September 7, 2002

I just got back from getting the West Nile virus while playing croquet at my boy Dirt’s brother’s house. I got bitten by at least three mosquitoes that I can scratch but I am getting sick and fading fast. I probably got bit a hundred times and just can’t tell through the delirium. My muscles ache. My brain is swelling. Tomorrow, I will be dead.

We were over at Dirt’s brother’s house playing croquet in honor of his wife Julie’s birthday. Big ups to Julie on her 32nd birthday. You are the man now, dog. And props must go out to Dirt’s family for their hospitality. I will miss you all when I am dead.

What follows are some notebooks scraps from Zeptember of 1998. I was in a bad mood. I typed up more that are BLOGGED here but they are too pinchy for publication.

Two tales of obesity:

There is this one fat ass who works downtown and rides the bus with me pretty often and sweats. He was hustling, like a racing elephant, to get to the bus this morning. He probably wanted to hit the bakery downtown for a couple of apple fritters before work so he needed to catch this bus. The bus driver, who must have a fat sister or some bullshit, waited. As he ran across the street, I prayed for a car to hit him while yelling, “Run, Fatty!” in my soul.

I saw John “Big Dawg” Thompson walking out of the Justice Center today, Man, is he fat, or what? I wonder what he was doing at the courts. Did a cop give him a ticket for sitting on the curb too long – mistaking him for a truck? Did he break into a restaurant and eat all of the food? Is that why he is so fat? Is he the eating bandit? Or maybe the City of Cleveland has brought a lawsuit against him for being a disgrace with his fat blubbering ass on television all of the time embarrassing us and bring shame on all of the other fat asses in the city? Welcome to Cleveland, OH. - home of the enormous crying retard with the dog mask.

(1998)

From a distance, I saw a crippled man hobbling down Ontario towards Jacobs Field just past Prospect. He was bouncing while he walked like a pogo stick since both legs were gimped. He rested on my building since he was probably pretty tired. He was hustling and bouncing real good. The triumph of the human spirit.

While he was sitting there, he lit up a cigarette. Why bother trying to live healthy now? He checked out the ladies that were walking by while he smoked. I got right up on the dude as he is hound dogging this really old lady. With a cane. He is checking out this old lady, probably in her eighties, and pulling his crank through his pants. Crippled pervert. The total package.

(1998)

Three phrases to use in conversation with your boring and long winded friends:

1. Yeah, me too.
2. I wish.
3. Who wouldn’t?

Switch them up for variety and zone out. It is called active conversational ambivalence.

(1998)

posted by Thea at 9:24 PM

September 6, 2002

The guy who was my appointed (by me) mentor at the office is leaving for another office. Of course his new office will be the same as the old office but that is a drunken philosophical debate and not the subject of a BLOG. We went to lunch today for the last time as him being a member of the old office. We went to a different food court (one that we have never eaten at) because he is moving to an office closer to our regular food court and if we ever have lunch again it will almost definitely be at our regular food court. That is how it goes. Although both major food courts are almost exactly the same give or take an Arby’s, there is a different group of the same people at this food court. They sit and eat in groups that are the same groups. It is funny and weird. Trust me. I could get into all the various office worker stereotypes but that is the subject of a “Life in Hell” and not the subject of a BLOG. The best part of seeing these different but same groups of office workers was that this was my regular food court from 1990 to 1997. I saw the same groups of office workers from back in the day but they are older and almost definitely fatter. It is a sad and beautiful (and fat) world that we live in.

The reason that I have never tried heroin was because opium was too damn good. You know how I am about this shit.

from the CSU CAULDRON

I went to Miami Beach last weekend for a little r and r. My wife and I stayed at a condo on the beach compliments of my better half's boss. The trip kicked ass. It was ninety degrees and sunny each of the three days that we were in Florida. We swam and we slept. We also got to fly in the giant steel bird for free which is always a treat.

In the promotional material that we received to prep us for the trip from the condo association hyped us to the positive aspects of the South Beach area. It used words like "swank", "funky", and "chic" among others. I knew something about South Beach Miami in advance of the trip from the Real World on MTV. Pedro, from the San Francisco series, visited his home in Miami and went out with his friends to South Beach. He also used some of the words in the promo pamphlets so I kind of knew what to expect.

This section of Miami is populated with many homosexuals. It was probably the highest concentration of gays I have ever witnessed in one place and I live in Lakewood and have spent a good amount of time in the Village area of New York City. South Beach is very gay and with that distinction comes men with questionable gender orientation. Dudes with lipstick is kind of "funky" I guess.

Mostly, however, Miami Beach was hardly funky at all. This struck my as odd. I, by virtue of my rock - n- roll lifestyle, have been able to see most of the major cities in the United States by foot. The band gets around and I usually have a ton of time to kill before showtime. I walk around these cities and see what there is to see. Most of the bars that the band plays at are in areas like Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. People are the same all over. The places are similar too. The only thing that made the South Beach of Miami different than Cleveland is the type of building that the Gap is located. In Miami they are in either Spanish Revival or Art Deco buildings. In Cleveland, J. Crew is in a mall. In Philadelphia, Banana Republic is located in an old row house type building with apartments on top near the Liberty Bell. You can eat at Fridays in New York City. Do you get what I am saying?

The landscape of America is totally dominated by a chain store mentality and enormous franchising concerns. What was once a McDonald's exclusive has now swallowed nearly all of consumer goods. Since we are what we own, we are all the same due to the stores being identical on every corner of America. What is described as a "funky" district in Miami Beach is nothing more than an open air mall with a stuccoed Old Navy and a few high end card shops. As a traveler, all you need to do is decide what demographic lifestyle consumption group you are a part of and there is a place in every city in America that has a district that will satisfy your buying needs, customer.

Also, as a fun note, I was able to pick out with decent accuracy people at Miami International Airport who were flying to Cleveland before we got to the departing gate. You have got a look Joey and Janie Cleveland. Go with it.

Recommended New Audio Consumption Product:

Black Star – “Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star” -CD (Rawkus). This may be a one off effort as both of these rappers are scheduled to release solo albums next year. Enjoy the collaboration while it lasts. This record is on an independent label so it is free from many of the often used themes of mainstream rap. There is not a lot of talk about money on this LP. Instead, this breed of alternative rappers focus their lyrical attention to the fallen art of hip hop. "Hater Players" and "B - boys will B Boys" are a couple of tunes that are commentary on rap music. They are raps about raps and rappers. Mos Def and Talib Kweli are wordy MCs with decent lyrics. The beats on the record are good. Black Star feel that they are the voice of true hip hop and rap accordingly.

Brand Nubian – “Foundation” CD - (Arista). The news on this record is that Grand Puba has rejoined Brand Nubian. The album features production by such older notables as Lord Finesse, Diamond D, DJ Premier and Chris "CL" Liggio. The record is a solid effort but, considering the cast of characters, I would have thought it would have been better. Nothing really jumped out at me. I was looking forward to this record since I became aware of its existence and was not horribly disappointed but it is just OK. The record is not great but I guess it could have been much worse.

Outkast – “Aquemini” – CD (LaFace/Arista). This record was a big surprise for me as in how much I liked it. The rapid fire delivery of Big Boi and Andre coupled with the sparse Organized Noize production make for a satisfying album. My head nodded from start to finish. The southern accent of the duo is hard to follow but lyrics are included so you can rap along at home with ease. The best song on the album is "Spottie0ttieDopalicious". It features a great horn hook played by actual horn players. A rare treat on a rap record.

U.N.K.L.E. – “Psyence Fiction” - CD (Mo Wax/A&M). U.N.K.L.E is British Mo Wax label head James Lavelle and American hip hop white boy DJ Shadow. Lavelle, one of the pioneering forces behind trip hop, does nothing on the album but supply direction and the connection to British talent like Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Richard Aschcroft of the Verve who both sing songs on the record. DJ Shadow brings with him a his great mixing and scratching techniques, Kool G Rap and the Beastie Boys and some funky white soul. The record is either trippy progressive alternative rap music or beat dominated British pop. You decide. If you are fan of the trip hop sound, you will dig this record. If you don't know what I am talking about when I use the phrase "trip hop", think of rap beats with tons of echo, reverb and atmosphere added in the mix. “Psyence Fiction” is as good an entry as any to the genre although I would recommend DJ Shadow's solo work more.

(1998)


posted by Thea at 9:28 PM

September 5, 2002

The best thing about the office is being outside of the office during business hours thinking about the office but not being there. I got to do that a few times today and I have more field trips to look forward to tomorrow. I am both pumped and psyched.

Great things I saw today while out of the office on super double top secret business:

1. A lady so fat that it looked like she had a pork roast in her lap.
2. Two fat people kissing.
3. Super fat and lazy kids wheeling around their book bags like it was rolling luggage.
4. The blind leading the blind – literally. And yelling real loud asking where the bus stop was.
5. A white rapper kid screaming at his mother who looked like Morticia Addams.
6. The blackest member of the Player’s Club who uttered the worst pick up line ever (“That’s a lovely fragrance you’re wearing.”) to a freaked out middle age white lady.

I love the world and everyone in it.

A couple reviews from the U.S. Rocker

Earth Crisis
Ascension
Run Devil Run
the Unholy Three
Eucild Tavern
ZEPtemeber 23, 1998

"Youth. Pass the bottle." ﷓ Joseph Conrad.

The presence of so many young people at this show was almost enough to drive this born again straight edger right back to the sauce. Damn, I hate the youth. They all looked so cute in their basketball clothes, army pants, exercise clothes, running shoes and baseball caps. I am jealous as hell of the new hardcore kids and their terrific fashions. I don't think that my 26 years is that old yet but I would sell my soul to the devil to be 21 forever. Did you hear that Mr. Devil?

The very young Unholy Three took the stage first this evening. They played a delightful potpourri of various tastes of hardcore. They played fast and then they played faster. They were very tight and energetic and the crowd, including this reviewer, warmed to them quickly. A contemporary of mine in the Cleveland Rock - n - roll Brotherhood said something about the glory of hardcore, beer, Mexican food and teenage girls. I heard him.

Run Devil Run, a Midwest hardcore super group, played next. They too played fast hardcore that had its roots planted in the NYHC sound of a decade past. Vocalist Don Foose, formerly of the Spudmonsters, tore about the stage with gusto. He, as well as the rest of the group, played a tight set that obviously went over well considering how many t - shirts the band sold after they were done. It will take me a few more shows by Run Devil Run for me to fully describe their music as Foose's awesome tatoos kept me in a trance for the brunt of their show. That dude has a ton of ink. The green eyed monster keeps fucking with me.

The surprise of the evening was Ascension. They took the stage with screams of "Are you ready for some metal?" Uh, yes. I am always ready for some metal. Ascension is a thoroughly modern metal based hardcore band from Cleveland. The singer (points for a Megadeth shirt) was a total show stopper. He seemed to be crazy but was actually sane. He stuck the mic in his shorts, screamed very effectively, jumped around with bugged out eyes and rocked. The band was good with many starts/stops, mono power riffs and metal flourishes to keep me interested during the entirety of their very long set. I bought one of their records at the mini hardcore mart that was at the back of the Euclid Tavern to cast my monetary vote of approval. A side note to Ascension's on stage photographer: you rock. This guy needs to get a band. He was almost as engaging, with his finger pointing screaming along thrashing the whole time, as the actual entertainment. He also took some pictures while he rocked out too.

The response for Earth Crisis was more subdued than it had been for Ascension. I think that Earth Crisis' hard line reputation sometimes gets the better of them. Although the entire crowd was standing at attention for their performance, the crowd seemed very reserved in light of the immense amount of rock coming off the stage. Earth Crisis is one of the best bands playing the hardcore metal music. They are good and powerful. They played a variety of numbers from each of their records with their newest, "Breed the Killers", being well represented. With the new label and more big name tours ahead of them, Earth Crisis is well on their way to being a patch on every mall kid's backpack. I say, better them than Korn.

(1998)

Soulfly
Hed (pe)
A Day in the Life
Odeon
September 28, 1998

I was greeted by a sign at the door of the Odeon that said that Snot, previously scheduled to play, had cancelled. I had a pocket of Kleenex.

A Day in the Life played a set of the non - descript metal/hardcore that is so popular now. It amazes me how little variety there is in music these days. A Day in the Life may have been met with so little distinction because I spent the whole of their set trying to adjust to the sound at the Odeon and the environment of the bar in general. Cavernous is a word that I could use to describe the facility. The sound of the band gets lost in all of that space. I am used to seeing shows at bars where I am almost sitting on the amplifiers. If you stand far enough from the stage the sound and visuals don't sync. Even farther and its like watching the band on TV. I need to feel the sound vibrations from stage to effectively rock out.

Hed(pe) is rap metal band in the vein of Stuck Mojo with a black rapper and a DJ with lame scratches. This is easily one of the most offensive styles of music known to man. It was my dedication to rock journalism as a vocation and the readers of the U.S. Rocker that kept me from leaving the show after one of Hed(pe)'s songs. Unlike chocolate and peanut butter, rap and metal do not go great together.

I moved as far away from the stage as possible during Hed(pe)'s set and observed the crowd. There were a ton of tough guys with no shirts. They probably left them in their Camaros. I saw more than my fair share of acid wash go into the bathroom. One lady, dressed in the t - shirt of a prominent local band who will go unmentioned here because it is not their fault that they have unhip fans, was wearing ultra tight acid washed jeans with a heart pattern cut out of the side of both legs. Those type of jeans have not been sold in store for a decade. She spilled her beer while she called the baby sitter back at the trailer to check on the kids. There were many sluts at this show with leather, more probably pleather, skirts up to their asses. I could go on forever on the fashion atrocities present at this show. I saw fringed leather boots. The burners did not disappear. They are fans of Soulfly.

Soulfly took the stage after a long build up of native Brazilian music and rocked. They opened with the ethnothrash of "Eye for an Eye" from their self - titled debut and proceeded to rock out for about an hour. Soulfly got the very enthusiastic crowd into it early and kept it at attention for the rest of the set. Mixing newer Soulfly numbers with such Sepultura classics as "Refuse/Resist", Soulfly put on a powerful set of groove metal. Max Cavelera has not missed a beat since leaving Sepultura. He, for whatever reason, kept repeating some about the Soulfly tribe. Soulfly has the image of progress but the fans of the old school. I sometimes question its merits. Soulfly is essentially boneheaded and simple "E" string riffing but I like it. Don't ask me why.

Dee Snider of Twisted Sister acted as MC for the evening. Only in Cleveland.

(1998)



posted by Thea at 7:30 PM

September 4, 2002

Today marked the first time ever that I went to the used book store and found exactly the book I was looking for specifically used. Normally, I go with some ideas in mind and then just grab a couple of things that look good after I don’t get what I really wanted. That was nice.

I finished “Waiting Period” by Hubert Selby Jr. As somebody with sporadic suicidal tendencies, I will say that Selby hit it directly on the head. I strongly suggest reading at least something by Selby before pulling your own plug.

The album “Suicaine Gratification” by Paul Westerberg is a classic. I listened to it a half dozen times today at the office after not listening to it once since the day it came out in 1999. “It’s a Wonderful Lie” and “Lookin’ Out Forever” are two of the best songs Paul Westerberg ever wrote. Maybe check this one out again if you were busy writing Paul Westerberg off in 1999 like I was.

Why is exactly what you want out of life placed exactly next to what you will never want as long as you live – so close together that if you move far enough in either direction it will block the other one out?

Big ups to Outface - a band that I saw more times as a teenager than any other and were one of my introductions to the rock and roll bar life as a kid. They are one of the all-time greatest anything ever from Cleveland, OH. They are truly missed.

The most successful band to come out of Cleveland in the nineties, after Bone Thugs - n- Harmony (of course), broke up five years ago. Outface were Cleveland hardcore favorites at the start of this decade. I used to follow them like hippies follow the Dead - sitting through the exact same set, without variation, for a couple of years. I think Outface only had like ten songs at the time of reggae inspired hardcore a la Bad Brains. I heard their first demo which consisted of different tunes in the Gorilla Biscuits style but they never played those for reasons that I do not know. I think over the course of the two years I followed this band hard they only debuted one new song. They had an excellent record of that one set, “Friendly Green” (Crisis, 1992) and I am pretty sure that they recorded another record as I saw it advertised by Crisis, a Revelation Records subsidiary, a few years back. This record, probably rerecorded versions of the same ten songs (if you saw the band back then, you know what I am talking about), never materialized and the group faded from the scene as most bands are destined to do.

Outface, as a group, never really hit on a national level but the members of the band have individually gone to bigger and better things. Drummer Mark Konopka went on to play on Integrity's “System Overload” (Victory, 1995) and was in the final line up of the almighty Asphalt - playing on their last record. Bassist Frank Cavanaugh was in the touring line up of Filter and his long hair was featured, very prominently, in the "Hey Man, Nice Shot." video.

Charlie Garriga, guitar, moved to New York City with singer Derrick Green after Outface's break up or to do Outface in the big city. Who knows? Sometimes these band stories are more confusing than a Puerto Rican soap opera. In any event, Garriga took an apparent love of the Gorilla Biscuits one step further and actually joined a reborn version of that band, now renamed Civ. Civ has had a couple of major label records and MTV played the hell out of the "Can't Wait One Minute More" video. I am not totally up on this band but I did hear the lead single off of their last album and am happy to report that it is a total rocker.

Green, after doing a stint in NYC's Alpha Jerk, is now the new lead singer of Brazilian metal greats Sepultura. It was constantly rumored in the chatty Cleveland rock scene that Green, who is black, has a kick ass set of dreadlocks and sounds like the Bad Brains' singer H.R., was going to be the new the new singer of Bad Brains. I heard that he actually tried out but did not make it because he was too close a match to the troubled H.R. Rumors. I also heard that he was the new singer of Sepultura about a year ago and filed that news in the stories I don't believe category but, to and behold, the gossip mill was right for a change.

On October 6, Sepultura released “Against” (Roadrunner Records. 536 Broadway. NYC 10012). It is the band's first record without founding lead vocalist Max Cavelera. He left the group, which also included his brother Igor on drums, due to the rest of the band having a dispute with their manager who was also Max's wife. Do you got that all straight? Max Cavelera has gone on to do Soulfly. They released their well received debut earlier this year, beating his former band to the punch. Max's Soulfly plays jungle groove metal in the style that was pioneered by Sepultura on their “Roots” (Roadrunner, 1995) LP. I really dig Soulfly and I was anxious to see how Sepultura would fair without their former leader.

I first heard it a couple of weeks ago and thought that it really sucked. It seemed to me at the time that Max was the heart and soul of Sepultura and, now that he was gone, the band should pretty much hang it up. The album lacked power and that old magic.

I listened to the record a week ago and thought it rocked. How lucky are the fans of metal that one of the best groups going would splinter into two awesome outfits?

I listened to the album last night and I am on the fence. I guess it is a young lady's prerogative to change her mind. “Against” is the worst record that Sepultura has released, that is for sure, and it is not as good as the Soulfly album. Since Sepultura has such a noted history, it is going to be impossible for them to ever recapture the glory of previous efforts. Sepultura were thrash metal pioneers. They, throughout their decade plus career, continued to outshine all of their competitors. When most metal bands in the early nineties either hung it up or continued onward as hollow shells of their formed selves, Sepultura broke new ground, continuing to innovate and, most importantly, rock. “Against” is not bad. It is just not as good as their other stuff.

I am going to try and judge this record like it was from a new band, taken on its own, without considering the history of the band or the Soulfly connection.

“Against” has a Japanese theme with its artwork and exotic drumming throughout the record. The opening, title track is a speedy thrasher. The album has three different things going on: the speedy thrasher, the Helmet style mono riff groover, and the tribal/ exotic percussion type song. The three types are spread out fairly evenly on the record with the tribal thing probably getting the edge in allotted minutes. There are, for whatever reason, a lot of instrumental numbers on the album. The tracks with vocals bury the singing in the mix. This probably has something to do with the line up changes. The three elder members execute their respective parts with the skill that comes with years of playing. Sepultura are now metal veterans and that distinction is starting to show for better or worse. The music also seams a little lighter without the second guitar of Max Cavelera. I hope that the time it takes to work in a new singer is not so long as the decline of rocking that comes with age. Sepultura have a couple of good albums left in them. Maybe “Against” is best viewed as a new beginning. In that case, there is hope.

(1998)

posted by Thea at 9:09 PM

September 3, 2002

Today seemed like a good day to get started on the whole year of hard work thing again. I wanted to make everything perfect – eat better, run faster, write more, raise the bar, lift my oppressors – all at once. Of course it started with not complete failure but certainly mixed results. I can see the end of this year in sight and I think that I am going to generally be where I wanted to be when it is all over - minus taking the show live on stage in person thing and total happiness parts of the plan.

Big up to the artist Tom Ericsson for lifting me out of the bullshit for a minute once again today. “Only work on things that are real.”

I am reading “Waiting Period” by Hubert Selby Jr. He is great. He is turning into a major influence on me for my own writing. If I don’t totally rip him off, I am a damn fool or not trying hard enough.

I am listening to Nine Shocks Terror now to get the three times that I heard the song “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor today out of my system. It would not be so bad but I heard the song five times yesterday.

What follows is something I wrote about Sloan for the “CSU Cauldron” back in the day. I am going to be doing the old writing thing again until it is done.

The second greatest musical export from Canada (below Rush, above Bryan Adams and the Guess Who), Sloan, will be appearing at the Grog Shop this Wednesday, September 16. I became hip to this group when I read a posting by some cybernerd on the Guided By Voices web site comparing Sloan to the group I manage, spinART recording artists the Revelers - who will be opening this show. I always cringe when a band is referenced in relationship to the Revelers because they usually suck and then I start thinking that the Revelers suck by association. Self doubt is rarely a good thing. Sloan does not suck and this comparison was one of the rare times that I felt a little flattered and also humbled because I think that Sloan is so damned good. This show is promising to be one of the highlights of the Cleveland Rock - n - roll Appreciation Society's fall season.

Sloan started making music in 1992. Their first few records were certainly of the times with many stylistic cues taken from Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and others of the early nineties indie scene. In Canada, they have always recorded for their own murderecords label and have been extremely successful up there. In the States, their first four records came out on DGC. They really did not show too much promise until 1994's “Twice Removed” when they started to mix it up a bit and transform into more of the pop rock Gods that they are today . DGC, smelling promise but tasting no commercial success, dropped the band as soon as they started to get good. Thank God that they were not dependent on an American audience and continued onward because there best work, by far, was yet to come.

“One Chord to Another” (the Enclave, 1997) was released a year after it came out in Canada by this small concern who promptly went out of business. You can still get the record from murderecords in Canada and I strongly suggest you do. “One Chord to Another” is a modern retro pop masterpiece. Sloan shocked me with this record. Sloan does everything right according to the Rock Brotherhood Guide to the Mastery of Rock. The songs on this album, although clearly derived from the best of the sixties British Invasion, are different enough to matter but catchy enough to remember. All of their songs have that "haven't I heard this somewhere before" quality but it is really tough to exactly put your finger on what they are lifting. Sloan are the musical equivalent to the Simpsons where loads and loads of familiar cultural references are used cleverly enhancing the whole of the piece of art. Yes, I said art.

“One Chord to Another” is a densely layered musical work. Sloan obviously put much effort into the recording of this album. But unlike overblown slick garbage like Garbage or the Smashing Pumpkins, the record does not collapse under the weight of over production. Sloan still keeps a certain lofi if quality to the record that makes “One Chord to Another” even more charming. One song off the record, "Everything You've Done Wrong" sounds exactly like Chicago, complete with a great horn arrangement. That is awesome since Sloan is thankfully not Chicago.

Sloan is on tour right now in support of their latest vinyl offering “Navy Blues” (murderecords. P.O. Box 2372 Halifax Central. Halifax NS B3J 3E4 Canada.) I did not really think that Sloan was going be able to top “One Chord to Another” but they did - in spades. “Navy Blues” is a flawless album. I can not believe that I wrote that about an album that was recorded this year but it is true. The vinyl version of the record has deluxe packaging with a well designed gatefold sleeve. The photos on the jacket are tasteful and striking. The sonic quality of the album is top notch - again the perfect blend of both ends of the aural spectrum. The lyrics are smart and funny while miraculously avoiding the trite and too precious or clever. And, by the way, the songs are excellent as added bonus. Sloan can write the songs. They write the songs.

There are a couple of musical themes on “Navy Blues” worth noting. One is a departure from the sixties beat into the seventies boogie as the stylistic backdrop. There are more power chords and this record than all of Sloan's previous albums combined. There are times when Sloan finds the groove which I did not think that anybody did anymore. Sloan gets down on "Iggy and Angus" - a song that features a Thin Lizzy "The Boys are Back in Town" dual lead guitar solo and a phaser. "Money City Maniacs" is reminiscent of Van Halen and AC/DC. The song is seventies hard rock filtered through nineties wimp pop.

There are more than a couple of songs on the album that depend on the piano for the musical center. I have gotten so used to the guitar being the focus of rock songs that this is a refreshing change of pace. None of the guys in Sloan are stellar piano players, that is for sure, but using the piano as the base allows for more variation so the record does not get boring. "C'mon C'mon (We're Gonna Get it Started)" and "Chester the Molester" are both good examples of what can be done with the piano in rock. Both of the songs are light and playful which makes the more rocking numbers on the album stand out by comparison.

Sloan also plays "Name That Beatles Song" on this record. Some of the tunes feature many different Beatles licks incorporated into the song. I am not going to point them out for you but I have counted several Lennon/McCartney tidbits in a couple of the songs. I am not accusing Sloan of thievery, however, they work the borrowed material into their songs so well that you hardly notice and I have fun trying to pick out the parts because I am a nerd.

Sloan's two biggest assets on “Navy Blues” are the bass playing and the vocal arrangement. The bass sound is perfect and the playing is well executed. Good bass playing always equals better record. Sloan's vocals are without peer in modern rock. Of course there are better vocalists in modern pop but none of them are rockers. All four of the dudes in the band sing lead at one point or another and their harmonies are as tight as the Hollies.

Sloan is a good live band, too. I've seen them at the Grog Shop before and it was a great show. I am sure that Sloan will rock on Wednesday. Be there to see the MuchMusic Canadian superstars as close as you will probably ever get to see them again.

(1998)

posted by Thea at 9:19 PM

September 1, 2002

It is the first day of Zeptember. You know it is time to celebrate. The dudes outside my window just were – to Fleetwood Mac. If you are a middle aged man blasting Fleetwood Mac in your car and trying to show off your convertible to your other middle aged friends, you are a loser.

Big ups to my wife for helping me with the windows. They would look like total shit without your assistance. I could not have done it without you.

Big ups to Tim and Oriana. They had a kicking BBQ. The brats were killer. And even though the washers weren’t dropping for me, I still had a great time.

Big ups to the Sinner and Carolyn. Anything with curry in it rules and the hamburgers (say it, Thea, hamburgers) ripped. I was blown away by the Sinner’s home studio. The only thing keeping it a home studio is the fact that it is in the home, otherwise it is total pro.

All in all, it was a great Labor Day Eve. Looking at my life today, I have a million things that I should be happy for but, for whatever reason, I am still pissed off. Why, baby, why? Find out tomorrow on the Assholier than Thou Good Times Happy Friends Monday Morning Radio Show – Special Labor Day Edition. I am going to unload.

Thank you, goodnight.

posted by Thea at 10:04 PM