Ryan's Record Of The Week #12: "North Street" by Death

Well hello again, rock n roll fans!  Welcome back to Ryan's Record Of The Week!

It's been quite a while since we spoke to Ryan down at Extreme Noise. Now that the weather's finally warming up, we thought we'd make a trip down to the store to find something loud to blast out of our newly-opened windows.  As always, Ryan came through for us:

Ryan turned us on to the "new" 7" from Detroit legends Death.  Along the way we discuss the weather, what a difference 20 years can make in a band's sound, emptying the Death vaults, & Extreme Noise's upcoming anniversary party!

Have a look:

Bam! Ryan comes through again!  Watch the trailer for the aforementioned "A Band Called Death" documentary below to get an idea of just what these guys are all about:

 

There you have it, folks!  The "new" Death 7" "North Street!"  Head on down to Extreme Noise & pick it up, put it on your turntable, open the windows, annoy the neighbors!  Why not?  It's spring!

Extreme Noise is located at 407 W. Lake Street.  Just look for the place next to the saddle shop.  For more info you can visit their website here. If you're in the neighborhood make a point of stopping by Extreme Noise and saying "hello" to Ryan & everybody else.  Extreme Noise is run on a strictly volunteer basis and would love to meet some fellow rock n roll fans.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Songs Of The Week #84: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

Liv Warfield, Big Data, Yellow Ostrich, Quilt, & The Person & The People...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #84!
 
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. Liv Warfield - Why Do You Lie? (from the album The Unexpected)

 
TCDroogsma:

     "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," and let me tell ya, Liv Warfield's been scorned.  Unfortunately, she's decided to voice her fury over a backdrop of by-the-numbers bro rock and poorly EQ'd horns.

     "Why Do You Lie?" is built around the strength of Warfield's powerful voice, which she wields here with convincing ferocity.  Both lyrically & musically, however, the song is poorly crafted.  Many R&B singers over the years (from Aretha to Beyonce) have tried to go bit with electric guitars and all have failed.  Warfield's effort does nothing to dissuade me from believing that the best R&B coming out of Portland right now is being played by white guys with keyboards and beards.

MinneSarah:

     My first listen to this song, the guitars sounded extra grungy - think Soundgarden with horns and a soul singer.  Then I found out that Prince produced Liv's new album and every questionable note fell into place. The lyrics are serious - dude stole twenty bucks out of her purse - he also tripped when she bought him Jordans (however that is possible).

     On the whole, the song is way over the top, though it could sound halfway subdued to a diehard Prince fan.   While I've never felt compelled enough to call someone out with full horns and intense guitar solos, the main takeaway is that the words "lie" and "why" really do rhyme.  

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1/5
                     MinneSarah: 2.5/5

02. Big Data - Dangerous (from the EP 1.0)

 
TCDroogsma:

     Speaking of white guys with beards, here we have Big Data.  Big Data have two concerns.  First, they're concerned that the internet & the government are conspiring to pacify the public, essentially removing people from the human experience.  Second, they want you do dance.  I suppose the two go hand in hand.

     "Dangerous" focuses on that first concern lyrically, but they're obscured by a dominating bass guitar that implores that we stop listening to the lyrics & dance.  The end result is the song that would play over the trailer for Baz Luhrmann's hypothetical take on 1984.  Bouncy and catchy, Big Data makes their case with their hips.

MinneSarah:

     Bass can make or break a song - so lay it on thick.  Add some keyboards, and I'm in heaven.  While this song is going to make it on my spring mix, no question, it also has some self righteous political undertones.

     While it's not a long shot, Big Data writes songs about humans vs. Internet and NSA surveillance.  While I was hoping these guys would me my modern day DFA 1979, I just don't find Edward Snowden the least bit sexy.  Oh well, I hope the NSA are listening to these guys, they'd be shaking their butts.  It's got to be better than listening to my mom and I discuss her neighbors' dogs.

     Back to "Dangerous," - this song could be considered perfection of my newest guilty pleasure genre.  I'm just going to go ahead and pretend that they aren't dangerous because of trying to stay off the data grid, but rather the old fashioned way - they'll break your heart girls, but at least it's not going to show up on Facebook the next day. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 4/5

03. Yellow Ostrich - Shades (from the album Cosmos)

TCDroogsma:

     I like the ideas being explored in "Shades."  The electric guitar loops are an intriguing move.  The backwards drums are, um, something...  Ah, who am I kidding?

    I spent a week with this song and I forget it the second it ends.  As much as I want to find something interesting to say about "Shades," it is the living definition of "average."  It sort of builds, it sort of lulls, it's lyrics shift between self-centered & non-sensical... it basically just exists for 3:46 and then disappears forever.  The Current has given me too many songs like this over the years to pretend that something interesting is going on here.

MinneSarah:

     "Shades" features a guitar loop that could hypnotize any listener.  It's good to see indie bands taking a cue from hip hop, and layering over a loop. Yellow Ostrich is out of New York, but they fully embrace the West Coast sixties psychedelic with "Shades."   However, it's clear that they are adding their own sober ennui to this revival genre - making it one of the most interesting takes you've heard this year.  The song loosens up in the final thirty seconds, giving a slightly freer sense of hope.

     It sounds a little jam bandy, but whether it is despite of or because of the driving but somber majority,the last part puts the song into perspective.  It is encouraging to see bands putting their own mark on their influences, and between mid-2000's indie and 60's psych rock - Yellow Ostrich makes it to the other side. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1/5
                     MinneSarah: 3.5/5

04. Quilt - Tie Up The Tides (from the album Held In Splendor)

TCDroogsma:

     "Tie Up The Tides" is another song that comes off as brutally average.  It's a monotonous, steady-paced song that's given just enough studio tricks to sound "indie."  Fortunately, those tricks (the separated guitars, the echoing vocals) give the song a warm, welcoming feel.  Lyrically.... I don't know... some new age type shit... who cares?  "I point my way back home until my fingertips turn blue, there is no me and there is no you..." Sure, why not?  Like I said, "Tie Up The Tides" sounds warm.  Maybe the winter has warped my perspective, but this week that's all I'm asking out of a song.

MinneSarah:

     "Tie Up the Tides," sounds like a sunny morning.  While usually not a fan of cloying vocals - this singer's sweet approach misses all the right notes - the end result is that the song will keep your interest.  Another band out of New York embracing the sixties psychedelic genre, but adding their own spin, Quilt produces something mellow yet encouraging.

     I have a theory that this generation's parents came of age in the seventies, making the sixties an acceptable genre to embrace without agreeing with mom and dad.  Although with a boomer parent and fifty years since the Beatles invasion this year, I can't remember if the sixties were ever not "in."  Whatever the attraction, Quilt brings it to the present day and somehow makes it work.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 3.5/5

05. The Person & The People - I Was Wrong (from the album Big Whoop)

(Ed. Note: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah reviewed "I Was Wrong" ins SOTW #72.  We're reprinting what they wrote for that review below.)

TCDroogsma:

      I don't know what they're putting in the water over in St. Paul, but it's leading to tremendous power pop.  Somewhere between The Persian Leaps and Panther Ray lies The Person & The People.

     Now, a large chunk of the appeal of "I Was Wrong" is that absolutely no aspect of it sounds new.  In fact, I could pretty much hum along with the melody as it unfolded the very first time I heard it.  Whether that means the songs appeal is in "timeless pop craftsmanship" or "listener nostalgia" is an interesting question, though it's rendered absolutely moot for the three minutes I spent bobbing my head while the song played. 

MinneSarah:

     You know what the world needs?  A good pop song.  "I Was Wrong," is a straightforward example of an unapologetic (okay, the song is about an apology) rock pop song.  It's a formula that is beyond refreshing.  While I'd give my left nut to have a new Superdrag albums, I'm lucky (mostly because I lack nuts) that there is a local band capable of carrying on the torch of straight forward, catchy, pop music.   

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 4/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  In addition to  filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column she occasionally joins TCDroogsma as co-host of the Flatbasset Radio podcast.







For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.



 

Newest Industry Presents - Flatbasset Radio: Episode #34

Your beauty is beyond compare, with flaming locks of auburn hair...

Hello again, free music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #34!
 
For those of you who are unaware of the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it right here on the website for free to stream and/or download!

This week's episode finds TCDroogsma flying solo from Planet New Basset yet again.  Over the course of this episode Droogsy apologizes for the break between podcasts. plays a "math rock sex jam," celebrates an albums ten year anniversary & a major organ transplant in one fell swoop, finds the connection between Bob Dylan, Outkast, & Dolly Parton, discusses why he enjoys arena shows, finally understands selfies while at the Miley Cyrus concert, admires a rapper's self-contained business model, mercilessly pushes his new favorite Minneapolis band, and wishes Murs a happy birthday by naming "Everything" his Flatbasset Flatclassic Of The Week!

You can download the podcast for free by clicking the episode's title or stream the episode by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #34

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #34 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Mrs. -Yawn
02. P.O.S. - Kidney Thief
03. Takuya Kuroda - Rising Song
04. SBTRKT - Blue Cassette (Live On BBC1)
05. Bob Dylan - It Ain't Me, Babe
06. Outkast - Hey Ya!
07. Dolly Parton - Jolene
08. Human Kindness - Prescription Drugs
09. Frank Ocean + Mick Jones + Paul Simonon + Diplo - Hero
10. Ka - No Downtime
11. Great Good Fine OK - Not Going Home
12. Murs - Everything

There you have it, music fans!  Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.  

Songs Of The Week #83: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

Bombay Bicycle Club, Vertical Scratchers, Black Lips, Lake Street Dive, & Web Of Sunsets....

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #83!
 
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. Bombay Bicycle Club - Luna (from the album So Long, See You Tomorrow)

TCDroogsma:

     "Bombay Bicycle Club" is one of those names I've been hearing buzzing around music blogs/actual humans for a while now.  Up until this week, however, I'd never taken the time to find out what the buzz was about.  For one, "Bombay Bicycle Club" is not a very good band name.  Two, I'm a very lazy man.

     Now that I've spent a week with "Luna," I'm don't think I've been missing much.  It's a charming song, sure, with a nice, upswinging melody and the type of boy/girl harmonies that are usually my Achille's heel.  Unfortunately there's just nothing new going on here.  Girl isn't necessarily interested in boy, boy is sad, boy writes bad poetry, boy sings bad poetry over unnecessary keyboards.  Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before.  At least the rhythm section shows up in the latter third of the song to jar some life into this one.

MinneSarah:

     It's hard to tell if Bombay Bicycle club is responsible for making 2010's indie music more mainstream, or if they are in the middle of the bandwagon.  "Luna" is an easily palatable indie song with a bit of a Caribbean groove.  While I think of Paul Simon, in fact the song is fairly generic.  The chorus is impassioned and the female backup vocals carry the song forward and are a contrast to the male vocals which are annoyingly trembley, but I suppose anything goes now a days.  It sounds like a jam session with a sense of urgency on a commercial during prime time.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 2.5/5

02. Vertical Scratchers - These Plains (from the album Daughters Of Everything)

TCDroogsma:

     Vertical Scratchers is made up of John Schmersal & Christian Beaulieu, two guys known well for being in bands that were not known well.  I don't know what these guys were up to in their previous incarnations, but with "These Plains" they've certainly made an impression on me.

     In just 1:37, "These Plains" comes ricocheting from the speakers like a lost Bob Pollard classic (y'know, if Bob Pollard ever left something on the cutting room floor).  Over a rattling bass & guitar strum they rattle off some sort of garble about a spaceman that requires singing in falsetto.  Admittedly, that last sentence sounds like a recipe for disaster, but the boys pull it off by keeping the hooks sharp and the accelerator down.

MinneSarah:

     Vertical Scratchers features John Schmersal, formerly a member of Braniac and Enon -  incredible 90's bands.  I've been itching to hear what his new project would sound like, and based on "These Plains," I think it's safe to say it is fantastic.  Lighthearted and sounding retro yet familiar, "These Plains" features fuzzed guitars and keeps a fast upbeat tempo.  The silliness of a song about a spaceman, adds to the carefree nature of the song.  Pop music doesn't get a lot better than this.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                     MinneSarah: 4.5/5

03. Black Lips - Boys In The Wood (from the album Underneath The Rainbow)

TCDroogsma:

     Black Lips have long been one of my favorite SOTD bands.  Over the years we've been treated to "Not A Problem," "Cold Hands," & "Short Fuse."  Each of those songs stands on its own as punky/psychedelic rave up that's simultaneously tight, yet always in danger of going off the rails.  They're all fantastic.

     It should be noted, however, that "Short Fuse" (the last time they appeared on the podcast), was in March of 2009.  Five years is an awfully long time for a band that relies on energy and sneering to sell their songs.  "Boys In The Wood," then, is the dreaded "grown up" single.  The short, punchy hooks have given way to a bluesy dirge and, sadly, the young & feisty lyrics have given way to a sort of faux-Southern gentleman storytelling.   This is a genuinely sad turn of events.  When the horns turn up at the end of the song, it's less "Paul Westerberg maturing into 'Can't Hardly Wait'" and more, "Hey, this will really hammer home the point that we're mature now."  Hopefully this is just them puffing out their chests rather than a permanent development.

MinneSarah:

     Though of course they are different, I can't always keep straight the Southern Rock stylings of the Black Keys vs. the Black Lips.  Obviously, they are quite distinguishable from one another, but the world must need more sultry southern rock with the word "black" in the title.  Personally, I'd be excited to hear what a potential future side project, The Key Lips would sound like.

     "Boys in the Wood," couldn't sound more like it was from the South - a whiny drawl references whiskey drinking and car stealing.  The back up singer croons away as they make reference to their Southern roots every chance imaginable. The horns are an unexpected twist, and I wouldn't be surprised if this song was written and performed under the influence.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 3/5

04. Lake Street Dive - Bad Self Portraits (from the album Bad Self Portraits)

TCDroogsma:

     Try as I might, I just couldn't resist "Bad Self Portraits."  Maybe it's Rachael Price's voice, maybe it's the hooks, maybe it's the universal appeal of the song's lyrics (who isn't haunted by some stupid inanimate object from a past relationship?), but I couldn't help but be charmed by this one.

     The titular portraits are being taken by Rachael Price as she tries to find uses for the camera she bought to "take pictures of (her) love."  Obviously he's gone, but she presses on with the camera.  Over a Broadway-esque jaunt, Price struggles to find peace of mind.  Yes, I know, this sounds like a rom-com waiting to be written.  It's corny and over the top, but so what?  Sometimes life is corny and over the top.

MinneSarah:

     Lake Street Dive has a lot going for them.  The lead singer has an amazingly powerful voice and the guitars sound earnest.  However, rarely have I heard such extraordinarily bad lyrics.  They made me feel bad about myself and bad for the woman narrator.  Now that her sweetie left her, she's using her camera (that she bought to take pictures of him) to take bad self portraits. While I'm all for get-up-and-face-the-world spunk in the face of a breakup, the lyrics take a detour into wallowing in solitude and trying to find yourself.  Somehow, I feel that taking a pottery class to get over a guy isn't the answer.  The rest of the song is pleasant enough, but I was so turned off by the lyrics I wasn't willing to research them further. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 1.5/5

05. Web Of Sunsets - Wildflowers (from the album Room Of Monsters)

TCDroogsma:

     I've been following The Current long enough to know that the reason they're pushing Web Of Sunsets (three SOTD's in just under a year) is because they've deemed them "the next big thing" and are hellbent on making that point.  Which is really a shame, because with each track released Web Of Sunsets makes the case that they deserve the attention they're garnering (whether MPR has their backs or not).

     "Wildflowers" follows "Fool's Melodies" and "Foreign Bodies" on the SOTD list and, while not straying far from the acoustic-strums-and-breathy-vocals model set forth by those songs, manages to deliver with their most succinct punch yet.  The vocals are more confident, the guitars are richer, and the song just has an atmosphere to it that makes it stand out.  It also has a guitar solo in the middle that recalls the coda of "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want." So it has that going for it, which is nice.

     Up until now I thought this was just The Current pumping a band that fit nicely into their defined style of "local & palatable."  With "Wildflowers" I'm finally coming around to Web Of Sunsets on their own terms.

MinneSarah:

     Somebody get these gals a bass!  Acoustic guitar is not my favorite musical element, and in the interest of keeping the vibe simple and their voices the main focus, that's almost all you get in "Wildflowers," and indeed is the signature sound of Web of Sunsets.  The singer(s) have ethereal voices, and I may have made this comparison last time I reviewed one of their songs, but they remind me of Mazzy Star meets Tegan and Sara.  There's no denying their musical talent, but as far as listenablility, it leaves me wanting more.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 4/5
                     MinneSarah: 2.5/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  In addition to  filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column she occasionally joins TCDroogsma as co-host of the Flatbasset Radio podcast.







For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Songs Of The Week #82: TCDroogsma & MinneSarah

St. Paul & The Broken Bones, William Fitzsimmons, Parker Millsap, I Break Horses, & Frankie Teardrop...

Well hello again, MP3 junkies!  Welcome to Songs Of The Week #82!
 
For those of you who are new to the SOTW column, here's the story:  TCDroogsma and MinneSarah are both fans of The Current's Song Of The Day podcast.  They're also both opinionated and have access to computers.  Seeing an opportunity to let them indulge in their MP3 habit and put them to work writing reviews we created the Songs Of The Week column.  Over a year later later and here we are.

As always, we strongly suggest that you follow this link and subscribe to the podcast yourself.  It's free and it's fun for the whole family!

To that end, once you've given each song a spin or two, feel free to cast a vote for your favorite song of the week in the poll to the right side of the page.  The artist who accrues the most votes wins the validation that comes from winning an anonymous internet poll, arguably the loftiest height to which a modern musician can aspire.

As per tradition TCDroogsma and MinneSarah have not read each other's reviews prior to posting

So... Droogsy, Sarah... thoughts?

01. St. Paul & The Broken Bones - Call Me (from the album Half The City)

 
TCDroogsma:

     As I mentioned a month or so ago when we were reviewing Nick Waterhouse, this white boy soul/R&B revival sound doesn't really do anything for me.

     Poor St. Paul's heart seems to have gone the way of the his bones.  Now, I'm fine with a good heartbreak song, but this isn't it.  "Call Me" swings in all the right places, so much so that I think it would have made a great instrumental.  Unfortunately, that's not the case.  St. Paul comes off like a Stage 5 Clinger, begging for a phone call (and, sadly, the validation that comes with a phone call).  It's time to move on, bro bro, from this woman and from the 60's.

MinneSarah:

     As far as funky soul revival, "Call Me" is as listenable as anything I've heard.  While deceptively titled "Saint Paul and the Broken Bones," this band is out of Alabama.  While the lyrics don't lament what has happened to cause the break up - the man's needs are clearly articulated - he needs a call!  The lady's side of this story is left out - and there isn't any detail about what happened.  Horns add to the melee, rather than detract from it.  As far as persuasiveness - I wouldn't call this guy unless I was feeling the same premature ending and unopened doors.  He sure can sing, so probably the less I know about potential relationship drama, the better. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2/5
                     MinneSarah: 3/5

02. William Fitzsimmons - From You (from the album Lions)

TCDroogsma:

     In "From You," William Fitzsimmons is actually in the same frame of mind as St. Paul.  Instead of begging for validation, Fitzsimmons has turned down the volume & turned inward.

     Musically, the skittering drums do a lovely job of mirroring the racing mind that comes with taking stock of a breakup.  The rest of the song is filled with understated guitar strums, keyboard plinks and border-defining lead lines.  Fitzsimmons pledges his love ("I will look for you until they put us both back in the ground"), but, in the songs most crushing line, wonders "When should I concede that the best of my years were apart from you?"  It may be personal experience coloring my impression of the song, but I'm intimately familiar with that feeling, and with the feeling that, no matter how good the good times seem, they're still missing something (or someone) that should have been there to share them.

MinneSarah:

     Sometimes these songs of the day can sound like they were meant to be on another radio station - Cities 97?  "From You" sounds incredibly manicured and easy listening.  The ennui of this song makes it sound like it was recorded for the Garden State soundtrack.   The 3/4 time pulls the song forward, but gives it a sense of impermanence.

     While I've been lamenting the lack of a Duncan Sheik successor (seriously - you try and live my life), William Fitzsimmons is not fitting the bill.  "From You" is beautiful, but without the substance that would get me excited about such a potentially guilty pleasure. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 2/5

03. Parker Millsap - Disappear (from the album Parker Millsap)

TCDroogsma:

     Parker Millsap is coming out of Oklahoma playing music that sounds like it could only come from Oklahoma (Sorry, Flaming Lips. Sorry, um, Hanson).

     "Disappear" is the same sort of cliche country/blues hybrid that annoyed the hell out of me two weeks ago when Erik Koskinen was indulging in beer & cigarettes.  While it's easy to appreciate Millsap's desire to skip out of his small town (it IS Oklahoma), his desire to travel back to the Dust Bowl is a little more difficult to explain (though, in his defense, "Parker Millsap" sounds like a name straight out of Steinbeck).  The rustic guitar-and-violin sound that makes up the canvas for Millsap's proposal is straight out of the Woody Guthrie playbook (not a compliment in my world), while the straggled, dueting vocals come off as the Carter Family on moonshine.  I'm sorry, but I think we've reached the point where this sort of whispy nostalgia just can't be taken seriously coming from somebody under 30.

MinneSarah:

     My goodness.  While more than a few times this winter, I've felt that packing up for a vacation and leaving everything behind (temporarily - I'd never just up and leave...again).  In this Parker Millsap song, he outlines things that so many of us would be thankful for - coffee, a house, friends - and says he wants to abruptly leave it all behind.

     While everyone has fantasized about starting anew, these lyrics come across as ungrateful and irrational.   Maybe that's just the acoustic guitar and violin.  And it's a proposal song - nothing is more romantic than putting yourselves into poverty.  I can tell you one thing - if a guy I was living with tried to propose via this song - I'd truly consider moving abruptly, disguising myself, and cutting all ties. 

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 1/5
                     MinneSarah: 1/5

04. I Break Horses - Faith (from the album Chiaroscuro)

TCDroogsma:

     I've spent five days with "Faith" so far and I still have no goddamn idea what it's about.  Like, none whatsoever.  No bother, though.  These lyrics could be about just about anything and it wouldn't make much of a difference since I Break Horses work up such a bright, shiny world of synths and drum machines around the vocals.  "Faith" is not a song meant to be dissected, it's meant to be injected straight into your frontal lobe.  It may be all blinking lights and plastic sexuality, but my goodness is it gorgeous.

MinneSarah:

     There's nothing wrong with a little electronic music.  While there is not a lot of unique that stands out about "Faith,' its droning beats sound hypnotic - and coupled with a long walk through the white tundra - sounds near perfect.  The vocals are a overshadowed by the distorted synthesizer, but vacillate between monotone and heavily emotional.  The overall effect is wistful yet upbeat.  I will be adding this to my running mix, though clearly I'm missing the message and just enjoying the ride (or rather walk).  Music like this makes me sound sophisticated and forward moving, which if any of you have seen me on a walk - basically sums me up ;-) <----(winky face).

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 3.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 4/5

05. Frankie Teardrop - Lines (from the album Tough Guy)

TCDroogsma:

     I spent a week with Tough Guy a while back.  It's a fine, basically enjoyable throwback sort of record.  However, I've yet to see Frankie Teardrop live, which is evidently necessary to totally buy into what Frankie Teardrop's selling.

    "Lines" is a perfectly serviceable, straight ahead rocker.  That, however, is pretty much it.  There's no great chorus to boost the song up, no crazy guitar solos, nothing particularly memorable.  It just trucks along for a minute & forty seconds and then leaves.  Even Frankie's lyrics about abusing substances and pushing things too far ring a little hollow when delivered in such a workmanlike manner.  I don't know if it was MPR or the band that decided to push "Lines," but I know Frankie Teardrop can do better. Try giving "New Beverage" or "Killed A Man" a listen for a more interesting take on just what Frankie Teardrop is capable of doing.

MinneSarah:

     While I hate to jump on a bandwagon - I've found myself aboard the Frankie Teardrop wagon.  As a live show, Frankie is the best I've seen in a while.  As a recording, I'll confess, some of the magic is lost.  You may think this band is any old sixties-ish coast rock revival band.  Not so, friends.  The lyrics are a sage warning about the dangers of fast living, "your heart is way too big to go to jail, kid."  This coming from the cutest little dudes in Minneapolis!   I love the energy, the street wisdom from likely straight A students, and a pure love of rock and roll.  The rapturous shrieks are a testament to how exuberant a song about the dangers of drugs can actually be.

Final Score - TCDroogsma: 2.5/5
                     MinneSarah: 4.5/5

Well there you have it, MP3 junkies!  Another week's worth of songs downloaded, reviewed, & filed away!

As always, please keep in mind that neither Newest Industry nor our contributors are in any way affiliated with the artists above, The Current, or MPR.  We're just music fans with laptops and a bit too much time on our hands.

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  He can also be found right here on Newest Industry hosting our free weekly podcast Flatbasset Radio

For more MinneSarah be sure to give her a follow on Twitter (@MinneSarah).  In addition to  filing reports out of St. Paul for our Big Day Out column she occasionally joins TCDroogsma as co-host of the Flatbasset Radio podcast.







For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Newest Industry Presents - Flatbasset Radio: Episode #33

When you're lonely, press play...

Hello again, free music fans! Welcome to Flatbasset Radio: Episode #33!
 
For those of you who are unaware of the Flatbasset Radio format, here's what you're looking at: TCDroogsma is our resident MP3 junkie. As you've probably noticed in his Songs Of The Week column, he's not always the most positive music fan. In an effort to prove that he is, in fact, a fan of music, we give him an hour each week to play the songs he's digging and talk a little bit about them. Once he's recorded his podcast we put it right here on the website for free to stream and/or download!

In this week's episode TCDroogsma is flying solo from Planet New Basset.  Episode #33 finds Droogsy celebrating some great local hip-hop, playing this generation's iconic British band celebrating THE iconic British band in his Cover Of The Week, suggesting a re-pressing for all the "vinyl nerds," mispronouncing people's names, imploring everybody to go to the Turf Club tomorrow night, finding common ground with a legendary artist via disappointing girlfriends, thanking Miami for "staying flithy," finding a band that sounds like "Ian Curtis somehow coming back & singing for New Order," wondering if he should have stuck with James Mercer, forgetting his own age, and explaining that you should never try to charm women with Morrissey lyrics!

You can download the podcast for free by clicking the episode's title or stream the episode by clicking on the Mixcloud player below.

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #33

Flatbasset Radio: Episode #33 by Tcdroogsma on Mixcloud

01. Protomartyr - Come & See
02. Medium Zach - Achoo
03. Cars & Trains - History Of The Night
04. Arctic Monkeys - All My Loving (Live At MSG)
05. The Van Gobots - The Ghost
06. Boots - Dust
07. Damon Albarn - Lonely Press Play (Live On BBC2)
08. Atmosphere - Bitter
09. Twin Graves - Brothers
10. Broken Bells - After The Disco
11. The Underachivers - 6th Sense
12. The Smiths - Reel Around The Fountain

There you have it, music fans!  Enjoy!

For more TCDroogsma be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@TCDroogsma).  Previous episodes of Flatbasset Radio are archived on his Mixcloud page.  Stop by Flatbasset Radio's Facebook Page & give it a "Like" if you have the time.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems, stopping by and giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.

Your Name Is Wild: Week #19

We now return you to your previously scheduled program...

Well hello again, Wild fans!  Welcome to Your Name Is Wild: Week #19!

For those of you who are new to the column, here's the scoop:  The NHL season is a long, tedious journey.  We decided that this season we would ask TCDroogsma of the blog Wildly Biased to stop by each week and give us an update on our local squad.

Droogsy, what'd we miss?

Welcome back, everybody!  Did you have a good Olympic break?

(crickets)
(crickets)
(crickets)

Yeah, unless you're Finnish or Canadian that pretty much sucked.  Ah well, nobody on the Wild got hurt and really, that's the important thing.

When last we spoke the Wild had just won two straight home games and gained 10 out of the last 14 available points.  They'd manage to push themselves 5 points up in the race for the Wild card, turning a four horse race for two spots into a three horse race for one spot.

This week found the Wild on the previously dreaded Western Canadian road trip.  However, this time around most of the squad was well rested & the teams they're facing were no longer division rivals.  There are times when I miss the old Northwest Division, but this week wasn't one of them.  Let's break this thing down.

The Week That Was

Thursday 2/27 - Wild: 3  Edmonton: 0

Thursday night found the Wild rebooting their season in the best place possible:  Edmonton.

Despite hopes that the Olympic break would give him ample time to recover, the Wild were again without captain Mikko Koivu as he continues to recover from a broken ankle.  Technically, Niklas Backstrom was healthy enough to play, but realistically, I'm not sure Niklas Backstrom is every going to be healthy enough to play an NHL game ever again.  Fortunately, this Edmonton Oilers squad is embarrassingly bad.  It really wouldn't have mattered what 20 guys donned Wild sweaters Thursday night, if they had even a rudimentary knowledge of hockey they would have been able to compete with these guys.

It didn't take long for the Wild to assert their dominance.  Mikael Granlund, who's clearly feeling extra saucy after a stellar Olympic performance, got the Wild on the board just 2:04 into the game.  Playing 4-on-4, Jared Spurgeon led the rush by dishing the biscuit up to Zach Parise.  With Keith Ballard crashing the net, Granlund was left all alone in the slot. Parise hit him in stride, Ben Scrivens (who was evidently expecting Parise to try to shoot through Keith Ballard) was nowhere to be seen, and boom! Back of the net.  After the game Granlund said the amount of space he had to work with on the play was, "unexpected."  Edmonton Oilers Hockey:  Unexpected!

The second period offered more of the same for the Wild.  The Oilers continued their incredibly sloppy play, dumping pucks into each other's feet and literally crashing into each other on the ice.  At the 9:37 mark the indomitable Stephane Veilleux was left all alone on top of the circle.  Evidently Edmonton does not respect the Ginger Hammer.  Erik Haula took the puck behind the net and hit Veilleux with a centering pass.  Veilleux, gun cocked, fisted a one-timer through a screen and past Scrivens.  2-0. The legend continues...

The third period was highlighted by one of the funniest goals I've seen this year.  With Charlie Coyle & Nino Niederreiter cycling furiously in the Edmonton zone, Dany Heatley planted himself on the right side of the net with his stick cocked for a one-timer.  Oilers defenseman Anton Belov did his best to tie Heater up, eventually leading to the two cross-checking each other.  Just as it seemed Belov had neutralized Heatley, the puck bounded off Scrivens and toward the two.  Heatley promptly chipped the puck over Scrivens, fell down, got up, and celebrated like a fuckin' all-star.  Salt in an old wound for the Edmonton faithful, but at this point I'm assuming they're pretty numb.

That was all she wrote for the Oilers.  Darcy Kuemper stopped all 21 shots he faced (including a stellar save on a Jordan Eberle one-timer in the second) to post his 9th victory of the year.

Wild Player Of The Game:  Stephane Veilleux - Frankly, it would make a lot more sense to give this one to Granlund or Kuemper, but I have a strict "Any time Stephane Veilleux scores he's automatically the Player Of The Game" policy and I'm sticking to it.

Ginger Solidarity!

Impression Of The Game:  I was pretty concerned that the Wild, who went into the Olympics scorching hot, would stumble out of the gates (it's not cynicism, it's realism).  Not only did they come out flying, they looked more powerful than they were before the break.  Then again, kicking the shit out of Edmonton only counts for so much.  That's 12 of the 16 available points in the bank.  Bring on Vancouver!

Friday 2/28  - Wild: 2  Vancouver: 1 (SO)

This game was riddled with pros & cons before the puck even dropped:

Pro: The Canucks sent a ton of players to the Olympics, so they may be an exhausted team.
Con: The Wild played the night before, so they may also be exhausted.
Pro: The Canucks were in a freefall before the break & had fallen out of the playoffs.
Con: They'd already won once since the break, so maybe they've righted the ship.
Pro: The Vancouver hockey press was abuzz with news that Ryan Kesler demanded a trade.
Con: No Koivu, No Scandella, No Backstrom (meaning Kuemper playing just 24 hours after his shutout)
Pro: John Tortorella still coaches the Canucks.
Con: Goaltender Eddie Lack has supplanted Roberto Luongo & looked great.
Pro:  The Canucks entered this game 6 points back of the Wild, meaning a Wild victory would bury them 8 points back.  For revenge's sake, that's a good thing.

Well, the game itself was just this sort of back and forth.  Ryan Kesler opened the scoring when former Canucks whipping boy Keith Ballard coughed up the puck on the power play.  Kesler sped past him (seriously, how slow is Ballard?), retrieved the puck, and beat Kuemper.

Ballard would get his sweet redemption just a few minutes later when he tied the game by blasting a puck behind Eddie Lack.  Or did he?  Referee Brad Meier waved the goal off immediately, claiming that Erik Haula had interfered with Lack.  Replays showed conclusively that no such contact occurred, but this isn't a reviewable play.  No goal.

No matter.  Just a few minutes later Kesler's Team USA teammate Zach Parise buried a laser of a wrist shot on the power play.  1-1 game after 1.

And that, folks, is all of your scoring for the night.  The two teams spent the majority of the second period playing tug-of-war in the neutral zone, while the third period tilted the ice in the Canucks favor.  The Wild,  clearly feeling the effects of playing the night before, held on for dear life, eventually forcing OT & earning a road point.

The extra frame would prove memorable when Zach Parise, the Wild's lone goal scorer, took a completely unnecessary boarding penalty on Chris Tanev.  The Wild sent Kyle Brodziak, Matt Cooke, & Nate Prosser out to kill the penalty.  While playing just about the most passive triangle in the history of the NHL, the trio stood tall, killing off the majority of the penalty with "good sticks" and a willingness to block shots.  It was a tense & satisfying penalty kill that suddenly made it seem like it just might be the Wild's night after all.

The boys escaped OT unscathed only to find themselves in one of the more epic shootouts in franchise history.  Both Kuemper & Lack stopped the first six shooters they saw.  Finally, Justin Fontaine solved Lack by sliding the puck five-hole.  Darcy Kumper stopped noted animal enthusiast David Booth and it was all over but the shouting.

Wild Player Of The Game:  Darcy Kuemper - In addition to playing for the second straight night, Kuemper managed to fight off the negativity of Kesler's breakaway goal, stay sharp as his team sagged in front of him, and then stand tall during a seven round shootout.  Not bad for a 23 year old who was fourth on the depth chart at this time last year.

Impression Of The Game:  That's 14 of 18 points!  Not only that, but the boys managed to gut out an ugly, ugly win on a night when they didn't have the legs, were missing key players, in a brutal building, against a desperate team.  It was not the most entertaining game of the year, but it may have been the defining one.

The Week Ahead

Monday 3/3 - Calgary at Wild

Allegedly both Mikko Koivu & Marco Scandella will return to the lineup Monday night.  One thing's for sure, this potentially mundane March game against Calgary will go down as the first chapter of "Granlund v. Granlund" as the Flames have called up Mikael's kid brother Markus.  The Flames are also the last team to defeat the Wild (nearly a month ago).  That's some shit that needs to be rectified post-haste.

Saturday 3/8 - Wild at Dallas

Amazingly, the Wild enjoy four days off before heading to the house of horrors that is Dallas.  The way things are shaping up now the Stars will be playing for their playoff lives Saturday night.  Can the Wild win in Texas for the first time since the Lemaire Era?  Probably not, but hell, stranger things have happened.

Sunday 3/9 - St. Louis at Wild

After Dallas the Wild head to St. Louis.  After acquiring Ryan Miller this week I'm terrified to see what this Blues team is going to look like post-deadline.  The Blues are legit Stanley Cup contenders.  I don't know how you could improve this team, but here's hoping Doug Armstrong fucks it up.

The Big Picture

The Wild have found a regular home in the rumour mill over the last month thanks to their goaltending situation.  With Wednesday's trade deadline we'll finally have some clarity as to just what the plan is going forward.

Fortunately, none of that gossip seems to be affecting the on-ice product.  The Wild just keep racking up points, leaving Phoenix, Dallas, Vancouver, & Winnipeg to fight for enough scraps to earn the second wild card.  Good times all around.

Until next week...

For more of TCDroogsma's hockey ramblings be sure to give him a follow on Twitter (@WildlyBiased).  He can also be found writing about the Wild in greater detail on his hockey blog Wildly Biased.

For more Newest Industry be sure to give us a follow on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) to stay up on the work being done by all of our contributors.  More importantly, we have a Facebook page here.  Trivial as it seems stopping by & giving us a "Like" is a free & legitimate way to support the blog.