HI! I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY PICTURES OF ME IN THIS BLOG FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. SINCE WHAT THE INTERNET FUNDAMENTALLY NEEDS IS MORE PICTURES OF ME, HERE I AM. MY GOD, I'M ATTRACTIVE.
Clap your hands, you motherfuckers.
Monday, February 21, 2011
I will marry this man someday.
HI! I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY PICTURES OF ME IN THIS BLOG FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. SINCE WHAT THE INTERNET FUNDAMENTALLY NEEDS IS MORE PICTURES OF ME, HERE I AM. MY GOD, I'M ATTRACTIVE.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
the decemberists @ the wiltern (2/12/11)
Colin Meloy kicked booze in our faces.
Setlist
Los Angeles, I'm Yours
Down by the Water
Calamity Song
Rise to Me
Days of Elaine
We Both Go Down Together
The Engine Driver
Won't Want for Love
The Crane Wife 3
Grace Cathedral Hill
Don't Carry It All
Rox in the Box
This Is Why We Fight
The Rake's Song
16 Military Wives
Encore #1
Red Right Ankle
The Mariner's Revenge Song (!!!!!)
Encore #2
June Hymn
Setlist
Los Angeles, I'm Yours
Down by the Water
Calamity Song
Rise to Me
Days of Elaine
We Both Go Down Together
The Engine Driver
Won't Want for Love
The Crane Wife 3
Grace Cathedral Hill
Don't Carry It All
Rox in the Box
This Is Why We Fight
The Rake's Song
16 Military Wives
Encore #1
Red Right Ankle
The Mariner's Revenge Song (!!!!!)
Encore #2
June Hymn
arcade fire secret show @ ukrainian cultural arts center (2/11/11)
We were totally there and stuff.
Setlist
Month of May
Rebellion (Lies)
Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
No Cars Go
Haiti
City With No Children
Intervention
Suburban War
Wake Up
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
We Used to Wait
Encore:
Ready to Start
Keep the Car Running
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Setlist
Month of May
Rebellion (Lies)
Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
No Cars Go
Haiti
City With No Children
Intervention
Suburban War
Wake Up
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
We Used to Wait
Encore:
Ready to Start
Keep the Car Running
Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Decemberists: At a Glance
Because I have nothing better to do (er, well, I do, but it's not like I'm going to actually be productive ... jeez) and because I can't stop fidgeting and flailing over the fact that, among multitudes of other awesome things, I am finally going to see one of my favorite bands in concert this weekend, I decided to do a quick and unapologetically geeky overview of their discography (sans singles) as I see it. Yay!
No rating scale is perfect, and I've frequently found the Rate Your Music five-star scale to be somewhat restrictive when it really comes down to the nitty-gritty, so I'm also employing -- for comparison's sake -- Pitchfork's hilariously un-restrictive ten-point decimal scale.
Scale Conversion: (RYM --> P4K)
5.0 --> 10.0 - 9.7
4.5 --> 9.6 - 8.8
4.0 --> 8.0 - 8.7
3.5 --> 7.0 - 7.9
... and it continues mathematically from there. It may look like I'm paying short shrift to the 4.0 rating, but trust me: I'm not. Tons of albums fall in that window, and -- even with the threshold lowered to 8.8 -- not nearly enough crack the 4.5 barrier. So it goes.
5 Songs EP (2001)
RYM Score: 3.5
Pitchfork Score: 7.3
Best Song: "Shiny"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "Oceanside"
Comments: An auspicious and charming debut. Hell, I co-wrote a 5-song EP, and it wasn't nearly as good as this. "Shiny" is still one of their best songs.
Castaways and Cutouts (2002)
RYM Score: 4.0
Pitchfork Score: 8.5
Best Song: "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade," "Leslie Anne Levine," "July, July!"
Comments: Sure, they sing sea shanties and melodic folk-rock, but beware: these guys mean business. Even on their first LP they prove effortlessly that they do this shit better than pretty much anyone. And they're ambitious, too.
Her Majesty, the Decemberists (2003)
RYM Score: 3.5
Pitchfork Score: 7.1
Best Song: "Billy Liar"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "Los Angeles, I'm Yours," "The Chimbley Sweep"
Comments: There ain't nothing wrong with this, to be sure, but I just don't think the hooks are as strong as before (or after). Possibly their weakest effort, but remember: even the Decemberists' weakest is better than your average band on a good day.
The Tain EP (2004)
RYM Score: 3.5
Pitchfork Score: 7.2
Best Song: You're funny.
Comments: Up, up, and away! This is where Mr. Meloy really starts embracing his lofty ambitions. Ever wonder if a melding of Celtic folk and 70s hard rock could fly in the 2000s? Here's eighteen minutes to show you it can, and more.
Picaresque (2005)
RYM Score: 4.5
Pitchfork Score: 9.5
Best Song: "The Engine Driver"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "On the Bus Mall," "The Mariner's Revenge Song," "We Both Go Down Together"
Comments: One of the best bands in the world at the height of their powers. Meloy's songwriting, ambition, and execution all reach a dizzying height here, resulting in a masterpiece that perfectly showcases all of the band's strengths.
The Crane Wife (2006)
RYM Score: 4.5
Pitchfork Score: 9.5
Best Song: "The Island"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)," "Sons & Daughters," "O Valencia!"
Comments: Having conquered folk-rock and indie pop, the Decemberists branch out to include heavy metal, danceable funk, and lengthy suites without losing sight of what made them special to begin with. Stephen Colbert called it "hyper-literate prog-rock." I just call it their best album.
The Hazards of Love (2009)
RYM Score: 3.5
Pitchfork Score: 7.7
Best Song: "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "Annan Water," "The Rake's Song," "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)"
Comments: Don't get me wrong. This is an awesome album that shows once and for all that they can pull this sort of thing off when they set their minds to it, but I say this as affectionately as possible: it works best as an anomaly in their discography. For all its myriad charms, it's really not why we listen to the Decemberists, is it?
The King Is Dead (2011)
RYM Score: 4.0
Pitchfork Score: 8.4
Best Song: "Rox in the Box"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "Down by the Water," "January Hymn," "Calamity Song"
Comments: An outstanding return to their folksy roots, and by far the most straightforward, accessible, and -- dare I say -- necessary album they have made. No wonder it topped the Billboard charts. Some of their most readily enjoyable music in years is wrapped up in a taut, focused 40-minute package.
... and from there, who knows? I am so, so, so excited about having my mind blown this weekend. The ball's in your court, Colin. I know you won't disappoint me.
Also: Due to the nature of this blog, there is nothing to stop me from doing this for other bands. At all. In fact, it's almost guaranteed to happen. So, like, watch out and stuff.
No rating scale is perfect, and I've frequently found the Rate Your Music five-star scale to be somewhat restrictive when it really comes down to the nitty-gritty, so I'm also employing -- for comparison's sake -- Pitchfork's hilariously un-restrictive ten-point decimal scale.
Scale Conversion: (RYM --> P4K)
5.0 --> 10.0 - 9.7
4.5 --> 9.6 - 8.8
4.0 --> 8.0 - 8.7
3.5 --> 7.0 - 7.9
... and it continues mathematically from there. It may look like I'm paying short shrift to the 4.0 rating, but trust me: I'm not. Tons of albums fall in that window, and -- even with the threshold lowered to 8.8 -- not nearly enough crack the 4.5 barrier. So it goes.
RYM Score: 3.5
Pitchfork Score: 7.3
Best Song: "Shiny"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "Oceanside"
Comments: An auspicious and charming debut. Hell, I co-wrote a 5-song EP, and it wasn't nearly as good as this. "Shiny" is still one of their best songs.
RYM Score: 4.0
Pitchfork Score: 8.5
Best Song: "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade," "Leslie Anne Levine," "July, July!"
Comments: Sure, they sing sea shanties and melodic folk-rock, but beware: these guys mean business. Even on their first LP they prove effortlessly that they do this shit better than pretty much anyone. And they're ambitious, too.
RYM Score: 3.5
Pitchfork Score: 7.1
Best Song: "Billy Liar"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "Los Angeles, I'm Yours," "The Chimbley Sweep"
Comments: There ain't nothing wrong with this, to be sure, but I just don't think the hooks are as strong as before (or after). Possibly their weakest effort, but remember: even the Decemberists' weakest is better than your average band on a good day.
RYM Score: 3.5
Pitchfork Score: 7.2
Best Song: You're funny.
Comments: Up, up, and away! This is where Mr. Meloy really starts embracing his lofty ambitions. Ever wonder if a melding of Celtic folk and 70s hard rock could fly in the 2000s? Here's eighteen minutes to show you it can, and more.
RYM Score: 4.5
Pitchfork Score: 9.5
Best Song: "The Engine Driver"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "On the Bus Mall," "The Mariner's Revenge Song," "We Both Go Down Together"
Comments: One of the best bands in the world at the height of their powers. Meloy's songwriting, ambition, and execution all reach a dizzying height here, resulting in a masterpiece that perfectly showcases all of the band's strengths.
RYM Score: 4.5
Pitchfork Score: 9.5
Best Song: "The Island"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)," "Sons & Daughters," "O Valencia!"
Comments: Having conquered folk-rock and indie pop, the Decemberists branch out to include heavy metal, danceable funk, and lengthy suites without losing sight of what made them special to begin with. Stephen Colbert called it "hyper-literate prog-rock." I just call it their best album.
RYM Score: 3.5
Pitchfork Score: 7.7
Best Song: "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "Annan Water," "The Rake's Song," "The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)"
Comments: Don't get me wrong. This is an awesome album that shows once and for all that they can pull this sort of thing off when they set their minds to it, but I say this as affectionately as possible: it works best as an anomaly in their discography. For all its myriad charms, it's really not why we listen to the Decemberists, is it?
RYM Score: 4.0
Pitchfork Score: 8.4
Best Song: "Rox in the Box"
Other Standout Tracks (Descending Order): "Down by the Water," "January Hymn," "Calamity Song"
Comments: An outstanding return to their folksy roots, and by far the most straightforward, accessible, and -- dare I say -- necessary album they have made. No wonder it topped the Billboard charts. Some of their most readily enjoyable music in years is wrapped up in a taut, focused 40-minute package.
... and from there, who knows? I am so, so, so excited about having my mind blown this weekend. The ball's in your court, Colin. I know you won't disappoint me.
Also: Due to the nature of this blog, there is nothing to stop me from doing this for other bands. At all. In fact, it's almost guaranteed to happen. So, like, watch out and stuff.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Scott Pilgrim did nothing to alleviate my crush. THANKS.
HI! I REALLY WISH I WERE ON YOUR COUCH PLAYING SONGS, BUT I'M NOT. THAT'S WHY I LOOK SOMEWHAT PENSIVE. HOW CAN WE RECTIFY THIS SITUATION?
[Someday I will actually post something substantial in this blog. Maybe. -- C]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)