Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (Skeleton Tree)

I don't know what other people call the genre – But I call it, "Existential Modern Crooner"

Mark Lanegan. Grinderman. Greg Dulli. Tom Waits. Leonard Cohen. Hell, even Amy Winehouse and David Lowery dip into it.

And. Nick Cave.

"Skeleton Tree" came out yesterday.

I screwed up, and despite having it my calendar, missed the one-night theatrical showing of the partner film for the album, One More Time with Feeling, screened in theaters.

"Skeleton Tree" is moving, cutting, and complicated. It's a short album – only eight songs – That feels meaty and long.

Until it's over.

Then it feels I-need-more-short – So, I play it again. And it feels meaty and long again, and doesn't get old as I cycle, rinse, repeat.

Sure, I have a bias.

Not the I-["♥"]-Existential-Modern-Crooners bias.

Not the I-like-Nick-Cave-and-I-like-Nick-Cave-and-the-Bad-Seeds bias.

It's the "I'm a dad. And I can't even imagine."

"Skeleton Tree" has a lot more in common with Cloud Cult's "They Live on the Sun" and "The Meaning of 8".

And if you let it, it will wreck you.

Nerf Herder (Rockingham)

Rockingham – The new album from referential pop culture band Nerf Herder – is probably the best thing I've heard all year.

I listen to a lot of music (don't think I don't just because I'm not moved to post it here), and I was good-shocked at how this thing grabbed me.

The band, fronted by Parry Gripp, with current members (I think) Steve Sherlock, Ben Pringle, Linus of Hollywood, brings their distinctively fun, clever talent (that has a bit of a not-mean-spirited bite) to play on topics as diverse as the hipster hype of the city of Portland ("Portland"), to the crazy hard absurdity that are pop culture conventions ("At the Con"), to the cleverly insightful (and hilarious) diatribe against our societal buy-in to stock photo models in "Stock Photo Girl".

I don't even want to mention the other nine tracks, because part of the fun with this album is discovering the song titles and song contents, and chuckling throughout.

Honestly, a big part of Parry and Co.'s mastery in their work is in their clever, nuanced treatment of societal stuff – They wrap those in pop-culture topic and meme breading, creating what could be dismissed as a light-hearted, silly throw-away wrapper of a song, that has parfait-like layers of poetry and/or punny-ness.

(I don't know where that dessert metaphor came from.)

Whatever – Buy Parry's new album.

(And enjoy this.)

Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol.1

The Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack is ridiculously great.

It's more than being just great collection of tracks in and of themselves.

It's more than "it does that thing good soundtracks do" (invoke memories of powerful key moments in the movie).

I guess really what makes it stand out is the soundtrack is a key component of the character film.

Not to overstate it, but it's pretty much a proper additional actor in that ensemble cast.

The Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol.1 does all of that. Without being pretentious or heavy-handed.

Track list:

1. "Hooked on a Feeling" (Blue Swede)
2. "Go All the Way" (Raspberries)
3. "Spirit in the Sky" (Norman Greenbaum)
4. "Moonage Daydream" (David Bowie)
5. "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" (Elvin Bishop)
6. "I’m Not in Love" (10cc)
7. "I Want You Back" (Jackson 5)
8. "Come and Get Your Love" (Redbone)
9. "Cherry Bomb" (The Runaways)
10. "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" (Rupert Holmes)
11. "O-O-H Child" (The Five Stairsteps)
12. "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough" (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell)

LADYTRON: Best of 00-10

You kids today, with your Metric, and your Shiny Toy Guns (Carah Faye Charnow or Sisely Treasure or Carah Faye Charnow) -- your electronica synth sounds and your sexy, female vocalists.

You should listen to LADYTRON.

Because it's got two sexy, melodic, wailing vocalists, that are kind of like if Janis Joplin is still alive and pushing the aural envelope in the 2000s, and not caring if all "sounds the same".

And because it's got "TRON" in the band name. So it's topical. Ish.

LADYTRON, for those who don't know, is a long-time electronic band from England (Liverpool?) that has bravely not stuck to any stylings, and made greate music for more than a decade. Kate Bush and Lady Gaga owe these people.

And the reference to Joplin is intentional. One of the criticisms of LADYTRON's work is "it's not consistent". No, no it's not. Thank goodness.

That's because their sound is innovative. They're always doing slick, complex, changing craftsmanship, without getting stuck in what's "in" -- so they're not riding the crest of in-vogue electronica, they're out playing in their own deep water. Think Janis Joplin doing electronic, melodic wailing as she cuts her own swath through the genre.

And the "not consistent"? Brian Eno allegedly called them "the best of English pop music" -- and look how consistent he is (but I dig him, too).

Then add another female vocalist, so in addition to Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo (who also do synthesizers), add Daniel Hunt (electric guitar and synthesizers) and Reuben Wu (#### it, more synthesizers).

This compilation album has seminal songs from 2000 through 2010 -- plus a couple of brand-new tracks. The collectors edition has a photo book, if you're into that kind of thing (I am).

Check out the album. So worth it.

Now I probably need to go pre-order Gravity The Seducer -- on vinyl. Because my kids are going to grow up with vinyl.

(Oh, and I do totally dig Metric and Shiny Toy Guns. Can you believe Carah's back? I know.)

Daft Punk (TRON: Legacy)

I really dug the new TRON: Legacy movie, and at the risk of sounding like a shill, I'm super grooving on the new Daft Punk original motion picture soundtrack.

I was first exposed to Daft Punk via their Cartoon Network exposure in the late 90s (early 2000s?), and then had elliptical run-ins with them via acting things like their "Electroma" short film Cannes Film Festival offering. Band members Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo are talented, and the soundtrack is a solid album offering from them -- surpassing (I think), even their more well-known "Alive 2007".

I generally wait to buy album soundtracks and musical scores until after I've seen the film, so the music is more evocative of key moments in the film. This sometimes creates a bias for liked and disliked tracks based on their movie tie-in, as opposed to them as stand-alone offerings. But at least I'm honest about my review biases. ;-)

I did the same for TRON, and while there are moments and beats that do pull me back into the film (the music interleaving to the movie sound track is pretty unique) -- "Arena" and "Disc Wars" in particular --there are beautiful, unique tracks that are startling self-contained. The Jeff Bridges narrated "The Grid" is a surprisingly solid tone-setter for the rest of the album, is a wonderful remix of the original TRON theme, and avoids the "show don't tell" trap into which it could easily fall. I actually wish the album started with this particular track.

For whatever reason, I'm fascinated by the Recognizer vehicles -- the hefty AT-ATs of the world of TRON. For me, they're more evocative of the technology gone awry than the light cycles, and the eponymous track drives that home.

Likewise "C.L.U." is a nicely complex piece, evocative of some of the depth of stuff hinted at with that character (and the related relationships). It arguably tries to do too much, possibly because it is the longest track on the album (though short by normal band standards).

"Fall" is one of the shortest, most powerful tracks on the album; it's in danger of being overlooked, because it's easy to mistake it as the bridge between the "Derezzed" (vintage-ish Daft Punk) and "Solar Sailor" (a beautiful, solemn subtle track of its own).

And while not the star of the album, the Amazon-exclusive "Sea of Simulation" track fits solidly (and congruently) within the whole album.

If you do/did see the film, you'll notice Daft Punk's  camera-averse, robot-during-live-shows persona works without much tweaking in their cameo (during the "Derezzed" performance).

Overall, the TRON: Legacy Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is an enjoyable, accessible, semi-house / electronica offering.

(As an aside, I'm also a toy and Japanese anime fan, so add that to my rekindled love for Daft Punk, and I'm likely going to pick up a set of their Zentradi-lookalike Interstella 5555 figures for enjoyment. And possibly parody. It's part of what I do.)

Cloud Cult

I've been listening to a lot of Cloud Cult lately, thanks to a co-worker letting me borrow a couple of albums, "Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus (2005)", and "The Meaning of 8 (2007)". I previously knew their "Lucky Today" song from the Esurance commercial, but not much beyond that.

"The Meaning of 8" is a rawer, more authentic album, largely because a lot of the content deals thematically with the somber and celebratory exploration of what it would have been like if front man Craig Minowa's son had reached 8 years old (he sadly died unexpectedly at the age of 2 in 2002). I'm not sure if the songs for the album were new for the album, or pulled from the nearly 100 songs Minowa allegedly wrote as he grieved for his son.

This is one of the those bands I don't like to say a lot about, because it's kind of hard for me to articulate why I like them, and I don't want to sell there sound or messages short. If you thematically like groups like Bear in Heaven or Cymbals Eat Guitars, you may like particularly like Cloud Cult.

All of their albums are available for streaming from their official (very indie) site.

Osaka Popstar & the American Legends of Punk

I've had Osaka Popstar & the American Legends of Punk (w/Bonus DVD) for a looong time, and realized I've never talked about how pimpin' this album is in it's music, art, and brand model (yes, I said art and brand model). (Official site is here.)

I hate summaries, but I feel OK if I call it a Japanese anime-vibed punk take on OST themes and roots songs (like "Man of Constant Sorrow", popularized by Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?). Seriously.

And the band is comprised some of the (if not the) top punk purveyors -- John Cafiero & Jerry Only (The Misfits), Dez Cadena (Black Flag), Ivan Julian (Richard Hell & The VOIDOIDS; The Outsets), and freaking Marky Ramone (Um, The Ramones).

Their takes on Sailor Moon and Astro Boy are stellar (I so hope this latter track makes it into the upcoming CG animated film version), the Richard Hell covers ("Blank Generation" and "Love Comes in Spurts", the former being one of my favorites on the album) are tops, the aforementioned "Man of Constant Sorrow" (with contributing vocals from indie icon Daniel Johnston), and Johnston-written "Wicked World" is just ... so apropos.

And it's not just the band and the songs that are an amazing compilation -- its the art and packaging. Contributors include John Pound (Topps bubble-gum cards, Wacky Packs (a special sticker is included with the album), and creator of the Garbage Pail Kids), Dalek (aka at least one-time local-to-me James Marshall (Space Monkeys designer), Butch Lukic (Batman/ Justice League), and Nick Reid Tragnark (who's allegedly partnered with Cafiero to make a "Shaolin Monkeys" animated series, spawned by the album's song, and featuring a wicked slickly stylized look akin to a mashup between Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, or other Genndy Tartakovsky works). Every page of the liner notes is illustrated or photo composited in a playful, cohesive way. As a matter a fact, other than the forgivable divergence of the "Insects" liners, the disc is a great example of brand cohesion.

The album also comes with a DVD that includes animated videos for "Wicked World" (an "evil Kawaii"-esque 2D affair) and "Insects" a photo composited animation, a la early MTV days, and while the bugs are creepy, the flight-suited puppy band avatars are hilarious (as are their reactions to the bugs; every time).

All in all, a great album that scratches all the right spots for me musically, pop culturally, and in a brand-smart, business innovative way.

Play! A Video Game Symphony (Live)

I got to go to PLAY! A Video Game Symphony when the touring show hit North Carolina this month, and it was a phenomenal experience.

If you're not familiar with PLAY!, it's a live symphony performance of music from and inspired by video games -- from Mario to Halo -- with top-notch guest conductors ... conducting.

Our evening's guest conductor was composer, conductor, and symphonist Andy Brick (The Sims II, Arc the Lad, etc.), who aside from being a talented conductor, was personable, engaging, and entertaining (not a given in conductors, unfortunately).

Performances ran the gamut, with images from the games projected over the symphony as they performed, and to me the most technically and artistically sound pieces were the Castlevania, Kingdom Hearts, Halo, and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

We were treated to two new performances in NC -- SIM City 4 and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. The former was "OK" (solid, but not differentiated enough for my tastes), but the latter, while rousing in its own right, was even more enjoyable for me because it's one of the titles powered by my company's tech (of course, same goes for Oblivion).

My bias toward WAR and Oblivion speaks slightly to the subjective nature of this performance in general -- it's really going to depend on your emotional attachment to different games, and how those tunes resonate with you in their new form.

WAR was also enjoyable because WAR composer Brad Derrick made a guest appearance.

Also on the guest appearance front, guitarist Carlos Alomar performed on Silent Hill and the Chrono Suite. Alomar might not be a name familiar to you, but his work should be, since he's written and performed with the likes of David Bowie, John Lennon, Iggy Pop, Nine Inch Nails, Duran Duran, and more.

The venue -- the outdoor Koka Booth Amphitheater in Cary, NC -- is fantastic; despite being rained on through the last 4 performances (I was not going to leave, and, besides, I felt the rain added a certain additional gravitas to the Halo suite in particular).

As far as family-friendly (which the event is advertised to be) it's mostly there. There's some fairly disturbing imagery in the Castlevania Suite, and they basically show the entire launch trailer for Warhammer Online, which is bit intense for wee ones. For the most part, they did a great job with the content, and even Silent Hill kept from showcasing its more disturbing moments.

I picked up the CD / DVD combo after the performance, and framkly, am disappointed.

It's an OK CD, but did not (obviously) contain the two new performances from the evening, but it is also so dated that it does not even include the Mario suite, which I very much wanted in my digital library.

The DVD is a disappointment, and feels incomplete and unprofessional, though liner notes caveat this being the result of a challenge with the historic Prague recording location (which, to me, speaks to an opportunity to do it again, "right").

But overall, certainly a worthwhile experience (barring the OK leave-behind reminder), and one that I recommend to lovers of video game and / or symphonic music.

The Best of Leadbelly

This is some seriously good, ridiculously soulful jazz / blues / roots from Huddie William Ledbetter.

I had been intending to snag it anyway, but when Amazon released the 26-track MP3 compilation for $5, it was a lock.

Too many good songs to name a favorite, and besides, my favorites aren't your favorites.

I'm on a Boat (featuring T-Pain)

I've probably listened to Adam Samberg's "I'm on a Boat" (featuring T-Pain) seventeen times this week.

This from the Lonely Island (Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone) debut album "INCREDIBAD", which may cause you to bust a gut. Repeatedly.

While this is the "clean" version (I have kids with negligent parents who let them visit my site), it's still not for the virgin-eared. The uncensored album version is available here.

8-Bit Jesus

Video-game-themed remixes of holiday classics? I'm there. It's free -- what are you waiting for?

http://www.doctoroctoroc.com/video-games/8-bit-jesus-full-album-release/

Oh, and in case you had an lingering doubt, here's the track listing which should put you over the edge. Or, I don't want to be your friend.

• We Three Konami
• 8 Days of Master Robots
• Ryu, The Red Nosed Ninja
• We Wish You A Merry Faxanadu
• Silent Knight Man
• Carol Of The Belmonts
• Contraland
• Little Drummer Nemo
• Joy To Commando
• Super Jingle Bros.
• Bubbles We Have Heard On Bobble
• What Guardian Is Legend?
• Deck The Kremlin
• Icarus! The Angels Sing
• The Legend Of Noel
• O Come, All Ye Vampires
• Kraid, Rest Ye Merry Mother Brain
• Have Yourself A Final Little Fantasy

(Album cover by Jude Buffum.)

Shiny Toy Guns

I'm a fan of Shiny Toy Guns, so I grabbed their recent Season of Poison album, and I'm pretty pleased.

A little more eclectic than their last, but I like the orchestration and non helter-skelter nature of the mix (other than "Poison", which really should have been two to three songs).

But I dig the whole album's mix of rock and passion and clear vocals. Nother (yet) that I like as much as their single "Le Disko", but still some wicked good stuff.

Depeche Mode

Everything Counts.

AC/DC

Highway to Hell, Have a Drink on Me, etc.

Rush

George "The Fat Man" Sanger

I live in Texas. And I'm big into video games.

Sooo ... I'm surprised I haven't written about George "The Fat Man" Sanger on any of my blogs.

He's been doing music for games for like 25 years. He's super talented on the musical front, and from from what I understand from friends of friends, pretty cool. The guy's done it all -- from MIDI to orchestral, for something around 250 games (averaging 10 games a year, for you non-math whizzes).

And you can hear samples of his stuff on his Website. I'm particularly fond of "Tiny Hero" (which is fun and poppy and deep, kinda like toned-down They Might Be Giants or hyped up Peter Murphy); "Chapel Pain" (which sounds like something from the TimeSplitters 2 Notre Dame level); "Crotchtower" (first for the name, and secondly for the 60s vibe); and "Mr. Death", because I'm a Tom Waits fan).

I met him a year or two ago. Turns out he's not fat. He might be phat, but physically, he's kinda wiry. At least last I saw him.

Brian Vander Ark

Last night, I went to see Brian Vander Ark (previously of The Verve Pipe) at the Cactus Cafe at the University of Texas.

It's a small venue, and there were just south of two dozen people there.

I'm amazed the place wasn't packed, but I'm selfishly glad to have had such an intimate experience watching and hearing one of my favorite artists.

Brian did two long sets, which netted out to around a couple of hours, and played a lot of stuff from his albums "Resurrection", "Within Reach", and "Angel, Put Your Face On" (the latter two I picked up after the show). He also did one (maybe two) songs that aren't on any albums as of yet. "Evangeline" is really neat.

Brian came across as fun, funny, easy-going, confident in his own skin, and thoughtful. It made for a full-flavored night, as I laughed at his wit, and was alternately lifted or stung by his songs. He's a really pleasant guy with whom to talk, too.

I really enjoy all of his stuff, and have been a fan for a long time. Recent favorite tracks include "Another good man" and "I don't want to be a bother" (both from "Angel, Put Your Face On") and "!229 Sheffield" (from "Within Reach").

Of course, my all-time favorite is still The Verve Pipe's "The Freshman". And Brian did an amazingly powerful, heart-wrenching a cappella version which I feel blessed to have experienced (there's a cool live a cappella version on "Within Reach", but for me it doesn't hold a candle to seeing it).

So, yeah, it was a great, great night.

As an aside, Brian did a lot of the music for the film Pineapple, and is a strong friend and supporter of The Bohemian creative troupe.

You can hear Brian's music on his Website, and buy albums. Why buy when you can hear the music online? Reasons vary from person to person, but for me, it's important to support contributing artists, and I firmly believe in the importance of the whole "Give the worker his wage".

Year Zero (Nine Inch Nails)

year zero, the new NIN album doesn't come out until later this month, but right now they're streaming the album in its entirety for free.

I'm listening to it now. And digging it. And still really liking NIN. Been a fan since the beginning.

Check it out:

• nine inch nails: year zero

Plans (Death Cab for Cutie)

I'm listening to Death Cab for Cutie's Plans again.

This is such a good, soulful, clean-sounding kind of album. And great for overcast breezy days.

Rainbow Quartz showcase (SXSW 2007)

I wanted to catch one showcase (Rainbow Quartz) and one band in particular (Youth Group) as part of the South by Southwest 2007 (SXSW).

I did catch Youth Group, but other than preceding band Gasoline Cowboy, I missed the other bands -- which sucks, because I really wanted to see them. Note to self: Find new music buddies.

But Gasoline Cowboy was good, and I liked them.

I liked Youth Group a lot, and their set was amazing. I dig passion and poetry in lyrics.

The venue was no-cover Latitude 30, which sounds good, until you realize at 1 a.m. most people at a no-cover venue are there to hang out and drink, and aren't there for the bands. So there were some seriously discourteous folks there. Which was too bad.

But the space is interesting, and the two bands I got to hear are great.

And I know the others, so you should check them out, too -- here's the full-showcase lineup:

• The Summer Wardrobe
• Three 4 Tens
• Asteroid #4
• Outrageous Cherry
• Gasoline Cowboy
• Youth Group