Archive for April, 2004

Purify Yourself In The Waters Of Lake Minnetonka

I’m posting one extra song today, since yesterday was a gag, and there was no music the day before that.

Prince “Cinnamon Girl” – Simply put, Musicology is a startling and long overdue return to form for Prince. It’s not a perfect record, but at least seven of the album’s twelve songs are as good as most anything from Prince’s 80s heyday. It’s definitely his best album since Diamonds And Pearls, and possibly even Sign O The Times. I can only imagine that if “Cinnamon Girl” (not a Neil Young cover, by the way) was released as a single in the mid 80s, it would have been a massive radio hit. Between this new album and his recent setlists (“U Got The Look”! “Controversy”! “Kiss”! “I Would Die 4 U”! “7”! “Little Red Corvette”! “Let’s Go Crazy”! etc, etc), it is absolutely killing me that I can’t afford to see him on his current tour.

Tiga “Pleasure From The Bass (Etoy’s Dirty Edit)” – I would have posted this song weeks ago, if only I had a proper, complete version. This is exactly the kind of dancefloor anthem that you’d expect from Tiga, though it isn’t quite as devasting and brilliant as “Burning Down.”

N.E.R.D. “She Wants To Move (Barbaro Fuckup)” – This is a Fluxblog exclusive! This remix was sent in by a reader who would prefer to remain anonymous. This new version features a completely rewritten backing track which reminds me vaguely of a lot of mid-to-late 80s European indie rock, particularly The Fall during their “Brix period.” The arrangement significantly alters the mood of the song, making Pharrell’s vocals seem much more plaintive than on the original, and making the song sound more melancholy than sexy. I’m particularly fond of the breakdowns in the remix, especially when it places emphasis on the song’s most memorable lyric, “her ass is a spaceship I want to ride.”

Hello Hello Hello Hello How Low?

Pearl Jam “Alive” – Credit Eddie Vedder for being one modern songwriter who is able to write story songs with force and conviction. His use of imagery, metaphor, and language both vernacular and elevated provides the ideological balance that the furious, exotically tinged music (mostly courtesy of rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament) needs.

This song is taken from the Ten album, which is one of those albums that you can hear once and you know that it is a classic. Eddie Vedder’s emotion and intensity are beyond outstanding and are almost spine chilling. The guitars, drums, and bass are equally outstanding along with the intensity. The thing that I really love about this cd is that it is not shallow or meaningless. The complexity of vocals and instruments somehow just make one think and think. This is not a “fun” album; this is a mature and thoughtful album. If you like one-hit wonders and simple catchy choruses, you do not deserve to listen to this album unless you can appreciate it for all that it is worth.

Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” – This is the epitome of angst and righteous rage! Kurt Cobain’s songs reach a level of truth and reality, depressing and dark as it is, that few others have ever managed to achieve. Driving these twisted lyrics is Kurt’s raw, brilliant voice which communicates the feeling’s lying beneath the verse. One hears pain, passion, honesty and joy in his voice. Adding to this is Kurt’s thunderous guitar, Dave Grohl’s percussion and Krist Novascelic’s bass, all combining to create the distinctive sound of this album. This song is a perfect example of how well sincere emotion, depth, and passion can substitute instrumental perfection and compositional intricacies. It’s as simple as rock’n’roll can be – drums, bass, guitar and voice. But it manages to touch something deep in your soul and leaves you thinking about this record for the rest of your life. If there is darkness and pain in your soul, you need to hear this album!