Myself and my fellow band mates are partial to the new Kanye album, so we did this cover. Enjoy:

Phew, this solves it all. Turns out that the actual quality of any music is not something merely relative to the personal tastes of the listener. Thank God, this solves all my best-of-the-year arguments. Around 2001, Tim Midgett, bassist for Silkworm, wrote The End of Subjectivity: A Guide to Musical Correctness. Read the full thing here: http://www.matadorrecords.com/escandalo/6/subjectivity.html

The formula is such: (c@ + E) X (rP + iP + T) = mc  

c@ = coherent aesthetic…  The degree to which a subject is capable of formulating and understanding (not necessarily explaining) a singular theory that lies at the heart of the subject’s work. E = execution…  The degree to which a subject is capable of applying its aesthetic. rP = real or true power…  The degree to which a subject is capable of creating a substantive product of lasting importance by applying its aesthetic. iP = imagined power… What the subject believes to be its rP. T = tension adjustment… The degree to which the subject’s musical correctness quotient must be modified to compensate for misjudgement by the subject of its abilities. Derivation of T: If rP = iP, then T = 0… If rP > iP, then T = 1/2 (rP – iP)…  If rP < iP, then T = 2(rP – iP). And finally: mc = musical correctness… The degree to which the subject is musically correct.

The scores can range from -140 to 400 but by his calculations the highest ever was 361 for  the Lou Reed led, pre-reunion Velvet Underground, and -126 for the Eagles reunion. Or Velvets (10 + 9) X (10 + 8 + 1) = 361 and Eagles reunion (8 + 10) X (1 + 10 – 18)= -126.

Some of my own calculations: Dan Deacon (10 + 9) X (7 + 5 + 1) = 247…….  Turkey Bouillon Mafia (6 + 9) X (6 + 7 – 2) = 165……….  GNR: Chinese Democracy (10 + 6) X (5 + 10 – 10) =  80. That’s right, due to Axel’s twisted head, my own party band is more than twice as musically correct as the new Guns N Roses album.

Jay over on the Contrarian posted up this great best of list written by Peacedogman of, you guessed it peacedogman.com – really makes you think about the state of modern music when so many absolutely essential albums came out within such a short time.  Eh. Anyway here’s a little taste:

21. DAVID BOWIE – “Hunky Dory”, 1971: Aligning yourself with other popular artists by name-checking them can seem a bold move and could be seen as using the fame and works of others to further your own career. Due to the theatrical approach of both in the lyrics and the vocals of “Hunky Dory”, Bowie’s references to Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed come off without sounding pompous. “Song for Dylan” starts with a convincing imitation of Dylan before BOWIE finds his own vocal to tribute the man “with a voice like sandpaper and glue”. “Queen Bitch” is possibly the best LOU REED imitation ever performed; Not only is the voice similar, but the guitar strumming and transvestite
nightlife lyrical approach is eerily close to the mark. “Andy Warhol” is a playful, tongue-in-cheek acoustic guitar piece that succeeds mostly to Bowie’s voice and lyrics with frankly much more to offer than Warhol’s art. Radio programmers all around the word have ch-ch-ch-charmed us with the album opener “Changes”. There’s definitely no denying its catchiness. “Oh! You Pretty Things” is fantastic piano driven pop with drums storming in mid-song, then disappearing like a thief in the night after speeding up the piano’s heartbeat. The ambient feel of “Life on Mars” is classic BOWIE with a vibe that rivals “Space Oddity”. The upbeat catchy “Kooks” ensures a cheerful change of pace and the piano and touches of trumpet provide further convincing that the cross dressing songwriter really is a kook. Despite the melancholic piano, “Quicksand” doesn’t sink at all; the clever lyrics painting pictures of Crowley and well-known World War Two heroes and enemies. Finally, the piano and falsetto of “Fill Your Heart” are custom-fit for stage shows and the man’s versatility is further demonstrated. Bowie’s showmanship is integral to this album and gives it a timeless quality; “Hunky Dory” is an album that still sounds fresh and vital almost 40 years after the fact.

12. T. REX: “Electric Warrior”, 1971: Here is one induction that is painfully overdue. Anyone who’s really been paying attention should start seeing a pattern with this list: bands that have simple and easily identifiable blues roots, regardless of where they choose to grow their sound from there. The godfathers of sleaze rock, Marc Bolan and T.REX, are certainly no exception. So what makes this album so special? The answer is simple: It just sounds so damn good! From Bolan’s smooth-as-butter vocals to the reverberated plinks of his guitar to the soft slap of snare drum and hand clap, what we have here could very well be a flawless production. Of course, having great songs doesn’t
hurt either. This album has more hooks than a bass fishing tournament. Beyond the much-beloved “Bang a Gong (Get it On),” classics like “Mambo Sun,” “The Motivator” and “Rip-Off” are instant party starters. At the same time, we have reminders of the old school with the rockabilly feel of “Jeepster” and the aptly titled “Lean Woman Blues,” and the more somber tracks like “Cosmic Dancer” and “Girl” have all the sincerity of anything Bowie ever did. But probably the best thing about this album is that, much like the STONES at their best, it’s a rock ‘n roll record that doesn’t try to be anything else, and the fact that everything is in single-ready, bite-size portions instead of one whole side of the record was a tremendous breath of fresh air for the time. One reminder of how good “Electric Warrior” is can (almost) make us forgive all those “70s retro” bands out there who’ve been shamelessly ripping this album off since.

This past Thursday evening saw one of the highlights of my year. Ray Davies, one of the absolute best songwriters to come out of the 60′s rock explosion, performed at Higher Ground to a rapturous audience.

Of course, the man needs no introduction, but if you don’t know, Ray Davies was the primary songwriter for The Kinks. Face To Face, Something Else by The Kinks, Village Green Preservation Society, Aurthur, Lola Versus Powerman and The Moneygoround, Part One and Muswell Hillbillies are all essential albums penned by the man in addition to classic singles like “You Really Got Me”, “All Day and All of the Night”, “Til the End of the Day” and loads more. In terms of quanity and quality, I dare say The Kinks catalog is second only to The Beatles’.

The man is 64. He has remained surprisingly energetic, bopping about the stage with a wry grin. His voice has sustained remarkably. Closing my eyes during “Dedicated Follower of Fashion”, I could swear he was still in his twenties. With a competent band in tow, Davies offered a lot more than a feel-good nostalgia show. He rocked us good.

The audience consisted of everything from graying baby-boomers who’ve been listening to Ray’s stuff since the 60′s to young ‘uns who may well have first heard the Kinks on the soundtrack to some Wes Anderson movie. Davies did a commendable job of providing gems from various periods of his career to satiate everybody. (Of course, we all would have loved more from our favorite eras, but what are you gonna do?) Even though it’s not my favorite track, it was endearing to so many silver-haired heads bobbing along to “Low-Budget”.

Personal highlights for me included a pair of songs from Village Green, “Dedicated Follower of Fashion”, “Sunny Afternoon”, and “Dead End Street”. Of course, he played a good amount of solo material which doesn’t really do much for me, but you gotta allow for that. I was surprised by much I enjoyed hearing their 80′s hit “Come Dancing”. It’s a decent cut.

Courtesy of Dave Zacharis (courtesy of someone else, probably), here’s the setlist:

(Ray Davies & Bill Shanley)
1. I Need You
2. Where Have All The Good Times Gone
3. Father Christmas
4. I’m Not Like Everybody Else
5. Apeman
6. See My Friends
7. Dedicated Follower Of Fashion
8. Morphine Song
9. Sunny Afternoon
(Joined onstage by Milton & Karin)
10. The Getaway
11. Dead End Street
(…  Read Morewith the band)
12. Vietnam Cowboys
13. Working Man’s Café
14. The Tourist
15. Celluloid Heroes
16. Johnny Thunder
17. The Village Green Preservation Society
18. Come Dancing
(Encore 1)
19. Low Budget
(Encore 2)
20. You Really Got Me

I can’t believe it’s been eleven-and-a-half years since Pavement’s Brighten the Corners was released. I was a fifteen-year-old brat who knew a lot less than I thought I did, working my first record store gig at a Newbury Comics in Shrewsbury, MA. It only took one or two listens for me to know it was a special little set of music.

Today the album is being re-issued to celebrate it’s “tenth anniversary” with a wealth of out-takes, b-sides and live tracks. I’m excited and more than a little nostalgic. BTC opened up doors for me, and its sentimental value is up there. A lot of purists and posers will tell you the first three Pavement records blow it out of the water, and while that is a bit an overstatement, those first three are perfection whereas Brighten the Corners dips. However, it is great. It was Pavement’s most streamlined effort at that point, but it wasn’t without its ingenious eccentricities and high-caliber songwriting.

I’m not going to go on and on about it. Simply put, it’s a wonderful album, the remastering job is fantastic, and the extra material is invaluable to even the most casual Pavement fan. Enjoy this one, because if you’re like me, you don’t really give a toss about the inevitable final Pavement reissue for Terror Twilight. Blech.

Sure they overlap nicely – and while i’m not a music major, it seems to my ears that both songs use a very common chord progression. Which then begs two more questions – Why would anyone want to rip-off Joe Satriani (guitar players, put your hands down.) and then the follow-up: Which of these artists do i care less about? via techdirt

I seem surprisngly in-tune with the latest top 10 sellers at the store this week, so I thought I’d drop a line of knowledge on 6 that I’ve been rocking heavy.

Department of Eagles – In Ear Park – Featuring a couple of the guys from Grizzley Bear, it isn’t hard to get it mixed up with their other band, but the lengthy driftoffs are traded in for more concise tunes. Takes 3 listens to get hooked.

Ryan Adams – Cardinology – The guy releases friggin’ 17 albums a year so it’s definitely hard to keep up, but this one has some of the best tracks he’s released since Heartbreaker.

TV on the Radio – Dear Science - The most popular indie band in the world seems to have finally realized that people are paying attention and decided to batten down the hatches a little bit. I feel it lacks, but have gotten into serious debate about it. Definitely a must-hear.

Kings of Leon – Only By the Night – I don’t care if teenage girls think they’re dreamy and older fans bitch about them giving up their southern roots, this album is amazing. Huge, catchy, rock songs. They’re the biggest band in the world right now, except nobody in the U.S. has realized it yet. Probably in my year’s top 3.

Of Montreal – Skeletal Lampings – You’re either in or out with this band, and if you’re in then this album will only bring your passion deeper. Kevin Barnes is a nut, and has a way of turing his lunacy into logic. You gotta see em’ live, but this album is a good place to start.

Kanye West – 808 + Heartbreak - Ok, I haven’t heard it yet, but Herb’s poste intrigues me. My open minded love for music urges me to push past Kanye’s pompous b.s. and give it a shot. Hey, I finally stopped thinking about Chris Martin being in Coldplay, and now I love the new album! So anything’s possible. Except for my ability to post youtubes, let’s try again…

Box sets are getting dusty on their display shelf (right by the register)…but why?  I admit, they were not one of the first items on the shelves that I explored when I started working here.  Recently though, I have spent some time checking them out, and WOW!  There are some reallllly exciting components to box sets.

We have The Clash all UK singles plus bonus tracks in their original sleeves!  Just to mention a few other winners, we have Hank Williams, John Coltrane, and Emmylou Harris (rare tracks and forgotten gems)!  It gets better…we don’t just have box sets from individual bands and artists, we also have some killer collections as well.  “Heavy Metal” features 70 tracks of metal from 1968-1991 on 4 cds and an 80 page booklet with a detailed history of metal and rare photos!  “The Brit Box” is a great collection of UK Indie-Rock from 1984-1999, featuring 78 songs from artists like The Smiths, Blur, and Super Furry Animals!  That one also has a booklet of photos, essays, and artist’s reflections.  “Love Is The Song We Sing” is the true revolutionary story of San Francisco from 1965-1970.  4 cds, 77 tracks, and a 120 page book about the San Fran Rock n’ Roll community (Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and many more).  The most fascinating box set…”People Take Warning!”, a collection of murder ballads and disaster songs from 1913-1938, and it comes in book form with some great art and information.

So as you can see, we have a box set for everyone.  Buying a box set really means scoring rare tracks and a rare artists book in one fancy lookin’ package.  You can’t get this music and art anywhere else!