May 2010
OUR 35 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1979
May 31, 2010
35. The B-52s - S/T 34. Blondie - Eat to the Beat
33. The Jam - Setting Sons
32. Cheap Trick - At Budokan
31. George Harrison - S/T
30. The Raincoats - The Raincoats
29. The Damned - Machine Gun ...
28. Crass - Stations of the Crass
27. Can - Can
26. Ramones - End of the Century
25. The Kinks - Low Budget
24. The Knack - Get The Knack
23. Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door
22. The Slits - Cut
21. Prince - S/T
20. Bob Dylan - Slow Train Coming
19. Bob Marley - Survival
18. Public Imagine Limited - Metal Box
17. Graham Parker - Squeezing Out Sparks
16. The Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady
15. Tom Petty - Damn the Torpedoes ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 35 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1980
May 30, 2010
35. Bob Dylan - Saved 34. Pere Ubu - The Art of Walking
33. Iggy Pop - Soldier
32. Adam Ant - Kings of the Wild ...
31. U2 - Boy
30. Steve Forbert - Little Stevie Orbit
29. AC/DC - Back In Black
28. Pete Townshend - Empty Glass
27. The Roches - Nurds
26. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
25. Bob Marley - Uprising
24. Prince - Dirty Mind
23. Neil Young - Hawks & Doves
22. David Bowie - Scary Monsters
21. Elvis Costello - Get Happy!!
20. Pretenders - Pretenders
19. Squeeze - Argybargy
18. Devo - Freedom of Choice
17. Peter Gabriel - S/T
16. The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue
15. Lucinda Williams - Happy Woman Blues ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
FEATURE: METHOD MAN & REDMAN
May 29, 2010
Not a whole lot is known about the pre-fame life of Reggie “Redman” Noble and even less is known about Clifford “Method Man” Smith. Redman is from Newark, New Jersey and Method Man is from Staten Island, New York; aside from that, any details you want about their pre-hip-hop lives can only be found buried deep in their lyrics.
So I suppose this story begins in 1993, when Red and Meth met at a Def Jam Records industry party. At the time Redman’s Whut? Thee Album had been an underground hit for about a year and Method Man was about to, as they say, “blow up.” Method Man, the initial public figurehead of the Wu-Tang Clan, was - thanks to his charisma, husky voice, stature, look and ability - about to become the most talked about man in hip-hop. Before 1993 hit 1994, the Wu’s classic debut, Enter the 36 Chambers, was the record and Method Man was the emcee. Before that record even came out, Method Man had already signed a solo deal with Def Jam, and was thus invited to the abovementioned industry party.
Needless to say, Meth and Red hit it off quickly. Before 1994 was over the two emcees were traveling the country together in a van, playing shows in support of their two new solo records, Method Man’s excellent Tical and Redman’s Dare Iz a Darkside. The story goes that, while driving from show to show, they began writing a song together that would eventually come to be known as “How High,” one of the standout cut’s from Russell Simmons’ 1995 The Show soundtrack. Between this song, Def Jam marketing 1994 as “The Year of the Man” and their touring together, the two were instantly linked ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
SCREENTIME # 37
May 28, 2010
Tops at the Box: Coming in at No. 1 last weekend was SNL byproduct MacGruber. Gotcha. Coming in at No. 6 last weekend with just over $4 million - less than freaking Just Wright - was MacGruber; coming in at No. 1 last weekend, obviously, was Shrek Forever After, bringing in a boring-as-hell $71 million over its first weekend. Zzz.
More From the Box: After a strong opening, Iron Man 2 is dying quickly, bringing in only $26.6 million last weekend, upping its so-far total to just over $250 million in the U.S. and $506 million worldwide. Looks like those “industry analyst” dudes who said the Man would bring in the bill were drunk. Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood, which ScreenTime strangely has no interest in despite being a longtime Scott fan, is dying fast, upping its so far total to $66 million with another $19 million last weekend. Not bad, but the flick cost over $200 million to make and some serious bread to promote. Also, we hear that it’s not so great. Letters to Juliet and Just Wright took the No. 4 and No. 5 spots with $9.1 million and $4.25 million over the weekend, respectively. As for the aforementioned MacGruber, word on the street is that the producers did all they could to keep certain reviewers from seeing it in advance. Yep, they were afraid that the reviews would kill it. Nice, guys.
Opening this Weekend: Two more huge studio flicks open everywhere this weekend, starting with the much talked about Sex and the City 2, which opens on Thursday, May 27. I’m sure almost everyone who has seen the trailer will agree that it looks kind of dumb (Camels? Aidan Shaw?!), but people will go out of loyalty. The show was fantastic; the movies kinda blow. Also out this week is ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 25 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1981
May 27, 2010
25. George Harrison - Somewhere In England 24. Bob Dylan - Shot of Love
23. The Cars - Shake It Up
22. Elvis Costello - Almost Blue
21. Peter Tosh - Wanted Dread or Alive
20. King Crimson - Discipline
19. The dBs - Stands for Decibels
18. U2 - October
17. The Go-Gos - Beauty and the Beat
16. Gang of Four - Solid Gold
15. New Order - Movement
14. The Kinks - Give the People What They Want
13. Husker Du - Land Speed Record
12. The Cure - Faith
11. Black Flag - Damaged
10. X- Wild Gift ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
ALBUM REVIEW: THE FLAMING LIPS DO
PINK FLOYD'S DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
May 26, 2010
Possible leads considered for the review of The Flaming Lips’ rethinking of Pink Floyd’s most popular record and one of the highest selling albums of all-time: 1) In 2005, after buying and selling Dark Side at least five times (due to reissues, loss of interest, needing money, thinking I was “too cool” to like Pink Floyd, etc.), I told myself I’d never buy the record again. And here I am, buying Dark Side again; 2) Despite Wayne Coyne’s nephew, who fronts Stardeath and White Dwarfs (who also play on this record), trying to sound exactly like his uncle, this star-studded long shot of a remake works quite well; and, finally, 3) The Lips’ art-damaged, anything-goes take on Darkside is already better than Floyd’s original version.
Don’t get me wrong, at one time I loved Pink Floyd’s Dark Side. I can recall being 14 and riding my bike home from somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be, way-to-late at night in the late fall, listening to “The Great Gig In the Sky,” feeling six-foot-one (instead of five-feet-nine). I’d just had my inaugural beer, was part of a solid set of friends and, most of all, was really into Dark Side of the Moon. Chances are, you’ve been there too.
But, after years of reissues and changes of taste, I finally grew bored of the record at age 25. So when I heard that one of my favorite current bands, The Flaming Lips, were not only covering the record live, but also making their own recording of it (featuring guests Peaches, Henry Rollins and said Dwarfs), I was not exactly intrigued. As reviews of the record came in I felt my every hunch coming true: this is an unnecessary, annoying ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 30 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1982
May 25, 2010
30. Duran Duran - Rio 29. Marvin Gaye - Midnight Love
28. Brian Eno - Ambient 4
27. Yoko Ono - I See Alright
26. Lou Reed - The Blue Mask
25. The Descendents - Milo Goes to College
24. Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery
23. King Crimson - Beat
22. Led Zeppelin - Coda
21. Misson of Burma - Vs.
20. Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out ...
19. Roxy Music - Avalon
18. Crass - Christ, The Album
17. Adam Ant - Friend Or Foe
16. Marshall Crenshaw - Marshall Crenshaw
15. Flipper - Album
14. XTC - English Settlement
13. Paul McCartney - Tug of War
12. X - Under the Big Black Sun
11. The Cure - Pornography
10. Prince - 1999
9. The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
ALBUM REVIEW: EXILE ON MAIN ST.
(REISSUE W/"BONUS ALBUM")
May 24, 2010
A friend e-mailed me, asking if I thought he should pick up the reissue of The Rolling Stones’ classic 1972 album, Exile on Main St. “No, you shouldn’t,” I told him. “Not if you already have it.” Why not? Well, because you can still find LP copies of the record out there, and those still sound the best. This is a dirty sounding record, so it doesn’t really need a scrubbing. “What you do need to buy,” I told him, “is the bonus disc they’re selling.”
I then told him that maybe I was the wrong person to ask, as I think everything the band did through Tattoo You is essential rock n’ roll listening. But, hey, this bonus disc - stocked with 10 unreleased recordings from the Exile sessions - is the best Stones release since Tattoo You. Sure you get a couple of throwaway “alt. version” cuts, but you also get eight original studio songs not included on the original album.
And, before you start in with your theories about the common pitfalls of classic album reissues, let me assure you that, believe it or not, this 10-song bonus album is very much worth your time if you’re an Exile fan. There’s a short instrumental called “Title 5” that won’t do much for most; there are those two alt. takes that are used as filler; and there’s a very good song called “Good Time Women” that sounds almost too much like “Tumbling Dice” to not be considered an alt. take. But, push those six questionable tracks aside and you still have six classic-era Stones studio songs.
Opener “Pass the Wine” didn't do much for ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
ZE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH
May 23, 2010
Proof that Swedish singer/songwriter Kristian “The Tallest Man on Earth” Matsson is the New Big Deal in music is everywhere, big and bright - tallest proof on earth. Matsson is all suddenly all over the major blogs and websites - videos, album reviews, downloads, news, discussion board bickering. All that. Go to his record label’s website - www.deadoceans.com - and TMoE and his excellent sophomore record, The Wild Hunt, are plastered everywhere you look.
Remember Bon Iver’s small-to-huge magic trick a couple of years ago? Same thing happening here. Try to set up an interview with the Tall Man, who was virtually unknown just three months ago, and you’ll have trouble. Not because he doesn’t want to talk to American journalists, but because every American journalist wants to talk to the him. The new enigma in town.
I was lucky. Dead Oceans (and Indiana-based label, mind you) scheduled me in for a phoner with Matsson, who was in New York City playing shows at the time. But this was no normal interview. Not only was a press agent on the line, monitoring our every word, but I was briefed beforehand. I was informed, for example, that I was not to mention the name Bob Dylan.
Shucks. My first question, no joke, was going to be about Dylan. Not because ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
SCREENTIME: MACGRUBER, SEYFRIEND, STARK, KUBRICK AND MORE
May 22, 2010
Tops at the Box: Tony Stark: visionary; genius; American patriot; big time box office draw. Just two years after Jon Favreau’s first Iron Man film became a major success at the box office, we have Iron Man 2, which took the No. 1 spot at the box for a second straight week, upping its so-far U.S. total to $212 million and its so-far world total to over $400 million. Still running hot, too. Look for Favs, Robert Downey, Jr. and the gang to keep scoring decent dollars for another month or so.
More From the Box: The No. 2 film last weekend, predictably, was director Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood film, which we’ve seen described as “more merry than medieval.” Looks like a safely made period piece … probably nothing too incredible. Bringing in just over $37 million over your first three days is cause for celebration for most film, but not this one. Robin, starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, cost $200 million to produce and, from what we’ve seen, a whole lot of dollars to promote. Industry analysts predict that it’ll end up being the highest grossing medieval film of all-time before it’s said and done, topping 1991’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and 1995’s Braveheart. Way to put a good spin on a unimpressive opening, guys. Coming in at No. 3 was the cheesy-looking romantic drama Letters to Juliet, starring the ever-busy Amanda Seyfried; No. 4 last weekend was b-ball com-rom Just Wright; and coming in at No. 5, still hanging tough after eight weeks and $208 million, is animated family feature How To Train Your Dragon. The good movies still in theaters (Greenberg, Kick-Ass, Shutter Island and The Ghost Writer) combined for about $978,000 last weekend. Kinda depressing. Maybe Roger Greenberg was right: “life is wasted on people.”
Opening this Weekend: Two major releases this week, starting with Shrek Ever After, which we believe is the fourth proper film in the Shrek series. Could be the fifth; we don’t care to check. It’ll sell lots of tickets and DVDs and a whole new age group of kids will have their Halloween costumes secured. Who cares. Also out this week is MacGruber ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
UPDATE: OUR FAVORITE FILMS OF 2009
May 21, 2010
Ze Catalist loved film in 2009. We loved it so much that we're still thinking about it and watching some of the movies we missed when they first came out. While there are still some we haven't yet seen (Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon; Tom Ford’s A Single Man; Armando Iannucci's In the Loop; Richard Linklater’s Me and Orson Welles; Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Micmacs a tire-larigot), we feel that we've done a pretty solid job of seeing a good deal of the other worthwhile 2009 releases.
Unbeknownst to most ZC readers, we've been updating out 2009 film wrap-up all along. In some ways it has certainly changed in a radical way; in others, it's pretty much the same. Below you'll find a little teaser; click the "continued" link for the full wrap-up.
62. World's Greatest Dad (Bobcat Goldwaith) - 4/10
61. The Hangover (Todd Phillips) - 4.25/10
60. Bruno (Larry Charles) - 4.5/10
59. Trucker (James Mottern) - 4.75/10
58. Paper Heart (Nicolas Jasenovec) - 5/10
57. The Time Traveler's Wife (Robert Schwentke) - 5/10
56. Amelia (Mira Nair) - 5.25/10
55. Extract (Mike Judge) - 5.5/10
54. Tenure (Mike Million) - 5.5/10
53. The September Issue (RJ Cutler) - 5.75/10
52. Whip It (Drew Fucking Barrymore) - 6/10
51. Sherlock Holmes (Guy Ritchie) - 6.25/10
50. The Men Who Stare at Goats (Grant Heslov) - 6.5/10
49. Zombieland (Ruben Fleischer) - 6.5/10
48. The Brothers Bloom (Rian Johnston) - 6.5/10
47. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (Rebecca Miller) - 6.5/10
46. Last House on the Left (Dennis Iliadis) - 6.5
45. Gentlemen Broncos (Jared Hess) - 6.5
44. Funny People (Judd Apatow) - 6.75/10
43. Brothers (Jim Sheridan) - 6.75/10
42. Gigantic (Matt Aselton) - 7/10
41. Adam (Max Mayer) - 7/10
40. Sunshine Cleaning (Christine Jeffs) - 7/10
39. Away We Go (Sam Mendes) - 7/10
38. Julie & Julia (Nora Ephron) - 7/10
37. Two Lovers (James Gray) - 7/10 ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 20 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1983
May 20, 2010
20. The Fall - Perverted by Language 19. The The - Soul Mining
18. Sonic Youth - Confusion is Sex
17. Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
16. David Bowie - Let’s Dance
15. U2 - War
14. Bob Dylan - Infidels
13. Billy Bragg - Life’s a Riot
12. X - More Funin the New World
11. Echo & the Bunnymen - Porcupine
10. Daniel Johnston - Yip/Jump Music
9. XTC - Mummer
8. Elvis Costello - Punch the Clock
7. New Order - Power, Corruption ...
6. The Plimsouls - Everywhere at Once
5. Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 25 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1984
May 19, 2010
25. David Gilmour - About Face 24. Husker Du - Zen Arcade
23. Run DMC - Run DMC
22. Spinal Tap - This is Spinal Tap
21. The Cars - Heartbeat City
20. The Ramones - Too Tough to Die
19. The Specials In the Studio …
18. Minutemen - Double Nickels
17. Talk Talk - It’s My Life
16. U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
15. Nick Cave - From Here to Eternity
14. The Kinks - Word of Mouth
13. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
12. Echo and the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
11. Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground
10. Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.
9. Prince - Purple Rain ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 25 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1985
May 18, 2010
25. The Clash - Cut the Crap 24. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
23. Husker Du - Flip Your Wig
22. Mick Jagger - She’s the Boss
21. Prince - Around the World In a Day
20. LL Cool J - Radio
19. Dead Kennedys - Frankenchrist
18. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen
17. Husker Du - New Day Rising
16. R.E.M. - Fables of the Recon ...
15. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
14. Ry Cooder - Paris, Texas
13. The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy and the Lash
12. Neil Young - Old Ways
11. The Cure - The Head on the Door
10. Sonic Youth - Bad Moon Rising ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 20 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1986
May 18, 2010
20. Steve Earle - Guitar Town
19. Paul Simon - Graceland
18. Run DMC - Raising Hell
17. Miles Davis - Tutu
16. They Might Be Giants - S/T
15. XTC - Skylarking
14. Violent Femmes - The Blind ...
13. The The - Infected
12. Public Image Ltd. - Compact Disc
11. Elvis Costello - Blood & Chocolate
10. Iggy Pop - Blah, Blah, Blah
9. Dwight Yoakum - Guitars, Cadillacs
8. Peter Gabriel - So
7. Billy Bragg - Talking With the ...
6. Elvis Costello - King of America ...
Written by G. William Locke
WE LOVE NICOLAS CAGE. WE THINK YOU SHOULD TOO. WE THINK WE KNOW BEST.
May 17, 2010
Whenever I ask people who their least favorite actor is, there's always, without fail, a roar. "NIC CAGE!" At least three out of ten people: "NIC CAGE!!" What! Seriously!?
Maybe it's just a trend, like how everyone randomly loves Betty White all of the sudden. Or how McDonalds is so popular despite making greasy, unhealthy trash. Remeber when people used to wear biker shorts? Water socks?! Well, if you hate Nic Cage with a raging passion, you're basically wearing biker shorts and water socks at the same time. You think Betty White is the star of 2010. You'll regret it all someday when you're in a conversation with a film buff and they make you look like the popularist Betty White fan you once were.
Cage is a genuinely weird dude, like many great actors and artists. He does weird things with his hair, marries the same women Michael Jackson married, chooses strange roles, creates batshit characters, etc. He's really not too different from Johnny Depp in some ways. The big difference, of course, is that Depp is cutesy and Cage is not. Oh, and Depp is much prettier. But Cage's winks are grittier (and his muscles bigger!).
We've put together what we believe to be a very concinving list of great films/performances involving cage, including his two recent classics, Kick-Ass and Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. Unlike most actor's lists of wortwhile films and performances, Cage's list is very long and diverse.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Minor role, sure, but a nice introduction to the man.
Raising Arizona - A Coen Brothers classic. Cage is in all-out kooky mode here, giving a performance that no one else could give. I'm sure they considered John Cusack or whoever, but if you compare, say, Valley Girl to Tape Heads or Gross Point Blank (Cusack's two attempts at kooky), it's pretty obvious who King Batship of his generation is.
Leaving Las Vegas - Nic Cage won an Oscar?! No way!! Yep. And damn did he deserve it. This is an incredibly hard to watch performance, due to how authentic Cage is as the alcoholic with a death wish. Very nuanced and memorable ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
SUMMER MIXTAPE, VOLUME 4
May 16, 2010
Soul Position - "Printmatic"Buck65 - "Pants On Fire"Edan - "I See Colours"Nas - "Shootouts"Illogic - "Hate In a Puddle"Sage Francis - "Inherited Scars"Binary Star - "Indy 500"Buck65 - "Up the Middle"Blueprint - "1988"Little Brother - "Beautiful Morning"Illogic - "Angel"Soul Position - "Inhale"Ghostface Killah - "All That I Got Is You"Edan - "Mic Manipulator"Raekwon - "Verbal Intercourse"
The High & Mighty - "B-Boy Document ‘99"
Atmosphere - "The Woman with the Tattooed Hands"
Sage Francis - "Broken Wings"
Atmosphere - "Smart Went Crazy"
Goodie Mob - "Soul Food"
Illogic - "Got Lyrics?"
Brother Ali - "Champion"
Outkast - "Da Art of Storytellin’ 1 & 2"
Atmosphere - "Bird Sings Why the Caged I Know"
Buck65 - "Driftwood"
Compiled by G. William Locke
OUR 25 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1987
May 15, 2010
25. Jane’s Addiction - Jane’s Addiction 24. Depeche Mode - Music for Masses
23. 10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe
22. Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love
21. Mick Jagger - Primitive Cool
20. Public Enemy - Yo! Bumrush ...
19. The Pogues - If I Should Fall …
18. Love & Rockets - Earth, Sun, Moon
17. BDP - Criminal Minded
16. Big Black - Songs About Fucking
15. Prince - Sign n’ the Times
14. U2 - The Joshua Tree
13. The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
12. Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
11. Michael Jackson - Bad
10. Tom Waits - Frank’s Wild Years ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 35 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1988
May 14, 2010
35. Bob Dylan - Down in the Groove 34. Big Daddy Kane - Long Live ...
33. Steve Earle - Copperhead Road
32. EPMD - Strictly Business
31. Leonard Cohen - I’m Your Man
30. Metallica - … And Justice for All
29. Slick Rick - The Great …
28. They Might Be Giants - Lincoln
27. The Sugarcubes - Life’s Too Good
26. BDP - By All Means Necessary
25. Erik B & Rakim - Follow the Leader
24. American Music Club - California
23. Talking Heads - Naked
22. Beat Happening - Jamboree
21. Lucinda Williams - S/T
20. Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
SCREENTIME # 35
May 13, 2010
Tops at the Box: It comes as no surprise that what will likely be the year’s biggest film, Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2, took the No. 1 spot at the box office this past weekend, bringing in over $133 million over it’s first three days in the U.S. Worldwide the $200 million film - starring Robert Downey, Jr., Sam Rockwell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mickey Rourke and others - has already boxed about $328 million. Industry analysts predict that this new Clang classic will easily box over $1 billion worldwide and likely bring in another billion or so via rental and DVD sales. We can’t hate on this one. As far as big, loud, all-out summer blockbusters go, Iron Man 2 left us very entertained. Unlike, say, Avatar, you can really see where the money went with this film. The script isn’t the greatest, but everything else is pretty great (especially Rockwell and Downey), even if the pizza is a little too cheesy.
More From the Box: The A Nightmare on Elms Street reboot, despite coming in at No. 2 this week, took a pretty big nosedive, dollar wise, going from over $30 million last weekend to only $9 million this weekend. The reviews and word-of-mouth haven’t been so great and, well, with competition like Iron Man 2 going strong, look for Elm Street to keep fizzling. Coming in at No. 3 last weekend was How To Train Your Dragon, topping the $200 million mark in the U.S. with just under $7 million last weekend. We can’t wait until this film - which is now one of the 100 biggest money makers of all-time - leaves theaters. Date Night kept ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
SUMMER-READY FLASHBACK: EDAN'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAT
May 12, 2010
With his second official album, Beauty and the Beat, Boston’s Edan joins the elite of hip-hop auteurs (Buck65, Blueprint and MF Doom, to name a few) at the upper echelon of current artists working to keep the genre both pure in nature and progressive in spirit. In a dream world where Eliot Spitzer is President and Clear Channel, payola, and MTV don’t exist, Beauty and the Beat could be a direly important, chart-ready throwback to the days of classic hip-hop, no less important than other nostalgic based (and highly promoted) acts such as The Strokes. As Blueprint learned earlier this year with his 1988 album, channeling a time and place you weren’t a part of can be tricky. Edan, however, seems to have no problem with his most recent resounding better days.
Pitched by most critics as “psychedelic” (likely due to the albums artwork and continuous flow, rather than the actual music), Beauty builds each song off of dusty, dance-ready break beats buried under funk and acid loops. Speckled with soul vocal samples and guest-shots from like-minded friends, Beauty plays through as a brief yet dense work by an artist capable of sounding both classic and modern simultaneously.
In addition to his masterful production technique, Edan has done his work studying the vocal handlings of the genres innovators, specifically the stylings of Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap. With a somewhat nasally and oddly dynamic voice, Edan’s approach goes back ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 25 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1989
May 11, 2010
25. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate ... 24. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mother’s ...
23. Elvis Costello - Spike
22. XTC - Oranges & Lemons
21. Jungle Brothers - Done By the ...
20. Daniel Johnston - Hi, How Are You
19. Aerosmith - Pump
18. Lou Reed - New York
17. Nirvana - Bleach
16. The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It ...
15. Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy
14. Slint - Tweez
13. The Vaselines - Dum-Dum
12. Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
11. The Cure - Disintegration
10. Camper Van Beethoven - Key Lime Pie
9. Fugazi - 13 Songs ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
FEATURE STORY: CLEM SNIDE
May 11, 2010
Flash back to 2001, where this love story starts. The album was The Ghost of Fashion and me and my cronies were the junkies. At the time Clem Snide, far from a household name, were all the buzz amongst rock critics, as was Ben Folds, who was touring in support of his much loved solo debut, Rockin’ the Suburbs.
Having just turned 21, I was beyond stoked to hear that Folds was bringing the Snide along for his much anticipated Piere’s show. So us junkies showed. For us, Folds was the bonus and Snide was the focus. We’d been playing Ghost in our record store for months, hanging on to every hilarious and heartfelt lyric. We were certain that, between “No One’s More Happy Than You” and “Moment in the Sun,” this Eef Barzelay guy, who fronted the Snide, understood us more than anyone. The desperation was warm and the observations cold, just how we liked it. Eef - not Jeff Lebowski - was our dude.
That said, when the leader of our pack (our store manager, Jim), was able to score an interview with Barzelay for his then-popular “Wrong Side of Sunday” radio show, we worried. Us insecure indie brats feared that this incredibly witty and untouchably ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 30 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1990
May 10, 2010
30. Iggy Pop - Brick by Brick29. Eric B. & Rakim - Let the Rhythm ...
28. Bob Dylan - Under Red Sky
27. Primus - Frizzle Fry
26. Digital Underground - Sex Packets
25. Phish - Lawn Boy
24. The Flaming Lips - In a Priest ...
23. Billy Bragg - The Internationale
22. EPMD - Strictly Business
21. Joe Henry - Shuffletown
20. Royal Trux - Twin Infinitives
19. Daniel Johnston - 1990
18. Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
17. Depeche Mode - Violator
16. Jane’s Addiction - Ritual de le Habitual
15. They Might be Giants - Flood
14. Buffalo Tom - Birdbrain
13. Neil Young - Ragged Glory
12. The Breeders - Pod ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 35 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1991
May 9, 2010
35. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes 34. Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill
33. Digital Underground - This is an EP
32. Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese
31. Tone Loc - Cool Hand Loc
30. The Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
29. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood ...
28. N.W.A. - Efil4zaggin
27. 3rd Bass - Derelicts of Dialect
26. Saint Etienne - Foxbase Alpha
25. Boyz II Men - Cooleyhighharmony
24. Blur - Leisure
23. Main Source - Breaking Atoms
22. Del - I Wish My Brother George ...
21. Metallica - Metallica
20. Fugazi - Steady Diet of Nothing
19. Guns N’ Roses - Use Your Illusion
18. Pearl Jam - Ten
17. Nirvana - Nevermind ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 40 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1992
May 8, 2010
40. Blind Melon - Blind Melon 39. Phish - A Picture of Nectar
38. Tragically Hip - Fully Completely
37. Redman - Whut? Thee Album
36. Gang Starr - Daily Operation
35. Stone Temple Pilots - Core
34. Magnetic Fields - The Wayward Bus
33. Bruce Springsteen - Lucky Town
33. Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch
32. House of Pain - House of Pain
31. Nirvana - Insecticide
30. They Might Be Giants - Apollo 18
29. Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
28. Red House Painters - Down Colorful
27. The Vaselines - The Way of
26. Morrissey - Your Arsenal
25. Morphine - Good
24. The Flaming Lips - Hit To Death in the Future Head
23. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
22. The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II
21. Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience
20. Neil Young - Harvest Moon
19. Chris Bell - I Am the Cosmos
18. Yo Le Tengo - May I Sing With me ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
FILM REVIEW: IRON MAN 2
May 7, 2010
When critics, fans, industry types, idiots and whoever else made a big deal of how amazing Avatar looked, I didn’t quite get it. The film looked like an instantly dated video game to me. Yeah, I know a lot of work and cutting edge technology and big studio dollars went into the production, but, to me, it still didn’t look all that amazing. Too new age-y and obviously computer generated.
A piece of shit, really.
Iron Man 2 is a different story. Iron Man 2, for me, is the best example of movie magic I’ve seen in a very long time. The stuff happening on the screen - and, more importantly, how real it all looks - is mind blowing stuff. The art design is so damn impressive from beginning to end that the not-so-great storyline (and the many cheesy moments) didn’t bother me too much. The movie is called Iron Man 2, so, you know, such things are kind of expected from the jump. This is not a movie that needs an abundance of soul and heart to be successful.
Jon Favreau’s film is not a 3D movie, which instantly makes it a smarter film than Avatar. What confused me most about Avatar was how smitten all my film critic heroes were. They loved that 3D scam so goddamn much that they overlooked the bad acting and three billion plot holes. But here’s the thing: 3D is bullshit. There’s not really such a thing taking place in theaters. There are 2D movies that utilize multiple layers of 2D being projected - and that seems to impress idiots - but there is no actual 3D taking place in theaters. There are funny glasses that make people feel special and there’s lots of loud talking about how special the technology behind Avatar was.
Again, bullshit. And, again, Iron Man 2 is an instantly smarter movie for not bothering with the glasses and gimmicks. The production, however, is just as big. And, most importantly, the money is better spent. With Iron Man 2 we get real actors. We get real writers. We get a director who knows how to control his ego. We see the money on the screen at every second, and it’s big and it loud and it’s dum … smart. Smart enough, that is. There’s no brilliant writing or storytelling going on, but there’s ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
LOVING BAUMBACH WITH SCREENTIME
May 6, 2010
I had a memorable trip to the Cinema Center this past weekend for two reasons: 1) the film I saw, Jacques Audiard’s Un Prophete, was the best flick I’ve seen in months, and easily the best so far of 2010; 2) I spotted a poster in the lobby announcing that Noah Baumbach’s new film, Greenberg, opens at the Cinema Center this Friday, May 7. Joy. I love writer/director Noah Baumbach. I love him like you probably love Dave Matthews or Tom Hanks or Oprah or McDreamy or your first born. His movies and cool 80s Brooklyn dude hair make me feel complete. Every movie. Every hair. He does no wrong in my eyes.
Chances are you only kinda/sorta know Baumbach, if at all. You might know his 2005 film, The Squid and the Whale, and you might know his 1995 debut, Kicking and Screaming. And, even if you do, we’re going to pretend like you don’t. We’re going to pretend like you haven’t even seen the trailer for Greenberg yet. Why? Because we’re excited, Greenberg being one of ScreenTime’s most anticipated films of 2010. In anticipations, we’ve chosen to cover the man’s flexography this week.
Kicking and Screaming (1995): This cult comedy (not to be confused with the low-brow Will Ferrell film) put Baumbach on the map at age 26. Though very few people saw the film when it first came out (it only ever played on 26 screens), it was a hit with critics and saw much love from the Sundance Channel. The story is simple: four dudes graduate from college and don’t know how to get on with their lives. That’s about it ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
KILLING TIME WITH THE DEAD RECORDS
May 5, 2010
When the playwright George Bernard Shaw first said “youth is wasted on the young” around 100 years ago, he wasn’t thinking about rock n’ roll. Rock n’ roll didn’t exist 100 years ago.
When Paul Westerberg first sang “I need a goddamn job” in January of 1982, he wasn’t talking about steady work at a factory or his uncle’s office. He was talking about rock n’ roll, which did exist. And now, almost 30 years later, Westerberg is still working his job as a full-time musician. He’s lucky. And, while Shaw is long dead, his quote about youth remains a staple amongst aging rock n’ roll types.
Enter The Dead Records, a quintet of young musicians looking for jobs while not wasting a second of their youth. They have a new EP coming out and a slew of shows lined up for the summer. They’re from North Manchester but currently spend their days and nights in Fort Wayne, working, rocking, going to school.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when these guys showed up at my door. I’d heard their debut , 2009’s And Now We Dance, and seen photos of them in action. I’d read C. Ray Harvey’s review of said record and had been told by a handful of people that they’re great on stage. A more punk-friendly version of Manchester Orchestra. Kinda.
Still, I had no idea what was coming.
Within 10 minutes of living room chatter I was imagining these four very distinct personalities working perfectly for a film or TV script. First we have Sean Richardson, the 21 year old drummer in sandals who keeps busy. He’s tall and chatty ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 50 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1993
May 4, 2010
The best year ever for music? Okay, maybe not. The list below certainly won’t argue that case, but if you look a little closer, you’ll notice a trend. Debut records. So many great new bands offering their first songs in 1993. Here are just a few of the bands who debuted in 1993: Radiohead; PJ Harvey; Snoop Doggy Dogg; Wu-Tang Clan; Built to Spill; Counting Crows; Palace (Will Oldham); Porno for Pyros; Smog; Dave Matthews and many others. Additionally, a number of artists had their solo debuts in 1993, including Frank Black, Paul Westerberg, Bjork and Liz Phair.
Great year for artists, so-so year for actual records. Mostly, 1993 was a year for hip-hop. Maybe even the best year for hip-hop yet.
50. Guns N’ Roses - The Spaghetti Incident?
49. Jodeci - Diary of a Mad Band
48. Lords of the Underground - Here Come the Lords
47. PJ Harvey - 4-Track Demos
46. Digital Underground - The Body-Hat Syndrome
45. Bob Dylan - World Gone Wrong
44. Smog - Julius Caesar
43. Tom Waits - The Black Rider
42. Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Toward Ecstasy
41. Primus - Pork Soda
40. Pearl Jam - Vs.
39. Tupac - Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z.
38. LL Cool J - 14 Shots to the Dome
37. Paul Weller - Wild Wood
36. Bjork - Debut ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 50 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1994
May 3, 2010
50. Dave Matthews Band - Under the ... 49. Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
48. Ween - Chocolate and Cheese
47. The Stone Roses - The 2nd Coming
46. Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
45. Ben Harper - Welcome to the ...
44. The Roots - Do You Want More?
43. The Smashing Pumpkins - Pisces ...
42. R.E.M. - Monster
41. Manic Street Preachers - Holy ...
40. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward ...
39. G. Love & Special Sauce - S/T
38. Pulp - His ‘n’ Hers
37. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Creepin
36. Jeru the Damaja - The Sun Rises ...
35. Portishead - Dummy
34. Palace Brothers - Days in the Wake
33. Tom Petty - Wildflowers
32. Sonic Youth - Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
OUR 40 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1995
May 2, 2010
40. Masta Ace - Sittin’ On Chrome 39. No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
38. Free Kitten - Nice Ass
37. Big L - Lifestylez ov da Poor ...
36. Tupac - Me Against the World
35. Green Day - Insomniac
34. The Clean - Modern Rock
33. The Dogg Pound - Dogg Food
32. Sleater-Kinney - Sleater-Kinney
31. Wax - 13 Unlucky Numbers
30. Supergrass - I Should Coco
29. Scott Walker - Tilt
28. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - E 1999
27. Aimee Mann - I’m With Stupid
26. Red Hot Chili Peppers - One Hot
25. Fugazi - Red Medicine
24. The Rentals - Return of the Rentals ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke
MR. GNOME'S ENDLESS CHUG
May 1, 2010
Three years ago, when I first time interviewed mr. Gnome singer/guitarist Nicole Barille, she talked to me about the challenges of making a name for her band outside of their native Cleveland. The second time, a year or so later, she and her band mate, drummer Sam Meister, had just begun receiving widespread national attention and distribution - this around the time of the release of their excellent debut LP, Deliver This Creative. Now, two years since their last trip to Fort Wayne, they’re bigger than ever.
Hard work, killer riffs and a Queen named Josh, that’s the answer.
“We're still based out of Cleveland. We actually live out in the country just outside of Cleveland, but we're not home very often because we tour so much,” the lanky and charismatic Barille recently told me while discussing her busy 2009. “Last time you and I spoke we were releasing our first full-length album, Deliver This Creature. Since then we've done about five national tours.
“We also got invited to record at Josh Homme's Pink Duck Studios out in L.A., eventually releasing our second full-length, Heave Yer Skeleton, in November of last year,” she added. “People have been treating us so wonderfully so we're very appreciative to everyone for that.”
For Heave, the duo worked with Homme’s studio manager, Justin Smith, running around his studio for a week, “playing with all of Josh’s magical toys,” Barille joked.
Before making the trip from Cleveland to Los Angeles to record, Barille and Meister, known for their hard-to-pin-down sound, recorded demos of their new songs, sending them to Smith in advance.
“It was really cool to share our ideas with him. We had never ... [Continued]
Written by G. William Locke