4waystop

THE TOP 100 DEBUT ALBUMS OF ALL TIME

Well, Uncut magazine has come up with its Top 100 debut albums of all time.  Below are the first 10.  I really don't know if I would agree with the whole list, but take a look and make your own decision.

10. The Stooges - The Stooges
9. Roxy Music - Roxy Music
8. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
7. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
6. The Clash - The Clash
5. The Band - Music From Big Pink
4. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
3. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced
2. Televsion - Marquee Moon
1. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico

I definitely think they have #1 right.  The Velvet Underground & Nico may not have sold many copies but later became very influential to many bands.

VINYL NOT DEAD

I for one regret selling off my vinyl albums. The music industry claimed that CD's sounded better than vinyl. They lied! I had some blues albums that never sounded as good on CD. According to the Recording Industry Association of America vinyl generated $39 million for manufacturers in 2004, and sales of LPs have slowly risen since 2000, nearly doubling by 2004. that does not even count the collectors that spend their weekend going to garage sales and sift through other peoples junk to find that Vinyl nugget for their collection. Here is a great story about Vinyl Link

Your Little DaVinci

So you think your kid is a budding artist?  Want to show those future museum pieces off by taping them up in your office and basking in the ooohs and aahs of admiring co-workers?  Better not let Maddox of thebestpageintheuniverse.net get hold of any of little pookum's drawings.  He reviews kid's art work on his site (among other things) and he's ruthless.  He's also pee-your-pants funny.  Well, that's if you have a sense of humor and don't get all P.C. about the reviews or the idea of poking fun at little kids.  If you do get huffy and decide to send the dude a nasty email, you may want to reconsider after taking a look at his 'hate mail' section.  link

NO NIGHTMARES HERE

"Hey dainty girl flailing on the side of the road, with the great thumb in the air, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what happened to your underwear?"  So begins 'Thumbelina' (a song that calls to mind  Uma Thurman's 1993 movie Even Cowgirls Get the Blues) from the band Nightmare of You, off their self-titled first CD.  While I can't even imagine where mainstream radio (i.e., Clear Channel) would have to begin to neuter this particular gem in order to make it vanilla enough for rotation, it is a great  example of the smart, witty and generally sex obsessed songwriting that makes Nightmare's debut a kick to listen to over and over again.  I have to admit I was expecting, after seeing the band's photo on the CD booklet, to hear yet another Greenday retread, so I was really pleased to find a band that got it right the first time out, from the twangy, hopeful 'Marry Me', to 'Ode to Serotonin' and it's  love or Wellbutrin induced exuberance.  Something about lead singer Brandon Reilly's voice could make a reading of War and Peace enjoyable and with Joe McCaffrey on guitar, Ryan Heil on bass and Sammy Siegler on drums, Nightmare of You avoids sounding like a pastiche of punk and makes me certain I won't be the only one hoping for a quick follow up from this band.

THE SUNDRESSES GIVE US URBAN BLUES

The Only way to play the Cincinnati's Sundresses new album The only tourist in town is by turning the volume up to 12and chug Mescal. By the time you get to the worm you'll see the spirits of all the punk God's.
My wife being out of town with my daughter this weekend gave me time for such a recreational journey. The last time i experienced such a weekend was when my old friend Lynn Machin and i went out into the Arizona desert and did some peyote.....the flashbacks are still coming
10 years later and i a am sure that this weekend with the Sundresses will have the same effect.
The music is haunting, howling and gut wrenching urban blues.  The first song on the CD Universe Universe is a  blues dirge that leads us down a lonely path to the crossroads....where we will meet our ultimate fate of wanting more of the sundresses feedback smacked blues. If Blues begot Rock and Rock begot Punk then Punk begot Urban Blues and the sundresses are the mothers of this invention!

BIIRDIE KILLS IT!

So you are house sitting for Daniel Lanois. You and some friends sit around in Danny's living room jamming on  the instruments lying about and POOOF.......Biirdie is born. Its the Simplified version of the story but you get the idea.
Yesterday at work i was listening to their debut CD Morning Kills Night and i didn't get any complaints from the peanut gallery, which means that the mostly critical musicians at my day gig were into it.
What i like to do on  debut CD's is listen to the possibilities and the direction in which the musicians were going. Most of all i search for consistency in material and style. This CD is consistent in style and material. But I don't know if they were going for a modern Pink Floyd, Wilco or Velvet Underground vibe. Any one of these directions would be most excellent and Biirdie could pull it off. The production sounds as if Phil Spector got out of jail for a few days to produce it . But while Phil was at the ammo store buying bullets to motivate the band Rodger Waters snuck into the studio to help with the arrangements. The songs are heartfelt and delivered in the same manner.
Every time i listen to this CD i notice something new that makes me want to listen again and again to make a new discovery. Good Job guys. I cant wait to hear your next one.

COLIN GILMORE

The only word that comes to mind after listening to Colin Gilmore's new CD "The Day The World Stopped and Spun The Other Way  is "Fresh". The musicianship is excellent backed by a strong group of veterans with miles under their wheels. Gilmore's voice and delivery are as distinct and as memorable as the songs he has crafted.My question is what new singer/songwriters are writing like this?

"Outside there’s a war now, don’t you stray too far now
lest your maker should take your hand and lay you down to sleep
sit down and listen to me, don’t play around with eternity
there’ll be time for layin down, when the reaper comes to reap."
WOW....tell me those arent great words!

This CD is as stellar an introduction to Colin Gilmore as when we first met Steve Earl in Guitar Town.
Here is another great singer/songwriter with a fine pedigree coming out of Texas!
It must be in the water!.... and for sure Colin has been drinking it by the gallon.
I cant wait to hear his next CD.

THE LOW FLYING OWLS

Last week i received The Low Flying Owls new CD Elixir Vitae  and it has been on a continuous loop on my Pod since. This CD really, literally, absolutely and positively rocks!!!!!
The song topics will initially take you aback but, the sound...man, the sound is beautiful and at times, hypnotic. The first track, Glad to Be Alive, is a perfect first track because it drives the music to Swinging Sam which, like a steady paced heartbeat, drives  you to push down on the gas and race through that next yellow light. This CD will take you on a sonic journey and make you want to listen again and again and again until you have donned a saffron robe and are collecting change at the airport to get you to the next Owls gig.
These Low Flying Owls are swooping in for the kill!
Keep soaring guys, keep soaring!!!!!

THIS FIGURINE COMES ALIVE

Very cool band with an interesting story.......the band is Figurine. It began as a group of friends sending each other sound files that developed into a electronic pop dream band. Well as they also put it "A warm analogue sound that only bands like Stereolab and Mouse On Mars can capture." I just think it is the sound that maybe Klaatu would have made had they continued making music. I just really find it interesting and engaging. listen You will like it! Enjoy

BLUE MERLE BURNS!

The name of the Nashville band is Blue Merle a name taken from the Led Zeppelin song, 'Bron Y Aur Stomp "Tell your friends all around the world/There ain't no companion like a blue-eyed Merle." Blue Merle has just released Burning In The Sun and this ones a keeper! The lead singer Luke Reynolds has a hint of Cold Play in his voice but the comparison ends there. Burning In the  Sun  is a thoughtful album that soars in its good music. The closest comparison would be Dave Matthiew's but where DM gets lost in its solos Blue Merle keeps its focus and delivers clear jazz/Blue Grass tinged riffs that help the music rock. Favorite Track = Title track/Burning in the Sun
Yes I like it, Yes I enjoy it, Yes go get it! This ones a keeper! for more about the band