are we human? or are we dancer?

this blog will be continued............as soon as i can fucking figure out
a)what the question means
b)how to answer said question.


any and all answers are welcomed.


that is all.

are we human? or are we dancer?

Death Gets Magnetic

This morning on my way into work for a couple hours, I listened to the new Metallica album Death Magnetic. I was posting to Twitter.com while listening, below are my tweets about Death Magnetic.

From twitter.com/grantruby:

Death Magnetic track 1 "That Was Just Your Life" is so brutal. If the album continues like this I will be very happy.

Death Magnetic track 2 "The End of the Line" continues the brutality started on track 1. Hell yes.

Death Magnetic track 3 "Broken, Beat & Scarred" doesn't let up. Is it safe to welcome Metallica back yet?

Death Magnetic track 4 is single "The Day That Never Comes". Starts very Unforgiven & gets crazy brutal. This is a meh track for me.

Death Magnetic track 5 "All Nightmare Long" is a 'wow' track. Where was all this brutality on your last 3 records, Metallica?

Death Magnetic track 6 "Cyanide". Do any of these songs suck?

Death Magnetic track 7 "The Unforgiven III," improves over part 2, which sucked ass. Token slow song on an otherwise brutal album.

Death Magnetic track 8 "The Judas Kiss" is very thrashy, but shows skill & maturity not found in many young thrash metal bands.

There's a sweet Sandman-style breakdown on "The Judas Kiss". #metallica #deathmagnetic

Death Magnetic track 9 "Suicide & Redemption" 7 mins in (of 10) & still no vocals. This song is so classic Metallica!

Death Magnetic track 10 "Apocalypse" is this album's "One". It's fast & totally brutal. Metallica are they're best when they go speed.

Rick Rubin, thank you for making Metallica good again! #deathmagnetic

Hammet's solos are ridiculous, Ulrich kills, Trujillo shows he belongs, Hetfield gets evil and Death Magnetic pwns! #metallica

Those are the live tweets as I was listening to the album. These 10 songs illustrate 2 things: a) Metallica is officially back and b) Rick Rubin is still a God. Over his career, Rubin has reinvented and reinvigorated so many bands that a list would take up a whole blog. His production credits are on Wikipedia. Take a gander at that list. It's full of amazing albums that define genres. There is nary a stinker on there. Rubin did LL's first album, the Beastie Boys' first album, he's produced the Slayer catalog, Red Hot Chili Peppers since Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Johnny Cash's American Recordings series, he's worked with Dixie Chicks, Neil Diamond and so many more. He's a genius. And he proves it once again on Magnetic.

But Rubin can't turn shit into gold (actually, he can), the members of Metallica illustrate on this album that they really still have it in them. They thrash, they get speedy, and they are brutal damn near throughout. Only one song on the album clocks in under 6 minutes, that's final track "Apocalypse" at 5:01. Seven of the tracks are more than 7 minutes including "The Judas Kiss" at 8:01 and instrumental "Suicide & Redemption" at 9:56.

After the first listen (it's now on my stereo at home, on repeat), I think my favorite track is the instrumental suite "Suicide & Redemption". It shows all that is good about Metallica: Kirk Hammet's solos, Lars Ulrich going batshit wild, and even Robert Trujillo shows that he belongs among the giants of a genre. Throughout the album, James Hetfield manages to eschew formula and cheese and gets dark and evil with his lyrics.

This is a reinvigorated Metallica that sounds like a young band that has the maturity of masters. I thank Rubin for finding that within each of them, pulling it out of the depths, and putting it on this album for the world to hear.

Metallica is tour this fall. They'll be in Salt Lake City playing at Energy Solutions Arena November 3rd. You'll be able to find me there. I won't be missing this spectacle.

Death Gets Magnetic

Soft Lips Are Open, Them Knuckles Are Pale

As a companion post to the review of Only By The Night, I thought it would be a good idea to also share the video for KOL's "Sex On Fire". It's an interesting one, for sure.

Soft Lips Are Open, Them Knuckles Are Pale

Too Early to Tell: Kings Of Leon Only By the Night

I got my hands on the new Kings of Leon album Only By the Night today. This is where the songs "Crawl" and lead single "Sex On Fire" come from. I dig both of those tracks (Sex more than Crawl), and am very excited to have this new album in my ears right now.

Kings of Leon really sold me with their last album Because of the Times. They ditched the straight ahead southern rock for a more epic version of the same. They aren't just an indie Lynyrd Skynyrd on speed anymore, they are a mature rock band that knows how to get down. And get down they did on Times.

Early reports on Night are that it is very much the companion album to Times, and I'm at all upset to report that I agree with the early reports. Night builds on the foundation laid out by Times and reaches further into the stratosphere. I don't think this album will garner them the radio and mass-media attention they so rightly deserve, but I don't think the band (or their fans) will be too upset to find that to be the case.

Having listened to the album several times through, it is apparent that there are 2 distinct halves to Night. The split isn't entirely tempo driven, though one half is much more of a rock album, following the lead of Times; while the other is much more mellow, and shows a darker, and more melancholy side of KOL. The more upbeat first half includes previously available songs "Crawl" and "Sex On Fire," while the more brooding second half includes the epic ballads "Cold Desert" and "I Want You".

This is an album that I think most KOL fans will enjoy, if not on the first listen. However, I think this album is sure to bring new fans into the fold with the ballad heavy second half of the album. I don't really hear any major radio singles on this album, which confirms other early reviews that I've read. That said, KOL continue to build their fan base and have solid record sales, so I don't think anyone in their camp is really complaining.

Kings Of Leon's new album Only By The Night will be available everywhere September 23rd.

Visit Kings Of Leon at their official website and on MySpace.

Too Early to Tell: Kings Of Leon Only By the Night

Southern Rock for the Indie Rock Set

I was introduced to Delta Spirit by the Redhead. She had heard a few songs of theirs and when they opened for Matt Costa she wanted to check them out. I like live music, so I obliged.

They were so good live! We didn't stick around for Costa, but I can't imagine he was able to match their energy on stage. Costa is a Beatles wannabe, whereas Delta Spirit are more of an indie rock Lynyrd Skynyrd. (I know, it sounds pretty fantastic, doesn't it?) Their Wikipedia entry says they're "a hybrid of rock and northern soul," but don't you believe it. Even the band's name contradicts that. Delta Spirit is clearly a throw back to the old delta blues of North Western Mississippi.

Unfortunately, that live energy is lost, for the most part, on their new album Ode To Sunshine. The real standout on this album is "Trashcan," a piano laced bar jam that hearkens back to such masterpieces as Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls Of Fire" or anything from Billy Joel that had balls. These guys are gritty, dirty and lost in that vast dead space between genres. They aren't an indie band, and they aren't southern rock, they are (to their detriment, perhaps) both.

I have a hard time speaking poorly about this band or this album, though, because I really do think you should give it at least one listen.

Southern Rock for the Indie Rock Set

More Bad News For People Who Love Bloc Party

Well, the other day I posted a quick excerpt from a Pitchfork review of the new Bloc Party album Intimacy.

I both agree and disagree with their observations on the album. Let me explain:

This album does not deliver on any of the potential that we saw from Bloc Party on their debut Silent Alarm. In that respect Intimacy is very similar to their sophomore set A Weekend In the City. Is it as bad as Weekend? No. I can't imagine them ever making an album that bad again. It was a mad stinker!

The lyrics really buoy this album, where the last album the lyrics were stale and unimaginative. Here, like on Silent Alarm, lead vocalist and primary songwriter Kele Okereke is both enigmatic and epic. This is obviously a breakup album lyrically, however, the general songwriting and execution is lackadaisical. It's almost as if the band is trying too hard, but they don't want anyone to think they are trying too hard.

There are some good standout tracks here. Namely lead single "Mercury" but also "Zephyrus," "One Month Off" and "Halo". The rest are just...meh.

So, to Pitchfork I say, well done. You pretty much nailed it on this one.

I just hope these songs are good live. With the high level of energy on this album, I think they will be. That is, of course, assuming, that Bloc Party ever comes to Salt Lake.

More Bad News For People Who Love Bloc Party

Bad News For People Who Like Bloc Party

I haven't listened to the new Bloc Party album Intimacy yet, but I plan to today. I'm really excited about this album because their last one, A Weekend In The City, was a total stinker.

Well, some of my excitement was drained today when I read the review on Pitchfork:

[M]aybe it's the quick turnaround or a desire to see Intimacy in a better light, but it's easy to judge this as Another Weekend in the City: The B-Sides.

Yeah, it's never a good thing when comparing something to Weekend.

Now I'm worried. Scared. Trembling even.

Bad News For People Who Like Bloc Party

Tokyo Police Club Free Yr Radio

My love for Tokyo Police Club should come as no surprise to anyone. I have good news for those of you in Salt Lake City like myself: Tokyo Police Club will be playing a free show on September 15th at Urban Outfitters in the Gateway. Yes, I said they are playing a FREE show.

How tits is that?!

Here's the deal, they're playing as part of a series of shows to benefit public radio stations around the country. To get in you'll need to print an e-ticket at freeyrradio.com. That's it. Make sure you show up early, because they're only letting in a limited number of people.

The show is at 7pm on September 15th.

Find out more on Tokyo Police Club at their official website and on MySpace.

Tokyo Police Club Free Yr Radio

i forgot how much i love these fags

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2ayKK8E7gc&feature=related

i forgot how much i love these fags

LETS MAKE A LIST!

im proposing a swift orderly change......wait, thats death cab lyrics again.....what i meant to say is im proposing we make a list of the 'best' songs.....not like the best songs ever but the 'best' songs for each catergory....for example, i just posted my thoughts on the best panty dropper of all time....i realize that its odd that HEAD LIKE A HOLE makes me all moist, but fuck, it is what it is.......so 10 catergories.......add your own, or change them, i dont care, just trying to get the ball rolling...so to speak.oh and if anyone has seen or heard from shugg, or ck, or fields, or sealionwoman....uh, this is yer blog too, jerks! good luck, and happy listing(PS, MY PICKS ARE IN PINK).........♥LU

1. BEST PANTY DROPPER....UM, EVER : HEAD LIKE A HOLE-NINE INCH NAILS...SOMETHING ABOUT THAT BACKBEAT AND TRENTS BREATHY SINGING THAT GETS ME ALL WORKED UP IN THE PANTS AREA

2. BEST SONG TO FIGHT TO, OR ABOUT, OR OVER, OR UNDER, OR WITH: LATELY, WHEN IM IN A FIGHTIN MOOD, OR WANT TO BREAK STUFF, I LISTEN TO RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.....ANY RAGE USUALLY BUT SPECIFICALLY 'TESTIFY.' ITS GETS YE OLDE BLOOD WORKIN, AND I DEFY YOU TO COUNTER THAT.

3. BEST SONG TO DRINK A BEER TO: FLOGGING MOLLY'S ENTIRE WITHIN A MILE FROM HOME ALBUM,DER....BUT MORE THAN THAT, I LIKE-A THE MURPHY'S VERSION OF 'THE GANGS ALL HERE' BUT MORE THAN THAT EVEN IS 'I THINK I'LL STAY RIGHT HERE AND DRINK' BY MERLE HAGAARD.

4. BEST SONG TO DRINK WHISKEY TO: UNCLE TUPELO 'STILL BE AROUND.' HANDS DOWN

5. BEST SONG TO LISTEN TO AFTER A BREAK UP: ITS A TOSS UP BETWEEN EDDY GRANT'S 'ELECTRIC AVENUE' AND ANYTHING BY WHAM! (OR SERIOUSLY, I WILL POSSESS YOUR HEART DCFC, WALK THROUGH HELL SAY ANYTHING....LONG LIST, WHICH IS WHY I SETTLED ON WHAM! THAT AND I LOVE GEORGE MICHAEL ♥)

6. BEST SONG TO LISTEN TO DURING ELECTION COVERAGE: JOE DIFFIE 'PROP ME UP BESIDE THE JUKEBOX' CAUSE SERIOUSLY, I WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN BUT I DONT WANT TO GO TONIGHT.....(THANKS FOR THIS CATERGORY, DUGAN)

7. BEST SONG TO WALK INTO THE ROGUE WITH GRANT TO: UH, DER....'BILLIE JEAN' JUST TRY NOT TO SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER WHEN THAT BAD BOY IS ON THE JUKE.

8.BEST SONG TO FEATHER YOUR HAIR TO, OR PRIMP IN GENERAL: 'LIKE A VIRGIN' THAT IS ALL.

9. BEST SONG TO BLOW COKE TO: 'CATS IN THE CRADLE' BUT NOT THE HARRY CHAPIN VERSION, THE UGLY KID JOE VERSION

10. BEST SONG TO RUB ONE OUT TO: 'STUCK INSIDE OF MOBILE WITH THE MEMPHIS BLUES AGAIN' WELL, MAYBE NOT, BUT ITS ON THE ALBUM BLONDE ON BLONDE WHICH IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALBUMS ACROSS GENRES OF ALL TIME. LISTEN TO IT.....

LETS MAKE A LIST!