Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Best album cover of the summer? Oh, baby.

Uh, YES! I'd say this wins my "Best Album Cover o' the Summer" award. I'm still deciding on how I feel about this new remix of the best hip-hop song of all time (don't even try to argue with me, it is), but Dan The Automator remains one of the slickest, hippest dj's in hip hop. As far as this indie lovin, gangsta rap-hatin white boy is concerned, at least.

Of course, the one thing that may be better than this cover is the accompanying Evian commercial. What roller-skatin' babies has to do with spring water is still out for jury.



I never learned it in any marketing classes, but I think it's been proven pretty obvious over the years that few things get attention as much as babies.

Whatever, though. Sweet campaign here with some sweet music.

What I find flabbergastingly remarkable, however, is that these babies in 2009 know how to use a tried-and-true old school boombox. No iPods here yo!

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Monday, July 6, 2009

YouTube Mondays: Pottstown's Fireworks in 2 minutes

Just For Fun; Where's Snow White Now?

The only thing worse than Mondays are Mondays after holiday weekends, so here's a little something for those blues.

Ever wonder what happened to Snow White after she lived happily ever after?


The best part is that Prince Charming is watching horse races.

"Snowy" by Dina Golden
Source: The Fallen Princesses by JPG Magazine (check out for some other fallen princesses)

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Sunday, July 5, 2009

Music Notes: What's been hot this summer?

Rancid! The nineties continue to come back in full force, and the East Bay's party punkers are still the best at what they do.

Although Let The Dominoes Fall - their first effort since 2003's Indestructible - doesn't light the same fireball as the group's match-in-the-gas-can early days did, this is by far the best good times record of the year (I beg of you; get this Flo-Rida junk off the radio). It's not dense, direction changing, or career defining; just 19 roaring party starters to help you forget America is in a not-so-great depression. Or rather, a romping reminder you don't have to be a sucker just because everyone else is.

If summer music is supposed to be about good times with good friends, good family and shooting the crap about the good times, Rancid are swinging - and connecting - with the jaw on this one. "Up To No Good" and the title track are personal favs.

On the other hand, there's that other East Bay group of punk rockers from the 90's - Green Day - who put out a new record this summer.

I have more love in my heart for Green Day than any other, but 21st Century Breakdown is just too jarring and too dense for the summer of 2009.

While Rancid's record is a rejuvinating reminder that you can still have good times during the tough times, Green Day's record dives into the hole the world is in, wallows in it, and never truly gives us the rally cry it promises to explode us out of it. They swung for the stands and wiffed.

Though it's cleverly themed and has an admirable poetry about it, the Day has made the mistake of taking themselves too seriously here. That's what Radiohead is for. You can stick to a theme (Springsteen's Born In The USA, for example), but you don't need to be The Who when you're Green Day. For Townsend's sake!

They even ape Coldplay a little here. Coldplay! Listen to the opening and closing of the record. Sounds like the opening and closing of Viva La Vida to me. Not to mention a song titled "Viva La Gloria!"

Still, 21st Century Breakdown has a handful of outstanding songs. "21 Guns" and "See The Light" are instant classics. But the size of this record's stick isn't as big as it would like to think it is, and Rancid's much simpler outing outshines because of it.

But in terms of artistry, the best all-around rock album so far this summer is Jets Overhead's No Nations which borrows thematically from Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown with much less grandeur.

And it pays off beautifully. It's a day-dreamy, lazy Sunday afternoon listen, ripe with indie rock of the highest order for the pickings. "Weathervanes (In The Way)" says everything Green Day were trying to say on Breakdown in just 4 minutes and 37 seconds.

It has some shining care free moments on "Headed For Nowhere" and "Always A First Time." It's the type of the album to let your hair down to, even if you don't have long hair.

Definitely check this record out. It's a keeper, and I'm sure it will be cropping up on plenty year-end lists.

What about you? What have your summer listenings been like this year? What's hot in your juke box?

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Saturday, July 4, 2009

Scene & Heard's Star Spangled Mix

A friend of mine recently asked me if my blog had filed for a court injunction against me.

Not the case; just been working in overdrive on other things at The Merc. But don't worry, it's not like me and Scene & Heard are fighting. We're just seeing some other people right now, ya know? We're not getting a divorce, because we love each other, and we don't want you to think that any of this is your fault.

Good? Good. Now that we got the "no, we're not getting divorced" talk out of the way...

Happy Fourth of July! It's one of my favorite times of the year to crank up the speakers and pump the world full of snarling, sparkling rock and roll, in all it's explosive goodness. Speaking of which, if you're in the Pottstown area today, head down to Memorial Park for all the Fourth festivities. It's the place to be. Meaning, you should not be reading this blog today! Get outside and dance and eat hot dogs! But if you must, here's what we're listening to:

Scene & Heard's Star Spangled Mix
1. John Lennon - "Power to the People"
2. Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Star Spangled Banner" (Live at Woodstock)
3. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - "American Girl"
4. Foo Fighters - "I Feel Free" (Cream cover)
5. John Fogerty - "Born on the Bayou"
6. Elvis Costello & the Attractions - "(What's so Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding?"
7. David Bowie - "Young Americans"
8. Howard Huntsberry - "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher" (Jackie Wilson cover)
9. U2 - "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
10. Elton John - "Philadelphia Freedom"
11. Neil Young - "Rockin' in the Free World"
12. Green Day - "21 Guns"
13. Rancid - "Civilian Ways"
14. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - "Johnny Appleseed"
15. Bob Dylan - "I Shall Be Free"
16. Bright Eyes - "Easy/Lucky/Free"
17. Bruce Springsteen & The Seeger Sessions Band - "American Land"
18. Ray Charles - "America The Beautiful"

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