as a long-term smiths fan it behothes me to purchase pretty much anything morrissey does, and yet i didn't bother with his last album. let's be frank: the thrill had faded somewhat.obviously it's not fair to expect your idols to remain frozen forever in the exact pose that got you so excited - they have to grow old as do you. and thus morrissey in 2009 is quite different from the skinny lad of 1983: he's filled out and come out. he still has that glint in his eye, but the mancunian chalkiness has been replaced by californian bronze and somehow the chap just looks too damn successful to be convince of us/me of his pain.his outsider quality was one of his big attractions, and today he's an elder statesman, canonised and eulogised; he may be singing about the emotionally disenfranchised, but personally i no longer feel his pain.and musically i miss the layered subtleties. i respect his desire to rock out, but do we have to be bludgeoned with it?that's today's theory anyway.in reality, when this song comes on the windows are rolled down and the volume turned all the way up. welcome back moz.::: morrissey - it's not your birthday anymore
read more »
Today brings a special guest post from my wife Colleen. In fact, it's her first post ever in the close to three years of MISB. In it she writes about an artist near and dear to her heart. Enjoy. -Sean-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Since the late 70’s, the celebrated Morrissey has been making music and with his new album, Years of Refusal, he proves that he can still make inspired music.I remember back in high school driving around in my dad’s 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme listening to the Smiths on the tape player. I played Meat is Murder so much that the tape finally fell apart one day and jammed the tape player. That was the beginning of my love for Morrissey and his music.I was excited for Years of Refusal to be released and as usual, I was not disappointed with Morrissey. The lyrics have the typical Morrissey feel, with a twist of heavy guitars, more musical instruments and the usual underlying punk and grunge sound. His music has always made you think about controversial issues, and let’s not forget the depressing air to his tunes as well. Years of Refusal follows that pattern, with a lyrical style that tends to put you in a somber mood and play with your emotions mixed with catchy upbeat tunes.He starts off the album with Something is Squeezing My Skull and lets us know "there is no hope in modern life," but that "the motion of taxis excites me." Somehow, Morrissey makes it work as usual, into an album that you just want to listen to again and again. One of my favorite tracks is It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore where he asks “Did you really think we meant all those syrupy, sentimental things that we said?”Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris : Years of Refusal(watch the video)Morrissey - It's Not Your Birthday Anymore : Years of RefusalOr get the Deluxe edition of Years of RefusalVisit his website, his label Lost Highway Records, and become his friend on MySpace.-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Matt Keating - Reel Around The Fountain (The Smiths cover) : Buffetlibre Rewind 2-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Upcoming Tour Dates2/28 Boca Raton, FL Mizner Park3/1 Orlando, FL Hard Rock live3/3 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theater3/4 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing3/6 Myrtle Beach. SC House of Blues3/7 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse3/9 Asheville, NC Orange Peel3/11 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Center3/13 Richmond, VA The National3/14 Washington, DC Warner Theater3/16 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theater3/17 Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Music Hall3/19 Buffalo, NY U of Buffalo Center for the Arts 3/21 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom3/22 Philadelphia, PA Academy of Music3/25 New York, NY Webster Hall3/26 New York, NY Carnegie Hall3/28 Mashantucket, CT Foxwoods3/29 Boston, MA House of Blues3/31 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater4/1 Columbus, OH Palace Theater4/3 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom4/4 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom4/6 Minneapolis, MN State Theater4/7 Kansas City, MO Midland Theater4/8 St. Louis, MO Pageant Theater4/10 Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom4/11 Houston, TX Jesse H. Jones Hall4/12 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall4/14 El Paso, TX Chavez Theater4/15 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater
read more »
So Morrissey’s new album Years of Refusal has leaked. I’m not really all that impressed, but I did really like a couple of songs:
Morrissey - It’s Not Your Birthday Anymore
Morrissey - I’m OK By Myself
Now, will Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion be the album to beat in 2009?
Pitchfork seems to think so. The big bad P gave Animal Collective’s newest a rare 9.6. That is as perfect as it gets in P4K’s eyes. PMA concurs. Our review is coming soon!
In the meantime, read Pitchfork’s surprisingly good review. This is the first time in a while that I can actually sit and read through a Pitchfork album review. Will and I both agree this small excerpt summarizes the review pretty well:
What they’ve constructed here is a new kind of electronic pop– one which is machine-generated and revels in technology but is also deeply human, never drawing too much attention to its digital nature. It’s of the moment and feels new, but it’s also striking in its immediacy and comes across as friendly and welcoming. Animal Collective have spent the decade following their own path, figuring out what their music is capable of while also working to bring more listeners into their world. On Merriweather Post Pavilion, their commitment has paid off tremendously.
I have a feeling this “new kind of electronic pop” will be Pitchfork’s next victim/hype point. In 2007 it was female vocalists (Feist, Regina Spektor) last year it was lo-fi (Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Beach House). What new “electronic pop” acts will surely shape 2009’s Best-Of lists? Here is Pitchfork’s Early 2009 album release guide. Take your pick!
Animal Collective - My Girls*
Animal Collective - Brother Sport*
Animal Collective - Daily Routine*
*live bootlegs
Related posts
Pitchfork Music Festival 2008 (3)
The Thinking Man’s Take On: Pitchfork Media (13)
Q&A Friday: Which Fourth Quarter Release Are You Most Excited About? (53)
read more »
