Boy oh boy. Now that school's back in full swing, there just ain't much time for this kind of thing. So far, school-wise, the kids are pretty good. A few classes are better than expected, and one or two are starting to test me. I'll have to be like, BAM!, next week. That kinda crap's gotta be nipped in the bud. As written about before, my assignment's kind of crazy, but I'm adjusting faster (and better?) than I thought I may, so that's good.
On the TV front, I'm glad Boogie won, and upset that Janelle did. I mean, after all, she is a criminal.
I'm glad Canada continues to reign supreme in the Rockstar series. I think they made the right choice with Lukas. His voice could waver, but his best moments were better than anyone else's.
Go Home Productions is still cranking out good mash-ups.
I'm pissed at Maple Music again. They send out emails with ads about what's coming out, and then when you go to check the site, the specials are sold out. So, I check it all the time, just in case. Last time, auto'd copies of Sloan's best-of CD disappeared fast, and I missed 'em. Now, AGAIN, it's happened! Auto'd pics of the band came with the first 300 pre-orders for Sloan's mammoth new disc, and I missed 'em all. Forfucksakes, it's infuriating.
On the bright side, at least Sloan's coming out with a new album next week. Gotta love that. Love it almost like that first single from Kreviazuk's new CD. That's a pretty sweet tune. As is "Idlewild Blues" from the new Outkast release. Fionn Reegan is a new fave. Iron & Wine has my interest. Brett Dennan sounds awesome. As does Amos Lee. Madeleine Peyroux sounds like a lovely, old, soulful, jazzy soul. Weird Al sounds back to form. Can't wait to get Dayna Manning's finally-released "Folkyo". So much good new music, so little time to comment on it all.
I hadn't bought a new album from a store or online in a while. Maybe a couple months. Come to think of it, the last ones I may've bought were Sam Roberts' "Chemical City" and Ron Hynes' latest release. I was thinking about Billy Talent's new one when it came out, but I want to hear more first.
Based on my prior opinions, and the strength of one song, though, I finally found a good "album" record yesterday. John Mayer's "Continuum".
Mayer's always seemed to never quite find his niche. He's had great success, and good songs, but his stuff's never seemed to be, I dunno, true. It always seemed too safe. Catchy, listenable, but meant for ladies in a plain office with fluorescent lights. I got a kick out of his "joke tunes", like live versions of "Dirty Pop" and "Area Codes", and liked some of his mainstream stuff. It was when I heard his cover of "The Wind Cries Mary" that I took him seriously and respected him, though. It's very honest and very good. Then, I read Buddy Guy talking about playing with Mayer, and mentioning that he could really "get down". That was it. I knew I could really like him. He just had to put out the right disc. I think he may have done it with his JM Trio's "Try!" album, but I haven't heard it yet.
For sure, though, he's done it with Continuum. I figure it must be the middle ground of everything he's done before, and must be the bullseye of who he is, musically. Continuum is mostly mellow, and laid-back. It's cool, and somewhat melancholic. Perhaps He could've called it "Melancooly".
At times, it sounds like classic Motown (the lead-off single, "Waiting On the World to Change", sounds and feels a lot like Gaye's "What's Goin' On?"), Fleetwood Mac (tracks 5-7), George Harrison ("The Heart of Life"), soulful bluesy stuff - like, Raitt, or maybe Clapton, perhaps? - ("Gravity", "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"), Band of Gypsies-era Hendrix (on the Hendrix track, of course, "Bold as Love"), and even a little SRV or some such blues cat ("I'm Gonna Find Another You"). That last song is the perfect ending to the album. After slight ups and downs, and listening to some blue-and-gray things, it's slowly euphoric, triumphant, and feels good. With lines like, "Now I'm gonna dress myself for two / Once for me and once for someone new / I'm gonna do some things you wouldn't let me do / I'm gonna find another you", and "And if I'm forced to find another / I hope she looks like you / And she's nicer, too" (Like, bam! Take that whoever you are!), it leaves you feeling more like you worked something out rather than being left to feel numbish. I guess that's one of the good things about the disc. It's cool, travels over some odd moods, but gets finished off with a refined "frig you honey" blues tune.
The disc still has the Mayer most know (safe and catchy-pop sounding), but he's also wearing some classy influences on his sleeves. When the blues, soul, and classic vibes creep in, it's a real treat. His more familiar sounds just kind of buffer these tunes, and buff them so that the whole thing shines. This record may not be remembered as a five-star classic (it's got potential), but it's at least a 4/5, for sure. With Continuum, Mayer's really showing his true colours. Let's hope he continues to do so.
On the TV front, I'm glad Boogie won, and upset that Janelle did. I mean, after all, she is a criminal.
I'm glad Canada continues to reign supreme in the Rockstar series. I think they made the right choice with Lukas. His voice could waver, but his best moments were better than anyone else's.
Go Home Productions is still cranking out good mash-ups.
I'm pissed at Maple Music again. They send out emails with ads about what's coming out, and then when you go to check the site, the specials are sold out. So, I check it all the time, just in case. Last time, auto'd copies of Sloan's best-of CD disappeared fast, and I missed 'em. Now, AGAIN, it's happened! Auto'd pics of the band came with the first 300 pre-orders for Sloan's mammoth new disc, and I missed 'em all. Forfucksakes, it's infuriating.
On the bright side, at least Sloan's coming out with a new album next week. Gotta love that. Love it almost like that first single from Kreviazuk's new CD. That's a pretty sweet tune. As is "Idlewild Blues" from the new Outkast release. Fionn Reegan is a new fave. Iron & Wine has my interest. Brett Dennan sounds awesome. As does Amos Lee. Madeleine Peyroux sounds like a lovely, old, soulful, jazzy soul. Weird Al sounds back to form. Can't wait to get Dayna Manning's finally-released "Folkyo". So much good new music, so little time to comment on it all.
I hadn't bought a new album from a store or online in a while. Maybe a couple months. Come to think of it, the last ones I may've bought were Sam Roberts' "Chemical City" and Ron Hynes' latest release. I was thinking about Billy Talent's new one when it came out, but I want to hear more first.
Based on my prior opinions, and the strength of one song, though, I finally found a good "album" record yesterday. John Mayer's "Continuum".
Mayer's always seemed to never quite find his niche. He's had great success, and good songs, but his stuff's never seemed to be, I dunno, true. It always seemed too safe. Catchy, listenable, but meant for ladies in a plain office with fluorescent lights. I got a kick out of his "joke tunes", like live versions of "Dirty Pop" and "Area Codes", and liked some of his mainstream stuff. It was when I heard his cover of "The Wind Cries Mary" that I took him seriously and respected him, though. It's very honest and very good. Then, I read Buddy Guy talking about playing with Mayer, and mentioning that he could really "get down". That was it. I knew I could really like him. He just had to put out the right disc. I think he may have done it with his JM Trio's "Try!" album, but I haven't heard it yet.
For sure, though, he's done it with Continuum. I figure it must be the middle ground of everything he's done before, and must be the bullseye of who he is, musically. Continuum is mostly mellow, and laid-back. It's cool, and somewhat melancholic. Perhaps He could've called it "Melancooly".
At times, it sounds like classic Motown (the lead-off single, "Waiting On the World to Change", sounds and feels a lot like Gaye's "What's Goin' On?"), Fleetwood Mac (tracks 5-7), George Harrison ("The Heart of Life"), soulful bluesy stuff - like, Raitt, or maybe Clapton, perhaps? - ("Gravity", "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"), Band of Gypsies-era Hendrix (on the Hendrix track, of course, "Bold as Love"), and even a little SRV or some such blues cat ("I'm Gonna Find Another You"). That last song is the perfect ending to the album. After slight ups and downs, and listening to some blue-and-gray things, it's slowly euphoric, triumphant, and feels good. With lines like, "Now I'm gonna dress myself for two / Once for me and once for someone new / I'm gonna do some things you wouldn't let me do / I'm gonna find another you", and "And if I'm forced to find another / I hope she looks like you / And she's nicer, too" (Like, bam! Take that whoever you are!), it leaves you feeling more like you worked something out rather than being left to feel numbish. I guess that's one of the good things about the disc. It's cool, travels over some odd moods, but gets finished off with a refined "frig you honey" blues tune.
The disc still has the Mayer most know (safe and catchy-pop sounding), but he's also wearing some classy influences on his sleeves. When the blues, soul, and classic vibes creep in, it's a real treat. His more familiar sounds just kind of buffer these tunes, and buff them so that the whole thing shines. This record may not be remembered as a five-star classic (it's got potential), but it's at least a 4/5, for sure. With Continuum, Mayer's really showing his true colours. Let's hope he continues to do so.
posted by Steve | 1:15 pm
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