How come concession speeches don’t have concession stands?

How about a blog with almost nothing about the election?

KKCK:

Kanye West “Love Lockdown”
When I heard that Kanye’s next CD was going to be almost all vocoder singing, and no rapping, I was really worried that it would be like another Medullaby Bjork (an album that gets away from what the artist does well).  Then, it dawned on me that while my initial reaction to that CD was bad, I’ve really grown to like it.  Then I heard this song, and my worries were gone.  That drum beat is crazy-intense-groovy-good, and the vocals work in a weird way.  Now I just have to wait for 808s and Heartbreaks, and maybe wait long enough to get a free copy, unlike the last album (I bought it Tuesday, free copy arrived Wednesday).

Brandy “Right Here (Departed)”
Where have you been Brandy?  Your TV star ballad cred got a work over with the herky-jerky “What About Us”, then you kinda vanished.  I thought your comeback would be more along the lines of “Almost Doesn’t Count” or the forgettable “The Boy is Mine (with Monica)” (hey, what happened to Monica?).  Instead, you try to woo us back with a song that has the radio appeal of your ballads but with an uptempo beat.  Well played Brandy.  I’ve never been a huge fan, but this song should be just what you need to pad your chart stats.

Anberlin “The Feel Good Drag”
This week’s songs break into three camps.  The “duhs”, the “huhs” and the “hurrs?”.  This would be the middle “hurr?” song.  Anberlin is a band I thought would crack CHR eventually, but this wasn’t the song I thought would do it.  Anberlin give this number a more timeless hard rock sound, and it’s a song that could have been a rock success pretty much every year since 1992.  The only slants that show are a slightly “emo” rock vocal and an almost metal riff that proves to be a mental sticky note, or series of notes.

Slightly Stoopid “2 AM”
Reggae inspired folky rock that tries to channel mellower Sublime with vocals that almost remind me of Akon?  Uh, okay.  The lyric content of this one could be trouble, since the word “weed” didn’t get edited, and it pops up a fair amount.  The band also didn’t provide a decent edit for time, and it clocks in at close to five minutes, with the last two minutes being music w/o lyrics.  If the song keeps moving upward, I’m sure a shorter (and maybe more edited) version will float our way.  I’ve never been into songs like this, but the curiosity calls that came in tell me some listeners are, and it was as clear as sending “smoke” signals.

Guns n’ Roses “Chinese Democracy”
The second “huh” add of the week isn’t that much of a huh, really.  Regardless of how many CHRs are playing the song, KKCK has never shied away from playing G’n'R in the past, and the release of Chinese Democracymay be a once in a lifetime album release event, in that no other album has gestated this long with people still waiting.  We can argue all day and night about whether this song sounds like G’n'R or not, but at worst the song is catchy, new, and the guitar riff at the beginning makes the song stand out on a CHR station.  Axl, we stand with you.

Pick to click: Kanye West

No more election commercials!  w00t!  Now, I can get back to reading about things like Knight Rider (still getting better) and Battlestar Galactica (the end begins in January) and 30 Rock (ratings are up but they still aren’t as good as they should be) and Transformers Animated (seriously, when are we getting new episodes).  Oh, and music, movies and other stuff that really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.  Plus, now I get to share all my nerd-dom with Braeden.  Will he rebel and like NASCAR, NFL, and country music?  Or, will he embrace the sci-fi, the D&D, the toy collecting, Spooncat, They Might Be Giants, and baseball?

Ask again in a few years.

This concludes the music blog for the week.  I wanted to write about politics, but I know that tensions among some are still high after last night.  I love talking (and to some extent arguing) about politics, but if you’re sick of ‘em, here’s the deal.  I’ll write that blog later and post it separately (for the Verbiage Dump readers, it will be here and here).  So, if you are sick of reading about it or don’t want to read about it, just skip the next one. 

Disclaimer out.

32 is the code word…or number

As in 3 new songs 2 weeks in a row.

KKCK:

Three 6 Mafia “Lolli Lolli (Pop that Body)”
No, it isn’t T-Pain in the song.  It’s also not quite the Halloween piano riff due to rights issues (unless you find the early leak of the song).  This would make two hip-hop hits in a year that reference the humble lollipop.  The energy of this song grabs your attention, and the flow, tempo and vocal style all work well within the song’s tight beats.  I’ve been giving our hip-hop adds some grief lately, but this one I like a lot.  I’d like it more if it worked in Smarties somehow.  Those things are where it’s at.

Theory of a Deadman “Bad Girlfriend”
Three albums in, the angry, bitter Nickelbackish band from Western Canada finally clocks into KKCK, and not even with a ballad.  Rather, they relay the tale of a girl who sounds like trouble with a big ol’ 72 point font bold-italic-underline “T” at every turn.  Yet, she sounds like just the kind of girl for a struggling band’s lead singer to hook up with, date for a time, and get burned on.  That propels the band down a path of rockin’ bitterness and the bad attitude boogie woogie.  Three albums later, the band is on the verge of major success in a new market.  So, thank you former bad girlfriend of Tyler Connoly of T.o.a.D.  fame.  You helped send the band down the path that led them to writing a song about you and getting a hit out of it.  That, and it’s the first song I can recall using the phrase “d— magnet”.

Matt Nathanson “Come on, Get Higher”
For some odd reason, people I work with think I know a ton about music.  I don’t think I know enough, and sometimes it really shows.  Case in point: Matt Nathanson.  I spent the first few times listening to him trying to figure out what band he was from.  No lie.  I thought he was some lead singer from some band I wasn’t remembering.  After a wiki check, I now see his band exists only in my head, where they had some moderate success early in the decade, opening for bands like Train.  Then, a second album didn’t deliver the goods and the band started fighting about the direction they should take.  The guitarist wanted to rock out and play Nickelcreed music.  The bass player’s cousin’s older brother managed some country singer who wanted a new bass player and song helper, so he wanted to go after those Nashville dollars.  The drummer wanted to add his other eight friends and turn the group into a Polyphonic Spree style band, or even a Polyphonic Spree tribute band.  Frustrated, Matt breaks up the band to focus on the folk rock on his own.  See, that was all in my head about this guy.  Wiki says he’s been a solo performer his whole career, going back to the mid-90s.  So, Matt, I’m sorry for breaking up your band that only existed in my head.  Oh, and the song?  It sounds like the dude from Train only folkier and mellower than any Train song I can think of.  Like, maybe if Train spent too much time on Jack Johnson’s tour bus.  That takes care of the higher part.  The come on part sounds like one of the better solo male performer songs that pop up and result in another outbreak of one-hit-wonder-itis.  Hopefully Matt got his shots.

Pick to click: Three 6 Mafia

Saturday I had the chance to see the new project from the Spooncat lads.  The Radio Specialists played outdoors and for a decent sized crowd in downtown Sioux Falls.  Due to an accident involving one of the members, some other Spooncaters popped up and a five-song Spooncat set worked into the set.  The Radio Specialists played some diverse music, that’s for sure.  Most of them I knew, but there were a few I have no basis of comparison (note to self, I need some Miles Davis).  The band added a harmonica player, a double axe attack, a cellist, and a new female singer who popped on stage from time to time.  The most interesting combo of the night was their take on “If I ever Lose My Faith” by Sting.  Jeremy and Anna-Lisa turned it into a duet, and the thought of doing it as a duet had never occurred to me.  It worked very well, and sounded great.  Another familiar song I didn’t expect to hear was “The End of the Innocence” by Don Henley (which they nailed).  Those were the highlights for me, but I don’t want to imply the rest of the show wasn’t memorable, because it was one of those shows where all the songs just flow in your ears, and it’s hard to remember songs because the flow was just that smooth.

This brings me to another thing.  I sometimes wonder if I go to concerts properly.  I’ve been to a few shows that cause me to get up and get crazy, but for the most part when I see a live band, I like to sit and take it in.  This might be why I’m just not into going to shows like I used to be.  I go to a live show for the audio experience, and everything else is just lost on me.  I don’t especially like standing in the middle of a crowd, nor to I like “clapping my hands” or “swaying” or “gettin’ crazy” or whatever else bands ask you to do.  I’d rather just sit back and take in how the music sounds as it was intended, rather than how it’s committed to a medium (which I also enjoy, but for other reasons).  I thought of this yesterday as I was listening to the new Alice Cooper album.  When I saw Alice several years ago, I was near the front and I was standing there just taking it all in.  Then, Alice came to that side of the stage and gave me an angry look, one that said “how dare you come to my show and not show emotion”.  Quite quickly I started acting excited and what have you, because offending Alice Cooper is about the last thing I’d want to do, as he’s been one of my favorite singers for over 20 years.  It isn’t like I wasn’t enjoying the show, far from it.  I just would rather enjoy without feeling the need to get all nutty and jumpy.  Does that make any sense?

By the way, the new Alice Cooper CD is pretty good.  It isn’t quite as good as his last album, but it’s a lot better than the few before Dirty Diamonds.  It pulls off the concept album trick without sounding too much like one.  As long as I’m talking about new albums, We the Kings put out a decent debut, but it doesn’t do much different than other bands of similar sound.  I’m thinking that if you’re buying We the Kings you aren’t looking for Kid A.  Scars on Broadway deliver a very solid debut, and it should leave those who miss System of a Down well tided over.  Also, I finally checked out the new CD from Sioux Falls’ Spill Canvas.  The album isn’t quite what I was expecting, as most of the songs struck me as a bit moodier and slower than “All Over You”.  I hadn’t noticed this on “All Over You”, but in the slower songs Nick Thomas sounds a lot like Matthew Good.

In not-new CD news, I picked up the They Might Be Giants CDs aimed at kids, since Kate and I’s bundle of joy will be here in a month or so.  I think I liked Here Come the ABCs slightly more than Here Come the 123s.  I need to find my old 40 GB iPod and load those up, along with loading up some classical albums I picked up really cheap at Kmart several years ago.  Any other good nursery song suggestions?

3 isn’t inspiring any subject material

So let’s get to it.

KKCK:

Estelle w/Kanye West “American Boy”
Once in a while a song comes along.  This song stands out from others by the unique ability to make me want to do things, unspeakable things.  I believe the proper term is “dancing” but nothing I do resembles such an activity.  Yet, the beat and music behind Estelle’s unique voice cause my so-called “booty” to “move”.  It is a phenomenon that is hard to control, and for the most part I’ve experienced without witnesses, not counting cats.  This might explain the cat vomit clean ups so far this week.

Saving Abel “Addicted”
We’re playing the “amended lyrics” version, so it went from borderline PG-13/R to mostly PG.  It’s like seeing a movie on TV when you’re a kid, and you know there are swears and scenes cut out.  Then, you get older and rent the film on VHS or DVD, and realize you weren’t missing much, and the movie wasn’t that good anyway.  If this song was an action film aimed at a male demographic, it would be a Spike original film written by one of the better writers of SciFi original movies, and would star somebody you swore you remembered from some show that was cancelled pretty quickly.  SciFi keeps making stuff like “Mansqito”, so if you’re in that percentile, enjoy the song.  I’ll pass if that’s cool with you.

Lifehouse “Broken”
Sometimes, a song title will remind me of another song.  Gavin DeGraw’s “In Love with a Girl” always makes me think of “Fell in Love With a Girl” by the White Stripes.  I dig the White Stripes, but I’m pretty noncommittal about Gavin DeGraw.  I thought that was as bad as it would get.  That is, until “Broken” by Lifehouse.  Everytime I see it, “I’m Broken” by Pantera rockets into my head.  “Broken” isn’t quite the anti-”I’m Broken” but it might be in the same general area.  The Lifehouse song is one that the ladies usually call for, or the guys call it in for them.  At least that’s what I tell myself when deep voiced dudes call for Miley Cyrus.  *shudder*

Pick to click: Estelle w/Kanye West

My shoulder feels like Mr. Spock gave me the Vulcan neck pinch for a good six hours.  Once in a while I sleep on my arm/shoulder/neck funny, and this is the result I live with for a good week or so.  What always gets me is that I never sleep that differently, so I have no idea why it happens when it happens. 

Thank goodness Mythbusters has new episodes starting next week.  It might wash the taste of “I Survived a Japanese Game Show” out of my head.  That show had a neat idea, and parts of the show are quite good.  I’m not sure if this is a problem with other reality shows (since I rarely watch any) but it is now to the point where none of the contestants left are really even likeable.  I think there’s one left named Bilenda or something like that, and she inspires “meh” while the rest are just annoying and spiteful.  The two hour finale is next week, and I’m very okay with that.  Thank goodness for DVR, as we now just fast forward all the interviews and just watch the Japanese game show elements.

Speaking of game shows, the new GSN series “Catch 21″ isn’t too bad.  The host is Alfonso Ribeiro, who you may remember as Carlton from “Fresh Prince of Bell Air”.  I never would have thought of him as a game show host, but he does a really good job.  It isn’t quite a show worth DVRing, but if it’s on and nothing else is, you could do worse.  If you don’t like product placement, be warned. 

I’ve read a lot of negativity towards the new X-Files movie, and the friend I went to it with called it “the worst movie of the year, worse than Space Chimps” (which prompted the response “you saw Space Chimps?).  I enjoyed the movie, which is odd since I’ve seen all of three or four episodes of the show.  The few episodes I’ve seen I enjoyed, but I watched them midway through the run, and I was so hopelessly out of the loop I decided to just wait and watch them all on DVD someday when I’m retired.  I enjoyed David Duchovny’s dry delivery and Gillian Anderson’s conflicted storyline, along with what little bit of Mitch Pileggi’s Skinner that made it into the movie.  Fans of the show probably have more of a beef with the movie, but I enjoyed the first X-Files movie without watching the show, so as a fan of X-Files movies, I wasn’t let down. 

The ol’ homestead is almost ready for the new tenant, a.k.a. the baby.  Kate has the living room nearly baby-proofed, and if he/she (I’m holding out hope the ultrasound tech goofed up) was to arrive now, we’d have everything we need, and almost everything we want.  Everyone says that the nine months go by fast, and Kate would agree.  I actually don’t think they did.  For me at least, time seemed to go slower.  Does this mean I lose my “make fun of Kate having no patience” cred?

This Saturday the Spooncat-ish group The Radio Specialists take to Phillips avenue for the annual steak-out, and I hope to be there to enjoy some tunes, and maybe this year some steak.  I need to get in touch with the guys and ask exactly how one does that. 

Until next time…