unrescuable schizo

Pittsburgh's 3 Rivers Arts Fest Lineup for 2012 is Solid!

2012-05-17T10:43:00.003-05:00

I just caught the lineup for the 2012 3 Rivers Arts Fest in Pittsburgh, and it's a very good one. Kathleen Edwards, the Wailers, and Bruce Hornsby are solid scores.

There's not as much indie rock as I'd prefer, but Dawes on June 5 is a nice addition. And there's a bluegrass day! Bluegrass is perhaps the most underrated genre of music.

Of course, all the shows are free, so you can't go wrong. Here's the lineup so far courtesy of the PG, with additional acts to come:

June 1: The Wailers
June 2: Kathleen Edwards
June 3: The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
June 5: Dawes
June 8: Carolina Chocolate Drops
June 9: Bluegrass Day with the Del McCoury Band, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band and Greensky Bluegrass
June 10: Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers

In other unrelated news, I'm continuing to build up my new site Total Music Awards, which is currently focusing on the Billboard Music Awards. I've also started a site dedicated to Chicago camping, which could come in handy for those heading to Lollapalooza!

Grammy news and predictions for 2012

2011-11-20T22:20:00.000-05:00

It's time to drop back in with an update on the 2012 Grammy Awards. The Dance categories at the Grammys will look a whole different from now on, because Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Kesha and other dance-pop artists have been banned from the Dance awards.

As I noted over at Examiner, the Grammys have changed their policy on dance music so that only DJs and electronic artists like Skrillex, David Guetta and Afrojack are eligible. The change is good for those guys, but not so good for Gaga, Spears and Rihanna, who have all been shifted to the Pop field. That means fewer nominations for all of them.

You can also check out my predictions for who the five Best New Artist nominees will be. Nicki Minaj and the Band Perry are locks, while Bon Iver and Il Volo are likely picks as well.

In other news, I'm currently working on my rankings of the Top 10 albums of 2011. That will be unveiled soon, but rest assured that Cults, Lykke Li and Bon Iver will be on it. I'm also in the process of ranking all 106 bands I saw live in 2011. So far, legends Aretha Franklin and Paul McCartney are topping the list.

What I've been up to: Travel blogs & concert reviews

2011-05-21T11:45:00.003-05:00

Just thought I'd pop in with another update on what I've been up to lately.

As promised in the last post, I've started a new travel blog called Quirky Travel Guy. It provides photos and stories about interesting travel attractions across the country. Check it out, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

I'm no longer freelancing for AOL Radio Blog, but I've moved on to popcrush.com, where I post about the latest pop music news of the day. I'm also still writing for Examiner. I was fortunate enough to see Aretha Franklin in concert the other day - check out my review!

Unrescuable Schizo: It's the End of the World As We Know It...

2010-12-27T08:46:00.002-05:00

Greetings, yinz. The time has come to announce that Unrescuable Schizo is going on hiatus.

I'm suspending the blog for two reasons. First, some of you may know that I moved away from Pittsburgh a while back. While I love the city and its music scene, at this point it no longer makes sense to write about shows and venues I cannot attend.

Second, I've turned my attention to writing as a career and there just isn't time to keep this site going. Check out the end of this post to see where you can read my stuff now.

Looking back...
I enjoyed all the perks that came with being a music blogger. By far my favorite aspect of the blog was getting a chance to interview national acts. When I sent my first interview request ever (to Nicole Atkins - a major-label artist, no less) I wasn't expecting to hear back from the publicists at Sony. But to my shock they replied, "She's available tomorrow. Can you do a phoner at 3 pm?"

I knew very little about Nicole's music at the time. So as soon as I got out of work, I raced to the nearest Record Exchange, found a copy of her album, and stayed up til 3 am listening to it and coming up with a list of questions.

Doing the interview was an interesting challenge. I had to take a tape recorder to work and sneak into a meeting room on my break. I put the phone on speaker and recorded the conversation. Nicole couldn't have been nicer, and the chat reminded me how much fun it is to be an actual journalist. I was thrilled to be interviewing someone who'd been on David Letterman just two weeks earlier.

Other interviews
My most exciting moment was interviewing Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls. Amanda was my favorite singer for some time. "Unrescuable Schizo" is a lyric from her song "Delilah." Never in a million years did I think I could score an interview with her. I chatted with her on the phone in 2009 before she played Mr. Small's. It wasn't my best interview (thank goodness for editing). My tape recorder crapped out just before I was scheduled to call, so I was running around like a madman looking for batteries and got really nervous while we chatted. But interviewing my favorite artist was a thrill.

Talking to Taylor Hanson was also strangely fun, because I flashed back to that moment years earlier when I self-consciously walked into Circuit City and purchased the Hanson CD Middle of Nowhere, trying to bury it under a pile of other, more respectable CDs. At that moment I wouldn't have imagined that ten years later I'd be speaking with a Hanson on the phone.

Pittsburgh music...
I wish I'd gotten to meet more of the people in the Pittsburgh music scene, though I am grateful for my interactions with people like Scott Tady of the Beaver County Times and some of the folks at WYEP. I should also mention Steve Juffe at The Concert Manager - he was my entry point into the Pittsburgh concert world, as I worked for him as an assistant for about a year.

Finally, a note to the other Pittsburgh music bloggers. When I started, there were only two others that I know of, and now there might be more than a dozen. I've communicated most often with Brian and Hugh since they were around when I started. It's cool to see all the other people who have joined the club. And thanks to Deena for coming onboard with the blog - our joint coverage of Lolla '08 (experienced together in a cramped air conditioning-less Chicago hostel) was a lot of fun.

So now I'm off to other things. I may pop back in here from time to time if something in the music world compels me to express my opinion. Or perhaps I'll just leave long-winded comments on some of yinz' blogs.

Here's where you can keep up with me online:
AOL Radio Blog
I regularly contribute Top 10 lists and New Song posts for the AOL Radio Blog. Good times! Occasionally, I conduct interviews for their sister site Spinner - this one with Ozomatli was fun.

Grammy Awards Examiner
I know way more about the stuffy Grammy Awards than any human being should, so I became the Grammy guy for examiner.com. The 2011 nominees were announced in early December. Subscribe to me there for more Grammy news than you could ever possibly want.

9000 Miles
I've been operating a travel blog for two years, starting when I took a four-month cross-country van trip through 46 states in April 2009. If you haven't checked it out yet, give it a look. I'm in the process of starting another travel blog; stay tuned to 9000 Miles for the announcement about that in the next couple months.

My Top 10 Albums of 2010

2010-12-20T08:06:00.002-05:00

I held off on my Top 10 Albums list just in case the new Michael Jackson album was worthy of inclusion, which turned out to be an unnecessary delay. These are the ten discs that did it for me in 2010.

10 OF THE BLUE COLOUR OF THE SKY, OK Go
Tim from OK Go promised when I interviewed him that this record was inspired by a lot of 1999-era Prince, and he wasn't lying. The music would be worthy of attention even without the mind-blowing music videos.

9 LP4, Ratatat
Another batch of intoxicating instrumental rock compositions from the NYC duo. Ratatat are one of the most inventive bands in rock today.

8 THE ARCHANDROID, Janelle Monae
A strange, futuristic, soulful science fiction concept album. Exactly the kind of record that should be nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys, instead of the tame mainstream stuff like Lady Antebellum.

7 THE SUBURBS, Arcade Fire
Here’s how I feel about the new Arcade Fire album (and, for that matter, all Arcade Fire albums). It’s really good, and when I listen to it I recognize its quality. But when I’m scanning my iTunes trying to decide what to listen to, I rarely choose Arcade Fire. I don’t get excited thinking about the prospect of listening to their music. I’d much rather listen to Girl Talk or Matt and Kim or something more vibrant. So while I might declare this the "best" record of 2010, it's only my 7th favorite.

6 ODD BLOOD, Yeasayer
Weird synths, gratuitous percussion, unconventional time signatures... Odd Blood has it all. Now all Yeasayer have to do is pick up their live game. I've seen them in concert twice and both times came away disappointed.

5 BODY TALK PT. 1, Robyn
Robyn took the pop music world by storm in 2010. The Swedish dance artist released three albums, but the first was her best. "Body Talk Pt. 1" produced memorable tracks "Fembot," "Dancing On My Own" and "Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do." She also killed it live at Pitchfork.

4 CONGRATULATIONS, MGMT
I didn't enjoy this at first since it was such a change from their last one, but eventually the album grew on me thanks to "Flash Delirium," "Brian Eno," and "It's Working."

3 INFINITE ARMS, Band of Horses
A gorgeous record that somehow flew under the radar in 2010. "Laredo" gets more fantastic every time I hear it. Then again, so does every track on this album.

2 TREATS, Sleigh Bells
I wrote about this one back in July. I can't predict that Sleigh Bells are destined for long-term success (this could be a Crystal Castles-style one-time fluke thing), but at least they delivered one fantastic rock record.

1 GO, Jonsi
Sigur Ros topped this list two years ago, so it should be no surprise that the group's frontman has my favorite album of 2010. Go is a bundle full of energetic, happy songs with uplifting melodies. Jonsi even sang in English, though you still couldn't really figure out any of the words.

Honorable Mention:
I LEARNED THE HARD WAY, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
ALL DAY, Girl Talk
SIDEWALKS, Matt and Kim
MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY, Kanye West
HIGH VIOLET, The National
THE MONITOR, Titus Andronicus

Ticket giveaway: Ghostland Observatory at Mr. Small's

2010-12-06T11:20:00.009-05:00

Edit: Winners have been notified. Thanks for entering!

One of our favorite bands, Austin electro-dance-rock duo Ghostland Observatory, is playing two all-ages shows this weekend at Mr. Small's with other local and national electronic acts and we have two tickets to give away.

You can win two passes to either Friday or Saturday night's show (whichever you prefer). Just email your full name and which night you want to attend to scoots2000@hotmail.com. The entry deadline is Thursday, December 9 at noon. One winner will be selected at random and notified by email.

Ghostland performs with a laser-light show that takes their hypnotic music to another level. We've been fortunate to see them several times before (Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza) but this is their first performance ever in Pittsburgh. They were the only band to place two songs on our Favorite Songs of the 2000s list.

On Friday, the band will be supported by Mux Mool with Cutups and Keeb$, while Saturday's additional acts will be Expensive Shit, Keeb$ and DJ Ra. An official after party takes place Saturday night at midnight at Brillobox.

Tickets for the Ghostland shows are available for purchase for $25 per night or $45 for both shows at www.opusoneproductions.com.

Here's a clip of Ghostland's laser show we took last year at the All Points West music festival. It's brief, but you get the idea.

December Pittsburgh concerts

2010-12-01T09:27:00.002-05:00

MUST-SEE SHOWS:
12/3-4 Girl Talk @ Stage AE
12/16-17 Wiz Khalifa @ Stage AE
The new Stage AE venue is open and Pittsburgh's two biggest names are ready to christen it. Girl Talk just dropped his newest album All Day and celebrates with two big shows. Meanwhile, local rapper Wiz Khalifa prepares to hit the stage just as he's finally starting to break through to the bigtime. His single "Black and Yellow" is lighting up iTunes (based on actual sales, unlike when local rapper Kellee Maize hilariously sent a press release touting that her single went to #1 on Amazon, even though it was just a free giveaway.) And Khalifa's major-label debut is scheduled for sometime in 2011. Catch him now before he blows up.

ALSO WORTH ATTENDING:
12/10-11 Ghostland Observatory @ Mr. Small's
I've been singing the praises of Ghostland for years, since I discovered them at Lollapalooza and was enchanted by their White Stripes-meets-Daft Punk blend of rock and electronics. Their last record wasn't as well-received, so hopefully the next album will be a return to form. Bring your cameras to capture Aaron Behrens' eye-popping dance moves.

Others to keep in mind:
12/1 Bryan Adams @ Byham Theater
12/3 Demetri Martin @ Byham Theater
12/3 Ryan Cabrera @ Hard Rock Cafe
12/3-4 Mannheim Streamroller @ Benedum Center
12/4 Zac Brown Band @ Pepsi Cola Roadhouse
12/6 Twiztid @ Mr. Small's
12/10 George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ Stage AE
12/13 Justin Bieber @ Consol Energy Center
12/15 Better Than Ezra @ Mr. Small's
12/22 Bear Cub @ Rex Theater
12/28 Punchline @ Diesel
12/31 Wu-Tang Clan @ Mr. Small's

My Favorite 100 Songs of All-Time, Part 3 (songs 30-1)

2010-11-29T22:20:00.037-05:00

If you missed the first two parts:
Part 1 (Songs 100-66)
Part 2 (Songs 65-31)

30. Peter Schilling "Major Tom"

This is one of the few '80s songs on this list that I only started to enjoy in the 2000s. Hearing this song reminds me of fabulous '80s nights dancing at Belvedere's and Lava Lounge.

29. Joy Division "Love Will Tear Us Apart"

And this one reminds me of Ceremony, the goth night at the Upstage.

28. Lee Greenwood "Somebody's Leaving"

My grandmother was a fan of country singer Lee Greenwood so I listened to a lot of his music as a kid. Easily the most obscure song on this list, "Somebody’s Leaving" was a 1987 album track from If There’s Any Justice. Greenwood goes from low notes in the verses into bridges and choruses that steadily rise until they’re soaring. It’s fun to try to sing.

27. Journey "Don't Stop Believin'"

Someday when music historians pass their ultimate judgments, this could be deemed the best track of the 1980s. You have to love a song that spends three minutes building to its one climactic chorus.

26. New Radicals "You Get What You Give"

I remember reading an interview where Joni Mitchell or Annie Lennox (I don't recall which) called this the best pop song of the last 50 years. Or maybe it was Linda Ronstadt. Whichever lady made that proclamation wasn't far off.

25. Sheryl Crow "Strong Enough"

What an emotionally vulnerable song. I wish Sheryl could go back with her tuesday night music club and try to write new material. It's time to make up, guys.

24. Prince "When Doves Cry"

Any time they played the full-length version of "When Doves Cry" on the radio or MTV was always a momentous occasion.

23. Lou Reed "Walk on the Wild Side"

The greatest chilled-out song of all-time. It's cool that most of the characters in the song were real people. And the colored girls go...

22. Milli Vanilli "Girl You Know It's True"

Throughout the whole Milli Vanilli scandal, I never understood while people got so upset. Yes, it’s wrong that they lip-synched, but does it really matter who provided the vocals? The songs are still good, so what’s the difference? Odd lingering memory: I played this 45 on repeat for days while I tried to beat Zelda II: The Adventures of Link on Nintendo. (I eventually succeeded.)

21. Dr. Dre "Nuthin' But a G Thang"

The highest-rated rap song on my list. It's the song that introduced Snoop Dogg to the world. Compton and Long Beach together - now you know you in trouble.

20. Soft Cell "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go"

"Tainted Love" is one of only a few songs that works in three different genres, from soul (Gloria Jones, 1964) to rock (Marilyn Manson, 2001) to Soft Cell's pop version. The addition of the Supremes' remake "Where Did Our Love Go" is the icing on the cake.

19. Dexy's Midnight Runners "Come On Eileen"

Another '80s classic with plenty of fiddles and dirty lyrics. The gradually sped-up bridge is a clever idea. I wonder why more bands don't try something like that.

18. Queen "We Will Rock You"

I can't stand 95% of classic rock. You can have your Pink Floyd and your Led Zeppelin, it's just not my thing. Queen are my favorite performers from that era, probably because they constantly moved outside the genre and experimented with their sound. "We Will Rock You" has perhaps my favorite guitar solo ever.

17. Irene Cara "Flashdance...What a Feeling!"

One of the most perfect '80s pop songs, and one that includes a shout-out to Pittsburgh.

16. Don Henley "The End of the Innocence"

Great imagery in this song, it really paints a picture. I love the last verse - "I need to remember this, so baby give me just one kiss / And let me take a long last look before we say goodbye."

15. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts "I Love Rock N Roll"

Joan Jett might be the most badass female musician ever. I saw her play this at the Warped Tour a couple years ago and she still sounded (and looked) amazing.

14. Tommy James & the Shondells "Crimson & Clover"

A trippy rock & roll song that just gets weirder and weirder as it goes on. I wanna get some of whatever they were on when they wrote it.

13. Culture Club "Karma Chameleon"

"Karma Chameleon" was my favorite song as a kid, to the point that I remember my seven-year-old self saying, "I love this song more than anything in the world!" Colour By Numbers was the first record I bought, so there’s a lot of history associated with this song for me.

12. Elton John "I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues"

I've never taken the time to seriously learn an instrument. But the highlight of my wannabe-musician career was learning the harmonica solo to this song. Another of my favorite lyrics - "I simply love you more than I love life itself."

11. Phil Collins "Against All Odds"

How can you just walk away from me when all I can do is watch you leave? Phil's relationship is in dire straits here, it's good stuff.

10. Journey "Faithfully"

Though almost nobody can relate to the song's theme of being a touring rock musician away from your family, the song still has a sweet appeal. Steve Perry has the best voice of any rock singer, period.

9. OMD "If You Leave"

A favorite from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, this song has not one but two key changes in the chorus, followed by a closing section where the music completely changes and the song goes in a different direction. I like those kind of unusual song structures.

8. Simply Red "Holding Back the Years"

For some reason depressing songs like this one are really intriguing. "Nothing had the chance to be good / Nothing ever could," sings Mick Hucknall, before adding, "I'll keep holding on," as if he's sadly clinging to a hope that has no chance of ever coming true.

7. Whitesnake "Here I Go Again"

Whitesnake first recorded this song in 1982, five years before it became a hit. The original is terrible - it sounds like classic rock. They even recorded a tragic video for the 1982 version - you can find it on YouTube.

6. Bonnie Raitt "I Can't Make You Love Me"

Another sad song - this has to be the most gutwrenching ballad ever to become a legitimate adult contemporary hit. "I can't make you love me if you don't," Bonnie sings with resignation. It's so emotional.

5. Freda Payne "Band of Gold"

For about a year, the monthly soul night at the White Eagle on the South Side was the place to be. They played northern soul music and this one was a regular highlight. How can you not dance while listening to music this infectious?

4. Leonard Cohen "Hallelujah"

I saw Leonard Cohen in concert last year. The man rocked it. The incredible passion and energy he displayed were the same attributes he's displayed in his poetry over the years. Jeff Buckley's version was the first "Hallelujah" I ever heard, and that was great, but credit must go to the originator.

3. Jermaine Stewart "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off"

I had no idea what the words meant when I was little. I just knew that I liked catchy, danceable melodies. I've never gotten over the tragic irony of the fact that the man behind this anti-sex anthem died a few years later of AIDS.

2. Tracy Chapman "The Promise"

Another song that came from summer camp. This album track from Tracy Chapman's New Beginning was the promise everyone made to each other to come back the following year.

1. Cyndi Lauper "True Colors"

The perfect ballad with a perfect message. Only Cyndi Lauper could've performed this song - her little-girl voice was the perfect fit because it added a layer of childlike innocence that made the song even sweeter.

My Favorite Songs of All-Time, Part 2 (songs 65-31)

2010-11-29T21:28:00.001-05:00

Here's part 2 of the list, covering songs 65-31. If you missed it, check out Part 1 here. Part 3 will feature the Top 30 and will be published next.

65. ABBA "Dancing Queen"

It's funny how bands like the Bee Gees and ABBA were made fun of for years, but their work is now appreciated. These days, if you don't like "Dancing Queen," you're pretty much a commie.

64. Berlin "Take My Breath Away"

This song killed Berlin's career since it pigeon-holed them into a genre in which they didn't belong. But it gave us a memorable song, so on balance the trade-off was worth it.

63. Lee Ann Womack "I Hope You Dance"

Amidst all the trite, cliched mainstream crap coming out of Nashville, "I Hope You Dance" stands the test of time. Its advice still rings true. I strongly prefer the country version of the song to the pop version, due to the presence of the Sons of the Desert’s background vocals.

62. Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart"

Turn around, bright eyes! Between this and "Holding Out for a Hero," Bonnie Tyler had the market cornered on early '80s raspy-voiced melodrama.

61. The Outfield "Your Love"

Funny thing – I despised this song for years, because of the incredibly stupid chorus. "I just wanna use your love tonight / I don’t wanna lose your love tonight." Wtf is that supposed to mean? Can you think of any scenario in real life when any human being would ever utter those words? But eventually the catchy melody won me over. How can you change the channel when you hear the words, "Josie’s on a vacation far away…"

60. Simon & Garfunkel "The Sounds of Silence"

Harmony seems to be a lost art in pop music. Nobody did it better than Simon & Garfunkel on this track from The Graduate.

59. Falco "Rock Me Amadeus"

A 1986 rap-pop song by an Austrian musician in honor of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. You don't see songs this weird much anymore (White Town's "Your Woman" from 1997 might come closest.)

58. Belle Stars "Iko Iko"

Originally written in 1953 and titled "Jock-A-Mo," "Iko Iko" has been recorded by numerous artists over the years. The Dixie Cups version from 1965 is cool but the Belle Stars' 1988 tribalistic version from the Rain Man movie stands out for me.

57. Father MC "I'll Do 4 U"

I'm sure nobody remembers this single from 1991 with the cool sample from Cheryl Lynn’s "Got To Be Real." Father MC has a nice flow and there’s a bunch of memorable lines here, like the one about loving the black hummingbird. Interesting trivia I found out recently: That’s Mary J. Blige singing the chorus - it was her first appearance on record ever.

56. Heart "These Dreams"

The second Heart song on the countdown. I guess for some reason as a kid in elementary school I was infatuated with these ladies. This one is more sunny than "Alone" and it's the first time Nancy Wilson sang lead.

55. Ani DiFranco "Untouchable Face"

To this day I've only heard a handful of Ani songs but they're all terrific. “Untouchable Face” tells the gutwrenching but relatable story of being infatuated with someone who’s already in a relationship (“I could make you happy, if you weren’t already.”). The line “You look like a photograph of yourself” is one of my favorite lyrics of all-time.

54. Madonna "Like a Prayer"

The religious imagery, the taboo music video interracial kiss and the glorious, uplifting choir make this the best song of Madonna's career.

53. Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories "Stay (I Missed You)"

The bespectacled Lisa became the first unsigned artist ever to score a #1 hit when her first single hit the top.

52. Michael Jackson "Beat It"

Like all kids from the '80s, I was a crazy MJ fan. I had the action figure with the "Beat It" jacket. This is his only song in my Top 100, though "Dirty Diana," "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," "Human Nature" and "Man in the Mirror" all rank highly.

51. Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight"

This song singlehandedly makes me want to learn to play drums. Phil says he's aware this drum section may be his enduring legacy, and he's cool with that. Good for him.

50. Biz Markie "Just a Friend"

The worst singing ever in a hit song. Today, Biz would get kicked off American Idol before he finished singing the first line. But in 1989, his rant against girls "who say they just have a friend" was huge. I love the names of his friends - Agnes, Agatha, Jermaine and Jack. Biz is a comedic king.

49. Bright Eyes "First Day Of My Life"

I've always loved Conor Oberst's quivering voice. This acoustic track is one of the greatest love ballads I've ever heard, with the thought-provoking lyric, "I'd rather be working for a paycheck than waiting to win the lottery." The simple music video directed by John Cameron Mitchell is also genius.

48. Sophie B. Hawkins "Before I Walk On Fire"

Loaded with exotic rhythms and sexually-charged words, Sophie's debut Tongues and Tails remains my favorite album of all-time. "Before I Walk on Fire" is even more powerful when performed live.

47. Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Not much needs to be said about this one. It's simply one of the most influential songs in history. I remember when this song first came out in December 1991, my family went shopping at K-Mart and I sat in the car listening to B94 because they said this song was coming up. Hearing the groundbreaking new Nirvana song was way more important than picking out Christmas presents.

46. Shannon "Let the Music Play"

Only on my personal list could long-forgotten dance singer Shannon edge outrank Nirvana. I dare say "Let the Music Play" is one of the best dance tracks ever written.

45. Prince "Little Red Corvette"

1999 was one of the first 33s I ever owned. This slow-burner had some clever lines, though it wasn't until years later that I understood what "She had a pocket full of horses / Trojan and some of them used" and "I felt a little ill when I saw all the pictures of the jockeys who were there before me" meant.

44. Chumbawamba "Tubthumping"

Like millions of duped Americans, I bought Tubthumper, the album by British anarchists Chumbawamba, only to discover it was the worst album I'd ever purchased. But the single remains a sing-along classic. Appropriately, this song was actually playing my first time in a bar after turning 21.

43. Don McLean "American Pie"

"American Pie" goes back to my four awesome summers as a camp counselor. This was one of the last songs they'd play at every camp function so it became special. So while to most people the song calls to mind a terrible plane crash, it reminds me of hay rides, summer hikes and good times.

42. Aerosmith "Angel"

Of all the Aerosmith songs, why this one? I'm not sure, except that I enjoy Steven Tyler's flexible vocals and the closing harmony.

41. The Who "Baba O'Riley"

Best song intro ever? The swimming keyboards are a great way to build anticipation as you wait for the guitar & drums to kick in.

40. Boy Meets Girl "Waiting for a Star to Fall"

Boy Meets Girl were the songwriting team of Merrill and Rubicam, who penned tons of '80s hits. Fortunately, Whitney Houston turned down "Waiting for a Star to Fall," allowing them to record it themselves. I can't imagine it sounding this joyous and innocent if Whitney had taken it. And that sax solo is rockin'.

39. Air Supply "Making Love Out of Nothing at All"

Another epic Jim Steinman song. Everyone loves the irony of this soft-pop band singing the line, "I can make all the stadiums rock!," but, secretly, I'd kill to see them in concert. They are my ultimate guilty pleasure.

38. Michael Penn "No Myth"

Michael Penn was the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah of the pre-internet era. "No Myth" made him huge thanks to its lines about being Romeo in black jeans. He won the MTV award for Best New Artist and was massively hyped by critics. Then he failed to record another hit, ever. Now he's mostly known for being the brother of Sean Penn and wife of Aimee Mann.

37. Cameo "Word Up"

Thank you, Cameo, for performing the quintessential funk track and for sporting the unforgettable red cod piece.

36. Janet Jackson "Again"

This was our high school prom theme. I'm still not sure why. But every time the lovely ballad comes on, I get to revisit that part of my life for three minutes.

35. Sergio Mendes "Never Gonna Let You Go"

Well, this one is embarrassing. "Never Gonna Let You Go" is a pretty spectacularly awful adult contemporary song. But I liked the voices of the guy and the girl - neither of whom is actually Sergio Mendes, I later learned.

34. Meat Loaf "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)"

Like most of the public, I had no idea just what it was that Meat Loaf wouldn't do for love. He explained in an interview that the answer is different each time he sings it, because each line references the previous line, as in, "I'll never forget the way you feel right now / I'd do anything for love, but I won't do that." Mystery solved.

33. Timex Social Club "Rumors"

I don't even know how this song got on my radar as a 9-year-old. I think Hot FM 101 in Youngstown used to play it a lot. That's one of the benefits of growing up in Beaver County - we had another top 40 station to rival B94. Thanks to Wikipedia, I now know that Timex Social Club was composed of the same people as Club Nouveau, who had the #1 remake "Lean on Me."

32. Guns N Roses "Paradise City"

One of the first hard rock songs I really loved. I remember being a little freaked out by the skulls on the cover of the record when I purchased it from National Record Mart.

31. Shakespear's Sister "Stay"

What still strikes me about "Stay" is how unique it sounds. There wasn't another song in 1992 that sounded even remotely like this.

Check out the Final part, Songs 30-1.

My Favorite 100 Songs of All-Time

2010-11-29T18:54:00.000-05:00

After several weeks of brainstorming and calculating, I'm finally ready to unveil my Favorite 100 songs of All-Time list. This is not the list of a typical music blogger. It’s the list of someone who grew up religiously listening to Casey Kasem's weekly Top 40 countdown and who unabashedly loves cheesy '80s love ballads.

I'm not joking - Bette Midler's "The Rose" is on the list. If that kind of thing scares you, now would be a good time to click away to another page.

I readily admit this is a ridiculous collection of songs, but it's cool, I've always had eclectic taste. Sixty two of these songs are from the '80s and another 23 are from the '90s, leaving just 3 from the '60s and 6 each from the '70s and '00s.

Most of my favorite bands didn't even make it. Instead there's a lot of forgotten one-hit wonders. So while Radiohead, the Dresden Dolls, Sigur Ros and Matt & Kim failed to make the cut, I managed to find room for the likes of Father MC, Nu Shooz, Kris Kross, Chumbawamba, Michael Penn and Oleta Adams.

Only a few artists placed multiple tracks on the list: Prince and Phil Collins lead with three each, while Madonna, Guns N Roses, Journey, Heart, Meat Loaf notched two apiece. Siobhan Fahey makes two appearances with different bands (Bananarama/Shakespear's Sister.) In terms of songwriters, Jim Steinman placed four in the top 100 – gotta love those melodramatic rock ballads!

I was going to include audio clips for these songs, but that would've taken too long. And yinz know how to use YouTube. So I've provided the single artwork instead. Because I enjoy single artwork…

PART 1: SONGS 100-66

100. blink-182 "Dammit (Growing Up)"

"Dammit" is just a fun, catchy song that grabs me from the intro guitar riff. I like the bitter kiss-off lyrics to an ex ("When he's gone, I won't come back!").

99. Baltimora "Tarzan Boy"

Italian band Baltimora became a huge one-hit wonder with "Tarzan Boy," a song that somehow made a resurgence in the ‘90s in Listerine commercials. I still have it on 45.

98. Kim Carnes "Bette Davis Eyes"

My first childhood crush was Kim Carnes, owner of the long blond hair and gravelly voice. I'm pretty sure as a narrative tale, "Bette Davis Eyes" doesn't make any sense, but for several of my early years it was one of my favorite songs.

97. Naughty by Nature "O.P.P."

Arm me with harmony! Naughty by Nature were using Michael Jackson samples nearly 20 years before Kanye had the idea.

96. Bananarama "Cruel Summer"

Is that really a xylophone in there? We need more songs with xylophones!

95. Tears for Fears "Shout"

I have a vivid memory of seeing this video for the first time on MTV one morning, then going to school and having the song stuck in my head all day. I raced home to turn on MTV again in the hopes I'd hear it again because in the course of one school day I had become obsessed.

94. Jimmy Eat World "A Praise Chorus"

I love that Jimmy Eat World make angsty emo music for adults. "Even at 25, you gotta start sometime!" "A Praise Chorus" provides inspiration for those still trying to find their place in the world during their 20s.

93. Counting Crows "A Long December"

A song about finding optimism through depression. "Man, it's been so long since I've seen the ocean... I guess I should." This was back when Adam Duritz was still relevant.

92. Beck "Loser"

Shave your face with some mace in the dark! I'm a driver! I'm a winner! Things are gonna change, I can feel it! Get crazy with the Cheez Whiz!

91. Naked Eyes "Always Something There to Remind Me"

Another fun '80s pop song. The lines about the small cafe always paint such a vivid picture in my head.

90. Human League "Don't You Want Me"

The Human League were a bunch of freaks. Such vicious lyrics in this synthpop classic. "Don't forget it's me who put you where you are now, and I can put you back down too!"

89. MGMT "Electric Feel"

The most perfect pop song of the last 10 years, perhaps. I'm still not sick of it, no matter how often I hear it.

88. Dixie Chicks "Cowboy Take Me Away"

This track seems to have gotten overshadowed by other songs about murdering abusive husbands with poisoned black eyed peas, but it's the Chicks' most beautiful effort. The final minute of this song - an instrumental section built around slide guitar and banjo - is my favorite minute of country music of all-time. I used to get so furious when country radio stations would cut that part off.

87. Bobby Brown "Roni"

I have no explanation for why I like this song so much. Something about that emotional bridge just gets me: "She’ll make the toughest homeboy fall deep in love / Said once you’ve had a Roni you can never give her up!" Brown's entire Don't Be Cruel album is massively underrated - look it up.

86. Roxette "Listen to Your Heart"

Some songs have bizarre associations in my head. This one reminds me of Mrs. McCann's middle school art class, because she would play B94 in class, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. This song came on during one such class, and now every time I hear it I'm back at that wooden desk drawing something.

85. Guns N Roses "Patience"

One of the best acoustic rock songs ever written and one that grabbed me during the middle school years.

84. Kris Kross "Jump"

During the height of this song's popularity, David Spade mentioned the boys on his Hollywood Minute segment on SNL: "Kris Kross - guess what guys? It's a short ride, save some money." Hopefully they took his advice.

83. Bette Midler "The Rose"

Oh hell yes! Songs don’t get much cheesier than this. But it's such a great shower karaoke song, with its rising and falling vocal melodies and climactic verses where she harmonizes with herself.

82. Bad English "When I See You Smile"

Some songs are so sappy and sweet that I just can't bring myself to hate them. Here's Exhibit A. I love watching the music video and seeing John Waite's horrifically big hair.

81. Jay Brannan "Can't Have it All"

A simple song that describes the difficulties in finding love these days. "Fuck this, this can't be my life," Brannan sings in his angelic voice. Most of us can relate.

80. Prince "Erotic City"

Maybe my favorite B-side in history! Released as the flip side to "Let’s Go Crazy," "Erotic City" reveals Prince at his risqué best. "We can fuck until the dawn," Prince and Sheila E. sang, though my 7-year-old ears didn't even notice the F-word. This is one of only six tracks in my top 100 that was never released as a single.

79. Beatles "All You Need is Love"

It's hard to choose a favorite Beatles song but this one has always stood out for me. It provides a great, wholesome message, and contains one of my favorite song-within-a-song references when John Lennon throws in the "She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah" at the end. Also, I love weird time signatures, and 7/4 fits the bill.

78. Oleta Adams "Get Here"

If your only memory of this song was when Justin Guarini massacred it during the first season of American Idol, please do hunt down the original. Oleta Adams has one of the richest voices on the planet.

77. Phil Collins "A Groovy Kind of Love"

My favorite love songs are the most basic and simple ones. It doesn’t get much simpler than, “When I’m feeling blue / All I have to do / Is take a look at you / Then I’m not so blue.” The lyrics are totally sweet and lovey-dovey.

76. Nu Shooz "I Can't Wait"

How is it possible no rapper has yet sampled the brilliant synths on this song? That's a smash hit waiting to happen. "I Can't Wait" actually earned Nu Shooz a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

75. Heart "Alone"

One of the great power ballads from the era of power ballads. I can nail a perfect score on this on expert level on Playstation Karaoke Revolution.

74. Meat Loaf "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are"

Bat Out of Hell II will always be one of my favorite albums – certain associations remind me of people and events from high school. Jim Steinman’s epic ballads always evoke a comfortable sense of nostalgia, and that's the case with this 12-minute track.

73. Eurythmics "Here Comes the Rain Again"

"Here Comes the Rain Again" has always resonated with me more than "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," possibly because it's not as overplayed.

72. Steve Winwood "Higher Love"

Love the percussion intro, love the use of brass instrumentation, love Chaka Khan's background vocals. And I just learned that Whitney Houston recorded this song two years after Winwood - thank you, Wikipedia.

71. George Michael & Aretha Franklin "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)"

I started liking this song a lot more when I imagined doing a karaoke duet of it with me singing the Aretha part. That hasn't happened yet, but hopefully soon.

70. Madonna "Borderline"

One of Madonna's earliest hits is still one of my favorites. That twinkling piano/keyboard intro gets me every time.

69. Sly Fox "Let's Go All the Way"

I used to think this song was badass. And then I saw the embarrassing music video. Oh well. It was the '80s.

68. Mr. Mister "Broken Wings"

This was one of the first videos I remember seeing in heavy rotation after we got MTV. I still love Richard Page's vocal on the track.

67. Force MDs "Tender Love"

I thought maybe I was alone in adoring this long-lost 1985 soul hit written by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, but Alicia Keys recently called it one of her favorites and performed a fantastic remake. And look at that album cover - they're all wearing fur! I love the 80s.

66. Smashing Pumpkins "Disarm"

I've never been a Bill Corgan fan but I like his voice on this one as it switches to falsetto and back with nearly every other line.

Continue to Part 2: Songs 65-31

New Girl Talk album free download!

2010-11-15T09:48:00.003-05:00

Girl Talk's All Day is officially available right now via his website for free - no donation or any kind of strings attached.

I'm writing this before I've had a chance to check it out so I have no review to post yet, except to say I can't wait to hear it since his last two albums have been two of my favorite records of the 2000s.

New fake Michael Jackson song: What in God's name is Sony thinking?

2010-11-08T20:17:00.003-05:00

The long-awaited new single from Michael Jackson arrived today, and it resulted in pretty much the worst possible outcome: The song sucks, and it's NOT EVEN MICHAEL JACKSON SINGING.

Sony is sticking by its claims that the song is all MJ, but several of Michael's family members - his nephews, mother and children - all say the main vocal on the track "Breaking News" isn't Michael's. I don't think it is, either. Hardcore MJ fans believe the voice on the record of that of MJ imposter Jason Malachi.

Even worse is the news that family members claim that as many as 4 or 5 of the songs on Michael's forthcoming album contain fake vocals.

You can hear the track here on the Sony site. Note all of the comments beneath the video from outraged fans who are convinced the track is fake.

What a clusterfuck. The people at Sony must be out of their minds to think that releasing sub-par, faked Michael Jackson material was a good idea.

November Pittsburgh concerts

2010-10-31T08:27:00.002-05:00

MUST-SEE SHOW:
11/4 Gogol Bordello @ Mr. Small's
I've seen these crazy gypsy punks four times now, always at large festivals - twice at Lollapalooza, once at Bonnaroo and once at All Points West. I can't imagine how their manic energy would blow the roof off a small venue.

ALSO WORTH ATTENDING:
11/2 Frightened Rabbit @ Diesel
Frightened Rabbit were one of the highlights of Lollapalooza 2010 with their soul-baring sorrow and surprisingly catchy melodies.

11/7 Bob Dylan @ Petersen Events Center
With Dylan these days, there are more bad days than good. But every once in a while you get that really amazing performance. Perhaps this will be the one.

Others to keep in mind:
11/2 Cloud Cult @ Mr. Small's
11/4-5 Joe Grushecky with Bruce Springsteen at Soldiers & Sailers Hall
11/9 Emmylou Harris @ Byham Theater
11/9 Atreyu, Blessthefall & Chiodos @ Mr. Small's
11/10 1900s @ Brillobox
11/11 Barenaked Ladies @ Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
11/11 Ben Folds @ Club Zoo
11/11 Brendan Benson @ the Posies @ Mr. Small's
11/13 Wakey Wakey @ Brillobox
11/20 John Mellancamp @ Heinz Hall
11/21 Paula Cole @ Club Cafe
11/23 The Hold Steady @ Mr. Small's

Musician tweet of the week: Weird Al Yankovic

2010-10-22T20:20:00.000-05:00

Weird Al offered this nugget of wisdom recently:

Re: signing a contract with Satan – never use your own blood, just regular ink.

http://twitter.com/alyankovic

I can tell you I'm sorry, but I can't tell the truth

2010-10-20T14:20:00.029-05:00

CONCERT REVIEW: Fall Q Ball
featuring Steven Page, David Archuleta, & Gin Blossoms
October 19, 2010
Altar Bar, Pittsburgh

The Fall Q Ball, a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation sponsored by local radio station 92.9, was a mish-mash of old and new pop artists that didn't quite fit on the same bill. I skipped out on openers Christina Perri and Ryan Star but arrived in time to see Steven Page, former Barenaked Ladies frontman turned solo artist. His album, Page One, was released on the day of the show, and the solo songs he played resembled everything I remember liking about the Barenaked Ladies--quirky, catchy lyrics and melodies mixed with honesty and a hint of self-deprecation.

Page mixed old and new material during his 45-minute set, opening with "Bull in a China Shop" from 2006's Barenaked Ladies are Me album. The song's lyrics paint a bit of an autobiographical picture as he describes himself as "a tired old metaphor" and "a public embarrassment," things I imagine he feels after his arrest for drug possession and the break with BNL. Personal circumstances aside, though, Page was in excellent voice and cheerfully took requests from the audience, including 1992's touching "What a Good Boy" and '95's upbeat "Shoe Box," my personal request.

Since the show was all ages, a temporary wall divided the room in half in order to keep kids out of the bar area. As Page introduced a new song, "Entourage," he explained, "For those of you on this [under age] side of the room, the album version sounds like Lady GaGa. For those of you on this [21+] side, it sounds like...Frankie Goes to Hollywood." Although "Indecision" is the first single off the new album, the heartfelt "The Chorus Girl," complete with singalong "la la la" chorus, was definitely the highlight of the set. Page wisely ended with Brian Wilson, a familiar track that had many singing along.

It was clear that the reason most everyone was at this show (15-year-olds and 50-somethings alike) was to see David Archuleta, who in 2007 earned the runner-up spot on season 7 of American Idol at age 16. While he's physically grown up a bit, he still has that cute, awkward, boyish appeal that many find charming. "Elevator" was catchy enough, and his voice sounded nice on his cover of Robbie Williams' "Angels," but Archuleta still lacks the depth of feeling and maturity you'd expect of someone singing such sensitive songs. After saying goodbye after a mere 20-minute set, it's clear he still has a lot of growing to do, both emotionally and musically.

The house dwindled down to about half as many people by the time Robin Wilson and Scott Johnson from the Gin Blossoms took the stage for an acoustic set. Not only did the guys appease listeners with slowed-down versions of classics like "Til I Hear It From You" and "Hey Jealousy," but they also performed a new single, "Miss Disarray" from their new album No Chocolate Cake, their first studio release in 4 years. Also from the new album, Wilson explained the tender "Wave Bye Bye:" I wrote the saddest song I could think of to impress the girls who work at Hot Topic." Wilson has taken care of his pipes and still sounded lovely, especially on "Pieces of the Night," which he called "probably the best song we ever recorded." My only complaint was that the set was pretty low-energy--or was it just laid back? Maybe the band was simply relieved that all the kids and their parents had left.

One big bonus to the mass exodus of people before the end of the show--fewer folks to claim the raffle prizes. Unfortunately I missed out on the autographed Carlos Santana guitar, but I managed to win an autographed Adam Lambert guitar--who knew? I guess I better list it on eBay as soon as I pick it up from the station, before he falls into obscurity...

Recent listening: Sugarland and My Chem

2010-10-17T20:41:00.003-05:00

The two songs I've been listening to most often lately:

Sugarland are back with a new single, "Stuck Like Glue." Besides featuring a strange reggae breakdown, it's the first country song ever to use Auto-Tune. Thanks T-Pain, your reach is now greater than you ever could have imagined! (The Auto-Tune is subtle and only during the final chorus.) My favorite country song of the year so far.

Video: Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue

My Chemical Romance have a new single "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)." I'm thrilled about this band's return, because mainstream rock music has sucked royally in 2010. Indie rock has been ok, but can you remember the last time you heard a good new rock song on the radio? My Chem answer that question with a lyrically-intriguing track with a memorable chorus.

Video: My Chemical Romance - Na Na Na

MIA's new album is horrifying... and fantastic

2010-10-11T14:22:00.004-05:00

A few months ago, "Paper Planes" heroine M.I.A. released MAYA, a record I only got around to listening to recently. I was intrigued after reading a review on Coke Machine Glow with the opening sentence: "MAYA, M.I.A.’s third and so obviously worst album, is the sound of a devoted audience getting fucked over by a musical sociopath."

So I listened and realized that review was correct. The album is disturbing and almost unlistenable. And for that reason, I love it.

It reminds me of Liars' second album They Were Wrong, So We Drowned. That record got some of the worst reviews I've seen in my life. Rolling Stone gave it a half star. Seriously, one half of one star. Spin gave it a 0 score. Billboard called it "a gigantic step backward."

I couldn't figure out all the outrage, because I loved that Liars record, particularly the horrifying screams at the end of "If You're a Wizard, Why Do You Wear Glasses?" That album was so dark. Honestly, when so many records these days sound exactly the same, it's a breath of fresh air to hear something so... out there.

It's with that context in mind that I declare MIA's new album one of my favorites of recent months. The highlight, in all its "torture chamber" glory, is "Teqkilla."

MIA: Teqkilla

Musician tweet of the week: Leann Rimes

2010-10-08T10:38:00.002-05:00

I probably wouldn't take dietary advice from Leann Rimes under normal circumstances, but this one makes my mouth water:

For those of you who have access to a Whole Foods go buy freshly ground chocolate peanut butter, omg so good.

http://twitter.com/leannrimes

October Pittsburgh Concerts

2010-10-02T08:21:00.000-05:00

MUST-SEE SHOW:
10/3 !!! @ Lawrenceville Moose
We've seen indie dance rockers !!! in venues both large (Lollapalooza) and small (Rex Theatre), and their live show is always a good time. This one is especially exciting because it's part of the first VIA Festival, a weekend visual and music fest.

ALSO WORTH ATTENDING:
10/19 New Pornographers & Tokyo Police Club @ Ches-A-Rena
The buzz around Tokyo Police Club died down a bit after their last two albums didn't make a big splash, but their peppy indie sound is still worth checking out. And not much needs to be said about the New Porns - they're one of the best live bands around these days.

Others to keep in mind:
10/2 Fruit Bats @ Garfield Artworks
10/3 Ra Ra Riot @ Diesel
10/8 Anti-Flag @ Mr. Small's
10/9 Bone Thugs N Harmony @ Mr. Small's
10/12 Jill Sobule @ Club Cafe
10/14 Reba McEntire, George Strait & Lee Ann Womack @ Consol Energy Center
10/15 Jukebox the Ghost @ Brillobox
10/19 Eagles @ Consol Energy Center
10/21 Umphrey's McGee @ Mr. Small's
10/22 The Walkmen & Japandroids @ Mr. Small's
10/24 Robert Randolph & the Family Band @ Carnegie Music Hall (Homestead)
10/26 Bear in Heaven @ Brillobox
10/27 Grace Potter & the Nocturnals @ Mr. Small's
10/30 3OH!3, Hellogoodbye & Neon Hitch @ Ches-A-Rena

Musician tweet of the week: John Vanderslice

2010-10-01T02:53:00.001-05:00

John Vanderslice operates a studio called Tiny Telephone. He tweeted about it last week:

I had a long, agonizing nightmare that a client gave Tiny Telephone a 1 star review on Yelp because we didn't have a 52" flat screen.

http://twitter.com/johnvanderslice

Musician tweets of the week: Joel Madden & Rivers Cuomo

2010-09-24T07:54:00.000-05:00

Joel Madden and Rivers Cuomo discussed upcoming Weezer concerts and Weezer's new album Hurley:

Joel:
Hey @riverscuomo I'm getting my tix for the bluealbum & Pinkerton shows u should add nights 4 the greenalbum, make believe & Hurley!

Rivers:
@JoelMadden thanks, man. will be playing lots of goodies from the other albums too. would love to meet u at the shows.

http://twitter.com/JoelMadden

Musician tweet of the week: Rob Thomas

2010-09-17T17:27:00.002-05:00

Rob Thomas provided some all-important breaking news this afternoon:

there's a FREAKS AND GEEKS marathon on IFC right now!!

Big news, indeed. That show is classic!

http://twitter.com/ThisIsRobThomas

Toadies bring "new" album material to Pittsburgh

2010-09-14T21:22:00.017-05:00

Album Review: Toadies
Feeler

In lieu of being able to attend the Toadies show this Friday (9/17) at the Altar Bar, we humbly offer a review of Feeler, their latest release. If you're looking for a good rock n' roll show in Pittsburgh, the Toadies will certainly deliver, as evidenced by when we caught them at Lollapalooza in 2008.

Overall, this effort from the Texas trio lacked the cohesive feel of a traditional album, but the album itself came to be in a very nontraditional way. Originally planned as their sophomore release, Feeler never saw the light of day thanks to record label difficulties; a few tracks made it onto 2001's Hell Below/Stars Above, though, which became the Toadies' "official" second album. The now EP-length Feeler grew into a 9-track LP by adding several songs which, up until now, were only performed live by the group. So yeah, the album seems a little pieced together for good reason.

Toadies music is simple. No synths, no vocoders, no string quartet for the sensitive ballad…just guitar, bass, and drums rocking out. In some ways, though, Feeler got a bit too simple for us. It's a short album of short tracks--the longest clocks in at 3:52 and several don't even make it to the three-minute mark. For that reason, certain songs felt as though they didn't really have time to develop lyrically or musically, with choruses often only containing a few catch words repeated over and over.

On the other hand, the Toadies aren't afraid to run away from predictable musical formulas--dissonant chords and atonal guitar solos add a level of complexity and create an eerie mood to good effect. In fact, those deliberate weird, twisting notes start sounding quite pleasing (and refreshingly different) after a few listens to Feeler.

The most notable tracks were:

"Waterfall," with its rolling 3/4 time beat creating a sense of urgency as frontman Todd Lewis explains "now is the time/the time is now."
"Dead Boy," a simple but catchy morbid punk anthem.
"Mine," a creepy stalker love song that's so wrong it's right.
"Joey Let's Go," a more sensitive song. The pleading lyrics try to convince a friend to get over a girl, saying "it was over before it began."

Feeler will more than likely remain an under-the-radar CD for rabid fans to add to their collections, and even its best tracks may not get picked up for radio play. But in a way, this album seems to have been more of an act of self-gratification after all the initial struggles the band endured in order to make its release a reality. We'll give them a pat on the back, but next time we expect a little more from the Toadies.

Grade: C-

Musician tweet of the week: Dresden Dolls

2010-09-10T08:32:00.000-05:00

Huge news this week from the Dresden Dolls' Twitter account:

Please tell friends about http://bit.ly/FALLdolls & http://bit.ly/FOTSmusic and use the #DresdenDolls tag, maybe it'll trend...more soon!

Clicking the link takes you to a YouTube video in which Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione announce they are getting back together for a brief fall tour. This has us ecstatic, as long-time readers know that the Dolls are one of our favorite bands and provided the lyrical inspiration for the title of the blog. My most thrilling moment with this blog was interviewing Amanda before her solo show at Mr. Small's in 2008.

Unfortunately, the Dolls' tour will not bring them through Pittsburgh, but we can hold out hope they'll record a new album and head out on a longer tour.

http://twitter.com/dresdendolls

Musician tweet of the week: Martina McBride

2010-09-03T15:26:00.000-05:00

Martina reminded us that the Country Music Academy nominees were announced:

Congrats to all the CMA nominees! Happy!

Perusing the list of nominees, it's pretty surprising to see that Miranda Lambert earned a leading five nominations. That's a good sign. She's even up for Entertainer of the Year, a shocking nod because women never get nominated for that award unless they do something superhuman.

http://twitter.com/martinamcbride