Brand New Tunes....Make Me Happy

Lately some music has been coming down the pipe that I'm snatching up and enjoying. Thought I would share with all you fine people in the hopes of spreading the good word this holiday weekend.

Weezer
Make Believe

I've been a tried and true fan of Weezer since their debut. I can recall seeing an ad for the Blue CD in SPIN magazine while recording a demo in Staten Island with a blind engineer named Richie and being intrigued by just the wussy look of the foursome. I have since had a love/hate relationship with Matt Sharpe that I'm now officially over....and I'm ready to accept a new Weezer album without his participation. Like most diehard fans, Pinkerton to me is the pinnacle of Weezer....an accomplishment that will never be duplicated or equaled. Ever. What I will say about this new album is that I'm less annoyed by it than I would have figured, and it might be their best since Pinkerton hit the scene all those years ago. Some of the knocks coming to this album are that Rivers is wimpier than ever and a couple tracks are very pussified. But I like him. It's like the biggest loser in life was given the ability to write rock out jams about being the biggest loser in life. Freak Me Out, Pardon Me and Hold Me are so fucking earnest you can't hate them. Wimps of the world, your King is back and looking....well still looking pathetic. The way we love him.

Ben Folds
Songs for Silverman



Another earnest guy that I've loved for many years is Ben Folds. There has only been one time I have been compelled to write to a "rock star" if you will, and it was shortly after I heard Underground by the Ben Folds Five on my CMJ sampler disc. At the time I was just writing to let him know that he should pursue his music despite the lack of public love for it or support from his record label. Nobody was buying his record and I knew this guy was something special, but I wasn't even shocked when he wrote back and we struck up a bit of an email relationship about being in bands that were going against the "alternative" grain at the time. Ben Folds is just that kind of guy. Genuine. And his music is very accessible and enjoyable. The new record is not his best work, but his consistency is remarkable. Ben Folds is an incredible story teller and his characters fascinate you for 4 minutes at a time. Songs for Silverman has a couple sweet gems like Landed and Jesusland that are worth a listen. I will say this in defense of Ben, why does a guy who plays piano ALWAYS have to be compared to Elton John or Billy Joel?



Nine Inch Nails
With Teeth

I gave up on Trent Reznor right about the time he BLEW UP! When I was trying to identify who I was as a senior in high school, Nine Inch Nails showed up and Head Like A Hole made me realize that I liked being an oddball. The darkness of Pretty Hate Machine appealed to the suicidal teen set of which I was a part of. Then I went to college and figured out that being a weirdo was alright and I didn't need Trent anymore. And then he had great success with Downward Spiral and all that shit. Anyway, the new record ain't great, but it sounds a lot like Pretty Hate Machine and it's making me nostalgic. Every Day Is Exactly the Same could have been on PHM along with a half a dozen other tracks on this jawn.

Gorillaz
Demon Days

The opening strains of Every Planet We Reach is Dead pretty much suck you in. Oh wait, here comes the dreamy delivery of Damon Albarn and his chorus of back up singers. Heavenly. The Gorillaz are back bitch and they ain't' pulling no punches. Even Dennis Hopper is along for the ride. Every track on this record is good. I've listened to it about 30 times and I can't find anything wrong with it. Equal parts Blur and Hip Hop, it's a crazy idea that just might work! And I wasn't even a fan of the first CD....go figure.

Oasis
Don't Believe the Truth



If we are name dropping Blur, then according to British music press rules we must give equal time to Oasis for the sake of fairness. I kid. Oasis are still stealing their sound from EVERY fucking band that recording in the 60's but GODDAMN if they don't make it work. Oasis is yet another band I had a hard on for back years ago. Gin and Tonic was my song! But after the huge success they had with What's The Story (Morning Glory) I kind of lost interest. Until I cracked this download open last week. Looks like Liam has checked his ego a bit and the songs seem more collaborative, if still completely unoriginal.


System of a Down!
Mezmerize

I have no idea why these fucking guys are so funny to me. I don't really like metal all that much, especially if Mike Patton isn't on vocals, but there is something about this Serj guy that I find compelling. It's almost, dare I say, a bit Queen? Ugly yet charismatic, front man with a decent voice sings songs that mask their message behind catchy choruses? I'm sure the songs on this album are political in nature, but I don't hear the message. I just here LA-LA-LA-LA-LA sung with just the right amounts of irony and sincerity.

Motion City Soundtrack
Commit This To Memory



The best part about power pop is the infectious nature of the music. These dudes have some Moog shit going on that set them apart from most of the junk out there now. And oh yeah, Mark Hoppus produced this record giving it a stamp of coolness I suppose. I just like the songs. Everything Is Alright will be my jam of the summer and it's only May. Now I'm not sure radio will love them, but I bet the Fuse kids will. Mark my words....