Must See: "Just One of the Guys" Video

Just a few thoughts on the new video Jenny Lewis directed for a song off her upcoming album. The album in question will be called The Voyager and is slated for release July 29th, 2014, which also happens to be my parents anniversary. Coincidence? ....yeah...probably.....

My neuron misfires, in the order they occurred:

1. OMG, Jenny Lewis! I LOVE HER!!! Oh, god, I miss Rilo Kiley.....
2. Kristen Stewart went up a few notches in my book. Her range of facial expressions in this video alone surpasses anything she did in the whole Twilight Saga.
3. Anne Hathaway looks gorgeous. Haters gonna hate....but shit, she makes short hair look hot. Almost makes me want to ditch my Rapunzel-esque locks. Well, that and 99 degree weather. Seriously. Fuck Texas.
4. That suit. 
5. That guitar. Where do you even fucking find one of those?! Is it even street legal?!
6. Holy shit....is that the girl from 21 Jump Street? Yes. Yes it is. (Her name is Brie Larson. She also played Envy Adams in Scott Pilgrim vs The World in case you haven't seen 21 Jump Street. Seriously, you need to see 21 Jump Street. Fucking Hilarious.)
7. Kristen Stewart is kind of hot as a guy. Is that just me?
8. I really like this song. Story of my life when I was at school. Because, no matter how cool you are, girls are never considered "bros." Learned that lesson the hard way. Cool story, Jeopardy Kid.
9. I am so excited Jenny Lewis is releasing a new album -- she's a great artist, solo or otherwise. 

I love it when famous people do seriously cool shit like dressing in drag for an indie music video. Quite frankly, I wished it would happen more often. Because that's what I would do if I were famous.

I'll shut up so y'all can watch the video.

Special Edition: Adam's Rant - Grimes New Song

You may remember from an earlier Adam's Rant (approximately 2 years ago -- again, sorry about the hiatus....I was seriously trying to get my shit together), I introduced you to Grimes on the premise that, since I like her dreamy dubstep, you must hear it, too. In case you didn't know, last month, Grimes released her first song in .... well, approximately 2 years (apparently, that's how long it takes to get your shit together). Well, roughly two weeks ago, I got the following message on the Facebook:

Clearly, Adam was distressed. Like ALL CAPS distressed. Oh my.

To be honest, I hadn't taken the time to listen to the new track, "Go" ft. Blood Diamonds. Sure, I shared it on social media and filed it away to listen to later. Later turned out to be over this past weekend.



First, let me just say -- and this may be to Adam's dismay -- I actually really liked it. But I do understand where he's coming from and he made valid points. No, it is not typical Grimes. The strange yet ethereal vocals a la Alex Winston mixed with Enya....are gone. Not that the vocals on "Go" are bad, it's just -- they're too pretty. I know that doesn't make sense so let me elaborate. If anyone has seen the new "Les Miserables" film, I'm just going to use that as an example. There are scores of people who could sing "I Dreamed A Dream" better than Anne Hathaway, but the fact that her voice broke in places made the song better. It is possible to sacrifice prettiness for raw feeling. It almost sounds like a different person at times. Of course, on the positive side, it does demonstrate her range and I'm not hating hearing her sing at full voice.

The actual music is cool but I feel like I've heard it before. It's very similar to Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" or, let's be honest, any R&B duet with a solo female artist--especially a soprano. Please don't get me started on Katy Perry. I will say only one thing about her -- she knows how to get on the fucking radio. And I would say that this song definitely was aiming for the radio.

As for the Rihanna comment.....Oh my god totally. Don't get me wrong...I like Rihanna. She has a unique voice -- but so does Grimes. I think it really underscores the sorry state of the mainstream music industry that they feel they need to latch on to the hottest artist of the day just to sell music. Then, in turn, new artists feel that in order to be noticed they need to emulate what's already out there. Culture doesn't evolve with this mindset. It just sort of festers until we get Justin Bieber.

But, although I deeply sympathize with Adam's disappointment, there is a silver lining. A bunch of people who have no idea who Grimes is may fall in love with the cozy familiarity of "Go," and then subsequently, her older stuff. I feel that this is a good thing.

Besides, it's only one song. I'll try to reserve full judgment until the album drops.

Oh, and Adam....If you do decide to put The Rumble Pack on the back burner and become a legendary dubstep artist, I will gladly man the vocoder.

Rest in Punk, Tommy Ramone

It's a sad day, fellow Music Sluts.
Tom Erdelyi, aka Tommy Ramone, has died at the age of 65. He was the last surviving member of the original Ramones. He played the drums, essentially providing the heartbeat of the music we know as punk.

To this next generation, The Ramones are just a cool logo on a Hot Topic t-shirt. That punk is what Green Day does, that it's a throwback to the 90s. No....no....Children, the Ramones shaped what music became in the late 70s and early 80s. They are considered the first American punk rock band and any rocker worth their salt lists them as an influence. They boiled rock & roll down to its bare essentials and the genre was better for it.

So,Goodnight, Tommy Ramone. And thanks.

Throwback Thursday: "Faith" by George Michael

So, I listen to the radio a lot. You know that. It's inevitable -- I pretty much cannot drive whatsoever without music so if I don't have my iPod (or, more accurately, I forget to plug my iPod in before I start driving), I'll turn on the radio. San Antonio radio stations, if possible, suck even more than Sierra Vista radio stations. The only alternative rock station.....is the worst rock station I have ever heard. And that's saying something. And the modern music stations really take the 80s part of the "80s, 90s, and today" tagline really seriously. If I'm driving, I can basically hear Prince, Cindy Lauper, Madonna, or all three within the span of an hour. Yes -- I am finally over "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." It took nearly 27 years but -- yeah -- no more. Anyway, the other day, it's 5 am in the morning --I'm tired and I have already had to switch stations to avoid ::shudder:: "Moves Like Jagger" for the upteenth time in my life--and they play this little gem.

The 80s fashion in this video alone could cheer me up in a heartbeat. How did people take themselves seriously while wearing those jeans? And that jacket?! Oh, man...I'd hate to run into George Michael in a dark alley. Indeed, this song turned my dreary Monday morning into a feel-good adventure through one of the most poorly designed cities for torrential downpours. Surprisingly, I survived to drive another day. No, I don't recommend driving in SA.

It may not be a "Moonlight Sonata" or a "Bohemian Rhapsody" but it'll do. 'Cause I gotta have faith-ah-faith-ah-faith-ah.

Album Release Tuesday: Vox Humana Preview

Vox Humana

by Papertwin

Impression:  I'm not a big fan of techno and electronica. If I do listen to it, it tends to be lyric heavy and very pop-py (I know...that's barely even a description....it's been a long day). But, I approach life with the assumption that practically everything is an acquired taste and I'll try anything once - twice, thrice, maybe even 15 times! - until I like it or at least until I don't want to bash my brains in. It worked with sparkling mineral water and it even (sort of) worked with Maroon 5 -- now I wait about 25 to 30 seconds before I change the radio station, which, coincidentally, is the amount of time it takes me to decide if I want to deal with that shit for 3 to 5 minutes. Anyway, when I started listening to Vox Humana, I was concerned it was going to end up being a half hour plus of the same crap I could go to a nightclub to hear if I was really feeling masochistic. It was all synthesized beats and scales and I was all like "Oh noes!" But then the intro to "Alkaline" ended and the dream-like waves of sound began. The guy has a very mellow voice and the overall sound reminds me of a more energetic Walter Meego track mixed with New Wave punk a la Depeche Mode and The Cure. Not surprisingly, they list The Cure as one of their influence. I don't mind -- Who doesn't like The Cure? Am I right?! Anyway, their first EP provided excellent background music while I worked on a project for work. I would like to delve into the lyrics more because it sounded like there was more to them than just pretty words, but for right now, it's enough to get lost in the beats.

Songs I Enjoyed:  I loved "Sonar." I listened to the whole album (it's not very long) a couple of times to get a feel for the sound but I listened to this song probably like 6 or 7 times. I also enjoyed the mirrored vocals in "Whale" - while the lead singer sung the melody, a distorted track of what I assume was his voice was layered over top. I think the goal was to give the impression that it was part of a whale recording. Pretty much hit the mark -- it's super creepy but in a good way.

Sounds Like:  Dreamy synth-pop heavily influenced by early 80s punk

Buy it on:  June 17th, 2014

Discover Monday: San Antonio

I've lived in San Antonio for a year already and haven't even checked out the local scene. Work and such. Bleh. Anyway, I decided it was high time to see what was out there in my adopted hometown. The Verdict? Not much. At least that, not much that I could find with a cursory search of Google and - let's face it - if you're not on the first page of Google, you don't exist on the Internet.

I did find The Delviews, and - I'll tell ya - I don't hate it. Punk music with some ska influence. First song of their EP, which you can find for free here, was called "Hello Bones" and although I couldn't quite understand all the lyrics, I think it was about anorexia nervosa. I can dig it -- I've fought my own battle with Ana & Mia -- but that's a list for another day. A darker one. Maybe a Wildcard Wednesday some time in the near future. The song I think I enjoyed the most was "Looks Like You Just Broke Out of Lesbian Prison." I have no idea if the title has anything to do with what it was about but it was dark and soulful and hey, Orange Is The New Black just released a second season so why not? Overall, not bad for an EP - the mixing wasn't terrible, the vocals could be cleaner, but it's short, free, and the songs might grow on you. Give it a listen and if you like it and live in the San Antonio metropolitan area, get out and see 'em.

I also found Elora Valdez and if you enjoy yourself some Taylor Swift (I do!) and Selena Gomez (...er...when I'm drunk....). What's this kid about? You guessed it! Clean, sweet pop sugar with a slight country twang. The girl is 14-years-old and she sings about boys and being young and a whole bunch of stuff those of us on the edge of death don't quite remember. But the songs are catchy and she has a cute face and more importantly, she's obviously working her ass off. She's doing quite a few shows over the summer -- about one a week, some of which are on the same day -- and that's why she can afford professional quality tracks on her ReverbNation page and 38,000 fans. That's pretty impressive for any local artist. Shit, the kid even has decent quality merch....

I save the best for last ..... local trio The Rich Hands are more my speed. Think The Black Keys mixed with a hefty dose of 50s Rockabilly goodness. Their sound reminds of an early 60s beach filled with hipster teenagers -- all laidback and cool with a mysterious twang i.e. a solid bass line. I would be down to just hang out with these guys and listen to them jam, because that's what's best about blues-y bands -- they know their instruments and can just make it up on the fly and it'll sound good. You can get lost in the music and that's all I'm really looking to do most of the time. The recordings aren't quite as crisp as maybe you'd get from a big studio but it definitely gives the songs an old school vibe. I'm cool with that -- I've been listening to a lot of vinyl lately, anyway -- but I know some people *cough*The Boyfriend*cough* can't stand even a hint of static when listening to mp3s. For what it's worth, I'm really enjoying it. You can download the album at their bandcamp -- no price listed but paying supporters also get unlimited streaming on the Bandcamp app.

Discover More, Music Sluts!

ICYMI-Song Du Jour: Go To Go by ADAM

I've be listening to "Go To Go" by dutch girl band ADAM basically on repeat. The repeat of the mind! This song has a serious power to get into your head and stay there, waiting, until an inappropriate moment springs up -- usually while I'm at work, on the phone with a customer -- to slither its way through your brain and out your mouth. I've spent a number of boring Fridays humming it to myself just out of audible range.

If you are a denizen of the Interwebs and have ventured anywhere near a "cool" news source within the last month, you probably are familiar with their work on the Sybian...if not, feel free to *ahem* enjoy the video below.

And orgasms are great and all, but I really think it's worth a listen without all the moaning and voice cracking. The lyrics aren't much, but the tune is catchy as hell and even if the Sybian was just a publicity stunt, clearly it's working. ADAM is enjoying the boost in notoriety, ooh-ing and ahh-ing all the way to the bank, I'd imagine. Video of the actual song below.

Happy Friday, fellow Music Sluts!

Neon Desert Music Fest

It seems like all the awesome music festivals happen after I move away from someplace. Regardless, if you're in the El Paso/Las Cruces area during Memorial Day Weekend, it definitely sounds like it's worth checking out.

Rock on, Music Sluts.