Sunny day real estate- diary

Mudhoney - Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

While Nirvana tapped into the mainstream and were being touted around the world as the kings of Grunge, the true emperors were not so quietly, but happily back in Seattle sitting upon their rightful thrones.  Their Album, Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, has always been by far my favorite of the bunch. I can still remember waiting anxiously for it's release and having my friend's grandmother drive us down to Music Plus (of was it already Wherehouse, by that time?) to finally get my hands on it.

While their previous work was exceptionally good, I enjoyed this album above the rest because it began to venture a way from the fuzzy distorted sounds they helped bring about. You're actually able to listen to the band mature as musicians right in front of your stereo. This is not to say they got rid of the sound altogether, but rather refined it into a garage, blues rock sound.

If your a fan of the 90's rock explosion labeled "grunge" and haven't put this album on your rotation, well... repent! The go and make it right.

Jimi Hendrix- Axis: Bold as Love

We'll so far, along our trip (actual and musical) we have gone through some sounds of the Bay Area, Portland, and Olympia. We are now traveling through the wonder that is Seattle, Washington and in my mind there is no better place to begin than with Seattle's native son Jimi Hendrix.  

Dr. Suess once said, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

I guess that's the best way to describe the short lived Jimi Hendrix Experience. With only three albums under their belt before Jimi was tragically taken from our musical souls, we are left with the black hole of a question, "what could have been?" Sadly, this is too often the question encompassing The Jimi Hendrix Experience, rather than a fond embrace of the beautiful trilogy The Experience has passed down to generation after generation.

Axis: Bold as Love probably did not have the pizazz of his first effort Are You Experienced?, But Hendrix accomplished and built upon his early success his second major recording. Within the album he experiments with rock, blues, some jazz, and ventures into the arena of psychedelic with songs like if 6 was 9. My favorite song is of course, Castles made of Sand and She's So fine, but these are most peoples favorites. so I don't think I'm offering any new insight.

If you have never, or have rarely listened to The Jimi Hendrix Experience, then do yourself a favor and get this album. It's an American classic by the man who in my opinion, single handily (alright he used both hands) changed the face of Rock and Roll, became the face of the 60's, and is still by far one of the greatest, if not THE greatest guitar players in modern music.

Nirvana - Bleach

It's funny how after the fact, so many people love to criticize this band and talk about how overrated they were. Yeah, I don't know, maybe to some extent people jumped on the Grunge bandwagon, but I still remember this album and Nevermind with the fondness of youth.

I still remember the first time I heard this album, I had been trading music with a newfound friend. When one day he handed me this record to listen too, I thought this was a joke at first. Prior to this album he had given me a wide selection of Punk albums to check out and now here he was handing me a metal album. I was confused, to say the least. Nevertheless, I went home and sat on my bedroom floor and popped the tape into the stereo. I hadn't heard anything out there sounding quite like this, I mean there were some unquestionably great bands during that time (ex. Pixies, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.- the list could go on), but this was familiar and unique at the the same time. I know some of you will point out the endless grunge bands already on the scene starting with Mudhoney and working your way down, but I didn't know about them. I lived in a small farming town just outside of LA. It didn't take long for the others to follow suit, but this was the band, the album that opened the Seattle Music door for me.

That first time I listened to "Bleach" was like listening to a deconstructed rock record. Distorted guitars, the heavy pounding drums (which I found out later was enlarge part was due to Dale Crover of the Melvins), the melodic whines and scratchy screams of Cobain, was a stripped down minimalist approach to the "rock" being peddled over the airwaves. The glaring juxtaposition between Nirvana and the Warrants, Skid Rows, and Ugly Kid Joes only helped to expose the artificial pseudo-rock that  LA radio stations like Pirate Radio were force feeding us. We were starving for something new and creative in the Rock world. Bleach was the ground work for that change.

Funny, I haven't listened to the album in so long, I forgot what an inspiring album this was to me. From their first single Love Buzz, to the pop driven About a Girl (the only song he ever wrote for his then long time girlfriend), to the frenzied Negative Creep, the album delivers unpolished rock hits.

A funny story-  A short time after hearing this album, Nirvana was touring for their upcoming Nevermind album, and were headlining a show in LA at the Palladium. By this time I was sold on the band, so with two of my friends in tow, we went to the show. After, a couple of bands played, (if I recall correctly Redd Kross and Hole... Not too sure about Redd Kross, but I really want to say so), three guys, walked out on the stage; The guitarist a dorky, short haired blond guy with holes in his the knees of his jeans; the bassist another short haired, towering giant with no shoes; and the a long haired drummer who hid his face behind the hair, slightly resembling cousin it. I was confused. I read the bill, I knew which bands were playing, and the name of this band was nowhere to be seen.  The only picture I had ever seen of the band up to this point was the one on the cover of " Bleach" so you could imagine that I was expecting big haired, jean jacket rocking rockers. Thus, I turned to my friend Jason and asked "What band is this?" He shrugged and then the music started.

Melvins - Houdini

How does one get back at a Jerk of a supervisor? How about starting a sludge metal band and naming it after your nemesis, forever ranking his place of Honor amongst world's worst bosses. Thus, cementing his name with dirtiness, like John for the commode or Peter for...well, you get the point. That's the story behind the naming of the Melvins.

Anyhow they aren't the Godfathers of Sludge for nothing. The music is slow, methodic,  and heavy with Dale Crover pounding his skins to oblivion. It's not for everyone, but there are a few of you who will dig on every riff, drum kick, and guttural stanza King Buzzo belts out.

On an interesting side note, the first bass player for the band was Lori Black, AKA "Lorax". She is the daughter of Shirley Temple.

Old Time Relijun - Catharsis In Crisis

It took me  awhile, but this band has finally started to grow on me. When I was looking at bands from the Portland area to listen to while on our road trip, OTR was one that had a lot accolades. I am pretty sure that I would have loved this band 15 years ago when I was going through my John Spencer Blues Explosion faze. But these days,  my musical appetite has changed somewhat. I  have lost my teenage angst as one friend likes to tell me. 

But as I said, it's starting to grow on me, but I don't think the song I listed is quite in line with the rest of the album... well, it might, but I don't think it actually captures there musical talent the way songs like Garden of Pomegranates does.  

The music is a abstract punk nod to Mississippi delta-blues with the only constant of the band frontman Arrington de Dionyso's bizarre, spastic and scratchy vocals.

Beat Happening - Dreamy

Here was the unique thing about Beat Happening, the band rotated instruments and vocal duties. Some might say this was done because none of the members had mastered their instruments and others claim it was unique artistic inspiration. That is left up to the listener to decide. What the band offers is simple chord strumming, backed by  crude drumming, on top of Calvin Johnson's deep basso vocals that cover there lack of a bassist. When Calvin is not fronting the band, Heather lewis sweet naive vocals. It minimalist indie rock of the 90's.

Bikini Kill- The CD Version of the Firs Two Records

When I was about 17 years old, my girlfriend at the time decided she no longer wanted the esteemed title. I found out days later that she dumped me for a Carnie (short for Carnival worker). Did you hear what I just said, I was dumped for a CARNIE! Of course, I was devastated. I mean who wouldn't be? To be left for a carnival worker is only slightly better than her dumping me for a homeless squatter with no respect for hygiene... only slightly.

A short time thereafter, someone put this tape on in my car. It was the first time I heard the song Carnival and from that day forward my heart has been intertwined with Bikini Kill. No matter how we differ on politics and ethics, I will be forever grateful to BK. It was like someone reaching out there hand to an abuse victim and telling them, "Hey, it's gonna be alright. I've been there too." For the first time, I understood this was a national epidemic, young girls falling for the swooning dirtiness of Carnie Charisma.

So there it is, there's my story of why I still love Bikini Kill. 

As for the record, well it's as the Title suggest a couple of EPs  meshed together. It's upfront, in your face, vulgar, female leftist liberal, punk at its finest. 

Sleater-Kinney -Call the Doctor

Alanis Morissette was so much cooler when she was in a punk rawk band. I mean her voice goes so much better with intense three chord riffs.

What? What do you mean Alanis Morissette wasn't in a punk band?!!! That's not her singing. You lie.

I suppose, that might be a slight exaggeration and since both Alanis' break out album and Sleater- Kinney's sophmore effort came out at roughly around the same time, it's hard to point fingers at who stole whose style, if anyone did at all. Maybe, it was just the sounds of the time, but to me Morissette and Tucker had some striking vocal similarities.

I have already reviewed SK once on my now defunct freshman effort of this blog, so I will simply say, I love riot grrrl music. Sleater-Kinney though they might have come on the tail end of fad, they were probably one of the best representations of it. But, let's not get lost in titles. These girls rocked and were a great punk band. You should have them on you playlist.

Kimya Dawson- My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess

Let’s start with this, I’ve never heard a Moldy Peaches record (of which Kimya Dawson was apart). Also,let’s be up front here, the first time I ever heard a song by the woman was in the movie Juno. Yes, I am quite aware I now have no street cred. However, I did take my family to the local record store to see her play, if that restores any dignity I had. The music is upbeat and bouncy, sort of along the lines of kids jingles, while her songwriting is depressing. This was her early work, lo-fi, anti-folk and darkly emotional. Somehow Kimya found a way to strike the balance and it seems to work well for her. Probably not for everyone, the album takes sometime to settle into and enjoy. But it’s rather stirring and hard to put out of your mind, once it’s sunk in.

On a side note, have you ever seen the commercial with the little housewife having the TV gangbangers over for tea and telling them that she is blocking their show from her families house? Pretty clever. But, it's also how I've come to feel about Kimya Dawson's early work. While I admit it's great artistically. It's just way too vulgar to be playing around my kids. I leave it up for you to decide, and I'm sure there are plenty of other bands you can point out to me and state, "but you like them!" Granted, nevertheless, I dropped her some "thumbs" because I can only listen to her when I am alone and then most the time I turn on something else.

Portugal. The Man- Satanic Satanist

I heard of this band previously, but in light of Coachella they seemed to be more on my mind. So, I finally picked up a couple of albums, but despite all the accolades I’ve heard about this band, I didn’t have very high expectations. I thought it would be along the lines of the standard indie / Emo that is flooding the market, but Man! was I wrong. Satanic Satanist is probably one of my favorite new pick ups in a while. I am not quite sure how to describe the album, so I stole some one else's words:


"Imagine The Pixies calling up 311 (don’t ask) and inviting them over to Frank Black’s manse to throw a Sly and the Family Stone appreciation party. But half-way through the gala, evil cousins Ween crash in and send the whole night flying off course. And yet, somehow, impossibly, it all works, like a good magic trick."


I might have substituted Ween for Oasis but you get the point.

The Decemberist- The Crane Wife

I have a tendency to get stuck on an album, making it hard to move on to a band’s other work, which is one reason why I am trying this musical escapade. Case in point, is The Decemberist’s record The Crane Wife. I’ve had this album for quite some time, but have rarely gotten beyond a song or two before returning to Picturesque, not because I actually prefer the album over this one, but because I already know most of the songs on Picturesque. And since I already know the songs why move on when I could just sing along.

The Crane Wife is the band’s fourth LP and their first on a major label. I think most people wondered if what made the Decemeberist special would get lost or smothered in the big budget production of a major label. My opinion is that is simply not the case. The Decemberist rose to the occasion and put out an amazing album. Meloy has always been a strong, creative writer, making his carefully weaved stories the backbone of the band. This is no less true with The Crane Wife. There are not many writers out there today who can craft a wonderful, picture filled tale about eclectic characters and yet, Meloy is able to do so with ease. The Crane Wife is filled with Meloy's imaginative characters ranging from criminals to soldiers, lovers to butchers. Yet, while the storytelling is strong and central to the album, the music accompanying the tales is not just hidden in the backdrop. It’s not just your run of the mill, folk rock. The band’s music entices and moves the stories. You're easily sucked into the story and moved along by the music.

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