Baby, I adore you

Before there was Marilyn Manson, before there was Rob Zombie, even before there was Kiss. There was Alice Cooper. The man and the band. Who might not have done it first, but certainly did "shock rock" best. The best shock rock actually, well, rocks. Today, it's hard to see back to a time where any of the above was actually shocking. What has gotten so distorted over the years is the blurring of the lines between entertainment and reality. The reality is that Cooper is supposedly a super nice guy (I only say supposedly because I've never had the pleasure of meeting him) who really likes golf. Not so shocking. But very appropriate for Halloween.

I grew up on Alice Cooper. My parents listened to a lot of 70s rock and my Dad has a set of vinyls that are my birthright. Among them, Billion Dollar Babies. Circa 1973. This particular album is electric green, totally vivid. (Whatever happened to great album artwork?) Which is fitting, to say the least. I listened to this album, and a lot of others, probably way more than I should have as a kid. My parents censored very little from me and while that sometimes made my comprehension of certain things a little hard, its something that I really appreciate now. In addition to being willfully passionate and opinionated, I also grew up with a deep seated appreciation for not only music, but spectacle. Some of the best musicians might not be the best showman- and vice versa. But the best shows, the most entertaining, are the ones that are both. In comes the hard rock, the metal, the industrial, the lights and pyrotechnics, the fake blood and the giant stage sets, the cross dressing and the showmanship.

But, the entertainment comes not only from shocking the audience with some fake blood and racy lyrics. It comes from tapping into that darker place in all of us. Alice Cooper is the king of this. It starts with actually making hard rock and heavy metal music. Music. The title song on Billion Dollar Babies is a great example of this. Talk about a great intro. Heavy drums which meld with this almost hypnotic guitar and bass. The signature riff on this song is almost sexy, it's so raw. Cooper's voice alternates between soothing and then grating. It's scary because of it's unpredictability. He matches his vocals with all the individual beats and rises of the song which makes it sound like he's manipulating the whole song, like he's the one in control of the whole show. (Which isn't entirely fair to other members of the band...) That control, that manipulation instead of the charisma and charm- that's part of the shock. Cooper's not going to woo you- but everyone loves a bad boy, right?

And they just don't make guitar solos like they used to.

The lyrics are... dirty. But, not in an overt way. The song is about a "dimestore doll". However you want to take that. And, erm. How do I put this? We go dancing, nightly in the attic. While the moon is rising in the sky... And if I'm too rough, tell me. I'm so scared your little head will come off, in my hands. Very few of us actually want to live dangerously. For all the times that music connects us with emotions that we know all too well or other people or even all the times that I think music can heal us, I think there are also times where music provides a total escape from reality. It's like a book or movie or even TV in that way. Music like this provides a chance to live vicariously, to feel thrilled and intoxicated. A chance to get a little grimy without actually ever getting your hands dirty.

she wakes up scared of getting old

I've been listening to this song every time I work out and it's a great way to start out a  run. Jet- "She's a Genius", off of their newest album, Shaka Rock. Those Aussies really know how to make a catchy tune. I really like Jet in general- all three of their albums have been solid and while I wouldn't call their music simple per se, it isn't overly complicated. It's really nice to turn on the radio and not hear the same old angsty scream-o goth-ier than thou rock.

"She's a Genius" is pretty classic Jet. It's refreshing to have a band that sounds consistently like themselves and doesn't try to reinvent the wheel on every album. At the same time, it doesn't get old or boring and it doesn't sound like it's trying too hard. The guitar hook in the intro is intriguing, the lyrics aren't just catchy but clever, and the chorus is great for singing along to. Though that's not really recommended for the gym. Turns out that people on the treadmill next to you don't appreciate you rocking out while they're working up a sweat.

Also- and it must be said- it's so nice to hear a song about a girl that's maybe a little tongue in cheek. It seems like everyone either wants an angel or a devil... "She's a Genius" is about a girl that's somewhere in between. And aren't we all?

countless lovers under cover on the street

It is increasingly rare these days for me to hear something on the radio and actually like it. It might be totally cliche but I am just loving Kings of Leon right now. It helps that they were endorsed by JLM who is my music guru but really, I'd probably like them anyway. I haven't listened to their any of their music extensively, but I like pretty much everything on their latest album, Only by the Night.

I find myself putting it on all the time when I'm driving at night lately. It's still really hot in Florida- hello, record heat wave- so at night is the only time I can really ride with the windows down. The lead singer, Caleb Folowill, has a very old rock sound to his voice. Their whole sound is smooth and easy to listen to while still being powerful and almost too catchy for their own good.

crawling on your knees toward it

Certain songs will always remind you of a place or a time or a person. It's funny that I was only in D.C. for a year (not even quite that) and yet there are so many songs that will always remind me of being there. This is mine and Jimmy's song and I honestly couldn't tell you why because I don't remember. Though I suspect it has something to do with drinking and dancing. Jimmy is the kind of person that I'll always be friends with and he's one of the only people that I'll talk about music with.

MGMT- "Kids". It is literally just impossible not to dance to this song. I've actually been hearing it all the time lately and I think it's awesome, but also kind of funny- considering it was off their 2007 album, Oracular Spectacular. The entire album is fantastic and I'm really looking forward to seeing where they go with the next one, which should be out sometime next year. How to describe the way MGMT sounds? The words that have been used to categorize it are totally insane- "folktronica" "neo-psychedelia", "synth-pop"... but it shows just how different they are. It's very electronic and dance influenced, but its also so much more than that. The music is nuanced and emotionally deeper than most things they sound remotely similar to.

My favorite thing about this song is how bittersweet it sounds. Not just the lyrics, but the music itself.  I love the strong back beat and the signature riff that they use throughout it. I love love love the sound of children playing and the other special effect sounds that they use over some of the quieter parts of the song. I love that the lyrics capture that special blend of childhood- carefree and this awesome amount of wonder, but also this inherent cruelty and total fearlessness that's so dangerous. I love that the end of the song when the music spirals out you think that the song is over and then they kick back in with the chorus again. What I love most is how easy it is to tap into. I really think that anyone could listen to this and like it and I love that this song not only reminds me of one of my best friends, but that it always puts a huge smile on my face because it's just that good.

Hey you, big mood, guide me to shelter.

If I was a stripper... how many blogs start out a post like that? Well. Not that I ever would be. But. If I was a stripper this would be the very first song I'd dance to. It's a little late to be writing this post since this song just screams summer to me and it's the middle of October, but in Florida it still feels a lot like summer. It's the kind of heat that settles all of your skin and just melts you.

This song, "My Own Summer (Shove It)" off of Deftones' second album, Around the Fur sounds exactly like that kind of mid-summer sweat. It's sexy and aggressive and, like most Deftones, deliberately ambiguous. This entire album is stellar, start to finish but this was one of the first Deftones' songs I ever heard, so I'm a little bit biased towards it. I love the two drum beats that the song opens with, then Chi's bass kicks in hard and strong. You'd miss it if you let yourself get caught up in the rhythm that moves the whole thing along. Chino does what he does best. Here, his voice sounds like sex. Pure and simple. He moans, he breaths, he screams. This whole album has this tensions that pushes and pulls, it builds and falls. This song is such a release.

I couldn't hide my love of Deftones if I tried and I wouldn't want to. I totally adore them. They manage to both embrace all the best parts of rock and metal while still managing to be totally unique. I heard a rumor in May that Chi Cheng, the bassist, was finally out of his coma. Unfortunately, that's not completely the case and while he is now "semi-conscious" and recovering, he's still a ways from playing with the band again.

I'm including the link below in case anyone else is interested in getting updates on how Chi is doing or would like to donate some money to help pay for his medical bills. The car crash that almost took his life was just about a year ago. http://oneloveforchi.com/ As you can see from even a glance at the sight, I'm not alone in my love for Deftones or for Chi. The power of music, the impact it can make and does make on people's lives- it's evident all over that page.

looks like the war was in your head, not your heart

This is the one song of Our Lady Peace's sixth album, Healthy in Paranoid Times, that I actually really like. I was a huge OLP fan until their fifth album, Gravity, and I have yet to listen to their latest (#7). I've always loved Raine Maida's voice and lyrics but their sound changed radically between the 4th and 5th albums and it was just too much of a departure for me to truly embrace it. This one song though- "Angels/ Losing/ Sleep" I really liked from the first time I heard it. Minus the completely unnecessary punctuation in the title. I would have liked to have heard more from them that were like this.

The song builds in intensity. I really enjoy the acoustic guitar in the intro and then the rest of the instruments kick in right in the middle of the first verse. Even the first bars have that sort of building feeling to them- lots of anticipation, which is perfectly suited to the lyrics. I love that you don't really know where it's going the first time you listen to it. The first verse bleeds right into the second and the instruments get to the chorus before the vocals actually do. It's minor little details like that make a song great instead of just good and it's something that was signature Our Lady Peace for me. Surprisingly enough, I also really enjoy the repetitive chorus. Raine has such a way with vocals. He's incredibly adept at not only injecting each word with the right emphasis and meaning, but he has a way of manipulating his vocals to make his contribution truly as important as any of the other instruments.

It's honestly the lyrics that resonate with me more than anything else though. The song is so dark, but I also find it really hopeful. It's about being resilient, even in the face of the worst possible scenario. For me right now, I'm seeing the song as one big internal struggle. You know that saying, that you're your own worst enemy? There are weeks where I live that. When you have no one else to blame and no one else to prove anything to- when there's only you and your own fears and expectations- that's the time when you have to just dig in your heels and make it work.

Looks like the holy ghost is gone, now you're afraid of yourself ... Looks like your boat's about to sink, so it's time to prepare. Even the angels are losing sleep and the sidewalks are bare. It's like the calm before the storm- you better swim.

If we don't make it, nothing changes.

A quick one today. Been listening to South- "Paint the Silence" for two days pretty much nonstop. It's hard to pintpoint what I like so much about this song. It's very layered and there are a lot of little details that make it really interesting. It can be really understated at times and its truly an ensemble piece of work- no one thing about it makes it stand out. That's sort of what's stellar about it though, all together it conveys this really unique quality of emotion.