Archive for 'earCandy'
earCandy: Weird Al Yankovic – Straight Outta Lynwood (2006) 4/5
Posted on 23. Jan, 2007 in All, Blog, earCandy | 9 Comments
I have to admit that I’m a longtime Weird Al fan – I’ve even seen him in concert in Montreal, where I managed to jump on stage and steal his spatula, which I still have and regard as a highly sacred artifact. I also have to admit that it’s his early catalog that really got me feelin’ him and, frankly, a few of the more recent albums have been a little thin. That said, Al is back with a vengeance with Straight Outta Lynwood!
The first single, White & Nerdy (a parody of Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’ Dirty), is not only a brilliant parody touching on a lot of things that people that read and write blogs probably know a little too much about 
(check out those lyrics here), but it also shows that Weird Al actually has some serious chops – I mean, he can actually rap, seriously, it’s at once awe inspiring and deeply troubling.
As a Canadian, I thoroughly enjoy Canadian Idiot (a parody of Green Day’s “American Idiot”) – for some reason this sort of thing seems to amuse us 
(lyrics here). Usher’s Confessions is lampooned in Confessions Part III – I laugh just thinking about the line “Like remember when I told you I knew Paulie Shore (Paulie Shore) – That’s a lie, I don’t know what I said that for” (and lyrics). Pancreas is distinctly Beach Boys sounding, although I don’t think it’s a direct parody, and Polkarama! continues a long history of polka mashups of a popular tunes (50 Cent’s “Candy Shop” being a standout).
Unfortunately, a parody of James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” (called “You’re Pitiful”) kept the album from being released on schedule and was not included on the album at the request of Atlantic Records (although Blunt himself was okay with it). However, you can listen to it online at Al-oholics Anonymous, even if it’s just to hear the line “never had a date that you couldn’t inflate”.
In any case, it’s a very funny album, especially if you’re familiar with the songs being parodied. One can only hope that this is the start of another upswing in Al’s career, and that would make a lot of us very happy – so go buy it already!
earCandy: Barenaked Ladies (Charlottetown Concert – Aug.6/06) 5/5
Posted on 09. Aug, 2006 in All, Blog, earCandy | No Comments
As you may have guessed from other music reviews that I’ve done here, the Barenaked Ladies aren’t exactly my kind of band. Although they have undoubtedly released some good singles (e.g. I love the tune “the Old Apartment”), they’re pretty happy-go-lucky pop music for my tastes. That said, these guys put on an awesome live show.
Sunday’s concert at the Charlottetown Driving Park was great. Although I missed most of opening bands the Novaks and Two Hours Traffic, the crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves throughout the sunny afternoon and the arrival of the headliners provoked an enormous reaction.
Each of the five “Ladies” enjoy multiple roles throughout the concert, whether that be with a variety of instruments (an accordion, double bass, and no end of guitars were onstage), singing roles (their group harmonies were excellent), or through the inter-song banter than characterizes their shows. These guys can totally think on their feet, as the very humorous conversations between members onstage, improvised raps and songs (many incorporating local references), and musical snippets from a variety of sources consistently demonstrated.
The almost two hour show included lots of their most popular tunes (Brian Wilson, If I Had A Million Dollars, One Week, and more) as well as a couple of new tunes from their upcoming album. This mix got me to considering how the songs that became classics must have been received when they were unknown songs, as I think the reception to the newest tunes was certainly weakest (though still enthusiastic), showing how much familiarity is a part of what drives the musical hit parades.
In any case, the songs were good, the musicianship was great, and the value-added improvised chats and raps were just fantastic. If you’re a big fan then I think these guys could put on one of the best concerts of your life (in addition to changing considerably with each performance), but even for an occasional listener like myself, you just can’t ignore what a fantastic performance these guys give a live audience. Keep it up Ladies!
earCandy: Prince – the Next Millenium (2006) /mixTAPE/
Posted on 31. Jul, 2006 in All, Blog, earCandy | 1 Comment
I’ve been writing a lot of eyeCandy movie reviews recently, so I thought I’d change directions and try out an idea I had for another “class” of earCandy music review – witness… mixTAPE. In my opnion, there is a great art to making a good mixTAPE – a myriad of strange little rules to be followed. Nothing is ever perfect, but crafting a solid 1 hour and 20 minute CD can be a rewarding and worthwhile experience.
I think I’ll spread what I consider to be the “gospel” of making great mixTAPEs over each mixTAPE posting, but let’s start with a central one: you need some sort of “concept”. This can be as simple as “the best of …” or it can as complicated as my attempt to chronicle all of the music of mankind over one 90 minute tape (I think I did a decent job too – hard to smoothly transition from ancient Oriental music to Charles Mingus, but it can be done ). So let’s get started:
Prince is a classic figure in popular music but he’s also been releasing some really interesting music over the past five or six years. I desperately wanted an updated Prince mixTAPE but I wanted to be able to present the more jazz-infused modern Prince in isolation to the rock/pop classics everyone knows. The solution: divide Prince’s career in two.
Thankfully, Prince really found his way through James Brown into Miles Davis territory with 2001′s Rainbow Children, his first album of the new millenium (and voila – a title seed for the collection). Discounting the 4-song, all instrumental N.E.W.S. (2003), Prince has had two other albums since then: 2004′s Musicology and 2006′s 3121. Some fantastic and not always what people think of as Prince tunes here. (Disc II of this collection, “the Last Millenium”, will be featured in a subsequent post)
A couple of obvious rules I might as well mention now: don’t put two songs from the same album back-to-back, and you’re permitted to put a song of questionable “fit” as song one b/c it is easily fast-forwarded past so the rest of the CD can be played without interruption.
NOTE: Some albums, like the Rainbow Children, have great tunes buried within extended intros and/or outros. Or sometimes you just need to shave a little off to get things to fit onto one CD. Because of this I sometimes like to begin or end the song mid-stream. The notation [x/y] gives the starting (x) and ending (y) points of songs as necessary. These may not always correspond exactly with your own versions.
PS: I own all the materials I use for mixTAPES. I would also freakin’ pay $50 for an exact copy of the Rainbow Children without that annoying deep bass voice preaching slow-pitched nonsense throughout what is an otherwise incredible album.
Prince: the Next Millenium (2006) /mixTAPE/
- Family Name (the Rainbow Children) [3:00.6/7:52.1]
- The Word (3121)
- Everywhere (the Rainbow Children)
- Dear Mr. Man (Musicology)
- Get On The Boat (3121)
- Mellow (the Rainbow Children)
- Beautiful, Loved & Blessed (3121) [-/5:13.4]
- 1+1+1 Is 3 (the Rainbow Children) [0:16.5/-]
- What Do U Want Me 2 Do? (Musicology) [-/3:46]
- Incense And Candles (3121) [-/3:53.4]
- She Loves Me 4 Me (the Rainbow Children)
- 3121 (3121) [-/4:27.9]
- Muse 2 The Pharoah (the Rainbow Children) [-/4:16]
- Musicology (Musicology) [-/4:23]
- the Everlasting Now (the Rainbow Children) [-/5:48.4]
- Te Amo Corazon (3121)
- the Work Pt.1 (the Rainbow Children) [3:46]
Honorable mention:
Rainbow Children (the Rainbow Children) [3:32.75/7:04.85]
earCandy: K-Os – Joyful Rebellion (2004) 5/5
Posted on 05. Jun, 2006 in All, Blog, earCandy | No Comments
K-Os is a fantastically talented and progressive rapper/singer/producer based out of Toronto, Canada. His first album, 2003′s Exit, revealed a new entity on the hip-hop scene who was as comfortable singing as he was rapping, whose lyrics were both conscious and cutting, and whose productions covered a wide gamut of different styles and instrumentation. His sophomore release, Joyful Rebellion, shows his abilities continuing their growth with its thirteen songs providing some of the best listening from the genre (if he indeed fits in “the genre” at all) in recent years.
The first single, B-Boy Stance, is actually one of the weaker tunes, harkening back to legitimate roots but whose repetitiveness seems a little out of place in such an otherwise rich album. Crabbuckit was probably the next single and had a much broader appeal – the vamp from “Hit The Road Jack” forms a swingin basis and the addition of horns and contrasting rapping and singing work wonderfully. The second song, Crucial, is a a great reggae-infused cut and mashes together rock and other elements, like many of the tunes here. Following this is the Man I Used To Be – pretty much pure Michael Jackson with a couple of raps interspersed. Love Song and the rocking Dirty Water (with Sam Roberts) are other great cuts, and the album ender, Papercutz explodes with fabulous live fretless bass, blazing horns, and some effective scratching.
K-Os is probably Canada’s biggest representative on the hip hop scene and, with such a unique “voice” and a couple of superlative albums under his belt, I’m glad he’s on our side .
PS: I can’t really heap as much praise on his website, though, as I have a professional distaste for sites with absolutely no navigation (although it does have some good content, allowing you to listen to songs and view videos).
earCandy: Mr. Bungle – California (1999) 5/5
Posted on 16. Feb, 2006 in All, Blog, earCandy | No Comments
First let me say that, and this is something that I’ve thought about a lot, I don’t think it’s right to just review new releases, because if you haven’t heard it before then it’s a new release to you, right? (no getting caught up in the marketing craze for us, no way! ) To that end, I now submit for review the last release by Mr. Bungle, 1999′s California.
Mr. Bungle is a bit like crossing Ween with John Zorn (who produced the band’s 1991 self-titled debut album). They delight in genre-crossing, like Ween, but they tend to do it several times in the same song (e.g. the second tune on the album, None of Them Knew They Were Robots, is at its heart a hardcore swing song, complete with full horn section, but with some death metal mixed in to good effect)! I’d love to watch their live show to see if the band can pull off these aural gymnastics in real time, because the recordings are totally seamless in this respect.
When I first got this album, it was my favorite CD for a long time. It had everything I love: great musicianship, complex tunes, and the requisite level of strangeness (and then some). For example, I don’t know if it’s the opening seaside strains from Sweet Charity, the album’s first tune, but I really think there’s an element of the Beach Boys in all this – the album has some great harmonies and is generally more melodic than Mr. Bungle’s earlier fare. And even though almost everything breaks into some manicness at some point, there are a couple of great down tempo songs here too (like Retrovertigo and Pink Cigarette). I couldn’t make it through this review without mentioning one of my favourite songs on the album, Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy, which sounds an awful lot like what I’d imagine from the Residents if they were a acid-drenched techno-funk band . The only weakness overall is that the superlative lead singer Mike Patton’s vocals (probably best known from the band Faith No More) are unfortunately buried in the mix in places – not something you want when your compositions are as densely packed as Bungle’s.
Mr. Bungle probably aims to be relatively inaccessible – their first album and, to a lesser degree, 1995′s Disco Volante are totally impossible to listen through in mixed company – but California is a close as they’ve gotten to an album that most people can listen to end-to-end without reaching for the fast forward button. So keep in mind that, although I think this is a 5/5 album, that rating probably only applies for more adventurous listeners.
earCandy: Me’Shell NdegeOcello – Comfort Woman (2003) 5/5
Posted on 04. Jan, 2006 in All, Blog, earCandy | 2 Comments
Me’Shell NdegeOcello (try saying that three times fast!) is one of my favourite musical artists. Billed early on as the female Prince, she is a fantastic bass player, vocalist, composer, and lyricist. With each of her albums (she released her sixth since 1993 last year), she has evolved in a different direction while maintaining a level of musicianship and lyrical forthrightness that is a true rarity in the industry.
Comfort Woman shows us a (mostly) calmer and more relaxed Me’Shell. The relative lessening of politically charged uber-funk/hip-hop tunes has been replaced by a focus on deep grooves and “dub”-y atmospheric pieces. The music is sensual and the production values are top notch, with Me’Shell’s powerful sexuality in full force. The following quote from allmusic.com is apt: “…if Me’Shell NdegeOcello’s Comfort Woman isn’t regarded as one of the finest contemporary soul albums of 2003, then those who review music for a living had better get eardrum transplants and a transfusion of blood to get rid of the sawdust, or quit to sell used cars, work in a fast-food establishment, or pump gas.” As that review goes on to say, this is late night music, not without energy in the least but possessing a moody easiness that envelops the listener.
The spacey reggae feel of the opening Love Song #1 sets the tone for the rest of the album, followed by the fabulous Come Smoke My Herb, and a host of other fantastic cuts: Andromeda & the Milky Way is one of my favourites, and the beautiful acoustic guitar driven Liliquoi Moon, without seeming out of place, harkens back more to Me’Shell’s Bitter album (probably my least favourite album of hers – it is bitter in more than title). Comfort Woman knows what it is and where it’s going from the first note, and succeeds wonderfully in delivering. If you’re looking for some undeniably cool tracks to play as the party is winding down, or just something to sit back and listen to in dim lighting, then look no further.
earCandy: Melanie Durrant – Where I’m Goin’ (2005) 4/5
Posted on 13. Dec, 2005 in All, Blog, earCandy | 1 Comment
I first noticed Melanie Durrant upon seeing the video for “Where I’m Goin’” featuring Common on MuchVibe, and I immediately sought out a copy of the single to no avail. Further searching led me to great tunes like “Housework” and a couple of singles. Well finally, while walking through FutureShop of all places, I see an album entitled “Where I’m Goin’” by Melanie Durrant on their New Releases rack. Strangely enough, the album that I got (contrary to the listing) does not contain the song “Where I’m Goin’”(?)
Melanie Durrant is a talented soul/hip-hop singer working out of Toronto. In addition to the video with Common, she’s also paired up with Kardinal Offishall and others to good effect (e.g. “Let Me” is a great single). I really liked a few of the later songs on the album immediately, but I found it got off to a tentative start. After a few listens, however, it has really grown on me (her cover of “Bang Bang”, probably best known now for being in Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill”, is getting some airplay). Some nice forays into a little more classic joints in places (sort of like a young Jill Scott, who did the live stage production of “Rent” with Ms. Durrant), and I just love the timbre of her voice.
However, I do have to say that it’s sinful that there isn’t more information available about her online. Her website will hopefully be up some time soon, there is almost no information under her entry in AllMusic.com – all I’ve found is just a few articles here and there. It’s shameful that such a promising young voice doesn’t have much more exposure on this level.
In any case, Where I’m Goin’ is a good album and I’m happy to be seeing so many on the Canadian hip-hop scene cracking their way through (e.g. Universal Soul, Sweatshop Union, and K-Os is bustin’ it!).
earCandy: Christmas Music Options
Posted on 08. Dec, 2005 in All, Blog, earCandy | 3 Comments
I love Christmas. My family has always made this a very special time of the year and I enjoy embracing the season wholeheartedly. However, even I get tired of a single Christmas CD played over and over, even if it is only for a few days a year . Well it seems there are quite a few options for seasonal listening out there so I thought I’d point out a few of the ones on my list for everyone…
- Ultra Lounge: Christmas Cocktails (Parts One and Two) puts a little swing (and a little mambo and a little bop) into some Christmas standards. From Dean Martin to Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee to Les Brown, these CDs are a great collection of holiday tunes perfect for your hipster Christmas party.
- The original soundtrack to the television special A Charlie Brown Christmas has been a Christmas classic since its release in 1965. One of the most beloved Christmas specials ever carries with it a soundtrack that can’t help but take you back to your first time watching Charlie Brown and the gang with their little tree, and the music by the Vince Guaraldi trio is like a trip down memory lane.
- James Brown’s Funky Christmas doesn’t have any Christmas classics on it, but it is definitely Christmas-themed. Songs like “Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto” and “Soulful Christmas” will keep you hopping James Brown-style.
- A Very Special Christmas is a great series of CDs with proceeds going to the Special Olympics. Popular music stars such as U2, Tracy Chapman, No Doubt, Bruce Springstien, and many more sing holiday classics in a variety of styles. Not only is the music wonderful for the season, but so is the sentiment.
There are so many Christmas albums out there that I can’t really make an educated “Best of…” list, but if you’d like to leave me a comment with your favs then maybe we can help out some more folks when they’re stuck for holiday-appropriate tunes .
earCandy: Frank Zappa – We’re Only In It For The Money (1968) 5/5
Posted on 07. Nov, 2005 in All, Blog, earCandy | 3 Comments
Frank Zappa, whether you can deal with his frequently offensive (to some) lyrics or not, is probably the greatest composer that can be directly associated with the rock genre (though he has released complete albums of classical and jazz works as well). Charles Mingus in jazz, Bela Bartok in classical, and Frank Zappa in rock are my holy trinity of composers who ignored the conventional boundaries of the genre with which they were identified to create some of the greatest music known to man. As a commentator, Zappa not only paved the way for acts like Ween and shows like Duckman (for which he allegedly wrote the music and in which his son, Dweezil, voices Duckman’s son) and Family Guy (indeed, he was testified in front of the US Senate against Tipper Gore’s ill-conceived music censorship escapades in the 80′s). I could write pages about Zappa, but I’ll keep this directed at this particular work.
We’re Only In It For The Money is Frank Zappa’s most poignant and powerful work of social commentary and musical expression. It completely skews the hippies and the straights of the day, complete with Sgt. Pepper’s parody artwork (a hilarious send up which he couldn’t get permission to use as the album cover and so is only included inside the album). Zappa considered himself and like-minded people “Freaks” – in a good way – and his remarks throughout this album pointedly deride the pretensions of the hippies and the uptightness of the straights. Rolling Stone referred to this as “perhaps the most mercilessly derisive raspberry ever flung at the rock scene by an actual participant therein” (probably referring directly to the song “Flower Punk”, but also the general tone of music at the time while also being indicative of how far this album outstrips the musicality of just about anything in existence in rock then or now).
The compositional and production techniques on this album are staggering – from doo-wop rock songs to classical pieces, tape edits and musique concrete, and a host of effective montages, all of which deliver almost 40 minutes of delicious “headphone calisthenics” (I forget where I heard this term used, but it is a quote from somewhere). “Mom & Dad” is a presented song that forecasts the Kent State student shootings by a couple of years, “What’s the Ugliest Part of Your Body” answers the question with “your mind”, and the catchy optimism of “Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance” is a nice balance to the critique that is so evident in much of the rest of the album.
Despite the topical nature of the lyrics, the album has actually aged well and is as relevant to many of today’s issues as it was back then. Plus, it’s about the most rewarding thing you could ever listen to intently on headphones in a darkened room .
earCandy: Ween – Shinola Vol. 1 (2005) 4/5
Posted on 31. Oct, 2005 in All, Blog, earCandy | 4 Comments
So, first thing first, Ween is not for everyone – and I really, really mean this. Ween exists on the same line of evolution as Frank Zappa, Duckman, Family Guy, and all the other creative efforts put in place to push the boundaries of comedy and “artistic expression” (I use that term loosely, but they deserve it as much as most).
Shinola Vol. 1, as the name suggests, is the first in a series of albums. These albums collect various outtakes, oddities, and rarites from one of the most prolific “college” bands that has graced the airwaves of campus radio and the CD players of freaks everywhere. As bizarre and varied as Ween is, it’s somewhat understandable how these tracks, as great as some of them are, did not fit on the band’s other albums – though, strangely enough, they seem to fit well on an album with one another. I’ve been exposed to a few of these before (e.g. the Prince-inspired “Monique the Freak” which, frankly, is the only song on the album for which I enjoy the earlier version better than the more newly re-produced version – I just didn’t need the Stephen Hawkings on crank version of the chorus) and I’m happy to hear these tunes given the production they deserve on a formal release. Then there are the tracks that I’ve never heard – the rockin’ “Gabrielle”, the tongue-in-cheek (actually, everything Ween does is tongue-in-cheek) flamingly flamboyant “Boy’s Club”, the Jewish-wedding jazz tune “Israel”, and the Pink Floyd-ish “Did You See Me?”.
Ween defines themselves with equal parts of eclecticism and offensiveness, and this may not be appealing to the general public. However, if you’re the type that enjoys the irreverent, juxtaposed strangeness that is Ween, then by all means, haul out the Scotch-Guard and enjoy .
PS: This album is only available for order online from Ween’s website, which is just fine. I got mine (in Canada!) within a couple of weeks and I like knowing that the $14 is going straight to the band – after 15 years of crazy albums, fantastic stage shows (they are just about the best band I have ever seen live), and endless self-abuse, Dean and Gene deserve it .
