It is days like this that I thank my lucky stars I work in the music industry.  My boss has amassed a large selection of previously loved vinyl that has been used as trade-in material and every so often, I have the privilege of scouring the collection.   The universe has funny ways of telling us things and just yesterday, it lead me through the sludge and straight to a diamond in the rough . . . Paul Simon’s brilliant and timeless masterpiece, “Graceland”.

Recently, a co-worker had bought a copy of a Ladysmith Black Mambazo album and on it was a song that I hadn’t heard in quite a while and of course, that song is “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”.  Most of you will remember that song from Simon’s appearance with Ladysmith Black Mambazo on Saturday Night Live.  As soon as I heard it, it instantly brought back fond memories of sitting down and listening to this powerful album, which had somehow disappeared from my music collection over the years.  Now that I had it back, I couldn’t wait to put it on my decrepit turntable and be moved all over again.

Listening to Paul Simon’s Graceland record is like a standing beside a volcanic eruption of African, Cajun, funk, blues and any other style of music he felt like tossing into the mix and of course Simon’s brilliant and unique ability to write poignant lyrics in that characteristic Paul Simon phrasing that we have all grown to love . . . or hate.

Kicking it all off is “Boy In The Bubble”, an accordion driven song that begins with a strange, almost awkward sounding accordion part that sounds as though it is being played frontwards and backwards at the same time; it really plays with your head.  When the rest of the music jumps in, it comes in as a blues-like shuffle, blended with the South African street music that has a real correlation to Cajun zydeco music.  It doesn’t take long before this song grabs you and just drags you along for ten more glorious tracks.  A record that starts in such an interesting way has to be great . . . doesn’t it?

Usually when I review a record, I discuss multiple songs and the feel of them as individual tracks; however, this time I am going to discuss Graceland as a whole.  It is painfully obvious that Simon was looking for some real inspiration when conceiving the idea for Graceland.  We, the listening audience, are being taken on Simon’s journey of musical discovery and awakening.

The concept for writing Graceland came about after listening to a tape that he had heard as a young boy called “Gumboots: Accordion jive Hits, Volume II”.  That musical sound of accordion, bass, drums and electric guitar turned out to be street music of Soweto South Africa, something known as “Township Jive” or “Mbaqanga”.  The music itself was very uplifting and happy sounding and in 1985, Simon and his engineer decided to go to Johannesburg to meet and record with some traditional South African groups and players.

That decision turned out to be the right one as together with the local musicians, Simon and his team managed to put together an amazing set of songs that all incorporated elements of traditional South African music and culture.  Simon’s blending of South African Rhythms, choral melodies and Cajun Zydeco music from Louisiana is a testament to his ability to make music that connects people, regardless of their geographic location.

Graceland really does have a very happy feel to it, and you can almost feel the separation of colour and culture being melted away as these talented musicians from very different backgrounds weave their creative magic.  Not only was it ground breaking musically, but also politically.  This was a real tipping point for cross-cultural music, not unlike what Anthrax and Public Enemy did in the 90’s, for today’s music.  Unfortunately for Simon, his attempt at making a true and honest recording opened up a political sandstorm that swarmed around him for years.

This was all taking place during the time of apartheid and tensions were running very high.  This record blended North American Rock n’ Roll with very traditional South African music and was an attempt by Simon to make a political statement through music and this is why I absolutely love this album!  Simon was criticized for being self-serving in this endeavour and for not using apartheid as subject matter lyrically on the album.  What people failed to understand was that the best way Simon knew how to break down walls and barriers is through his music.  The fact that he makes no statement about apartheid lyrically is actually brilliant because his joining with these South African artists on a recording spoke louder than any lyric ever could.

The further you go into the album, the more you become connected to it.  The music really does move and inspire you.  This album is all about togetherness and understanding.  There is not a bad song on it. Every song is different and unique, while still being very accessible to anyone.  The blending of styles is seamless and there is something about listening to African music that really gets down deep into the very core of one’s soul.

There has been so much turmoil and hardship in Africa and it is through the African music that the rest of the world can peer into their window and gain some understanding of its people and its struggles.  Despite all the darkness and sorrow Africa has endured over the years, the music always seems to be the exact opposite.  The music is the escape in many ways for African people and I believe it to be the most powerful music found anywhere in the world.  When I listen to Ladysmith Black Mombazo, I am always moved at the power and emotion they exude through their vocal abilities.  When I listen to them as accompaniment to Paul Simon on the classic recording of “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes”, it truly makes me feel that we are all one on this planet regardless of cultural, religious or geographical differences and that music is the one thing that connects us all.

Graceland is still very much a Paul Simon record, there are classic Simon elements here, but it is a departure from his understated folk work found on previous records, particularly when he and Art Garfunkel were working their magic as a musical duo.  This record is a real achievement for Simon, and really highlights his songwriting and musical genius.

This record truly is a celebration of music and you can’t help but feel amazing as a human being after listening to it…unless you are a crazed psychopath devoid of the ability to feel emotion of any kind, in which case maybe you need something else.  For the rest of us, this album is a real pick me up…

If this album is not in your record collection right now, I implore you all to put your computers or smart phones down, grab your car keys or bus pass or whatever you need, to get yourself to your local record store to snap up this musical gem of a record.  I don’t care what the weather is like, music fans don’t let weather stop them from getting their paws on great music…at least real music fans don’t.  Graceland is not just another record, it is so much more than that and when you get home with your copy and you put it on, you will feel the power Simon and his newly found friends were trying to achieve.  I honestly believe deep down inside that music is powerful enough to change the world and if we can get more artists making albums like this, the world will be a much better place in which to live . . . for all of us!

When I hear the phrase “rock gods” one band always comes to mind. Led Zeppelin has not released anything since 1982′s Coda and have not toured since the unfortunate death of drummer John  Bonham, and yet they remain in the forefront of rock’s greatest and on the iPods of today’s youth. Houses of the Holy, a title that pays respect to the venues  they played in as well as their fans, is their fifth studio album and their final release on Atlantic before starting Swan Song Records. Upon its release it was received with mixed reviews, but thirty nine years later it is one of their most appreciated and critically acclaimed releases.

Side one opens with the fast paced riffing of Jimmy Page in “The Song Remains The Same”, which moves from the instrumental opening into a slower grove and you hear the first of Robert Plant.  The lyrics are a bit esoteric, but they fit the mood of the song and get the point across well. Bonham’s drumming is as in the pocket and superb as you would expect, and Jon Paul Jones’ bass ties in beautifully and seamlessly. The following two tracks, “The Rain Song” and “Over the Hills and Far Away”, are slower paced and more lyrically driven. Jones’ mellotron playing in “The Rain Song” is fantastic and makes the song what it is. The opening guitar of “Over the Hills and Far Away” is some of the most awe-inspiring and inspirational acoustic guitar playing I have ever heard, and one of my favourite Page parts. When the full band kicks in you cannot help but move to the music. “The Crunge” is the final song of side one and opens with the massive drumming of Bonham. The funk influence is overtly obvious and the song has a  James Brown feel. The final spoken line of “Where’s that confounded bridge?” was a brilliant and funny way to end the song.

Side two opens with “Dancing Days” a song that is lyrically about finding that one girl. The intro guitar rift is what makes the song and it will get stuck in your head. The following track is titled “D’yer Mak’er” and is my second favourite song on the album. It is a laid back track with lyrics that are easy to sing along with. It opened with drums that move into an island influenced track. The album gets pulled back a little with “No Quarter” a physchedelic-influenced track. “No Quarter” clock in at 7 minutes, that fades in and out of a bubbly synthesizer track. While it is far better than most songs being put out currently it is by far my least favourite song on the album, but I will rarely skip over it. Any discouraging thoughts that I may have about the band is quickly dispelled by the final track on the album. “The Ocean” is my favourite Led Zeppelin song and not just because the main part of the track is a drum driven, ballsy song. What makes this song for me is the instrumental outro. It shows just how talented they are as musicians and how tight they are as a band.  Anyone who has yet to give this album a listen should get on that right away.

If this technology takes hold and I believe that it will, expect to see classic performers like Jimi Hendrix, Michael Jackson, Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston and numerous others performing shows in an arena near you very soon.  This has the potential for being extremely profitable for lots of people and therein lays the problem.

Advertisers are probably licking their chops in boardrooms all over the world right now and they will undoubtedly see this ability as an untapped resource to fill their coffers even more than they already are.  Yes, the audience will be seeing a hologram of a beloved performer, for what that’s worth, but in all likelihood, they will be subjected to some sort of advertising throughout.  Whether it is through clothing or something else, advertisers will find a way to bastardize the memories of these artists for their own selfish gains.  Make no mistake about it, holograms aren’t for our benefit, they are a new money making scheme and a despicable one at that.  This leads to the next problem, the violation of a deceased performers moral rights.

When a mega artist takes to the stage, everything that happens during a show is planned out and has been OK’d by the star performer.  When a star performer passes on, they still maintain the right to not have their music or persona violated in any way.  Music is sacred and we must keep it that way!  Once we begin using holograms of these performers, the potential for misuse of their image, name and music is astronomical.  The protection of the moral rights of an artist is crucial as it keeps unscrupulous people from being able to use a performers, image, name and music in ways that would violate the artists moral values.  An example would be taking a hit song and using it in a pornographic film without the consent of the artist who wrote the song.  The logical direction I see coming from the use of holograms is having two or more artists collaborate in a live performance who would never have actually done it when they were alive.  I liken this new ability to scientists in labs trying to crossbreed, clone or mutate species; it is just not a good idea and where does it end?

Now that the awe of the event has subsided, lets take a moment to clear our minds at really look at what we saw on stage at Coachella; it was a hologram of Tupac, who cares?  A hologram is only a hologram, it is not the performer in any way, shape or form; it’s a computer generated reproduction of the person.  I have always wished that I was around to see my musical heroes in their prime, artists like Ginger Baker, John Bohnam and Jimmy Hendrix, but I certainly would never pay to see a fake hologram image of them performing.  Unfortunately, I may be in the minority.  I have lost faith in people to do the right thing and based on the reaction to the Tupac hologram at Coachella, I feel that once again the public will buy into this new technology paving the way for money grubbing, corporations to bombard us with a slew of pointless hologram concerts.

As I write this article, I have learned that the pop group TLC will potentially be embarking on a U.S. tour featuring a hologram of the deceased member, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.  And so it begins.  I certainly will not be supporting this and I hope many others will take the same stance on this subject.  I am more than happy having archival footage to listen to and to watch; in fact that seems like a much more appealing option than watching a completely fabricated entity pretending to be something it’s not.  I do see a place for holograms in our future, but the stage is not that place.

The role of women in society has unfortunately always been tenuous at best, but in the music industry, it has always been as dangerous as walking through a minefield.  Women who were not strong enough to battle against the strong arming industry executives, within this tumultuous industry got swallowed up and spit out in short order.  Luckily, within the Rock n’ Roll landscape, there were a few of these ladies that managed to not only infiltrate the cock waving world of rock, but some even set the bar for the next wave of guys to come along.

June 16^th, 1967 the Monterey International Pop Music Festival in Monterey California.  A young woman took to the stage for her first public large scale show.  Sharing the stage with her over a 3 day span from June 16^th through 18^th were then somewhat unknown artists in America, Jimmi Hendrix and the Who.  That young woman was Janis Joplin and from that day on, with her unforgettable gravelly voice and powerful stage presence Janis became the archetype of what future female artists would strive to become . . . that is until now.

Tits and ass, that seems to be the predominant theme amongst today’s female artists.  Sex has always been a huge part of society and the music industry is no different.  Using women’s natural assets in order to sell records is nothing new, however, what is new is that there is nothing natural about the way it’s done in this day and age.  Women are getting injections of all sorts all over there bodies, they are surgically altering parts of their bodies, they wear wigs, they change the colour of their eyes with coloured eye contacts, they spray tan, they wear a multitude of implants in order to enhance certain features and in most cases, they are lip syncing their way to mega success.  They do this because of advertising and greedy unscrupulous back room billionaires, whose only concern is the bottom line.  It is not about talent, it is all about marketability and nothing more.  These people do not care if these ladies can sing, that can all be doctored in the studio, what they do care about is that they shut up, they get out on those stages and they shake their little asses for profit.

Janis Joplin, Patti Smyth, Deborah Harry, Pat Benetar, Cyndi Lauper, Stevie Knicks, Joan Jett, Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, the list goes on and on; all of these women helped to change the musical foundation for women in rock.  What these and many other women had to endure in order to build the structure for future female artists almost appears as if it was all for not if we look at what we are being offered in today’s industry.  All we see and hear these days is the sexually driven advertising based sludge that is meaningless and void of any real connection to anything or value for the dollar. Yes, these woman used their sex appeal, but they weren’t selling the sex to the degree artists of today do, they were selling the music, the lyrics, the message, the angst and questioning societal norms.

I miss the days of the rock n’ roll chick, the tough, no nonsense woman who could and would kick ass if need be.  Much like their hard partying, hard rocking brothers, they liked their music loud and dirty and they didn’t care what society thought of them, or the way they looked or how they acted, they just wanted to have a great time making music that mattered, and isn’t that what rock n’ roll has always been about?  We need a new rock goddess to come and rescue us from the mediocre, sterilized drivel that we are being served these days.

There have been some very powerful female voices since the 1980’s, women like, Alanis Morisette, Melissa Etheridge, Sinead O’Connor, Madonna, etc…but they are few and far between.  Even Madonna, an artist known for really pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable and a woman praised and vilified for speaking her mind, has fallen prey to the new over processed and under talented industry of today.  Music, in particular the rock n’ roll genre needs strong individual women again in the worst way!

Recently I had the privilege of sharing the stage with Sarah Smith, a woman that I believe could help to renew the rightful place of the big voice, big personality female rock star.  Sarah is the lead singer of the London, Ontario Canada based group the joys.  Sarah is now embarking on a solo career that is sure to be successful given the person I was lucky enough to watch perform and to befriend that night.  Sarah’s mesmerizingly beautiful and powerful voice gave me goose bumps and sent shivers down my spine as her contagious energy and joy to perform came over the crowd in waves. Sarah is a breath of fresh air in a stagnant industry that reeks of greed and conformity. What I was left with at the conclusion of her unforgettable performance was simple; the hope and belief that there is still a much needed place in rock n’ roll for women with something to say and the voice to say it, without faking it.

Music is ever changing, and sometimes it is great to reflect on what has already passed. Following the glitz and glam of Hair Metal, and right on the heels of Grunge four ordinary looking guys, geeks some might say, released the first of what would become many albums. The album looked as ordinary and everyday as the four guys on the cover but the contents of that album would forever change the future of music. The band in question is Weezer and that album is the Blue album, known then as a self-titled album.

As soon as you hear the acoustic intro of “My Name is Jonas” you know this album is going to be a special experience. The songs are explosive and simple rock. Loud distorted guitars, thumping drums, driving bass, and soaring guitar solos pretty much sums up the tone of the album. That is not to say they do not stray away from that with verses in songs like “Say It Ain’t So”, “Undone – the Sweater song”, and the fantastic ballad that is “Only in Dreams”.  The band is tight and the instrumentation is fantastic. Which is rare to find on a debut release, especially considering it was recorded on tape which is less forgiving than its digital counterpart. The lead vocals are angst filled and complimented throughout the album by some creative and much appreciated harmonies.

Lyrically the album is eloquent yet easy enough to relate to. There is no overlaying theme, except maybe a theme of youthful angst. “No One Else” delves into the idea of finding a partner that smiles only for you. While the lyrics can sometimes suggest that the song is a tad creepy with lyrics like “when I’m away she never leaves the house” it is more about finding someone that will remain faithful in a relationship. the album is littered with references to the bands influences such as Buddy Holly, Peter Kriss, and Ace Frehley. Songs like “In The Garage” and “Surf Wax America” are care free and fun loving songs about the simple joys in life. Many of the songs deal with love and none as well as the final track “Only In Dreams”. The song is about seeing a girl that is so beautiful that the singer is afraid he will “crush her pretty toenails into a thousand pieces”.

Blue came at a time when music had two very differing spectrums of popularity. On one side there was the overly angry and anti-conformist Grunge movement, and on the other side there was the party lifestyle that came along with dance music. This album found the middle ground between those to by being both carefree and angst ridden at the same time. It was the middle ground that held appeal to both the non-conformists and partiers.

It has been 18 years since the release of that album and it is still thought of as one of Weezer’s  best albums to date. While looking at reviews of Weezer’s new works you will often find comments about how they should go back to their old style and part of me agree with that, but another part of me understands that the band has been through a lot in 18 years and asking them to be a certain way is asking them to not be true to their own feelings. Anyone who has not listened to Blue should feel deeply ashamed of themselves and quickly move to remedy that. It is one of my favourite albums from my childhood, and it always will be.

Over a year since we last heard anything from him, M. Ward is releasing his first solo album since 2009′s Hold Time. M. Ward is a gifted and talented singer/songwriter and guitarist who is one half of She & Him, the other being the multifaceted Zooey Deschanel, and a member of Monsters of Folk. As expected A Wasteland Companion is folk music at its best and is a LP consisting of twelve excellent tracks.

Each track on the album has its own unique sound, but the album as a whole is cohesive. At times the album is very warm and as light as a breeze, and at other times it is rough and edgy. The opening track “Clean Slate” is an acoustic based song, with a beautiful guitar part that is joined near the end by a dobro slide part and lightly brushed drumming.  A track that is the exact opposite of that is “Sweetheart” it has a classic rock drum beat, and opens with a barrage of guitars, drums, and piano. It also features the vocals of Zooe Deschanel throughout. There is a layer of guitars from acoustic, to the typical 60s surf rock sound, right up to full on fuzz.

The instrumentation throughout the album is fantastic and often inspired. The song “Crawl After You” opens with a slow piano part and is joined beautiful by the vocals, bass, and a string section. Near the end of the song the lead violin part is joined by an electric guitar part that has a hauntingly beautiful effect. As typical with an M. Ward project the guitar playing on it is superb. The title track “A Wasted Companion” has some of the most beautiful acoustic guitar leads that I have heard in a long time. The song “Primitive Girl” has drumming that is reminiscent of that found in “Laid” by James.

This is the type of album that you listen to while driving on a sunny summer’s day. I enjoyed this album thoroughly and did not find myself wanting to skip to the next song at any point. The tracks are placed in a way that you never get bored with repetitive sounds.  M. Ward has delivered with A Wasteland Companion, and the only negative thing I have to say about it is that sometimes the vocals are overly saturated with reverb. That being said this album will be on heavy rotation in my car all summer long. Anyone who is a fan of She & Him or any of M. Wards past albums will definitely enjoy this one.

The idea that the decreasing sales of physical copies is a result purely caused by online piracy is ludicrous at best. While it may be one of the factors causing this decrease it is not the only one. We live in a world in which we are emerged in the internet almost every waking moment. It is very counterproductive to assume that people will go out and buy your product when they can stay home and get the same with instantly with a few clicks of the mouse. Yes, there are a few diehard fans that still experience the joy of holding a hard copy in their hands, but their numbers are dwindling and they are become upset with the rising prices. An album that costs $20-25 in a store will only set you back $10 on iTunes, is a physical package really worth the extra $10? Most definitely not, in most cases. If not for the offering of a piece of the master tape I would have purchased the Foo Fighter’s “Wasting Light” online, and once the album was on my computer the physical packaging found it’s place on my shelve, not to be touched since.

The Recording Industry failed to notice this change with the rising popularity of Napster. Instead of embracing a new way of delivering their product and partnering with Napster and similar companies they viewed them as the enemy and began the long, and overly drawn out battle against online piracy. They should have been making deals with these companies instead of attempting to sue them all out of existence. Much like the mythical Hydra, once one P2P service was taken down two more would pop up in its place.  Yes, a few of the P2P services have been all to ready to proudly hoist the pirate banner, the majority of them were run by business savvy men who would have been all to ready to give a percentage of their profit to the Recording Industry. This would have been a great step forward, but the Industry, long used to controlling every channel of distribution, was afraid of what this meant for their own financial futures. They were afraid that more musicians would go the independent route and strike their own deals with these services. Thus started a marketing campaign to make the act of downloading the enemy of music.

After years of fighting a losing battle the leaders of the industry eventually came to see that downloading would be the future of the industry and partnered with application like iTunes. Finally it seemed the Recording Industry was embracing the future, until the streaming services that were gaining popularity overseas attempted to set up services in North America. They blocked these services at every turn claiming that they were not offering a fair amount in return for the use of their artist’s material. Recently seeing they were once again fighting a losing battle the industry leaders gave in and made room for streaming services.

Now they are currently trying to figure out the Cloud based system. There has been a rather heated argument as to whether each play of a song from a cloud counts as a radio play, or if what the customer pays for the service is more like a rental fee. Basically they are fighting about whether the artist should get paid for every play, or for every download. I would have to agree more with the later as Clouds are viewed more as a storage option than a streaming service.  Whatever solution is, it is become evident that the industry is more ready to accept change.

The old business model is over, it is time for Record Labels to change with the times. They no longer hold the sway over the distribution channels, as anyone can get their song on iTunes and any similar services. So what should the current Record Label offer. As a person who was educated in the workings of the industry, and a person who has made a personal investment in the industry it is all to clear. A new label should offer all the services that a manager offers, but they should also offer services that Record Labels have in the past.

When it comes to physical copies I believe that a limited run should be pressed, and marketed to support the tour. The physical album in question should be viewed similar to a tour t-shirt, something a fan will buy to remember the show, and it should only be available for sale on that tour. These albums should contain the bands more popular recent tracks, a few live recordings, and a couple tracks that will remain unreleased digitally and exclusive to that album. When it comes to digital sales, put it everywhere you can. The easier it is for someone to find, the more likely it is that they will purchase it. Also, make sure that the digital copies are of the same quality you would find on a CD.

The new label also needs to have a keen understanding of social media. While it is easy for a label to manage all of their clients social media, it should be up to the bands to update their own statuses. The label should teach their clients what is acceptable and what is unacceptable when it comes to social media. The key is to make it seems personal without getting too personal. Keep it about the music and the musicians, and make the fans feel more like friends. Make it seem like you are letting them into the behind the scenes of your career and life. It is also very popular to link all of a bands social media so that they can be updated at one, but a little diversity amongst your social media pages is most definitely beneficial.

Finally the new label should recognize that without the musicians they would not have anything to sell. Gone are the days when the labels make more than the artists off their music. A typical contract for a label now should be what is referred to as a 360 Contract. The label should expect to make a percentage of everything the artist is earning, but the label should also work to deserve that. While it is acceptable to sign an artist to a fixed percentage and stick with that there is a second option that is both beneficial to the artist and the label. The percentage of what a label takes should be based on the expected yearly gross income of that artist. For a new artist trying to make a name for themselves that percentage should stay relatively low, around 10-15%. Once the artist starts pulling in a decent gross the labels take should increase. In a way this ensures that the label will continue to work to further the artists career and keeping them relevant as doing so ensures that the label is making more money as well. It is also perfectly acceptable and reasonable that the label should be reimbursed for any costs they incur, but only from the album, or tour those costs apply to.

Times are hard for musicians, but the future is not as bleak. It is time that the coming change is accepted and used to better the industry.  Will things ever be the same for the recording industry? I personally do not believe they will, and the artists should be thankful for that.

Les Claypool is an unusual sort at the best of times both musically and personally and thank god for that!  In his latest bombastic endeavour, Les teams up with Larry Lalonde on guitars and former Primus drummer Jay Lane to put together an album that should have you smiling from ear to ear and make you want to dig your grandpa’s polyester suit out of the basement and run down the street for a big old slice of “American Pie” that is the new Primus record.

The first thing I noticed when I popped this baby into the old CD player was that there is an energy on this record that didn’t quite seem to be there in the last few offerings by the band.  I think the inclusion of Jay Lane on drums has really added some fresh and classic Primus feeling throughout the record.  If you have ever seen an interview with Jay Lane, you will know that he is a bundle of energy and his enthusiasm comes through in spades on Green Naugahyde.  Les and Larry squeezed out some unusual riffs and ideas that really allow Jay to demonstrate his outstanding playing, particularly his hi hat work on many of the songs.  The record feels and sounds like an eclectic mix of many of Primus’ classic recordings.  Les pretty much took all of those albums, threw them into a blender and what we are left with is a quirky, exciting and politically timely album that is tons of fun and a joy to sit and listen to.

Primus has always been a band that musicians tend to get, more than the average listener does and for good reason; these guys are some of the best at what they do, their musical abilities and vision always keeps you guessing and wondering what’s coming next.  The best thing about Primus is that they don’t follow any formula and you certainly can’t pigeonhole them no matter how hard people try.  Forest Gump once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get”, the same is true for a Primus record.

Green Naugahyde, is chock full of the usual Claypool accoutrements; bizarre lyrical content and delivery, unusual instrumentation, technically proficient playing, almost circus-like rhythms and sounds and of course some of the best bass playing you will ever here and at least one mention of fishing and smack.

Sitting in my comfiest chair with a glass of “Pork Soda” in hand, listening to Green Naugahyde for the first time was like watching an episode of Twin Peaks; most of the time you have no idea what the hell is going on, you are introduced to a wide array of bizarre characters and an assortment of weird and wonderful sounds, and by the end of it it will have embedded itself into your brain in the most positive of ways.

The first instrumental track, “Prelude to a Crawl” is classic Claypool and it leads you right into the second track, “Hennepin Crawler” a fantastically groovy song that really lets you create a visual in your head about what a Hennepin crawler might be, for those who don’t know.  Like many of the other songs on this record, I could not stop tapping my feet.

Other stand outs on this record include “Tragedy’s a Comin”, a contagious bass driven song that will bore it’s way into your brain and have you humming it long after the CD stops and if you are feeling really adventurous, go watch the video to see Les dressed up like a lobster.

The 6^th track “Eyes of the squirrel”, a trance-like, rhythmic tune, will grab all the drummers in the crowd by their short and curly’s and they’ll soon find themselves sitting at their kits trying to play the unbelievably catchy drum pattern that dominates this song. Trust me, that’s exactly what I did when I heard it.

Who else but Primus would write a song about one of the silver screens best and least acclaimed movie villains?  “Lee Van Cleef”, is just a great song in the tradition of the material from the Brown Album and is, in my humble opinion, the second best song on the record surpassed only by “Tragedy’s a Comin”.  The huge open sounding bass drum straight from the Jeff Ocheltree school of recording pushes this song along with an unbridled strength; combine that with the catchy bass line and the reggae-like up stroke guitar parts and you’ve got a fantastic song that quite simply makes you feel great.

With a name like “Hoinfodoman”, you know you’re going to like this song based on the name alone; it’s a funky little number clearly depicting Les’ disgust with the commercialism that has swept over the world.  This is one of those Primus songs that make you want to listen to them more.  Everything about this track defies convention, but in a good way.  Hoinfodoman would never be a radio hit, but to real Primus fans, I have a feeling that it will be playing a lot.

As with most other Primus records, there is a song about the negative effects of drug addiction.  The song “Jilly’s on Smack” is exactly what it sounds like, a song about a girl named Jilly, whose addiction to smack prevents her from being able to go home for the Holidays.  The song is weird and catchy, a personal favourite of mine.  Only Primus can write a song about drug addiction that makes you laugh.

The predominant theme to this latest offering is total #*&! you!, to the advertising conglomerates for addicting us to their products and to society for “buying” into it. There are several songs on the record that directly attack advertisers and our need to consume to the degrees that we do.

Not all the songs on Green Naugahyde are gems, songs like “Green Ranger” and “Eternal Consumption Engine, are weird little songs that would never be released as singles for the band, but they do have their merit, particularly, the lyrical content of “Eternal Consumption Engine.

Primus records need to be measured with a different scale than most other records, the fans don’t listen to Primus because the songs are familiar and comfortable; they listen to them because they aren’t.  Primus fans have a real sense of being a part of the band; they are people who need something more in their music other than cliché guitar riffs and radio friendly lyrics.  This band will never capture the hearts and minds of the masses and they wouldn’t have it any other way.  We need Primus to keep doing exactly what they have always done, put out records that challenge the standard conventions of what music is and should be and most importantly, they need to keep creating music that triggers something deep within the listener on a level that most contemporary music cannot, or will not do.  Whether it’s Claypool’s lyrics or his lyrical style, or the bands obscure approach to rhythm, something happens when you listen to this record; my advice to you is to just let it take you where it takes you, because Green Naugahyde is oh so good!  Primus continues to breakdown musical barriers with this latest offering, and I would encourage all of you to get yourselves out to your nearest record retailer and grab yourself a real nice chunk of Green Naugahyde.

When looking for good music I often find myself looking down the barrel of the familiar. I recently found myself on Sub Pop’s website looking through their roster when I stumbled upon the band Poor Moon. What struck me about this band is that I recognized two of the member’s names. Both  Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott are also members of Fleet Foxes, a band I have enjoyed since their first self-titled EP. Christian and Casey are joined by brothers Ian and Peter Murray of the Christmas Cards. Poor Moon released their first EP Illusion on March 27, 2012, and while there are similarities between their music and that of Fleet Foxes the band definitely stands on its own.

The album starts off softly and slowly with the opening title track “Illusion”. It has a beautifully written and played acoustic opening, which is complemented by a ghostly and wind-like synth part. The vocals enter seamlessly and are honest and delivered with purpose. Lyrically the song is very easy to understand. With lyrics like ” I want to learn to rely on what I first decided when the moment comes so I don’t have to think twice” it is easy to tell that the song is about learning to never second guess yourself. The song is soft and simple, but with a potent message. It is a great way to start off an album.

The second song is a full band effort titled “Anyplace”.  It is carried by a flowing acoustic part, a groovy drum beat with rolling tom fills, a clean and creative lead guitar part, and a complimentary bass line. The main vocals are accompanied by a harmony vocal for most of the verse, which is very reminiscent of the Beatles.  As the song goes into the chorus the lead vocals are accompanied by a chorus of harmony vocals showing the vocal talent of the group, and there is a background vocal part that sounds like it could be found on a Beach Boys album. Lyrically the song is more esoteric than “Illusion”, but it is still easy to relate to them.

The album picks up with the third track “People In Her Mind”, which is the most upbeat and pop-like song on the album. The intro guitar part is very energetic and reminds me of early Sloan. As the title of the song suggest the lyrics pertain to a girl that only has the people in her mind in her life. There is a xylophone part throughout the song that is very enjoyable and adds something special to the song. The song is carried by the drums, which at times give the song a very danceable quality and at other times the feel of a song from the 1950s. As in “Anyplace, the lead vocals are accompanied by a harmony part throughout most of the song. The song exits with a xylophone part, which is rarely done and creative yet simple.

The fourth track “Once Before” explores the idea of being in love. The song begins with a guitar part that is accompanied by well timed cymbal crashes. As the song enters the first verse the  full band joins in.  The vocal harmonies in this song are as good and has well applied as the rest of the album showing that the band is made up of some talented individuals. During the chorus a xylophone follows the lead guitar for the large part and other times it compliments it.  The songs exit is almost spectral and very sudden, it leaves you wanting for more.

The EP exits like it entered with a soft acoustic based song titled “Widow”. The song is comprised of one acoustic guitar and a layer of vocals. This song is very good at demonstrating to vocal power and harmonies of the band. The vocal run between verses is especially enjoyable. Lyrically the song explores the ideas of being alone after death. It is a fantastic song to wrap up the EP with.

Overall Illusion is a very well put together album. It is a very unpolished album, which is very pleasing to listen to in a time where albums are overly polished. At times it feels as if the reverb was overdone, but that is a minor flaw of an otherwise great sound. It is an ideal album to listen to on a lazy summer afternoon. Fans of Fleet Foxes would definitely quickly become fans of Poor Moon. I highly suggest this album as a must listen to album.