giving the Yeah Yeah Yeahs another shot

(best album cover I've seen in a while, dude)

I heard the song, "Hysteria" on the Current this eve....and DAMN, if it didn't sound DAMN good. I had to pull "Fever to Tell" off the dusty shelf and give it a spin. It made me remember that I really didn't *hate* the Y Y Ys, I just never took it more than mildly entertaining performance art that sometimes rocked. "Maps" hooked me into liking them more, but it kinda hit a dead end, and I never fully embraced them.

But when I just put on "Fever to Tell," It rocked me hard.

Made me feel like I felt when I used to headbang to the sounds of PJ Harvey and the Ramones in my formative years.

So, I had to go and get the new one (cover above), "It's Blitz!" and it's really solid -- layered, sexy production. Karen O's vocal not too tweaked, and sounding better than ever. Got me right away, especially the beautiful, thoughtful and melodic "Hysteric." Sweet, dancey, a bit crazy ...and there's *whistling.* It's fuckin great. There's also an even more lovely acoustic version...really made me feel so silly for ever dismissing them! her voice over acoustic geetar and strings..sexy and oh-so-pretty.

Speaking of sexy and pretty...I feel like I haven't been fair in my interpretation of Karen O and her "persona." I used to hate it. (The hair in the eyes completely, the re-dick fluorescent fishnet look, the drunken show "art" performance, yadda, yadda. It seemed like such shtick. blek.) I hate to even admit it, but early on, before I heard much, I thought she was a total hack that was coppin' a complete Chrissy Hynde vocal AND bangs cambo. ...but I see it now, her references to females and males of rock past and her own twist on it all. I can dig it. I think she's sexy, pretty, brave, funny and smart.

The radio single, "Heads Will Roll" I had been slowly accepting (after disregarding it pretty quickly as absurd -- almost a caricature of themselves). I flat out like it, now (!) haha I am loving the stupid/smart beat-driven dancedancedance shebang with my fave lyric right now:

"Glitter on the wet streets/ silver over everything/ the glitter's all wet / you're all chrome" -------- sublime.

I even have had a change of heart about their bloody NAME. I used to hate it. It was just annoying to three-peat all the time. I get it now. It's so simple, but the yeah yeah yeahs are everywhere in pop music and have been since the beginning. I get it, you guys and I love it. I love how Ramones it all is...yeeeeeeaah. (yeah, yeah)

still feels like a dream...

did I *really* see "Rosalita" last night?

Yes. Yes, I did.

and this epic set:

Setlist:
Badlands
Radio Nowhere
Outlaw Pete
No Surrender
Out in the Street
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Raise Your Hand
Good Lovin'
Prove It All Night
The E Street Shuffle
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
I'm on Fire
Kingdom of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
* * *
Hard Times
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Land of Hope and Dreams
American Land
Bobby Jean
Rosalita

morning tastes better with Fountains of Wayne

specifically a rad, in-studio, Mary Lucia requested "Red Dragon Tattoo" -- one of my all-time-faves from FOW.

And I was *just* thinking how the Live Track of the Day at 7 in the morning is usually kind of a drag, and it's rarely a band I really like...and WTH!?

It surprised me and delighted me. (I especially loved the rocker piano bits!)

Lollipop and Fountains of Wayne frontman creates more pop magic in a lab

Hi.

I've been *so bad* ... I know this.

But, here are my thoughts of late:

* went to the Sound Opinions (with Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot) shindig at the Cedar on Monday. It was mostly awesome. Town hall-style, forum about the state of music and how the future (and the present) of technology changes everything. Thought they had some great points made about how fucked the record industry has been for...ever (they have a pont when they rhetorically ask: think of one great artist since the beginning of pop music that hasn't been fucked over by the industry in some way. Start with Robert Johnson and move your way though time, really).

SO, the cliche: the more things change, the more they stay the same kept coming up again and again...which was vaguely comforting, actually. Another comforting and awesome little factoid: Treehouse Records, my local record shop, has had a huge increase in sales of vinyl in recent months. Doesn't that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside? It does for me.

DeRogatis kept using Lil' Wayne's "Lollipop" as an example of "how much is a song worth?" and how a pop song can be both stupid and great (or was it stupid and clev-ah...??haha) at the same time. Me, having my head in the sand to some degree when it comes to a lot of popular music, right now (again, yes, I know...I've been bad) had NEVER even heard it. So, I got it and listened to and...it was pretty damn good. And silly. And I thought, at first, DAMN, that is sick. SO fucking graphic, man. And then, in the next second, I thought: well, shit, think of LITTLE (Lil'??)Richard and his lyrics to "Good Golly Miss Molly." (Y'know...she sure likes to *ball* and when we're rockin' and a' rollin'...doin' the deed, y'know...can't hear yo mama call....cuz of all the loud sex and such. So, what's the damn dif?

Love that you can always bring it back home like that.

*Have you heard the new Dylan single, "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" yet? It's kinda amazing... I fell in love with it instantly which hasn't happened with "new" Dylan for me since...prolly "Things Have Changed." It rocks, it's weird, it's catchy and it has great doomsday lyrics.

*dig this concept: Taylor fucking Hanson (yep, from HANSON) fronting a band with James Iha from the Smashing Pumpkins and Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos. WTF, right? Who the hell came up with dis? Well, who the hell else but mad scientist of pop and rock, Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger. LOVE him. His brain is up there with Brian Wilson, I'm tellin' ya...

They're called Tinted Windows and I guess I'm slow on the uptake about this thing, but it sure sounds cool...or horrible. Can't say until I hear it now, can I? heh.

U2 FEVER

Do you got it (yet)?

I got it.

BAD.

just...can't...stop...listeningtothenewrecord!!!!!

(more later...)