Friday, March 7th, 2003
I think I promised some reviews of the Postal Service’s Give Up disc and The Minus Five’s Down With Wilco.
If the Traveling Wilburys were, say, the Justice League of musical supergroups, then the Minus Five could rank as, oh, the Doom Patrol. And the Postal Service… Rip Hunter and the Time Masters? Hmm, okay, this metaphor just died a slow, painful, gurgling death.
I love this Postal Service disc. Combining 80s New Wave songwriting with Ben Gibbard’s heart-on-sleeve unabashedly romantic lyrics and vocals and grafting it all onto some truly catchy IDM-esque electronic backing tracks, and you’ve got a pretty damned unique record. My main beef with most electronic music is that it lacks that human element that give pop obsessives like myself something to connect to – not a problem here. For no particular reason, this record makes me think of this movie, Electric Dreams. It was about this nerdlinger guy (this was the 80s, before nerds were cool) who finds himself competing for the girl of his dreams with his computer. The soundtrack was by Phil Oakey, of the Human League. The main theme song of the film, “Together In Electric Dreams”, was great – especially its use over the closing scenes. It’s weird to use describe something from a forgettable 80s comedy as such, but it was a really uplifting and exhilirating scene. Or at least it is in my head, and that’s how I’ll choose to remember it. The point of this? That’s how this record makes me feel. Exhilirated and uplifted. And grammatically inept. The Human League connection is just gravy.
I’ll bet that 80% of sales for The Minus Five’s Down With Wilco will be because of the title and what it implies. Namely, that Wilco is all over this disc – which they are – but it’s not immediately obvious. First, some brief history. The Minus Five is a side-project principally involving Scott McCaughy of the Young Fresh Fellows” and Peter Buck, professional plane trasher and guitarist for R.E.M.. They’re occasionally (and on this occasion) joined by ex-Posie Ken Stringfellow, and for this go-around, all of Wilco. This is most obvious in Jeff Tweedy’s backing vocals and the one time he takes lead vox. It’s interesting to hear Tweedy’s rasp alongside the smoothness of Stringfellow’s voice – a real contrast in styles. What you’ll find on Down With Wilco is a set of very sharp, polished pop songs pretty far removed from Wilco’s ragged glory. They are the backing band and perform admirably, but you won’t sit up and go, “Man, that was SO Wilco!”. I have to bite my tongue to keep a Golden Smog comparison from coming out – whil you definitely get the sense that everyone involved is having a great time the same way you do on the Smog records, the musical content is considerably less rootsy, more sophisticated and a good deal weightier in lyrical content. Down With Wilco isn’t an essential record, but it’s a solid effort from some real heavyweights.
Watched The Last Castle tonight. It was okay, not the worst way to spend a Friday evening. But not, I suspect, the best. Robert Redford is looking muy craggy these days.
Finally – I have a notice from the post office that I have to pay duty to pick up a package in their care tomorrow. My guitar neck has arrived! I was getting worried that I was going to be out $140 with nothing to show for it. Looks like I get to dismantle my axe again!
np – The Flying Burrito Brothers / The Gilded Palace Of Sin
Friday, March 7th, 2003
If unconsciously turning off your alarm in the middle of the night and oversleeping were an Olympic sport, I would be on a box of Wheaties.
Okay, what’s this all about? Over the course of the day, I’ve found out that one of my university roommates is pregnant (or more precisely, his wife is) and expecting in September, and another former roommate just had his second child. I used to get drunk with these people. The mind boggles.
Anyway – congratulations to expectant Chris and Karen and to Bryan and Eva on the arrival of Dominic this past Monday.
np – various artists / Return Of The Grievous Angel : A Tribute To Gram Parsons
Thursday, March 6th, 2003
All day, meetings meeting meetings. Or at least it seemed like it. Nothing I like more than lying head down on a table in front of a speakerphone, faint bit of drool out the side of my mouth. Nothing at all. But now I am home and now I am off to band practice. My life is a whirlwind.
But I leave you with this – someone has ported the old Infocom Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy game to a Java applet, playable on the web. I loved these Infocom games. Many a day I spent in fear of the grues that lurk in the dark when your battered Elvish lantern finally goes out. The only problem I see right now is an inability to save. Which means that I’ll just have to play the whole thing in one sitting!
Wednesday, March 5th, 2003
On hold with tech support. Muzak versions of Billy Joel tunes keep me company. It sounds like they’re using the steel drum setting on a cheap keyboard for the lead vocals. The song currently playing, “The Longest Time”, is sadly ironic.
Wednesday, March 5th, 2003
This comes from This Hour Has 22 Minutes, via Ian. Grand stuff.
On behalf of Canadians everywhere I’d like to offer an apology to the United States of America. We haven’t been getting along very well recently and for that, I am truly sorry.
I’m sorry we called George Bush a moron. He is a moron but it wasn’t nice of us to point it out. If it’s any consolation, the fact that he’s a moron shouldn’t reflect poorly on the people of America. After all it’s not like you actually elected him.
I’m sorry about our softwood lumber. Just because we have more trees than you doesn’t give us the right to sell you lumber that’s cheaper and better than your own.
I’m sorry we beat you in Olympic hockey. In our defence I guess our excuse would be that our team was much, much, much, much better than yours.
I’m sorry we burnt down your white house during the war of 1812. I notice you’ve rebuilt it! It’s Very Nice.
I’m sorry about your beer. I know we had nothing to do with your beer but we Feel your Pain.
I’m sorry about our waffling on Iraq. I mean, when you’re going up against a crazed dictator, you wanna have your friends by your side. I realize it took more than two years before you guys pitched in against Hitler, but that was different. Everyone knew he had weapons.
And finally on behalf of all Canadians, I’m sorry that we’re constantly apologizing for things in a passive-aggressive way, which is really a thinly veiled criticism. I sincerely hope that you’re not upset over this.
We’ve seen what you do to countries you get upset with.
A lot of folks are talking about the new Blur album. I’m a little surprised at how little I care. Graham Coxon was the only thing that made them interesting to me, and now that he’s gone, I can imagine Damon’s ego will be running unchecked. Oh well.
Interesting – Ticketmaster (I ain’t linking to those bastards) are listing Arthur Lee and Love coming to Lee’s Palace on August 6. This is interesting because the last time Love tried to come up to Canada, they were blocked from entering the country on account of Lee’s criminal record. I wonder if they’ve sorted that out? I’d love to catch his show, either way. Last time he ended up in Buffalo instead of T.O. I’d make the drive, I think.
Update: – I’d originally said the apology bit was by Rick Mercer. It was actually done on This Hour Has 22 Minutes by Colin Mochrie. Um, sorry.
np – Wilco / Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Demos
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