Weezer Week: Death to False Metal

Sorry for those of you who were desperately seeing closure to Weezer Week.  I know this is about 12 hours late, but I’ve been nursing a cold and spent the day in a pretty lethargic state of being.  But here we are; the end of Weezer Week! 

I also have a weird duality in that I’m not particularly fond of authority, but I feel the need to see things through.  I didn’t like the notion that I had write this final chapter, but I hated the idea of not finishing Weezer Week. 

Anyway, Death to False Metal

Weezer Week: Hurley

I hate Lost.  Lost is the very first show that I hate-watched.  I was fine with the show during the first season, I turned on it quickly during the second season.  From that point on I watched it with hope that most of the characters would meet violent ends, while slightly hoping that the writers could dig themselves out of the hole they put themselves in. 

Weezer’s eighth album is Hurley.  It’s named after the character that Jorge Garcia played on Lost.  Garcia is the guy on the cover of the album.  Is it possible that my hatred of the show could carry over onto the album?

Wouldn't you like to know.

Weezer Week: Raditude

I don’t know what it is about trying that rubs me the wrong way.  I think I appreciate effort, but when it’s masked or when those making the effort make it look easy.  I hate when something reeks of trying. 

I don’t like when an actor that I respect goes out and makes a big studio movie or panders to a family audience.  I don’t like when a tv show tries to be outrageous and controversial.  But one thing that really rubs me the wrong way is when someone tries to make a radio-friendly song. 

Which brings us to Raditude. 

Weezer Week: S/T (The Red Album)

I wonder what it is about great debuts that inspire loyalty?  Nas’ Illmatic is an undisputed classic, but virtually every album he’s released in the 20 years since has been uneven at best.  I dig The Strokes, but have they had an album that comes close to their debut. 

And that’s sort of the burden of Weezer; their debut was so great and important that virtually nothing else will measure up. 

Which brings us to The Red Album.

Weezer Week: Make Believe

I’ve already written about my conflicted history with Weezer, so I won’t rehash it.  I will use this space to explain my grand design. 

I’ve decided that I’m going to pick one artist a month and devote a week to writing about five of their albums, an album a day.  This week it’s obviously Weezer and I’ll be looking at their five most recent albums.  Today is Make Believe.

Skip's Grammy Picks (2014)

Ok, so apparently we haven’t done this for the Grammys since 2011.  Three years is like a lifetime when it comes to the internet.  And I’ll eat that; that’s on me. 

But here we are in 2014 and I’m trying to make things right.  I’m going to start the year off with my Grammy picks! 

My Latest Music Discovery

I’ve got some awesome memories to songs that were considered old before I was even born, and that feels weird to say.  But it’s honestly 100% true.  Let me explain. 

In the past six months I’ve grown quite fond of oldies, specifically music from Rock & Roll’s first decade.  That’s right; I’ve gotten hooked on Sirius/XM’s 50’s on 5 station.

Remembering – The Used Section At The Sound Garden

Call me a dinosaur but I still buy cds.  I dig them.  I like having physical copies of music in my hand.  Don’t get me wrong; I get stuff digitally too.  But if given a choice between buying an album, single or EP on itunes or on a cd, I’m opting for a cd.

And during my time in Baltimore I fell in love with The Sound Garden.  It’s my Mecca.  It’s my idea of Heaven.  It’s easily one of my favorite places to spend money and it’s not uncommon for me to drop two bills in an afternoon. 

No joke; I went to The Sound Garden on 9/11.  On the 9/11.  That’s how much I enjoy going there. 

But something happened on my last trip to Baltimore that may have changed everything. 

Best of 2012 - Music

You know I love music.  And you knew I was going to do a “year end” list.  So don’t act surprised that this has been posted.

I mean seriously, don’t we know each other well enough by this point to dispense with the pretense? 

Let’s get into it. 

Swede

I spend a lot of time
listening to music. I listen to music on my way to work and on my way home. I listen to music while I clean and cook and even while I sleep. At work I also listen to music, but it's not the music of my choosing.

I was thinking about music just today and it occurred to me that I've got quite a few artists in rotation who hail from Sweden. I can't explain it. I can't even tell you why it popped into my head.

But it did.

Sean Fury

This is the next big thing in music.



Or at least in viral internet memes.
You're welcome either way.

Peep dude in the red on the far right, he loves it.

Meanwhile, In Hipster Hop...

Crack is wack

Humans are inherently flawed. We all have our shortcomings and demons. In that respect Whitney Houston was no different then any of us. Despite being an immensely talented international superstar and selling over 100 million records, she couldn't shake her addictions...

Skip Serpico's Concert Adventures - The Kills @ 930 Club 2/2/12

Like quite a few people, I discovered the The Kills via The Dead Weather.  When I saw The Dead Weather perform I was entranced by Alison Mosshart and I wanted more.  So I got into The Kills.

The last time The Kills were in the area was last Easter, when they also played 930 Club.  I totally meant to go to that show, but the stars weren't lined up.  So, when I saw they were coming back around this way, I knew I had to see them.

Best of 2011 - Music

Yeah, I know; "Skip, January is almost over and you're just posting your best albums of 2011?"  What can I say?  My bad.

Can I say in my defense that I got some fancy pants headphones for X-Mas that completely altered my "Best of 2011" list?  Seriously, the speakers I was using on 12/24 made what I was listening to sound like mud.  The addition of the headphones completely altered my list.

Oh, are you curious now?

I Don't Get Fleet Foxes

I like to think of myself as an open minded guy.  I'm down to try new things and I'm always on the lookout for music.  I love getting recommendations from friends and family.

I've gotten a few recommendations recently that have panned out.  My cousin recommended both Robyn and St. Vincent and I was impressed.  Unfortunately I didn't feel that way about Fleet Foxes.

Bonus Track Flimflam

So, tonight was goofing off and looking for music from Breaking Bad's fourth season to add to my collection.  I went to the Breaking Bad site and scoped out the detailed list of a) the music b) the scenes it was in and c) where to buy it.

Naturally this lead me to iTunes where I fell down a rabbit hole of music.  But once I managed to regain my senses, I was struck by how angry I'd become.  And it was all because of bonus tracks.

Wild Pitch Wednesday - The Mixtape Project

Six seems to be my magic number.  Six is the hours of sleep I've had in the past day.  Six is also the number of hours before I'm supposed to meet up with Jay1 to do a little bit of brainstorming.

Yet, here I am writing this.

Why? For you.  Because you need something to read.  And because you're so good to me.  And because you deserve it.

That's right, it's time for Wild Pitch Wednesday.  I hope you're sitting down.  If not, you totally should be.

Five Dope Albums I Discovered In 2011

Every year I buy and listen to dozens of albums.  And every year I compile a list of my ten favorite albums of that year.  And every year I fall in love with an album that doesn't make that list because it was released in a previous year.

What can I say; I'm not perfect.  I don't have a chance to buy every album released every year.  Some stuff is going to slip through the cracks.

But this year decided to try to rectify my careless overlooking of such albums by giving them some shine.

My Road Atlas Journey

So, the entire year I've been meaning to stock up on Calexico music.  I'd managed to cop most of their studio albums and EPs throughout the year.  The problem was that Calexico also had a series of "tour albums" self released joints that they sold at live shows.

As December approached it looked like I was going to strike out on my mission to collect Calexico.  And then I found out about Road Atlas.