:: c o m p u l s i v e • t r u t h ::

The first time I listened to The Slip, the new Nine Inch Nails internet-only, completely free album, I was questioning Trent’s choices. I was positive nobody would like this album; I really wasn’t even sure I liked the album. As a matter of fact, I felt like Trent had done his best to make a Sister Machine Gun record. “Discipline” had obviously already been released two weeks prior, and two days prior to its full release,“Echoplex” made its debut on a Facebook application. Naturally, the ravenous scavenging NIN fans pounced on these tracks, myself among them. “Echoplex” already injected my mind with Trent’s fondness for Joy Division and New Order. After listening to The Slip in full, I was convinced he’d drained the talent pool of Pere Ubu and PiL as well. Even including the ambient instrumental tracks, this felt like a post-punk record that missed the mark.

That being said, this was my initial response. Since then, I’ve given the album a second, third, and fourth chance. Each time, I rooted a little deeper, and deeper still. The first time I listened, I was just hungry to get to the new music, and when I found that it wasn’t what I expected, especially after the phenomenal Ghosts I-IV, I wasn’t giving the artistic statement a complete chance, which is something you’re supposed to do with Nine Inch Nails records. Whether or not they mean to be concept albums, they usually tend to be, with an overarching story. The Downward Spiral and Year Zero are the most obvious examples, though, to be fair, they are genuine concept albums. Broken, The Fragile, and With Teeth don’t necessarily tell a story from song to song, but those songs are still, in Reznor’s own words, “really good friends” of one another. The Downward Spiral obviously told the story of it’s title – someone self destructing from the inside out; Year Zero told the story of a country self-destructing, some fifteen years in the future.

The Slip has various clues to its intent, starting with the title. It’s referenced in the first song, an introductory instrumental in the vein of “Pinion,” called “999,999.” Lyrics sites haven’t really picked up the one line spoken in this track, “did I slip in” or “what did I slip in” or “slip into.” “Slipping Away” was a remix title from The Fragile companion disc, Things Falling Apart. “Tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away” was the full lyric from the original track, “Into the Void.” The whole thing, taken in context with the other tracks on the album, gives the impression of one slipping out of reality and somehow using that experience to cope with more dominating influences in one’s life.

Confused? Let’s start with the first leaked track.

The word “Discipline” itself brings its own connotations – a master/slave relationship, dominant/submissive, “I don’t know where I end and where you begin.” This sets the theme for what we’re supposed to learn about from the rest of the album. The narrator of the track needs discipline, needs dominance; the dominant/submissive relationship that is explored from different angles on this record, from different perspectives. The second leaked track, “Echoplex,” discusses someone who’s withdrawn from the dominant culture; “Letting You” is an angry anthem about someone resisting dominance. “Head Down” could very well be from the viewpoint of a dominator (lyrics go “You, what you looking at? Head down, too late for that” and “Know your place, don’t ever forget”).

The track after “999,999,” aptly titled “1,000,000,” delves into the self-destructive topics so familiar to the work of Nine Inch Nails, but with the added element of distance from reality – “I feel a million miles away, I don’t feel anything at all.” However, this self destruction is asked for: “Put the gun in my mouth, close your eyes, blow my fucking brains out” – this particular narrator has someone with him that he wants to pull the trigger, the ultimate dominant/submissive statement, the murderer and the victim.

There are at least four distinct voices at work in the narration of the album, which is evident from the title of the song,“The Four of Us are Dying” – an excellent instrumental track. The instrumentals I originally found as an odd choice; after all, Reznor just released Ghosts barely two months prior – 36 tracks of instrumental goodness. The first instrumental track in this particular interlude, “Corona Radiata,” flows out of a light piano song entitled “Lights in the Sky.” “Corona” is a type of plasma “atmosphere” of the sun or another celestial body, at least according to Wikipedia, (from the latin root meaning “crown”), while “radiata” typically refers to an aquatic organism. Take the two titles together – coupled with “Lights in the Sky,” one gets the sense of a celestial body approaching – a black void outlined by light; the lyrics “The lights in the sky have finally arrived” don’t hurt my case either. “Corona Radiata” is an ambient track that conjures images of alien abduction, a John Locke sweat lodge ala Lost, or complete alienation at the very least. Afterwards, a stronger, subtly angrier “The Four of Us are Dying” helps to transform the four viewpoints on dominance/submission into one focused vision, which is vocalized in the closing track “Demon Seed.” These ambient instrumentals could very well be “the slip” that the title is referring to; a distance from reality – a slip away from normal experience and consciousness.

The last track on this album, “Demon Seed,” is abrupt; it starts quickly and ends quickly. “I have been trying to behave myself” and “I have been trying to tolerate you” are important lyrics, particularly in relation to the themes of dominance and submission. The voice of the album has coalesced into an angry rejection of authority – “I will use my voice and I will use my fist to destroy everything I can.” The seed referred to in the title is the growing anger, the tolerance wearing thin, the rage building. “The only constant, every day, stronger.” The narrator also states, “well, I am reaching a point”; a breaking point, where the submissive will become the dominator, where the tables will turn, where the slave becomes the master. The problem with such an inversion is that it only cycles back and forth and doesn’t truly solve anything; the seed is a demon, a poison to the narrator and the world around him. Albert Camus once stated, “Every revolutionary ends by becoming either an oppressor or a heretic.”

Now, this is only one viewpoint on this album; this is only what I take away from it. My recommendation is to experience it for yourself and glean your own view of The Slip – experience it for yourself. Because that’s what every Nine Inch Nails album really is: an experience. Consider the different layers before judging – which is what such an experience deserves. And after all, it is free. Did I mention this album is free? Yes. Free and open – creative commons license and all. So if you don’t like what the album has to offer, you could, in theory, reshape it for yourself – Reznor also posted the multitrack files for nine of the ten songs on remix.nin.com.

Recommended Download:

THE SLIP (yes, all of it)

- Heathen

Nirvana is oft regarded as one of the greatest bands of all time. Everybody knows the story by now. On April 8th, 1994, an electrician discovered frontman Kurt Cobain’s lifeless body in his Seattle (Lake Washington, to be exact) residence, dead from a gunshot wound to the head. I won’t get into the details of that, and I won’t go into the ongoing debate as to whether or not he really committed suicide, because, from my perspective, it just doesn’t matter. The legendary trio of Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl ended up forming the basis of my long life dedicated to nihilism and music. Today, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is still overplayed on (some might say dying) alternative radio stations across the country, and most of those stations are overgrown mausoleums for the so-called “Grunge” movement, a term I’ve always hated. If I remember right, which I’m not entirely sure that I do, I think either Cobain, Novoselic, or Grohl, in Michael Azerrad’s 1993 biography Come As You Are stated that “Grunge is only a fashion statement, not a style of music,” or something similar to the same affect. I’m also turning 27 next month, which I honestly never thought I’d do in a million years.I thought I was destined to commit the same act that Cobain had, or that Ian Curtis had before him, at some point. I was always quite depressed and drifted toward things that would only enhance my depression; impossible relationships, alcohol, shitty jobs, etc. I was lucky enough in my life to find someone who helped me out of such a decrepit destiny, while still maintaining my nihilism; Cobain wasn’t.

I often find myself thinking of a song from Grohl’s 2005 Foo Fighters album, In Your Honor, called “Friend of a Friend.” Technically, Grohl wrote this song in 1990, after joining the band and moving in with Cobain in Olympia, Washington. The song is strictly about Kurt, perhaps even Dave’s first impressions of him, but looking back now, the song has more meaning. It’s a very somber song; and the chorus of the song is “No one speaks.” The impression you’re supposed to get is that Kurt was so good and so amazing that his musical talent demanded silence in a private setting, so good that “no one speaks.” But I don’t tend to think of it that way.I wonder if the song, or Grohl’s decision to include it on the 2005 album, was an admission of guilt. All of these things that pointed to Cobain’s eventual fate had escaped him and Krist, who the song refers to as “his two best friends,” and no one spoke up about them. The heroin abuse, the supposedly terrible relationship with Courtney Love, hell, even just the lyrics to the album In Utero - which refer to suicide (”look on the bright side is suicide” or “distill the life that’s inside of me”), indifference (”I miss the comfort in being sad”), or complete outright depression (”I’m on warm milk and laxatives…” or “what is wrong with me?”).

I definitely don’t like to discuss the dark side of Kurt Cobain, just because that seems to be what gets hammered upon in the press, or in documentaries about him, or even by bitter moralists who think he was “terrible” or “weak” for supposedly committing suicide. You can label him a junkie, but I won’t. You can say that he abandoned his daughter by going the way that he did, but I won’t. You can say that everybody should’ve known better, but I won’t.

Because I know. And I was able to hide it behind a facade of every day life. Sure, it came out in poetry or prose, or the music I listened to, or the quiet, private breakdowns, hiding in a bedroom. I was able to hide the crippling depression. And it was mostly hidden behind a veil of humor. And I tend to think that that’s the Cobain that I miss the most, and probably the one that Dave and Krist miss too. Hell, that’s the Nirvana that I miss. Three smug, ironic, sarcastic bastards (two from Aberdeen, WA, one from Virginia), who just happened to be absolutely hilarious and extremely talented at the same time.

Cobain’s lyrics were often wry and filled with irony - most of Nevermind’s opaque lyrics were sardonic, just look at “On a Plain” or “Stay Away.” Dave has commented that Kurt liked to write a lot (after all, they published his Journals a couple years ago), and that he mostly picked his lyrics from those journals. Kurt also often commented that he wanted to move away from the formulaic, three-chord rock that they were known for. Take a look at this:

It’s funny to think about what Nirvana might have sounded like had Cobain lived. It’s also characteristic of Kurt to just be speaking out of his ass in this case, making it up as he goes. “You Know You’re Right” didn’t really look like they were going to move into another direction, but I really do think Grohl would’ve been a much stronger presence had Nirvana survived. He’d been planning work like the Foo Fighters first album for a few years. Kurt may have even drummed on Grohl’s record if possible, or something similar. And yes, the Foo’s did have a different sound on that self-titled record from ’95. It’s the same sort of situation that you get when thinking of the sound New Order moved to after Ian Curtis passed; very different from Joy Division. Who would he have collaborated with? What music would he have hated?

And that last question’s an important one, mostly because he was extremely vocal about his tastes. He despised Pearl Jam for his own reasons, mostly having to do with members’ participation in other Seattle bands before Eddie Vedder came along. Tori Amos once said that Kurt “paved a way that now we’re starving for. When he died, you had a really great visionary die.” Fact is, we were starving for it as soon as he died. Some people point to the break-up of Soundgarden as the end of the Seattle scene, the “death of grunge.” Truth is, it’d been in its death throes as soon as that trigger was pulled. And it wasn’t just Seattle, it was everywhere. Dave was from Virginia, Trent Reznor (though nowhere near the Nirvana sound, still close in the rhetoric) was from Pennsylvania/Ohio, Corgan was from Chicago, Vedder from California (as were Stone Temple Pilots). And each of these guys were candidates for filling Cobain’s shoes for that generation, and none of them could come anywhere close.Vedder and Pearl Jam practically went underground after the release of Vitalogy. Scott Weiland collapsed under his own drug addiction. Reznor also disappeared without the release of an album for four long years, then another six years before another came along (and besides, he was much of a different kind of figurehead; not the spokesperson of a generation, as Cobain was labeled). Corgan slowly lost his credibility after Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (and god, was “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” overplayed or what?). And it was only a matter of time before Alternative rock collapsed altogether, thanks to the “Rap Rock” fad and Marilyn Manson’s hypocrisy. Rock music didn’t start to heal from this wound until, perhaps, the White Stripes and Queens of the Stone Age came along. And still, those particular garage rock flavors still had Cobain’s earmark. Queens was even helped along to stardom with Grohl’s assistance.Rock’s not in such a bad state now; things always tend to operate in circles that way. Prior to Nirvana’s arrival, the last time Rock music was in a good place was in the ‘70s. Now we’re 14 years separated from his death.

He would’ve been 41 by now! His daughter’s in high school, and she looks amazingly like him. I can only hope Frances Bean is relatively well adjusted, having a famous father who committed suicide, and a drug addict mom who’s slept with half of the music industry since (although, to be fair, she had a pretty steady relationship with Edward Norton along the way). She’s sold as much of Kurt as she could – his journals, his rarities (after a prolonged fight with Grohl and Novoselic), even his likeness for Converse sneakers, and 25% of Nirvana’s catalog for approximately $50 million dollars. She also says that she’s having a Christie’s auction to hock the remainder of his belongings. She’s also accused of hiring a hitman to kill him, but I don’t want to go into that. Let the conspiracy theorists discuss things on their own time.

The problem with all that is that I’d want to be there myself. I’d want to bid on that auction; I have a sinking feeling that I’d want those Converse… I have the rarities, I have the journals. My wife painted a portrait of the famous memorial Rolling Stone cover for me one Valentine’s day, and for this past Christmas bought me a total of three different Nirvana DVDs (Live! Tonight! Sold Out!, Unplugged in New York, and Classic Albums: Nevermind). I know that sounds obsessive, but the truth is I only tend to really listen to Nirvana’s music about once a year, in the early spring. Nirvana and Kurt Cobain shaped my adult life to an extent (certainly my teenage life…), but also taught me the perils of depression. Probably also taught me that sardonic humor, and that deep-seeded love for music. When he wrote the words “Peace, Love, Empathy” and signed his name, if he in fact wrote that suicide note, he had no idea how true those words were. And I’m nowhere near the only one – just a lonely kid half a country away who could tell you exactly where he was on April 8, 1994. When…well…”I heard the news today, oh boy…”

- Heathen

Recommended Listening:
Foo Fighters – “Friend of a Friend”

Heathen’s mixtape:

It’s that time of year again where everybody looks back and tries to weed out what was great about the year in music and what sucked major donkey balls. Unfortunately, most everybody’s list sucks. Take a look at the absolutely terrible Rolling Stone Best Songs of 2007 list, or the Spin Magazine Top 40 Albums of the Year. What really kills me are the inclusion of universally panned performances, like that terrible new Britney Spears single; you gotta think they include shit like that just because of how fun it is to watch a celebrity completely self destruct with the spotlight on them. These lists also end up being a stroke-fest for artists like Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, and Amy Winehouse (sorry, Ed).

My apologies for being a hypocrite who’s only promoting the same artists over and over again, albeit from a different end of the musical spectrum, yet I really do feel that several of the artists listed on at least on my list are not given the appreciation they deserve - or they’re given appreciation for the wrong pieces. For instance, I’ve seen a lot of kudos thrown to LCD Soundsystem’s “All My Friends,” which I honestly think is their absolute worst track, but at least Franz Ferdinand can make it sound good; or Justice’s “D.A.N.C.E.“

Alright, enough with the flagellation, on with the best songs of 2007. The length of the list is conspicuously the size of a mix CD…

• Nine Inch Nails, “The Good Soldier” - We’re not really used to hearing Nine Inch Nails slow jamming a song like this, outside of “Closer” or “Piggy.” It’s interesting that the song is as slinky as it is for the subject material (a soldier losing his faith in what he’s doing), but it’s a good juxtaposition. “And the bass goes bomb,” is such a good line. The end of the track has something that’s become a signature of some of Reznor’s best songs - a really great piece of guitar work that builds and builds until it burns itself out, and fades back to the original drum loop that serves as the backbone of the song.
• Queens of the Stone Age, “Misfit Love” - I pushed this song in a review I did for Era Vulgaris a few months back, and it’s only continued to grow on me since. It’s got such a groove, backed up by some cutting Joy Division/Bauhaus-type guitars in the background. Yet, you can still feel a sort of Gary Numan influence to it. It’s easily the most danceable track on this straightforward rock album. Great lyrics too: “Wanna see my past in flames; don’t waste a drop, baby, I ain’t fussed…” and “Gutter, don’t you forget this face…”
• The White Stripes, “Icky Thump” (from_the_album_of_the_same_name)- Probably the most popular song on my list. I didn’t hear good things about this album, and have yet to check it out myself, but this is such a great single song. Excellent guitar work as always from Jack White, that has a hint of ’70s prog rock at times. Another great bit of lyricism: “White Americans, what nothing better to do? Why don’t you kick yourself out, you’re an immigrant too. Who’s using who, what should we do? Well, you can’t be a pimp and a prostitute too.”
• Digitalism, “Pogo” - These guys are part of an excellent wave of electronic musicians that are starting to burn up dancefloors round the world, along with Justice - also on the list - who follow in the footsteps of artists like Daft Punk. This track is actually the most rock music oriented song of their album, Idealism. Extremely fun, as well - the mantra “We could get so wasted,” closes it out.
• Justice, “Genesis” (from_the_†_album) - Far be it from me to discriminate against an artist who clearly seems to be quite evangelical (a trademark of Justice is a giant light-up cross, and many of their tracks have very heavy Judeo-Christian titles), but this is just an extraordinarily bad-ass song. It opens up with these sadistic sounding horns, with a kind of angry Old Testament feel to it - then it glides easily into something you’d expect to accompany Mad Max as he walks down the street to fuck up some bad guys.
• Simian Mobile Disco, “Hustler” - I don’t know much about these guys, other than they have a cool name that my wife hates, and they used to be in a band called Simian. This song is accompanied by probably the sexiest damn video ever recorded: it follows a group of girls around in a circle as they whisper in each other’s ear, until you notice that they’re licking the next girl’s ear, then face, then mouth, until the whole thing breaks down into an orgy. I’m also wondering if the song itself is a commentary on the current crop of music fans - all about being a music shoplifter. Still, it doesn’t feel so much like it’s chastising fans for taking music, more like “we get it! you’re broke! Jam out anyway!”
• LCD Soundsystem, “No Love Lost” - A perfect mix of classic post-punk and its current incarnation; this is an excellent cover of a song by Joy Division from their Warsaw days. Murphy does an excellent job of paying homage to the original song while contributing a signature sound that makes the cover unique from the original, which is all one can really ask of a cover song.
• El-P, “Tasmanian Pain Coaster” - I know, you’re surprised I didn’t stick to the track with Reznor’s vocals, “Flyentology,” but this song is easily more epic than that. It begins with a sample from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, and does not let up. Its chorus goes, “This is the sound of what you don’t know killing you.” I’m not a guy who’s huge on hip hop, but El-P’s 2007 album “I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead” really made a believer out of me. There’s also an excellent closing bit to the song - the last minute and a half or so is what made me think this song was so great.
• Dalek, “Paragraphs Relentless” - Another hip hop song? Has the world gone mad? Here’s the rub; I’m amazed that no one had ever considered the field of Industrial Hip Hop before. It’s so obvious, frankly, at least for an Industrial fan who remembers the elements of hip hop in tracks by Skinny Puppy, “Down In It” by Nine Inch Nails, “Virus” by KMFDM, “Beers, Steers, and Queers,” by the Revolting Cocks. But this track in particular has an excellent sound to it that will not be enjoyed by everyone, but is still somehow so attractive and vicious at the same time.
• Interpol, “Pace is the Trick” - This is such a great, underrated band; never gets the sheer amount of props that they deserve for their ingenuity within the Post-Punk genre. They practically reinvented it themselves, yet I don’t think I’ve heard much good about their new album, which I enjoyed myself. This is a standout track for sure, in the same vein as “C’mere” on Antics, or “Leif Erikson” from Turn on the Bright Lights.
• The Rapture, “Pieces of the People We Love“- Technically, this album was released in September of 2006, but this song was released on the radio as a single in early 2007, hence it’s inclusion on this list. Excellent driving beat, danceable - as most Rapture songs are - and still providing a decent punk rock aesthetic. That driving beat by the way sort of reminds me of the early, pre-kiddy porn work of Gary Glitter. There’s a bit of “Rock and Roll (Part 2)” or “Do You Wanna Touch Me,” for sure.
• Saul Williams, “WTF?” (from_the_Niggy_Tardust_digital_download_album) - As stated in a previous article, there are some pretty excellent genre-blending songs from The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust, but this track is probably the most well-rounded. It’s got a great hook, some wonderful poetry, and a sort of minimalistic feeling. Reznor’s introduction to the song doesn’t hurt either. Honestly, I’m sort of amazed a song with a chorus like “What the fuck?” hadn’t been written before.
• Arcade Fire, “The Well and the Lighthouse” - There are any number of wonderful songs from their 2007 release, Neon Bible, that could be interchanged with this spot on this particular list, but there’s some really great vocal work done on this track, particularly with the immediacy of the “in my head!” hook that comes early in the song. It’s also much less of a Springstein-wannabe than the lead single of the album, “Keep the Car Running.”
• The Stooges, “The Weirdness” - From what I’ve heard, this year there were only two absolute home run performances from Lollapalooza - Daft Punk and the Stooges. Hell, I think Iggy deserves to be on a list like this for the amount of quality music he’s put out for the entire span of his career. The fact that a song like “My Idea of Fun” can still make its way onto the radio charts gives you an idea of the relevance of Iggy and the Stooges to this day - but this song has an excellent guitar hook that cannot be denied. Iggy sort of croons his way through this song, which is absolutely fine by me. Some of the other tracks on the album are a bit so-so, like “ATM” or “Mexican Guy,” but this song delivers.
• Soulsavers, “Revival” – (from_the_album_It’s_Not_How_Far_You_Fall,_It’s_the_Way_You_Land) Like I said before, far be it from me to discriminate against an artist for their religious beliefs, real or imagined; I can’t say I know enough about the Soulsavers to run a commentary on that, but this song with Screaming Trees and QOTSA alum Mark Lanegan worms its way into your ears until you’re swaying back in forth as though you’re in the midst of a gospel chorus. This is another song like “Icky Thump” that’s been receiving a pretty good amount of airplay, yet I can’t believe that this song is left off of lists like the one Rolling Stone released.
• Radiohead, “Bodysnatchers” - Quite honestly, you have to give it up to Radiohead for causing such a splash this past October. Yes, they are the most over-rated band on the planet; yes, they’re “In Rainbows” digital download, pay-what-you-want release was pretty much a complete ripoff due to lower quality mp3s, and the inclusion of extra tracks on the physical release, which itself is also a ripoff to those who wanted to really contribute to the possible revolution Radiohead could be starting… but have you heard this track? Every time they come out with a new album that every music critic touts as the greatest goddamn release since the White Album….well, you end up thinking they’re over-rated obviously, then you hear something like “Karma Police,” or “Paranoid Android,” or even “Optimistic.” This is that track this year, and really, good for Radiohead, despite the ripoff, despite being overrated, who still manages to put out quality music that sounds different than nearly everything on the radio.
• Animal Collective, “For Reverend Green” (from_the_album_Strawberry_Jam) - from my coworker, Greg: “Being a wiley old coot, few songs instantly steal my affection like this one. It doesn’t merely steal my affection, it firmly grabs me by the testicles and declares, ‘You can choose how this proceeds. Resign yourself to being miserable during this ordeal and chalk it up as suffering, or find your perversion and take infinite delight in what is in store.’ Infinite delight ALL THE WAY. It’s like the Beach Boys woke up with the most gnarly hangover nature can bestow, and then began dropping all the acid in SoCal. Angsty, psychedelic, and harmonious. This is music for killing your imaginary family and then sharing a tender moment with the corpses. I’m not entirely sure that is a good and productive thing, but what fun things are healthy?”
  

Now, I know my taste can be a bit limited, which is why I’m not the only one who contributes to this site. Here’s to calling in the reserves…

Banger’s mixtape (apologies for the lack of information with each song):

• Panda Bear, “Take Pills“
• UGK, “Players Anthem” (from_the_album_Underground_Kingz)
• Andrew Bird, “Plasticities“
• Spoon, “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb“
• Interpol, “Pace is the Trick“
• Axwell & Sebastain, “It’s True”
• LCD Soundsystem, “Someone Great“
• Utah Carol, “Come Back Baby” (from_the_album_Rodeo_Queen)
• The Teenagers, “Homecoming“
• Hail Social, “Cherry Cola Funk (STA mix)“
• Feist, “Past In Present“
• M.I.A., “$20“
• Lucky Soul, “Lips Are Unhappy“
• Great Lake Swimmers, “Catcher Song“
• Grinderman, “No Pussy Blues“
• Digitalism, “Pogo“
• The Besnard Lakes, “For Agent 13“

Chaptal’s mixtape:

For the past five years I’ve been making a mix CD of songs that spun
my planet over the past year. Some years are better than others. Some
years I miss out on hearing a lot due to my finances or not being hip
enough. It’s not really a best of albums list, but it’s always been
about my favorite songs of the past year. A lot of my favorite artists
are not here. Where are Wilco? Crowded House? The Shins? Paul
McCartney? Where are all the non-white people who make great music,
Ed? This is not about why they are not here, but why these songs are.

• Lucinda Williams, “Come On” - When I first put West on, every song
  stunk, until this song. It rocks, it slices, the rest of West is not
  even close to the energy of this song. At first listen though, I knew
  it would make my year end list and lead off the disc. It’s a powerful
  song and shows what she can do when she sets her mind to it.
• The New Pornographers, “Challengers” - They stray a bit from having Neko Case wail
  from the holler on this record, Challengers is still a lot of fun. I
  have no idea why this song reminds me of a good Jefferson Starship
  song. Were there any good songs by them? Ever?
• Andrew Bird, “Plasticities” - I had not really heard this guy’s
  music until this year. What a revelation. A multi-talented musician
  who puts together well crafted material. A genius. Armchair Apocrypha
  is one of my favorite records this year.
• Arcade Fire, “Intervention” - The song I listened to the most this
  year, and I’m still not bored of it. First heard it on a staticky
  broadcast from the BBC last year, sent chills up my spine then, and
  still does. Seeing them live in October was a highlight of my concert
  going life. I have a bad feeling about their future, we might not be
  hearing from them for a few years. Enjoy Neon Bible until then.
• Charlotte Gainsbourg, “The Songs That We Sing” - I like this record.
  It’s sexy. The world needs more music this sexy. Too bad there’s only
  one song on 5:55 sung in French. The world can handle the sexy!
• Elvis Perkins, “It’s Only Me” - I first saw him on Letterman and was
  then given the Ash Wednesday record as a gift. Thank you Chelsea. I
  think he’s the Buster Keaton of music, the Great Stone Voice. It
  doesn’t vary much, but you can hear the emotions on the smooth,
  granite surface.
• Glen Hansard and Marketa Inglova, “Lies” - From the soundtrack of the
  film Once comes this passionate song of longing and loss. Hansard is a
  main member of the Irish band the Frames, who seem to be popular
  everywhere but the United States. It’s a great movie. Glen and Marketa
  have a group of their own called Swell Season.
• Amy Winehouse, “Me & Mr. Jones” - I want her to live dammit. Don’t
  let Back to Black be your last record. She’s funny as hell and she can
  create good music.
• Feist, “I Feel it All” - I was not taken much by Feist’s previous
  release but The Reminder, which Peggy told be about, seems better put
  together and a lot more fun.
• Spoon, “The Underdog” - When that brass section hits, it’s nothing
  but sweet sweet candy for the ears. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is the record. Ask
  for it by name.
• Maria McKee, “No Other Way To Love You” - I’ve written about her
  this year, and my opinion still stands. In a just and proper world, Late December would sell millions.
• Sakert!, “Allt Som Ar Ditt” (from_the_eponymous_album)- It’s Swedish and I have no idea what
  she’s singing about, but the song soars. All I know about her is that she’s the main force behind
  the group Hello Saferide. I’d like to thank Paul for introducing me to her music from his wonderful monthly
  collections of what he’s been listening to.
• Sondre Lerche, “John, Let Me Go” - A prolific year for the Norweigan
  wunderkind. Not only did he make a fine record in Phantom Punch, but he
  also wrote the soundtrack to the film Dan in Real Life. His parents
  should be proud.
• Richard Thompson, “Guns are the Tongues” (from_the_album_Sweet_Warrior) - He’s still a musical
  force and this lengthy ballad about the IRA has a ferocious guitar
  solo at the end. What’s Sweet Warrior? His ninetieth release?
• Subdevil, “Big White Ass” - Columbus’ indie satan worshipers are
  still making music in the basement. Always planning on taking your
  souls or holiday dinners from you - except when their idiot neighbors
  are calling the cops on them. Don’t they know the parish is vigilant?
• Rufus Wainwright, “Release the Stars” - Title track to a very fine
  record that is operatic, danceable, techno and uses the rest of the
  musical map. Rufus has put his energies to good use now that he’s sobered up.
• Tom Waits, “Never Let Go” - From the triple set Orphans: Bawlers,
  Brawlers & Bastards, released late in 2006. I have a love/hate
  relationship with him. I love his independence, hate when he goes
  exceedingly lo-fi. No use of megaphone here on this gripping love
  song. This one sums up the year in one song.

I know I know, some of you are reading this and are saying to yourself “Joe who?” Not the “Pump It Up” cat? Yes this is the same guy that put out the eponymous CD Joe Budden back in 2003. But what you will hear on his newest mixtape is nothing close to the adolescent rapper we heard back then. Just to bring everyone up to speed on Joe, he was in a slum called Def Jam for his entire career until his release from the label in October of 2007. During a hiatus, while still signed to Def Jam, Joe didnt put any new music out except mixtapes to keep the street buzzing. His most popular mixtape releases where the Mood Muzik series. Mood Muzik 1 took the world by surprise because Joe had grown as a artist and really raised eyebrows with his better than normal flow. Mood Muzik 2 was a amazing album that to this day is considered as one of the best albums in hip hop history. Not mixtape people!! Album!!! With the buzz being all over the internet and on every hip hop forum, the anticipation for Mood Muzik 3 was like a urban legend with anticipation of its release. Well that day has finally come.

Mood Muzik 3 is sheer brilliance to say the least. No other way to put it. The album is 19 tracks long, including two skits that add comedy relief to the album. The other 17 tracks Joe pours his life out and welcomes you into his world for the time being. You hear Joe tap into his days as a drug addict to his battles with other rappers to situations with women. I found myself just sitting back in my chair and just listening to this guy paint a vivid picture of life. The thing that really made me appreciate this is the way that it relates to everyday life and situations that most people can relate to. I rate this album a 5 out of 5 stars. Go grab this ASAP. Here is the official track list for the album:

1. Hiatus
2. Ventilation
3. Talk to Em
4. Warfare
5. Infivisible Man
6. Dear Diary
7. Get No Younger
8. Star Inside
9. skit
10. .Send him our Love
11. Family Reunion
12. 5th Gear
13. Roll Call
14. Secrets
15. All of Me
16. Skit
17. Long way to Go
18. Thou shall not Fall
19. Still My Hood

- Nayhova

Far be it from me to turn down free music. The newest trend in the music industry is to release full albums directly to the public via the internet, and honestly, I could not be happier. Cutting out the middleman of a big, greedy, faceless corporation that does nothing but siphon off money from the true artists who they relentlessly exploit. The business model that’s now being promoted by artists like Prince, Radiohead, and most recently, Saul Williams, poises these artists to make an insane amount of money by not even selling to the public, but just giving it away. It’s interesting to see where it goes with Saul, who’s a virtual unknown who’d been turned down by major labels previously because he wasn’t “hip hop enough.” Needless to say, his success or failure could be a preview of what’s to come in the music industry of the future, where already-established acts don’t need to be on major labels, but unknown artists have a hard time breaking through. Saul’s case is slightly different though - he’s got a good friend in a rock legend: Trent Reznor.

The best thing about reviewing this album is that I can tell where to go get it, you can go download it for free if you want (unless of course, you feel bad about artists giving you their art for free), and then you can look at me and say, “You know, you’re full of shit, this album rots.” Although I highly doubt you will. If you give the whole thing a listen, you’ll realize that even though this album is on the weird side a lot of the time, aside from it’s controversial title (tribute to David Bowie - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust), Saul is a talented poet with a real message who just happens to have Trent Reznor as the driving force in his music. First, go visit http://www.niggytardust.com and download the album. Even if you don’t like it - hey it was free.

Imagine that concept for a minute; even if you don’t like it - hey it was free. Saul and Trent have modified what’s being called the Radiohead model for releasing music, and are asking either a measly $5 or nothing at all to allow you to hear what they’ve constructed. When was the last time you paid $5 for a full album? Most people are so brainwashed into thinking that’s not the way the system should work that they paid at least $7 or $8 for Radiohead’s In Rainbows - as a matter of fact, recent figures despite showing that 60% of fans downloaded In Rainbows for free, yet showed Americans on average forking over $8 per download. Even if this were a failure in the traditional record industry model, Saul would make $250,000 on 5000 copies, from people who dropped that measly little $5. And none of it goes to a record company. And with Reznor’s loyal following, chances are that number will easily be exceeded.

Now, aside from what Saul’s release means to the record industry, let’s examine what it actually sounds like. If you don’t preview any of the tracks, and just start from the beginning - admittedly, you’re going to think it’s weird. The opening track, “Black History Month,” has a very unconventional feel to it, especially with it’s strange choice of background rhythm (Saul’s weird, half loud mumbling and incoherent “turn up the bass” thing in particular). However, even here you notice Saul’s strength as a lyricist. To me, the album doesn’t really hit until “Tr(n)igger,” with it’s hardcore Public Enemy sample. Saul’s admitted that Public Enemy was one of the common points of interest between himself and Reznor. The fact that they were able to pull in one of their biggest inspirations in this way, and admittedly, I think PE is one of the best hip hop acts of all time, is one of the coolest ways to express the art.

This track is followed by an amazing cover of U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Here’s where it gets tough, because I cannot stand U2 - I find them pretentious and extremely overrated. However, Reznor’s instrumentation on this song is phenomenal, and Saul’s vocals boost this track in more soulful way than probably Bono’s original. Then comes my favorite track on the album, “Break” - where you really feel an extreme amount of tension with society, whether regarding terrorism, war, or even social labels. Excellent lyricism, again. The song is mostly about the current war in Iraq and the road to it, and its effect on current society, which makes it a centerpiece for the whole album; these are the themes that remain throughout. It’s here that Saul really grabs you and gets into a groove for the rest of the album.

It’s not all hip hop, either. Obviously, a song like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” belongs on alternative rock radio. But there’s also tracks like “Banged and Blown Through,” which offer a quiet and soulful experience, yet sometimes feel like Reznor was the one meant to sing it. On the first listen to it, my wife noted that she thought Saul was trying to sing like Trent, and sometimes felt that Reznor’s influence on the album is overwhelming. With the state of the music industry as it is, and with the shit they try shoveling down our throats, I fail to see how that’s a bad thing.

- Heathen

Lets try something here folks. Now bear or bare with me. Whatever you want to do. I don’t feel like writing about any one specific artist right now, so I’m going to pick a few, and a song from them and, well, I’m going to run with it.

(Placebo - Meds)
Placebo and their Meds. Now for those of you out there who are ones that find that they’ve taken too many pills in their life time, you’ll know how this feels. You’ve forgotten to take your meds and whatever are you supposed to do about it? Oh you know what you do here, you go and take some other meds. You find some other meds and they’ll just have to do! All the complications, and the sex before hand when you’ve been fucking for hours because you’re just too screwed up to bust a load. This song gives a fairly good example of a paranoia attack.

(Ministry - Roadhouse Blues)
Ministry meets The Doors, and Thrash Metal is bound to happen! We’ve got Uncle Al blaring out “Roadhouse Blues” and you’ve got something super charged and bound to make any man and woman’s foot into a thing of pure lead. It’s a helluva cover and a good note on when and where to end the run of Ministry.

(El-P - The League of Extraordinary Nobodies)
El-P would like to introduce you to the League of Extraordinary Nobodies. It’s a League for your average riff raff and general miscreants. You’ll find your drugs and booze, and all of your womanizing ways are here for your pleasure. To gain entrance into this League, you’ll need to be arrogant and have a general disregard for the sanctity of other human beings. It’s a nice place to visit on a Friday night, even if your Friday is a Monday. You’ll find all the things that your God decides you’ll need to make the night just right. Yes, it’s Indie Hip-Hop, and if you don’t like it? Fuck you.

(Bloc Party - Plans - available on Silent Alarm)
Plans for a Bloc Party. So, you’ll need to find the right bloc to have this happen on. Any bloc will really do. First thing you need is this on something portable and some good old ear buds to play this into your brain. This type of party is usually a small party. You might just have it be a party for yourself, or maybe the few that you care about, and the even fewer that you’d like to take into a dark alley and have yourself a rather swell time. You can both be scared for the future, and all you can do is try to make some kind of plans for the future, with the taste for blood in the back of your mouth. Songs for Vampires. Disappear here.

(Ishii Yasushi - Fool Cross Over Nirvana (Grudge Prohibited) - available on the V1 Hellsing Raid Soundtrack)
And now to end this on an unrelated note to where anyone would probably find this track. You’d have to dig a bit for this, and you’d have to have an appreciation for the art of “Anime.” It’s worth it for this, follow me, fools, as we cross over Nirvana, and grudges are prohibited. It’ll be a strange place in which to find yourself after you make this trip. It’ll be in the land of the rising sun where you’ll find yourself listening to a bluesy type of Garage Rock made in the studio. Now you’ll hear voices, but you won’t know what they’re saying, just accept the vibe you’re getting from this. It’s something you can be surprised about.

- NotWhatSoPeople

(Editor’s note – This article was written by a man I mentioned as Aftershock, who specifically told me afterwards to call him TooManyPeople)

In Regards to the 5 essential albums of our collections, I must say that EVERY album in my collection is essential to ME. Each one has helped define a part of my life. Some are still evolving that definition…as I continue listening to them. As you get older, your perspective changes, your paradigm shifts, as they say, and this changes the way you think about those times.

I’ve been updating my CD collection recently, due to the purchase of a computer that could handle the load of all that music and the increasing availability of even the most obscure albums. I began collecting vinyl albums back in my teens, before digital technology was invented. Alas, vinyl and analog recording has long since become a dinosaur, making it difficult to ever even enjoy those old records. Of course, replacing them all with CDs is outrageously expensive, but little by little I’ve been working on replacing vinyl with digital at an agonizingly slow pace. Which left me with the search for the essentials, songs and albums I could actually listen to without fast-forwarding. I bought a new phonograph player, so I could listen to the vinyls, which was another can of worms. On the bright side, I know which CDs I wish to replace and which ones I can easily live without. Those are the NON-essentials, which pretty much include almost all of the disco era (we won’t even get into that) and a variety of musical styles that just didn’t stand the test of time or I’m just no longer into. So, now that my collection is virtually complete, I can put media player on shuffle and enjoy TooManyPeople Radio all day long, in amazing 5.1 surround (which, at times, in itself re-defines the music) and be reminded of things I hadn’t thought about in ages, mostly the good times, but it can get meloncholy, too, which I find cleansing.

To give you an idea what it’s like, it’s kinda like Wal-Mart radio, without the censorship. Add a LOT of NIN and a LOT of KMFDM and way too much YES, and take away all the country, 50’s, showtunes, blues, and R&B (not that there’s anything wrong with that) and you have TooManyPeople Radio. But that’s just me… anyone can do this with their iPod or their 250 GB hard drive and a few bucks here and there. Pirates can get the stuff free, if they’re willing to take the risk, and pay the consequences… But it can finally be done and people can enjoy their collections anytime without changing CDs or Flipping through piles of vinyl records and worrying about scratching them, storing them, stepping on them, alphabetizing them…well, you get the idea. This is a good thing.

And while I’m on the subject of pirating, not that I would EVER deny an artist his or her due, it’s my personal opinion that I paid for the right to listen to these songs long ago when I first bought the vinyl. It’s not my fault the technology changed, forcing me to re-purchase something I had no intention of ever having to ‘upgrade’. We all know how convenient upgrades are… now it’s blu-ray and HDTV…can you say ‘foreclosure’?

So I guess my point is, yes I can name 5 essential albums, if I must, but the compulsive truth is… they’re all essential…. except disco…. which is a part of my life I’d rather forget…… and I can still hear it on Wal-Mart radio anyway. Argh.

- TooManyPeople

The rise of digital music has sent the record industry into a downward spiral, and most record companies are scrambling to find a way not to go under. This paradigm shift has been caused by both the increased marketing and availability of single songs as opposed to disappointing albums that’re bought only for 1 or 2 songs. This increased availability has also forced the record industry to adapt according to the fans needs – not to say that’s a bad thing, but the climate for entire albums has never been worse. True musical artists are usually measured by their ability to remain relevant, and most one-hit wonders never pass that test. The only other way to truly remain relevant involves the production of a truly wonderful collection of music – the album is an experience special to a fan; a communion between the listener and the artist. It involves an intense immersion into the musical experience, a very personal sharing of thoughts, emotions, and philosophies. Not to say that those are always very nice thoughts, feelings, philosophies – The Sex Pistols’ Nevermind the Bollocks isn’t built for lovey little leprechauns, it’s an indictment of organized society; a screeching obscenity aimed at stuck-up parents, politicians, and parishioners.

Since people are rarely willing to explore the dimensions of such a relationship (between fan and artist), usually due to time restraints brought on by the confines of modern society, I decided to ask the contributors of Compulsive Truth to discuss their favorite albums; what they consider essential, what is special to them, and why. This seems particularly relevant in today’s climate; just take a look at what Radiohead is doing – which in a slippery slope kind of world could lead to the complete downfall of the record industry as a whole (and it’s about time).

Being an insane person, all of my choices share a theme; each record in some way or form led me into a specific musical genre that I still enjoy, and each I could not imagine my life without.

Nirvana, In Utero – The masses can have Nevermind – frankly, I’ve been sick of that album for years. Too much radio airplay; nearly every song from that album has been played out on the radio. I can’t even listen to the first half of the album anymore, it’s been so forced down my throat. Cobain himself felt that Nevermind was over-produced; too slick and manufactured. In Utero was a return to Nirvana’s hardcore roots, an advancement of the sound pioneered by Bleach and the masterful Incesticide. Frankly, this choice was a toss-up between Incesticide and In Utero, and the latter won because it was the first album I’d purchased and the former was a compilation of B-Sides; it wasn’t meant to be a masterpiece, so consider it brilliant by accident. This album is probably the quintessential garage rock album, even more so than any of Josh Homme’s Desert Sessions volumes. From the opening slam of “Serve the Servants,” to the hopelessness of “Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle” and “Milk It,” to that final uplifting and alleviating emotion of “All Apologies,” this album really does have it all. Some consider this record to be Cobain’s suicide note – a dark and angry album that attacks the media, the record industry, and perhaps even his wife (in “Heart-Shaped Box” – supposedly a love poem, but it’s content feels more like a trap).

Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral – Everybody knew there’d be at least one Nine Inch Nails album on my list, and this is also a toss-up between this album and it’s 1999 follow-up, The Fragile – but again, I purchased this first and it led me into a number of different genres, from industrial rock and EBM dance to the ambient melodies of Aphex Twin-style artists. This album is a masterpiece top to bottom, a smarter than smart record that stands up to any album ever released. Years ago, I read an essay comparing the story of The Downward Spiral to Albert Camus’s The Rebel, a 200-some page dissection of man in revolt from an existentialist perspective. Although the album contains a great deal of Nietzschean overtones, I don’t necessarily agree that it was Reznor’s intention to take the existential dialectic and turn it into an album – moreover, his intention was to tell the story of someone trapped in a vicious cycle of finding and using, gaining and losing control, and eventually committing suicide. The album contains any number of allusions to other works, such as “Closer”’s similarity to Iggy Pop’s “Nightclubbing,” or “A Warm Place”’s use of the melody from David Bowie’s “Crystal Japan.” It’s also an excellent use of sampling, from the Aliens loader sample in “Reptile” to THX 1138’s sample in “Mr. Self Destruct” (the title of which is taken from a Soft Cell song). This album wasn’t as much recorded as it was constructed, carefully and meticulously.

Death From Above 1979, You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine – The title tells the tale, doesn’t it? This album isn’t necessarily the greatest as far as lyrics (which sometimes remind you of AC/DC, or something like that) or music goes, but it gelled. It came out at a time when I was looking for something that sounded different, but still sounded hard. When I started really getting into this, I was convinced that these guys were the future of punk rock. What also makes this band unique is its simplicity and complete inversion of rock and roll ethos – the drummer sings and that heavy guitar is actually the bass; and the killer is that it’s only a two-piece band! This is 35 minutes of total carnage that makes you want to go back to the ‘70s and pogo with Sid Vicious. Unfortunately, DFA1979 called it quits officially in 2006.

Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf – After listening to this for awhile, I proclaimed to Esoteric, back when the album was first released, that this was the first great album of the new millennium. This is another top to bottom, insanely strong album, whose only weak spot is probably the Nick Oliveri screamfest, “Six Shooter.” This was the album that declared that QOTSA had officially arrived, with its takeoff single “No One Knows,” which fit into radio airplay alongside the White Stripes and the Strokes at the time. The album also features collaborations with both Mark Lanegan of the Screaming Trees and Dave Grohl, who played drums the entire album. This was another choice that was a toss-up decided upon because it came first in my collection, before Rated R, Era Vulgaris, and their 1998 self-titled, any of which could’ve easily landed in this spot.

David Bowie, Diamond Dogs – Originally, I purchased this album for two reasons: I fell in love with the title track, and the administrator of one of the definitive Bowie sites on the Web claimed this was Bowie’s finest work – probably because of the transition from Bowie’s high pitched vocals to his more widely recognized, throaty renditions, while still maintaining the glam rock aesthetic of Ziggy and Aladdin Sane. Truly, this album grabbed me and never let go, grasping at one of my favorite themes – that of the dystopian future state, so eloquently described by George Orwell. In fact, the latter half of this album was meant to be used in a musical version of 1984, which Orwell’s estate wouldn’t allow Bowie to construct. The finest track on this album is not the most famous (“Rebel Rebel” – probably one of the best guitar riffs ever recorded), but rather the affirming charm of “Big Brother.” Bowie’s lyrics are never better than “We are the Dead,” another of the 1984 tracks, describing the desperate emotions of this future state. When I wasn’t prepared for the ingenuity of Low or the understated anger of Scary Monsters, both of which I’d purchased before this album, Diamond Dogs satisfied and made me a Bowie fan.

As always, a list like this can be hard to come up with, if only because there are so many fine albums out there that few people are listening to. Honorable mentions include: Eagles of Death Metal, Death By Sexy; Aphex Twin, I Care Because You Do; Boards of Canada, Music Has the Right to Children; Lou Reed, Transformer; Pig, The Swining; and Gary Numan/Tubeway Army, Replicas.

I also wanted to note some of the people who submitted entries to me:

Avid reader Aftershock comes from more of the old school, but lists Alice Cooper’s Welcome to my Nightmare, Nine Inch Nails’ The Fragile, Yes vocalist Jon Anderson’s solo work Olias of Sunhillow, Donnie Iris’ King Cool, and Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti.

An old friend of mine named Dave suggests Led Zepplin II, Ben Kweller’s Sha Sha, Jack Johnson’s In Between Dreams, and Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine. Odd on his last choice, I never considered him an enormous Nine Inch Nails fan, but takes all kinds. He also notes, “I am a firm believer that the key to a great album is not looking for the next button after a song you really like. In my opinion these are all CDs I can put on and listen to all the way through without skipping lesser songs.” He then added Radiohead’s The Bends to his list.

- Heathen

I know I just did an article not too long ago, raving about how great LCD Soundsystem is, but I definitely want to reiterate my findings after seeing them live with Arcade Fire at the LC/Promowest in Columbus – October 5, 2007. This performance made believers out of several of my friends, including my wife (Esoteric), who exclaimed that she was impressed to see a dancy-techno band perform all their instruments live and put on a hell of a show (she was also extremely happy that “Sound of Silver” was not a part of the setlist, a song she finds incredibly annoying).

It really was amazing to see them perform these songs live – James Murphy, one of the few frontmen I know of in recent history handled drumsticks along with his live drummer – and a guitarist who was going crazy on drums as well. A fellow reviewer likened the beginning of their set to Gang of Four. Especially strong were the performances of “Someone Great,” “Movement,” and “Yeah.” It seemed from my vantage point that Murphy was definitely able to capture the crowd, mostly consisting of emo kids and hipsters, but with some older punk and post-punk types. I’m also pretty sure that a couple of members of Arcade Fire joined up for some background yelling during “North American Scum.”

I was slightly disappointed that “No Love Lost” wasn’t included in their setlist – part of a split 7 inch single that they released along with Arcade Fire that was only available on this tour. It’s an excellent cover a Joy Division song from that band’s Warsaw days, which LCD turns into a tremendous neo-punk anthem. Too bad it’s only a B-Side. Murphy’s stated his excitement about such a release, remarking that 7” singles were things that punk bands used to release when he was a kid in New York. However, I was particularly impressed with what I felt was the low point of LCD’s Sound of Silver LP, “All My Friends.” I went from completely disliking this song to becoming very fond of the central piano, which I felt drowns out all of the other parts of the song on the album.

Another entertaining feature was Murphy’s awkward interaction with the crowd. I liken him to a Judd Apatow protagonist, while my wife stated that she just wanted to run up on stage and give him a big hug. She also felt that she appreciated his talent all the more by seeing how much of a dork he is – which is definitely okay by me.

Setlist:

Us vs. Them
Daft Punk is Playing At My House
Time to Get Away
North American Scum
All My Friends
Tribulations
Movement
Someone Great
Yeah
New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down

Arcade Fire, on the other hand, was a massive show, making the band seem larger than life. With a light show that is worthy of Nine Inch Nails, they made a spectacular introduction, featuring footage from televangelists running together and making your head want to explode ala Scanners – transforming into four neon bibles, reminiscent of the album cover of Neon Bible. They performed for a solid ninety minutes in sweltering heat, odd for an outdoor night show in October, and dominated the crowd from start to finish.

This huge 10 piece band might be giving Radiohead a run for their money as the best band in the world (not to say my favorite band – but a band that is quality and can be accessible to just about anyone, while still maintaining their integrity and remaining true to themselves). My wife commented once again, asking me if I remembered why she loves the Killers – because she can hear so many different influences in their music. Applying the same formula to Arcade Fire, she likened that feeling to an explosion – hearing David Bowie and post-punk in their sound, to a lot of dance and even maybe a little country.

They’re also amazing multi-instrumentalists. A good number of their members were running around on stage and constantly switching instruments, adding an extra element to the dynamic of the group on stage. Trying to keep track of co-founder Régine Chassagne became especially difficult, as she went from singing, to keyboards, to drums during a couple of songs. Also impressive were the violinists. Overall, the show was extremely orchestral, which you expect from a 10-piece live band, with a stunning visual appeal and an amazing sound.

Setlist, courtesy of Chaptal:

Black Mirror
Keep the Car Running
Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
No Cars Go
Haiti
I’m Sleeping In A Submarine
Ocean of Noise
Cold Wind
Intervention
(Antichrist Television Blues)
The Well and the Lighthouse
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
Encore:
Headlights Look Like Diamonds
Wake Up

- Heathen

Just wanted to note to all of our readers and contributors, if you
haven’t heard - Amazon.com is now offering DRM-free mp3 downloads, at
excellent costs. Many times, you’re very likely to get a full album for
cheaper than you would at a store. Their layout is pretty f’n good; I
plan on going back through all of our recommended downloads and
relinking them to their Amazon counterparts for your downloading pleasure.

On a related note, we’ll also be providing a “Steal These Songs” page,
similar to the “Steal These Records” page, which will catalog all of our
recommended downloads in one place and link to the song on Amazon. If
you have any suggestions for either albums that should be included in
“Steal These Records” or songs for “Steal These Songs” (cuz sometimes
you just don’t want to buy the record dammit, you want the one
song…and hey, that’s perfectly okay), please e-mail your suggestions
to me at heathen@compulsivetruth.com.

Also, I put a call out recently to contributors to put together a short
list of their absolute favorite and/or essential full albums (please
limit to 5) and to tell me why they consider these essential; I’d like
to open that up to everybody. Again, please e-mail your submissions to
the above email address and we’ll see if we can get the ball rolling on
that.

- Heathen

“Radio, what’s new? Someone still loves you.” – Queen

As I mentioned in a previous article, I spent a lot of my youth listening to different Chicago radio stations. That particular city carries with it a proud tradition for radio – Steve and Garry, Kevin Matthews, Jonathon Brandmeier, Mancow Muller, the list goes on. It’s rare to hear names in radio with any such reverence, save Howard Stern, really, and the list is consistently growing shorter. Good radio’s always been a tough sell to underground music fans – by definition, these are people who usually listen to music not available from the mainstream. In the ’80s and ‘90s, that changed somewhat with the advent of “Alternative” radio stations that popped up around the country in the face of the incredibly bland mainstream radio that continues to this day. These stations also started to fade away in recent years, with satellite and internet radio leading the charge to replace the once proud medium. Some will say that radio still maintains its relevance with the recent Don Imus controversy; some consider it just background noise that started to go out of style when MTV took over the airwaves (which now consists of stupid “reality” show after stupid “reality” show, and little to no music at all. Hell, even Justin Timberlake complained about that, how sad is that?). After college, I moved to Columbus, Ohio, which actually has a very solid alternative rock radio station (CD101) – stronger even than Chicago’s metal-centric and usually very boring Q101, which kept me company through many a commute. So, the question is, what’s the future for this medium?

After gaining employment with the company that I currently work for, I began exploring internet radio like Last.fm (recently purchased by CBS) and Pandora, mostly because I have access to these at work. The idea behind internet radio streams is fairly simple – little to no commercials, continuous music, and a more interactive playlist. This is an extraordinarily democratic medium that is currently being horned in by the corrupt record industry, who feel cheated that they don’t have the power over internet radio that they have over normal radio. For years, it’s been common practice for these companies to pay record stations to play certain songs a certain amount of times a day, albeit under the table; give certain bands more commercial exposure than others in order to maximize profit in the end. Sure it’s a rotten system, but that’s just always been the nature of the music industry. This has also become a common practice in internet radio feeds like the two mentioned above – a listener can only skip ahead of songs that are “decided” upon say 5 or 6 times in an hour, so you’re right back where you don’t want to be: if a song that you don’t like plays, you’re supposed to shut up and listen to it even if you don’t want to.

Recently, the Copyright Royalty Board increased the rates of royalties that internet radio stations have to pay for every streamed song, potentially crippling this burgeoning industry. Under the new rates, the lump sum of money being paid by these broadcasters would total over $2 Billion, nearly four times what normal radio stations would have to pay. This rate increase is currently under appeal.

What really angered me about Last.fm was that free users used to have the ability to decide what bands would play on their individual “station” – a remarkable fete for democratic radio – but later made this a pay service; if you want to listen to Last.fm, you have to pick a single artist and hope that the similar artists included on the station are actually what you want to listen to, and that usually isn’t the case. For instance, the Smashing Pumpkins are listed as an artist similar to Nine Inch Nails, and I’m fairly sure that both camps’ fans would tend to disagree with that estimation. If you play a Nine Inch Nails station, you’re also likely to be forced to listen to Slipknot, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold, and a lot of other terrible bands that you particularly despise accordingly.

Then there’s satellite radio – another monster altogether. I subscribed to XM radio for a little less than a year and was less than thrilled with what we received. Satellite radio, to me, was pumped up; it was a breath of fresh air, it was me deciding what station to listen to wherever we went. Rarely did those stations ever live up to what I was looking for. Sure, every once and awhile I’d come across an interesting band on the indie rock station, or PiL would play on the roots of alternative station, but in both cases, not as often as I’d like. The talk stations were boring, the sports and comedy stations even moreso. David Bowie, a spokesman for XM, had totally let me down. And the truly sad part was how excited I was at first; I had a portable WiFi player, and I should’ve just bought an iPod. My reception was constantly lousy, especially when traveling – I was 13 years old trying to find “Supernaut” again, only the songs weren’t nearly as spectacular as that.

Apparently, I’m not the only one disappointed by the less-than-thrilling Satellite radio; why subscribe to something when you can get terrestrial radio for free? Most people have such heavy control over what they listen to anyway, through either personal mp3 players that they can hook up to their car stereo, or CD players that come standard in factory model cars. Though, even CDs are becoming an increasingly obsolete technology with the purveyance of digital media. It seems like satellite radio is only useful as a replacement for muzak as background noise in your favorite stores, or a way to not have to pay for a DJ in a nightclub. Earlier this year, Sirius and XM announced a merger between their two companies to create a satellite radio network with somewhere around 13 million subscribers, which, for a sorry excuse for a medium, is a pretty strong number.

Still, both of the mediums I’ve talked about here have potential. Satellite technology is still a definite contender for the crown, but probably in a more personalized form. Or maybe even the use of Satellite/Internet radio or something similar, where subscribers can choose their own playlists. Plus, there’s the FCC crackdown of purported radio “filth,” which has prompted on-air personalities like Howard Stern to move to satellite broadcasting. For those of us that like our comedy dirty, I suppose that’s good news at least – satellite broadcasts aren’t regulated the way that public airwaves are. Besides, with today’s obsession with WiFi and contantly having everything “On-Demand,” heightened interactivity is the only way for radio to really progress. Instead of just taking requests like the days of old, personalizing stations the way internet radio providers do is the wave of the future, despite its flaws – and satellite radio providers had the right idea at least. Perhaps we could find some way to merge the two…

- Heathen

Chaptal’s Dialogue 9/9/07

They formed from the ashes of Split Enz. Songwriter Neil Finn and drummer Paul Hester were joined by bassist Nick Seymour and formed The Mullanes, Neil’s middle name. Record company pressure insisted the band call itself Crowded House, about the conditions the band was living under in Los Angeles.

After a year or two of recording in Southern California the band’s self titled debut record was released in 1986. The initial interest in the band was lukewarm. Spurred on by touring in small clubs with their dynamic and quirky live act, word of mouth, and the release of their biggest song, “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” the band established itself as one of the strongest new acts of the late 1980’s.

In 1988, their follow-up, Temple of Low Men, was released. It’s filled with melodic pop with a heavy Beatles influence, particularly that of Paul McCartney. At first listen, I was not impressed. A lot of the irreverent fun was missing from this record and it was not until several years later that I understood that this record was far, far more profound than the first. Songs like “Into Temptation” and “Better Be Home Soon” were perfectly crafted pop songs, with Finn’s vocal the star of the band.

I saw them for the first time at my college town. There was an uncertainty as if this concert would not happen as there was a chicken pox epidemic on campus at the time. Even my spouse caught it. The show did go and it seemed a bit more low key than what I expected. They did do a rousing sing-along of “Sister Madly” during which Neil Finn winked at my wife in the mosh pit. The cad!

After the second record Neil Finn got back together with his older brother, Split Enz founder Tim Finn, to work on a record of their own. Record company pressure to make a third Crowded House record morphed into Tim Finn joining the band. T