arthur works will live on long after he has stopped producing new songs {which probably won’t happen until after he passes away considering he’s currently in a little competition to be the most prolific singer songwriter of his generation with Ryan Adams}.

So today I sat at home, without having to suffer through a day job, and as I watched the snow blow through the neighborhood where I live I was reminded once again of this old album from 2004 entitled Our Shadows Will Remain (iTunes) which I always thought referenced the way that if an atomic bomb went off we might disappear, but our shadows would remain. And seeing as how I’m concerned with Global Warming, and I frequently theorize about the effects of a Global Winter {brought on by nuclear warfare or careless stewardship of resources}, my twisted brain was reminded of Joseph Arthur as I sat watching the snow drift and swirl, much like his melodic brand of music. As such, these three tracks hail from that album.

mp3 : Joseph Arthur - Echo Park
mp3 : Joseph Arthur - Puppets
mp3 : Joseph Arthur - A Smile That Explodes

Now due to a rather insatiable curiousity and the aforementioned lack of a real job I sauntered amongst the interwebs, looking at Mr. Arthurs website, checking out the new MOMAR, reading up in wiki, and finally stumbling upon the fact that just two days ago Stereogum debuted a song from Joseph Arthurs upcoming EP entitled Could We Survive which is set to be released on March 18 of this year. Following that release will come three more EP’s, roughly one a month, before a proper full length entitled All You Need Is Nothing drops on August 5. Until all that wonderfully prolific goodness hits the shelves you can satisfy yourself with this song that was premiered by the good folks over at Stereogum.

mp3 : Joseph Arthur - Rages of Babylon

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The Who

Published
by
billy
on January 22, 2008
in mp3, music, rock and the who
. 4 Comments

Sometimes I am appalled at the state of music ignorance the kids these days have about them. Driving through town the other day a classic rock radio station happened to be playing a song by The Who and my younger brother immediately changed it saying that he didn’t really like that type of music, even though he had never listened to the entire song. Needless to say this shocked me to my core. I’m tired of people complaining about the state of pop music, hearing them go on and on about how music has lost its creative edge, or how there’s nothing fulfilling in songs about apple bottom jeans or cyclones. While some of those arguments may be true they ring hollow from mouths who have never sung along to bands like The Kinks, The Who, BTO, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, or Styx. {not that those bands are an all inclusive list, but you get my point}

I thought I would post a few tracks by the legendary Brit band The Who in hopes that a few download hungry and misinformed youth out there might take a listen and hear some true musical genius. All three of these tracks come from the album Greatest Hits of The Who (iTunes) and it would be a genuine benefit to the listener to hear the entire album {or even their entire discography}.

mp3 : The Who - Baba O’Riley
mp3 : The Who - My Generation
mp3 : The Who - Who Are You (Single Edit Version)

I would like to point out, as this is the first lesson I’m teaching in Music History here at TWF, that Baba O’Riley is the correct name for this particular song although many friends and fans have incorrectly given it the title of Teenage Wasteland throughout the years. It is also, and quite easily, one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded in the history of the world. The song My Generation has been incorrectly given to bands ranging from Aerosmith to the Rolling Stones {and everyone inbetween} although it has always been a classic staple of The Who. And to close out the trifecta of The Who classics there stands the simple and eternal question of Who Are You. Who are you anyway?

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The Best Albums of 2007

Published
by
billy
on December 29, 2007
in 2007, arcade fire, band of horses, beirut, best albums of 2007, best of the year, bishop allen, boty, cloud cult, foo fighters, indie, mp3, music, radiohead, rock, sea wolf, sigur ros and weakerthans
. 1 Comment

At long last here are my top ten albums released during the past twelve months. Download all the tracks and play them loud, support the artist by buying their albums, merchandise, or concert tickets, and most of all continue to enjoy great music. This list was ridiculously hard to create due to the amount of talent in the musical realm, but, these are the albums that I was most excited about in 2007. {note : in the list below the artist name links to their website, the album title links to the album on amazon, and the iTunes link will open iTunes to the appropriate information}

All the tracks in one zip file : here {zshare = left click}


01 : Cloud Cult - The Meaning of 8 (iTunes)

Easily the most cathartic album I’ve ever heard the general storyline of this album chronicles the path frontman Craig Minowa took while coming to terms with the death of his son. Most of the tracks on this album have to do with what little Kaidin’s life would have been like {he would’ve turned eight this year} or how he inspired his father and those he met with the joy of life. It was a very close call between Cloud Cult and The Weakerthans for album of the year, but this band from Minneapolis pulled it out in the end. From beginning to end there is not a single note that I would change about The Meaning of 8.

mp3 : Cloud Cult - Take Your Medicine
mp3 : Cloud Cult - Your 8th Birthday
mp3 : Cloud Cult - Purpose


02 : The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour (iTunes)

Second place, and by a very slim margin, goes to one of my favorite bands of all time, The Weakerthans. Coming a full four years after their previous effort, this studio album had a lot of fans wondering if rust and age would tamper with the signature lyrical and melodic brilliance of The Weakerthans. All fears were laid to rest after one listen, though, with the only complaint being it clocks in under forty minutes. John Samson tells these wonderful vignettes about empty rooms, curling tournaments, and runaway cats that are filled with a sense of forlorn truth. Something in this album rings true on every listen. If you’ve never heard The Weakerthans their newest disc is easily a wonderful starting point.

mp3 : The Weakerthans - Tournament of Hearts
mp3 : The Weakerthans - Virtue the Cat Explains Her Departure
mp3 : The Weakerthans - Sun in an Empty Room


03 : Radiohead - In Rainbows

Not much else could be written or said about this album other than what has already been said. Radiohead tops many of the best of lists across various publications and blogs. They released their album completely on their own, with their own website, and charged nothing for the music if that’s what you chose to pay. They bucked convention with this release, just as they’ve continually created new and innovative sounds on each of their albums. This, their seventh studio album and first in four years, is an amazing musical achievement even without the marketing {or lack thereof} hype.

mp3 : Radiohead - Reckoner
mp3 : Radiohead - Videotape


04 : Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (iTunes)

Although many a rabid fan and critic balked at the slightly new direction Arcade Fire went on their sophomore effort I challenge you to find another band that made this interesting, layered, and talented a second studio album. Moving away from stories involving apocalypse and funerals this album instead finds its voice in a social commentary of sorts {which is perfect when you’re influenced by Bruce Springsteen}. I thought this album was a perfect follow up to Funeral. Yes, it is different, but so are we.

mp3 : Arcade Fire - (Antichrist Television Blues)
mp3 : Arcade Fire - Intervention


05 : Bishop Allen - The Broken String (iTunes)

Throughout 2006 Bishop Allen, which is a collaborative effort between Justin Rice, Christian Rudder, and various backing musicians, released twelve EP’s; one for each month. It was with much anticipation, then, that I awaited their first proper studio full length this past July. And Bishop Allen did not disappoint with The Broken String. From start to end the storytelling, the music, the melodies, and the undeniable fun of the album had me playing it for anyone who would listen. Over five months later it still amazes me that this amount of quality music was put on one album.

mp3 : Bishop Allen - The Monitor
mp3 : Bishop Allen - The Chinatown Bus


06 : Foo Figthers - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (iTunes)

Foo Fighters released their most mature and grounded album to date while finding a way to showcase Dave Grohl’s massive talent without the use of a sprawling double album. From start to finish this album shows the diversity of the entire Foo Fighter’s cannon while always keeping you on the edge of your seat, anticipating what song is coming next. From a pure rock anthem like Come Alive, to the bombast of The Pretender, down to the the ecstasy found on The Ballad of Beaconsfield Miners, there is no stone left unturned on this, the best rock album of the year.

mp3 : Foo Figthers - The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners
mp3 : Foo Fighters - Come Alive


07 : Sigur Ros - Hvarf/Heim (iTunes)

Sigur Ros is easily my favorite band that I cannot seem to describe to others. Or for that matter get other people to listen to. They’re a band out of the great land of Iceland and lead singer Jonsi sings in one of the most beautiful falsetto voices I’ve ever heard. If the angels from on high sang in Icelandic then this is what the music backing them would sound like. This release was a double album with the disc labelled Hvarf containing studio versions of previously unreleased tracks and the disc called Heim containing acoustic versions of previous favorites.

mp3 : Sigur Ros - Heysatan
mp3 : Sigur Ros - Staralfur


08 : Beirut - The Flying Club Cup (iTunes)

Originally scoring much higher in my list Beirut fell to number eight after repeated listenings. Although this album didn’t have the staying power I thought it would have it still is a solid effort from Zach Condon throughout the mix as he brings his particular ecclectic/gypsy/folk/balkan style of music and makes it a true edition to the great new American Folk wave. There’s something in his music that cannot be found anywhere else. Due most likely to his extensive traveling throughout eastern Europe during his developmental years and the fact that a wrist injury keeps him from playing the guitar properly.

mp3 : Beirut - Guyamas Sonora


09 : Band of Horses - Cease to Begin (iTunes)

The critics who hated and/or panned this album when it was released have almost nothing in common with me. I, for one, cannot fathom what they were looking for in the second studio album from Band of Horses. Cease to Begin showcases a sound and style that are uniquely theirs; from the driving guitar rhythms to the unique crooning style of frontman Ben Bridwell. I thought this album was solid from start to finish with the inclusion of a few incredible tracks like Island on the Coast and Is There A Ghost. Band of Horses is one of the best bands in the past couple of years and I’ve been excited about their music since their first release.

mp3 : Band of Horses - Island on the Coast


10 : Sea Wolf - Leaves in the River (iTunes)

Rounding out the top ten albums of 2007 is this little gem by Sea Wolf. This band is the brainchild of Alex Brown Church, who formerly played with the band Irving, and he incorporates a variety of devices and sounds to tell his stories. Although at times the record can sound like a smooth amalgamation of various sources, in the end it is a blissful thirty five minute mosey through Alex’s life, music, and stories.

mp3 : Sea Wolf - Leaves In The River

Download all the tracks in one zip file : here {zshare = left click}

And there you have it. In my humble opinion those were the best albums of 2007. Other noteworthy albums that didn’t quite make the top ten include In Our Bedroom After The War by Stars, Wednesdays by Wakey!Wakey!, From Here We Go Sublime by The Field, Sawdust by The Killers, Magic by Bruce Springsteen, B Sides Live by Zach Williams, Graduation by Kanye West, and We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank by Modest Mouse. As talented and wonderful as this past year has been I’m looking forward to 2008 when there will be new albums by my favorites Sufjan Stevens, Cloud Cult, the Magnetic Fields, the Postal Service, and Weezer.

For those of you who just found my blog take a minute a peruse other posts here at The World Forgot. I hope you enjoyed yourself this year, 2008 is sure to bring something amazing to everyone.

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Radiohead

Published
by
billy
on November 23, 2007
in cover, mp3, music, radiohead, rock and thumbs down
. 2 Comments

For all you Yanks Happy Thanksgiving and welcome back shoppers.  I hope your Black Friday was an event filled funfest and you spent it getting GPS devices for your mom, video games and movies for your brothers, and loads of food in you belly.  I know I did.  For the rest of the world I’m sorry that you don’t get to participate in the buying frenzy that is the holiday season in the US.  It really is something to behold and as this is my first holiday time in the states since 2004 I am enjoying it to the fullest.

But regardless if you went shopping or not today here are some tracks that anyone can enjoy.  Consider this a prelude to the greatness that is to come.  I hope to have a steady stream of posts from now until the new year with a lot of Christmas music, a lot of Sufjan Stevens, and quite possibly the best BOTM volume you’ll ever see.  Honestly.

For this post I dipped awhile back to when Radiohead played a webcast they called Thumbs_Down.  The reason it was given this wonderfully sketchy moniker is as follows.  During the webcast Thom said “This is Thumbs_Down cause it’s … [holds thumbs down to camera]… We’re gonna play some music as we can still stand up. This is our way of celebrating the fact that way have finished a record. We’ve been doing some stupid stuff the past few weeks knocking some things together. Don’t expect any high quality cause there isn’t any.”

Anyway, here are four of the tracks they played.  Three of them are cover songs and one is my favorite Radiohead song of all time.  Enjoy.

mp3 : Radiohead - Ceremony (New Order Cover)
mp3 : Radiohead - The Headmaster Ritual (The Smiths Cover)
mp3 : Radiohead - Unravel (Bjork Cover)
mp3 : Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong

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A Weekend with Weezer

Published
by
billy
on November 19, 2007
in a weekend, blue album deluxe, mp3, music, rock and weezer
. 0 Comments

Alright, get over it, I know it’s Monday but I felt as if this modern day fab four deserved to have one last post. I understand the weekend is gone, but in our hearts Weezer shall forever live on. In 2004, commemorating the ten year anniversary of their first studio album, Weezer rereleased The Blue Album as a deluxe version (iTunes). This version contained a second disc packed with rare tracks, previously unheard material, some live songs, and a few fan favorites that had only ever been played in concert. Although much of this material was old news to many in the Weezer fan base it was still nice to have the tracks compiled and in good condition. Cheers to you Weezer and best of luck on your next studio album.

mp3 : Weezer - Jamie (Live Acoustic B Side)
mp3 : Weezer - Lullaby For Wayne (Previously Unreleased Pre-Production Recording)
mp3 : Weezer - Mykel and Carli (B Side)
mp3 : Weezer - No One Else (Live Acoustic B Side)

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{Don’t worry, I’ll now return to my regularly scheduled blogcast of music. I hope you enjoyed this weekend.}

A Weekend with Weezer

Published
by
billy
on November 19, 2007
in make believe, maladroit, mp3, music, rock and weezer
. 1 Comment

With this post we come to the end of the weekend as well as the end of the studio albums made by Weezer to date.  First after The Green Album came a little ditty called Maladroit (iTunes) which was only the second of their five discs not to feature the band on the cover artwork.  This, though, created a pattern so far which has the band appearing on every other album cover.  Following this trend would lead me to believe that the new studio album due early next year will feature some form of art on the front cover and not a picture of the boys.

Although this album received favorable reviews from many critics the inclusion of a slightly metal or grunge sound for the guitar riffs threw off much of their loyal fanbase and was a leading cause in crashing the album sales.  As a quirky sidenote most of this album was recorded in sessions where the uncut and rough tracks were available on a daily basis to avid fans via internet forums.  In this way Weezer had a lot of fan input and discussion in the making of their fourth album.

mp3 : Weezer - Keep Fishin’
mp3 : Weezer - Love Explosion

Their latest studio effort dropped on shelves eleven years to the day from the original release of The Blue Album.  Although it received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike the album sold well and eventually went platinum.  Some people loved it, some people hated it.  I don’t really think it’s as cut and dry as the reviews make it out to be as there are some sparkling moments on the disc.  Admittedly it is a departure from all previous efforts the band has made as Make Believe (iTunes) clocks in at a sprawling 45 minutes and has only one song that clocks in under three minutes.  {Note that an album length of 45 minutes is sprawling for Weezer as only this and their first studio album come in at over 35 minutes long}

To be honest I really liked this disc and saw it more of a maturation of their trademark Green/Blue album sound.  It shows a valuable progression in tempo and style of song structures while still acknowledging that they are in fact, and always will be, those guys who sang Buddy Holly and Undone.  These three tracks below showcase what Weezer sounds like now that they’re a little more grown up.

mp3 : Weezer - Perfect Situation
mp3 : Weezer - Hold Me
mp3 : Weezer - The Other Way

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A Weekend with Weezer

Published
by
billy
on November 18, 2007
in a weekend, green album, mp3, music, rock and weezer
. 0 Comments

In case you were not aware Rivers Cuomo has an album entitled “Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo” which drops exactly one month from today on December 18.  Expect some greatness from this upcoming album as Rivers appears to be one of the most prolific writers of this modern music era.  There are allegations that Rivers writes well over one hundred songs for each Weezer album and then only chooses what he thinks are the best ten to fourteen tracks for the final pressings.

In other news Weezer will have their sixth studio album out in the Spring of 2008.  So if you’re not really into the unedited yearnings of a Harvard grad then you can always wait until his three buddies join him on what is sure to be a romp through romance, failures, the trials of life, and the slow maturation of little boys into men.

These tracks included below hail from Weezer’s third studio album which was self titled but is mainly referred to as The Green Album (iTunes).  Hearkening back to their roots with The Blue Album these tracks found the band splashing away merrily with a sound and a vibrancy that most fans and critics adored from the start.  It’s a short album but all the trademarks are still apparent.  Falsetto harmonies, a massive wall of guitar sound, and some well written guitar licks apply to almost the entire album from start to finish.  For those people who had never heard of Weezer 2004 was a good year to start liking the band.

mp3 : Weezer - Don’t Let Go
mp3 : Weezer - Island In The Sun

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A Weekend with Weezer

Published
by
billy
on November 17, 2007
in a weekend, mp3, music, pinkerton, rock and weezer
. 4 Comments

Weezer’s second full length album, Pinkerton (iTunes), was a departure from their original guitar driven surfer/loner/nerd anthem style of rock.  As such, when it was first released in 1996, it was panned by critics and many fans alike who were eagerly anticipating a second edition of The Blue Album.  To be frank here folks it seems like bands cannot seem to please anyone with a sophomore effort.  In the case of Weezer they went in a new direction for their second album and fans and critics hated it.  But look at The Strokes, who essentially released a second album, which could have been called This Is It to answer their first albums title Is This It?, that was so similar in sound and style to their first disc that audiences, critics, and even fans blasted the band for not changing.

Pinkerton, fortunately, has stood the test of time and now can be heard in a much more favorable setting.   Attempting to give fans more of a slice of what their live shows were like Weezer dropped their producer, played the songs together in studios, and layed down the three separate vocal tracks at the same time.  If their first album dealt with the peccadilloes of life in a broad sense then Pinkerton focused more on the minutiae of angst and longing.  One could credit or lambaste Rivers Cuomo for  this style of writing as it gave rise to latter day followers, Dashboard Confessional, who have successfully aped this type of story telling so well they have made it their own.

Here below are three powerful tracks from Pinkerton.  The first two are of the standard Weezer variety of guitar driven power pop while the third track, the album closing Butterfly, is a slow motion acoustic song detailing the end of a relationship.  Pay attention to the lyrics of Butterfly where Cuomo sings lines like “if I’m a dog then you’re a bitch” or “every time I pin down what I think I want it slips away.”  If ever there was a critic who claimed Weezer was too one dimensional Pinkerton stands in bold defiance of such a claim.

mp3 : Weezer - Pink Triangle
mp3 : Weezer - The Good Life
mp3 : Weezer - Butterfly

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A Weekend with Weezer

Published
by
billy
on November 16, 2007
in a weekend, blue album, mp3, music, rock and weezer
. 2 Comments

Did you know that virtually no one posts in music blogs over the weekends? It’s strange but true and I’m here to try to reverse that trend. A trend which probably started due to the fact that almost all bloggers blog from work, instead of working, and when they’re at home they stop doing all of those avoid-work-at-all-costs activities. Or, if you’re a realist, it might be due to the fact that people have lives, no one cares to read weekend blog posts, or any other of a plethora of legitimate excuses, none of which my current life qualifies me for.

Taking all of this in stride I thought I would begin a little tradition here at The World Forgot to help me push through the mundane world of weekend blogging. Hence the first ever “A Weekend with” themes has begun. This weekend I’ve chosen Weezer and I’ll attempt to post at least once about them Friday, Saturday, and Sunday thereby turning this four or five day a week hobby into a full time all out obsession. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep up the “A Weekend with” theme at least twice a month from here until eternity. Enjoy the music.

+++++

Weezer’s original debut album, most commonly referred to as The Blue Album (iTunes), was the very first CD I ever owned. I remember that crisp autumn day as I walked gallantly into Best Buy to purchase, for myself, one of the best guitar driven garage/surf rock albums of all time. To this day I can still sing every song word for word and I would bet many of my readers can as well. It was an album born of the garage band heyday, but came slightly after the depression that was grunge and other forms of dirty rock emanating from the Pacific Northwest. Obviously influenced by Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, as well as The Cars, the quartet that was Weezer put together a wonderfully idiosyncratic album about broken relationships, going surfing, and the pathos of life. In 1994 it seemed as if every single song on this album could get anyone in any shower, car, or public pool singing along as if they meant it.

Making every “best of” list from Rolling Stone to Pitchfork to Blender to Popmatters shows the depth of sound and the legacy that The Blue Album has left in behind. At first blush it was the ultimate guitar driven answer to a generation that was looking more and more for something alternative to the depression of grunge and metal that was so prevalent in the early 90’s. And now, fourteen years later, it has stood the test of time as one of the most influential pieces of the last twenty years. Honestly, after listening to the next two songs who couldn’t help leaping around practicing their air guitar?

mp3 : Weezer - My Name Is Jonas
mp3 : Weezer - The World Has Turned and Left Me Here

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OK GO Live at Butler University

Published
by
josh
on October 30, 2007
in concert, live, mp3, ok go and rock
. 0 Comments

I saw OK GO play the other night at Butler and it was completely worth it.
Using a friends student discount, the night only cost 9.00.

They had a screen set up behind them which they utilized amazingly. Every song either had a guy in the wallpaper costume dancing behind them, things blowing up in reverse (these two were not the music videos. It was almost like they took a scene of a music video and instead played that one scene the whole time), or just some stop motion mannequins changing clothes. Every third song or so they would then switch to the cameras that they had mounted on all their equipment around the stage. All in all, I can’t think of a better way to use a screen behind the band.

They played almost all of of the songs off of Oh No and, in the middle of the performance, grabbed acoustic guitars and a small bell set and moved to the small stage, in front of the main stage. They told us that they wanted to play the whole concert there but pointed out that none of the lights were set up for that stage. So they invited the crowd to join them and handed out flash lights to the audience so they could play an amazing, acoustic version of A Million Ways. That song alone would be worth the 9.00 ticket.

Quick overview of awesome: Damian climbed up to the first balcony on the metal bars used to mount lights on the side of the stage and bent it when he jumped off. He also ran threw about 15 rows, standing on the arm rests. The show was really high energy and amazingly fun. If you have the option to go see them in concert, it is highly recommended by me. The band also had 2 choreographed jumps, where they all jumped at the moment the music stopped and landed at the same time to begin playing again. It was beautiful.

I wish that I had recorded them playing A Million Ways acoustic, but alass, I didn’t. So I’ll leave you with the album version, which is still very good and may be my favorite Ok Go song.

mp3 : Ok Go - A Million Ways

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Foo Fighters

Published
by
billy
on September 4, 2007
in covers, foo fighters, mp3, music, preorder and rock
. 2 Comments

Well, the Foo Fighters never seem to disappoint. I’ve heard it said that they are one of the most consistent rock bands currently out there and I would have to agree. Each and every album they turn out seems to be a pure and wonderful rock album. And, to be honest, we don’t get those very much anymore. Even the venerable RHCP seem to dabble a bit much in psychedelic funk to be called simply a rock band.

The Foo Fighters do have a new album coming September 25, available for preorder now, and I’m going to go ahead and say that it will be the best rock album of 2007. There, I said it, and there’s no going back now. And seriously, just check out the below video for the song The Pretender, and you’ll have to agree; Dave Grohl and company are genius.

mp3 : Foo Fighters - The Pretender
mp3 : Foo Fighters - Keep The Car Running (Arcade Fire Cover)The second track listed here is taken from the Foos recent performance on Radio 1 over yonder in Britain. They played a smashing set and are quite amazing on this cover of Arcade Fire.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers

Published
by
billy
on May 18, 2006
in album, mp3, music, red hot chili peppers and rock
. 0 Comments
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium


The new album is worth whatever you pay to get it. It’s been a few years since we last heard a studio effort from these four crazy boys, but it has been worth the wait. Releasing a double album is a brave thing to do in these days that are filled with single song digital downloads. In the face of this new trend, or as I refer to it as the dumbing down of album making, the Peppers have come full circle with just over two hours of continuous music that samples every era, trend, and genre they’ve dabbled in from Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik through Californication and By The Way.

Basically the boys came to rock on this album, and they’re mature and established enough to know they have nothing left to prove. They are and always shall remain one of the greatest American rock bands. This album, excuse me double album, only serves to further prove that the Red Hot Chili Peppers make music that is progressive, retro, and all around loveable.

from disc 1 - Jupiter
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow (Hey Oh)

from disc 2 - Mars
Red Hot Chili Peppers - If