#donthitmetim

[specificfranky]

An Open Letter to Beck

Dear Beck,

Let me begin by saying thank you. Your music, through its diversity, has managed to be the soundtrack to some of the biggest moments of my life. Midnite Vultures for me, will always take me back to vacationing at Disney World with my family, and late nights spent out with my friends in high school making stupid decisions. I can't think back to my first break up without hearing the echoes of "The Golden Age" in the back of my head. The Information was my first driving album, and "Cellphone's Dead" has become the quite appropriate funeral dirge for many of my electronics. "Where It's At" was the first televised musical performance I can remember watching. The way you wove the abstract into very real emotion has left a huge impact on my life, and certainly on the way I view art and expression as a whole. In short, I'm a huge fan of your work.

Please come back.

I've been so impressed by the journey you've been on for the past few years. The record club is one of the coolest ideas I've ever heard of. The production work that you've done for Charlotte Gainsbourg, Thurston Moore, and Stephen Malkmus is impeccable. It's been refreshing to hear you bring out the best in whoever you're collaborating with at any given moment. Having said that, I'm even more interested to hear what you, as an artist, have cooking. It's been four years now since Modern Guilt, which is your longest gap between records, and there hasn't even been a murmur of a forthcoming album. Have we reached the end of the era of your output as a primary artist? If that's the case, I understand. Life is full of seasons, and if yours has entered a season where production is what you want to be your primary focus, I get that, and more power to you, still, I'm by any measure a young person, and as many milestones as I've shared in my life with your music, I'd certainly like to share more with new output. I realize this is kind of ridiculous, writing an open letter, which there is almost no likelihood you'll ever see, but, in the off chance you ever do, know that there's at the least one other person out there who really wants to hear more output from your perspective.

Best of Luck,

A fan.

[specificfranky]

The Black Keys: El Camino

Fun. Fun. Fun. The newest album by the now-kings of the blues duo, The Black Keys, is a blast from start to finish. Really, how could anything by the guys who've put out the best music videos since Fatboy Slim be anything other than awesome (see: Lonely Boy, Last Girl)?

El Camino finds The Keys in new territory, specifically that of collaboration. Danger Mouse, himself having recently released an incredible new album (the soundtrack to a non-existent film turned inspiration-for-a-film Rome) was brought in as an equal songwriting partner, and, surprise of all surprises, I would've never known. On previous Mouse productions such as Demon Days, Dark Night of the Soul and even The Keys' own Attack and Release, there were certain fingerprints that couldn't be looked past, and filled said albums with a certain nocturnal haze (to GREAT effect, though). That's largely absent here, with the possible exception of some vocal tracks ("Money Maker"), which works in the album's favor to set it as a showy bar-rock masterpiece.

This album deals in hooks, big choruses and overall catchiness. You won't find a touching expose on the human condition on El Camino, but who cares? You WILL find a collection of 11 songs, any of which could be released as a single and perform very well on the charts. You WILL find songs that will almost certainly be featured in commercials (if "Sister" isn't the back track for a pizza commercial soon, I'll be incredibly disappointed), and make no mistake, that's NOT a knock. This, more than anything, is something I've not seen in a very good while, an honest-to-goodness fun rock 'n' roll album. "Lonely Boy", "Gold On The Ceiling" and "Stop Stop" could seriously be played at some kid's prom in the coming months, which is quite exciting, and makes me jealous. 

If you want an album you can mow your lawn to, or drive around and feel like a 70's B-Movie star to, or simply throw on at a party to put liven the mood, this is it. If however, you watch the following video all the way through with a straight face, I can't recommend El Camino to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8

Instead, check out Kate Bush's new album, 50 Words For Snow. So stinkin good, and my goodness does it work the heartstrings.

[specificfranky]

Neutral Milk Hotel: Does this box have a name?

By far the best Christmas present I received this year was the long awaited Neutral Milk Hotel box, gifted to me by the impeccable future Mrs. Confused Wolf. The box, consisting of the two studio albums, two ep's and three singles along with a pair of Mangum-Made posters, hasn't left my turntable since it arrived, and by the looks of it, isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

So much has been written about In The Aeroplane Over The Sea that I really don't feel I'd add anything to conversation by commentary, so suffice it to say, I think it's an incredibly well-written, well-performed album, and, in my opinion, it deserves all the hype it gets. Less has been said about its predecessor, On Avery Island, which is understandable, but still unfortunate. Avery is fascinating for several reasons, not the least of which being its display of what Mangum can do by himself. My favorite NMH tracks, "Naomi" and opener "Song Against Sex" are both from this album, and even with the tough listens ("Marching Theme" and "Pree-Sisters Swallowing A Donkey's Eye") it still comes across to me as a more fun album than Aeroplane ("Oh Comely" makes all childrens cry). What it lacks in concept, it more than makes up for with the unmistakeable imprint of friends getting together, contributing what musicianship they have, and making something out of the mix.

The two ep's, Everything Is and Ferris Wheel on Fire, were the best parts of the box for me.  Everything Is is a pre-Avery recording that shocked me the first time I put it on. Jeff Mangum does not sound like Jeff Mangum. More than any other piece of his catalog, Everything Is ties him to the rest of Elephant 6. It features a very Olivia Tremor Control-y "freaky track" with "Ruby Bulbs", a fun singalong 60's pop tune with the title track, and again, Mangum singing unlike Mangum and more like Robert Schneider. It's a FUN little record, and that gets a vote from me. Ferris Wheel earns its spot in the box by showing either protoforms of existing tracks ("Oh Sister") or altogether unreleased ones ("My Dreamgirl Don't Exist"), both of which will either

A) be wonderful "remember when" context tracks when/if he releases newer material

or

B) at least help flesh out the two existing records, which while not preferable, is still cool.

The three singles, Little Birds, Holland,1945, and You've Passed each have a cool new treat on them as well, with Little Birds containing the only post-Aeroplane track, You've Passed having new, slowed down versions of its a and b side, and Holland FINALLY GIVING A NAME TO THE AWESOME TENTH TRACK ON Aeroplane!!!

TL;DR?

If you really like box sets, NMH, Elephant 6, or the simple joy of wearing plaid, you will like this box set. It's worth the price, and besides, maybe if he gets enough money off of this, he'll finally get back into the studio!