Franz = Local Celeb

Picture, if you will:

It is Wednesday night. I have left work and gone directly to the gym. I go to the gym a lot lately (4 times a week for the last 4 months). So mostly, during the week, my life consists of waking up, working 9 hours, going to the gym for 2 hours, going home and going to sleep. Anyway, I go to the gym. I get changed, stretch, do some time on the Erg, then I set up two do half an hour of spinning. I sit down and I'm spinning and on the overhead TV (which is close captioned) there is the news report about the massive fire in Everett. They say no one was hurt, they show some flames, they say no one was hurt due to the incredibly effort by police and Everett residents to evacuate the area. Then they show ReCaaLL's sketchy ass sleeping in a police station. So then I have to get off the bike, go into the locker room and call and make sure his place didn't get evaporated.

It is truly incredible that no one died, let alone that no one was injured.

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We need to do a year end album review here. Bad. All I've been listening to lately is Loney Dear, The Go Find and Modern Life Is War. Also, I feel that Charlie's hatred for In Rainbows is largely unfounded. In Rainbows is, in my opinion, the best Radiohead record since Kid A. Now, I personally don't think that is saying much since everyone knows Amnesiac kind of blows (not their fault) and Hail to the Thief is largely mediocre. But In Rainbows has quite a few interesting tracks. "Bodysnatchers" is great. "Nude" is outstanding. "Reckoner" is great. "House of Cards" is interesting. I think "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" is a standout track and "Videotape" is essentially similar to anything they did during the Kid A time period. I can understand the criticism that some of the songs maybe a re a little more relaxed or don't really go anywhere as much as some of the older Radiohead stuff did. I agree with that. But it is a different type of record and I still think that it is more intriguing than 99.9% of the rest of the Popular Rock that is played on the radio these days. I'm not one of those people who thinks that everything Radiohead has ever done is revolutionary and amazing. I mean, for the most part, they are just a great pop rock band.

The new Shipwreck came out this week. Sean McKendry's birthday is today. He turns 23. That's old for hardcore...he might want to consider retirement. They are playing the release show with Have Heart at Cambridge Elks on Saturday. Expect 400 smelly kids and chairs being thrown.

I feel like no one talks about Loney Dear. For one they're on Sub Pop, which...I don't know how that happened without everyone in America loving them...but...for two, their record Loney Noir is outstanding. It lacks range, yes, but it does what it does wonderfully and I wouldn't want it any other way. They'll probably grow their sound scape with future releases. A lot of the stuff I've read about them compares them to Belle & Sebastian. I disagree, wholeheartedly. The vocals are similar (sort of...but with more falsetto...a very high pitched falsetto), but the music is not really similar, the songwriting style is entirely different and if I had to compare them with anyone I would say they have the sun drenched pop sensibility of Teenage Fanclub mixed with the emotional resonance of the Sufjan Stevens song "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!". Yes. That specific.

The Go Find is still really great.

Corey Major is in my dreams every night.

I haven't been to a show in weeks. WEEKS! But you know that song "Common People" by Pulp? I saw Kind Of Like Spitting close a set with that in 2003 and it was maybe one of the best performances of a cover I have ever seen. I miss Kind Of Like Spitting. Nothing else is the same. Also, those free covers of his at Reder Records are definitely worth listening to if you actually enjoy his music (he does "Title Track" by Death Cab and "Hewlitt's Daughter" by Grandaddy).

Speaking of Grandaddy, supposedly the are planning on BEATING JERRY SLOAN SEVERELY SINCE HE STILL HASN'T LISTENED TO "The Fambly Cat".

Has anyone else been brushing up on their Jandek lately?

Oh and in exciting news, glaucomaglaucomaglaucoma may be doing a reunion at the end of December. For those of you not in the know, glaucomaglaucomaglaucoma was one of the most horrible noise attacks ever unleashed on Providence. Their cover of "Nothing Compares To You" still plays on URI radio from time to time. Strangely, two members are married, one now lives in CT, one in FL and one in NOT AMERICA. So it might be a limited reunion. Not sure. But I do know that if Glaucoma St. James and company record anything new, you may find a cassette only release from HMR in the March time frame.

Speaking of which, Sloan, why don't we do Cassette only releases? We should tie up that pretentious cranny before My Pal God does...