The fall of the Bro-Man Empire

There are times when every man needs to just go out with the dudes, throw some high fives all around, and drink some beers in rapid succession. Now on these occasions, there are certain songs that will just help you bro-down with greater ease.

"The Boys Are Back in Town" by Thin Lizzy

Do I even need to explain this one? Go find someone to high five, STAT.

"American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

This song has the perfect opening, it gives everyone a second to let their ears perk up in recognition, then enough time to throw their fists up for the rock. Plus, it's a guarantee that most of your companions will only be able to sing along to the "Oh Yeah! All Right!" parts, making it perfectly bro-tastic.

"Centerfield" by John Fogerty

Rockin' Organs, Sweet Guitar Licks, and the Great American Pastime. John Fogerty gives us it all. He's like a Bro-Man Deity.

"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Bruce Springsteen and Max Weinberg invented the high five, with input from Silvio Dante. True story. Get ready for handclaps, fist pumps, and high fives galore when "your papa says he knows that I don't have any money!".

"Drug Ballad" by Eminem

I have no idea why this song is so ripe for brodogging, but I've been through more than enough frat parties to know that it is. One of a handful of eminem songs that I can enjoy.

The Greatest Place on Earth

MC Abstract Douchipster alerted me the other night to a Ted Leo documentary being shown on Starz about his set at Sirenfest. I couldn't really stand the way the whole thing was shot, so I eventually turned it off, but it did have some awesome performance clips, especially the one that reminded me how fucking awesome "Biomusicology" is. I want to give Ted an award for best song ever on that one. Or maybe a gold star sticker.

"Biomusicology" by Ted Leo and those Rapscallion Pharmacists

Just watching the piece of the doc that I did made me start thinking about Siren fest. The only one I made it to was 2005, and it was a blast. I was pysched about seeing Q and Not U and Spoon, but even if I wasn't, worst case scenario is that it's a day at Coney Island.

"Y Plus White Girl" by Q and Not U

"The Two Sides Of Monsieur Valentine" by Spoon

I mean, how can you beat a day at Coney Island? Last year, I didn't go because of the lackluster lineup (scissor sisters, tapes n tapes, and art brut can all suck it), but talking to the Douchipster we decided it's really worth it to go whatever the lineup may be. All that said, I'd still prefer a good lineup to a shitty lineup. You also have to take into account the space limitations at Coney Island. You can't have a band who's going to bring in the obnoxious hoards of people, because you still need room to breathe. So with all that in mind, here's a couple bands I'd put in the top of my fantasy lineup.

!!!

It's gonna be all hot and sweaty out anyway, so why not listen to a band that makes me hot and sweaty everytime I put them on?

"Break In Case of Anything" by !!!

Beirut

So they've had to cancel shows before because of tour exhaustion, that's okay. Coney Island is nice and close to home. Plus I really want to see Beirut live.

"Elephant Gun" by Beirut

Two Gallants

The whole southern piss rock thing vibes well with the heat. So maybe it'll be a very different kind of hot afternoon than they'd have south of the Mason Dixon, but there'll still be tons of fresh lemonade.

"Las Cruces Jail" by Two Gallants

The Features

I just want to see the Features and if I have a chance to see them, then ride a roller coaster, instead of seeing them in some shitty venue, well that would be awesome.

"Contrast" by The Features

Freezepop

There's never a bad time for breezy synth pop, but the summer is certainly a great time.

"Here Comes a Special Boy" by Freezepop

Feist

I saw Feist open up for Bright Eyes, and the lady is quite a performer I'd have to say. I missed the beginning of her set though, so it'd be nice to catch her again.

"Sea Lion Woman" by Feist

I Love You, Jesus Christ...

A good friend of mine is out in Scotland right now and since him and I discuss music on a fairly regular basis. Figuring he would enjoy it, I sent him In the Aeroplane Over the Sea tonight. I've been in a big "listening to albums front to back" phase lately, and this is one of those albums that's really perfect for that. In listening to the album as I sent it, I just started looking around for information on Jeff Mangum, since I hadn't really known too much about him and Neutral Milk Hotel. I came across this article by Kevin Griffis that I really enjoyed, called "Have You Seen Jeff Mangum?". It goes through bits of interviews, band history, personal reflection, lots of good stuff.

"In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel
"Ghost" by Neutral Milk Hotel

In turn, he put me on to a track by Beirut that I hadn't heard; an alternate version of "Scenic World" from the Lon Gisland EP. The electronic elements are completely removed and the whole cheery mood of the song is changed into a much more mournful vibe. It's a really great contrast to the other version.

"Scenic World" by Beirut

Indie Tits

So my brother sent me to this webcomic, Questionable Content, the other day. Since then it's been eating up any time I spend at the computer. I mean, it's not even that it's wildly hilarious, it just never has any breaks in the storyline, and I can't pull myself away. So anyway, perusing the site brought me to another gem of a webcomic, indietits. It's all about birds who make music references (obscure and otherwise) and crack stupid jokes.


I mean, I like Steve Miller, and i still think it's hilarious.

Something Nice to Say

Mitch Clem is cool and I love the fact that he's chronicaling his top 5 albums of 2006 in cartoons.

It makes sense, since he's a cartoonist, but I'm still getting a big kick out of them. I'm also getting a kick out of this tune from Ted Leo and his unruly gang of Pharmacists. It's got a really kick in the ass too it, even more so than most of his songs.

"Sons of Cain" by Ted Leo & those wily Pharmacists

This Raekwon / Mathematics collaboration is nice too. Although I might have my doubts about it ever coming out, I continue to get more and more pysched for the next Rae album.

"Trees" by Raekwon the Chef

It's time to come clean,

Chunks of my life have been devoted to a dislike of Coheed and Cambria. That dude Claudio's voice was just always so unbearably piercing and grating. That being said however, over the past year, I've found myself unable to stop listening to their song "The Suffering". It's just so goddamn catchy and it's time I opened up about it. I know the douchipster agrees.

"The Suffering" by Coheed and GAYmbria... laugh out loudz?

when i was really young i took a nose dive off of a table trying to fly like dumbo

Heartbeats (live) - The Knife

I'm sure this has happened to all of us at some point...

"Cold, Cold Night" by the White Stripes

the connection between Bob Dylan and Dirt McGirt

So I barely ever post anymore because it's been the craziest semester of my life, and I have 2 weeks of straight library time ahead of me with ridiculous piles of work to do. But I've been listening to some cool stuff lately. First I'll start with something for Sean.



Secondary Modern - Elvis Costello
Watch Your Step - Elvis Costello
These songs were released one year apart on two fantastic albums. They sound really really similar. Still good stuff though.


Tainted Love - Gloria Jones
I just found out one of my least favorite songs ever is a cover from the mid-60s. This original is great. Interesting note about Gloria Jones: she has a kid with Marc Bolan from T. Rex, and she was the driver of the car that crashed and killed Bolan in 1977. (note: pic is of Bolan)


The Chills - Peter Bjorn and John
Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John
Apparently high schools in Sweden have classes such as History, Math, and Perfect Pop Writing 101. Three words: drums sound awesome. Amazing production.


Kickapoo - Tenacious D
Like the man said: listen to this if you don't mind some cream in your jeans. I have always been a big fan of the D and I am psyched to see the movie. This song features cameos from Meat Loaf and Ronnie James Dio, so the awesomeness is baked right in.

Fuck You Friday/Saturday Morning!

This is some black beans, doggie.

Is it too soon for me to say that I kinda like the song "Name" by the Goo Goo Dolls? Do I have to wait until it's like 10 years older before it's acceptable?

"Name" by the Goo Goo Dolls

All the guy wants is to be loved and to be Paul Westerberg, is that really so much to ask? Maybe it is. One thing I do know, it is never a bad time to mention how awesome the Rezillos are.

"Top of the Pops" by the Rezillos
"Flying Saucer Attack!" by the Rezillos

Drink Water. Read Achewood.

that's all she wrote

CBGB finally closes its doors tonight. I wanted to get to one of the last shows, the Bad Brains / Bouncing Souls show specifically, but ticket prices were jacked up so Hilly Kristal can have some extra cash to fund his CBGB Las Vegas venture. Fuck that. I caught at least two shows there that I can remember, a Madball show in high school and then a Ted Leo show when I was a freshman in college. The Madball show was their first in NYC after they got back together, incredible fucking show. Usually the worst part about hardcore shows is the opening bands, but every band that night was on point. If I remember correctly, Awkward Thought and On the Rise went on before Madball. This picture's actually from that very show. There used to be a bunch of them on their website, with yours truly right up front. The pictures were taken after I got punched in the face though, so I wasn't looking super photogenic.

"Look My Way" by Madball
"Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by Madball

The Ted Leo show was totally different. It was a Lookout! Records showcase and every band aside from Ted and his Pharmacists was poo. The Douchipster and I were standing through the whole thing and tired as hell, but when Ted hit the stage it was absolutely worth it.

"The Sword in the Stone" by Ted Leo
"Under the Hedge" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

So, another piece of NYC history is gone, along with Coney Island and the Wetlands. It's sad to see a place with so many stories closing, but let's be honest it had quite a punjent odor and the Continental is a better venue anyway. Any five shots for $10 is a deal and a half if you ask me. Not that I've been there since I've turned 21, but still.

I said this ain't no mecca man, this place is FUCKED

I was going to post something yesterday, but it was Judas Priest friday, so I ended up just eating some fungus and wandering around my house convinced that everyone else there and everything I've ever known was a dream. But that's a story for another day.

There's a cool list at Stylus about the top 10 songs by artists singing about other artists and I was really surprised to see Rancid's "Journey to the End of the East Bay" on there. Does it really count as being a song about another artist when you're singing about your old band? Maybe. At least it counts as much as Chuck Berry singing about himself counts. Even though my musical tastes may have expanded far beyond punk rock and the like, the blurb for the song kinda sums up my love of the genre.

I’m going to be an old man one day, and I’m going to opine endlessly about music I listened to in high school. “We carried JanSports to school,” I’ll say, “our ‘Anarchy’ patches would wiggle out of their safety pins twice before lunch!” I’ll say. “And pop-punk…well it meant something too, and bands would sing of younger and better bands, sillier and more idealistic than themselves!” I’ll put on Rancid’s homage to the strangely enduring Operation Ivy, and I’ll tell the grandkids to go bother their grandmum, I will. “Got a garage or an amp we’ll play aaaanytime…”

21 dead monkeys

I hate on Rancid a lot, but my contempt is really directed towards the latter day Rancid, once they sort of became a caricature of themselves. If we're talking about earlier stuff, there's definitely a soft spot in my heart for that two chord nonsense. I'll never like Rancid as much as Op Ivy though, Jesse Michaels is just a better vocalist than Tim Armstrong. Armstrong should've just stuck with his guitar.

"Journey to the End of the Easy Bay" by Rancid
"Bombshell" by Operation Ivy
"Soundsystem" by Operation Ivy

Joe Budden is a ridiculous human being. Why you ask? Because he chose to freestyle over Mr. Mister's "Broken Wings". He starts talking about A-Rod and Cory Liddle somewhere in the middle too. Absurdity.

"Broken Wings Freestyle" by Joe Budden

Fuck You Friday!

Well it's been a while since I've done a Fuck You Friday in the original format. For any who don't recall, it was basically where I would post a song from my collection that happens to be somewhat embarrassing. Well, I'm going to tweak that format a little bit today, since I happen to not be on my own computer at the moment. So let's take a look at what my brother had in his music collection. He's pretty hardcore, it's probably full of punk rock and metal tunes, there's probably nothing to be ashamed of here, OH WAIT.

"Lovefool" by the Cardigans

Haha, not so metal now, are you Richie? Not that this song is even that bad, cuz now that I've put it on I'm kind or rocking to it. I think I might have taped this off of the radio in the 6th grade, come to think of it. So I guess I'm the one that sucks in the end.

Also, welcome back Mr. Douchipster, and if that toothpaste for dinner was your high school experience, then I think this half of an achewood strip describes my first real memory of high school.

guess who's back

So I'm back. It's been a while. I missed all you people. Most of you are thinking, " damn, where is that new Green Hornet post," and yes, the hornet does rock the blog scene. He get interviews, made a sweet new banner for the site, and the ladies love the green mask.

But in the past weeks I have been listening to some cool stuff. Which has made posting difficult. But I finally have it figured out, who I wanna post about. She might be old news to you, but I've fallen in love with a British girl.



Lily Allen is sexy, from the UK, and born in the same year as me. These are good things. Her music is great, too.

Smile - Lily Allen
This is her hit, but not her best song. It's a nice little tune though. Her lyrics are very Streets-like in a conversational kind of way on all of her songs. On this one she just sits back on the beat, and it makes for one of the best driving-in-the-summer songs ever.

Everything's Just Wonderful - Lily Allen
My recent addiction song. Just something about a British girl saying the words "spaghetti bolognese" really gets me happy. Lyrically it's great, too. More of the straight on stuff, but her sarcastic "everything just wonderful" take towards her issues with womanhood, and government not giving her a flat are really enjoyable.

One more thing before I go, I got the new Jeezy track. It's nice.
I Love It - Young jeezy

One more thing...

Today's toothpastefordinner sums up most of my high school experience (not all).

Mitch Clem!

I was reading through old NN2S (yes... use the shorthand, get pretentious on em) strips today and I came across this one and thought it'd be appropriate to share here. If you don't know Mitch Clem, he is a funny man who used to draw Nothing Nice to Say, currently draws San Antonio Rock City and Kittens!, he writes Coffee Achievers, and he was one of the creative forces behind the tidbit of awesome that is Joe & Monkey. A lot of his humor revolves around punk rock, mostly jawbreaker, so I enjoy it. Hopefully you folks at home enjoy it too.

there is no band

I say Roy Orbison, and you probably think of the song "Pretty Woman". But get that song out of your head for a second to hear what this guy was really about.



Crying - Roy Orbison
This song has more emotion in it's 3 minutes than most films have in 2 hours. From the opening words, to the phenomenal build up at the end of this song, Roy Orbison sounds like he is crying. His words pour out of him in such a personal way. The power of Orbison's voice keeps this from sounding like 30 years early emo. When he kicks up that falsetto at the 1:46 mark, he can bring a tear to your eye. He brings it back down and let's the band take him home in a fantasticly produced 1960s fashion. That last note he sings (on the word "you") is shiver inducing.






I'm not even really a film student (I do take alot of film classes), but I do know it is some kind of film student cliche these days to love David Lynch's film Mulholland Dr. While I try not to bow down to the alter of Lynch as most film students and professors do these days (Blue Velvet is not a masterpiece, it's barely watchable), I will say that Mulholland Dr. is an enigmatic, heavily-toned classic.. And if anyone wants to have a discussion on what the hell is going on in the film (yes, it can be that confusing), I'm always down.

Llorando (Crying) - Rebekah Del Rio
The best scene in this film is hands-down the theater scene. I won't go into explaining the scene, but the two main women go into a theater, and there is a woman who sings a Spanish version of Roy's "Crying". Her name is Rebekah Del Rio. Her version is just her singing. In the film, the song is absolutely heart-wrenching.


in case this has been too dramatic for you...

"Turtles Are No Fun"

you ain't got no job, you ain't got shit to do, it's Fuck You Friday, Gonna get you high Douchipster

Tonight's installment of Fuck You Friday has been brought to you by the letter

and the letter

I've been really enjoying this song when I hear it as of late. I thought it was a No Doubt song, or some Gwen Stefani song, not that I'm even crazy about their stuff these days. I can't believe I'm about to do this but,

"Stars are Blind" by Paris Hilton

I think I also kinda like it because it reminds me of a great song

"Tide is High" by Blondie

Aside from being the opening song for a fantastic film starring Miss Hillary Duff, this song is awesome. The Paris Hilton song lacks the cool trumpet flourishes, Debbie Harry's voice, sexyness, etc, and the lyrical content, but I still find myself getting a kick out of it everytime. I can't help it.

as usual, you should be reading achewood.