Category: Songs (Page 21 of 96)

Science Faxtion: Living on Another Frequency

Bootsy Collins, Buckethead, and Brain join forces with producer multi-instrumentalist Greg Hampton to release the man/robot Orwellian-themed, musically eclectic Living on Another Frequency. As bizarre as the combination sounds, it really isn’t unique. Brain and Buckethead worked together on The Big Eyeball in the Sky, joining Bernie Worrell (who guests on this record), and Les Claypool in the one-off Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains. Buckethead has worked with Collins before in Praxis. The X factor, and ultimately the weakness of the record, are the whiskey-soaked, cigarette-stained and underwhelming vocals of Greg Hampton who provides the lead voice on the majority of the record. It’s a shame because musically, it is as sophisticated as it is bizarre. It has much more structure than a Praxis project, but still roams all around a futuristic funk rock sound to tantalize the listener. The best tracks are the trippy instrumental based tracks which have weird vocal samples (and no Hampton singing like “Sci-Fax Theme” and “Famous”) or “Life-IS IN-Deliver,” featuring a spacey, Hendrix-influenced vocal by Collins, or a guest spot by the distinct Chuck D on “What It Is.” It’s adventurous and interesting, especially on paper, but much like the 2008 Chicago Cubs, being good on paper doesn’t guarantee success. (Mascot Records)

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Your favorite band sucks: bands and artists the Bullz-Eye music writers just “don’t get”

Every music lover has been there – in front of the television or a set of speakers, listening for the first time to the work of a critically revered artist whose songs are supposed to change the way you look at the world…only to come away wondering what all the hype was about. For the iconoclastic among us, these moments are opportunities to prove what independent thinkers we are; for everyone else – a group that often appears to include virtually every name-brand music critic on the planet – they’re opportunities to turn off your ears, nod your head, and smile. What kind of self-respecting music writer doesn’t love the music of Bruce Springsteen? U2? Elvis Costello? A total hack, right?

Your favorite band sucks Maybe. Or maybe we tend to forget that one of the most wonderful things about art is the utterly objective way we respond to it. One establishment’s treasure can be one lonely listener’s source of constant befuddlement, consternation or outright rage – and with that in mind, your Bullz-Eye Music staff put its heads together and drew up a list of all the bands and artists we’re supposed to love…but don’t. Each of the writers who contributed to this piece is speaking solely for himself, and you’re sure to disagree with some of the names mentioned here – and, of course, that’s sort of the point. But enough of our introductory babble – let’s break down some critical idols!

The Doors
“…don’t even think about describing their sound as “timeless”; you’ll be hard pressed to find music as trapped in time as these peyote-fueled dirges, and no one summed up the life and legacy of Jim Morrison – whose death was as brilliant a career move as you’ll ever see – better than Denis Leary: ‘I’m drunk, I’m nobody. I’m drunk, I’m famous. I’m drunk, I’m fucking dead.'”

Bruce Springsteen
“Perhaps Jello Biafra put it best when he referred to Bruce Springsteen as ‘Bob Dylan for jocks.’ But I can sum up what I dislike about the majority of the Boss in one word: Glockenspiel.”

Pink Floyd
“If you’re 14 and discovering pot, Pink Floyd’s a must. Hell, Dark Side of the Moon is practically a gateway drug in and of itself. If you’re out of high school and still into ’em, you’ve got a problem.”

Conor Oberst
“…his songs are duller than a steak knife in a prison cafeteria. I’ve tried repeatedly to ‘get’ Oberst’s work, but each time, I come away further convinced that his music is an elaborate prank hatched by the editors of Pitchfork.”

To read the rest of the bands Bullz-Eye doesn’t get, click here.

Seen Your Video: Morrissey, “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris”

Even as a longtime Morrissey apologist, I was sorely disappointed with Mozzer’s last album, 2006’s Ringleader of the Tormentors, but when I caught him in concert while he was supporting the record, I was pleasantly surprised with how much more impressive its songs sounded in a live setting. As such, I’ve found myself hopeful for his next album ever since…though, to be fair, as a Morrissey apologist, there was never any chance that I wouldn’t be hopeful…and having heard the first single from his new record, Years of Refusal (set for release on Feb. 16 on Lost Highway), I’m more excited than ever. The song might not be as tough of a first single as, say, “Irish Blood, English Heart,” but it has a very old-school Morrissey sound to it, with a jangle that captured my heart immediately. Check out the pug-happy video below, then let me know what you think about the track:

Rolling Stone visits U2 in the studio

U2 is currently tweaking their new album, No Line on the Horizon, and Rolling Stone visited the band to get a preview.

The journey was as spellbinding and energizing as you might imagine, and you’ll be able to read all about it when our new issue hits newsstands on Wednesday, January 7th. To tide you over, here’s a track-by-track preview of 10 choice songs (and you can dig deeper into all our U2 coverage in our archive):

“Get On Your Boots”

The likely first single, this blazing, fuzzed-out rocker picks up where “Vertigo” left off. “It started just with me playing and Larry drumming,” the Edge recalls. “And we took it from there.”

The preview goes through a list of 10 songs in the same manner, but don’t be surprised if titles change or the songs disappear altogether. Apparently, the album is still in a state of flux.

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