_turks+soda

In the sea of music that floats around the interweb, blogs, ipods and whatever the hell else we use to drown out the sound of our own shitty lives, good songwriters seem to be far and few between. Recent years has shown that Indie music is trending towards a fuller, more synth-tastic sound, less concerned with the lyrical content that the music is supposed to help deliver. It is what it is, and I'm not saying its necessarily a bad thing, but Casio's, 808's and Autotune on everything can frag-out my brain. (For more on Fragile-X syndrome, follow here).



Taking a step back, I have dived back in to my lyrical heros: Stephen Malkmus (of Pavement), David Bazan (of Pedro The Lion), Jonathan Richman (of Modern Lovers), and finally Jason Lytle (of Grandaddy).



Well, just like the fambly cat, Grandaddy died a couple of years ago. Frontman Jason Lytle, the primary driving force behind the back, flew off the radar for a few years, going back to Modesto to do whatever it is you do in Modesto to keep from killing yourself. I would gather it involves cheap 12-packs, small firearms, and varments/neighbors' pets.

Jason Lytle is back, a little less somber and seemingly no worse for the wear. Playing all the instruments on the records, Lytle opens with the title track explaining "Last I heard I was left for dead/ I could give two shits about what was said/ I may be limping, but I'm coming home". Feeling all too forgotten, he seems to fight against the odds (most likely imposed by himself) and come out swinging.

Lyrically, Lytle's schtick is his voice. High, calm and drained, he delivers sad, bleak portraits of life, but with a very subtle sense of humor and optimism that makes him night and day when compared to Debby-Downer, Bon Iver.

On Yours Truly, he sings of talking to the ghosts of his old pets, reflecting on "how things got so bad", and pretty much emotionally kicking the shit out of himself. Believe it or not, it's a good summer album. It plays like the Traveling Wilburies and sounds like it too if you don't stop to pay attention to the lyrics, but that's the rub.

Read his interview with NPR here.

Sweet video. Over 4000 still frame images used. Catchy Casio-based tune as well.

Shooting reported at Holocaust Museum in Washington

Honestly people, as horrible as this may sound, this recent string of targeted violence has a silver lining. It is evidence that these bigoted idiots are realizing that their numbers are dwindling and their cause is no longer culturally relevant. People have either gotten over their problems with Jews, people who can't take care of babies, Gays, Blacks, etc, or have much, MUCH larger issues at hand.

When people realize the winds are being taken out of their causes' sail, they panic and do irrational shit like this. So, is this bad that abortion doctors are being murdered? Yes. Is it bad that some idiot decides to open fire at the entrance to the Holocaust Museum? Of course. Is it a sign that the collective culture of America is changing? I think so.

As Jim Lahey put it best, "The winds of shit are changing".

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Gunfire at the entrance of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum wounded at least two people Wednesday, emergency officials said.

Gunfire was reported near the Holocaust Museum in Washington on Wednesday.

A private security guard and another person were wounded, according to officials of the D.C. police and fire department. A police official said one of the wounded was the shooting suspect.

Clip from the 1987 film "Hard Ticket to Hawaii"

From their upcoming LP, I'm Going Away.



The Fiery Furnaces: "The End Is Near"