Saturday, January 21, 2012

Who's up for a Face-Melting??

Let me start this one by saying, "I am a Pearl Jam fan."

Hey, where are you going?

Don't worry, don't worry.....this isn't some super-deep Z-side for fans that only knew about the band before they were formed.

This one actually features a big hit of theirs from the '90's: Evenflow.

Now, there are a lot of reasons I love Pearl Jam. They are one of the few remaining, evolving, honest-to-goodness rock bands. Their style shifts from album to album, but the core personalities run throughout. They blend rock and dare I say the word "alternative" with a punk edge that drives and engages. And I won't even get started about Vedder's place in the Hall of All-Time Great Frontmen.

But ole' Ed gets enough spotlight.....we're here to praise McCready.

Mike McCready is a guitarist that has the speed of some 80's band I won't listen to mixed with the soul of Hendrix that we all love laid into a hard-rock, alternative format we can all appreciate (and rock out to).


This performance showcases his skills as he obliterated and frankly publicly humiliated the guitar solo section in Evenflow. And I mean that in the best way.

I mean, I truly respect the man and wish him the best.....but I hope he was on a Columbian truckload of high-grade cocaine this night, otherwise I can never pick up a guitar again.

This solo is.....well....I could try to describe it but instead, you should just watch it. But I'll warn you, you may want to dip your computer in liquid nitrogen first.......lest it combust into flames at 2:33.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

It's short. It's fun. It's Pop.

But that doesn't make it bad.

I hate the idea that simply because something isn't sad/brooding/inaccessible/indie that it has no artistic merit. A well-crafted, engaging pop song is just as hard to write as any avant-garde, indie wet dream. Now "Pop" can cover a lot of territory, so let me clarify:

I'm not talking about Katy Perry.

That isn't good. It's awwwwwwesome (still haven't found the sarcasm font).

But why are we here today, class? To talk about Papa.

No, not in the Freudian sense - the project spearheaded by Girls' drummer, Darren Weiss. Each instrument maintaining it's own idiosyncratic little space, the group pumps out a solid, 5-song dance-along with no room for duds.

From atmospheric guitars to more poppy 80's-esque bouncing lines to straight ahead strummers, each song is tied together by Weiss' earnest voice and driving drums.

So if any of these descriptors are working for you....or you're just curious, check out Papa's EP, "A Good Woman Is Hard To Find."

You know what else is hard to find? Good music. But don't worry.


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