Why don't the Roots try harder?

I know this is a music blog, but here's a quick aside: I love the NBA playoffs. I'll watch anybody play, but my favorite team is the Detroit Pistons. They are the toughest, most talented team in the league, but they have a problem: they don't show up for half of their games. They tend to phone in a half-hearted performance all to often, and it's even more disappointment when you know they can achieve on another level when they want to,

Here's what this has to do with music: I just bought the new Roots album. With great instrumentation, furious energy, an amazingly versatile drummer, and a talented front man, they should be one of the greatest things that ever happened to rap music. They have put out two of the best rap albums of the last decade with Phrenology and Game Theory. But there's a problem: they've also released The Tipping Point and now Rising Down: two flat, uninspired, unemotional, unadventurous albums where they simply sound like they don't care.

I would tell you about individual tracks on the new Roots album, but I don't remember any. That's because the tracks are so generic, I don't remember any of it five minutes after playing the record. Where's the adventure? Where's the soul influence, the guitar solos, the bizarre samples (they used Radiohead's "You And Whose Army?" on their last record), and the fun choruses that made their other albums great? This band needs to wait until they have some real ideas to make a record and stop throwing together half-assed performances like this.

Oh well, their next record will probably be great....

Best of 2008 (So Far)

It's been an interesting year so far. There have been some great albums, but there have also been plenty of complete disappointments (Stephen Malkmus, Magnetic Fields) and albums that didn't hold up well on repeated plays (Gnarls Barkley, Counting Crows) and genre exercises that I never find myself in the mood to listen to (Protest The Hero). Here are five albums from this year that I can't stop playing, from great to greater:

5. Kathleen Edwards' Asking For Flowers: I didn't see this one sticking with me, but it did. "The Cheapest Key" and "Oil Man's War" are great Springsteen-esque rockers, and her ballads like "Asking For Flowers" and "Sure As Shit" are always great for a cry.

4. Drive-By-Truckers' Brighter Than Creation's Dark: This one should be higher, but like all of their best records, did they really need all these songs? Nineteen tracks feels like homework. Buy it, put it on your ipod, and extract the gems like "Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife", "The Righteous Path", and "Self-Destructive Zones".

3. Vampire Weekend's Vampire Weekend: Pretentious? Hipster? Over-hyped? Yes, but engaging and original as debut records come. The second half is a little weak, but "Mansford Roof", "Oxford Comma" and "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" are more than enough fun to keep me coming back.

2. REM's Accelerate: At first, I was just happy to hear them playing rock again. After repeated listens, this really is a classic. "Man-Sized Wreath" and "Horse To Water" are perfect punk-pop, while "Houston" proves that they only need two minutes to deliver a complex epic.

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seed's Dig, Lazarus Dig!!!: I really don't think there will be a better album this year. He found punk music and David Bowie's influence to combine to his already impressive repertoire. Every track here could end up being your favorite, from the unrestrained punk of "Lie Down Here (& Be My Girl)" to the creeping "Hold On To Yourself" to ballad "Jesus Of The Moon". Everything this guy touches becomes gold.

Bruce Springsteen in Orlando!!!

Last night, I finally got to see the E Street Band. I started listening to them when I was 5 and I started being obsessed with them in college, so I've been trying to get to one of their concerts for a very long time. Unfortunately, they were broken up for a majority of my childhood so Bruce could put out mediocre solo albums. However, they managed to muster up one more timeless masterpiece last year with Magic and now they are on the road for maybe the last time.

This show was everything I was waiting for. The set list was perfect: geared toward hardcore fans, skipping old radio singles, playing crowd favorites from 30 years ago and throwing in just enough of the new stuff. Here were the highlights:

- The beautiful tribute and video montage for Danny that opened the show on a somber note.

- After a few newer and lesser-known tunes, they opened up the first and maybe greatest crowd sing-along of the night with "Out On The Street"

- Bruce stumbled around the stage like a drunken man-whore during "Spirit Of The Night"; he performed sex acts on the mic stand and forgot the lyrics on one verse. And I thought that song couldn't get any better...

- He offered some powerful yet surprisingly restrained GW Bush hating on "Living In The Future".

- "Jungleland" - I don't even need to say anything. It was Jungleland.

- The house lights came back on for "Born To Run" for more communal sing-along to send the crowd home happy.

Everything I heard about Bruce shows from when I was a kid was still here. It was a joy to hear the crowd yell "Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuce" after every song: after over 30 years together and one lost member, they still have it.

Remembering Danny Federici

Let me get something out first: in my humble opinion, the lineup the E Street Band had from 1975 to 1984 is the greatest rock band ever assembled. There was a perfect balance of 7 guys that will never be matched. Every member of that band was equally important. That's why I don't think of them as "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band" - they are, simply, the "E Street Band". Bruce is great, but aside from Nebraska, he could never do a classic record without them.

Danny Federici died this week of melanoma at the age of 58. It's the end of an era and it's never going to be the same. That band was all about brotherhood - it was all about a couple guys who grew up in a neighborhood together becoming the greatest rock band ever.

Danny added so much to their best work; he brought both a gospel influence and a jazz influence with his organ playing. Here are just a few of my favorite Danny moments:

- His organ solo in "Hungry Heart" - who else was doing organ solos that year?
- His accordion that made "4th of July, Ashbury Park (Sandy)"
- His church organ making "My City Of Ruins" into a spiritual
- His keyboards give the perfect backdrop for every solo in "Prove It All Night"
- His organ outro that makes me cry at the end of "Darkness of the Edge of Town"
- His intro to "Streets Of Fire" - really, he pretty much owned Darkness of the Edge of Town
- His background flourishes in "Your Own Worst Enemy" - one of his last tricks

He wasn't flashy - he never took much camera time away from Bruce, Clarence, or Stevie. He was just always there in the background holding it all together.

Rest in peace Danny. They couldn't have done it without you.

A few Youtube gems

Here are a few Youtube clips that have made my week.

Nick Cave doing a heartbreaking piano performance on David Letterman back in 2001:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KZqfN9eh8w

While you're at it, read allmusic.com's review of Nick Cave and the Bad Seed's Dig! Lazurus Dig!. This is a masterpiece of music writing:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3zfwxzejldte

Radiohead doing "House Of Cards" earlier this year. This clip confirmed for me that Thom Yorke is one of the greatest rock singers ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJGUDMLVXnA&feature=related

Thank you Bill Simmons (on espn.com) for this amazing Bruce Springsteen clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3vUKBOJ5sU

Enjoy.

Miles Davis' Bitches Brew

I'm ashamed of myself: I've been writing this blog for three months and I've never written about a jazz album. I've been pulling out a classic lately - Bitches Brew by Miles Davis is still one of the wildest, most creative, and beautifully confounding things I've ever heard.

The opening track, "Pharaoh's Dance", is a acid jazz journey that can keep you in a trance for twenty minutes. The clamoring keyboards and drums drive a blasting trumpet climax that catches me by surprise every time. The title track, which is even longer, creeps around the chorus, builds, falls apart, and then repeats all of that a few times.

The second disc contains four cuts that are slightly less daring. "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" touches on funk but maintains the hazy acid spirit of the rest of the record. "Sanctuary" closes the album on a hauntingly beautiful note.

Even if you don't like jazz, you need to experience this one. It doesn't surprise me that this album is said to have inspired the likes of Pink Floyd more than it inspired any jazz musician. Buy this one alongside Charles Mingus' The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady. Then let me know if you don't have some kind of emotional out-of-body experience.

Fun Comic

Here is a funny comic about one of my all-time favorite albums: the Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin. This comic was sent to me by my little sister, who is the master of random humor:

http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=141

R.E.M.'s Catalog

REM's new album might be a legitimate classic. At first, I thought my obsession with it might be a knee-jerk reaction to hearing them play rock again, but after playing it start to finish about 20 times, it might be one of the most enduring albums of this year.

Now I'm going through their entire catalog again. Here is my favorite five REM albums:

5.) Out Of Time: A strange, almost bi-polar album. It has some of their best pop moments, but it also goes to some dark places. Best songs: "Low", "Half A World Away", "Losing My Religion"

4.) Accelerate: Short, driving, accessible, and what we've been waiting for a long time for. Best songs: "Horse To Water", "Sing For The Submarine", "Houston"

3.) Murmur: Classic, groundbreaking, and as catchy and fun as it ever was. Best songs: "Talk About The Passion", "Perfect Circle", "We Walk"

2.) Document: They layered on some complexity before they went major-label. A great transition album that combines garage punk with the pop sounds they later went overboard with. Best songs: "Fireplace", "King Of Birds", "Welcome To The Occupation"

1.) Automatic For The People: Classic. Perfect balance of folk, rock, pop harmonies, and the best songwriting of the 90s. Best songs: "Drive", "Man On The Moon", "Nightswimming", "Everybody Hurts", "Star Me Kitten"...... OK, you need to get all of them

Nick Cave, once again

Is anybody sick of me blogging about Nick Cave?

I'm sorry. Just watch this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kV5XkBQsKU

Now tell me if you hear anything else this year that is half as exciting, brooding, sexy, destructive, hilarious, ridiculous, insane, wonderful, and brilliant this year. This isn't even the best song on this album! I'll blog about somebody else next time, I promise. I'm just completely amazed by this album.

Nick Cave's past few albums

I've already heard Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' new album on myspace, and I already think it's one of the 25 best albums of this decade. It was released today; my copy is en route from amazon.com, since I don't trust any of the crappy CD stores around here to carry it. So while I impatiently wait for it, here are some of his past albums that are all more than worth hearing:

The Boatman's Call: A beautiful collection of ballads that many consider his masterpiece. It shows off his songwriting ability much more than the instrumental chops of his band, but as far as heartbreaking piano/songwriter work goes, you can't beat "There Is A Kingdom" and "Into My Arms".

No More Shall We Part: I've always been able to appreciate this album more than enjoy it. The lyrical territory is so death-obsessed fire and brimstone that it's difficult to get to the end while maintaining any faith in God or humanity. There sure are some brilliant moments though: "And No More Shall We Part" is a perfect piano ballad for a funeral, and "Oh My Lord" has an amazing climax that involves Nick yelling "oh I hate them all!".

Abattoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus: In his mid-40s, he creates his masterpiece. Everything that Nick ever did great is magnified here. "There She Goes, My Beautiful World" rocks louder than he ever has with its pounding piano and screaming choir. "O Children" is like a summary of No More Shall We Part. "Breathless" is an honest-to-God love song! "Let The Bells Ring" is an unbelievable Johnny Cash eulogy. You have to hear the entire two discs to understand the depth, scope, and perfection of this album.

Grinderman: What does he do for an encore? Rename the band and do punk-blues songs about primal sexual urge. I think "No Pussy Blues" summarizes it pretty well. This isn't half the masterpiece that his last record was, but what a sweet divergence.

The Black Keys Attack & Release

I've always thought of the Black Keys as a much less creative version of the White Stripes. Granted, they do well with their two man drum-and-guitar only setup, and they did create one impressive near-masterpiece with Rubber Factory. But they don't have the range of instruments Jack White has (piano, bagpipes, marimbas, etc.) and they don't have his range of influence (bluegrass, folk, etc.) so what do they do after a few albums? They can call in a ringer or they can remake the same album until people get sick of them.

Well, guess what: they called in a ringer. Two, actually. Danger Mouse, of Gnarls Barkley and Grey Album fame, takes on the unlikely production role of the year. Marc Ribot (who has played with Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Joe Henry, Robert Plant, etc.) is about the last person I would expect to see here: how will his atmospherics and subtly work with a garage-blues outfit? He is my all-time favorite underrated studio guitarist, so I'm sure he can make this work.

The result is a Black Keys album that usually sounds like the producer added to it after it was already finished. That isn't necessarily a bad plan, since it still holds on to most of the charge and excitement Rubber Factory had and it still emphasizes their driving guitar hooks and excellent singing (think: a white Jimi Hendrix). The differences are the surprises that fill in the voids left by the small manpower, like the banjo in "All You Ever Wanted" and the flute in the intro of "Same old Thing".

Attack & Release isn't the liberating artistic triumph that the White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan was, but it is a big step for a band that is looking forward while keeping what they do best. This album was an outlet for some ideas that could have failed if handled wrong, but ultimately gave the band some new artistic focus, the way Van Dyke Parks did for Silverchair on Young Modern last year. It's always great to see a band trying so hard.

Best Tracks: "All You Ever Wanted", "Strange Times", "Lies", "So He Won't Break"

R.E.M. find the Fountain of Youth!!!

About a month and a half ago, I said that R.E.M. were due for a comeback: a return-to-roots album that would remind us all why we love them. Much to my surprise, it actually happened.

Accelerate is a glorious blur. They run through 11 songs in 35 minutes - some songs end when I was just starting to sing along. There isn't a second of filler and even the ballads drive hard. There are a few songs here that rank with the best they've ever recorded:

"Living Well is the Best Revenge": The most lively opening they've ever had. Michael Stipe sounds frantic, angry, and like he's 25 years old again. Fortunately, he sounds this way the entire album.

"Houston": Remember that low, paranoid, creepy voice he used in most of New Adventures in Hi-Fi? It's back. Combine that will organ fills, some great acoustic guitar work, and horrifying lyrics about escaping Hurricane Katrina, and you have a wonderful yet unnerving two minutes.

"Sing for the Submarine": This is the only track I could call epic. It takes a minute to build, but the chorus is supplemented by a guitar squeal and some creepy backing vocals.

"Horse to Water": This song is, in one work, urgent. They haven't used that tempo since Reckoning.

Overall, they didn't do anything new here, but they didn't need to. They go back to their garage roots, use their political leanings as an advantage (and not a hindrance like they did on their last few records), and rediscover using melody over multi layered instruments and production. The result: their best album since Automatic for the People. We knew you had it all along.