bleedorange

As far as I know, the National Committees decide.

See, that just makes the networks look partisan to me.  It's bullshit.  We need a radical centrist, objective, mainstream media source.... I mean other than C-SPAN.

Every network will host its own debate of each party. The only exception I see is that Fox does not seem to have a scheduled Democratic Party debate.

Started this last night. I've always been a fan of de Bernieres.

I saw a tweet last night that said that Hamels rejected a trade to the Astros. I respect his decision to go to Texas, but I don't see them catching the Astros or Angels this year. And there's like 7 teams in front of them for the WC. Philly got a huge return for him.

 

Nobody wants to live in Houston. Plus, Texas is looking at the next 2-3 years with this deal.

I really wish Dream On and Larry Sanders were on there. Is Tales From the Crypt? I'd love to see some of those again.

This is a particularly badly written one.

 

http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/wilco-star_wars

The worst reviews are the ones that merely compare past albums with the current one. It's a crutch that I think a lot of critics rely on too much. In those cases, they don't really evaluate the music as they hear it, but rather set up expectations that they arbitrarily decide whether they meet. Not only is this one really bad about that, but this sentence makes me wonder if the reviewer got a different version of The Whole Love, because none of that "flourished" on the album:

"Star Wars takes the Krautrock and Sonic Youth-style jams that flourished on the previous album into a more accessible format, to diminishing returns."

I really think Cold Slope is the highlight, which is then bolstered by its twin, King of You, in a nice mini-suite. Those along with More..., Random Name Generator, You Satellite, and Pickled Ginger represent a direction I wish the band had gone in 10 years ago.

Taste the Ceiling is the only song right now that I'm having trouble fully embracing.

The length of this album is perfect. There isn't an indulgent note on here and it embraces multiple listens.

1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

2. A Ghost Is Born

3. Being There

4. Summerteeth

5. Star Wars

6. A.M.

7. The Whole Love

8. Sky Blue Sky

9. Wilco (the album)

If forced to put Star Wars somewhere at this early stage, it would go right in the middle. I'm still not sure if it should be above or below A.M.

I can't believe how many people are ranking Star Wars above Being There. Wow.

I almost posted the same thing. But I haven't been able to give Star Wars enough listens, so I was giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Speak for yourself. It wasn't instructive to me, and it seems other "readers." You actually took the time to count the paragraphs. Can I get a word count?

It is instructive to know if a certain critic has a cozy relationship with a band, or has an axe to a grind, or has been treated poorly, etc. It's similar to when publications disclose when they are part of a corporation that they happen to be reporting on.

Also, it's fairly easy to count to three. Didn't really take any time at all.

We saw Inside Out shortly after our dog passed away. It really hit home in a lot of areas. Most importantly, its message came at just the right time. My daughter had told my wife and me on a couple of different occasions how she just couldn't stop being sad. We told her it was okay. That losing Alex was sad. Then this movie came along, which not only helped explain how it is okay to be sad, but how important and necessary it is to allow yourself to fully experience sadness and allow yourself to grieve. It's a powerful film in that respect.

The review itself is fine, but he spends half the article talking about himself and topics other than the music on the album. Seems more appropriate for a blog post.

Yeah. A whole 3 paragraphs. Two of which merely disclose his unique relationship to Wilco as a critic due to a previous review. Which is actually instructive to the reader.

Read in context, though, I don't think that statement is bad at all. Nor inaccurate.
 

While generally beloved, at least by middle-class white people, college students, and hipsters over the age of 25, Wilco is a band that has found itself on the not-undeserving end of more than a few musical stereotypes. The first, while apt, is also the most tired trope: the whole “dad rock” thing. Basically, they make musically adept pop rock with enough fuzz and energy to appeal to aging men. Men who are moving beyond their ability, or emotional bandwidth, to process a constant barrage of heavier or more noodle-y music, and need a chill middle ground, without giving up the cool factor of listening to something “alternative.”

 

The band’s sound, appearance, and deep pedigree—Tweedy’s short-lived tenure in Uncle Tupelo is the stuff of alt-country/rock/what have you legend—make them the perfect version of not quite adult contemporary, while still having enough cultural cachet to rope in some adventuresome youngsters as well. There is also, no doubt, a whole generation of future fans who are coming of age having grown up listening to them with the old man, even smoking their first father-son doobie to “Impossible Germany.”

 

Wilco may be this generation’s Steely Dan.

I know that when he announced, nobody thought Bernie Sanders had a chance. Is that still the case, though? To me, he's the most intriguing candidate in the race right now.

I haven't been able to make it out to many movies yet this year. Inside Out was incredible and is probably my favorite Pixar movie of all-time. I also really enjoyed Tomorrowland, which seems to make me an outlier among many. I don't care, though, because the idealism at its heart affected me greatly. And I think there is a lot more going on in that movie than what appears at the surface.

Now that some of these movies from earlier in the year are coming out on Blu-Ray, I need to get my Netflix queue updated.

Not everyone... Hell, he's actually stressing some people out. I agree with you. Why do people take a band personally? 

  True. It is pretty confounding since it is really difficult to read that review as anything less than the highest praise.

Hey! I like way over yonder in the minor key

That's a great song! All of Bragg's songs on Mermaid 1 are excellent.

OK, this is the most insufferably hipper-than-thou review I've ever read.  But at least the jackass "critic" likes the album.  

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/18/wilco-s-new-free-album-is-the-band-s-best-in-years.html

 

Something's wrong with the world when someone is actually paid to write this stuff.  It's more about what the author deems to be "cool" (hint: not you!) than the music.

That guy just wrote a rave review of the album and pretty much nailed Wilco's career arc (while being humorous about the whole thing) and everyone here is giving him shit for it?

We should trade Nels for Speed Racer and Jules.

i disagree w/ you about Spoon's output. i think their highlight was _Girls Can Tell_, and it's been spotty since then. in fact, i think the _Sneaks_ and _Telephono_ are better than Ga x 5 or Transference. 

 

i like Eno as a drummer but i don't think he's at all responsible for the songwriting quality. 

But Eno is also a producer. And a good one. I think that combination of having two strong voices in the room helps. They also went to an outside producer on They Want My Soul.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on Spoon's output. Except for the fact that Girls Can Tell is their best.

i think it's pretty natural for a band's creative force to hit an asymptote 20 years on... in fact, i can't think of many who didn't.

This is where the comparison to Spoon comes in. Both bands formed around the same time. They have both released 8 albums in the 20 years they have been around. Both lead singers are great writers and great front-men who also happen to have great bands as side projects. Both are successful producers (although Jeff has more of a resume here).

But there are two main differences. 1) Jim Eno has been with the band he cofounded with Britt the whole time. 2) Spoon just released what is arguably its best album last year. And while Wilco has the slight edge with its early stuff. Spoon has released 3 incredible albums since Wilco released its last great album in 2004.

Is the dynamic between Eno and Daniel the reason Spoon has stayed at the top of its game? Is Spoon the outlier on the common career trajectory?

I'd like to think that Jeff has more in him and that Wilco won't be relegated to the pile of aging bands that release good but ordinary music for the rest of its career.

just my opinion obviously

 

but to me it sounds like jeff needs another strong creative mind in the studio. producer, bandmember, non-musician, whatever. someone to challenge his ideas instead of merely adding to them. i think the way wilco is these days, the guys in the band are mostly happy just to be along for the ride. someone like nels or glenn could be jeff's foil, but they each have their own side outlets for some of their more left field ideas, so theres no need for them to let loose in wilco unless jeff asks them to, and even then it feels like a tease of their true talent level. i think pat's a gifted session musician but not the kind of co-bandleader type im thinking of, at least not yet. there might be a jay bennett or jim orourke in the band right now, but based on the albums this lineup has made together i havent heard it. 

 

of course the problem with this entire concept is wilco has always been and will always be a vehicle for jeffs songwriting. if this is where jeffs songwriting is these days, maybe not even a jay bennett or jim orourke could get more out of it than jeff by himself. i cant claim any inside knowledge of wilco recording sessions but based on what i hear on the albums, theres a certain vibe thats often too comfortable, and id be really interested in hearing jeff shake that a bit. stepping away from self producing might not be the answer but unless wilcos lineup changes all of a sudden, which seems unlikely, im not sure how else thatll happen. the tweedy album had the same "problem" (i use the word lightly because i like the album, and i like sky blue sky and the whole love as well) so my conclusion is pinning the blame largely on jeffs role as producer

 

im not even saying i want edgy or experimental or any other buzzwordy music from wilco, i just see a trend of music thats totally fine and enjoyable but ultimately feels like a bit of a waste of the various talents involved

Exactly.

Here is a flag that has meaning. 

 

It also now can stand for Marriage Equality for ALL!  Good Job SCOTUS!  Today is a great day for America.  

That flag is a symbol of hate directed at all the God-fearing Christians who are being persecuted by this nefarious agenda.*

* Yes, I have seen this expressed online numerous times.

The article actually explains why it was the Astros. The Jeff Luhnow connection.

I don't find that my love of music is waning, just the amount of time I have to devote to it. But discovering new artists and hearing new music is still as enriching and entertaining as it has always been.