Hey, fans, jackory here...Harley and Manchu have been busy working on a couple of new tracks. I'm not sure when they'll see the light of day, but Riggs assures me that they have remained clean and sober during the entire recording process. Manchu says he's not sure if this "no drugs" approach will be beneficial to the sound of the new album, but he's willing to take a chance.
I spoke with Harley yesterday about one of the new songs:
"This one's gonna blow your mind! Somebody made a huge donation to Benny Hinn's ministry and the check was accidently re-directed to our management, who gave us a good chunk of it, and so we were able to afford the studio time to make this record. Manchu insisted that we make the songs slightly religious, seeing as how it was funded by some poor, helpless old lady in a wheelchair who was told that her broken body would be miraculously healed if she sent a big wad of cash to Hinn.
I said, Manchu, you're an idiot.
So we came to a compromise. There is some religion in the album, but there's also a lot of backward masked messages from Lucifer.
It's gonna be a hit."
Stay tuned for more news from the BS corner.
jac
6.29.2008
I'm still reviewing songs at Garageband. 15 reviews down and now one of my songs is in the contest, ie. eligible for reviewing. I chose "Take You to Hell" because I think it is the most original of the lot. Check it out for yourself and tell me what you think.
Of all the reviews I've done, only one song has really and truly impressed me. "A Girl Should..." by Chief Thundercloud has a style and sound that are unique and original. The closest I can come by way of comparison is Sparklehorse...maybe Syd Barrett.
So now I'm off to review some more songs. I'm not sure which of mine I will enter next, but it's not about that. At this point I am simply enjoying the arm-chair critic thing.
Of all the reviews I've done, only one song has really and truly impressed me. "A Girl Should..." by Chief Thundercloud has a style and sound that are unique and original. The closest I can come by way of comparison is Sparklehorse...maybe Syd Barrett.
So now I'm off to review some more songs. I'm not sure which of mine I will enter next, but it's not about that. At this point I am simply enjoying the arm-chair critic thing.
6.27.2008
garageband review exchange: the Butt Plugz
I've taken to reviewing songs at Garageband.com. 15 song pair reviews and I can enter one of mine into the contest. Don't have any ridiculous hopes of winning any contest, but by entering your songs get reviewed, and I'm curious to know what other folks think. From what I've seen there appears to be a lot of ass kissing going on with the reviewers, but I confess I haven't looked deep enough to definitely say that such is the case with all of them.
But it's turned out to be quite fun. I'll probably keep reviewing long after all my songs are eligible for being reviewed themselves.
I received a little feedback this morning and I thought I would share it with you. The "song" I reviewed was an infantile offering from the Butt Plugz with the charming name of "Muffin Top".
My initial review:
I feel as if I'm unqualified to review this song. First of all, I am over the age of 13. That should be enough. Maybe, just maybe, if the production was better, it might fly on Howard Stern's program. That alone should tell you what I thought of this track. I'm sorry I could not come up with anything constructive to say here, but surely no feelings will get hurt when I say this is just plain stupid. Perhaps the people responsible for it will take that as a compliment, and that's fine by me.
Response from the Butt Plugz:
Like I'm supposed to give a f**k about somebody's opinion who's in a band called Bambo, and from Oklahoma to boot. Thanks for the review ya hick.
My reply:
You're more than welcome. I'm sorry I couldn't offer a more encouraging review of your insightful song, "Muffin Top", at least I hope you will appreciate the sincerity with which I judged it. Moreover, having read your profile, I would only add that if you hate your lives so much then why do you give a shit if anyone likes your music?
But I can see, as an ex-pot smoker myself, how it could be a lot of fun to get nice and twisted, break out the guitars and regress to puberty for the evening, recording the experience for posterity. It really does sound like fun...hell, I've done it before. More power to ya.
Nevertheless, I only offered an honest opinion. I said the song was stupid and juvenile. You really think it's not? Was it really meant to be anything more lofty than that? Come on now.
j
If I there are more entertaining exchanges in the future I will bring share them with you.
But it's turned out to be quite fun. I'll probably keep reviewing long after all my songs are eligible for being reviewed themselves.
I received a little feedback this morning and I thought I would share it with you. The "song" I reviewed was an infantile offering from the Butt Plugz with the charming name of "Muffin Top".
My initial review:
I feel as if I'm unqualified to review this song. First of all, I am over the age of 13. That should be enough. Maybe, just maybe, if the production was better, it might fly on Howard Stern's program. That alone should tell you what I thought of this track. I'm sorry I could not come up with anything constructive to say here, but surely no feelings will get hurt when I say this is just plain stupid. Perhaps the people responsible for it will take that as a compliment, and that's fine by me.
Response from the Butt Plugz:
Like I'm supposed to give a f**k about somebody's opinion who's in a band called Bambo, and from Oklahoma to boot. Thanks for the review ya hick.
My reply:
You're more than welcome. I'm sorry I couldn't offer a more encouraging review of your insightful song, "Muffin Top", at least I hope you will appreciate the sincerity with which I judged it. Moreover, having read your profile, I would only add that if you hate your lives so much then why do you give a shit if anyone likes your music?
But I can see, as an ex-pot smoker myself, how it could be a lot of fun to get nice and twisted, break out the guitars and regress to puberty for the evening, recording the experience for posterity. It really does sound like fun...hell, I've done it before. More power to ya.
Nevertheless, I only offered an honest opinion. I said the song was stupid and juvenile. You really think it's not? Was it really meant to be anything more lofty than that? Come on now.
j
If I there are more entertaining exchanges in the future I will bring share them with you.
6.26.2008
Bobby Neese 1953-2008
A friend called me yesterday with the news: Bobby Neese had died. It came as a shock, as he was only 54.
I didn't know Bobby as well as I would have liked. I played in a couple of bands with him in the early 80's. He was an excellent guitarist. He had a good singing voice that sounded a lot like Roy Orbison. His rendition of "Crying" was powerful and moving. I have a tape recording of him singing "An American Trilogy" and it just gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it. He never tried to impersonate Elvis on that song. Instead, he infused it with his own unique style that could make you forget who Elvis even was.
Bobby had a great sense of humor. One time, during a rehearsal, our drummer, Kenny, was getting on his nerves. Bobby said, "You know the bumper sticker you see that says 'I rode the bull at Gilley's'? Kenny's got one that says 'I bred the bull at Gilley's'." I'm laughing even now as I type this.
Then there was the time when I told Bobby I was going to buy a rhythm machine with 15 programmable rhythms, "seven more than Kenny's got!" Bobby didn't miss a beat: "That's 14 more than Kenny's got."
He played music all of his life and travelled all over the country in different bands. If memory serves, I think he was the bass player in Stonewall Jackson's band for awhile, but I may have that mixed up with how he opened for Stoney Edwards. He put out a record and tried hard to gain success in the Nashville circuit, but it eluded him. One night he was telling us about experiences he'd had on the road. He said there was a rowdy bar he played at where someone threw a pool ball at him and beaned him on the forehead. Ouch! That had to hurt! For a long time I was afraid to play in bars, frightened of flying pool balls.
He had his faults, and it wasn't hard to tell that he was fighting off some personal demons. But practically all the memories I have of him are good ones. He encouraged me greatly. He gave me opportunities to hone my musical skills with him in the bands he invited me to join. I daresay I am a better musician as a result of his friendship.
He will be missed.
Here is his opfficial obituary:
Robert Neese, 54
September 19, 1953 - June 22, 2008
Longtime Seminole resident Robert “Bobby” Neese passed away on Sunday, June 22, 2008 in Shawnee, Oklahoma at the age of 54.
He was born in Perry, Oklahoma on September 19, 1953 to Robert Fulton and Johnny Lenora (Lewis) Neese.
He was a musician and opened for many bands such as, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, Buck Owens, Gene Watson and Stoney Edwards. He was a member of the Tri-City Christian Church in Seminole.
He is preceded in death by his parents, brother, Robert Fulton Neese, Jr., sister, Susan Ann Neese and uncle J.D. Neese.
He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law: Ashley Neese currently serving in the military in Iraq and wife Karri Neese of Shawnee, Oklahoma, daughter, Krystal Neese of Wewoka, Oklahoma, brother and sister-in-law: Scott and Paula Neese of Seminole, two sisters and a brother-in-law: Linda and Lonnie Knight of Seminole and Judy Robbins of Seminole, Oklahoma, several nieces and nephews; Terry Carter, Angie Adams, Londa Robertson, Melanie Yerby, Scott Fulton and Brendan Neese. He is also survived by two grandsons: Rhett and Hunter of Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Maarts on the new Sigur Ros
Here is a "first impressions" review of the new Sigur Ros album, written by a man whose taste in music I highly respect.I have caved in, ordered the special edition and got the download...this is my report as I listen to this right now.
Gobbledigook: I still cannot make out why I don't quite like this track. It's clever with its counter-rhythms and neat little yelp in the chorus and the layers of la-la-la-vocals in the background...perhaps not enough of a hook to grab me.
Inní mér syngur vitleysingur For one second it sounds like the band strikes up Go Now...standard bits of SR-ingedients (glockenspiel, a mournful string and brass arrangement underneath, the bum bum-drumsound filling every nook and cranny up in this track...it's bloody effective. Jonsi's vocals seem not so dominantly eerie as on previous albums...perhaps he is singing true lyrics rather than vocalise? It's stuffed to the happy climax all the way through. A happy album, is it possible?
Góðan daginn ...and this is where the melancholy kicks in and I'm a sucker for these things. That stringed bow-guitarsound wafts eeriliy through this acoustic track and a dreamy vocal compliments this lullaby of a song...like Eno or Zazou at their most ambient. And again, like on previous albums there's an undercutrrent of sounds working here...a stream of bright electronics, glockenspiel and bass tugging you under. Magnificent.
Við spilum endalaust As close to a hitsingle they'll ever get. Nice-landic stomp built around crescending brass and strings towards the end.
Festival. The elegaic organ-like intro tells me enough. This is starting as Sigur Ros's version of Ave Maria before the band kicks in and stretches it heavenward with pounding bass as the vine into the clouds creating a passage for so many different strands of instruments and vocals to climb up there....this is why I love this band so much. It reaches for those highpoints with overwrought bombastic tendencies but the melodies are so heartbreakingly gorgeous you cannot help but to be immersed in them. A soulcleanser of a track. And they have written many like those.
Suð í eyrum Built around simple piano motifs this song is a fairly standard Ros-track with rolling percussion and layer upon layer of electronic strings...and again I'm wrapped in its cocoon of warm fuzzy harmonics. Jonsi's voice never overstates his welcome anywhere on the album- the parallells with whalesong are definitely out of the window. Again, beautiful.
ára bátur As far as melodies go, this one is the purest. Simple piano chords, gorgeous vocal line and very gentle strings and the voices of a boys' choir drifting underneath...it dares not to trespass the fragile mood created here. It's like a farewell scene out of a movie graced with a elegant and sublime soundtrack. Words fail me, I'm sitting with goosebumps listening to this and when this song lead up to the inevitable crescendo in sound I actually think that this song would have been better if it had stayed low-key to the end...so 7 minutes of phenomenal music.
Illgresi There's a variety of ballads on this album to counter-act the massive songs filling the grooves here. This is almost so light it floats away on its acoustic guitar-strumming and towards the end I'm humminh the tune to Bryan Adams' Heaven...no, not my favourite.
Fljótavík The idea of a happy album by now has been shelved- this is definitely like the culmination of the Sigur Ros-sound in symphonic ballads. The band generate enough layers to put the London Symphonic Orchestra to shame in overall sound- this ballad another clear example of this. It feels though a slight bit like I'm eating a very richly decorated sweet cake...the sugar is overabundant in this track too.
Straumnes A slow instrumental out of the Sylvian/Eno/name here your favourite ambient artist-handbook. An Ending?
All Alright...and when the water cascades around me at the start of this track I feel like a bit of an upbeat ending...the band don't let me down, they screw the tempo even further back with a barrage of brass piled on top of a piano-riff, finalising this album almost in the same vein they ended Takk...this one is reminiscent of David Sylvian's Let the Happiness In with dense trumpets pushing the vocal higher...top class melancholia.
This album belies the happy, free nature of the single Gobbledigook and perhaps doesn't do the pre-press justice in regards to the sound- more earthy, less constraint. I fact, Sigur Ros continues from Takk in the same vein but compresses their dense sound even further to a point where it almost becomes too much- invariably, it's when the band takes the sound back they are the most impressive (Festival, the opening of ára bátur, Góðan daginn...). Perhaps they needed to break the mould of the second part of the album more open with a few uptempo-tracks...as it is it is a beautiful album but too rich sometimes for its own good.
Review by MAARTS, 6.21.08 Reprinted by permission
It's a phenomenon unlike anything we've ever encountered on the planet. If something is not done about it our dairy and beef supplies will dwindle down to nothing. I am, of course, speaking of
COW ABDUCTIONS
COW ABDUCTIONS
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