Recently, Thrice released a great new album entitled To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere. While on their promotional tour, they stopped by some radio stations to perform a few songs acoustically. One of the songs they played during a stop at Sirius XM was The Smashing Pumpkins classic “1979.” It’s a very stripped down version and it’s pretty solid.
Check it out.
Thrice- 1979 (Acoustic):
Bonus Song:
Thrice- Black Honey (Acoustic):
Thrice- To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere:
They don’t make videos like they used to. Way back, when the budgets for videos were HUGE, we the fans got some nearly cinematic pieces. I genuinely miss those days. Thinking about all that made me make this list of the best videos The Smashing Pumpkins ever did.
10) The Everlasting Gaze:
09) Siva:
08) Disarm:
07) Cherub Rock:
06) Zero:
04) Ava Adore:
03) Tonight, Tonight:
02) Bullet With Butterfly Wings:
01) 1979:
There are only a few months left till the end of the year and there have a been a slew of great albums released by bands new and old that have come out this year, with plenty more to come before 2017 arrives. Below are my favorite albums of 2016 so far…
Killswitch Engage- Incarnate:
And We Are Them- A Subtle Tyranny:
Saosin- Along The Shadows:
Moving Structures- Awake:
The Cult- Hidden City:
Thrice- To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere:
Red Hot Chili Peppers- The Getaway:
Night Verses- Into The Vanishing Light:
O’Brother- Endless Light:
Gojira- Magma:
Periphery- Periphery III Select Difficulty:
Interstelar- Resin:
Aeges- Weightless:
The Black Queen- Fever Daydream:
Radiohead- A Moon Shaped Pool:
Chevelle- The North Corridor:
There is a new album called Endless Light that came out this past March in the post-rock/experimental genre by the band O’Brother. These gents have been at it since 2006 and have only gotten better with each album and tour. Their new album Endless Light has been described as apocalyptic space pop. To give you a further example of that description. Take a bit of Tool, a dash of Failure, a bit of Thrice and a tad of Isis and what you’ll have perfectly describes O’Brother at this stage in their career. O’Brother has really developed as a band and evolved ever so gently without disrupting the progressive nature of the bands development. Singer Tanner Merritt’s voice has moments of Jimmy Gneco of Ours and Dustin Kensrue of Thrice. Johnny Dang, Michael Martens, Anton Dang, Jordan McGhin and Tanner Merritt, have really developed as a band and evolved ever so gently without disrupting the progressive nature of the bands development. Their previous album, the very underrated Disillusion, started them on this path. Disillusion is also an album that surpasses the generic quiet to loud segments opting instead for complexities and textures without taking away from the “loud” factor.
I really love seeing and hearing bands like O’Brother. The dedication they have to create music that is passionate and pure is inspiring. I saw them many yeas ago when they were on tour with Thrice, and while Thrice had a very off night that evening, O’Brother was the band that really stole the night for me. You can catch O’Brother on tour with The Dillinger Escape Plan. Between the two of those bands, you know you’re gonna get a show.
Endless Light:
Disillusion:
https://www.facebook.com/OBrotherMusic
By: Brian Lacy
If there is one band that really should come back around and release a new album it’s A Perfect Circle. It’s been over thirteen years since they released an album of new material. Maynard has kept busy over the years with Puscifer, which is interesting and another outlet for him, but the fact that there are more Puscifer albums than A Perfect Circle albums, it’s just not right. A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel has said that “there are fully developed songs without lyrics and melody…as far as the music end goes, I’ve got 75% of the foundation of [the next] A Perfect Circle record ready to go.” And that he is just waiting on Maynard. In March of 2016 Maynard was quoted as saying “I still hope to make and release new music with the band.” Well then get on it. It’s been over ten years since there was a new Tool record, and thirteen since there was a new APC record. I get the need and want to go off and do different things, explore new musical avenues, but what I don’t get is how you can just leave a band like A Perfect Circle behind. I still remember the day that Mer De Noms came out. I was so excited and pumped to own that album and I listened to it so much I had to get another copy. Then when The Thirteenth Step came out, it elevated their game so much more, and became one of those albums that you just can’t get enough of.
Enough with the wait. It’s time to get Maynard in a room with Billy Howerdel, Josh Freese, Paz Lenchantin, Troy Van Leeuwen, and Danny Lohner and make a great new album. The world needs a new album from A Perfect Circle, it’s been too long!
Today I thought I’d write about Tool. I’m getting impatient waiting for them to release a new album. I spent some time looking at their set lists that they have been playing and it got me thinking that I should make up my own [said with a ton of echo] “Ultimate Set List.” This feature has become one of my absolute favorites to do and I love seeing what your responses are and set lists you all come up with.
So, what would be your Ultimate Tool Set List?
As usual here are the rules:
Rule 1: What line up of the band would it be
Rule 2: Where would you want to see the show
Rule 3: maximum 25 songs
Lineup: Maynard James Keenan, Danny Carey, Adam Jones, Justin Chancellor
Venue: Forum
Set List:
01) The Grudge
02) Parabola
03) Intolerance
04) Vicarious
05) Bottom (with Special Guest: Henry Rollins)
06) Part Of Me
07) Prison Sex
08) Eulogy
09) Sober
10) Jimmy
11) Crawl Away
12) Forty Six & 2
13) Sweat
14) Rosetta Stoned
15) Aenema
16) Lateralus
17) Right In Two
18) Schism
Encore:
19) Cold and Ugly
20) Flood
21) Jambi
22) Stinkfist
The Audioeclectica Podcast Episode 4 Part 1.
In this episode we discuss:
Bands coming back without all the original members and how it changes the band.
Bands playing covers live and how it takes away from other songs they could play.
And that’s just part 1…
Part 2 will be up next week!!!
Enjoy,
Brian
I was talking to a friend the other day and during our conversation the subject of Nirvana came up. While in the midst of our talk, I began thinking of making this ultimate set list and the songs that would be on it. Let’s pretend for a moment that Kurt is still alive and he and Nirvana did what Guns N Roses did, one day they announce that they are getting back together for a tour. The following ultimate set list is what I’d love to hear and the appropriate order to pull it off.
What would be your Ultimate Nirvana Set List?
As usual here are the rules:
Rule 1: What line up of the band would it be
Rule 2: Where would you want to see the show
Rule 3: maximum 25 songs
Line up: Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novaselic, Pat Smear
Venue: Forum in Los Angeles
Set List:
01) Aneurysm
02) Scentless Apprentice
03) Milk It
04) In Bloom
05) Heart Shaped Box
06) Rape Me
07) Serve The Servants
08) Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle
09) Lithium
10) Polly
11) Pennyroyal Tea
12) Drain You
13) School
14) Negative Creep
15) Territorial Pissings
16) Stay Away
17) You Know You’re Right
18) Breed
Encore:
19) Something In The Way (Just Kurt)
20) The Man Who Sold The World
21) All Apologies
The year is 1997 and the landscape of music is moving in a strange direction. Anytime there is a cosmic change in music there are a handful of albums that come out that really point the direction of things to come. One of those albums in particular is the absolute great album The Fat Of The Land by Prodigy. When it was released it debuted at number one in the US on the billboard charts on the heels of breakout singles like “Firestarter,” “Breathe,” and the controversial “Smack My Bitch Up,” which to this day still has one of the coolest music videos ever. This album did a lot for music at the time. The Fat Of The Land has a more rock oriented sound, thus bringing the electronic and rock worlds together. Prodigy’s producer and main songwriter Liam Howlett was all about the group evolving their sound and creating something substantial. Here’s a fun fact Liam Howlett was only 24 years old when he made The Fat Of The Land.
The album contains 10 of the most fiery “dance” tracks ever, as each track has a real purpose and identity on the album. From the more rock tinged songs, to hip hop, and straight up electronic songs, it all works and flows perfectly. Besides the three main singles that everyone knows, other tracks on the record really stand out. The Beastie Boys sampled “Funky Shit” is one of the most danceable tracks on the record, providing the classic sound that The Prodigy is known for. “Serial Thrilla,” is still one of my favorite cuts off the album. It’s super heavy with a great riff to drive the beat. “Mindfields” is another that has some really intriguing electronics. There are a few trip hop moments in the song adding some psychedelia, which can also be heard in the epic “Climbatize.”
I remember hearing this album for the first time, and I was blown away by it. This album really mixes the “rock flair” with electronica so well. It’s often been copied and duplicated but it will never be matched. With a band like The Prodigy, once you release a game changing album like The Fat Of The Land, where do you go from there? After the release and touring cycle, the band took a five year break and returned with new music that was quite underwhelming as well as their subsequent albums. Their last album 2015’s The Day Is My Enemy, had some tracks on it that has some of the same passion as The Fat Of The Land, hopefully fueling some inspiration for the group to return with some great new music.
The Fat Of The Land:
Smack My Bitch Up:
Breathe:
Making these lists of the greatest bands/artists by letter is quite fun and a bit challenging at times. There are certain letters that make you really think does this band or artist really belong in a top ten all time list. H is the letter upon us now. Below are my picks for the top (in no particular order). Add to it and help me finish the list!!
1) Hum
2) Helmet
3) Jimi Hendrix
4) How To Destroy Angels
5) Husker Du
6) PJ Harvey
7) High On Fire
8) Don Henley
9) George Harrison
10)
