What I'm excited about in 2010

Without looking at any sites (I can't function on other people's laptops properly / I miss my desktop), I'm going to try and recall what I'm excited about in 2010. Then I will update this when I realize that there is more.


First of all, Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring. This leaked, and while I didn't download it, I did hear most of it in someone's car. This made it harder to pay attention, but sounded good to me (horns!?). My want to hear the new album led me to relisten to the first two albums (I've really liked ...Youngster, but never gave We Are Beautiful too many listens). Let's just say I am kicking myself for not buying the CD edition of We Are Beautiful with the zine and all that. What a fantastic album and what sounds to be wonderful packaging. After seeing the band in August for the first time, I was blown away. What a terrific band. I don't understand how they aren't huge. I mean, they are in a way, but they're so good and deserve any and all attention they receive. Can't wait. Comes out January 26th in the U.S. and February 1st in the U.K. I'm tempted to preorder, but there aren't any special vinyl packages, so I'm just going to buy it in person. But if you preorder it here, you get an mp3 from it to hear now!


jj - jj n° 3. I still don't have jj n° 2 on vinyl because, I guess, it was recently released and relatively rare (only place that I've found to have it is the Sincerely Yours website, which is asking quite a large price, or at least I'm afraid that's what it will be to ship to America). But that album is great. So I can only imagine what the third album will sound like. If I had to guess, it'd sound really good. Fair judgment, right?

you can find the CD and their first release here


LCD Soundsystem!!! I don't know what it's called, or when it's coming out, but it's coming. And that, my friends, is a reason for celebration. Sound of Silver is one of my favorite albums of the decade (perhaps of all time, we'll see next time I make that list), and for good reason. On top of the great singles, the entire thing flows so well. I listened to that album nearly every night for almost a year. Because of this, I am very excited for the new album. Also, I really hope they tour, because I am an idiot and missed them when they played with the Arcade Fire in Columbus.

If you haven't heard or own Sound of Silver, please buy it. I can't stress listening to this album enough.



Did you hear about Rivers Cuomo's upcoming Japanese debut? I have no idea what that'll sound like. Or well, I assume it'll sound like The Underdogs or Meri Kuri and be ten songs long. But I suppose that's a bit of a stretch to assume anybody who might read this would know those two Weezer tracks. One's a song written with a Japanese composer who might make video game music (can't remember), the other is a J-pop cover. Neither are on standard albums. But yeah, that's happening supposedly. The two demos Rivers posted online sounded really good, but had no lyrics. Either way, that's good news.

But on the reissue front, Pinkerton is being released in a deluxe edition. I'm not sure when, as the date has been pushed back multiple times. And I don't know what will be on it, but I don't see how it will be a disappointment (set your sights low, never be disappointed) as I already love the original and all the other tracks from that era. Now I'll just have them all in one collection instead of spread around on singles and mp3s. And if that isn't enough Weezer for you, there's also a rarities/demo/etc. collection called Odds and Ends that is supposedly on the way (been on the way for years now, I believe). So yeah, great year for that.


That's all I feel like writing about now.


remember to support your favorite bands. buy vinyl.

Raditude: Deluxe Edition leaked...

Here are my track-by-track initial reactions:



Here are my track-by-track initial reactions:

RADITUDE
(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To - Same as it ever was, old news. Good, but not great. 4/5
I'm Your Daddy - I still love this chorus and bridge. But wish it had stayed "Here's Your Daddy" and was about caring for his daughter. 4.5/5
The Girl Got Hot - Meh for most, but I really enjoyed the harmonies. 3/5
Can't Stop Partying - Not into some of the effects, and think there should be more bass. I like the Alone II version better, but I dig Lil Wayne's part. 3/5
Put Me Back Together - Lyrics aside, I love this wholeheartedly. Awesomesauce. 4.5/5
Tripping Down the Freeway - Eh, not my cup of tea. Not bad. 3/5
Love is the Answer - Way better than expected. Felt it worked out quite well. 4/5
Let It All Hang Out - Really love the melody, so many squeedlies. 3.5/5
In the Mall - Biggest letdown. I really liked everything else I've heard by Pat. This just didn't work for me. 2.5/5
I Don't Want to Let You Go - Thoroughly enjoyed this. Natural closer. 4.5/5
DELUXE TRACKS
Turn Me Round - Thought the verses were alright, didn't care for the chorus. Sounds like Maladroit, and I think it's from that era. So it makes sense. 3/5
Get Me Some - The screaming solo, enough said. Just, odd. 2/5
Run Over by a Truck - Very interesting. I really like the main piano riff. Furthest from anything Weezer's ever done. 4.5/5
PGITWWW - Silly intro. Really like the organ, and love the chorus after the second verse. Terrific. Always loved the Homie version, and now this might be the best Post-Pink song. 5/5
The Underdogs - So many movie montages will work with this. Better than clips led me to believe it would be. 3.5/5

Raditude - 3.65/5
Raditude: - DE - 3.63/5
I did not see that coming. Could this be the third best? We've been waiting...

Of course, all leaks and downloads aside, I believe you should always support the bands you enjoy. And I recommend buying on vinyl (even though in this case, you won't get the deluxe tracks...PLEASE CHANGE THIS PATTERN, WEEZER).

So buy some records!

What Happened?

Anybody who knows me knows that I love-- no, wait-- am obsessed with Weezer. It's sad, really. I became a fan 13 years ago after seeing the "Buddy Holly" video late at night and, being a huge Happy Days fan, was instantly hooked. To the blue album, at least. When 1996 rolled around, there were other things going on in my life, so I stopped watching late night MTV/VH1 (where the nine-year-old version of myself found any music) and therefore missed out on some other great thing they did. In 2001, I saw the video for "Hash Pipe" and thought to myself, "wow, I remember these guys!" I bought the green album with the highest of hopes and thought it was alright, but I really missed blue. I searched throughout all of my things, but couldn't find my precious blue album cassette, so I found another ten bucks and bought that on CD. It was everything I remembered. It was everything I loved about my childhood (or at least that year of it before things got weird). While at the store, I noticed this dark covered album called Pinkerton. What was this thing? I had never heard of it before (I had no computer/internet access and hadn't really been into music for four years), but it seemed like something I had to try.

After a couple weeks doing yard work, I talked my aunt into taking me up to the store again and I bought Pinkerton. I rushed back to her car and put it on. Instantly, I was embarrassed and blushing. Here I was, thirteen and (maybe) the most awkward I've ever been, sitting in a car with my aunt (who's basically been my mother) listening to a song about having sex with a lot of girls. She didn't really seem to be paying any attention, but I didn't care. This was a headphones album when it came to adults. This was sort of a dark time in my life (family-wise) so it worked out pretty well. My sisters and I moved in with our dad, and it was kind of rough; but, he had a computer! Oh, my life certainly changed after this. We lived in a different city than where I went to school, so I rarely hung out with friends, which just meant that all day and all night, I was tying up the phone line with our wonderful 28.8k modem while listening to my relatively small CD collection on headphones. Pinkerton and TBA (Pixies too, but that's a different story) were pretty much it. This was right around the time that girls started talking to me (I've always been way too shy to talk to them), so Pinkerton was a big help there. Sort of. Basically, it just was there to help me deal with my awkwardness.

Anyway, this was all right before Maladroit came out, so weezer.com was posting loads of demos and the community was extremely helpful when it came to finding older demos. This is the point where the band really got me. TBA was fantastic. Pinkerton was a masterpiece. TGA was alright. So when I heard there were a ton of songs from before TGA, I went crazy with joy. I needed them. Unfortunately, I only had that 28.8k modem. This didn't stop me though. It took almost two weeks, but I got all the old songs that people were offering. They blew me away. I even started thinking, "wow, this is better than the albums." Not that I'm saying that they weren't, but nowadays I just accept that everything from that time is great.

So finally, the reason of this post: old Weezer. In the past few years, it's just been disappointment after disappointment. Sure, the new albums are alright. But they're bland. The lyrics don't seem to mean anything. It was all just... there. I don't know how else to explain it. It just seemed like an entirely different band. Anyway, as most of you know, they have a new single (with lyrics that just have to be a joke) and a new album coming out (which has a cover that has to be a joke, but still was enough for me to lose all faith), and that is the inspiration for this. So finally, a crap-load of useless words and a half an hour later, here are some good Weezer songs.

Please right click + save these, they're all from www.weerez.com
Also, I'll put asterisks next to my ten favorites.

1992 (The Kitchen Tapes)
*Let's Sew Our Pants Together
*Thief, You've Taken All That Was Me
*Paperface
1993
Purification of Water
Souvenirs, Novelties, Party Tricks
Hot Tub
I Swear It's True
Comin' Home (Left My Broken Heart in Carolina)
I Need Some Touch
*Lullaby for Wayne
1994 (TBA B-sides)
*Mykel and Carli
Susanne
*Jamie
My Evaline
1995 (when SFTBH was recorded)
Mrs. Young (Matt Sharp's song. This is the version with Rivers. Eventually became "Please Let That Be You" by the Rentals.)
Walt Disney
*Blast Off!
You Won't Get With Me Tonight
Come to My Pod
Oh No, This is Not for Me
Superfriend
You Gave Your Love to Me Softly (Angus)
1996 (Pinkerton B-sides)
*You Gave Your Love to Me Softly (el Scorcho single)
*Devotion
*Waiting On You
I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams (Rachel Haden of that dog. does lead vocals)
1997 (hiatus)
Lover in the Snow
American Girls (by the band Homie)
1998 (new bassist, side projects)
Velouria (Pixies cover)

That's all I'm doing for now. If you want more (SS2k, TGA b-sides, an astonishing amount of demos), sign up for www.weerez.com or google "Project Weezer" (every single non-album, Weezer-related song available). Also, if you want a zip or anything, leave a comment and I'll do that for you. Hope you enjoy these.

Buy all of Weezer's albums.
Buy Rivers' Alone (where some of these tracks and other good old stuff can be found)
What got me started on guitar.