Some bands that I have heard and enjoyed recently on my newly created Pandora station, and may download in my 324th attempt to end my eMusic subscription are Hermatavore, Holy Fuck, and Dsyrhythmia and any one else that seems to feature these attributes:
hard rock roots
a subtle use of vocal harmony
varying tempo and time signatures
demanding instrumental part writing
minor key tonality
dirty electric guitar riffs
use of odd meter
an instrumental arrangement
Math Meddling is the name of the station, but I don't know if that's something that other people can access. I'm new to this Pandora shtuff and I don't know how to do anything except listen. In my opinion, it's been great for finding new stuff since radio totally sucks...
BUT...
I actually have some good things to say about terrestial radio for once. Chris Booker has returned to 92.3 KROCK for the afternoon drive time slot. Booker's one of the only DJs I will actually suffer through a barrage of Guitar Center and 1-877-KARS-4-KIDS commercials to hear. Back when KROCK turned all talk, The Penn Jillette Show and The Booker Show were the only things I could stomach (or eardrum). When both of those shows went off the air, I bought an mp3 player and said goodbye to radio. When my mp3 player was out of commission for a while, I was pleased to discover WRXP and Matt Pinfield's morning show. Fucking awesome. I can't stand his sidekick Leslie Fram (who sounds like Rockin' Robin Lane, minus the Rockin' and adding the Lame), but Matt Pinfield more than makes up for her. I can't say I enjoy every song they play, but I keep it locked in for the most part. I think I'd prefer Matt Pinfield just talking about the songs rather than playing them, but it's not my radio show.
While I'm sucking WRXP's dick, I should also say that the absolute greatest thing about the radio station is that THEY PLAY THE SONGS ALL THE WAY THROUGH. They even let the songs fade completely out when any douche program director for any other commercial radio station would have said "PLAY A LOUD BUMPER OR START THE NEXT SONG ALREADY, YOU'RE LOSING THEM!" Fuck you, imaginary dude!
While I'm sucking WRXP's dick, I should also say that the absolute greatest thing about the radio station is that THEY PLAY THE SONGS ALL THE WAY THROUGH. They even let the songs fade completely out when any douche program director for any other commercial radio station would have said "PLAY A LOUD BUMPER OR START THE NEXT SONG ALREADY, YOU'RE LOSING THEM!" Fuck you, imaginary dude!
Anyway, Booker now gives me a reason to listen to the radio on the way home from work too. I was so happy that I expressed my joy to the locksmith I stopped to see on my drive home. Again, I would prefer fewer songs because Booker actually has interesting things to say, but it's only his first day back, so the format is probably not set in stone yet. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if all of my favorite programs were canceled before I finish typing this blog. Radio is fucking stupid that way.
Back to music (if you can handle more writing). I'm so on the fence with this Marnie Stern chick. Yes, she's a fret tapping maniac. Yes, her songs feature complicated time changes and crazy fucking sounds. Yes, Zach Hill drums for her. But I just can't get past her voice. I sort of hate it. I think I would enjoy her songs much more if they were instrumental. Sorry, but it's true. I sort of like the Hella vocal tracks sometimes, but I'm already happy with just an awesome guitar melody, even if it's a frantic math metal melody. It's similar to my feelings of Los Straitjackets. Their instrumentals are so memorable and powerful even without vocals. But I feel like they lose some of their identity on the vocal albums. I just previewed Marnie Stern so many times that I feel like I'm trying to force myself to love her, but I can't admit that I don't. Maybe I did just admit it.
Ok, I've had so many tangents that I can't remember what I even logged in to blog about, so I'm going to leave you with a great piece of writing that I copied and pasted into a blank blog the other day. I had been reading lots of articles about commercial failures of video game consoles and lists of the worst video games ever. One description stuck out which made me laugh my ass off. Seanbaby from Electronic Gaming Monthly was talking about Night Trap (the Sega CD game with Dana Plato) and described a moment of the game where the characters sing the Night Trap Theme Song thusly: "It's the musical equivalent of raking a car alarm down a chalkboard and jamming the entire thing into the asshole of a screaming cat."
1 Kudos.
Back to music (if you can handle more writing). I'm so on the fence with this Marnie Stern chick. Yes, she's a fret tapping maniac. Yes, her songs feature complicated time changes and crazy fucking sounds. Yes, Zach Hill drums for her. But I just can't get past her voice. I sort of hate it. I think I would enjoy her songs much more if they were instrumental. Sorry, but it's true. I sort of like the Hella vocal tracks sometimes, but I'm already happy with just an awesome guitar melody, even if it's a frantic math metal melody. It's similar to my feelings of Los Straitjackets. Their instrumentals are so memorable and powerful even without vocals. But I feel like they lose some of their identity on the vocal albums. I just previewed Marnie Stern so many times that I feel like I'm trying to force myself to love her, but I can't admit that I don't. Maybe I did just admit it.
Ok, I've had so many tangents that I can't remember what I even logged in to blog about, so I'm going to leave you with a great piece of writing that I copied and pasted into a blank blog the other day. I had been reading lots of articles about commercial failures of video game consoles and lists of the worst video games ever. One description stuck out which made me laugh my ass off. Seanbaby from Electronic Gaming Monthly was talking about Night Trap (the Sega CD game with Dana Plato) and described a moment of the game where the characters sing the Night Trap Theme Song thusly: "It's the musical equivalent of raking a car alarm down a chalkboard and jamming the entire thing into the asshole of a screaming cat."
1 Kudos.
3 comments:
G4 showed the Night Trap clip on their X-Play show a long time ago. It's really bad. Heck, so was the game. The girls were having a slumber party and you had to protect them from prowlers, rapists, and terrorists who kept entering the home. I sure it can be found on Rom-World along with an emulator.
pandora.com is great for finding obscure covers and oddball bands you never heard of before but are perfect for you. I love that station for finding new music. Well, new may be strecthing it. Everyone I listen to is apparently 1) old, 2) dead or 3) old and dead.
Night Tarp was bad, but endearing in its shear crap. They are not rapists or anything of the sort. they are vampires. the girls are hot, the music bad, and all so laughable, but play it. I think you might have fun or look for a bottle of Jack!
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