Satan Claus Strikes Again

Good tidings and seasons greetings to you all.  I’m totally in the Christmas spirit after braving a blizzard to do some Christmas shopping and just happened on the PERFECT Christmas present.  I was walking through Target, enjoying the heartfelt laughter of the hundreds of kids there with their parents, just laughing and singing Christmas carols . . .yeah, that’s a lie.

I braved traffic on Saturday to pick up a few things and I swear on my life, it made me an even stronger gun control advocate.  If I had a gun, I would have literally gone a killing spree because people’s IQ drops to the number 4 during the holiday season.  Combine that stupidity with the responsibility of operating a motor vehicle and you’re left with Christmas purgatory where everything moves in slow motion, EXCEPT YOU.  You are moving at regular speed while everyone else moves at the speed of smell. I swear to Christ, December moves slower than an ice age and the build up to Christmas is nowhere the actual stocking full of crap that Christmas ends up being.  The best part of it is the fact that I don’t need an excuse to get black out drunk AND wear a Santa hat.  Any other time during the year, it’s just creepy.  During the holidays it’s EXPECTED and, out of the goodness of my great big Christmas heart, I can’t let anyone down.  That being said, let the binge begin!!

Before I get into the meat of New Music Monday, has anyone heard about this . . .i don’t even know what to call it.  Apparently, if you stagger the songs on the Radiohead albums “OK Computer” and “In Rainbows,” they songs flow into each other.  Apparently you start with track one from OK Computer, then to track one on In Rainbows and stagger the corresponding tracks . . .try it.  You guys have probably already heard about this, but it’s news to me.  I’m not going to spoil it for you, but take a few minutes an set up the playlist and try it for yourself.  Read for yourself HERE

Do you ever hear a new song and immediately get transported to a time in the past when you knew you were hearing something great.  It happened to me over the weekend.  For the most part, I listed to Wilco all weekend. I don’t know why, I just got on a kick.  Somewhere in the haze of my own personal Wilco Weekend (complete with pints of beer and some vodka to boot), I heard this band called “Grooms.”  For a brief moment, I was transported back to the early 90’s when it was cool to wear lots of layers, flannel, FUCT tshirts, baggy jeans and carry a skateboard.  MTV still played music videos and once a week they had a show called 120 Minutes that was dedicated to lesser known alt/indie bands and their videos.  That, boys and girls, is where I first heard Sonic Youth and I have to say, it transformed the way I saw music.  Sonic Youth had a nerdy looking Thurston Moore on guitar and vocals and girl. Sonic Youth had a girl in the band (I don’t count Smashing Pumpkins in the “has a girl in the band” subcategory because Billy Corrigan was whiny enough to be a girl and James Iha looked like a girl, so basically, they were Hole’s wimpy little sister).  Kim Gordon played bass and always had her hair in her face.  She looked like she might smell a little like stale beer and smoke, but that’s what was appealing. 

That reminiscent moment was brought to you by a Brooklyn based band called Grooms.  The Sonic Youth ‘esque experimentation was evident from the onset and that’s what got me.  They have weird bass lines, distortion and feedback . . .AND THEY HAVE A GIRL IN THE BAND, TOO.  That seems stupid, but it just makes the comparison that much more perfect.  Grooms have it.  They have the knack for noise and intelligent percussion, which lays the foundations for a freedom in the guitar work.  I can’t say enough about this band, but they deserve your attention.  Here’s some info on the band.  Check them out HERE

Alright . . .i'll see you guys next week.  I need a drink.

chris