M. Ward (Live!)

o·pi·oid/ˈōpēˌoid/

Noun:

An opiumlike compound that binds to one or more of the three opioid receptors of the body. (See also, the sounds of M. Ward.) Apparently M. Ward records his albums with some vintage 2-inch tape (I have no idea what that is, but its an old, vintage-y, way of doing things.) I do know that that's how he laces his vocal chords with an opiate sheen that takes me places only junkies know. What's weird, is, he doesn't have that vintage, warm, gooey, sound live. In fact, he's sort of a rabble-rousing-guitar-god-virtuoso AND his voice, is admittedly weak live. It didn't help that he played here: Yeah. That's SLC's own Pioneer Park. Unless your name is My Morning Jacket, you're gonna have a hard time transcending the sound system there.  M. Ward did indeed lose his signature opiate-laced sound, but he was a frenetic performer and even the shoddy sound system couldn't hide his magical method of pure 60's pop on songs like: Primitive Girl Sad Sad Song Rave On (Best tribute to Buddy Holly. Ever?) All in all, I did rock the VIP again thanks to my friend at Nate Wade Subaru. This concert was officially my last summer concert. I hit some great shows this summer and well, if you're reading this blog, you know how I geek out about the importance of music and how it brings folks together and blah, blah, blah, but it does: From left to right: Matt: I've known his balls since 9th grade. He's a bigshot business man and all around good dude. Swallz: I've known this guy since the early 00's and I grow fonder of his musical genius and magical unicorn powers daily.  Me: (I look incredibly fat here. I may also just be incredibly fat. Val also says I look drunk, which is impossible.) Brock: Funny-as-hell. Sweet. Pure and simple. (And he's the guy behind my VIP experience. Buy a Subaru!) I also met my little bro and his wife and we got to talk shit about going to grad school. (They were with the poor folk, though. Not the bourgeois elite, like me...) Good times. Take home lesson: 1). Music brings me joy and brings me closer to the people I love.  2). M. Ward (Live!) is a different beast than when I chill-out to his albums with my head phones, which is cool.  Stay tuned for my ultimate summer concert breakdown!! (I can't experience music without relentless judging and raking the experience now can I?)

Norah Jones (Live!)

Norah Jones is a big deal. 

I learned this while waiting in a line than spanned from Red Butte Gardens to Ogden. 

If a single artist could draw that big of a crowd, they've gotta be a big deal.

-OR-

The artist provides such sweet, vanilla bean flavors so as to appeal to an alarmingly wide range of folks. 

-OR-

The artist is both a "big deal" and widely appealing.

After watching her in action (at the always pleasing Red Butte venue), I think Norah Jones falls in the "both" category.

I have always just been a casual admirer of Miss Jones. Valerie digs her, and will even sometimes close her eyes in serenity when a few of her hits fill the air in our home or car stereo. 

Other than those few instances, I just sorta think she's "okay." 

For the past few years, her work has done just enough eye-brow-raising to stay on my radar. 

First off, she collaborates with everybody, (even other musicians can't deny her appeal!)

Check out this list of collaborators/duets:

1. Willie Nelson

2. Foo Fighters

3. Outkast

4. Q-Tip

5. Talib Kweli

6. Belle & Sebastian

7. Okkervil River (I really dig them.)

8. Ray Charles

9. Ryan Adams (Totally love this dude.)

10. Dolly Parton

11. Herbie Hancock

12. Charlie Hunter

13. Dayna Kurtz

14. Jack White (Light candles beneath his photo.)

The list seriously goes on and on... 

Her most recent album was another collaboration produced by Dangermouse (he played some instruments too) called "Little Broken Hearts."

You can totally tell. There's this signature quirkyness to Dangermouse's work that revolves around the use of electric piano/keyboard loops and hooks. (Listen to Broken Bells and the Black Keys "Attack & Release" album for proof.) Her new song "Say Goodbye" could easily be on either of those records I mentioned. I really, really like it. 

Anyhoo, out of all of Norah Jones' collaborations, I think this one actually pays off. I think it's the "weirdness" of the two artists that finally meshes. 

Yup. I think Norah Jones is weird. I don't think she's just some smokey, jazzy muse. I think she's weird and is still sorta grappling with her crazy success and legions of admirers after 10 years of being on the scene. 

This was apparent with her strangely awkward "crowd banter" that basically consisted with about 50, or 60 "Thanks you guys," and "Thank you," and "Thanks a lot." 

On her new material, her weird factor is on display alongside her "I-can't-help-but-sound-cool-and-beautiful-every-time-I sing" ability. 

You gotta listen to the song "Miriam" to know what I'm talking about. It's now one of my favorite Norah Jones songs. 

(Yeah. You just saw that.)

But enough of my amateur career review of Norah Jones. 

What I really need to communicate to the blogosphere is this: Norah Jones' voice is the genuine article. I was floored by the sheer power and control and sweetness of her voice all night!

She's got that iconic vibe, like, a once-every-generation-voice. I think its cool that one of the iconic voices of my generation comes from such a strange, awkward place.

Norah Jones is a big deal. Norah Jones is a weirdo.

Bam!

The Dark Knight Rises: Tragedy Looms

It sucks.


Not the movie.


The movie is rad.


It sucks that we live in a world with real-life psychopaths that have access to real-life gas grenades and real-lfe assault rifles. The tragedy in Denver looms over Christopher Nolan's brilliant Batman trilogy as a reminder that no matter how hard we try to escape this world with incredible entertainment, the world will keep creeping back in.

It really ended 12 peoples lives and scarred many more. It's reality and it sucks.


I'm not gonna start some silly gun-control debate cuz lefties will be all "Ban assault rifles!" and righties will be all "Guns don't kill people, Obama's healthcare does!"


Stupid debate.


The reality is that its all much more complicated than yes/no to gun control discussion for pundits and fanatics (Is there a difference? I dunno...).


The reality is that a presumably smart, high-functioning grad student studying neuropsychology flies under the radar as being significantly disturbed and violent. That's way too many radars missing the danger, man.

Wanna know what sucks more? I work in the radar (see: psychologist) business. Kids fly under way too often. Not just in the early grades either. Grad school is a sonovabitch, and well, let's just say I've had professors that could have cared less about what was going on with me or my cohort buddies.


People have got to be checking-in with people. We gotta engage and not isolate one another.


Mental illness is not dangerous. It's actually fascinating and the folks that struggle with it have incredible insights about the human experience. In fact, I believe that more damage is done by ignoring it and pretending that it doesn't exist.


Accept it. Tolerate it. Take time to understand it. Help those that struggle with it.


Dammit! There I go, getting all "pseudo-intellectual" and preachy again!

Sorry...


The new Batman was balls!

Here's what I liked best: (SPOILER ALERT! SORT OF...)



1. Catwoman. I thought she'd bug me cuz Catwoman is a pretty campy villain and Anne Hathaway can be cheesy. Mr. Nolan's Batman trilogy is totally not campy nor cheesy. How did he get over it? He doesn't refer to her as Catwoman! Bam! (Miss Hathaway pretty much knocks it outta the park offering sweet ninja kicks and some welcome humor to such a dark movie.) Not to mention, there is a scene kinda like this iconic image from one of the best Batman comics ever.

2. Bane. Nobody will ever top Heath Ledger's JOkeR. That said, Bane was not a bad follow-up. He's pure evil and matches Batman blow for blow (both physically and strategically).

3. Supporting Cast. Christian Bale is cool and is an excellent Bruce Wayne, (especially in Batman Begins). On top of that, Mr. Nolan scores a bunch of great actors in this one. They all have cool surprises in store.

4. The Bat Jet-Hover-Thing. So effing cool looking.

5. The part when the kids on the school bus say, "It's Batman!" I teared-up. ("Titanic" Jack & Rose territory for me...)

6. This totally happens:

Anyhoo, I really do love these Batman movies. This guy from ESPN's Grantland provides the best explanation about why:

"Christopher Nolan's Batman movies are different. They are not genre exercises disguised as superhero films. They are not even really "about" the exploits of the well-known international brand that is Batman. Nolan makes superhero films that think hard about what superheroes actually are: symbols, mostly; moral quandaries come to life; fallible individuals in masks and suits who police certain arbitrary codes of behavior and who are regularly called upon to debate those codes with villains who have alternate, and perhaps equally valid, codes."

I especially like the "moral quandaries come to life" part. 

There are big questions out there and allegory is an excellent method of exploration. Batman rocks the allegory with a certain coolness and levity that makes it palpable for dudes like me. 

I mean, just check out this moral quandary (Its so important, it has German subtitles): 

My Morning Jacket (Live!)

I'm not gonna lie: I'm getting tired.

While my summertime has burned into a brightly burning sun, its headed towards an inevitable implosion into gravity's pull. I'm feeling it.

We drive miles upon miles of Utah highway. We keep my kids up too late.  They wake up with little "kiddie hangovers." (It is worth noting, however, that their behavior has provided me with some intriguing concepts for a movie called "Trainspotting: Wee Lil' Tots.")

Anyhoo...I'm not going to go out quietly, dammit! I've got a few more concerts to go to! Curfews be damned!! (Not to mention, I still need to blog about "The Dark Knight Rises!")

Enter: My Morning Jacket!!

I've previously described the sound of MMJ to friends and people in line at Costco like this:

"If Neil Young were to make sweet love to Radiohead whilst listening to Prince, the product of this affair would be My Morning Jacket."

You see, with MMJ you get the wild Crazyhorse jam-band PLUS weirdo-future sounds with a little bit of funk.

What's not to like?

So, yeah, anyways, like I've blogged about before, music is special and blah-blah-blah and it reunites friends, and blah-blah-blah, but it does.

One of my buddies from high school was able to hook me up with bourgeois VIP passes to Salt Lake City's infamous "Twilight Concert Series!" (That said, the concert series is a $5 show. So, VIP passes to this concert is kinda like putting a candle in a Twinkie), but WHATEVS!

Val and I rocked the VIP section like Kanye, bitches! (EXHIBITS A & B):

They fed us free, organic hippie food and offered us alcoholic beverages that I don't know how to consume! I'm pretty sure folks thought we were Tom Hanks and Charlize Theron! (Either that or a chubby-suburban-sorta-Mormon-ish couple). Either way, it was nice.

(Thanks, Brock. I'm buying a Subaru!)

Here's a shot from backstage where Jim James summoned the Sun God Ra to enhance his face-melting guitar skillz!

Here's another shot by a local scenester, photographer, and general good-dude-do-gooder: Aaron Coleman (yeah, if you're reading this blog, he's the dude that basically started the chain reaction of my "Music is Life" episode at Wilco a few weeks ago. You can read about it in my Wilco (Live!) blog.)

If you're unfamiliar with the genius of Jim James (aka Yim Yames), I recommend you listen to his side projects "Monsters of Folk" and "New Multitudes," plus some of his solo stuff. He has an iconic voice that will go places you didn't know existed.

The man has a place in my rock temple. I light candles at his feet frequently.

MMJ did VH1 "Story Tellers" last year. It was cool and revealing to hear Jim James talk about his music. He's all-in. Total artist. (Not to mention he has rad-Shaman-dance moves!)


Well, there you have it.  My favorite songs of the night were:

1. Phone Went West (A slow-burning plea for a "doctor to make things right.")
2. Mageetah (Classic summertime jam. Essential for your late summer listening).
3. Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Part 2 (MMJ touching on a dance groove).
4. Off the Record (A Rock Solid Rock Song.)
5. Golden (MMJ singing about the road, the journey, and the jams!)
6. Circuital (Quintessential MMJ).

More Pics of MMJ's Rockedness:

Prometheus: Did I just see that?

(Spoiler Alert: I'm gonna be blogging about stuff in the movie "Prometheus." This stuff may or may not "spoil" your experience, so, um, you've been warned...I guess.)


I have a tendency to get all "pseudo intellectual" and try and pontificate about stuff that 1) doesn't really need to be talked about or 2) I have no real knowledge about.

So, I'm gonna avoid all that with this particular blog post. I'm just gonna write about stuff I saw in this movie that I couldn't believe I just saw. Here goes:

1. A beautiful, giant, "meta-human" drinking acid and falling into a pristine waterfall all-the-while getting a nuclear glimpse into the destruction and creation of something that looked like DNA.

2. A sopping wet Charlize Theron doing push-ups in nothing but conveniently placed ace bandages.

3. Badass spaceship. (I'm talkin' Millennium Falcon territory....)

4. An android riding a bicycle and shooting hoops.

(Well, it sorta looked like this...)

5. Tons of holographic wonder.

6. Space worms that had features of both a vagina and a penis. (I know, I couldn't believe it either...)

--No image here, this is a family blog, folks...(Perv!)---

7. An android's head being zipped-up into a duffle bag for safe keeping.

--No image here either, (Perv!)--

8. A full-on Cesarian Section performed by robots!

That sums it up for the visuals of the film that took me by (pleasant-and-often-unsettling) surprise.

Here are the "themes" that are still buzzing around in my head after watching:

1. Where do we come from?
2. Do androids count electric sheep?
3. Are religion and science basically the same thing?
4. Are we hard-wired to court creation and destruction, consequences be damned?
5. Will we ever make androids?
6. Are dudes messing with DNA to make monstrosities right now?
7. Will we be able to map memories and dreams?

I consider it a great artistic accomplishment for a film when I walk out of a theater with more than the residual effects of Diet Coke and Dots swimming in my head (or stomach)...

Anyhoo,

My favorite part of the movie was Michael Fassbender's portrayal of an android. There is something so fascinating with Ridley Scott's casting of androids (aka "replicants") in his respective movies: (see:  Blade Runner, and Alien). He casts these brilliantly humanistic, quasi-Shakesperean actors to play a role lacking in humanity--but maybe that's the point. In each of these films, Mr. Scott presents fascinating observations on what it means to be human...

(Oops, there I go, getting all "pseudo intellectual" again...)

Did I mention Charlize Theron is a fox?

Wilco (Live!)

From the Apocrypha Rockus Americanus:


"In the desert they will sing with dragon slaying axes, and Benjamin (son of the right hand) shall be called forth as a witness..."

This blog entry may also be called "A Prophecy Fulfilled: The Intercosmic Connection."

If you're reading this blog, you sorta know me and you sorta know that I can get overly nerdy about the music I love. This blog will be more of the same, however, you should note that certain experiences took place on June 25, 2012 that might make you a believer in the power of music and why I love it so much.

Prophecies were fulfilled. Intercosmic connections were made. Faces were melted.


Like all good bible stories, its a good idea to start at the beginning:

This is my older brother Ryan. For as long as I can remember he has either been teasing me or opening mysterious doors of wonder. He's a big-shot lawyer, laser smart, and navigates various planes of reality.

When I got my Bachelor's degree from the U of U, he made me a CD. The CD was filled with amazing music. There was one song in particular on this CD that I simply could not get enough of. This song was "Jesus, etc." by Wilco.

If I'm ever asked to share music with someone for the first time, I ALWAYS include this song. It's a staple. It has to be heard.

My love for this song led me to the album it came from (below):

By fans and critics alike, this album is considered a rock and roll "classic." I didn't even listen to it until 5 years after its release and it seemed like the most important music I'd ever heard. (I wasn't the only one who felt that way).

Fast forward a few years and the advent of iTunes, iPods, and Facebook, I dug deep into Wilco. They never disappoint! Album for album, song for song, these guys find gold in the sounds of folk, country, garage rock, jam-band, and sixties pop. 

Their lead man, Jeff Tweedy, provides the magic dust. His deadpan, self-effacing humor and poetic introspection are what gives Wilco the edge on all other "alt-country" acts. 

This is a pic of Mr. Tweedy from last night's show. (Gotta love his vaudeville-folkie flare!) 

He was totally complimentary of SLC, and particularly Red Butte Gardens. He made fun of the bourgeois VIP section, security guards, and big-ass cameras. He backed up his compliments with not 1, but 2 ENCORES! (More on that later...)

For reasons previously unknown, (now known as intercosmic magnetic forces) I was able to get in line really early for the show. Not 3 seconds after I sat down (in the shade no less) I noticed a familiar figure meandering up the hill to get in line:

This tall drink of water was none other than Adam "Time Traveler Pants" Swalberg!! I've cataloged some of my musings on Adam here.

He literally appeared out of the sunlight. I have no evidence (nor do I need it), but I'm pretty sure he teleported to that hill riding an intergalactic unicorn.

The next 3 hours faded in and out of reality as we discussed music and the meaning of life...

This is a picture of Adam pontificating to (a then stranger in a hat, Aaron) about a great many things. After our extensive exchange, Aaron revealed himself to be not only a "brother-in-arms" about rad music, (he spoke quite knowledgeably about Bon Iver, Band of Horses, and Dr. Dog...) but husband and father to famed "Signing Time" stars Rachel and Leah!!!

I was able to directly thank Aaron and his wife Rachel (she showed up later, but I didn't take any pics, cuz I was super shy) about how I've used their Signing Time videos to teach not only my own children some sign, but a bunch of other children struggling with developmental and/or communication deficits in my role as a psychologist in the schools. They were both very nice and pretty amazing people.

Check this link out!

As I spoke with Aaron and Rachel, this older gentlemen with long hair and a goatee next to them said, "Are you Ben Springer?" Here I was, talking with Signing Time Lady & Co and this guy asks me my name like I'm famous!?

I responded in the affirmative, and he said, "I'm Bruce Poulsen. I'm a big fan! You're a killer illustrator, man!"

(My mind exploded at this point. Dr. Poulsen is a well-respected psychologist here in Utah and was the graduate supervisor of one of my all-time-good-buddies, Ben Belnap. Dr. Poulsen had apparently seen my work on my Superheroes project...)

My mind (still in tiny shards) collected itself long enough to remember that my buddy Ben and I would geek-out about Bruce's connections to Arcade Fire (one of the only bands on the same tier of Wilco for me). I made some blur of a comment like, "Holy Shit! What's happening right now!? I remember Ben talking to me about your connections to Arcade Fire!" To which Signing-Time-Rachel replied, "We're related to the guys in Arcade Fire!!!" I guess Rachel's sister is married to Dr. Poulsen! (Zoinks!)

We all started laughing and Aaron said something like, "Music is life, man! Music is life!"

Shortly thereafter, I reunited with my love and reported all of these wondrous happenings. Then we took a cheesy photo:

Here's a shot of the Red Butte venue:

This was the opening band, "Blitzen Trapper." It occurred to me that their name might be in reference to catching one of Santa's reindeer. Whether or not this is true, my observation made me like them less.

They were okay.

Below is a picture of Wilco. They were much, much better than "okay." They were the quintessential summer rock and roll band experience!

It's important to recognize Wilco as a "band." While Jeff Tweedy provides the unique voice and influence, they are solidly equipped with crazy musicians. None more so than this dude:

This is Nels Cline last night. See him with that guitar? He literally destroys that instrument in the most beautiful ways. If you have just over 6 minutes, watch this and see it for yourself:




The rest of the night went something like this:

(Note the red-glare "replicant" eyes of my brother, Ryan!)

Here's the setlist of all the songs they played, plus the encore(s)! (My favorites in bold):

One Sunday Morning
Art of Almost
I Might
Muzzle of Bees
Misunderstood
Impossible Germany
Born Alone
Far, Far away
Whole Love
Box Full of Letters
Pot Kettle Black
I’m Always in Love
Heavy Metal Drummer
I'm the Man Who Loves You
Dawned on Me
A Shot in the Arm
..
Via Chicago
Jesus, Etc.
Late Greats
Walken
Hesitating Beauty
California Stars
..
Red-eyed and Blue
I Got You (At the End of the Century)
Hoodoo Voodoo

1. "One Sunday Morning" is this quiet, lovely, meandering of a song with poignant lyrics about life and love. 

2. "Art of Almost" was my "Best song of 2011" and a face-melting experience. The guitar explosion at the end eviscerated a fat man. I saw it happen!

3. "Misunderstood" is quintessential Wilco.

4. "Impossible Germany" is a guitar-god manifesto.

5. "Far, Far Away" is Wilco showing off their finest country chops.

6. "Whole Love" is a nod to 60's pop and A.M. radio love.

7. "Pot Kettle Black" is a good sample of how only Wilco can sound like Wilco

8. "Heavy Metal Drummer" should be mandatory listening for all summer vacations.

9. "I'm the Man Who Loves You" is straight-up guitar-rock-stomping

10. "Dawned on Me" shows you how remembering love can rock your world.

11. "A Shot in the Arm" is Jeff Tweedy putting it all out there, a beautiful, rocking gesture.

Those songs were the highlights (for me) of the pre-encore concert. 

Then, as the audience howled into the desert moon, Wilco came back out and gave a helluva encore!

(As Wilco picked up their instruments, Val whispered to me a hope for "California Stars.")

1. "Via Chicago" opens with the line "I dreamed about killing you again last night, and it seemed alright to me..." Not the most romantic opener, but its about going home, getting your head straight. 

2. "Jesus, etc." The Song.

3. "Late Greats" is one of my favorite Wilco songs. There is something cool about a band singing about a band.

4. "Walken" honky-tonk piano driven rocker.

5. "Hesitating Beauty" Obscure Woody Guthrie song. Pretty. Simple. 

6. "California Stars" Valerie's wish was granted. The stars above were not from California, but they certainly shined on our love last night. 

You see, Valerie made Herculean efforts to make it possible for us to have another Red Butte date.

With all the magic in the air last night, it made perfect sense that Wilco would end their encore with that song for Valerie. 


A prophecy fulfilled... 

As Wilco left the stage, Valerie picked up her blanket and went to off to get our babies. 

All of this really happened. 

Because of music. 

Music Blowing My Mind (Part 3)...

Prepare yourself for brain-splattering rock music! (This is the final installment of music that has been blowing my mind recently).

No skulls allowed!


**WARNING: The following music may do this to you.**



1. Islands "A Sleep & A Forgetting"

A couple summers ago, I went to go see The Black Keys with my brother. I was stoked to see those dudes melt faces with their bluesy-guitar-stomp-garage rock! The Keys had an opening band called Human Highway. This band consisted of two Canadian indie stalwarts Jim Guthrie and Nick "Diamonds" Thornburn (and sounded nothing like The Black Keys).

They played their set in the hot Utah sun while most of the folks in the audience were talking. I wasn't paying too much attention, but they got into a song called "What World" and it shot a sonic arrow right into my heart. As much as I liked the Black Keys, this quirky pop-folk-doo-wop is what stuck with me that night.

I got home and downloaded their album. It was, in a word: perfect. I became sorta obsessed with them and tried to figure out if they had any more albums. My gumshoeing led me to discover Nick Thornburn's primary band, Islands. Because it looked like Human Highway was sort of a side-project-whim, I surrendered and got an Islands album called "Vapours."

As it turned out, "Vapours" became one of my all-time favorite albums.

It's time, dear readers, that you acknowledge Islands! They're legit, and Nick Thornburn has the goods on the same level as Beck, Stephen Malkmus, and Jack White. By "the goods," I mean the ability to make a unique mark on the alt-rock soundscape all their own.

Anyways, I heard Islands were coming out with a new album this year and was really eager to hear it. It was released on Valentines Day. Here's a picture of the album cover:

A black background with a black rose. On Valentine's. Oh boy. 

When I first listened, I found none of the crazy spaghetti-western-drum-machine-pop-masterpieces that were on "Vapours." So, like a little bitch, I wrote this album off as "okay" and let it slide into my overly vast iTunes library. 

A little bit of time passed and while shuffling songs on my iPod, an Islands song from this album would pop-up. Every single time I stopped what I was doing! I was all, "Wha? Me gusta!"

After this happened more than a few times,  I hunkered down and re-listened. My brain was jettisoned rear-cranium-style!

I screwed up comparing it to Vapours. This album is something totally different. Where Vapours rocked the fanciful tales of drug-induced oblivion, "A Sleep & A Forgetting" made a bridge to Human Highway-ish sounds. A 50's (60's?) love letter to burned and bloodstained love letters. Nick Thornburn made a tragic heartbreaker of an album cuz I think he experienced a tragic heartbreak! (Zoinks!)

Anyways, do yourself a favor and buy this album. Its all good. Right now, my favorites are "Hallways," "Oh, Maria," and "This Is Not a Song." 

2. Jack White "Blunderbuss"

Um, how often will you be able to compare a solo effort to the likes of Led Zeppelin and Jerry Lee Lewis? Answer: Never. Dude is ridiculous! My pre-frontal cortex turned into creamed corn when I heard these songs: "Sixteen Saltines," "I'm Shakin'," "(Hip) Eponymous Poor Boy," and "Trash Tongue Talker." Who is this guy?






3. Diamond Rugs

Hmmm...Where do I begin?

Oh, I know, when my skull exploded into raspberry jam all over the back of my truck!!!

This music is at once too simple and too incredible to write about in my sorry-ass blog. It's everything I've ever wanted in American Rock Music. How's that? It's why car windows were designed to be rolled down and car stereos were designed to be turned up!

Just go buy this album and thank me later.





4. Dr. Dog "Be the Void"

For starters, these dudes are my favorites right now. When I think of Dr. Dog, I think of this image  below:

I've seen them live a couple times and they don't dress like this, (you never know cuz indie-music-hipsters can go to great lengths to dress ironically...) . This is a publicity shot. If you listen to their music, you get it. They work hard, they look to the past, they fix it, they bring it to you in their own unique way. If you asked them for what's in their pockets, you'd find dusty remnants of The Beatles, The Band, and The Beach Boys. 

Their last four albums are back-to-back masterpieces. I'm not joking. I mentioned those older bands above, but don't let me mislead you. Dr. Dog sound nothing like them. It's just...you can tell they take the past of rock history seriously and selectively. 

Anyhoo, they do their thing and it works. All the time. 

Their most recent album "Be the Void" is a frenetic pot luck of sorts. It's full of energy, angst, and fun. These guys are fantastic musicians and you get the feeling they just let it all out in the studio here. No breaks, very little polishing, just a good ol' fashioned rocker! I like rocking to all the songs from this album, but check out, "That Old Black Hole," "The Trick," and "Lonesome" for sure.

There you go. Hope your brain splatters on the back of your sofa!