Monitor Down

Check out this new video, featuring a guy who looks a lot like Christian Bale and a song that sounds a lot like the Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place.” This makes me very happy.

Directed by the same guy who made this random, funny squirrel video and a bunch of other cool stuff. I’d say he has a future ahead of him.

Preface: Since I haven’t had time to write anything in quite a while (try maintaining your music blog as an LA career-type whose spare time can be measured in half-seconds), here’s a re-post of an article I penned for Cinema Blend, back when — well, back when I wrote for them. Enjoy.

We know about physical, people-type overpopulation. That’s when there are too many new neighbors moving in all at once – then their cars use up all the convenient street parking, grassy fields turn into slum hives, and suddenly one-bedroom apartments with no washer or dryer rent for 1,700 a month.

Well, as you might have guessed, the same thing can happen in music. It’s what happens when too many indie rock bands form all at the same time, and with all the same ideas. What logically follows is a phenomenon pretty nicely stated as rock-overpopulation, or to be more succinct, “overrockulation.” When overrockulation occurs, bands start elbowing each other off the good rock real estate by using up all of the good riffs, taking all the cool styles, and – in the most prominent and embarrassing manifestation – taking all the good band names. What’s left behind are the cardboard-shack and overpass-tent band names, the 12-syllable fixer-uppers that are so far out there it’s impossible to imagine moving into one by choice. It’s a shameful degradation.

For example, maybe there was once, back in the innocent ‘90s, a group called One-Inch Punch. Maybe they were happy living in the glow of their catchy, three-syllable, “adjective-noun” name. Maybe their name was becoming cherished, whispered from the lips of their followers into the ears of passersby. Then, maybe one day, the front man decided to move into the blossoming genre of indie rock.

“I like the name One-Inch Punch, can I still have it?” he might have asked the indie-rock landlords. “No,” they would have said. “There’s already an Australian hardcore band and a San Diego metal band with that name. Indie is about being different from everyone. Choose something else.” Desperate, our victim might have scoured the landscape, being turned away at every juncture. Every good name was taken! Finally, he was forced to settle on an overly dramatic and entirely cantankerous shack of a name, “She Wants Revenge.” It’s clumsy, it’s impetuous, and it’s the ugliest name on the block, but it was all that was left. Sorry buddy.

Or perhaps our hero’s band had a cool, random name, like Mukilteo Fairies. Say this band grew accustomed to having a good band name. That is, until they moved onto indie turf.

“Nope,” the landlords would have said. “We need something simpler and easier to spell. We’re about anti-intellectualism.”

“What about The Fairies?” our hero would have compromised.

“Taken.”

“Damn,” our hero would have said. “Where can we go?”

“Over there,” the landlords would have said. “Next to that dumpster called ‘I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness.’ Your new indie band name is ‘…And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead.’”

Our hero’s jaw drops.

And there are likely similar stories – probably as many as there are overzealous, clunky, painfully long indie band names evoking a cartoonish amount of anguish, or a pointless level of confusion. What torment did Neutral Milk Hotel go through to finally settle on their isolated spit of a name? Was Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly threatened with worse forced indie innovations? (“It’s either that name, or we make you add an accordion…”) Then there’s the tragically isolated !!!, which inhabits the Easter Island of band names – eighth graders debate over how to pronounce them.

When one takes a step back, one is forced to wonder: is being indie really worth it? If your music is going to be cool and popular, are you okay with it being associated with a miserable, impetuous sentence fragment no one can identify with? Are you willing to always be prefaced by “no – they’re good, trust me”?

If you ask me, it’s time for indie rockers to take a stand and make up their own rules. Why do your names have to be dark and brooding? Why do you have to confuse people with cryptic meta-poetry? Why do you appeal to a mind frame that hovers so far above everyone that most people have to fake it?

I propose indie bands start giving themselves mundane, nondescript, run-of-the-mill peasant names. How about naming your band ‘Kevin,’ or ‘Dusty?’ Is it already taken? How about ‘Dusty Johnson?’ Or, dammit, ‘Dusty William Johnson of 1334 Lake Drive, Indio, CA?’ If you ditch the need to be darker and deeper and cooler than everyone else, and just settle for being normal, it will make people damn sure they can identify with your music – it might as well be them, or their drool-dribbling toddler. And the best part is, since there are as many available band names as there are people with distinct social security numbers, no one will ever run out. Problem solved, at least until “Facebook stalking” gives way to “identity theft.” But that’s not as big a deal.

Whatever happens in 2010 — whether it be a massive earthquake that sinks California, a tidal wave that washes out everything on the eastern seaboard, or a horrendous new trend whereby everyone tries to become a vampire (oh crap, that’s already happening) — at least there will be these seven albums. In order of anticipation (I suspect), here are the seven most conniption-inducing albums expected in 2010.

MGMT
Title? Congratulations
When, son? Spring
What gives: After selling over a million copies of their electro-psychedelic debut Oracular Spectacular, Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden’s next release is the result of the band’s coping with the craziness of their new success. Their well-intended (read: crazy) idea is to release an album with no radio-friendly singles, in hopes of people actually listening to the whole thing rather than just downloading two tracks to play in their Scions. Though this will likely result in their label asking them to go back into the studio (d’oh), we hope them the best. It also purportedly involves more guitars, which is always a good thing.

Hole
Title? Nobody’s Daughter
When, son? Undecided.
What gives: With the origins of Courtney Love’s albums as buried in speculation as she herself is in media scat, this one is starting to look no different. There is talk of using material recorded during her stint working with Billy Corgan (responsible for songwriting contributions to Celebrity Skin), as well as songwriting from 4 Non Blondes front woman Linda Perry. Still, with what she’s capable of when not wasted, it may have potential. The album’s release will be accompanied by a tour, during which the live performances will sound nothing like the recordings.

Interpol
Title? TBA
When, son? Early 2010
What gives: Though at this point their new album only seems to exist in speculation, Interpol have commented that their 2010 release will be a return to the more raw, off-kilter-sounding production featured in the band’s debut, Turn On the Bright Lights. Rather than swimming in post-production gloss and uniformity the way the band’s previous two releases have tended to do, they’re electing to experiment with guitar noises to create atmospheric sounds they can record directly, according to NME in November. No word yet on the involvement of fancy stage footwork and shoulder holsters.

Spoon
Title? Transference
When, son? January 19
What gives: After scoring big with 2007′s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon found themselves in the middle of downtown oh-crap-we’re-big-now’sville. So like indie bands often do in this situation, they ditched Hollywood and returned home, hoping to bring some of their following with them. Spoon’s self-produced new Transference is said to be a return to the band’s lo-fi beginnings, with less musical complexity and an “uglier” sound. Hey, if ugly sounds like the samples floating around the internet, we can do ugly.

Arcade Fire
Title? TBA
When, son? May
What gives? After somehow blowing the minds of hipsters and churchgoing folk at the same time, the Canadian seven-piece got back together with Neon Bible producer Markus Dravs for their third release. The album, described here in Spin, seems shrouded in mystery, except that it will be released sometime in May and will be accompanied by a tour. As an additional side note, it will also reportedly contain music. Too much detail?

Stone Temple Pilots
Title? TBA
When, son? May, we think.
What gives: The much-anticipated new album, the band’s first record since 2001′s Shangri-La Dee Da, is supposed to carry 11 tracks, with a few B-sides planned for Japan and UK releases (begging the question of why they are considered B-sides if they are recorded specifically for release). Though the band has predicted May as a tentative release date, a pending lawsuit with Atlantic Records having to do with pesky “unfulfilled albums” might still throw a monkey wrench into the works. We’ll see.

Radiohead
Title? Not decided.
When, son? Not decided, either.
What gives: Despite widely circulated rumors that Radiohead would not be releasing any more standard albums (which apparently was a “misquote”), the band is said to be working on a release for 2010, including recording in January to continue work done last summer. Of course, characteristic of the mysterious band, there are no details available. None. How infuriating. (I do, however, have links to a ton of their music here if you’re feeling nostalgic.)

Like many people, there are songs constantly streaming in my head. They can fade in like a mist, or come crashing onto the scene like a warthog. They can drown out things like real-life conversations, or simply hang in the background while I go about my day. It’s like having a built-in music player, sans record-industry meddling. iTunes, meet iBrain. Now kindly go get iBrain a Dr. Pepper.

The thing about my iBrain, though, is it doesn’t cost anything. Not a dollar a download, not one cent a download, nothing. Even better, there’s no account to sign up for, no annoying emails to block, and no mega-corporation to decide what songs are allowed to be there. Unless you count taste. I usually let Taste, LTD pretty much do what it wants.

So here are a few of the songs that have been occupying my iBrain rotation as of late. Feel free to listen in, start your own mental download, and show the industry suits that you’ll listen to whatever you want, when you want. As long as it’s not while your boss or significant other is saying something important. That’s just bad for business.

The Vines, Autumn Shade II. Like the first one, but Craig Nichols nailed the wispy, esoteric harmonies even harder, and it survives more than three listens.

Blur, Tracy Jacks. Because that guitar part is catchier than a left-fielder with sonar. Whoa, did a sports analogy just make it onto this blog?

Radiohead, I Might Be Wrong. This riff could smash a hole in the side of your grandaddy’s barn without an ounce of remorse. I heard it even robbed a nun in broad daylight. Shame on it.

David Bowie, New Killer Star. The bassline to this song would make me punch a guy in the face, if the music video didn’t make me feel dizzy.

The Primrose League, Stealing All Those Cars. It’s not as well-known as some, but the intricate guitar work and vocal harmonies manage to find their way into your bloodstream.

The Smashing Pumpkins, Hummer. That opening solo is like a bucket of cold water on a saturday morning, but somewhat more awesome.

The Von Bondies, C’mon, C’mon. Ok, I watch TV. But screw you if you don’t appreciate 1-2-4 guitar stumming and a loud voice. At least I’m not repping Jet.

Versa Vice, It’s Clear. Another lesser-known band, but the guitar and bass are the muggers who 1-2 you to death in the alleyway behind Circle-K.

Blur, Death of a Party. I usually try to avoid dumping the same band on people twice, but the creepy vibes from this one have a tendency to linger. You just try to shake them off.

Queens of the Stone Age, Make It Wit Chu. Who knew a song titled in text speak would actually be good? Josh Homme once again demonstrates his ability to get inside your head with a piano and a guitar.

Gran Ronde, Wisdom. This short number hits the pleasing-guitar-riff quotient right on the head.

Screw reading, skip to the songs

There are three things everyone seems to have opinions about: politics, religion, and Radiohead. On two of those topics, one dissenting view can cause a flat-out argument. When it’s Radiohead, it can cause someone to go insane. It’s quite a phenomenon.

That’s because, like politics and religion, Radiohead is complicated. When an ardent Radiohead fan hears disparaging remarks, or even worse, lack of acknowledgment about their favorite band, it’s easy for them to assume the disparager is uninitiated, and therefore not equipped to make the call. Because “getting” Radiohead isn’t like “getting” Puddle of Mudd. It doesn’t just happen after hearing a couple of songs on Internet radio (“They’re so dreary and weird … how can you like this?”). Most people who are wanton over Radiohead have listened to them for years, seen them evolve, and have grown immensely attached to them.

This is why whenever you ask someone what they like about Radiohead, you get a vague, impassioned gushing of adjectives, with no real explanation. It can leave you even more clueless than before. Or thinking your friends are hippies.

But if you’re into music, and a little open-minded, Radiohead is totally worth getting into. Because the hype is true. They’re like the 200-piece orchestra of pop bands. They’re a punk mentality shoved into something that is about as far from punk as you can get (without involving bagpipes or accordions. Yet.) Their music explains why Thom Yorke is so twitchy and paranoid, and why he sings like that. (He doesn’t always.) Radiohead is pure, 80-proof sonic bliss, if you get what they’re doing.
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People can say some pretty stupid things online. Maybe it’s the anonymity, maybe it’s just a spur-of-the-moment thought immortalized forever on a message board. Some of them are understandable, given circumstances. OK, your brain farted and spat out that retarded statement, and now you’re feeling better. Alright.

But sometimes, the things people say can cause great need for release of frustration. Some of them can make you want to steal a car and ram it into a shopping mall, or grab the next person to walk past you and shove his face into a tree trunk. For example, I’ve heard, more than once, someone who is supposedly into rock music say they hate Nirvana, and that Nirvana sucks. This is utterly berserk. Listen up, pinhead.

First of all, the words “hate” and “sucks” are oversimplified ways to express discontent with something. People use them when they don’t know how else to identify or explain what they don’t like about something. And don’t get me wrong, there is much not to like about Nirvana. (Big hint: It’s designed that way.) But to say Nirvana “sucks” and that you “hate” them is entirely missing the point, like saying “man, Casablanca is so damn sappy,” or “why does Van Gogh paint so many sunflowers?” Let me explain.
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I know, that headline sounds kind of pretentious. You should be able to like whatever you want, and no one else should have anything to say about it. But the problem is, it’s not usually like that. At least, not until you figure out how to avoid all the judgmental assholes you know. Until then, it seems like someone else always has something to say about the things you like, and the things they think you shouldn’t like.

For example, rock guys aren’t supposed to like rap. It’s not “rock ‘n roll” to like rap, so all the judgmental asshole rock guys (there are a lot of those) will get on your case about it.

Screw that. Here is a list of rap songs you can safely own up to liking, with some points to defend your opinion with, in case your taste in music is descended upon by the over-opinionated quotient in rock fandom. As long as you can shove logic in their face, you win and the assholes lose.

Outkast, Rosa Parks. This song is as accessible to the rock-listening population as any Red Hot Chili Peppers number. Believe it or not, there’s a guitar in there, and it’s playing a pretty sweet melody. There’s also a wood block, which is as rustic and down-home as any cowbell. Plus, the flute sound and lyrics make it seem almost zen, which is more or less the opposite of your stereotypical hip-hop ditty, and hence something rockers can get behind. It’s also named after a pioneer in civil liberties, so that’s worth some history cred. What history cred does Fall Out Boy have to brag about?

Busta Rhymes, Gimme Some More. Not only does it have an actual violin track (borrowed from “Psycho,” no less), the background is filled up with … bass and drums. How much simpler can you get without involving empty coffee cans and three-gallon buckets? Besides the basic appeal of the music, Busta Rhymes is just funny (his name is BUSTA RHYMES). Again, not like some rappers. And the video? On par with Tom Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More” as far as hallucinogenics go. Hallucinogenics are way rock ‘n’ roll, man.
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The human brain is weird, and sometimes things just don’t add up. Why, for example, can somebody like peanut butter but hate peanuts? Or try to squeeze through the last quarter-second of a yellow light, but get annoyed when other people do it? It baffles.

And, as you may have gleamed from the title, this baffledom extends to none other than the Cold War Kids. I’ve had several run-ins with this OC band (like, as in their music) since they began their steady ascent to popularity a few years ago, and despite a damning heap of evidence suggesting I should like them (a lot), it just seems to be another one of those things, and I have no idea why.

To demonstrate the depth of this conundrum (which I’m sure is shattering your world as you read this), here is a list of everything the Cold War Kids have going for them, in my modest opinion:

1. Nathan Willett’s voice is unique, loud and completely amazing.

2. Their sense of melody is pretty much genius.

3. Their choices in instrumentation aren’t obvious, and provide just what each song needs.
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It’s not Jack Black, but it’s pretty much just as awesome. Ladies and gents, Stephen Lynch:

Some random revelations that came from listening to Internet radio stations at work (a work-in-progress, watch for sudden changes):

1. Thom Yorke definitely seems to have gone through a “whiney, screamy acoustic version” period. Meh.
2. After a long time, yes, it is possible to be sick of hearing the Beatles.
3. Pandora can play long sets without repetition, but not that long. I’d say the euphoria dies around the 4-hour mark.
4. John Mayer sounds like a rock and roll version of Dave Matthews.
5. David Byrne struggles a bit to hit that high note in “Psycho Killer” when he sings it live, but he’s a badass for not lowering the key.
6. In any group of people, young and old, there is always the “metal guy,” and he’s not who you think. Don’t let him control the station.
7. Some ’70s group covered the Rolling Stones’ “19th Nervous Breakdown” and slopped it up, and I don’t know who they are. Must look into this further.
8. New Order’s “Blue Monday” is catchy, but also long and redundant. I don’t know why so many bands have covered it. Note to self: If I start a band, don’t cover “Blue Monday.”
9. God, the Strokes are undeniably awesome, and I’ll wall-slam anyone who disagrees. Try me.
10. Also on the Strokes: Ignorant people sometimes bag on Fab’s drumming, but I believe simple and steady outperforms fancy and flamboyant any day.
11. The Killers line “I got soul, but I’m not a soldier” is like a grotesque mustard stain on an otherwise halfway decent song. Must write band and complain.
12. Someone somewhere started a “sad, high-pitched girl singer/pianist” trend, and then everybody started copying it. Boo, hiss.