McFadden's

Not a Post about Surfer Blood

McFadden — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:28:39 +0000

Just to be contrary, without any reference positive or negative to the quality of the music, and to relieve the tedium of reading what is effectively the same review with a few words of the Pitchfork article replaced with synonyms on every blog covering music after the album was called ‘best new music’ by that site, this is McFadden’s official post-not-about-Surfer-Blood.

You may also consider this the official casting on of aspersions to that Vampire Weekend release, which received Pitchfork’s same mark of approval. Playing the album to someone is probably meaner (and more effective at exposing its reprehensibility) than any insults or derisive remarks about it with which I’m likely to come up.

Deaths and Accidents in the Music Industry

McFadden — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:05:37 +0000

On the very sad ‘Music’ side of the title, guitarist Jack Rose died yesterday, December 5, of a heart attack at 38. More to follow.

On the industry side of the music industry dead, morons the world over collectively paid $250 million for the privilege of resting their sorry backsides in sticky movie theater seats to watch a pathetic, disturbed, decaying, and over-sculpted individual scoot around onstage in white gloves in preparation for a collection of concerts which the public was mercifully relieved of putting up with. This is only mentioned to specify that the contents in no way resemble music, and that the film in no way deals with a musician, so as to preemptively disperse allegations that this blog had missed or ignored the event.

Ciao My Shining Star, a Mark Mulcahy Tribute Album

McFadden — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:32:55 +0000

I don’t know how I missed this, but I’m not too sorry I did. A couple of otherwise very good musicians put together a benefit album for the great Mark Mulcahy (of Miracle Legion and solo fame) because his wife, Melissa, died a while ago. And while it’s… just okay. Which is mysterious, because the songwriter is a genius and performers are mostly pretty great. There really aren’t a lot of opportunities to screw this up. I mean, the involved parties could probably mumble each others’ songs out of tune into Fischer-Price tape recorders in their bathrooms and produce something better than half of what was released last year. It will be easier for those who didn’t know enough about it to be disappointed to appreciate, but, even if you know how great it could have been, you should still check it out, as there are a few good moments.

If you’ve been in anything more than a vegetative state for any significant portion of the last ten to twenty years, you’ll recognize Dinosaur Jr, Frank Black, Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe, Mercury Rev, Hayden, and the National, who all make appearances with varying levels of success.

Fugazi Audience Interaction Compilation

McFadden — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:15:31 +0000

The other day, Chunklet’s website put up a 40 minute compilation of what went on between songs on-stage with Fugazi. I hesitate to say “stage banter” because it really isn’t. You’ll see. There’s no music, just talking–mostly interactions with the audience. If you were there to remember, wish you could have been, or are just interested, check it out here.

Pedro the Agnostic

McFadden — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:15:28 +0000

I’ve always liked David Bazan of Pedro the Lion–really, how could you not like a band with a name like that?–but found his music a bit hard to listen to because of the religious nature of the lyrics, so when I saw this article on NPR about his new-found agnosticism, I was eager to hear the result.

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by the song NPR had available for free listening. It’s not bad; it’s just utterly unremarkable. I’ll post a full review when I listen to the whole thing.

Bazan went to high school with Damien Jurado, and he tells a funny story on stage about their meeting. Jurado, who was on tour with him at the time, heckles him from the crowd. Here’s the video:

“The Disintegration Loops” by William Basinski

McFadden — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:44:12 +0000

As the twin towers crumbled, William Basinski was transferring decaying tapes from analog to digital, the funereal whispering of magnetic tape sloughing off under the tape heads, the notes disintegrating through their own expression. [In progress, more to follow...]

Iron & Wine and Calexico Cover “Always on My Mind”

McFadden — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:37:50 +0000

I’m no fan of the sappy country ballad, but Iron & Wine and Calexico have done something to a song I thought was beyond a good cover. I stumbled across their cover of ‘Always on My Mind’ here, and I have to admit it’s rather less than unbearable. Shh.

WHY? Concert

McFadden — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:12:27 +0000

WHY?, Dark Dark Dark, and Shai Erlichman played at the Grind at Clark University September 27, 2009. As is often unjustly the case, the quality of the music deteriorated as the night wore on. Shai Erlichman were the best; Dark Dark Dark were okay, and WHY? were a bit of a disappointment. They are better on record. None the less, they were entertaining enough and not particularly objectionable.

The following assertions were averred by the band during the course of WHY?’s show:

1. “We have this sponsorship deal with [shoe company] so we can probably hook y’all up.

2. One of their number invented the double pinstripe suit

3. “I had a cat named Clark, so that’s what I think of your school: I love it, I respect it, and I want to be buried with it.”

and, least believably of all…

4. “We ate in your cafeteria and the food is really good.”

Dead Confederate Daytrotter Session

McFadden — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:44:03 +0000

I first saw Dead Confederate opening for Dinosaur Jr, and the show was so good I decided right then to forgive them for their subsequent popularity. They haven’t made it easy, being on Razor & Tie, and being assaulted with absurd accolades such as ‘Nirvana from Georgia’ at every turn. But it’s hard to hate them when they give songs descriptions like this: “A tongue-in-cheek, slap in the face of the religious right. The lyrics are often dumbed-down so as to come across like cross words in a bar fight (one between a sinner and a preacher).” That’s what Brantley Senn had to say about their song The Rat, which the band performed, among others, for a Daytrotter session. Check it out here.

Pavement Reunion

McFadden — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:35:30 +0000

The Pavement reunion tour is on. Seriously. Er, whoo.