Alkaline Trio

Agony & Irony

2008

There are points in life where it’s comforting to know certain things don’t change. Listening to the Alkaline Trio’s “Agony & Irony” is not one of those times.

Kudos to this Chicago three-some for sticking it out far longer than anyone could have imagined when they made a name for themselves at The Fireside in the late nineties. It is clear, however, that time has not treated the group well. It’s been eleven years now since the release of their maniacal, goth-punk masterpiece “Goddamnit” and they have yet to rival or even match the originality and intensity of that seminal achievement.

After the departure of original drummer Glenn Porter following “Maybe I’ll Catch Fire”, which features the anthemic, revenge-themed “Radio”, the band released one album with former Smoking Popes drummer Mike Felumlee before shacking up with Derek Grant of the Suicide Machines. The only interesting part about this Spinal Tap-esque history is the surprising effect losing a drummer can have on your overall sound.

Porter was a monster behind the kit. Being such a virtuosic player he was able to keep the Trio’s simple arrangements and straightforward power chord approach fresh by the huge array of rhythms he could create. From bombastic, metal-influenced breakdowns to the shape-shifting shuffle of “You’ve Got So Far To Go”, he was the standout musician but rarely recognized for his contributions. Derek Grant is a great drummer but his influence has proven to be more melodic than anything else. Singers Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano have benefited greatly from Grant’s ability to write vocal harmonies and incorporate backing vocals. Those things worked well for his LP debut on “Good Mourning” but the band has displayed little growth musically or lyrically since.

“Agony & Irony” is no different. The only positive thing I can say about the record is that the vocal harmonies and backing vocals have again improved over previous albums. That’s about it. “Agony & Irony” is a bland, uneven pop-punk effort that offers nothing new to the either the band’s repertoire or the genre to which they belong. Which poses another question, what genre of music is this? No longer edgy enough to be punk. The gothic/macabre elements of their earlier albums now come off as gratuitous and stale. It isn’t exactly Emo. Are the Alkaline Trio now a pop-rock band? “Love Love, Kiss Kiss” and “Do You Wanna Know?” sound eerily like top 40 rock hits with their big hooks and catchy melodies. And what’s with the cheerleader handclaps in “Calling All Skeletons”?

“Agony & Irony” does feature some strong tracks (“Help Me”, “In Vein”, “Ruin It”) but holds together about as well as a Hollywood courtship. The reality is that you can only go so far with guitar, drums, bass and five-chord rock songs about heartbreak and insecurities. These are especially hard to swallow coming from musicians now in their thirties with wives, families and a fairly successful back catalog from which to collect royalties.

The Alkaline Trio may have grown up but their music is still enduring the painful and embarrassing mutations of puberty.

Best Track: “In Vein”

Talking Heads

Speaking In Tongues

1983

In my mind, the only blemish on "Speaking In Tongues" is that many fans may be more familiar with the charismatic live versions of these songs featured in Stop Making Sense. The studio versions of some tracks ("Girlfriend Is Better","Slippery People") initially feel a bit stale in comparison to the "live" concert film while others ("Swamp","Making Flippy Floppy") have their own unique life on the record.

The production of this album (again, only initially) struck me as a weak point. The reverb-heavy kick drum sound and distanced mix of the vocal tracks serve to date this record to the mid-80s but that stopped bothering me after several listens. The mix is far different on this album because the songs, accordingly, are a departure for the band and would not be as well served by their previous studio sounds. The drum intro to "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity" (which is a fucking brilliant song) wouldn't be as effective without the drum echo in flowing with the delayed guitar David Byrne is weaving over it.

The quartet of songs comprising "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity", "Swamp", "Moon Rocks" and "Pull Up The Roots" may be the best sequence I've ever heard on a record. A good friend described the Talking Heads to me as "the closest white people get to black music" and it seems fairly true on this record. The more authentic Brazilian percussion of Remain In Light is toned down here in order to meld more with a spacey, New Wave feel but the swing and white-boy funk hold true.

I will start a fight with anyone who doesn't think "Moon Rocks" is killer. It absolutely explodes with energy. How can a four-some of caucasian art school nerds get so funky?

Best Track: "Moon Rocks"

DJ Shadow

Endtroducing.....

1996

Many aspects of "Endtroducing....." interest me. The drum samples are generally used very creatively and reflect a mature taste in percussion. In most cases actual drum kit sounds are used, often jazz influenced with splashy cymbals and, occasionally, clever time-signature changes, wether due to the actual sample itself or an alteration DJ Shadow has made.

There are certainly transcendent moments as well. "Changeling / Transmission 1" is a highlight for me, mixing atmospheric synths with a great backbeat. Like many of the songs on the album it vacillates between hip-hop swagger, R&B cool and a certain unpredictable psychedelia often attributed to well-executed house music. "Stem / Long Stem / Transmission 2" is another that showcases a huge array of influences. The percussion is clearly a sample of a metal and/or punk song and yet that ferocity appears completely normal behind a mellow, clinking xylophone melody. There is no question that the combination of influences is certainly impressive and all coalesce well. Additionally, most of these songs sound great and are memorable but the question still nagging me after multiple listens is:

Is this art?

I'm into hip hop and respect a producer or DJ who has taste with samples, let it be known. However, I feel there is an important difference between a creative producer layering/altering/looping existing music before laying original lyrics over it and what DJ Shadow has done on "Endtroducing.....". Some part of me feels that just merging obscure samples together is not worthy of respect, even when used tastefully as it is here. Is it any different than a cool collage you made in art class in the 2nd grade?

It should be mentioned also that I don't recognize 99% of the samples. I feel a know a decent cross-section of music so this surprises me but it must mean DJ Shadow has dipped into a big pool. It is a remarkable feat to meld so many samples and genres but, again, is this an artistic masterpiece as many seem to view it? After several listens I still don't know.

Best tracks: "Changeling / Transmission 1", "Stem / Long Stem / Transmission 2", "Organ Donor"

Monday's Vinyl Purchases

As always, bug ups to Cheapo in Minneapolis, MN. On Monday, June 21st I became the owner of the following items:

Steve Miller Band - Brave New World (1969)

Peter Gabriel - s/t (car) (1977)

George Benson - The Other Side Of Abbey Road (1969)

Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (1973)

Van Halen - Fair Warning (1981)

Today's Vinyl Purchases

Big ups to Cheapo in Uptown, Minneapolis. Today I became the owner of the following items:

Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde (1966)

The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)

Blondie - Autoamerican (1980)

Sade - Diamond Life (1984)

Sly & The Family Stone - Stand! (1969)

Paul McCartney & Wings - Band On The Run (1973)

Madonna - Like A Virgin (1984)

Steve Miller Band - Children Of The Future (1968)

Big up also to the people who stopped caring about vinyl albums as I am now able to purchase them for very little.

Mic stand = slide.

This man is insane.

Skip to 4:44 for the transcendent solo. I'm in awe of this.