Favourite albums/ bands/shows of 2010

Wow. 2010 just flew by didn't it? With 2011 coming up close, it's time for myself to reflect on some of my favourite albums and bands I've discovered this year.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Ted Leo + The Pharmacist's The Brutalist Bricks takes the number one slot. So many great songs make up the record including "Even Heros Have to Die", "Bottled in Cork", "The Mighty Sparrow" and others.

Alkaline Trio's This Addiction was quite good as well. Better then Agony and Irony, but some hit-or-miss songs present as well. Danny didn't get enough songs on the album. "Kick Rocks" should have been on there. It could have easily taken a place of a Skiba song.

Less Than Jake's TV-EP was quite funny. I'm hoping for a new record next year from these great guys.

Sundowner's We Chase The Waves is awesome! Chris and Neil of TLA did a great job. Now all we need is a NEW Lawrence Arms album. Not another EP. Another album, please.

Jimmy Eat World's new record Invented was alright. Some good songs here and there. A little melancholy, but it's not bad.

Matt Skiba's Demos was...strange. Maybe one song or so was okay.

Local band Conrad Plymouth released an EP as well and it's very good. It's good ol' americana and it's great! Fergus Falls is a great one to hear live. They're fun to play with to. Chris is always a riot.

The Newloud is a cornucopia of good dancy punk/pop/ music. My guitarist works for their front man, and every once in a while I'll listen to their bandcamp site. They're unique.

Eric and Magill-I participated in the recording of this album by contributing some vocals on a song. Another mellow-americana album and it's awesome. These guys did a great job.

Favourite shows for 2010-

Modern Family is STILL great. Great acting, great story line.

Hells Kitchen-Still watching this one religiously.

The Big Bang Theory-NEW fav show. My in-laws got me into it one day, and I love it. It's too funny. Bill Parsons is a genius.

Conan-No reason to explain this one. It's Conan O'Brien at his best.

Here's to 2011.

EP finally done and available for download

It's here. It's up and ready for download. We worked super hard on it and it's finally available to listen to and download for FREE or whatever you'd like to donate. Nick was originally going to release it Dec 6th for St. Nick (and play St Nick) but after some people looking for it early online, he put it up early.

Go check it out and let me know what you think

http://www.cleanhandsmke.bandcamp.com

Two for the price of one

So we (Clean Hands) rounded up the year with two shows in November. One at the Miramar Theater and one at Bay View Brewhaus. The Miramar show was the biggest venue to date that we played. We played with Tomorrow Ever After and Fuzee. Aside from my bass drum moving too much forward, the show went pretty well.

The Brewhaus show was great. We gave out two-song disc samplers of the rough recordings. People dug it and it was sort of a 'thanks for all the support' effort. The EP wasn't complete in time which our guitarist was pretty bummed with. But it's pretty complete now and we'll have it online soon for download AND have it available for free at our CD release party. So this year, we nailed 7 shows in the short time all three of us have played together.

Keep posted for the link to our album on bandcamp.com

"You Will Play Well Because You've Got Heart"-JNJ

My wife told me that before I left for the studio. It kept with me all day.

I've been kind of monopolizing the blogspot the last few entries. Sorry 82. So my guitarist in our band works full time at a studio in Milwaukee, and was able to record our 4-song ep this week. I went in tuesday morning to lay down the drum tracks. Took some effort and hard work but overall, it went well. It was my very first time recording anything with a metronome, so I felt pretty nervous, but it went well. Our bassist went in later as our guitarist edited drums. Everything's done except vocals. We should have the record ready to go by next weekend's show in Bay View.

I've never felt more proud of anything I've done music-wise. My band mates and I are getting better and better and are very happy with the result. Last night I was listening to some of the tracks and they sounded great. I can't wait to share it with the one's who've always believed in me.

Best Show Ever? YES!

Going into the Live on North show , we were a bit frustrated that we were supposed to play at 12:30AM! Well, we ended up starting 30 minutes early, so that's a bit better. Turns out we had an amazing turn out. Friends old and new came out and danced to our songs...We had a great time. We played real tight, and they loved the Prince cover too! So it looks like the next couple shows are in November. Both should be a good time. In the mean time we're going to hopefully record a 3 song ep to hand out at the shows.

Full Steam Ahead

We(Clean Hands) had a great double booked evening a few weeks ago on the East Side. The art gallery opening was more like a glorified practice for us. A small handful of people came out and had a good time. AND we got paid. Awesome. Later in the evening we played with a few young bands at Live on North down the street. What a packed crowd. It was super rad seeing so many kids (most likely supporting their friends) and overall, we had a good time. We'll be back October 1st headlining a bill. This weekend we play Landmark Lanes with Lady Cannon and the day stars. Should be a fun time.

Clean Hands starting to really take off

After a pretty successful show at the Vnuks Lounge in Cudahy Wisconsin, we've booked quite a few shows going into November. This Friday we're either shooting ourselves in the foot, or boldly making a name for ourselves booking two shows in one night. The first show will be at Starship on Farwell ave. There's a local artist showing some art at the small store, and we're playing some music afterwords. It's more like a glorified practice. I also have to find a way to tune it down a bit since we're in a small store. The 2nd show, we go on at 10:30, and it's at a small venue, but should be well-packed. Either way, it'll be a lot of fun getting our name out there in the thriving music scene.

Chill On The Hill was a THRILL!

Monday night I asked my wife if she'd be interested in checking out Milwaukee's Decibully Tuesday at Chill On The Hill at Humbolt Park. Since we had nothing else going on, we headed down, but missed opening act Juniper Tar. We were both in awe of how many people where hanging out at Humbolt. There were TONS, probably the entire town of Bay View showed up! It was quite enjoyable relaxing on the large hill watching one of the best bands in town. They opened with what sounded like a new song, then went straight into "Sing Out.." They started playing a few older gems, but got into some of the new stuff off World Travels Fast, and even nailed some b-sides and up-coming material for their next record. It was an interesting crowd. Mostly parents with kids, small dogs...and the few in the front dancing to Decibully. One child yelled out after a song "THAT WAS GOOD!" Everyone around him bursted out laughing. Here's the set list in it's entirety in no particular order

Sing Out Sing Out...
My Lighter and Strings
Meg and Magill
Somewhere in the World
Live By The Lake
Penny Look Down
I'm Gonna Tell You
Broken Glass
Let's Not Fight
Don't Believe The Hype
Let Me In My Lord
Blood We Bleed

I think my favourite tunes of the night where Broken Glass (because it sounds AMAZING live) Blood We Bleed and My Lighter and Strings (because they never play that gem). Overall, amazing night. I'm ready and fired up for my band's show Saturday. Hopefully won't break any sticks or do anything stupid.

Top-40 vs. Pop

My wife and I often discuss music in the car while listening to stuff she enjoys, which is mostly top-40.

I've had a problem with top-40 for most of my life, as it's just throwaway crap which, truthfully, is not meant to have a lasting effect.

To the average listener, top-40 and pop are synonymous. However, upon discussing this with my wife, we determined that they are not.

We defined the two as such:

Pop = a genre of music whose songs have sing-along-able hooks, yet tends to not sound dated years later (which is why there can be such thing as pop-punk).

Top-40 = a genre of music that uses all the latest conventions and technologies that burns out rather quickly. Top-40 songs are used in retrospective VH-1 shows, like "I love the 80s."

Let's illustrate:

This is pop:



This is top-40:



Both songs came out in 1999. Which sounds more dated?

I guarantee you that just a few years from now, we'll be talking about Keisha and Lady Gaga nostalgically just like we do with the Backstreet Boys.... or we'll be talking about their comeback albums.

Attack Attack! Easily one of the worst bands ever

These guys are just embarrassing to the art of music. Let's see if they've got the checklist complete: Obnoxious metal-esque guitar riffs? Check. Double bass-blasts? Check. SCREAMMMMINGGGG!!!!!???Check. The cherry on top...AUTO TUNING!? Double Check. But oh, they invented Crab-Core! Watch the video, and you'll see them posing like crabs with their guitars with the obnoxious head-banging.

What's almost worse is that they're on the Warped Tour. A tour I once held as a sacred music festival. A time in the summer when I was a younger lad enjoying bands like Alkaline Trio, The Bouncing Souls, Less Than Jake, NOFX, The Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies, Bad Religion, Unwritten Law, Assorted Jellybeans, Mad Caddies, Frenzal Rhomb, Lagwagon, No Use For A name..etc etc the list keeps going. I've got fond memories of this tour. Unfortunately over the last few years, it's gone down hill. Kevin L, the founder of Warped Tour signs on whomever is hot and popular. And apparently these sand-crabs are big and popular. I have high hopes that one day, their necks snap in a middle of a break-down and their heads roll into the crowds, thus ending Crab-Core.

Police on bicycles? REALLY?

A week ago I was drumming in our screened-in porch (since our basement was recently sealed and worked on) and after about 25 minutes, I saw the two police officers driving up my driveway...ON BIKES! They said "can we talk to you at your door?" Turns out a neighbor perhaps a few blocks or a street down called the police complaining about "loud drumming". Really? I understand that it's extra loud in the porch because of our glass walls, but seriously it was 11 in the morning. As much as I'd love to play in my basement we're still spraying the walls for mold and eventually will be painting a mural in oue of the corners. I guess I don't get why I should have to stop drumming on my only free time because some cranky neighbor couldn't handle 25 minutes of music...Even the police didn't think it was a big deal.

Sumthin' for Everybody

A few quick random thoughts:

1. The new Devo album is amazing. It's the best Devo album since The New Traditionalists. I think each song is better than the previous and despite the mixed reviews, this one is worth a listen to hear a middle-aged Devo show you what they've learned since 1990's Smooth Noodle Maps.

2. I made myself a Billy Bragg playlist on my iPod. I love everything Billy Bragg has done, but sometimes I just want to listen to the songs with the biggest punch.

It is as follows in not much of an order - since I mostly listen to this on shuffle:

* A New England
* Between The Wars
* The World Turned Upside Down
* Thatcherites
* Accident Waiting to Happen
* You Woke Up My Neighborhood
* North Sea Bubble
* England, Half-English
* NPWA
* Take Down the Union Jack
* The Beach is Free
* O Freedom
* The Boy Done Good
* Think Again
* Greetings To The New Brunette
* Help Save the Youth Of America
* The Price of Oil
* A Pict Song
* Upfield
* The Space Race Is Over
* Goalhanger
* She's Got A New Spell
* Waiting For The Great Leap Forward
* Bush War Blues
* Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key
* All You Fascists

The Brutalist Bricks packs hit after hit

Okay, okay, it's been out for a few months and I really should have reviewed it earlier. Wasn't completely sure if 82 was going to, but decided I might as well do it since he's a busy cat. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists's The Brutalist Bricks is the latest work from the punk/indie/rock group and it's a fantastic follow-up to 2007's Living with the Living. I'm going to jump around on some of the stand-out tracks, so bare with me. The Mighty Sparrow kicks off the album with a catchy chorus and a great hook. Mourning In America (originally released on the Rapid Response EP) is a noisy, fast punk song well worth listening to. I've tried drumming to it, and I'm pretty sure I've got a good idea what drummer Chris Wilson is doing, but it's quite the work out. Ativan Eyes is a lovely song full of distorted guitars and Ted's signature soft vocals. Even Heros Have to Die comes in next with a great beat, and great chorus. Bottled in Cork may be my favourite song. Starts out real quick but quickly cuts the time down and slows down. Gotta love the lines "tell the bartender I think I'm falling in love". Woke Up Near Chelsea is probably my 2nd favourite song. It features some aggressive singing with some great guitar work. Where Was My Brain showcases Leo's love for all things punk rock. Very ramones-esque. One Polaroid a Day kinda has some of the critics scratching their heads. He ditches his typical falsetto vocals with a low-tone style that isn't horrible, but just confusing. I like how he performs it live better, with his normal style of singing. Last Days and Gimmie the Wire both are amazing tracks to finish out the album.
If you're a Ted Leo fan, and you haven't picked this up yet, something may be wrong with you. It's fantastic. It's better then fantastic. It's awesome. Probably one of the best albums of the year. Go grab it, and thank me later.

"Dude, that band totally sold out for playing at ___"

A while ago Lawrence Arms bassist/vocalist Brendan Kelly posted on his blog The Bad Sandwich Chronicles about bands playing big venues (specifically he was referring to Against Me!) and how silly and stupid it'd be to stay an underground band with bills and a family and NOT want to progress to making more money...This makes absolute sense to me. His band hasn't blown up like underground sensation and friends Alkaline Trio, but they've probably come to terms with that. They've got super loyal fans all over, but just don't have the 'sound' to be dragged across radio waves on a mainstream level. Now I can see from both sides how the cause and effect of a band once small blowing up can be. From the fan's point of view, you loved watching your favourite band play intimate venues and hung out with them afterwords at the bar. They get bigger and play larger venues with a hefty ticket price or with bigger bands you don't have the slightest interest in. You then feel like they've 'sold out' since they're playing with band you don't care for, maybe on a sponsored tour package...such is life right? Imagine being the band starting out with next to no money, making the records in living rooms using a closet as a vocal booth. They hand-silk screened the shirt you're wearing and pulled up to the venue in a rusted van that also doubles as their hotel for the night. You watch them play that night as they give it their all putting every drop of energy into their set. They pick up their small amount of cash they made (since the venue screwed them over once again) and drive to the next town. Fast-forward 8 or so years from now. They've made 5 or so records, can afford a better vehicle and now can make the record at a somewhat better recording studio. Hell, they can even tour more cities with a better chance of hitting your hometown again. I guess after years of struggling to get bigger in the music scene and business, I can't turn my back on a band that deserves success. I mean, what band would want to stay on the bottom food chain while their buddies in other bands make a more comfortable living doing the exact same thing they do? It doesn't make sense to me. We all have goals in life. And Every band most likely would enjoy to continue to be successful doing what they love: playing for the fans and spreading their music. That would be like telling your favourite athlete they should have stayed playing minor ball or whatever because that would be "keeping it real".

Alkaline Trio-This Addiction-Strangely addictive, with some side effects

Alkaline Trio recently released their 7th studio album This Addiction, on their new label they started called Heart & Skull, which is a sub-label off Epitaph. They also returned to Chicago studio Atlas Studio to record with Matt Allison (Lawrence Arms/Less Than Jake) to record the album. They stated in 09, that it'd be a stripped down record while returning to their punk-rock roots. While their 2008 release of Agony and Irony which promoted health, happiness and better things, This Addiction has a different vibe. It may be because Guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba recently went through a divorce, & they've had some personal losses over the last year. So after a week and a half of listening to the album in my car, This Addiction is a decent 7th album. I first heard their first song and single "This Addiction" a few months back and it defiantly peaked my interest in the new record. It's straight forward with the classic Trio style. It's Matt's comparison of drugs and love, and is super catchy. Great way to start off the record. "Dine Dine My Darling" is next and the first song sung by bassist/vocalist Dan Andriano. It's catchy as well, with a great hook. "Lead Poisoning" is third. Matt's leading the vocals on this one too. The critics are hating it because of the NOFX-style trumpet part, but overall, it's an alright song.

"Dead On The Floor" is fourth. Another Skiba-sung song. It's one of my favourite off the album, if not THE favourite. The opening riff is similar to an older track "San Francisco". The lyrics are great, the chorus is simple and wonderful. There's some light chimes highlighting the track, which really add to it. "The American Scream" is next. Skiba sings on this one. It has a darker feel to it since it's about a Army soldier coming back from over seas and killing himself over his mother's grave. It's a rare political song for the group, but works. "Off The Map" is next. Dan sings on this one. This is my favourite track, by far. The lyrics are your typical witty Dan-style with a great melody. Matt sings on the next track "Draculina". Probably my least favourite track. It's just not as exciting as I'd like to hope. "Eating Me Alive" follows it, which is once again, sung by Matt. This is the track that's got everyone scratching their heads, or perhaps even skipping the album. The synth part is very obnoxious, but since they're influenced by bands such as The Cure, it sort of shines through. The chorus is alright, but that damn synth part is hard to ignore. "Piss and Vinegar" follows that which is the third song in a row, sung by Matt. The guitar riffs on this one sounds pretty similar to "Eating Me Alive". Part of it. Chorus is alright for the most part. "Dorothy" follows it which ONCE again is sung by Matt. It's not a bad one. The drum part is interesting for the intro part. Lyrics are 'eh'. "Fine" sung by Dan, finishes out the album. Live, they're switching instruments around with Dan on guitar, Derek on bass and Matt on drums. Kinda freshening things up and keeping it interesting. This one sounds great. Dan captures great lyrics & a great melody. Now if you have the Deluxe addition, you've got the extra songs "Kick Rocks" and "Those Lungs" as well as three acoustic tracks. "Kick Rocks" is perfect. Danny sings on this one as well as "Those Lungs" and both are absolutely great. The drum part on "Those Lungs" on the intro sounds too similar to "Time To Waste" but it's still a solid song.

So as you can see, Matt clearly dominates the album with songs he leads on versus Dan who sings on just three (not including the B-sides) He's got some good songs, but there are a few that could be substituted for the B-sides. Dan shines very brightly leaving the listener wanting more on his side. Overall, not too bad. Less glossy then Agony and Irony, yet some tracks fall slightly.

Updates on my drum kit

So I've come to terms that my lousy kit I purchased off Ebay isn't that great, but since I don't have a lot of money, I can upgrade parts to make it sound and play pretty well. In the summer of 09, I purchased a new bass drum pedal. My DW 7000 lasted me many years and the parts started to bust and some of the nuts were stripped, so I picked up a Tama HP30 single pedal. I would have loved the Iron Cobra since a lot of drummers swear by that pedal, but this one was pretty affordable so it worked out for my budget.
Next upgrade was around the holidays. I was very fortunate to get some gift cards to Cascio Interstate Music (music store near my house) for Christmas. My family new all I wanted was to upgrade some things on the kit. So without hesitation, I picked up a new hi-hat stand. The one I've been using since day one of getting my kit back in 99 or 2000 was the original CB stand. That thing, lasted quite a while, but was kind of a pain since some of the parts that hold the hats were coming loose often. This stand is awesome. The clutch isn't really needed, but it's a good bonus feature.
Lastly, I picked up some great Remo pinstripe heads. I had the black pinstripe heads for quite some time, and they defiantly needed to be changed out. I went clear this time around, but am happy with my decision. I hope this year (but won't be for quite some time) to get some new hi-hats. Maybe some Sabian Xs20s. I've had B8 hats for too long. I've played 14 inch cymbals on other band's kits for a while now, and am not digging my current 13 inch ones. These will cost maybe 150 dollars so I'll have to wait a while. I'd like to change out my front bass drum head as well. Get one that's ported with nothing on it so I can paint something eventually.

Argh!

I'm not quite over the "end of the decade" crap foisted at us by pop-culture.

No, this decade is not over yet. 2010 counts as the tenth year of the current decade, century and millenium, no matter what the knuckleheads in the media tell you.

Think about it this way: When we started using AD after the year, the first year was 1, not 0.

Another way to think about it is that we're in the 21st century, yet the first two digits are 2 and 0. That means that the First Century was years 1-100 AD, not 100-200.

I know all my ranting and raving about this elementary fact won't change the way we think about it - after all, we like nice round numbers. But still, people, show some brains!