Queens Of The Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyse

MINE

The boy music just never lets up... but actually I've been reasonably impressed by QOTSA.  Perhaps because I just loved track one on their debut album, Rated R.  So if you've never heard Feel Good Hit of the Summer take a clicky walk and have a listen.

See what I mean? Two minutes 46 seconds of a rawk mantra that just rolls you along.  Ironically used by the LAPD in its anti-drunk driving campaign... but that's another Josh Homme story.  Which I'm sure YourZ has more than enough of for this post.

YourZ is a rabid Josh fan, and I can see why.  We both love the Eagles of Death Metal - and when the pointy stick finally lands on Them Crooked Vultures, stand back, the gushing from my beloved will knock you over.  QOTSA's not really my cup of tea, although it's still well put together with more real singing and a decent mix.  Does this mean I have to admit - his boy music is actually Man Music?  Oh, the ignominy...(YourZ sez: fuck yeah, I win!)

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

While the music press has been lauding Jack White's prodigious output over the last decade, I've been plumping for Josh Homme.  I mean, look at his track record - first Kyuss, (okay maybe not strictly in the last decade but...), the Desert Sessions, QOTSA, Eagles Of Death Metal, production for Arctic Monkeys and various others and, of course, Them Crooked Vultures.  What's Jack White done, huh?  (Okay, I know what he's done - I've admitted it on these very pages but give me some latitude, 'kay?)

Not only this, but he plays Matons (most of the time), which is also my axe of choice.  And he is married to Brody Dalle, one of the sexiest rock chicks to come out of Oz.  The man has is all going on.  But enough of this insipid gushing...

Lullabies... is the fourth full length release from QOTSA and the first released after bassist Nick Oliveri was fired for fucking up once too often.  When I first heard this album, I was kinda missing the crazy shit Nick usually brought to the table but after a few listens, I realised there was enough crazy on this album to satisfy even the most discerning of rock loonies (of which I am proud to say I'm one).

I must listen to this album (and all QOTSA's output) at least once every couple of weeks and there isn't a single track on it I don't want to hear again.  There is just so many flavours, though, it is hard to pick out which tracks are favourites 'cause it depends on my mood on the day.  But notable mentions have to be Tangled Up In Plaid, Little Sister (the cow bell fuckin' rocks) and the dirty blues that is You Got A Killer Scene There, Man... (which also features Shirley Manson from Garbage on backing vox).

All indications are there is gonna be another QOTSA album released this year.  Coupled with the rumours of a full-blown tour later as well, 2010 is shaping up to be a very rocking good year indeed.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP, put it on repeat and rock out

For more information: www.qotsa.com

In our collection we also have Queens Of The Stoneage (debut), Rated R, Songs For The Deaf and Era Vulgaris

January - Wrapup

YOURZ

January gave us the great category debate.  We solved this argument succinctly: music is good.  It doesn't matter who did it, what it sounds like, where or when it was recorded or who played on it - if you like it, then it's good.  It's as simple as that.  Don't try and categorise it or label it or put it in a box.  Put the fucking thing in whatever player you have, turn it up, take a breath and LISTEN to it.  Try to remember the joy you got from hearing it for the first time, without the preconceptions of myriad opinions, including mine.  Just listen and enjoy, start a riot, start a band, write a song or story or just dance around like a fucking loon.  Enjoy it because life is too fucking short not to.

The best thing about this project is it's kick started a new chapter in Mine and YourZ (truly)'s relationship.  Regardless of how mindful a couple are of complacency within their little world, it still has a habit of creeping in.  We're each other's best friends but even best friends have dull moments.  I'm not saying we'd become dull and boring, but the invigorating feeling enabled because of this shared task feels almost like the first heady days of our relationship.  And it's a wonderful feeling, let me tell ya.

Not only this, but it's taken us back to one of the things that brought us together in the first place: a common love of music.  Our first date, the one where we both got so drunk we could hardly stand, where we stood on an inner city footpath and kissed like teenagers, where we knew this, at long last, was the real thing...  Yes, that date was to see Dallas Crane and supports at the now-closed Hopetoun Hotel.  Dallas Crane were awesome but so fucking loud we retreated outside so we could also talk and smoke (remember those things?)  Prior to this, our past was built on musical excursions to various Big Day Outs with large crews of relative strangers.    

And now we're both listening to more music than we have in years.  Not only are we writing about it, but we're talking about, reading about and even watching more music than we've done in ages.  The wonderful collection we have, unlike any other collection in the world, has been a constant source of delight as we work our way through it, trusty pointy stick in hand.  It has also provided some pure cringe-worthy moments for both of us (for me, none more so than when the pointy stick touched down on Kylie Minogue - sorry honey).

It opened up and revealed to both of us music we'd totally forgotten about, either because of time or sheer numbers.  A lot of music we bought, listened to then put into the collection and forgot about almost straight away as something new drew our attention away (you should see us with pretty, shiny things - can keep us occupied for hours).  It's the reason I have the Forgotten Gems category, not just to inform you, but to also remind myself.  It also gave YourZ (truly) music I now consider my life richer for knowing.  In January, this accolade belongs the the Modfather himself, Mr Paul Weller and the stunning Wild Wood.  It also showed my lovely wife that not all of my taste is in the back half of my pants.  I am still stunned and surprised she took a shine to Pavement, for instance.  There is just no measuring this woman!

Each month, we're also going to give away a CD to someone who we think truly deserves it.  The joy of music is not in keeping it locked away but in sharing it.  This month, we've decided to give away the wonderful James Hunter CD, The Hard Way, to my parents as not only will they appreciate it and play it far more than we do, but it's a minuscule way for me to say thanks for all the musical joy they've given me over the years.  You never know, though, next month it could be YOU.

Oh yeah, thanks to all of you for reading and for commenting too.  We look forward to your continued company as we wend our way through our collection and hope you have enjoyed the ride so far.  Now it's time to sit back, buckle up and get ready for February.

Rock On!

YourZ

MINE

Oy, he's long-winded.   But he's right, you know.  (YourZ says: I can't believe she said this!  I'm gonna mark this momentous occasion on the calendar, hahahaha...)  This blog's given us so much to talk about, to laugh about and to enjoy - I can hardly wait for the rest of the year.

OK, to put my 2 cents worth in - I just want to urge anyone with a reasonably-sized music collection to do just what we're doing.  Not to write about it (unless that really floats your boat, in which case go for it) but to remember why you bought the music in the first place.  I realise that with the advent of downloads and carrying all your music on one little device, what we're doing here might seem outdated to some.  If you have it all there and just press Shuffle, you'll get those Forgotten Gems come around anyway - every now and again.  But I know we still exist in a small bubble of time when we can speak to people like us, who have music available in several formats (this house has six if you count vinyl singles and LPs as two).

So choose a format, assemble your collection, grab a blindfold and your equivalent of our pointy stick (pictured right for your delectation - stop laughing now) and pick out some music.  Put it on.  Listen to it.  Rinse and repeat.  Invite your friends over and make a party out of it!  It's way fun, and if the last month's been any indication, it'll just keep getting better this whole year.  Which is a relief, let me tell you - I must confess I had a minor worry at the start that it could turn into a chore.  But no more.

Boogie Down!

Mine

Sugar Ray - Floored

MINE

Oh, that Sugar Ray.  OK, I remember now.  But I've never listened to this album before and I'm sure everyone who bought Floored because of the hit single Fly would have been scratching their heads as much as I did.  I mean, it's mostly shouty boy music.  Kinda Rage Against the Machine-ish.

It reminds me of the furore raised by No Doubt when Don't Speak was so mega for them.  I remember one work mate saying she threw their album Tragic Kingdom out because none of the other songs "were anywhere near as good and they were all too loud".

On Floored the only other song I recognise is RPM with its catchy refrain "I will let you down".  Their version of Adam and the Ants' Stand and Deliver really didn't ... deliver anything new, and most of the other songs gave me a headache.  So, a whole album for two songs?  My reaction's predictable.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

YOURZ

I mentioned previously I used to write for a music publication, doing reviews, interviews and such.  This album was one of those I received to review.  Again, my dodgy memory being what it is, I don't remember what sort of review I gave it but I do recall being intrigued by the fact they had a DJ in the band (this was the late 90s).  These days, this is nothing unusal.  But then, the combination of rock guitars and scratches was new and kind of exciting.

But this in no way makes Sugar Ray or Floored trend setters.  For the most part, the album merely shows the band's template copies of the different alternative styles being played by better bands in their home state of California at the time.  With scratches. 

Then there's the song Fly.  It stands out because it's so very different from the rest of the songs on the album.  This song is a very obvious ripoff of the sound of another California band, Sublime, who fairly patented this kind of cruisy, dubby, summery sound.  Given this album came out not long after the tragic death of the lead singer of Sublime, Brad Nowell, I can't help but view the song, and Sugar Ray, with cynicism and contempt.

Oh yeah, the less said about 'Stand and Deliver', the better.  As Mine said, it fails to deliver, on any level.  Why this album has remained in the collection is anyone's guess.  Any takers?

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

For more information: http://www.sugarray.com/

Fu Manchu - In Search Of

YOURZ

Let's talk about ‘boy’ music, which, according to Mine, is exemplified by Fu Manchu. According to her, ‘boy’ music is big, dumb and loud, the sort of music where the lyrics don’t have much value apart from separating the riffage from the lead breaks. I can’t deny she's pretty much described this Californian quartet perfectly but why she sees this as a bad thing is beyond me.

With 1996’s In Search Of…, Fu Manchu’s manifesto continued to be about the important things in life – skating, fast cars, faster girls and substance-fuelled good times. And the formula must be a good one because they are still at it, having released their tenth studio album, Signs Of Infinite Power, late in 2009.

I was introduced to this band sometime in the mid-90’s. My memories of this period are somewhat hazy but I do remember hanging out at a friend’s place, smoking ridiculous amounts of pot and listening to lots of music, including Fu Manchu. But don’t ask me which album or even which songs. All I remember is stoner rock never sounded better. It still doesn’t.

These days, listening to this music only serves to remind me of how much I’ve forgotten. But man, we had a great time regardless.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP, dude and pass the bong...


MINE

Why bother? That's my first reaction listening to Fu Manchu and it hasn't worn off some days later. I mean, if I wanted to listen to Deep Purple or Black Sabbath circa 1975 or thereabouts, I would.

Not that I would, mind you. I spent entirely too much of the mid-70s listening to those bands because my girlfriends had older brothers who we wanted to hang around with - who wouldn't relinquish stereo rights. So listening to Fu Manchu just made me feel spotty and anxious. And like I wanted a menthol cigarette and to talk on the phone a lot.

But mostly I felt - bored. I mean, why do a bunch of Californian stoner boys want to make music like Thin Lizzy? Their mix is what YourZ calls "lo-fi" and I call "bad" - I can't understand more than about three words in any song because the vocals are buried. No, if I want to hear this sort of music made relevant for the 2000s I'll choose Wolfmother, thank you very much.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT


For more infornation: http://www.fu-manchu.com/

In our collection, we also have The Action Is Go, King Of The Road, Start The Machine and Signs Of Infinite Power

Elvis Costello - Girls! Girls! Girls!

YOURZ

In other words, this is a 2 CD greatest hits collection of a sort. And compiled in 1989, so exclusive of the last 20 years this prolific singer, musician, songwriter and producer has worked. This works for me because, pardon the cliché, I like his old stuff better than his new stuff.

Early in his career, Elvis Costello wrote music for beach parties held by people who read Sartre and Proust. The music was referential without being derivative while his lyrics were sneery and intelligent without making him sound like a smartarse. And his delivery, coupled with his nerdy looks, fitted his spiky rock template perfectly. His marvelous band, The Attractions, only furthered his appeal.

I’ve seen Elvis a number of times live but the first time is the one that sticks in my head the most. With my younger brother, a work-mate and his girlfriend, I saw him at a small theatre in my hometown. Prior to the show, we smoked the fattest, strongest joint I’ve ever had in my life. I don’t know what else was in that spliff, but I think I experienced my first rush of true punk angst thanks to Mr. Costello.

Or maybe it was just the drugs…

Anyway, the live set included favourites such as (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea, This Year's Girl, Lipstick Vogue, Accidents Will Happen, Watching The Detectives, Oliver’s Army and, of course, Pump It Up, all of which are included on this collection. While these songs haven't lost any of their vitality or relevance, there are plenty of tracks on this collection which, frankly, bore me to tears.

Having said this, the collection works as a taster for those who might not be familiar with the many aspects of this artist. For me, however, it just makes me wanna go out and by his first three albums again.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (for the first disc, anyway)


MINE

I have a confession - I've fallen asleep at an Elvis Costello concert. In my defence, it was the Almost Blue tour (both kinds of music, country and country), and I'd just had a large Chinese meal with a couple of drinks. But it's still a blot on my career as a Costellophile.

I spent a great deal of my 20s and some of my 30s in what used to be called "serial monogamy" (despite being somewhat shaky on the monogamy part hem hem) and Elvis Costello was always part of what I still call "boy music". In fact I first bought this collection on CD for a live-in man (in a record shop in Chelsea, oh the irony). But when I had a long spell of boylessness I determined I would rectify the non-Costello part of my music collection, and re-bought this double album especially for me.

It's a reasonable collection of songs - although it misses Veronica and Good Year for the Roses, among others - and the CDs have performed a good stop-gap. But now I want to go out and buy My Aim Is True, This Year's Model, Armed Forces and Get Happy. Because all of these have spent time on turntables (remember them?) in houses I've lived in, and I'm sure Your won't mind if they make a return.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (for Pump It Up, especially)


For more information: http://www.elviscostello.com/