What I’m Listening To (and other stuff)

Well, I’m back! If you were wondering where I went, I went to NYC for most of the week.

Okay, so here’s a bunch of Britpop albums, because well, that sh*t is just to good to pass up.

From allmusic.com:

The Beatles established a long-running British tradition of tuneful, guitar-driven pop bands, a tradition that was refreshed and updated every so often by new musical movements. Britpop, however, refers to the legion of ’90s bands who drew more consciously from that tradition than ever before. Although the movement originated in the U.K. indie scene, Britpop was unabashedly commercial – its bands prized big, shiny, catchy hooks, as well as the glamour of mainstream pop stardom and the sense that they were creating the soundtrack to the lives of a new generation of British youth. And it was very definitely British youth they were aiming at; Britpop celebrated and commented on their lives, their culture, and their musical heritage, with little regard for whether that specificity would make them less accessible to American audiences. Britpop’s youthful exuberance and desire for recognition were reactions not only against the shy, anti-star personas of the early-’90s shoegazer bands, but also the dourness of American grunge and the faceless producers behind the growing electronic-dance underground. Musically, Britpop drew from the Beatles, of course, but also from the pastoral sound of late-’60s Kinks, the mod movement (the Who, the Small Faces), ’70s glam (David Bowie, T. Rex, Roxy Music), punk and new wave (the Jam, the Buzzcocks, Wire, Madness, XTC, Squeeze, Elvis Costello), and the alternative guitar-pop of the Smiths. All those artists were quintessentially British — they crafted their images, lyrics, and sounds from a distinctly British frame of reference, which was why few of them became anything more than cult artists in the U.S. (and why Britpop functioned much the same way). Apart from those influences, Britpop had its most immediate roots in the Madchester scene, whose emphasis on good times and catchy tunes pointed the way around the shoegazer aesthetic. The Stone Roses‘ effortless pop hooks and rock-star attitude were the most important part of the foundation, but the true founding fathers of Britpop were Suede. Released in 1993, their self-titled debut became an unexpected smash with its fusion of glam-rock majesty and Smiths introspection. Suede opened the doors for even bigger breakthroughs in 1994 by Blur (Parklife) and Oasis (Definitely Maybe), who quickly became Britpop’s two most popular superstars. With their success came a giddy explosion of similarly inspired bands; Elastica, Pulp, Supergrass, and the Boo Radleys were among the biggest. In 1996, Oasis became the only Britpop band to become genuine mainstream stars in the U.S. 1997 brought the first signals that the Britpop boom was beginning to run out of steam, namely Oasis‘ poorly reviewed third album and Blur’s move toward American indie rock. Yet even after the movement’s star began to fade, several individual bands kept going strong, and the less youth-oriented British trad rock movement kept its classicism alive.

Primal Scream – Screamadelica

http://rapidshare.com/files/16951227/scr34.zip

Suede – s/t

http://rapidshare.com/files/18001573/Suede-Suede.rar

Blur – Parklife

http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/198117/parklife.zip

Pulp – Different Class

http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/111189/Different_Edition.rar

The Verve – Urban Hymns
http://rapidshare.com/files/8781853/Verve_UrbanHymns.part1.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/8781023/Verve_UrbanHymns.part2.rar

Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=76JPJ00V

Supergrass – I Should Coco

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=928EW9NW

Radiohead – The Bends

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BF21JAY4

As many of us know Fenway Park in Boston, MA is home of the Red Sox, and some of the toughest fans in sports. Knowing that, this even surprised me.

Here’s another one that shows the fan throwing the pizza more clearly.

apparently, there was some “bad blood” around there earlier.

But, was the pizza actually directed at the fan? Or was it directed towards the Angels player?

Review: (allmusic.com)

The debut album from youthful Kentucky rockers Black Stone Cherry meanders comfortably somewhere between metal and Southern rock. Black Stone Cherry has what it takes to be considered hard rock and Southern rock. Songs with titles like “Lonely Train,” “Tired of the Rain,” and “Rollin’ On” and their somewhat predictable lyrics land the formula of Southern rock. Heavy distortion and gritty, brooding vocals reminiscent of Godsmack’s Sully Erna lay down the format for alternative metal. Black Stone Cherry does what a lot of bands in the new century of alternative metal would like to — find a new sound. The album never gets boring and is full of great riffs and a thunderous rhythm section. Lead singer Chris Robertson’s vocals are surprisingly mature and soulful and the band’s lead guitar (Robertson and Ben Wells) is impressive. “Shapes of Things,” a cover of the Yardbirds chestnut, is a standout on the album. The tone, the rhythm, and the vocals are unique — and if Black Stone Cherry keeps heading in this direction, the band will surely be able to separate itself from the influx of other bands who have been riding on the post-grunge alternative metal circuit since the ’90s. The same goes for “Tired of the Rain,” which features some of the best guitar work on the album, from a choppy riff to blues-infused licks and solo — it’s anything but bland. The real clincher of this song, as well as with “Rollin’ On,” is the use of a B-3 organ from guest artist Reece Wynans. It has all the charm of nostalgia, without being boring or forced. There’s no doubt that Black Stone Cherry has talent, and they are onto something. Black Stone Cherry proves the band is diverse in their influences and goals. The Southern rock twist and the occasional Merle Haggard reference are a really solid start, but at times, the album comes across as a little too generic for what the band is capable of. Black Stone Cherry has more in them than to become just another alternative metal band in the now very post-grunge era.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SUED0AS5

(allmusic.com):

At the time of its 1989 release, De La Soul’s debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was hailed as the future of hip-hop. With its colorful, neo-psychedelic collage of samples and styles, plus the Long Island trio’s low-key, clever rhymes and goofy humor, the album sounded like nothing else in hip-hop. Where most of their contemporaries drew directly from old-school rap, funk, or Public Enemy’s dense sonic barrage, De La Soul were gentler and more eclectic, taking in not only funk and soul, but also pop, jazz, reggae, and psychedelia. Though their style initially earned both critical raves and strong sales, De La Soul found it hard to sustain their commercial momentum in the ’90s as their alternative rap was sidetracked by the popularity of considerably harder-edged gangsta rap.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6KNJUY4M

INCLUDES BONUS TRACKS

Wow over 5,500 views! A big thank you to all of you who continually visit my blog! I know all you want is the music, but hey, thanks anyways. It’s 7 AM here, and already today, 745 views. (Must be a lot of spam). But anyways thanks again, and once again, to show my gratitude, a bunch of miscellaneous albums.

Oh, I almost forgot, thanks to tofhaus.antville.org for all the traffic they’ve generated.

Green Day – International Superhits!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CBPHGZ9K

John Mayer – Room For Squares

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KYGNBQEW

Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded

http://www.zshare.net/download/boogie-down-productions-criminal-minded-rar.html

Descendents – Cool to Be You

http://rapidshare.com/files/24360494/Cool_To_Be_You.zip.html

Black Flag – My War

http://rapidshare.com/files/2049022/My_War.rar

The Aquabats – Myths, Legends, and Other Amazing Adventures

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1HIGVOZ8

Well, I’m finally getting around to the genre post thing. Sorry for the recent lack of posts.

Description of Post-Punk (allmusic.com)

After the punk revolution of 1977, a number of bands inspired by the d.i.y. spirit and raw sound of punk were formed. However, instead of replicating the sound of the Sex Pistols, many of these bands forged into more experimental territory, taking cues from a range of artists and styles, such as Roxy Music, David Bowie (especially Low, Heroes and Lodger), disco, dub and Krautrock. The result was Post-Punk, a more adventurous and arty form of punk, no less angry or political but often more musically complex and diverse. Many of these groups — like Joy Division or the Cure — created dark, synthesizer-oriented soundscapes while others– like Orange Juice or XTC — had a lighter guitar-based musical approach but their lyrics and music were off-kilter and often subverted traditional pop/rock song structures. Post-punk eventually developed into alternative pop/rock in the ’80s.

Here are some great post-punk albums ( the husker du post and the dinosaur jr. posts are both good post-punk albums, so’s the XTC album):

Wire – Pink Flag

http://www.gigasize.com/get.php/145915/WR_PNK_FLG.rar

Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PC5LS7VS

The Cure – Boys Don’t Cry

http://rapidshare.de/files/30561666/boys_don_t_cry.zip.html

Echo and the Bunnymen – Crocodiles

http://w11.easy-share.com/700361.html

Gang of Four – Entertainment!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7MVAGDCL

Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures

http://lix.in/ec161e

Siouxsie and the Banshees – Hyaena

http://s8.quicksharing.com/v/2606292/_1984_Hyaena.zip.html

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra is probably Japan successful ska band. How do I know? Watch this video. (unfortunately, this song was missing from the download of the album I got.)

http://www.megaupload.com/de/?d=82ZP51VX

That my blog has over the 2,500 views! Thank you to all who viewed this blog, and thank you to those who continue to do so. This may not seem like a big deal, but for me it is. I never expected my blog to do so well. Thank you. And to show how much I really mean this, 5 awesome albums!

Manowar – Hail To England

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9UTR679N

No Doubt – The Beacon Street Collection

http://www.mediafire.com/?bzw5×4dgmtd

Robert Randolph & the Family Band – Colorblind

[COVER NOT AVAILABLE]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IP9M534Z

Jeff Buckley – Grace

http://astronomydomine.multiply.com/music/item/1256 (it was the only link available.)

XTC – Drums and Wires

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UR331QE0

Dinosaur Jr. – You’re Living All Over Me

http://www.sendspace.com/file/igxidg

Witchfinder General, the original “doom” metal band that got left by the wayside while the rest of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) sped on to success. Drawing only on the sound of Black Sabbath, Witchfinder General could be called a Black Sabbath tribute band, but that wouldn’t do the band justice. Their lyrics are more Satanic, and the singer’s range more limited. Their particular brand of metal was dubbed “doom” metal later on, but modern day doom bands like Electric Wizard, Saint Vitus, the Melvins, and Orange Goblin, have taken this to a new level.

Review:

Unlike many of their New Wave of British Heavy Metal peers who injected their music with a certain punk attitude, Witchfinder General drank strictly from the Black Sabbath fountain. Their 1982 debut, Death Penalty, is a celebration of all things Sabbath — from the plodding rhythms of “Burning a Sinner” and “R.I.P.” to the early-Sabs intro of “No Stayer,” and even the band’s rocking “Paranoid” knock-off, “Free Country.” Singer Zeeb Parkes‘ range is rather limited, but that never stopped Ozzy Osbourne, and his mostly satanic lyrics are especially amusing on the cryptic-sounding opener “Invisible Hate,” which eventually resorts to shouts of “more beer.” Despite similarly silly lyrics, the song that bears the band’s name is definitely the album’s highlight, thanks to its engagingly ferocious main riff.

Review:

Between the raw Black Sabbath influences and its silly cover featuring another bunch of scantily clad models in medieval garb, Witchfinder General’s second album, Friends of Hell, is very similar to its predecessor. Most of the songs navigate familiar Sabbath territory with special kudos going to the extended outro jam of “Quietus Reprise,” and the memorable alternating riffs of “Love on Smack” and the title track. The intro drum beat of “Last Chance” is lifted straight out of “Iron Man,” but the band’s two hit single attempts, “Music” and “I Lost You,” fall absolutely flat.

Links:

http://www.mediafire.com/?bizznfxyzmz

http://www.mediafire.com/?03hlnxyfdl2