April 2001

What Evil Robots Are Listening To

Godzilla wants us all to think of some stuff we are listening to these days and tell it to all the reader of evilrobots.com. I don't know if I can even get to five albums, but I'm gonna at least think of two or three. Here we go:

1. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Pig Lib
This is the second 'solo' release by SM, but it feels much more like a full band effort than his first. Not as much of the abstract goofiness of the Pavement days, or even the first SM album, but it makes up for that in the tighter music that the Jicks are making these days. And yeah, I guess any album with references to Bob Packwood and day-glo has some element of nuttiness somewhere. I'm pretty well hooked.

2. Cody ChesnuTT - The Headphone Masterpiece
Grandpa gave me this for my birthday, and I got to like it really quickly. It runs that whole gamut of rock, soul, rap, R&B, etc. and does it very well. Cody's ability to sound all hard, and then all soft, and then all in between is just remarkable. I hate to think of what this is gonna sound like when he gets a contract and some studio time. It's just gonna rip away all the emotion.

3. Rocket From the Crypt - Live From Camp X-Ray
It doesn't quite stack up to previous RFTC material, but it's still pretty strong. A short album, loaded with post 9/11 type symbolism and whatnot. It seems like a pretty rough sketch of what could have been a better album, but it still sounds good, and that's all I care about.

4. Bo Diddley - Chess 50th Anniversary Collection
Just gotta. That's all I gotta say, is you just gotta.

Actually, that's really been about it. I'm looking forward to some pretty intense releases later this spring and summer, so my music spending is way down right now. A lot of crap coming out right about now anyway.

1. John Prine Anthology
Despite having made at least one really horrendous album in the 90s, John Prine is an early king of the singer-songwriter-guitarist folk music realm. I had heard his music covered by other folk musicians before I ever heard John Prine. But when covers consistently sound good, it's just a sign to search out the master. There's not a bad song on the 2 CD compilation, but steer clear of the crap CDs from the 80s/90s. We all know good folk went out of style after the 70s anyway.

2. White Stripes - Elephant
Brand new purchase for Grandpa and all I can say is it rocks my socks off. They've also released a video for their first single "Seven Nation Army" and the video sucks you into a never-ending
series of triangles.

3. Erin McKeown - Distillation
(an old favorite I've just dusted off & started digging on again)

4. Beth Orton - Daybreaker
(great background for the day-to-day car rides with Grandpa)

5. the melodic sounds of Grandpa squishing geese on the sofa

PART I:
What's in Grandpa's CD Player:

1. The White Stripes - Elephant
Bigfoot got this for me on Saturday. After listening to it three times, I am convinced that it is super awesome. Jack and Meg White have recorded yet another sensational rock album. All those pussies who listen to Linkin Park, Good Charlotte and New Found Glory should have this record beaten into their heads.
"Elephant" is not leaving my car CD player any time soon.

2. The Polyphonic Spree - The Beginning Stages of...
As I have stated before, this is one of my all time favorite albums of all time ever. I like this band even if they are not coming to DC or Baltimore for part of their US tour.

3. Evil Robots Deluxe Audio - In Effect
Godzilla made this album in December of 2002. It's extremely awesome and I listened to it all weekend.

4. The Kings of Convenience - Versus
It's a remix album. Super awesome for driving.

5. Beth Orton - Daybreaker
I listened to this yesterday as I drove down I-97 at sunset. It totally worked. Great songs.

PART II
Albums I should have, but, since I can't download music AND I don't have money to spend on CD's because I got fired, I can't buy.

1. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
2. Liam Lynch - Fake Songs
3. Cody Chestnutt - The Headphone Masterpieces
4. Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakdown

(Oh yeah, I'm anxiously awaiting the Punjabi MC's and the Electric 6 to take hold of the US. That shit will rock our world.)

If any of you our there feel the need to burn or buy me a copy of any or all of these albums, I would gladly give you some tacos in return.

Until next time, I'm Grandpa.

Since Godzilla sent me his musicology instructions while I was at work, and I have been very bad at writing for Evil Robots, I took a gander at my desk and inside my computer to find what I can contribute. After recluttering the reams of paper that cover my grey desk, I actually found five CDs.

1. White Stripes- Elephant
Very rarely does Schlomo go out and buy an album the day as it comes out. It usually takes me a year or two after it comes out before I buy it. But soon after seeing and hearing Fell in Love with a Girl I was hooked and looked forward to their next album. Elephant lives up to my expectations and more. I know of very few bands that can combine rock from the fifties to the seventies and still create 2:30 seconds of pure passion. Ongoing feedback, a Beatlesesque chorus, sexy biscuits, and a workaholic squirrel. It makes me very happy to proclaim the death of Detroit's Kid Rock in a vat of Coors-lite (a pussy drink anyway). Hail, hail, Detriots ambigously coupled Whites.

2. Jimi Hendrix at Isle of Wight
The last concert before his own vomit killed him (warning to all: vomit is dangerous, approach carefully). Great!

3. Charlie Mingus- Ah Um
The greatest Jazz bassist ever! Though not as fun as his Oh Yeah!, it remains a perment fixture next to my CD ROM drive.

4. The Beatles- Abby Road
The only Ringo Starr drum solo. Enough said.

5. The Clash on Broadway
Always good when contemplating the finer points of the imperialist-capitalist machinery.

1. The Flaming Lips- Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
A bizzare mixture of influences that combines into an almost perfect album, except that it is too short. Sounds like Neil Young (a ficticious one that can sing) singing songs written by Brian Wilson with Stereolab producing.

2. Beck- Sea Changes
This is beautiful sadness.

3. Tahiti 80- Wallpaper For The Soul
French indie pop sung in English. Pretty damned good.

4. Mark Farina- Mushroom Jazz 4
Mark Farina is the DJ With The Most Skills. He's also got great taste, as he mixes a bunch of different styles, including hip hop, into the ultimate downtempo mix.

5. Royksopp- Melody AM
Norwegians make awesome music. These guys take a somewhat electro approach that isn't the least bit cheesy.