BACK IN THE GAME

For Winter '07/'08

Oh, blog, it has been too long. It feels like I don't even know you anymore. I guess Summer was the real reason I stopped writing in here so much; I tried multiple times to update (in earnest, almost every time some kind of minor Radiohead-related news tidbit surfaced), only to find myself staring at a blank page for five minutes before giving up completely. Maybe it was the lack of schoolwork and other scholarly responsibilities this blog serves to distract me from that deterred me through the hotter months, but now it's cold as fuck outside, I'm grounded on Halloween, and I feel like writing again.

New Radiohead
Believe the hype; or, in the case that you're reading Pitchfork, don't. The new Radiohead album is good - but is it their best? Not by far. Although the cyborg space-pop of OK Computer has, somewhat understandably, begun to fade into obscurity the farther we creep (heh) from its tenth birthday, Kid A still sounds better every time I listen to it (although conversely, I don't think I'll ever be able to replicate the feeling of hearing "The National Anthem" for the first time, back in my grunge days). One of my biggest concerns with the In Rainbows before it was even named, especially after listening to the bootlegs as they came of of the woodwork, took the form of a question; "will Radiohead ever really be relevant again?"
Radiohead has been my favorite band for a long time, and an burning passion for discussion of so-called "Radiohead Theory" has been an obvious side-effect of my sometimes unhealthy obsession. So when the first bootlegs of confirmed LP7 (as it was known at the time) tracks popped up on the web, I instantly directed my browser towards the nearest Radiohead messageboard to talk it out. The new songs were exciting and promising, but, with the exceptions of a couple songs (Bodysnatchers, Videotape), they weren't amazing. Yet. But then again, they weren't finished, either - "Down Is The New Up" was skeletal, "Nude" was still boring, and "15 Step" was too clean.
So flash forward to October 10th, 2007. According to pretty much every major music publication in the modern world, music as we know it is scheduled to fall victim to an untimely death within hours. I waited for the moment I had been anticipating for a little over 3 years, feverishly refreshing my tabbed email inbox every five or so seconds. And then it happened.
One mind-blowing, longest-five-minutes-of-my-life download later, I had imported the ten tracks of the greatest album of all time into iTunes. I dramatically paused for all of .003 seconds before pressing play. To my surprise, what hit my ears was not the filtered, tempo-bending drum machine intro to "15 Step" that I had expected; instead, my shitty rummage-sale computer speakers nearly buckled under the electronic belch of the dirtiest Radiohead beat this side of Amnesiac. So began the first run through of what is, all things considered, my #1 most anticipated album of all time.
The first listen was good, but it didn't persuade me. I liked it, but it was still somehow a disappointment. It sounded bare - and there was that annoying, disgustingly slick drum beat in "Arpeggi" that somehow seemed to drag down the entire album. And, to put be frank, they totally botched Videotape in the studio; it was fucking terrible. A second listen, inevitably, went much better. Hey, maybe "Bodysnatchers" sounds like a home demo for a reason after all. There was still that nagging "Arpeggi" hanging around the middle of my Radiohead dream-world, shattering my hopes, but being sandwiched between the stunningly gorgeous "Nude" and "All I Need" didn't exactly give it a fair chance anyway.
It's becoming increasingly obvious as I write this that if I don't stop soon, I will simply continue to drone for another five paragraphs, to no discernable effect. SO, IN SHORT: It's not Radiohead's best, it's far from their worst, it's free if you want it, so buy it but it buy it.

PANTHER - ROMANCE (Tour CD)

Panther is back, baby! He's released a couple tour CDs since the his last LP (released on Portland's Fryk Beat back in March), but none of them have come close to matching the deliciously waterlogged, brilliant freak-out that was Secret Lawns (save 8-bit beatcruncher Copy's unimaginably deep remix of the warbling, super-catchy "Black Baby"). Since then, he picked up a live drummer, went on tour in Australia, and revised his entire musical direction. The result, assumably, is this record.
Romance, taken at face value, is thus far the least bizarre venture in Panther's repetoire; given the oddball ambition of his earlier works, however, it sticks out like a sore thumb. The opening track, "Satellite," is a highly melodic guitar-based jam born from the same freak-island-goddess mother as Dirty Projectors' recent work. Rather than an identical twin, however, the rest of the album works like the less enigmatic younger brother; independant, but less sprawling and focused in scale and practice. It's not perfect - we could still do without the super-messy, arty and dissonant mid-album tracks (a-la Secret Lawns' black sheep art project, "Tennis Lessons"). But Romance isn't an album - it's a tour CD, and god damn good tour CD at that. Download it.

SOMMOR

Coming soon

Panda Bear

Currently Ruling My Life

But for the best! I have three albums to talk about, one that just leaked and one that leaked a long time ago but I just downloaded because I am apparently an idiot. Without Further ado;

Panda Bear - Person Pitch

OH MAN this is good. Album is called Person Pitch, and I think this is going to be one of my favorite records of 2007, and it's only January. It's got the heavy experimentation of pre-Sung Tongs Animal Collective (yes, I know I'm dumb for comparing Panda Bear's album to Animal Collective), but I think a lot of people could really get into this in a way that you wont see with most of AC's stuff. And he did it without getting all melodic and Feels-y (a sidenote, I do not have any bad feelings towards Feels. It's a wonderful record)! So this is the opening track, which was previously released, but it's probably my favorite song on here anyway.

of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

Fuck the haters! This album is great! The only problem I have with it is that, for whatever reason, there are really no stand out tracks here, IMO. All the tracks are really good, but there's no "Rapture Rapes The Muses," or "So Begins Our Alabee," or even a "Penelope"! Although I must tip my hat off to Mr. Barnes for the delicious mini-symphony "The Past Is A Grotesque Animal," which manages to stay interesting and fresh for it's full, twelve minute lifespan without once peaking, or noticeably changing much at all! Go buy it.

Well that's all I have. If anyone happens to know of a reliable, fast, efficient, FREE mp3 hosting client, please tell me. I spent a good hour intermittently fiddling with Snapdrive while I wrote this entry, but as you can see, my labor was ultimately a fruitless venture, as I fail to deliver hot, illegal tracks into your hot, illegal mouths.

2007

R.I.P. Modest Mouse

Well I'm back, and a lot has happened while I was gone; most notably the change of year, but other stuff too, like Modest Mouse (not unexpectedly) sucking, NPSH album art surfacing (maybe), and even some REAL Corn Gangg news (finally). Oh, and the Nintendo Wii is about 5082097643075132 times better than I anticipated. And I anticipated a LOT. So let's break it on downnnnnnnnnnnnn.

Modest Mouse - Dashboard

So in case you have somehow managed to not hear this song (which would be somewhat impressive), it's on depressing, infinite repeat on their website. Ummmmm, WHAT IS THIS?! I will admit that we all could've seen this coming with "Good News," but when they said Johnny Marr was joining, this is NOT what I had pictured in my head. This is nothing. I bet this has been played about 50,000,000 times on the End in the last couple weeks. Sad, really.

NPSH - Holding Hands In The Shower

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'm probably not supposed to have this and I'm definitely not supposed to spread it around. So just listen to it there, and marvel in its electro genius. Man, I am so excited for whatever the hell these guys (and girl) have up their sleeve. Luke said (on last.fm, natch) that it was gonna be an EP rather than an album, but at this point I am not even disappointed. Guessing from some recent updates to their myspace, the album/EP/whatever is gonna be called "Girl Feelings." Check out possible album artwork on Side Ponytail and Staying Cool, it's pretty nice. Don't take anything I'm saying here seriously by the way, this is puuuuuuuuuuure speculation. Now that Sodomy Saturday is postponed, ANY SOLID NEWS would be like, exactly what I need in my life right now. Hint.

th' Corn Gangg: not dead!

Yes, it is true. Th' Corn Gangg is not dead, and even better is the fact that J'aime and motherfucking Alden Penner are in on this. Quoth Nick, my friends, so if it turns out to be untrue, it's not my fault. So, I could not possibly be more stoked about this. Apparently both an album and tour are in the works, keep fingers crossed dudes.

P.S. RIP Razorblade Runner. You will always be my hero, Cadence Weapon.

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NME Top Fifty

This is worth a laugh.


GOOD, BAD
EDIT: I removed the shit I didn't write about, full list here

47 Wolfmother- Wolfmother

You have GOT to be kidding me! I almost wish that Wolfmother was some kind of weird joke, sometimes. This album is such recycled overhyped bullshit, something that you'll find quite often along the course of this list....

43 Beck- The Information

Despite the NME's apparent penchant for putting the shittiest buzz-rock albums of all time (much less of 2006) on lists, they got a few things right. This album seems a bit rushed to me, but it's Beck. Which means it's good. Damn good. And the interactive cover art is probably my favorite thing anyone's done with their physical album in a long time. Cool. I dunno where this would fall on my Top Albums 2006 list, but it would be a hell of a lot higher than this. Damn, we're only on the second commentary and I'm already pissed! Ah, onward...

38 Metric- Live It Out

I like Metric. Maybe even love Metric. But this album was weird for me. The guitars sound so...REAL! Metric, what happened!? I dunno if you've heard the far superior "Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?" but the guitar on that record is like the equivalent of what overproduction made drums sound like on every rock album released in the 80's. I dug it way more than I dug drum machines on rock records, though. I dunno if this would make my Top 2006 List, given that it would be a lot shorter than 50 albums. But, it would make my top 50, if I felt so inclined to make such a list. But I don't. So, sorry Metric.

37 Be Your Own Pet- Be Your Own Pet

I dunno about best of 2006, but I like this record because once you turn it on it doesn't stop fucking you in the ass until it's over like, half an hour later. I hope their live shows are exactly the same thing. I dig these guys (and girls!) a lot.

34 Albert Hammond Jr.- Yours To Keep

Shitty, decidedly generic rock album by that weird-looking dude in the Strokes that likes tacky suits and white stratocasters. Top 50, 2006? No.

33 The Bronx- The Bronx

I watched their music video at Mariah's house a couple nights ago and burst out laughing.

30 Cat Power- The Greatest

This is an interesting choice. I didn't like this much, but I dig Cat Power a lot. She reminds me of Feist, but not in a ripoff way like Regina Spektor. She's got her own bluesy thing going on here, and I like it. But I don't like it enough to justify putting it on my Tops. Which I have just decided will be 15 albums long, and will be posted in this blog entry. Also, I thought this came out in '05. Weird, time flies I guess.

29 The Spinto Band- Nice And Nicely Done

Not much to say here, but this was a good choice. Maybe a bit deep. But nice choice.

27 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

This is one of my favorite records ever, probably. It's so fucking dirty. And not sexually. These guys are a real spin on real rock and roll. And they put on a hell of a live show. This deserves to be wayyyyy higher, definitely.

21 The Raconteurs- Broken Boy Soldiers

The Raconteurs are so fucking ridiculous that I almost feel like I don't have to write anything here. If I wanted to listed to boring, rejected White Stripes songs, I would buy the Seven Nation Army single or something. That's what this sounds like to me; White Stripes b-sides, without the grit that makes the White Stripes entertaining.

15 Thom Yorke- The Eraser

Shit man, people talk a lot of dirt about this record, but it sounds alright to me. This is so logical; it's like a sequel to Kid Amnesiac, but Thom put it out himself 'cause god knows Radiohead are getting too rock 'n' roll to put up with this. I'm obsessed with it though. It's a lot of electronics, but it's beautiful and human and really, really honest. Thom is just my favorite dude of all time.

13 Panic! At The Disco- A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

Oh, this shit can fuck RIGHT off. I feel like they do enough by themselves that I don't really have to rip on them, so I wont.

10 My Chemical Romance- The Black Parade

Do people actually like this band!? They're like, the most elaborate joke ever (I have to credit Alisa for that one). Ever since I stopped watching MTV, it seems really weird to me that people actually listen to this mainstream shit. I mean, I hate to sound like a snob, but commercial music is so dead right now that I can't even handle it. Damn.

8 The Strokes- First Impressions Of Earth

I love the Strokes, but they aren't ever gonna top "Is This It?" ever. The album is a fucking masterpiece, and they've been in a chronologically descending spiral since then. Not to take anything away from "Room On Fire." It was a good album. But ITI? is just impossible to top. Anyway, I don't like this record at all really. There are a couple good songs, but I don't like the new sounds they're getting. It would be a bit stupid to go back to lo-fi now that they're all rich and shit. I am just gonna have to face the fact that I'm never getting another good album out of the Strokes again, I guess.

6 Gnarls Barkley- St Elsewhere

If you know me, then you've heard me go crazy over this shit at least once. In a negative way, that is. I can't fucking stand this fucking band. Cee-Lo's voice is annoying. Danger Mouse, you need to hook back up with DOOM, 'cause shit. This is not cool. I shouldn't say that. That's exactly what this record is. It's hip, cool. Micheal put it best, I think; fake alternative hip hop for white people. I have a particular problem with the especially horrible cover of "Gone Daddy Gone." If you can't tell why I am offended by this song simply by listening to the original, than I don't want to be your friend.

5 CSS- Cansei De Ser Sexi

I'm pretty shocked by this. This kinda seems like NME wanking on its hip self. I'm not trying to dis on CSS or anything. They're hot on the dance front. But as an album, this is a pretty poor choice for the top ten, in my opinion. I'm not saying dance music can't be sonically beautiful or well crafted enough to deserve this spot (see the next album on the list for a perfect example). But this is a club record to me.

4 Hot Chip- The Warning

Beautiful, intelligent, talented, fun, impressive dance music. My favorite thing on this list in terms of placement. I guess NME can do one thing right.

2 Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Show Your Bones

A huge step forward musically for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. So why doesn't it belong on this list? Because it doesn't sound like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, it's overproduced, and the songwriting is less edgy. It bores me. Some songs are very good ("Cheated Hearts" in particular), but overall it's a disappointing sophomore album from one of the most promising young rock bands in the U.S.

1 Arctic Monkeys- Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What I'm Not

I'm not even going to say anything about this. O.K., well that's kind of already a lie. But I'm not gonna say much. This band actually deserves to be on this list, because NME is the fucking breast that feeds them. The only thing that could be a more fitting top to this ridiculous parade of mediocrity would be the as-of-yet unreleased Horrors album. Disgusting.

To set the record straight, when you make a "best of" list, you're gonna be scrutinized. It's harder than it looks. You can't please everyone all the time. But I mean...come on. Arctic Monkeys? And what about the albums missing from this list; Sunset Rubdown, the Blow, Clipse (O.K., that's a bit selfish of me. I'll save it for my own personal list), Subtitle, Cadence Weapon, Final Fantasy, Girl Talk...eugh. Enough bitching. Here's my list.


TOP 15 ALBUMS OF 2006, AS TOLD BY RYAN CARNEY

15: Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury

14: Islands - Return To The Sea
13: The Spinto Band - Nice And Nicely Done
12: Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
11: Girl Talk - Night Ripper
10: Subtitle - Terrain To Roam
09: Spank Rock - Yoyoyoyoyoyo
08: Thom Yorke - The Eraser
07: Tender Forever - The Soft And The Hardcore
06: Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
05: Karl Blau - Beneath Waves
04: Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe
03: Hot Chip - The Warning
02: the Blow - Paper Television
01: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Yeah.

P.S. - Coincidentally, I had to remove that LCD SS track from the last post because the DFA fucking emailed me and asked me to. Damn man, I was just trying to spread the love! James Murphy I love you and I look forward to buying Sound Of Silver THE MINUTE IT COMES OUT. Seriously.

SOME LOUD THUNDER!

S-s-satan Said Dance

January 16th, ladies and gents; mark your calendars, for this is the day when you will be able to download Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's not-so-long-anticipated second album, "Some Loud Thunder." I'm so excited, you guys!
CYHSY have got to be like, my favorite buzz band of all time. And that should mean a lot coming from a buzz-band hater like me. But seriously, these guys are really good. They kind of remind me of the Strokes in a way (not musically), because they're fresh, they're hot, but they're old school. Their amazing first album (as in, top 10 of '05 amazing) reminds me of a wayyyyy hipper version of the Cure, kind of. But this shit is really gonna be off the hook, seriously. Go to their site right now and download the new stuff. So "Love Song No. 7" I'm not that fond of. But you never know. And I can tell that "Underwater" is gonna grow on me like a fucking weed. But seriously, go to their myspace and listen to "Satan Said Dance." It will change your outlook on shit. No fucking joke.

O.K, and how are we to forget that LCD Soundsystem leaked this week? I've heard almost every track, and you guys, this album is everything his s/t was, plus everything you wish it was. Really! It's that good! Here's the first single, probably.


REMOVED BY LCD SOUNDSYSTEM'S REQUEST

That's all I have, but expect full reviews of both of these when I get them, probably soon.

FIREFOX 2

Well, What do you know, I got Firefox 2...

And I'm testing a brand new extension I downloaded today, called "Performancing" and oh man is it cool! If you look at that screencap, that huge toolbar you see at the bottom of the screen is the app, which posts blog entries directly from the bottom of the screen! So, I don't know if this is gonna work, but if it does, I think I'm in love; the interface is soooo much better than Blogger, it has spellcheck and everything. Oddly, it apparently doesn't recognize it's own name (Performancing) as a real word...weird.



But anyway, pick up Firefox 2 here, right now! And, if you have a blog, get the "Performancing" editor right here. So far it's amazing, and according to the description from mozilla.com, you can drag and drop images/files/URLs directly into the text from whatever site you're browsing. Awesome.



Well, I don't have that much to say since I basically just made this post to test my new Extension, and 'cause I'm super excited that Firefox 2 is so cool. So um, Thanksgiving was good? Long story short, two different families were there, no attempt at cross-family interaction was made whatsoever, and it was rather awkward at points... several off hand comments were made at the expense of sex workers, eerie silences ensued. Luckily, nothing happened that I would consider bad enough to cross the line from funny to upsetting. And the food was good. And that's what Thanksgiving is all about, right? Food!



After dinner, I went and saw Borat with dad and Shan. Wow. Words can not describe how incredibly inappropriate that movie is. I mean, it's hilarious, but wow is it offensive. And there's really something for everyone to get upset about, which was nice. Sacha Baron Cohen is pretty much and equal-opportunity offender, luckily. I would recommend it to anyone, besides Jewish people... there is a "Running of the Jew" scene which was particularly bad...



Well, that's all I have I guess.

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