The Scrabbled: Making Fun of Each Other since '99

Sooooo I’m more than a bit late on this, but yeah. I’d like to blame it on the new kid, but really, I have only the recent influx of new XBox games to blame (Skyrim, Batman, Saint’s Row). Anyway, read more for my Best Of list. Agreeing/disagreeing/countering encouraged.

Yay or nay?

What.cd, a great music torrent site, has just about every version of every classic album ever. So I’m often torn about what to download — do I go for the original pressing to capture that classic sound? Or do I opt for the remaster that takes advantage of newer digital technologies and is optimized for digital mediums? Is something lost or is it all gain (/jokesformusicnerds)? Or is it really a case-by-base basis, wherein some albums are remastered poorly, and others really benefit from the process?

Perhaps the most notable thing about Bad As Me is simply that it’s any good at all. For all intents and purposes, this album should suck. Waits is a 61 year old songwriter who relies heavily on well-worn formulas with twenty-three previous albums under his belt. If rock history has taught us anything, it’s that he should be well into his stagnant-and-trying-to-recapture-what-made-him-popular phase, churning out shitty albums that only Rolling Stone magazine is clueless enough to give a shit about. But when the albums that made you popular are collections of expertly crafted songs that sound timeless and ancient, getting old can only help.

When it comes down to it, it’s another great Tom Waits album in a long line of great Tom Waits albums. If you like his stuff, you’ll love Bad As Me. And while it’s perhaps it’s his most accessible, rock-and-rolly album in a while, if you’re one of those stupid jerks who doesn’t like him cause of his voice or or cause he’s weird, then this album isn’t going to change your mind. And also I hate you. Either way, if you want to listen, you know where to find it.

I’ve been wanting to write about this album since it came out but I’ve had a difficult time not just in trying to describe the music, but to figure out just what it is I’m hearing. It’s really something else. Hauntingly sparse interludes broken by violent passages of drum n’ bass noise, ambient drones and chanting giving way to fits of beautiful harmony; if anything it’s an exercise in musical dichotomies. And it works. It really works.

My new favorite record of the week/month/year/whoknows.

The album has leaked, in case you haven’t already gotten it. While it’s been described by some (sam’s a huge jerk) as “hipster muzak,” I’m totally obsessed with it and can’t stop listening. Fun to work to, fun to drive to, fun to ride my bike to, fun to drum along to.

I was worried that the loss of their vocalist, Tyondai Braxton, might ruin their sound, but it seems to have only solidified it. It makes me wonder exactly what Tyondai brought to the picture. Guest vocalists Eye (from the Boredoms), Gary Numan, the chick from Blonde Redhead, and some spanish guy do a fine job filling in when needed (and, it seems, aren’t needed more often then not.

Listen to the single here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAbc5yhbBFQ or grab the whole album you-know-where.

Remember Big Country? That band who had a hit song of the same name? Ok, well take Big Country and replace half their band with The Boredoms. Or maybe you don’t remember Big Country and you’ve never heard of The Boredoms. Just take a triumphant moment from a classic John Hughes movie. Now make the drums bigger, the keyboard squelchier, and essentially turn the volume up. That’s Parts & Labor’s Contant Future. And there’s really not a skippable song on it. Definitely worth a listen.

Listen to the first track on YouTube or grab the whole album you-know-where.

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Wherein we pick a classic album, listen to it all the way through, and review it track by track in the comments. We haven’t done one of these in a while. Rather than put it to a vote, Ima just pick a classic album and hope you guys hop on board.

So this week, I’m picking The Talking Heads – Remain in Light. I set up a new folder on the FTP for the record club, for those of you who don’t already have the album.

First person to post their review gets to pick the next album.

2010 was a weird year. The twin life manglers of buying our first home and starting my own business from said home (and not exactly as planned…) has meant my listening to more music, more often, and with more diversity than I have since Napster was first released and I got a job as a lab monitor on campus. I got to download music all day, and listen to it loudly! On speakers! And I didn’t have to keep looking over my shoulder while I read music blogs or label sites looking for new albums, to boot.

So I agonized over this list. What normally took a lazy afternoon at work took weeks. Some albums I just couldn’t compare. Some albums I felt like maybe I’d only scratched the surface of. Some albums I think are great, but frankly, I’m just sick to death of, but hope I’ll enjoy them again next year (I’m looking at you, Vampire Weekend). But I’m stopped making any progress on it and I’m tired of avoiding every other Best Of list like trying not to hear the score of a Phillies game you DVR’d, so here it is. The Top 30 Best Albums of 2010 — or at least My Favorite — and it’s a list I’ll likely disagree with mere seconds after posting.

And by all means, everyone should be posting his or her lists, too. I know I’m not the only opinionated jerk around here and I don’t buy this “I didn’t listen to any new music this year” crap I keep hearing. Yes you did, and somewhere in the back of your brain, you’ve ranked them. So out with it.

All you need to know about Zach Hill is that he plays drums really well. I don’t mean like Neil Pert well. You won’t find any roto-tom fills on any of his tracks. The guy plays a kit that wouldn’t look out of place on the floor of your local Target with a $300 price tag. But man the things he does with that kit. Without any hyperbole, I can honestly say the guy’s one of the best rock drummers out there right now. But unless you’re into noise, the only place you might have heard him was on Marnie Stern’s fantastic 2008 album, I am it and you are it….

On a whim, I hit his wikipedia page last night to see what he’s been up to since then. Turns out he has a new solo album and plays on a new Marnie Stern album. So I picked them both up immediately. I haven’t yet listened to the former, but I’m just finishing the latter and it’s pretty great. Not only is Hill here in full-force, but Stern’s song-writing seems to have improved and, for those of you who were immediately turned off by her Sheri Moon Zombie impersonation style of singing, she seems to have toned that down a bit as well. Hill’s last solo album was definitely… weirder… than I had expected, but not at all unenjoyable. I’ve no idea what to expect on this new one, but I’m pumped to listen later today.

Here’s hoping he and Spencer Seim decide to grace us with a new Hella album this year as well — or better still, a new Advantage album.

Tonight was a catch-up-on-music night. Run through all the blogs, check some relevant labels, read through reddit’s listentothis and music subreddits, download anything that sounds interesting. And oh my god did I find something interesting.

Lately I’ve been finding that my regular new music sources (Stereogum, Gorilla vs. Bear, and yes, Pitchfork) have been largely churning out duds. Whether I’m losing touch or they’re getting too wrapped up in specific fads or sounds remains to be scene (hiyo!), but I’ve been finding my tastes have been getting weirder and more specific.

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Has leaked! I’m hearing a lot of “best thing they’ve done since Around the Fur.” I’m sort of in doubt about that, but I’m always interested in what these guys are up to. Though some of you might be as well. Note the topics.

Just grabbed this the other day. I’m curious to see what you guys think of it, especially the pre-existing liars fans (and I know there are at least a couple of you). On my first listen through, I noticed a few cool moments, but on the whole, it didn’t really grab me. Wondering if this was anyone else’s experience or if you guys are loving it.

Note the topics.

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Have you? I’m sticking with “favorite” and not “best” cause I don’t think any of us have listened to anywhere near enough music to say what the best is.

THOUGH I SHALL TRY.

Ten sleepy, wistful tunes about suburban Jersey summers. I can’t stop listening to it. As soon as the last track is over, I start it right back up again. Grab it and put it on tonight.

I haven’t like a Flaming Lips album since the Soft Bulletin. Both Yoshimi and At War with the Mystics were unbelievably grating; the melodies too saccharine, the production too over the top and compressed. I love a band that sounds like they’re just teetering on the edge of chaos and noise, but the Flaming Lips seem to have lost their balance several times now. Mostly, they trigger my gag reflex and they give me a headache.

So imagine my surprise when I found myself loving almost every single track on their new album, The Embryonic.

I thought this was a fun one. Kevin mentioned that it might be his favorite compilation so far, and I agree with him.

Scrabbled Comp #5: Hello, My Name Is

With so many solid, modern rock tracks, this compilation definitely feels like a result of The Scrabbled’s collective consciousness. I kinda hate Kevin and Hutch for their tracks, but I commend their test of democracy. Evan, I’m glad, after all the non-reading, you came up with “Frank Sinatra”. Apologies to Sammy for the last minute drop; if you want another track on here, let me know. Matthew, thanks for reminding me about The Postal Service (same to you, Jay, for Piebald).

Solid, everybody, 21 tracks solid. I left for Salem immediately after work Friday afternoon, so this one was compiled a little last minute. You’ll notice there are quite a few tracks missing in the folder. Please feel free to help where you can. You can drop it in your folder, my folder, or the comp’s folder, just let me know. Thanks in advance.

Scrabbled Comp #4: Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana Phone?

So the top track, in my opinion, is the Vince Guaraldi Trio song “Great Pumpkin Waltz”. Gosia managed to match the theme and the season. A nod to Jeff for the classic POTUSA jam “Peaches” and Evan’s clever submission. Note I took it upon myself to put all three parts of “King Of Carrot Flowers”; I don’t think anyone has a problem with that (thanks Heidi). I’m curious about the Muscles track, Julia, it has an interesting title. Hutch’s spelling issues have confused me.

Please note that this post is titled the exact same as the last compilation post. I didn’t like that I had all this information about the currently-built playlist, but then had a difference title for the post. So from here on out, I’m going to use the title of the past week’s already-made album.

Scrabbled Comp #3: Are You Having Fun?

So we had some returning artists this week, which is fun. David Bowie and R.E.M. are back. I really enjoyed the Buzzcocks song (never heard it). My top pick is “Do You Wanna Dance?” Mainly because it’s a great question to ask, but also because Sammy had some options for artists, and he went Ramones.