Happy Halloween, Bitches!!!

That's right, Happy Halloween, bitches. Now that I'm back from my travels of the Southeastern portion of the United States in the name of science, I can slowly turn my attention back to the ol' blog.

With my first act since returning, I'd like to introduce to you something I've been sitting on for a couple of weeks now. A few weeks ago this dude I know gave me a copy of his band's CD. He didn't ask me to post about it, just to give it a listen.

So, I did, and I was pleasantly surprised when I gave it its first listen. I mean, its completely rough, to his own admission, but there's definitely something there. The CD consists of 8 unmixed, very rough tracks. There's a few gems, and the rest display the foundation of something very good to come.

His band is called Redbeard Rattlesnake and my buddy's name is Derik. They hail for the western Kentucky area, which acts as a bonus when I post, because its always nice to tout some local talent (that's where I'm from) and they are currently as unsigned and unsigned gets. But they are in the mixing/production stage of their first album which they intend to call Amen City. All of the tracks are unfinished, but, keeping that in mind, I've really enjoyed what I've heard so far. I think they've got a good ear for melodies with the musicianship to back it up.

Now, I'm not going to go crazy and post the whole damn album, by any means, but here's a few songs from the CD.

Redbeard Rattlesnake - Man Named Diamond
Redbeard Rattlesnake - Poor Anna

If you end up listening to the songs, let me know what you think. I'm really curious. I actually like this more than a couple of the other unsigned bands I've posted recently.

RR

AG Webcast: Episode 8

Fans, you probably didn't notice that I didn't post a webcast in September and October is falling fast. Well, I'm here just in time to quell your fears. The reason I've been on hiatus is that I've been pretty busy at the job place - a thing that should never happen, but dammit, it does. I have been determined, worker, intense, good worker, hard worker, terrific as of late, though I still pale in comparison to Sir Schrute. I'm sure Dwight would agree that when you get in a zone, one thing that can keep you there is some sweet music. So, here's what I've been listening to over the past month or so. Enjoy!

>>>>>AG Webcast - October 2007 - E8<<<<<

1. Wilco - Walken, Sky Blue Sky (2007)
2. Wilco - On and On and On, Sky Blue Sky (2007)
3. Ox - Blue Morning, Dust Bowl Revival (2003)
4. Ox - Fat Old Sun, Dust Bowl Revival (2003)
5. Bob Marley - So Much Things to Say, Exodus (1977)
6. Bob Marley - Exodus, Exodus (1977)
7. Bob Marley - One Love/People Get Ready, Exodus (1977)
8. JJ Cale - Travelin Light, Troubadour (1976)
9. JJ Cale - Waymore's Blues, Rewind (2007, recorded 1971)
10. JJ Cale - Since You Said Goodbye, Rewind (2007, recorded 1973)
11. JJ Cale - Its Good to Be In Austin, Rewind (2007, recorded 1992)

Happy Halloween!
AG

The Eagles Are Back!!

But unfortunately you won't find anything about that here. Instead, I offer a sampling of other great music that I've been digging on since I last commented. What can I say, I am one lazy dude.

The Dude is both lazy and hates The Eagles, just like me.

I'm heading more and more indie in the last few months. Two of these bands were brought up by Rutledge including one found here that he thinks could be the best album of the year. I thought I had this figured out, but then I get hit by all this new good music released in the last year, including the one Rutledge recommends above. Two more months to go and the Top 10 for the year is up in the air it seems. I doubt The Eagles will make that list though.

Band of Horses -- Ode to the LRC from Cease to Begin [buy here]
Modest Mouse -- Missed the Boat from We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank [buy here]
Peter Bjorn & John -- Start to Melt from Writer's Block [buy here]
Rogue Wave -- Lake Michigan from Asleep At Heaven's Gate [buy here]

I'm probably late to the game with these guys, but I am glad I finally discovered them.

BK

(Into) The Wild

Into the Wild, the movie; Eddie at the opening; smoke on the water, the California coast

Several events have come together to prompt this post. The first was my reading of Into the Wild by John Krakauer a few years back. It certainly hit me as an exciting, interesting, scary, and tragic true story about society and nature. Man, what a great book. Recently, this book was scooped up by Hollywood and made into a movie. The movie was good. The book was better, but I'd highly recommend both. One of the nice things about the movie was the soundtrack, put together by Eddie Vedder, who can relate to wildness, I think. It sounds pretty good to me - a bit more subdued that you might think of when Pearl Jam comes into play, which I think is nice. It's still very raw in Eddie's style, but that fits the movie well. And, as Eddie knows how, you can hear the tragedy dripping off his words. Check out two tracks from the movie, below. Finally, we have the wild fires of Southern California - another tragedy and display of the wild. The forces of nature are amazing and, while a forest fire is ultimately a good thing for an ecosystem, it can wreck havoc on our worldly plans. I'm certainly thinking about those displaced by the fire, the fire fighters working to get things under control, and the lives lost.

Eddie Vedder - Far Behind
Eddie Vedder - Hard Sun

Buy the Soundtrack for Into the Wild right here.

AG

Wilco, Part Deux

Yes, Tweedy actually did wear that suit (photo thanks to "Wendy" from ViaChicago.org)

For the second time in the last few months, I saw Wilco. For the second time in the last few months, I was blown away. I caught them at the Wexner Theater, located on the campus of The Ohio State University (home of the country's most overrated football team). I am fluffing WIlco to no end these days, so Tweedy could fart in the mic for two hours and I'd think it was a helluva show (not really). My most memorable memories:

+ A fantastic opener of Sunken Treasure and You Are My Face. Sunken Treasure is a melancholy song perhaps, but the emotion and intensity of Tweedy's voice, along with the booming drums of Glenn Kotche and Nels lap steel, make this song very powerful. Tweedy had the entire audience hanging on his words and the chorus just pulls a string -- "I am so out of tune with you." After the closing build up that ends Sunken Treasure, Wilco hit us hard from another direction with an always rocking You Are My Face. This song is just great rock and roll and Nels chops definitely don't disappoint in the live setting. It was a great contrast to Sunken Treasure yet did not drop the intensity.

+ Here's the setlist,, courtesy of Wilcobase:

Wilco
2007-10-16
Wexner Center, Ohio State University
Columbus, OH

1. Sunken Treasure
2. You Are My Face
3. Company In My Back
4. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
5. Handshake Drugs
6. A Shot In The Arm
7. Side With The Seeds
8. Via Chicago
9. Impossible Germany
10. Sky Blue Sky
11. Forget The Flowers
12. Hummingbird
13. Jesus, Etc. (w/ Andrew Bird on violin)
14. Walken
15. I'm The Man Who Loves You
16. The Late Greats

Encore 1:
17. Hate It Here
18. Heavy Metal Drummer
19. In A Future Age
20. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Encore 2:
21. Airline To Heaven
22. Too Far Apart
23. Red-Eyed And Blue
24. I Got You (At The End Of The Century)
25. Outtasite (Outta Mind)

Look at all of the Being There and AM stuff. As a late straggler to Wilco, I am not one who is always yearning for old Wilco, but for those of us who missed the Being There days, it's pretty damn cool to see some of these songs in rotation. The boys saved a bulk of them for late in the night and, after finally catching a Red-Eyed and Blue > I Got You > Outtasite, I was a happy camper. No better way for them to send us home.

As I always say with these guys, check them out if they come near. You will not be disappointed. As always, I had many more thoughts on the show, but since 5 days have now passed, I forgot most of them. Although the Columbus show is not currently available (I did not see any tapers), last night's Charlottesville show is and it features the very same Sunken Treasure > You Are My Face opener. Check it out below. Note: this has been converted to mp3. If you are interested in higher quality, go to bt.etree.org and download the flacs.

Sunken Treasure from Charlottesville, 10/20/07
You Are My Face from Charlottesville 10/20/07

[Buy Wilco here]

BK

Top 5 - Scary Songs

That's a fine carving job

Yes, my hiatuses (hiati?) seem to grow longer with each attempt to re-insert myself into the daily KGB blog. This is due to the insane amount of time and effort it takes to find a job in the world of academia. I know I have a PhD, but this is really way too complicated. And, I'm only half way done. Fortunately, the next half comes a few months down the road, so I have a few spare minutes to post another long awaited TOP 5! So, I got some help and stole this idea:

TOP 5 Scary/Halloween Songs

Yessir, your 5 favorite songs that have to do with something scary (anything you want, really) or Halloween. If any one puts Michael Jackson's Thriller for all five of their songs (Cori) I'll be severely disappointed. So, have at it, there are some good one's out there.

AG

Congratulations, I'm a Safe Driver

I just successfully completed online traffic school. I received a ticket back about a month ago, and now, thanks to the progresses of modern technology, I've cut an 8 hour classroom session into a one hour online marathon.

I now feel I've regained the confidence to maneuver the highways of Nashville. So, with my recent graduation (read: completion) of online traffic school, I'll leave you with a couple of vehicle related songs and some handy rules I learned in "class".

Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running: If exiting the car for any period of time, it is wise to turn off the car and remove the keys from the ignition.

The Decemberists - The Engine Driver: Train crossings should be treated as normal intersections. Come to a complete stop at a set of train tracks. Look left, right, straight ahead, and back left before proceeding.


Marcy Playground - Saint Joe on the School Bus: When approaching a stopped school bus decrease speed, and even if the stop sign has yet to be extended, begin scanning for children.

Silversun Pickups - Rusted Wheel: Car maintenance should be kept up-to-date and regular. Air pressure and wiper fluid wiper fluid should be checked weekly. Before long trips perform a thorough inspection of your vehicle before proceeding.

Speaking of going on long trips, I leave tomorrow for 5 days in Florida (work related, I promise) followed immediately by 3 days in South Carolina (also work related) so this might be my only post for the next week. So, remember, drive safely and never drink and drive.

RR

Can We Ever Have Too Much Good Folk Music??

Seriously, can we?

I don't think so. A lot of people like folk for a lot of different reasons. I, for one, appreciate the simplicity of it. I'm all for layering songs beyond comprehension at times, Radiohead can be guilty of this. But sometimes all I want is some good, simple folk music. I want to focus on the melody and not get bogged down by a lot of other stuff.

So, with that said, here's something you probably haven't heard.

Here's a fellow playing under the band name Good Times Good Times. I suppose you can find out more about him here. He's recently completed a new album, Glue, from which I'll post a few songs. You can probably buy his album for cheap on his website. I've only got these three, so far, but I've definitely enjoyed what I've heard, you should.

I think he's got quite an ear for melody, which I think is most evident in the song Desire. I hope you all like these songs, I've been playing them for about a week now. Its probably the best artist submission we've received to date. Enjoy.

Good Times Good Times - Desire
Good Times Good Times - Sea Shanty
Good Times Good Times - Summer

RR

College Football Rules....

Captain Badass

Ladies and gentlemen,

My sports related postings on this here music blog are usually limited to laments about the failures of my favorite teams. I can happily report that this is not the case this time around as my beloved Kentucky Wildcats upset #1 LSU in triple overtime this weekend. There are too many players to single out for their great efforts, so I'll focus on our most known player, Andre Woodson. He is the real deal folks, and if you saw the game yesterday you don't need me to describe how he kept the vaunted LSU defense off balance with his game management; he audibled at the line over half of the plays, almost always picking the right thing.

So, in honor of Andre Woodson, I present Jason Molina and Songs:Ohia, who will bestow him a new nickname.

Songs Ohia: Captain Badass

[Buy Songs:Ohia here]

BK

In Rainbows...

You know what....screw it. Its not even 2:30 in the afternoon and I'm already on my 5th listen, so I'll just go ahead and offer up a few comments on what I think of the album. This is not technically a review (because i'm horrible at that), even though if it was it would be like the 35,000th of such on these here internets. Just some rambling thoughts.

The thing is, I can't remember the last time I was this excited about an album, only I've only had like 6 days or something to build up anticipation. And what added to the excitement is the fact that I haven't seen Radiohead live since like 2003 and had never heard ANY of these songs. I've forced myself to stay away from them, just waiting to hear the final versions. So I'll just say that it is everything I didn't have time to anticipate it being. I love it. I think its an exceptionally beautiful album. So, I suppose I'll tell you why.

To me, this is the first time Radiohead have actually managed to mesh their need for computer-laden beats and music (Kid A and Amnesiac) with the old-school guitar Radiohead that a lot of us remember (The Bends and OK Computer). They hinted at attempting to mold the two in their last album, Hail to the Thief, but for whatever reason I always found that record a little lacking. In Rainbows marks a clear success at that attempt (if that truly was their intent, who knows). As the individual tracks go....here's my feeling on a few of them:

1. 15 Step: Probably the best example of what I meant above about mixing the two Radiohead "styles". I found this to be the perfect lead in track. It kicked off the album fantastically for me and was easily one of the highlights of the album.

2. Bodysnatchers: Easily the most rockingest song on the album, but also one of the weakest for me personally. I find that very surprising, actually.

3. Nude: Radiohead begin to outdo themselves here. The orchestral arrangements are everywhere on this album. Moreso than ever before. Its got a very "How to Disappear Completely" sound, except with maybe more purpose. Where "Disappear" was more wandering, this song seems more focused with the meandering arrangements.

5. All I Need: Through five listens my favorite track on the album. I love the beginning beat overlayed with the bass. I like it so much, that I'm just really getting into it when the bridge kicks in, and I get pissed. Well played Radiohead.

7. Reckoner: Every song on this album is good, but this song completes the trifecta of standout tracks in my mind. Thom has always done a good job of using his voice as another instrument on other Radiohead albums. That's what comes to my mind with this one. Simply great.

9. Jigsaw Falling Into Place: I can't help but to think of Death Cab's Soul Meets Body when I listen to this one. Similar acoustic guitar sounds, I suppose.

10. Videotape: A lot of other reviews are comparing this song to Motion Picture Soundtrack, the end song to Kid A. I'll agree they're both slow and the last song on their respective albums, but I'll end all comparisons there. I loved MPS. Its one of my favorite Radiohead songs of all time. Lets just say I don't think Videotape is there yet.

Overall, I love it. It was well worth the four year wait. The only thing that sucks about this album is it means we won't get another for quite a while. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't get too greedy.

I'd love to hear what you all think once you get a chance to listen....hit me up in the comments section.

RR