music review: They Make Beer Commercials Like This EP

Weird name for an album, but it is an EP: "They Make Beer Commercials Like This", even weirder band name: Minus the Bear. Totally dig it.

A little indie band out of Seattle, this band has a sound that is familiar at first, but after a few listens, surprises you with little details.

Something about them makes you think they're not quite taking what they're doing seriously, almost like the way they play is a joke.

This band comes courtesy of a Scott757 recommendation.

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Song by song drive by:
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1. "Fine + 2 Pts"
Excellent, fun little riff that drives this song. I love the little synth line that runs throughout the song. I love the way the song transitions to the bridge, really a nice touch to change the feel of the song, then bring back the chorus riff at the end. Definitely a sing-along chorus. This song is as great an opener as could be asked for. Favorite song on this EP.

2. "Lets Play Clowns"
I really love the way the two guitars complement each other. I haven't heard a band such similar guitar tones so distinctly in a long time. Great driving chorus, right up my alley. Great little time change riff. Definitely a favorite.

3. "Dog Park"
Good change of pace for this EP. Another piece of great guitar work, especially with the arrangements between the two guitars. Chorus work especially. Over way too fast for me.

4. "I'm Totally Not Down With Rob's Alien"
Great little drum machine intro. Nice jazz influences coming in on the guitar work during the verses. I really liked the heaviness of the chorus. The song doesn't quite keep my attention for the whole time.

5. "Hey! Is That A Ninja Up There?"
Yes, that's the name of a song. Great little confusing time changes at the beginning to keep you on your feet.

6. "Pony Up!"
I really like the weird breakdown part in the middle with the fast playing. Acoustic guitar was a really cool touch, organ too.
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Musically, there's a lot to be interested in. Definitely not for the casual listener. I think you'll like it more if you play guitar.

Not my favorite album I've listened to recently, but the band has perked my interest, to say the least. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt as this is an EP and not a full-length release, but a little more variety would have been appreciated.

Lyrics are nice and cryptic, but a dark sarcasm is at work here for sure. These guys have an interesting sense of humor.

Every one of you should check out Lala.

but i digress

Let's go somewhere unmusical for a second.

Anyway. Pet peeve.

Vanity plates. I think they're cool. I think they're very cool, indeed. However, if it is not obvious with a few moments of contemplation what your vanity plate means, then ex-nay on the oke-jay. It's not funny or amusing or even fun if no one else on the road can understand your coded message.

Inside jokes are included in this rant. If only a small group of people are going to get your license plate, that group had better be tailgating you every time you leave your house. I don't see the point in this case.

Rant over. Music next time.

my mu2e(s)

So, now that I've got my tickets to see U2 and Muse in Charlottesville, VA, I can safely say that I have never been as excited about seeing a concert, ever. Even when I got to see the DT for the first time, or even when I went to see Van Halen with David Lee Roth last year, the anticipation for this coming show in October is just about too much.

Part of this may be that I've never bought tickets for a concert this far out before. It's six months away! A whole half a year. Wow.

I've already started preparing myself. U2's discography is playing at a nearly constant rate .

Also, if it weren't enough that I was going to see the single greatest influence on me as a musician, they're touring with one of my other top 5 (or so): Muse. If you haven't checked them out, you need too. Recently, they've gotten some fame as their song, "Supermassive Black Hole", was featured in the recent film adaptation of the novel Twilight. However, as any fanboy would say, I must say that that is far from their best work. If I had an album to recommend, I would say you should start with their 2004 album Absolution. Brilliant. And rockin'. And British.

Those moments where U2 has not been playing have been filled with Muse. The number of bands from the U.K./Ireland area that occupy my top bands list has been steadily growing over the past couple of years. Sorry for the lack of patriotism, I should listen to some country this week.

a follow up

Just to let everyone know, I am still absolutely in love with my new Tele. You have to play a guitar for a while to really get a feel for how it responds to things like control changes, weight shifting, string bending, and speed.

I love my new Tele. I don't think I can say it enough. Every touch, every strum, makes me feel like we were made for each other. All of the above mentioned aspects of guitar-dom are found in levels exactly as I wanted.

She is indeed a beautiful thing, but I'm looking to improve upon her. I want to do something non-stock that would make her a one-of-a-kind. First things first, probably a cosmetic mod: replacement pickguard. Something kind of artsy, just to make me feel like I've got a start on a unique axe.

On another note, I think I am going to commit to going to see U2. I've loved their music for too long and who knows how much longer they're going to be doing this. Rumors of Muse opening for them have me drooling doubly. And, they're coming to Charlottesville on Keren and I's anniversary in October. Seems like a sign, eh?

skipping

I have a major confession to make.

I am a chronic song-skipper. It is, of course, a huge problem. I don't know what got me started, or how long I've been like this, but I do know that it has gotten way far out of control.

I'm not talking about skipping around to find a certain song on my iPod, I'm talking about listening to a song about 80% of the way through, then skipping.

I am going to make a commitment this week to listen to a song all the way through if I get more than a few seconds through it. It's going to be hard, it's going to be tough, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to see it through to the end of the week.

Maybe next week I'll commit to listening to whole albums.

music review: no line on the horizon

In recent times, I haven't anticipated an album quite as much as I have U2's latest work, No Line On the Horizon.

Man crush alert. I listened to more U2 when learning to play guitar that I did any other band, so The Edge holds a special place in my heart. I usually hate using "influences" type references, but The Edge's style (not necessarily in a gear way, just technique) really affected the way I love to play now.

That being said, with U2 I tend to stray away from reviewing lyrics, as I enjoy their cryptic nature and don't try to take too much meaning from them.
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Track By Track:
1. "No Line on the Horizon"
A nice fast one to start out the album. I think it definitely puts a good impression of what the rest of the album will be like: a turn in a different direction along with a little experimentation.

2. "Magnificent"
My favorite song on the album. The Edge does some awesomely lyrical work during the instrumental breaks in this song that just make me want to kiss him. Very singable. A "stomper" as I like to call them, just a step above a toe tapper. My foot comes off the ground during this one. Great Edge solo, he does a lot with very little. I love the way Adam Clayton keeps a groove in this song. I love the the irony in the lyrics, that love can hurt so painfully, but is also the only thing to fix those deep wounds.

3. "Moment of Surrender"
This gospel-flavored song fakes you into thinking it is going to be a "Stuck in a Moment..." or "Sometime You Can't...". I'd definitely say that this may be one of the more passionate Bono performance's on the album, if not of all time. It's a little darker of a ballad than I've come to expect from them, but I do like it. My only complaint is that it's a little long and doesn't quite hold up the momentum in a way that keeps my interest. Another great solo by the Edge evokes hints of "A Day in the Life", but speaks volumes over the chords.

4. "Unknown Caller"
The melodies in this song will surprise you each time; the chord changes are not standard and will take you to a completely unexpected place each time. I really enjoyed the computer references in the lyrics.

5. "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
My favorite one to sing on the album. I love the little tiny eastern influences that show up throughout the chords and melodies. Feels like the most traditionaly U2 song on the album.

6. "Get On Your Boots"
I did not like this song the first few times I heard it. Then, after blasting it through car speakers with the windows down, it started to grow on me. If you see a silver Taurus/grey Cougar with some idiot screaming "Sexy Boots..." you'll know its me. Sounds to me like it should be played right after "Vertigo".

7. "Stand Up Comedy"
This song, more than any other on the album, harkens back to the Achtung Baby/Pop era of hard rock-inspired riffs and full chord instrumentation. I can't wait to see The Edge stomp through this one.

8. "Fez - Being Born"
A little Brian Eno electronic/ambient collection starts out, followed by a primarily instrumental-focused track. Makes me a little anxious, like I'm being chased. I love Bono's wailing over the more instrumental parts, it adds an emotive depth that perfectly seals the mood.

9. "White as Snow"
This is a really beautiful and poetic piece. I love the dynamics that Bono puts in his voice. I really appreciated the use of a traditional song with different lyrics/rhythm/melody, although it almost distracted me from the song itself because I kept trying to insert "O Come Emmanuel". I thought the drums at the end could have been left out.

10. "Breathe"
Wow, what a rocker. If "Magnificent" wasn't on the album, this would be the favorite for Mikey. I can't help but band the head during this one. Best listened to at ear-splitting volume. I dug the little twist on the last chord of the chorus progression, I definitely expected a more cliche ending - I should've learned by this point in the album. Again, I really want to see the band play this one live.

11. "Cedars of Lebanon"
A great way to end the album, taking the dynamics way down. The one profanity is not neccessary. The little guitar groove at the end is one of my favorites. Probably a really heavily Brian Eno written piece.
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Brian Eno definitely has his fingerprints all over this album. That fact makes it difficult to tell what innovation is the result of growth on the band's part or if the new eccentricities incorporated into the sound are just a consequence of the producer.

My favorite thing about the arrangements are the surprising chord progressions. After working themselves into a bit of a chordal box in the past, this album showed they had quite a few surprises left to show the world. Some turns the melodies take (like in "Unknown Caller" and "Magnificent") completely baffled me, caught me off guard, and kept me wanting more.

I recommend getting the version with the bonus tracks (iTunes has them I know for sure). I may fancy the new mix of "No Line on the Horizon" a bit more than the original, and the dance mix version of "Get On Your Boots" is just plain fun.

I also liked that The Edge got a few more solos than he has in the past. While he's not a virtuoso player by any means, I think he creates hooks and melodies through his axes that speak volumes over their tunes.

My only complaints for the album:
- It doesn't have any of the anthemic tracks that they've always managed to pen. None of the songs really stand out the way "Vertigo", "Beautiful Day", or "Mysterious Ways" have in the past re-inventions of the band.
- The one profanity seems superfluous. It seemed forced, just like . . .
- . . .The lyrics. They also seems a bit forced at times. But, this isn't really a breakpoint for me, I'm really too busy listening to The Edge.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the album. I didn't have high hopes after hearing "Get On Your Boots" for the first time, but as that song has grown on me and the rest of the album has showed its colors, I think this one will stand against the trial of time and become one of my more beloved U2 albums.

From a purely guitar perspective, this is The Edge's best work. Maybe he wasn't as innovative as he has been in the past, but his solid style is truly the key the U2's sound and structure. I can't wait to pick this album apart with his playing.

the next generation

Today I came to a realization.

Whenever people talk about "the next generation", they are referring to the next group of young people who will live to take up the torch from the older people. Until recently, I have counted myself among that group.

However, I guess now I am getting "old" enough to no longer belong to the group known as "the next generation". I've passed into the "current generation", or whatever they're called; they're not actually important enough to have a title. If they had a title, it would be "the people who used to be the next generation".

I'm not thinking about having kids any time soon, but the kids that I see are now the people I am working for, the people for whom I will strive to create a better life.

I feel old. No offense to those older than me, and any comments about "you're only 21!" will be promptly deleted.