ST&SP The Formative Years Pt. 3: College & Beyond

Awhile ago I made the announcement that this site would no longer be a weekly update on current musical trends and instead turn to more introspective periodicals. This week I continue to deliver that promise with a three part introspective about the music that shaped my life through key stages of growing up starting with "Elementary School-Middle School" through "High School" and ending with "College and Beyond." Today we conclude with Part Three: College & Beyond. 

                                                                             Loyola Marymount University

I think part of the reason why I never really got into techno was that I already had LCD Soundsystem in my life, and they made my feet move more than any dubstep artist ever could. To me they are the ultimate dance band, ever. I started listening to them in high school, I remember listening to LCD Soundsystem with my dad as we were driving through a blizzard in Montana. For some reason the mix of James Murphy's infectious grooves and the fact that we couldn't see ten feet in front of us created such a vivid and exhilarating experience in my head. However, it was not until recently when I look back and see how much they dominated my college years. I saw them three times during college, more than I saw any other artist during those years. I saw them upstage Arcade Fire at The Hollywood Bowl, I saw them get the vast Empire Polo Fields to shake ass during Coachella and I saw them lastly at The Hollywood Palladium where they absolutely burnt the motherfucker to the ground. LCD are a band that humbly takes all the influence from their predecessors and channel it into something brand new and exciting. By the time LCD Soundsystem broke up they were immensely popular, even headlining Madison Square Garden for their now historic four hour long farewell. It was such a joy to follow them from their humble beginnings to where they ended up. Mark my words, LCD Soundsystem will be seen as one of the most influential bands that were active during the '00s.

Is this really a surprise to anyone? Arguably the most important rock band for more than a decade, I hold a high esteem for Radiohead. They are able to shed their skin and present a varied sound with each LP all while maintaining a familiar aesthetic. If you were to look at my Last.fm charts you would notice that I listen to Radiohead a few hundred plays less than The White Stripes. I listened to them during High School as well but not with the same frequency as I did during college. I remember buying In Rainbows for a cent off of their website thinking how wonderful it was and how big of a "fuck you" it was to record labels.

I saw Modest Mouse open for R.E.M at The Hollywood Bowl a few years ago and I thought they sucked. Sure seeing Johnny Marr was fun but they lacked any sort of stage presence or fire about their performance. I hadn't listened to much of them before than other than their hits like "Float On" and "Dashboard." However, something happened I decided to give them another shot and gave their discography another try. I still have Lonesome Crowded West in my car and can say with confidence it's one of my top ten favorite records. Something about Modest Mouse clicked for me in college that hadn't in previous attempts. I couldn't get enough of their raw erratic take on rock. Issac Brock's voice is like a rat under duress and I wouldn't want it any other way. Since then I haven't been able to go a few weeks without listening to Good News For People Who Love Bad News, The Moon & Antartica, Lonesome Crowded West, or We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. 

Wilco is a group that my younger self would have slapped me for liking. Their mid-tempo "dad" rock is definitely for a more mature audience. However, that's what I love about Wilco. They have been through a lot as a band, through breakups and even death yet they still manage to record some of the most beautiful folk-rock around. Tweedy is an extremely gifted songwriter and he pairs quite well with guitar virtuoso Nels Cline. They also put on quite a solid show and I was fortunate to see them a few times during college. They know how to kick out the jams occasionally, check out "Art of Almost" and "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" for examples of that. However, I appreciate Wilco for the mix of different kinds of songs they manage to put together. Any Wilco record will do, but I highly recommend Being There as a prime example of their range.

My Morning Jacket is another band that I couldn't get into during high school yet has grown into being one of my current favorite bands during college. People who get to witness Jim James' voice in person tend to have an out of body experience. His voice is a chameleon, it can be the sweetest falsetto that quickly becomes a banshee's scream. I have enjoyed all of their releases although At Dawn is easily my favorite, especially the title track.

Dr. Dog are a group that slowly grew on me and now Shame Shame is one of my most heavily rotated records. They just know how to create a really good hook, they remind me of The Beatles in that regard. They harmonize very well and can craft a memorable song. All of their records are immediately accessible and are great for singing. That is one element I don't feel enough critics give enough credence to, the ability to make a song that makes someone else want to sing along to is an incredibly hard yet rewarding thing to accomplish, and Dr. Dog make it look easy.

The Magnetic Fields helped me get through a really rough breakup. I feel like we all tend to lean on music during rough times, and Stephin Merritt was my buddy during that time. I recommend 69 Love Songs for anyone. It's really a huge achievement for a songwriter to write an a triple album about one topic. Yet Merritt did and showed the vast and wide varieties of love. The highs, the lows, the little insignificant things "Papa Was A Rodeo" and even big picture ideas like "Grand Canyon." I can't thank The Magnetic Fields enough and next time they're in town I will be front and center.

Sufjan Stevens was the soundtrack to my summers during my college years. During roadtrips home Illinois would be playing with the windows down through the California desert. I regrettably haven't listened to any of his other stuff that often because that one record is so important to me. There was a study done once that showed people who listened to Sufjan Stevens were the smartest music listeners. It's no surprise to me, his orchestral chamber-pop is so complicated and takes the listener down so many different paths that it really takes a dedicated listener to really enjoy him. That being said "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." is the most hauntingly beautiful song I have ever heard.

It seems as I look back that there has always been one stand out hip-hop artist that defined certain periods of my life. Elementary school it was Eminem, high school the Beastie Boys and college it was without a doubt Hova. Jay-Z is the Elvis of our generation like it or not. What I love most about him is his confidence as a performer. He knows he's the best and doesn't have to do a goddamn thing except keep on being himself. He was the most electrifying performer when I was at Coachella. However the one memory I will never forget is going for an early morning jog in New York City listening to Jay-Z, it just felt so right.

I unfortunately just missed Sleater-Kinney when I first began to listen to them. I have a vivid moment of hearing "The Fox" on the radio for the first time and stopping in my tracks. These three ladies from Portland created some of the feistiest rock I have ever heard. They are in my mind the best of the feminist Riot Grrrl scene that started in the 90s and has continued today most notably with Pussy Riot in Russia. I also have a mad crush on Carrie Brownstein. She is in my mind the perfect woman. She's not only one of the best guitarists alive (go see a Wild Flag concert and prove me wrong) but she's also one of the funniest, as a main cast member of Portlandia. In fact it wasn't until Sleater-Kinney went on their indefinite hiatus for Brownstein to come out of her shell as a well known individual artist. So on one hand I'm sad they're not around, but if they hadn't broken up I probably would have never found my one true love.

Fugazi are a 90s D.C. punk band that I completely missed until my college years. They are now my favorite punk band. Their music isn't necessarily the fastest of their brethren but in my mind they are the most intense and formidable band of that era. They just did it right. They would rather play in high school gymnasiums or in some basement and charge their fans $8 rather than some big concert hall that costs an arm and a leg. Fugazi hasn't done anything for about a decade but they still say they are together. Here's hoping they come roaring back to life soon.

There's a bar on the outskirts of Culver City in Los Angeles called the Cinema Bar that I used to go to during college. It was a completely unpretentious place, a diamond in the rough of all the douche bars in Los Angeles. It's a total dive filled with nightly regulars that pile in to drink and listen to some of the best live music around. At that time I was already a bluegrass fan, but hadn't yet given Country-Western a try. This bar is what won me over to the genre. Country is like every genre, the shit artists float on the top while the really good stuff seems to be at the bottom of the barrel. There are some great country and southern rock artists out there today, you just have to dig a little deeper. The one band that has been pointing the light in the right direction for quite some time now is Drive-by Truckers. These guys have been steadily on the road since the early 90s. They are the ultimate bar band, and some even say they are the saviors of the entire southern rock genre. I have never been to the south, though I desperately want to so Drive-by Truckers are sort of like a window for me to see into that world.

I say "College & Beyond" because I'm still actively seeking out new music even after college. Case in point, Ty Segall. If you haven't heard of Ty Segall this year you've been living under a rock. He is the poster boy of the San Francisco slime-garage rock scene. This year he's released three albums and has done two world tours. The guy is a machine that churns out some of the most exciting rock I have heard in a long time. I'm seeing him in December and cannot wait.

Finally, we come to Reggie Watts. Whenever someone asks me for new music recommendations he is at the top of my list. I respect him on so many levels, as a musician, as a comedian and as an improviser. He improvises all of his songs! He loops his own beatboxing as percussion and uses occasional keyboards for added effect. The man is able to improvise on a whim better pop hooks than most pop bands can make. In my mind he is the most creative, innovative and inspiring artist currently working today and it's baffling why he isn't a household name. Listening to him doesn't do the man justice. You have to see to believe.


So this concludes this trip down memory lane. It's always fun to look back and see how far you've come as a person and I believe music is a good way of staying connected to one's past. Still, the main question I have is, what was the music of the day that you listened to when you were in College?

Below is a Spotify playlist where you can listen to all of these songs uninterrupted.

CLICK HERE FOR SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

For The Sake of The Song: LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge

"For The Sake of The Song" is a new periodical segment where I take a look at some of my personal all-time favorite songs, dissect them and try and show you their genius. 

"But I was There." is the conclusion James Murphy keeps coming to throughout "Losing My Edge," LCD Soundsystem's first and arguably best song. Originally released in 2002 as a single, James Murphy had no plans of being in a touring band, he just had an idea for a song and wanted to release new music. Three years later LCD Soundsystem release their first self-titled record that featured that song, and five years after that they're headlining festivals globally. LCD Soundsystem is one of indie rock's recent big success stories. However their success wasn't gained through mass radio play or commercial licensing. They earned their title of being the best dance-punk band ever through three solid LPs, a shit ton of Internet buzz and an unforgettable live presence.

It all started with "Losing My Edge" a seven minute plus change rambling dance epic that breathed life into a new sub-genre of rock that mixed the dance-hooks of Daft Punk with the frenetic art-rock of Talking Heads. 

In this track Murphy assumes the character of an aging hipster forced with the realization that with age comes a loss of coolness. "I'm losing my edge, the kids are coming up from behind" Murphy bluntly states at the beginning of the track. "I'm losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered eighties...I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent." As the youth begin to come into fruition, what is hip for a generation becomes re-defined, Murphy's character feels inadequate as a result of the changing landscape around him. 

 "But I was there." Murphy cries, because the one thing the in-crowd doesn't have is experience. "I was there when Captain Beefheart started up his first band. I told him, 'Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime.' I was there. I was the first guy playing Daft Punk to the rock kids. I played it at CBGB's. Everybody thought I was crazy. We all know. I was there." There is one thing that older people will always have on the younger generation, and that is the benefit of "being there." For instance, there is a difference between actually attending a Rolling Stones concert in 1972 and buying a faded Stones shirt from Target. The experience of actually "being there" is priceless.

Murphy then goes on to make light of the Internet bloggers who "can tell me every member of every good group from 1962 to 1978" As well as the younglings who collect rare records and act as if it somehow makes them special. Murphy begins to playfully list off his favorite records, before the track climaxes musically and lyrically with the antithesis "You don't know what you really want."

To me, this song is a triumph. I have never heard a song that takes a rambling rant and turns it into an absolute club-stomper. This song can be taken multiple ways, it can either be seen as an aging hipster's love letter, a sarcastic attack on the naivety of youth culture, or my personal favorite, showing us just how silly the hip culture is. At the end of the day, does it really matter how many records you have collected? As we age, the most important thing we will have is to be able to look back on is our experiences, making the rest of that shit quite frankly, pointless.

Download via Mediafire:
Losing My Edge

LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

Every now and then there comes along a band that speaks to a sect of people, a band who's music and lyrics represent the times in which we live. To me, LCD Soundsystem is that band. Both Sound of Silver and their self-titled debut could be considered masterpieces. "All My Friends" alone is one of the best songs of the past decade. James Murphy has an uncanny ability to be poignant, snarky and sarcastic all while his band drives out beat after beat of infectious dance punk.
This Is Happening is LCD's third (and according to Murphy, their last) release. Does this album hold up to it's predecessors? Absolutely. In every possible way this album equals their previous albums, yet it doesn't surpass them. This Is Happening could be considered a third and final chapter in LCD's story. It starts off with the slow build of "Dance Yrself Clean" that explodes around the three minute mark. The shortest track on the album happens to be their only single at the moment, "Drunk Girls" which is a sarcastic comment on the party scene while at the same time glorifying it, with lyrics like "I believe in waking up together" it's hard not to smile at his lighting quick observations.
"One Hit" is a relentless floor stomper, while "All I Want" could be considered "All My Friends" cousin mixed with David Bowie's "Heroes." "Pow Pow" also has similarities to their epic "Yeah" jam.

That's what I really enjoy about this record, the songs on here sound like they have used templates from previous LCD songs but Murphy has perfected them. If LCD does break up, that would be a shame but I could understand why they would. After This Is Happening I cannot see where they could go from here without trying something drastically new.
If I had to pick two favorite songs from this record they would have to be the opening song, "Dance Yrself Clean" and "You Wanted A Hit," the longest song on the album, that keeps the same beat the entire way through yet never gets boring due to Murphy's unapologetic lyrics.

LCD Soundsystem are a band that illustrate places, people and the feelings that they share. James Murphy has successfully done this twice before, and he does it beautifully again. If this is LCD's last record, then it would be comforting to know that they went out on top.

So yeah, this is pretty much my favorite record of 2010 thus far.

Download via Mediafire:
LINK REMOVED BY REQUEST, GO BUY THE ALBUM, IT'S WORTH IT.

Coachella: The Best and Worst of Humanity

With any sort of large social gathering, you get the best and worst of everything, music festivals are no exception. Coachella is unique because it is located in a desert oasis between Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas. It is undoubtedly the largest music festival in the western United States. This lends itself to becoming filled with some of the nicest people you could have ever wished for, people who genuinely enjoy the band they're watching and love having conversations about music. There also was a ton of really impressive art instillations and exhibits to enjoy. On the flip side, there was also an uncomfortable amount of douche bag fratboys who are there for the party and could care less about the music, young teenagers who feel like they are entitled to everything, and people who are just flat out rude to their fellow man. 

 Coachella means something different for every person, for me it has been a unattainable goal that I could never reach. For years I have been wanting to go, but for the past four or five years something has always come up that prevents me from attending. Luckily, the stars were in line this year. 

I had been to a few festivals before, so I thought I knew what I was getting into. Boy was I wrong. This was the first year they didn't do single day passes which pretty much forced everyone to camp or find a hotel. That on top of terrible traffic control resulted in my car having to sitting in a five and a half hour line to get to my cramped camping spot all the while I'm sitting there wondering, "Is this really worth it?"

After we unloaded and got two hours of sleep at 7am, we were ready to head into the festival. It was hot, but there was enough of a breeze to make it bearable. I purchased a giant straw hat to wear, call me a dork but I was the one laughing at the end of the day when I was the only person not sunburned. The food there was really expensive, and the potions were small. The beer was what really brought me down they only sold Heineken for $7, luckily I was able to smuggle my own spirits in. 

Coachella made me realize that music festivals should be seen as giant sample platters for music. The bands play shorter sets and during the day which isn't ideal for concerts, but if you like what you see you'll probably check them out next time in town. 

Having been my first time I had a mental image in my mind as to what it was going to be like. I had this idea that harkened back to the Woodstock days where it was free love and it was loosely run and there weren't any rules. While there were certainly decadent aspects to it, I was shocked by how corporate the festival seemed. Every single tent was sponsored by some company, certain business (like Heineken) had a monopoly over everything else which allowed prices to go sky high.

Now onto the music!

I saw a ton of bands, I'm not going to review every single band I saw but I will mention highlights and low-lights as well as surprises.  

1. Devo - Holy god were they good! This reformed 80's new wave group were not only my favorite set of the weekend they were also the biggest surprise for me. First off I commend them for playing "Whip It" towards the beginning of their set. This allowed the casual listener to leave and let the fans have more room to dance. Devo may be gray and over the hill, but they have the energy of teenagers. They pulled out all of the stops, the paper yellow suits, the red cone hats. If they roll into town again I will be first in line to see them.

2. LCD Soundsystem - LCD probably had the biggest weekend of anyone. This was the first time where they were presented as a top tier headlining act, and they rose to the occasion. Performing a blistering set to a packed mainstage audience. Their new material worked nicely with their older stuff. However the biggest surprise was the fact that they played the 8 minute rambling "Losing My Edge." I have been an LCD fan for years and I can tell you that they rarely ever play that song. It was an absolute treat. 

3. Jay-Z - I knew he was going to be entertaining but I did not think he would be that electrifying. He had the coolest backdrop of any artist that weekend, a LED display that was shaped like sky-scrapers. This guy could take over the world if he wanted to, he has the confidence of Alexander the Great. At the end of the set he brought out Beyonce (who was the most beautiful woman at the festival) to sing "Forever Young." 

4. Atoms For Peace - I felt bad for Pavement, they were supposed to be a big draw for people, but they had to compete against Thom Yorke's solo project Atom's for Peace, and in the world of indie rock Radiohead is God and Thom Yorke is Christ. So naturally, Yorke won the crowd, and for good reason. He put on a very lush set feulled by his newest bassist Flea. I'm sure they would have been my #1 if I wasn't a mile away, but they were still tremendous and still upstaged Gorillaz.

5. Yo La Tengo - I have been wanting to see them for a long time, I knew I was going to enjoy their set, but I didn't think was going to that much. They played every song I love of theirs. It's a shame that they didn't get a bigger crowd, most of the people left after De La Soul performed. Check out their dance routine that apparently was requested by Sly Stone 

6. Hot Chip - A perfect example of a group that needed to play a longer set, but were screwed due to time constraints. Their tight musicianship still left a great impression on me. 

7. Old Crow Medicine Show - Bluegrass isn't usually welcome at hipster paradise. But Old Crow were man enough to take on the mainstage. After some audio problems they settled into an absolutely supercharged hour of music. I am sure they gained about a thousand new fans that day, so yeah it was a great day for bluegrass. 

8. Them Crooked Vultures - I saw them a few months back at their record release show at The Wiltern and wasn't really that impressed. They were very repetitive. I guess all that time on the road did them wonders because the band I saw that friday was a completely different Them Crooked Vultures. They seemed focused yet loose enough to improvise some impressive Zeppelin-esque jams. It doesn't hurt to have an actual member of Zepp in your band too. Like Muse, they were built for large outdoor settings like this. 

9. Gil-Scott Heron - I only caught about twenty minutes of his set due to my wanting to get front row for LCD Soundsystem, but what I saw I was completely impressed. It was only his scratchy voice, a piano, a bongo player and a saxophone. Sure it was laid back, and not danceable, but Heron is a poet. The magic is in the meaning of the songs, not how they sound. During the short time that I was there he touched on love, loss, peace and pain. He's a withered tortured soul who has probably experienced more than anyone else at that festival. It was a treat to be able to say I saw him. 

And now onto the disappointments:

1. Beach House - Maybe it was the weather, the sound issues, and the fact that they were playing on way too large of a stage but something about Beach House really bored me to death. I enjoy their new album but their Coachella set taught me that setting is everything. Some great bands are not built for the hot sun and summer festivals and Beach House is a perfect example. They need to stick to smaller indoor venues at night and maybe I'll check them out again. 

2. The xx - What the hell makes this band likable? I seriously cannot wrap my head around why they are successful. Every one of their songs sounded the same. If I learned three chords on guitar and whispered into a mic I guess I could have an evening slot at Coachella as well. I was drug into their set and had to miss Dirty Projectors which I was bummed about. 

3. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes - I enjoy their album, it has a very positive vibe to it, and as all the hippies in attendance showed me is great to skip around in a circle to. But Ed Sharpe himself was all over the place that night. He was obviously fucked up on something, he stumbled around the stage, sang off-track from the music, and forced some of his band-mates to cover from him. 

4. Gorillaz - Yep. There I said it, the most talked about group of the weekend was also one of the biggest let downs for me. I bought into the hype that they were going to be a visual spectacular like no other. I absolutely loved the mystery of the band, the whole cartoon aspect was very unique. Previously, they used to perform behind a silhouette to keep the band members identities hidden. Instead they removed the curtain and reveal their identities that night. Gorillaz had no mystery left, turns out they are human just like the rest of us. It was a big letdown for me. Props to Daft Punk for keeping mystery in music in tact. Gorillaz proved that watching a bunch of british people playing instruments is far less entertaining than a shrouded cartoon rock group. 

5. Sly Stone - The fucker didn't show up until later. He pulled a Sly. I didn't see his set, but apparently it was a glorious train wreck and Sly spent most of the time talking about his money troubles. 

Did I enjoy my time at Coachella? Yes, absolutely I think everyone should submit themselves to this kind of experience at least once in their lives. It will give you stories to tell for years. However, I would not be the kind of person who bops around to every single one of these sorts of things. Would I go back? Probably, if the setlist was good enough $269 is a lot of cash though. For now, I'm going to set my sights for festivals that are in a better climate.  

New LCD Soundsystem

"I Believe In Waking Up Together"

A party song that is also a scathing criticism of the party scene. Genius.

Download via Mediafire:
Drunk Girls

New LCD Soundsystem

Dammit I love these guys. Whenever I want to get my feet movin' LCD Soundsystem is my go-to. This track is a cover song that won't be featured on their highly anticipated 2010 release, but it does give us a great taste as to what the band's been up to, and makes me eager for more.

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Bye Bye Bayou