SOUNDTRACK: DANKO JONES-Never Too Loud [US edition bonus tracks] (2009).
I reviewed this disc a few posts ago. Since then the disc has finally been released in the States. And, naturally, since I bought the import version there are three bonus tracks added on this one. The three tracks are “My Problems (Are Your Problems Now);” “Sugar High”; “R.I.P. RFTC”
The tracks aren’t radically different from the rest of the disc. However, the first track is notable for having a lot of backing vocals (yeah yeahs and other things). It’s a bit weird. As is the fact that the song sounds less bass heavy than most of their other songs–it’s still loud, but it seems a bit tinny.
The second track “Sugar High” sounds like Danko for a kids show. In just about every other song I’ve ever heard that was about “sugar,” the sugar was a metaphor for sex. And yet, this song’s chorus quite proudly proclaims, “ice cream cakes and candy cars, I’m the kind of guy who likes a sugar high” and “cotton candy and caramel I’m that type of guy.” It’s almost too comical to be considered a real song, and yet it rocks really hard. Some cartoon absolutely needs to use this song in its soundtrack.
The final song is about Rocket From the Crypt, obviously. It’s also the first Danko song where I’ve had a hard time deciphering all of the lyrics. But, suffice it to say that it’s a blistering fast track about the sad news that RFTC broke up.
Just three more interesting reasons to track down the CD now that it’s available in the States.
[READ: November 6, 2009] The Apocalipstix
The premise of this graphic novel is that a nuclear explosion has hit the U.S. Our heroines are a kick-ass band comprised of three women (like Josie and the Pussy cats only really bad ass). And despite the global destruction, they are still going to play their gigs. Call it the “End of the World Tour.”
The main characters are: Mandy, a bad-ass black woman on guitar and vocals; Dot, a rather sweet (until she’s pushed) blonde bombshell on bass, and Megumi, a Japanese cowgirl (!) on drums who is mostly silent (she speaks Japanese) but who is very intense.
There are three short stories in this volume. (more…)
SOUNDTRACK: DANKO JONES-Never Too Loud (2008).
Danko Jones is a hard and fast rock band, with a one track mind and a straightforward sound. They deal in excessive cliches (album titles include: Sleep is the Enemy, We Sweat Blood, Never Too Loud, etc) and play mostly short songs. And despite all that apparent negativity, I enjoy them beyond reason.
SOUNDTRACK: SCHOOLLY D-Smoke Some Kill (1988).
Since this disc is featured so prominently in Signifying Rappers (and the book is named after the best track on this disc) I thought I’d dust it off and listen to it again. I got this disc probably in 1989 at the suggestion of my friend Al. He recommended “No More Rock N’ Roll,” I think.
SOUNDTRACK: DEERHUNTER-Microcastle/Weird Era Continued (2008).
Somehow, I can never remmeber what this disc is going to sound like when I pop it in. Once it gets going the songs are all familiar and very good, its just that initial listen, where I forget that the band is rather delicate and poppy. I tend to forget this because well, the bands name doesn’t sound delicate, and the album artwork has skulls all over it. So, to put it on and hear pleasant keyboard songs is alwaya bit of a surprise.
SOUNDTRACK: THE DEAD SCIENCE-Villainaire [CST054] (2008).
This is probably the most fascinating album that Constellation has released recently. I’d never heard of The Dead Science, but evidently they have a few disc out already.
SOUNDTRACK: SONIC YOUTH-SYR8: Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth (2008).
This final (so far) SYR release is another live recording and it sees the bands joined by saxophonist Mats Gustaffson and electronic wunderkind Merzbow. This EP comes from the 2005 Roskilde Festival in Denmark (and the language is all written in Danish). According to the SY website, the day before this, they had performed a set in support of Sonic Nurse. However, this set, “The Other Side of Sonic Youth” is an hour or so improvisation. It is basically broken down into 5 minute intervals:
SOUNDTRACK: SONIC YOUTH-SYR 5: Sonic Youth Featuring Kim Gordon/DJ Olive/Ikue Mori (2000).
The fifth SYR disc is rather different from the others in that the only SY member is Kim. This is a sort of side project for Kim, 
SOUNDTRACK: SONIC YOUTH-SYR 3: Invito Al Ĉielo (1998).
This SYR release adds Jim O’Rourke to the mix (O’Rourke played with with them on A Thousand Leaves too). I’ve always been aware of O’Rourke but I’ve never really listened to any of the bands that he’s been associated with (and there’s a lot). So, I’m not sure what his actual contributions are, but he seems to be pushing the SY members into a much more noisy/abstract direction. (A few samples of Gastr Del Sol shows them to be pretty out there, so perhaps pushing SY in a direction that was not too far from where they’d go on their own. And, I rather liked the Gastr stuff, too).
I Just Read About That... 