Krankenhaus: An Omen?

If the new BSP album next year is an extension of the Krankenhaus? EP, then it will not only be the best of the year, but it could be legendary. This is a good chance to go legendary. Two solid albums in the books, excellent live performances, it just feels like they are ready to launch into the stratosphere. I've been eagerly awaiting anything new from them because of this potential. The Krankenhaus? EP shows it. They're ready. I haven't had such giddy anticipation for an album in years. Really. Think about if you knew that one of your Nine was going to be released in February. That's what I'm feeling right now.

Music Here and There

I don't branch out very much in my music listening. I know that's really jacked up, though, because when I do I always find something I like. i.e. LCD Soundsystem. I'd listened to them before I saw them open for Arcade Fire but I'd written them off quick as lightening. Then I saw them and was impressed. I came home and started listening to them and, hey, what do you know? I really like LCD Soundsystem. Shame on me.

I don't know how music critics do it. The folks at Pitchfork must listen to hundreds of bands a week. Do they get to the point where it's easy to know what is good and what isn't without spending a week or a month on an album? Do they ever write a review that cans an album only to realize a year or two later that they were completely wrong? I mean most of the time it takes me a good five or six listen-throughs of an album to even begin getting a feel for it--let alone if I like it or think it's good. Of course, there are the magic albums where I immediately know I love them (Alligator, Hissing Fauna, Who Will Cut Our Hair, Chutes, Gimme Fiction, ). Usually I have to listen and listen and listen and listen. And I guess, after looking at that last sentence, maybe I just don't put in the time to get to know new music.

I've never listened to more music in my life than I did in 2005. I listened to everything that came out. I listened to everything than anyone would recommend. The fact of the matter is I just don't have the time to live my whole life like that. I was listening nearly every minute at work and maybe an hour or two at home at night. Now I don't listen at work very closely (my music plays in the background--no headphones). And when I get home I want to listen to the stuff I know I like; I don't want to have to work through an album, you know? I just want the release of familiarity.

But what would I be missing out on if I didn't put in the time? Okkervil River. Ted Leo. Spoon. Sufjan. AMFM. Wilco (who I know I'm still missing out on because I haven't put in the necessary listening time). Those are some of my favorite bands. And the ones I've had to work the hardest at getting to know. And the bands I listen to now instead of listening to new music. They've risen to that place. Maybe I've gotten to a point where I know what I like and I don't have to pressure myself to listen to everything like I did in 2005. Maybe I can let the music come to me instead of going out and searching every corner for it. That'd be great. I could put on Islands and not worry about what else I should be listening to instead of Islands.

Recent music I've been listening to

I think I've mentioned I've been trying to go through a lot of music that I have that I don't know to well to see if I really like it or not.

So far:

Like: Rainer Maria, Midlake, Dismemberment Plan. I listened to "Change" the other day and felt this weird excitement. I felt as if I KNEW I was going to like them, but I couldn't until I listened to the album a few more times. But I could just tell that a future listen was going to be awesome, when I finally got it.

Ne feelings: Andrew Bird, Pedro the Lion. Both drifted by. I was most disappointed by Bird ebcause I thought I liked his album last I listened to it. Not so much, I guess.

In other news, I still love Sam's Town

Okkervil River @ Kilby Court, SLC, 9/12/2007

Setlist:

Plus Ones
Lady Liberty
No Key, No Plan
The Latest Toughs
Red
Song of Our So-Called Friend
Hand To Take Hold of the Scene
Unless It's Kicks
Black
A Girl in Port
Our Life is Not a Movie, Or Maybe
A Glow
For Real
Westfall
Encore:
The President's Dead
Last Love Song For Now

RE: Tough Songs To Listen To

I agree with "John Wayne Gacy, Jr" and "Black" and I think the ones I'd add are:

"New Slang"--"Turn me back into the pet I was when we met. I was happier then with no mindset." That line devastates me. Probably the saddest all around song for me.
"Fake Plastic Trees"--"It wears her out," "It wears him out," "It wears me out."
"Palmcorder Yajna"--"If anybody comes into our room while we're asleep I hope they incinerate everybody in it." Yikes.
"The War Criminal Rises and Speaks"--"They found a lieutenant who killed a village of kids. After finishing off the wives he wiped off his knife and that's what he did." "How did I climb out of a life so boring into that moment?" Morally devastating.
"Glenn Tipton"--"I buried my first victim when I was nineteen...." Double yikes.

There are also some songs that give me a desolate feeling but I couldn't really pinpoint why: "Red Right Ankle," "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's the Pilot," "Lullaby" by James, " "Country Feedback" by REM and "Radio Cure" by Wilco.

OR and BSP

Way to corrupt your kid, man. I will say that I'm jealous about you being able to go see OR. Bring back some good stories. I wish I could see them but what with them playing on Sunday here, I don't see that happening. So, when you go, at least sing along to the end of John Smyth Allen Sails. At least go that far. If you don't, you'll know you're a tired old man awaiting retirement and valium pills to sleep through the pain.

As for me, I believe I'm going to learn about British Sea Power. Yes, they are coming to America to a small club in DC. Should be fantastic. 13 bucks. That's worth it just to see Please Stand Up, which I will most graciously do when they play the song (I plan on sitting on the fetid floor up until they sing the lyric "Please Stand Up" and then I'll leap to my feet).

I mentioned this to you before, but what Conor Oberst is to others, Will Sheff is to me. Will's such a storyteller. Look at those lyrics. I think I thought this as I was listening to Down the River of Golden Dreams and then it was reinforced with a day of listening to The Stage Names. There are some songs I can't get over, namely the one track that no one, not the blogs, not the message boards talks about, that track being Savannah Smiles. It rips me apart every time I hear it. It's difficult to listen to. This is why Sheff excels, singing from the perspective of a middle-aged woman whose daughter has either become estranged or committed suicide (it's not quite clear). But it breaks you apart. There's something so sad about her husband going and watching TV with the lights out, and her turning off the radio.

Which brings me to the List of Tough Songs to Listen To That Are Great:
I don't have them in any order yet, but they exist. You could really put anything here...like Lord Anthony is a tough song on a day when you're remembering junior high.
John Wayne Gacy Jr - Sufjan Stevens.
The Chalet Lines - Belle and Sebastian
Savannah Smiles - Okkervil River
Black - Okkervil River

I forgot the other one I was thinking about! How awful.

My Cool Kid

I watched this video a few minutes ago:

Emily (who's playing Wii at the time) says, "Who sings that song, Dad?"

"Their name is Okkervil River. Do you like this song?"

"Yeah!"

The video finished and Emily paused the game and looked over at me. "Can you play another song by that band, Dad?"

I smiled. "Sure thing, Em." I played this:

"Thanks, Dad," she smiled and said.


On a similar note, I'm buying my OR ticket tomorrow. I'm pumped, man. I'm really pumped.