Returnings of Leon

So it's been a little too long.  Maybe a month and a half.  I should have given you a recap of New York.  I mean, I'd planned on it.  But now, I think both you and I feel it's a little fleeting.  So, I'm not going to do it.  Ok.  One word: freaking the best.  So I cheated a little a bit.  

Instead of me rambling about some topic, which I hope to do with some regularity even though I am a busy, busy dude, I offer you a review to one of my favorite band's new album.  Kings of Leon are back with Only By The Night but you know this cause I've only been talking about it all summer and it's finally out on Tuesday.  

So without further ado, here it is.

And............go!

Let me begin by making this distinction: "mainstream" is not a genre, but merely the location of where the music is being typically heard.  I'll use this example: you all know that I've listened to crappy music, and I still do, nothing wrong with that.  I used to really like Trust Company.  Go ahead, laugh.  I had never heard them on the radio around me at all but apparently they tore the radio up in other parts of the country.  Trust Company was only "mainstream" in certain locations but one would use the word to describe their music as such.  See how "mainstream" refers to the location not a genre?  Take Muse for the counter: their music is hideously "mainstream" over in the U.K.  Muse's music is hardly what one would label "mainstream" with the expert instrumentation and classical influence.  "Mainstream" is a location, not a genre.  Repeat it with me kids: a location.

 

You might be asking yourself: what in the world does all this have to do with the new Kings of Leon record?  Well, I'll tell you.  Too many people are decrying the band as mainstream now, thus these idiots who judge music on social standards are forgoing what I believe to be a fantastic record.  KOL is still a band about big hooks and intense lyrics, but now the outward southern exterior has faded.  This does not make them mainstream, if they blow up because of these incredibly catchy songs, then I guess they will be.  Here's the bigger question though: who the heck cares?  Don't we want more thoughful music such as this instead of souless, mid-twentysomethings singing about lesbian kissing?  If your answer is anything but, "Absolutely we do!" then stop listening to music and go read books because Lord knows you could use the smarts.  The point of this sermon/review is like what you like, ok?  Don't worry about who else does.  Judge a band on the songs, not about where the songs are being heard.

 

With all that ridiculousness out of the way, let's talk about Only By The Night, the Kings' fourth effort.  There's no doubt that last year's Because of the Times marked a new direction for those hairy, hairy boys' youth and manhood of the young variety years ago.  Too bad people are afraid of change and whined about the lack of southerniness on BotT.  These are the same yuppies who love change when it comes from a specific full-of-hot-air Democratic nominee.  The brothers Followill and cousin Matthew said it themselves: making the same record over and over again would get very boring.  I'm pretty sure the southern thing was still there, what, with songs about Camaros and the great state of Arizona.  Think of some of your favortie bands.  What if U2 had stuck with the good thing they had going with Boy almost thirty years ago?  No Joshua Tree for you.  And Radiohead?  There's not a single Radiohead fan who's favorite album is PabloHoney, at least not any Radiohead fan I've met.  Sure, there are some duds, Pop and Amnesiac,I'm looking at you (I'm gonna get some hatemail on that latter one).  But the point is, bands evolve their sound and make the music they want to make.  And so that is exactly what Kings have done.

 

It's true, the southern flair is more subtle but it is not gone.  Maybe the music has lost that intitial comfort but the lyrics are still in that mindset.  Singing about girls that are seventeen?  That's trailer park, just ask Winger.  I don't know about you but the word and song title "Revelry" screams "confederacy" to me which in turn screams "south."  Don't worry, it's still here.  What isnew and keeping with the flow established on BotT are the giant, expansive soundscapes.  Remember that first time you spun "Knocked Up" off BotT and were bombarded by...space?  Then that chorus came and punched you in the gut telling you, "Uh-huh, it is gonna be that way."  My favortie track off OBtN, "Be Somebody", has that same feel but reverersed: the verse is the violent one while the chorus let's you jump off a cliff.  When the chorus opens up and the guitar is washed in reverb and the kick is firing on all fours with not a snare in sight...well...there's few other songs that have gripped me like that in a long while.

 

The album opens up with "Closer", a dark sequel to BotT's ender, "Arizona."  That latter track was akin to driving towards mountains, feeling optimistic about what's on the other side.  Imagine then that you round that pass and there's dark clouds on the horizon and a sense of uneasiness.  That's how I feel when listening to "Closer."  I liken it to The Return of the King (book, not movie) when the hobbits return home all relieved only to find the shire scourged.  They just destroyed the freaking ring and now they have to fight for their homeland?  C'mon!  Fortunately, Kings don't want to fight.  They just want you to come along.  This lead's into "Crawl" which seems to be a little political.  That thumping bassline kills me everytime.  Time out to say Jared Followill is one incredible bassist.  They're all good at what they do: Caleb writes well, Nathan pounds tastefully and intricately, and Matt never once indulges in guitar wankery.  But to me, Jared really elevates a song.  Alright, time in.  Third is "Sex On Fire" which I have nothing to say about except what a driving pop song.  The closer "Cold Desert" will be one of the biggest songs you'll ever hear.  Just listen and try not to be swept away, especially by that gimmicky fade out/fade in trick near the end. 

 

Granted, not everyone is going to feel the same way about this album.  Not every track is a surefire winner.  Actually, only "I Want You" comes to mind, with it's never-really-going anywhere, laidback vibe.  But for all you southerners, that song sounds great to throw on while sipping some lemonade on the porch.  It's all going to come down to what you like to listen to, as all music does.  One thing I'm disappointed by is that when I was listening to the album this summer at my internship, there was another song called "New Frontier" that was included.  From what I've read, this track is now called "Frontier City" and available with the deluxe version.  Track it down cause it's a nice little gem with some fun group falsetto. 

 

In conclusion, love the music you love.  But you need to love Only By The Night.  If you don't, I'll grab a chorus and punch you in the gut.

 

If Wishes Were Horses We'd All Be Eatin' Steak

[Heavy, distorted bass intro]

Oh, hi.  I didn’t see you standing there. 

Sorry.  The bass intro is in reference to “Crawl” by Kings of Leon of their new album.  They released it for free download of their site.  Let me get you the link.  Here…it…is!  What a small word to put a clickable link on.  Man, I’m obnoxious.  Also, check out that video right beside it.  The song playing is "Use Somebody" and it's one of the new album's best tracks.

So what’s on the docket today besides my own sin?  Yea-ea-ah.  What?  Creed, anyone?  Anybody?  I know you knew…

Forget it.  I am [enter] happy today.  Watch this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m down here.  Ridiculous.

Since I can’t remember what I wanted to touch on, I’ll start with this.  My homeboy, Joseph Howard aka T.H.O.M.A.S., has put out a “Soundtrack To Your Hipster Life” as he puts it.  This kid knows flow.  If I wasn’t paying attention, I wouldn’t even realize there were thirteen individual tracks he blends them so well.  You’ve got Fleet Foxes, Black Kids, Lil’ Wayne (dang you, Joseph), and CSS.  It’s a spanner, that’s for sure.  Please check it out or Joseph will kick me out of the Star Wars Club.

Next, we have Step Brothers.  Your enjoyment of this movie depends on your tolerance for grown men acting like children while yelling curses at each other.  Basically, if you were a fan of any recent Will Ferrell vehicles such as Anchorman, Talledega Nights, or Semi-Pro, you’ll find something to like here.  Most of you would be upset that I’d compare it to Anchorman but it is not even close to that level.  The two just share a sort of silliness.  You can tell that writers Ferrell and Adam McKay (who also directs) wrote a script full of “insert riffage here”’s.  If you take away the obvious set-ups for said riffage, you’d have a movie who’s running time wouldn’t be out of place on a Super-Sized edition of Must-See-TV Thursday on NBC.  But I say again, if you like Ferrell or John C. Reilly (who is a mighty fine actor in both comedic and dramatic roles) you’ll like this movie.  Plus, those who skipped the hilarious Walk Hard , which according to the gross is most of you, owe it to Reilly to see this film.  ‘Nuff said.

Ahh, yes.  Now I remember the whole reason of this post.  It is to revile you in my hypocrisy.  What hypocrisy is that?  Oh, nothing much.  Just a little Today Show visit I made last Friday.  Who was there?  Miley Cyrus.  Who?  Miley Cyrus..  I can’t hear you.  MILEY CYRUS!!!  GEEZ!  YOU HAPPY NOW?!!!  I went to see Miley Cyrus.

Hold on, hold on.  Sit back down.  I didn’t go for the tuneage.  I went for the babeage.  Just kidding, just kidding!  Jeff, I’m looking at you.  But in all serious, it was a complete voyeuristic experience (in respect to the crowds.  I'm digging a hole here...).  I had to see the madness of the crowds (Yeah, Ace Troubleshooter reference for you right there).  And for that reason it was worth it. 

Eight thousand people showed up.  For the first time in history, 48^th street was shut down.  See that?  First time.  It didn’t happen for Hanson, or N*SYNC, or the Backstreet Boys.  It happened for Miley Cyrus and I was there.  (Wow, I just noticed there’s no colored, wavy line under N*SYNC.  Spell checker is a boy band fan.)  Anyway, it’s the closest to Beatle-mania I’ll ever get.  It’s totally a 21^st century thing though in that the female audience is going Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (I am just full of musical references today) over, that’s right, a female.  Bizarre.  It used to be prepubescent girls crushed on the cute boys.  Now I know it’s not the same thing and that’s good.  Maybe it’s actually about the music to this generation.  Cyrus is no impeccable songstress, not in the least bit, but she can sing.  And the tunes have a different spunky feel versus the “I’ll love you baby, baby, baby”crud of that boy band trash.  Girls just want to have fun, right?  What is that?  Number four?

I don’t’ want to go into too much detail about how it all went down.  I got up at 3am to get there and lines were already everywhere with no particular order.  Since I was a vet after seeing Coldplay there, I knew somewhat how it worked.  So I met my friend Allison who used the “I was a nanny last summer so that’s why I want to see this” junk and her friend Ted.  Ted, by the way, is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met.  He schmoozed the cops and security guards to where they didn’t see us as a threat.  We basically just walked anywhere we wanted but the trick was to act like you knew what you were doing.  We did just that and actually made it in the official area.  Here’s what makes that feat more impressive:  GE & NBC employees reserved about 800 VIP’s for the area leaving only about 300 or so spots for us common folk.  Remember how many people I said showed up?  Needless to say, it was chaos.  But an experience I won’t soon forget. 

What else is up?  On the music front, Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes fame has his self-titled record coming out.  I’ve never been much of a fan, for one because he hates Texas, and for two he’s pretentious and pompous.  I guess that's three.  But I’m gonna give the indie king his due, he’s made a great record.  Check it out when it hits stores August 5^th. 

Another band that hasn’t quite won me over but is definitely worthy of a mention just because I like metaphors is The War On Drugs.  Imagine if you were riding through the Wild West in a stagecoach and the radio was tuned to an indie station.  You like that?  How about maybe what the crew of Firefly would be listening to?

Speaking of Firefly, if you’ve never seen this show, you’ve just plain got to.  Created by Joss Whedon, it’s a sci-fi western that follows a group of smugglers as they travel the galaxy,  a galaxy FOX killed before it got a chance to catch on.  Doesn’t that network have that reputation?  The show is funny, heartfelt, and overtly creative while paradoxically resting on western clichés.  The episode that stands out to me is “Out Of Gas.”  It’s the eighth one in the set of fourteen and has all the good stuff.  Flashbacks, flashforwards, drama, suspense, and humor.  That might seem overwhelming or intimidating but any LOST fan worth their salt gets it immediately.  It is one of my most favorite hours of television period.  Stick it in your cue, ladies & gentlemen.  (We are tonight’s entertainment.  Haha.  Couldn’t help myself.  It’s still going strong, that Dark Knight).

I think that’s about it.  I’ve written far too much for someone who planned a quick check-in.  I hope you have a good week and be sure to keep your iTunes music folders organized and in one place before it’s too late.  You’ll be glad you heeded that advice.

Til next time, baby birds. 

- Chase

 

Hate This And I'll Love You (Not Really, I'll Just Think You're A Hater)

Three weeks to go and then home.  Again, here is a time where I write with no direction.  Obviously, we’re gonna have to touch on The Dark Knight, so we might as well start with that.

What an incredible movie.  If you don’t think so, you’re too much of a hater.  More on that in a second because first I want to brag.  I was in the exact theater they had the premiere at last week.   It was bonkers at that theater.  I love and loathe midnight showings for big movie like this.  What is cool is that you are there with the fans.  This is why I can’t wait for Arrested Development and Watchmen.  Speaking of, that trailer gave me goosebumps.  I think Snyder is going to nail it.  But back to midnighters, those in attendance are those diehards who only want to love the film projected on the screen.  And that is exactly why I loathe them too.  They’re gonna make their voice heard be it talking, practicing their stand-up routine, or other inappropriate sounds escaping their lips.  Luckily, this crowd had respect and it was a great time.

Ok, it’s been a second.  Why are so many people with a needle trying to pop this balloon?  I know that nothing in the world is unanimously loved.  Some things should be but never will.  But when someone is complaining that, “There is no way, NO WAY a gun would ever be snuck into a courtroom!” I can’t help but find this foo’ be hatin’.  What about my good friend Corey who basically said, “Well it wasn’t good enough to warrant twelve midnight screenings at Green Hills.”  Really now?  I think the box office numbers beg to differ.  I hear you already, “The revenue doesn’t mean it’s a good movie!”  Yes, it does.  With the way we can transmit info so quickly nowadays, you bet if all those diehards who did go to the midnight screenings had cried foul, there is no way the film would have grossed as much as it did over the weekend.  C’mon people, let’s try to find some constructive criticism versus all-caps rants (I’m looking at you Kanye) flung from a pubescent kid on the computer in his parent’s bedroom. 

There were flaws.  Honestly, the only thing that bothered me was the guy riding shotgun in the armored car.  No third-rate character in any movie has made me want to spit nails more than that guy.  He had to have been Christopher Nolan’s cousin or something. Well, maybe the fact that one of the best characters created in the past 10 years on film can’t return due to Mr. Ledger’s death bothered me.  I don’t want to be all gushy cause the man is dead, but seriously, he was phenomenal.  Scary, funny, engaging, intense.  Each scene with him made me want more and I only felt the first pangs of sadness at his death once the credits rolled.  What a shame.  Oh well, I guess as they say, “Go out on top.”

Back to the complaints, they all seem to stem from trying to hate “the game” of “don’t’ hate the player, hate the game” fame.  People want to detract from a movie that did so well.  They want to be that guy that ten years from now can say I told you so.  The Pitchforks out there are so annoying.  You’re living in the now, buddy.  Did you get a haircut in high school and immediately distance yourself by calling it stupid so ten years when you’re flipping through the yearbook with your fiancé you can claim superiority?  No, you didn’t.  Who cares?  It was in the past.  So I beg you to see what a crowning achievement this film is in this day and time where everyone is divided into factions, where no one can agree.  Here is something we can agree on:  The Dark Knight is one of the best films of the past decade.  I mean, you can’t even logically hate the game this time.  I don’t think anybody wants to admit that “the game” (Hollywood) finally hit a homerun.  This is it!  This is the film we always ask for when they screw with our beloved childhood heroes!  Especially after the modicum that was Indiana Jones this summer, more people should embrace what a treasure The Dark Knight really is.  Go see it again.  It’ll hold up.

Wow, I got worked up.  What else is going on?  I went to a Yankees’ game last night.  If ten years ago you told me I was going to be cheering the Yankees in any way, I would have kicked you in the nuts.  That was the epitome of hilarity ten years ago to my ten-year-old self.  Our seats were great, the game was great, and the atmosphere was great.  The nachos were not so great.  I just had to go and get chicken on them and that ruined it.  But what a fun time.  People bleed that stuff here.  It’s nuts.  Yes, the kind I’d kick.

Ooh, it’s bragging time again.  Bank Robber shares space with a music business related company (I’m going to be vague so as to protect anybody even though it would be easy to figure out who I’m talking about and I’m only giving a rave review so it doesn’t even matter.  Still…) who works with Kings of Leon.  Their new album Only By The Night doesn’t come out til September 23^rd, but guess who’s been spinning it?  Yep, this kid.  I have to say, first listen was not enthralling.  It was good, but not great.  I remember them saying that they were headed in the direction of more rockers akin to “Black Thumbnail” and “McFearless”.  I didn’t hear that the first time, but I do now.  The songs are HUGE.  Think the chorus of “McFearless” or the feel of “Arizona” on almost every song.  I will say that it is going to be divisive.  Once again, they’ve kind of skipped out on the southern-fried rock of their first two albums.  That’s fine by me.  That was a long time ago and they’ve grown up.  There’s still a realness to it that screams southern, but the music is more of a quiet declaration in that regard.  Needless to say, I can’t wait for everyone else to hear it.  It’s gonna be a great fall/winter CD with the landscapes the music paints.  The first single “Sex On Fire” is out on August 11^th and it is a scorcher (pun entirely intended).  This has been a favorite from the get go, really the only one to be.  You’ll love it.  I also do think that the version I’ve been listening to is not the final mix.  There are some weird levels, especially in that song.  It makes sense it is the single because they would still be tweaking that perfect radio-ready mix.  I hope you get to hear it all soon.

So, I’m kind of done.  The Who is here and I gotta board the Magic Bus.  Not the one with Ms. Frizzle.  That would be cool though. 

Til next time, baby birds.

- Chase