AFK

It will be back this week.

Until then, here's some Childish Gambino.

Zelda babay

So, my friend Olivander just told me about this Zelda rapper. Like it.

I didn't get the last week in review up. I'll just do a double review next week.

The Who: 47 Years of Maximum R&B

I've got a project due tomorrow in my English class tomorrow, and unlike, oh I don't know, ever?? the project is kind of cool. We were told to write a paper, shoot a video, or make a playlist detailing the biography of one of the bands we've discussed thus far (The English is a history of punk rock(Don't ask me how The Who is punk. They're not)). So, here's my project. Tell me if it sucks/I'm the worst human being since the creation of the universe/I made a grammatical error. Otherwise, enjoy.

The Who: 47 Years Of Maximum R&B

My Generation

Many critics acknowledge “My Generation” as the most important track The Who would ever record. Despite the fact that it had an intensely different feel from nearly everything else The Who ever performed, "My Generation" projected both a sound and an attitude that was blossoming in 1960's London; a sound that would later culminate in iconic punk bands like The Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Dead Kennedy. "Why don't you all just f-f-f-f-fade away", rooted the song, anchoring the in-your-face mentality without technically doing anything wrong. "My Generation" also features one of rock music's very few bass solos. Later in his career, bassist John Entwhistle would be famous for hardly moving an inch on stage, amidst the micro-phone slinging, fighting, and explosions occurring all around him. When asked what genre the band performed, the band claimed that they played maximum R&B, which was their take on the African American R&B and soul music growing in popularity in both America and England. The band very famously appeared on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, playing “My Generation” and ending with Townshend breaking two guitars while Moon quite literally blows up his drum set. Legend has it that Moon bribed someone on the crew with a bottle of whiskey, and that the blast was the beginning of Townshend’s long-term hearing loss. [1]

The Ox

Keith Moon takes to what he does best, playing drums like a maniac, in the sprawling drum solo "The Ox". Lasting an immense three and half minutes, the song is essentially the musical equivalent of a brawl between Moon, Entwhistle, and Townsend. The three take turns pouring their energy into their instruments as each one battles for the spotlight. The jangling piano running through the background adds to the overall pandemonium the song is concocting. This sound of mayhem was the one that carried through to the punk bands that would emerge in the coming decade. While the song may have been composed of something most punk would never have, solos, its energy was a phenomenon very fresh to the mid 1960's, and one that is still heard in rock bands today.

Cobwebs and Strange

The band's second studio album finds itself in a period of limbo, struggling to really put their foot down on a specific sound. The effect of this is a jumbled set of tracks with traces of rock genius, such as "Boris The Spider", "Happy Jack", and the album's title track, but also including some strange experimental rock that the band would never look back on. Cobwebs and Strange, while not quite as fluid as the previously mentioned tracks, manages to highlight how hard this band is trying to find a sound that is The Who. The song starts as a raucous marching band piece, transforms into another one of Keith Moon's fantastic drum solos, has a few moments of ska rock before spiraling out of everyone's control; except for Keith, that is. The song is one of the most experimental pieces the band would ever play and it left listeners stunned and frankly, worn out.

I Can See For Miles

The Who Sells Out is the point in The Who's existence where they started to sound like a band that cranked out two of the greatest rock operas of all time. "I Can See For Miles" starts with the epic sprawling sound that many of the band's classics build up with. The harmonies were starting to shapeup, and the songs had more structure than some of the confusing pieces from the first two records. The record would prove to foreshadow the concept albums the band is so well known for today. With the cover featuring pictures of lead singer Roger Daltrey in a tub of Heinz baked beans, and lead guitarist Pete Townsend applying Odorono brand deodorant, as well as playing on various jingles throughout the album, the album would ironically do just the opposite of what the title says. Many of the companies used in the jingles and the cover art sued the band for copyright infringement.

I'm Free

1969 marked the release of Tommy, a first of its kind rock album about a deaf dumb and blind boy who plays the best pinball in town. "I'm Free", the climax of the album, is about a very excited Tommy who has recently shaken all of his ailments to see the world for the first time. The song is not bad, but it is a pretty great example of how a lot of Tommy is simply not as solid work as the rest of the bands discography. At this point in time, Pete Townsend seemed more focused on making his ideas work, than using what the band already had work effectively. The world, however, did not share this sentiment, as Tommy would go on to sell 20 million copies and spawn a movie deal, which featured an incredibly high-heeled Elton John playing inside a giant pinball machine.

Won't Get Fooled Again

"Won't Get Fooled Again", despite being overplayed by the commercial industry, remains to stand as one of the best rock songs of all time. The legendary epic, released in 1971 amidst cries of revolution and corruption in the government in England, was The Who's answer to the whole situation: none of it matters. "And the parting on the left/Is now the parting on the right./ And the beards have all grown longer overnight", yells an ambitiously apathetic Roger Daltrey. The hit appeared on the critically acclaimed Who's Next, along with other hits such as "Baba O'Riley", "Behind Blue Eyes" and "The Song Is Over". Who's Next derived from Lifehouse, another Townsend penned rock opera that actually caused Pete to suffer a nervous breakdown. The album would go on to sell millions and certify triple platinum status.

Love Reign O'er Me

Some consider Quadrophenia to be the last great album by The Who. The album was yet another double-sided rock opera, this time about a mentally unstable young man and his bike in the middle of a vicious street war between the punkish "Rockers" and the new uniform "Mods". The album featured some classics such as the title track "Quadrophenia" and "5:15", but the easy standout is the albums closing song "Love Reign O'er Me". The track, starting out with a very cinematic rainfall and a twiddling piano, churns and churns into a cathartic scream for love. The release of Quadrophenia was also one of the most destructive periods for The Who, which is saying a lot for a band that wrecked thousands of dollars in equipment every night. In one especially noted case, Keith Moon passed out twice during a 1973 San Francisco show, the latter instance leaving a fan in the crowd to fill in for the night. [3]

Imagine A Man

The Who By Numbers is considered my many critics as the beginning of the end for The Who. The album simply doesn’t include the musical gravitas of the music before it. Many of the songs are Townshend experimenting with his songwriting rather than his ability to make music. This resulted in songs like “Imagine A Man” that, while not bad, don’t hold up to the high standards the group had placed with Who’s Next.

Who Are You

When Who Are You was released August 18^th, 1978, the album peaked at number two on the U.S. charts and featured the same heavy synth that propelled Who’s Next. This acclamation was, however, silenced, as three weeks after it’s release, drummer Keith Moon passed away in his sleep from an overdose of an alcohol withdrawal suppressant. [4] The news was devastating to the band as much of their music hinged on his frantic schizophrenic drumming. Saddest of all, Keith’s most destructive days appeared to be behind him as he was trying to sober up. “Who Are You”, a song that encompasses the Maximum R&B label the band had given itself, is one of the last great tracks the band would ever produce with Moon.

You Better You Bet

The band was never the same without Moon. The Who did have some success with new drummer Kenney Jones from The Faces and new keyboardist John “Rabbit” Bundrick. This new feel is especially evident in “You Better You Bet”, a track that sounds as much like Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band as The Who. Shortly into the Quadrophenia tour, a few months before the release of Face Dances, the band played a show in Cincinnati that would go down in history. Due to inadequate security measure, thousands of people pushed a crowd forward to get in the arena before the show started, killing eleven and severely injuring eight others. The band was not told until after the show, for fear of a riot if the show was to be cancelled. The concert deeply affected the crew who talked of canceling the tour. The next night in Buffalo, the band dedicated the performance to those that had been involved, stating, “We lost a lot of family last night. This show’s for them.” [5]

Athena

In 1982, after both Daltrey and Entwhistle attempted solo careers and Townshend had become addicted to cocaine, heroine, alcohol, and tranquilizers, the band got back together to record one last album and go on the supposed last tour. It’s Hard had mixed critical success and sub-par ratings on the charts (for The Who). After the tour, the band released Who’s Last, with live recordings from the last tour. The album received the worst criticism of any Who album ever, peaking at 48^th on the US charts worst of all being almost universally acclaimed as “dull”. [6] “Athena” is one of the better tracks from It’s Hard, but it still isn't on the same level as the pre-Quadrophenia era.

A Man In A Purple Dress

Endless Wire, complete with yet another mini-opera, as well as the same ambitious song writing and arranging that made The Who one of the most loved bands of all time, is the latest record from the band. Entwhistle had died in 2002; just weeks after another reunion tour began. The album is considered by most critics and fans as the best effort since the original line-up released Who Are You, 28 years prior. However, not everyone believed in the return to form, as Keith Phipps of the A.V. club stated, “In 2006, how much could an album of just the increasingly raspy Roger Daltrey singing songs about how difficult it is to be Townshend matter? The answer: More than you might think, but less than you might hope.” [7] “A Man In A Purple Dress” is not The Who of the 70’s, but how can anyone expect it to be. Townshend focuses on what suits the band best now, songwriting, in this eloquently written ode to the religious hypocrites. As of right now, Endless Wire is the last album from The Who, a band that helped change the face of rock, punk, and even R&B forever.

Works Cited

[1] David Hajdu. (February 12, 2010). The Who on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour". In tnr.com. Retrieved February 27th, 2011, from http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-famous-door/the-who-the-smothers-brothers-comedy-hour.

[2] Ted Drozdowski. (February 22nd, 2011). The Song isn’t Over: Pete

Townshend’s Who’s Next Tone Still Going Strong After 40 Years. In Gibson. Retrieved February 27th, 2011, from http://gibson.net/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/the-who-0222-2011/.

[3] Sam Whiting. Quadrophenia U.S. Tour 1973. In Quadrophenia.net. Retrieved February 27th, 2011, from http://www.quadrophenia.net/1973tour/us.html.

[4] (September 7, 2008). Remembering Keith Moon 30 years after his death.

In therockradio.com. Retrieved February 27th, 2011, from http://www.therockradio.com/2008/09/remembering-keith-moon-30-years-after.html.

[5] (December 17, 1979). Music: The Stampede to Tragedy. In Time.com. Retrieved February 27th, 2011, from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,920746-1,00.html.

[6] In chartstats.com. Retrieved February 27th, 2011, from http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=1768.

[7] Keith Phipps. (November 26, 2006). Music In Brief. In avclub.com. Retrieved February 27th, 2011, from http://www.avclub.com/articles/music-in-brief,22600/.

This

Welp

I didn't realize how tedious and boring it is for me to put up a new track on here everyday for no one to hear, so I'm killing it. Howeva, I'm thinking about starting a weekly recap of music happenings from around the inter-webz and such, so stay tuned for that.

WUTK

Soooo, I've got my DJ shift. I'm on Saturdays from 1-3 on 90.3. If you're out of Knoxville, you can listen online at wutkradio.com. Simple enough. The show's definitely not much of me, but we do play some pretty great music. I highly recommend tuning back in from around 9 - 12 for the Edutainment Hip Hop show. It's three hilarious hours very well spent.

I'm thinking about starting a new series for music videos. If you all can think of a good name for it, I might just consider.

Crowd participation is just the best.

Put any ideas in the comments below.

New Bright Eyes album streaming on NPR.

Bright Eyes' 8th studio album is already being called his best by some critics and fans. Listen to the whole thing here.

Get out there and enjoy that day, y'hear.

Bruce Springsteen - Reason To Beleive

What's up interweb. Sorry for the lack of content here the last few day, but i've been super busy. JUST KIDDING, I'VE HAD NOTHING TO DO. At all. I'm getting some albums together for some reviews, but my music life hasn't been all that blogable recently. Upon coming to this realization this morning, I had an idea. One of my better one's really. I am going to add a song on here everyday I can. It's not going to have any rhyme or reason to it. I'm just going to throw something on here everyday. It's a great chance for me to feature some smaller artists that don't have enough material for me to really talk about em', as well as stuff that I generally enjoy. So, let's start with a classic. "Reason to Believe" is off of Bruce's incredible Nebraska. Just about every song on the album is remarkable, but this one stands out, to me, as the best. There's something amazing about the way he connects dead dogs, unreliable love, and holy sacrament all in three minutes. I don't know anyone else with that type of songwriting ability.



Wellllllll, I've got a nifty little announcement to make. Starting this weekend, you can tune in to WUTK 90.3 The Rock, Saturdays from 1-3 to hear me and a guy I've yet to meet spit da hawtest trax in da hol citee. For realz. I'm a dj. I'm really excited, it being the only radio station worth a damn in Knox-vegas. What's that? You can't reach it because it broadcast's so exclusively in Knoxville? Have no fear, Andy is here. If you will scoot over to wutkradio.com, you'll find instructions on how to listen over the web. If you do not, I will come to your house and play a mixtape of White Snake, Lionell Richie and Insane Clown Posse in your face, while you sleep. What now, ninjas.

Last of all, I've got some pretty great shows in my sights this week. I'm going to catch my friend Josh Manis (You Just Don't) at the Pilot Light Thursday at 10. Later this weekend, me and my Roo'mate Jake are going to catch The Smith Westerns with Yuk and Cool Runnings, also at the Pilot Light at 10. Three cheers for super indie! Hip hip ho-meh. Hip-hip ho-obscure. Hip hip ho-flanel and bikes. Looking on down the line I'm going to really try to get Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings followed by Ryan Bingham followed by Sleigh Bells in Asheville. We'll see, those are close to summer.

Welp, good night.

Sarah Palin Battle Song

And you thought that you were a patriot.

Reddit! The other white meat.

I just threw the name of my blog out on reddit, and this guy put it on a really nice list for the whole reddit/music to see. I know he's putting up everything he got, but it's nice to see AFK on the same list as Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good and Gorilla Vs. Bear. So, thanks reddit!

In other reddit news, I found this really awesome song literally seconds after I started looking at the music section. Check it out.

Lost In The Trees - Song For The Painter by the ruckus

So in case you haven't gotten the point, check out reddit/music. It's got some great stuff.

It's 2011. Just thought you might want to know.

No one that comes in the (computer) store and fills out our paperwork seems to know.

Byeeeeeee.

Top O' the year

Lists! I live for lists. Between my love of reading year end lists across the web and hereditary OCD, lists are my favorite things to make. So, with further adieu, here goes my top albums and songs (and now videos) of the year.

By the way, I'm sticking strictly to my itunes, because I don't remember everything I heard this year.

SONGS

10. Not In Love - Crystal Castles (feat. Robert Smith)

This internet gem (I don't think it's on anything) is a brilliant marriage of Smith's haunting gothic sound and Crystal Castles arena filling techno.

9. Tighten Up -The Black Keys

The song has great lines and absolutely exudes the blues, but the perfect planting of whistling makes this an instant classic. The video is hilarious, too.

8. Madder Red - Yeasayer

This synth and drums is as 80's sounding Spandau Ballet, and it works like a charm. Theres something strangely stirring in lead singer Chris Keating voice.

7. Giving Up The Gun - Vampire Weekend

Preppy quirk pop at it's best; like David Byrne's little rich kids.

6. Dance Yrself Clean - LCD Soundsystem

This song is a testament to everything amazing about this band. The sounds settles you into a comfortable groove, before jolting you up with a musical power punch to the nads; then it makes you get up and thank it.

5. F**k You - Cee Lo Green

As much as I don't completely agree with such incredible vulgarity, I can't deny the power of a funky melody line and great backing vocals. Cee Lo is neck and neck with The Temptations with this one.

4. The Battle Of Hampton Roads - Titus Andronicus

My absolute favorite lyrics of the year. The miserable protaganist can't even seem to get black-out drinking right. The last words are screaming "Please don't ever leave me" dozens of times. And then it rocks for another five minutes. These guys (along with Ted Leo) are why I really started to love punk this year.

3. Trouble Will Be Gone - The Tallest Man On Earth

The song is completely beautiful, in it's words, melody, and vigor. I could listen to the guitar line for days on end.

2. A/B Machines - Sleigh Bells

This song is the complete reason for Sleigh Bells to exist. It's crunchy, its repetitive, it's too much for 90% of any speakers in the world, and it's fun in every since of the word (especially live).

1. POWER - Kanye West

The beat, the imagery, the reason for existence; It's all absolutely amazing, and it's the defining track of one of the most important musicians of our time. Argue all you want, Kanye has meant the world to music, both mainstream and underground.

(Kanye's PR team has been remarkably diligent in keeping all streaming of this album off the internet. If you want to hear it, you'll have to buy it. Kanye being Kanye.)

Honorable Mention

The Wild Hunt - The Tallest Man On Earth

Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap

Shutterbug - Big Boi & Cutty

Living In America - Dom

Sun Hands - Local Natives

Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons

Over - Drake

We Used To Wait - Arcade Fire

Norway - Beach House

Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John - Belle & Sebastian

Everlasting Light - The Black Keys

Night By Night - Chromeo

Derezzed - Daft Punk

Little Lies - Dave Barnes

Blue Blood Blues - The Dead Weather

Find Your Love - Drake

Name Calling - Eli "Paperboy" Reed

Angel Echoes - Four Tet

Sing - Four Tet

I Feel Better - Hot Chip

Cold War - Janelle Monae

Tightrope - Janelle Monae

Hard Times - John Legend & The Roots (feat. Black Thought)

Go Do - Jonsi

Boy Lilikoi - Jonsi

Runaway Love (Remix) - Kanye West (feat. Raekwon & Justin Beiber)

Power (remix) - Kanye West (feat. Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz)

All Of The Lights - Kanye West (feat. Rihanna, Elton John, Fergie, John Legend, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Tony Williams, Charlie Wilson, La Roux’s Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys and Kid Cudi.)

Lost In The World - Kanye West (feat. Bon Iver)

Mary - Kings Of Leon

Back Down South - Kings Of Leon

Superball - Magic Kids

Terminally Chill - Neon Indian

Lewis Takes Off His Shirt - Owen Pallet

Louisiana Fairytale - Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Yim Yames

Don't Need No - Punch Brothers

Rye Whiskey - Punch Brothers

Beg Steal Or Borrow - Ray Lamontagne

New York City's Killing Me - Ray Lamontagne

Right On - The Roots (feat. Johanna Newsom & STS)

Now Or Never - The Roots (feat. Phonte & Dice Raw)

In The Sun - She & Him

Riot Rhythm- Sleigh Bells

Tell Em' - Sleigh Bells

Infinity Guitars - Sleigh Bells

Favorite Colour - Tokyo Police Club

Holiday - Vampire Weekend

California English - Vampire Weekend

Ambling Alp - Yeasayer

ALBUMS

10. Go - Jonsi

Along with what I consider the best live show of the year, Jonsi has taken what could have been a pretty mediocre solo album, and filled an album with his imaginative flourishing soundscapes that contain both constant innocence and brilliance.

9. Brothers - The Black Keys

The Black Keys have really honed in on their blues-y rock n roll with Brothers, the duo's sixth studio album. They get major props for using whistling on a track too.

8. The Monitor - Titus Andronicus

The sophomore LP from New Jersey natives Titus Andronicus, The Monitor is a gritty punk tour through both the Civil War and the pathetic yet honorable lives in the band.

7. Contra - Vampire Weekend

With such a great debut, the whole world was ready for a second album that didn't quite live up to the first......it did.

6. Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Son Of Chico Dusty - Big Boi

Big Boi long anticipated solo debut is chocked full of killer lyrics, a huge range of styles, and enough synth to fight the 80's with one hand.

5. This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

Lead singer James Murphy says has gone from saying the band is absolutely over to stating that they might take a break. With an album so filled with some of the best music of their time, we can only hope these dance hall rebels keep things going.

4. The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire has made an album that is not just spectacular in itself, but also in it's life cycle with the two albums before it; from childish wonder to middle aged "meh". The band might be the best of the of the last decade.

3. Treats - Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells debut Treats is the most fun album I have ever heard. Outright hardcore energy at it's finest.

2. The Wild Hunt - The Tallest Man On Earth

The Wild Hunt manages to blow me away on every song using nothing more than a set of strings and the craziest vocals since Dylan himself.

1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West

Kanye is the only artist that can put himself through hell and emerge with a brilliant musical retrospection that recognizes it's failures while displaying the greatness he can accomplish.

Honorable Mention

Teen Dream - Beach House

Write About Love - Belle & Sebastian

Sea Of Cowards - The Dead Weather

Come & Get It - Eli "Paperboy" Reed

Gorilla Manor - Local Natives

Memphis - Magic Kids

An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall - Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Odd Blood - Yeasayer

Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons

VIDEOS

I really hate that this medium has been kind of lost. It's one of the blankest canvas' in the art community to expand on, yet, people don't seem to find time for it. Their loss

10. Das Racist - Who's That? Brooown!

Although I didn't own many games that were in this style (old), it's still very easy to connect to and humor is pretty much non-stop. "You emerge with your life, but probably not your health."

9. Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun

It's a neat video in itself, but cameos from Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal, possibly Daft Punk, RZA, and Lil Jon put this over the top.

8. Big Boi - Shutterbug

This video could have been great with just one of it's dozens of mesmerizing perks. The color changing car, puppets, and holding of his own face make this more than just your regular rap video.

7. Liars - Scissors

I love that this video is artsy and a bit Lost-esque scary until the very last few frames. Great song too.

6. Hot Chip - I Feel Better

I think this is the best idea for a video made this year. To top it all off, it had millions of 14 year old girls thinking that Hot Chip was a bunch of chiseled sexy boy banders.

5. The Black Keys - Tighten Up

As I've already mentioned earlier in this post, this video is hilarious. Comedy can evolve all it wants; lip syncing, when used right, can be comic genius. So can fighting. The 3:00 mark where he drops the kid gets me rolling.

4. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Bottled In Cork

This fairly obvious dig at Green Day's American Idiot The Musical stars Ted Leo and Paul F. Thompkins, has a cameo from John Hodgeman, and is directed by Tom Scharpling, all four of which (well not really Hodgeman) my dad is loosely friends with. Plus, IT'S AWESOME. Farce at it's best

3. Flying Lotus - Kill Your Coworkers

This is the prime example of how amazing music videos can be. It is funny, short, and very visually awe-inducing.

2. Ok Go - This Too Shall Pass

This could be a.) the best Ok Go video ever b.) The greatest Rude Goldberg machine ever and/or c.) The coolest waste of time ever.

1. Arcade Fire - We Used To Wait.

This isn't as much of a video, as a web experience, but it is a brilliant idea that fits with the song perfectly. Click the link and see what I mean (turn off your pop up blocker).

Honorable Mention


Gorillaz - Stylo

M.I.A. - Born Free

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand

Janelle Monae - Tightrope

Janelle Monae - Cold War

Kanye West - Runaway

Ok Go - White Knuckles

Ok Go - This Too Shall Pass (marching band version)

Lady Gaga - Telephone

Superchunk - Digging For Something

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls

Daft Punk - Tron (I SAY IT COUNTS)

Cee Lo Green - F**k You (Both Versions).

The Books - Man, I Didn't Know That

Insane Clown Posse - Miracles

Massive Attack - Splitting The Atom

Happy New Years all four people who are going to read this!