bands: a dying breed

because solo projects and recording projects are taking over. it's time to reflect on an age in the early 2000's when being in a band was still cool and writing songs together was more important than recreating recordings live. (this is slightly tongue in cheek as i do record by myself.)











going to have to give big ups to abe vigoda for keeping bands alive. new rapid youth tagline is gonna be "bring back "bands""

U2

As of late I have finally decided U2 are one of the best bands ever (and one of my favorites) only a year or so ago i may have been only a casual U2 fan, but now i have finally made my way to the full-blown fandom category.

You can not dismiss the amazing quality of their first 5 albums especially the post-punk grandeur of Boy and the sonically pleasing Joshua Tree , and their innovative introductions of a myriad of styles on Achtung Baby and Zooropa. after that it is a bit spotty, but i will take the best moments of All That You Can't Leave Behind over almost any other album from the early 2000's.

And Rattle and Hum is probably the best music movie I've ever seen, despite the terrible covers that they do and the collaboration with bb king. (way ewwww!).

Be sure to hit up the U2 section of your local shitty record store and pick up everything you can (probably for under 10 bucks), sit back and (re)indulge yourself in the music of these four Irishmen.

(today i just got a u2 biography from the thrift store, WAY STOKED)

DOLLAR ALBUMS TO GRAB ON A GLANCE PT. 1

PRINCE - PURPLE RAIN

Starting this post off with a "duh". Purple Rain is the total banger of the 99 cent rack. You can probably find the accompanying movie along with this for an extra dollar. Both are worth your investment. This album encompasses everything fun, funky, sexy and depressing about life. Darling Nikki has to be the weirdest sexiest song ever. Dig it.



SOFT CELL - LAST NIGHT IN SODOM

Since you probably won't find Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret under 4 bucks, your next destination should be this album. This is soft cell's last album before they broke up. Upon first listen I didn't really grasp it, but I listened to it again, and it's a really amazing album, it catches a band angry at their record company and the way they're living. There is a heavier industrial feeling all over it, but somehow they incorporate more rock and roll into it then previous records. Somehow it all works out in the end. You can probably also pick up The Art of Falling Apart for a dollar. Both albums are amazing.



BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN

Since you can't find Nebraska for a dollar and while Born to Run and Born in the USA are still easily obtainable for a dollar, i believe Darkness on the Edge of Town is your choice in the dollar department for The Boss. A much more jaded album than Born to Run, Springsteen's working class anthems are less pointed as "we can do it" and more directed at the harshness of "life". Prove it all Night is an ultimate heart wrencher. WHAT IT MEANS TO STEAL, TO CHEAT, TO LIE. WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE AND DIE. I plan to pick up The River next time I go into a shop as it always a dollar.

Will do another one of these sometime.

SVMMER/CHEESE BURGERS IN PARADISE

So finally being in the summer time of the year, i would like to point out current jams and jams i am looking forward to be jamming in the summer along with my so far non-existent collection of yacht rock (i plan to pick this up when i have more cash, it'll only be like 5 bucks).


First and foremost, woods' songs of shame is totally the summer album, it makes me want to cuddle up tight with a girl in my cool room while the rest of the world is boiling around me, only getting up to flip it over and over again. this along with that new 7" captured tracks will keep me feeling all young again all summer.

The rest of the time i'm not doing this (not like that will happen anyways) i want to be playing the shit out of the meth teeth crowd's stuff. can't wait for the meth teeth full length to come out on woodsist, the song they posted is so good, kinda glad it's cleaned up, the melodies stand out so hard, and the guitars sound beautiful. also Mattey from meth teeth has this new project called early girls i just heard with a lady named Felisha, really beautiful cute poppy stuff, reminds me of the best parts of cat power or something, really really want a demo of it. last but not least, the other Matt that was in meth teeth when we played with them has a band with his girlfriend Deana and another man by the name of andy called consignment. i'm actually putting out a cassette by them called laundry room, i REALLY love their songs, sort of a country twang behind it, vocals remind me of country teasers, but these sound like bummer love songs rather than bitter views of humanity. these will all be on the play lists at all the midday drinking fests that won't ever happen because i am too poor for those kind of things.

Also i am playing the shit out of gowns - red state lp that came out like two years ago or something. i finally heard it and was immediately enthralled. it was the music i've been wanting to make my whole life, dramatic as fuck, real as fuck, and completely beautiful. This is another great album to listen to while relaxing midday, or late at night, or whenever your alone and lonely, the lyrics are brilliant.

WELCOME TO LINK CITY:
WOODS
METH TEETH
CONSIGNMENT
EARLY GIRLS
GOWNS

FALLING APART IS EASY.

so i just finally heard that prurient album that came out last year called "and still, wanting". his new style is seriously breath taking, wish i felt right buying an album for 100 dollars cause i totally would get that rose pillar 11" that just came out on heartworm. the song on the heartworm myspace is really good.

that T.A.S.K. lp on heartworm press is perfect. perfect minimal pop. everyone needs this before it's out of print. looking forward to their second LP on captured tracks. (that's two full-lengths in a year, really productive dudes.)

also just bought that cold cave 3 song 12" single that is going to be a precursor to their full length. even if 15 dollars paid postage seems a bit much, i feel like love comes close and heavens full are such strong songs it's worth it, no buyers regret this time. looked like an interesting cover from what i saw for the hour or so it was up. pretty stoked.

i guess i just really like heartworm press and this post is kinda tied into heartworm press.

favorite stuff right now:
T.A.S.K. - Relaxing Time is Over
Secret Tones (one my two favorite bands in california, other being no paws)

LINX:
HEARTWORM
SECRET TONES
T.A.S.K.

CRUCIFY THE INSINCERE

smashing pumpkins are probally the greatest band ever you should pick up everything they've put out accept that first machina album cause it kinda blows, if anyone can find mellon collie and infinite sadness on 2XLP for less than 300 dollars let me know where. also while you're at it pick up the deep sht album from family time because it rules really hard, i feel like it will be looked upon as a classic, i'm really really into it.

FAMILY TIME
DEEP SHT

PAST LIVES

Since the beginning of this year i've been becoming more and more jaded towards newer music, but if you asked me "hey brent, what band has you most excited for a full-length this year?" i would be like "PAST LIVES, DUH DUDE." (i don't think anyone would really ask me that question, but now you don't have to)

but anyways the first time i heard past lives was sometime last year, before there were even mp3s on their myspace, i was watching youtube videos and live audio rips in anticipation for some recordings. the way "beyond gone" went into "strange symmetry" in the first live video i saw of them had me way hooked, it was just so amazing. finally they posted the "strange symmetry" ep on their myspace and it was SO GOOD, amazingly crafted post-hardcore tingled post-punk. and a few months later i saw them at fuck yeah fest, and then again the next day at the che cafe. they were amazing, they had songs that weren't on the ep that were just as good as if not better than anything on the ep. and just last night i saw them again at the smell, in which their set only consisted of new songs, besides "chrome life", and if all those songs are going on their full length i will already be impressed!

the most impressive thing about past lives for me is the way they kind of threw away all their blood brother success, and started building from the ground up, that kind of dedication to being a genuine band is something to admire, and i believe it completely payed off.

PAST LIVES

check out this video for one of their newer songs.



check out this awesome image depicting the actuality of having past lives (ATTENTION: MAY BE COSMIC):