As a weekend straw poll indicated, most viewers see Seth and Zach’s comic book project as the potentially gangbusters plot development the last few “OC”‘s have been missing. Like Chrismukkah or the comic book club itself, drawing his own book gives Seth something to be excited about on a grand level. It’s pleasantly geeky, but because he’s the artist it’s also cool. And it helps that he spent the entire summer filling a sketchbook with idealized Summer super heroines, the kind of activity that makes TV women swoon instead of filling out restraining orders. (Keep this fantasy/reality distinction in mind the next time you consider standing outside your dream woman’s apartment in an ill-fitting trench coat, holding aloft a crappy boom box from Venture and blasting “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel.) My poll of “OC” observers saw the comic book plotline as a promising way to repurpose the Seth character while creating opportunities for both conflict and resolution between himself, Zach, and Summer. Granted, of course, that Cohen allows her final boob approval.
Bright Eyes Delivers a Classic (Finally)
Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning (Saddle Creek)
Looking back, the far-reaching and ambitious Lifted is still a great album—nearly landmark, diminished only in its tendencies to indulge in Conor Oberst’s vices; associating the rocky upswings and vibrato/falsetto with emotion divided listeners. Those who could tolerate these occasionally painful moments were rewarded with more than enough off-beat lyricism and memorable arrangements to compensate. But some could just not get over that voice—perhaps in jealousy of the effortlessly prolific writing from someone so young, so naïve and world-weary all at the same time. [Plus, he’s just so damn pretty—Ed.] He’s a galvanizing figure, to be sure, and has attracted more attention (positive or negative) then most of our generation’s iconic music figures.
Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning
Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning (Saddle Creek)
This album was covered on the main site. Read the article here.
John Darnielle on the new Geto Boys album
John Darnielle takes a look at the new Geto Boys album, Foundation: “Bushwick’s verse on “I Tried” … is the best and saddest song I have heard so far in this young year.”
[Updated 1/26/2015 to fix the link. -ed.]
The OC: Mansierres and Lady Love
In real life, girls’ nights and guys’ nights out are mutually sanctioned, non-merging events that maintain a strict internal code of silence. On the “OC” they’re locomotives piloted by a sexually curious drunkard and two confused comic book geeks, hurling from opposite ends of the same track and destined to smash together in a twisted metal wreck of bickering and awkward walk-ins, not to mention a heavy-duty alt.lifestyle subtext that could give new meaning to single gender activities. That’s right: the “OC” makes real life its bitch.
Mathew Carlson and the Pantones – Memory is All
Mathew Carlson and the Pantones – Memory is All (Phonophore)
What’s not to like? We have great melodies, smart lyrics, quirky melodies, and more than a passing resemblance to the Moutain Goats’ John Darnielle’s songwriting and vocal style? This Grand Ledge, Michigan band embraces their Midwestern roots while looking outward to a much bigger world. Tracks like “Olympia” (mp3) and “Paris, Ireland & Stockholm” are musical road stories told as much through melody as words.
Musically, the band shares space with all your favorite bands: Wilco, Beck (Mutations and Sea Change), the Radar Brothers, and even Johnny Marr. Do yourself a favor and check out this band you’ve likely never heard of.
More MP3s are available.
Hoover: Family Reunion
Hoover at the Black Cat
January 22, 2005, Washington DC
Before you read it, I guess you should know that I never actually made it to the show due to the blizzard. I did drive about half of the 4 hours, though.—TL
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Reunions bring together the long lost and they encourage nostalgic pangs of happiness, awe, and occasional sadness. Some of the best and worst are family-related. The best are a pleasant surprise, the worst happen on Springer. But some of the most common reunions—or at least the biggest—are the rock tours where a troupe of geezers gather—often overweight and celebrating baldness like CSN, possibly wig-adorned like Kiss, or zombified like the Stones—as if they still believed in the musical product, not their annual gross. But because they’re basically confirmed deities, the rock gods can do it, and they seem to mingle with the most elite Himself.
New Beck video: Hell Yes
New Strokes Album Produced by Guy Who Dumped Wilco
The Strokes are currently recording their third album, and they’re working with a new producer: David Kahne. Kahne is the guy at Warner Music who told Wilco that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot would kill their career and refused to release it. Strokes manager, Ryan Gentles is “confident that [the Strokes album] will come out sometime this year.”
Continue reading New Strokes Album Produced by Guy Who Dumped Wilco
Quasar Wut-Wut – The Partisan (live)
A GLONO exclusive! “The Partisan” by Quasar Wut-Wut, recorded live at Schubas in Chicago on January 19, 2005 for emusiclive. This song, made famous by Leonard Cohen, has a fascinating history.