Especially the first one. They were a bit derivative, but had enough of a knack for songwriting and enough musicianship to pull it all off, plus Julian Casablancas had a perfect voice for that band. We have their first three albums and although each one was not quite as good as the one before, they're all solid enough, and the first one is great. They did put on one of the weakest live shows I've seen, though.
I think you're right. I don't even remember if I bought the second album. Have to queue it up on spotify and see if I'm familiar with the songs. Loved Kings of Leon's first album. I think it came a couple of years after the Strokes. Maybe around '03. Lost the band until they were everywhere on the radio with a different sound years later. Good for them, making the big bucks.
Yeah, they definitely went for the arena rock-level of success with varying results. Like many bands, they took a stab at becoming U2 big. But again, that dude's voice saves the band. I think their last "great" album is Because Of The Times, their third. But I pretty much like them all although I haven't listened to the latest much. The two before their new one took critical drubbings on Pitchfork. But Pitchfork can be annoying sometimes. I feel like there was a degree of "fake news" in Rolling Stone regarding the Strokes. At the same time I was reading about how awesome they were, they couldn't sell out the room in the Niagara Falls, NY casino. Of course there are seminal bands that routinely played to not many people in small places (e.g., Velvet Underground) but I'm pretty sure that's not an analogous comparison re: the Strokes. Age might have something to do with my perspective. I was in my early 30s when they came out, not 16.
I have a soft spot for Sheryl and I like the return of her 90s sound. There's something about her that always makes me feel good. And playing the bass guitar while singing, who doesn't like that? She's the same age as my dear mom but I still got a crush
Spinning at this moment on clear, transparent wax (Newbury Comics limited-edition): Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet
Go listen to Happy House a few more times. Peak Ornette for me but I'm still much more interested in who and what he inspired. However Edward Blackwell remains among my favorite 4-5 drummers of all-time and the others are all still playing. Billy Higgins is his partner here. Usually in the older classic Ornette quartets with Haden & Cherry, you got one or the other although Blackwell was Ornette's orginal drummer from before he ever made a record. Higgins is the drummer on the most famous Coleman sides - the first 2 Atlantic LP's from 1959/60 - especially The Shape of Jazz to Come. Earlier today "Overground to The Vortex" A very obscure Canadian alto saxophonist named Francois Carrier with his drummer Michael Lambert joined in London by the great double bassist John Edwards for two trio tracks. Steve Beresford joins on piano for two longer quartet pieces. Very very powerful performances. On Not Two records.
She had that Camarillo brillo Flamin' out along her head, I mean her Mendocino bean-o By where some bugs had made it red She ruled the Toads of the Short Forest And every newt in Idaho And every cricket who had chorused By the bush in Buffalo She said she was a Magic Mama And she could throw a mean Tarot And carried on without a comma That she was someone I should know She had a snake for a pet And an amulet And she was breeding a dwarf But she wasn't done yet She had gray-green skin A doll with a pin I told her she was alright But I couldn't come in (I couldn't come in right then...) And so she wandered through the doorway Just like a shadow from the tomb She said her stereo was four-way And I'd just love it in her room Well, I was born to have adventure So I just followed up the steps Right past her fuming incense stencher To where she hung her castanets She stripped away her rancid poncho And laid out naked by the door We did it till we were un-concho And it was useless any more She had a snake for a pet And an amulet And she was breeding a dwarf But she wasn't done yet She had gray-green skin A doll with a pin I told her she was alright But I couldn't come in (actually, I was very busy then) And so she wandered through the doorway Just like a shadow from the tomb She said her stereo was four-way And I'd just love it in her room Well, I was born to have adventure So I just followed up the steps Right past her fuming incense stencher To where she hung her castanets She said she was a Magic Mama And she could throw a mean Tarot And carried on without a comma That she was someone I should know (Is that a real poncho, I mean Is that a Mexican poncho or is that a Sears poncho? Hmmm... no fooling...)
I can't listen to most of that sort of thing. Much like the GoGD, I fast forward to the instrumental stuff.
You posted a pic of Ryan Adams' Gold, and then someone else replied and asked you about your lava lamp, but the reply had your pic of Gold in it. So I replied to the reply and was like "Ryan Adams' Gold, so awesome", and then the replier was like "What are you talking about?" And I said I meant to reply to Eric B. It was all very confusing for me.
Zappa is perfect for me because I really like both the jokey nonsense and the serious instrumentalism.
Spelling is fundamental. There is an @Eric B. and an @Erik B. on here. This poor @Eric B. guy is going to be like wtf ?
Cheap vinyl from the used bins found yesterday: Tower of Power's Back to Oakland, U.K. s/t (RIP Allan Holdsworth), and Deodato's Prelude (from where Phish got that arrangement of Also Sprach Zarathustra).