Unqualified.org

John McCain would like nothing more than to continue the failed Bush economic policies

By Brian | September 10, 2008

Topics: The Strength of Many | No Comments »

Governor Failin’, I mean Governor Palin…

By Brian | September 3, 2008

Topics: The Strength of Many | No Comments »

If You’re Here, Who’s Home Disappointing Your Parents?

By Brian | August 3, 2008

Topics: Go Out Front and Applaud Yourself | No Comments »

Tilly and the Wall and Exit Clov at the Black Cat

By Brian | July 27, 2008

Being generally familiar with Tilly & the Wall but not being what one would consider a fan, I wandered into their sold out show at the Black Cat wondering what I was in for. As an added bonus, local band Exit Clov was the first of two opening acts.

Exit Clov, their name a nod to Samuel Beckett’s one act play Endgame, are a DC-area quintet led by twins Emily and Susan Hsu. They are often compared to the Canadian duo Tegan & Sara; I would find that comparison valid if Tegan & Sara had Chris Walla as a producer. Although their sound is undoubtedly similar by virtue of the twin lead vocalists, Exit Clov displays strong 80s New Wave and post-punk influences, with songs like MK Ultra demonstrating a Blondie-esque rhythm. Moving Gaza blends influences like the Talking Heads and Scritti Politti with a taut disco feel. Adding a Matt Pond, chamber pop element to their songs is the band’s liberal use of violins.

I caught exactly one song of the Auckland duo the Ruby Suns before retiring to the bar downstairs. Their “emotronic”, easy listening sound may be for some, but it wasn’t really my cup of tea.

I’m not even sure where to begin with Tilly & the Wall. If you aren’t familiar with them, you should be. Their sound draws equally from 80s bands like Bananarama, the Go-Go’s and the B-52s. Aside from their sonic influences, their songs are reminiscent of Britpop bands like Pulp and Blur. Throw those ingredients in a blender, strain heavily through the rich Nebraska rock scene of the past decade from which the band emerged, and you have Tilly & the Wall. And yes, they really do utilize tap dancer Jamie Presnall (née Williams) as their primary source of percussion. Their stage presence is manic, like a harder and more chaotic Rilo Kiley (which shouldn’t come as a surprise, since uber-producer and Conor Oberst collaborator Mike Mogis produced their last record). Smart, danceable, and unapologetically profane, their set was the most fun I’ve had listening to music since Stars at Sonar. Book your ticket now, or risk being left behind by the Tilly & the Wall express.

Topics: Within Me a Madman Sings | No Comments »

“I’m Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend” by the Black Kids

By Brian | July 19, 2008

Topics: Within Me a Madman Sings | 1 Comment »

The Measure of a Good Song

By Brian | July 19, 2008

What makes a song great? What differentiates a merely good song from one that proves to be transcendent? Certainly the answer is subjective, as what one individual believes to be a well-constructed song might come across as trite and formulaic to another. A certain dissonance, a jangly thumb in the eye of the pop formula, might strike you as a master stroke of musical deconstruction and leave me clammy.

I have many criteria for evaluating a song, from its lyrics and its instrumentation to the use of vocal harmonies to convey subtext to the lyrics. A happy song is one that makes me want to stand up and dance, no matter where I am - at home, in a club, on a Metro platform. I often joke that the best songs make me want to dance like I’m a character in a Peanuts cartoon.

Inní mér syngur vitleysingur (Within Me a Madman Sings), the second track on the new Sigur Rós album, is just such a song. If a song can capture the joy of skydiving, of hurtling through the air at 10,000 feet at speeds in excess of 100mph, this song does. A radical sonic departure from their previous work, which in all honesty often sounded like the soundtrack to cosmic dolphin pornography, Inní mér is robustly instrumented. Just when the song has settled into a comfortable sonic spot in your brain, around 2:10, a jaunty gypsy rhythm kicks in that punctuates the remainder of the song. This song is the sound of unqualified joy, and not coincidentally now the name of my blog category devoted to music.

I haven’t the foggiest idea what Jónsi is singing. He could be lampooning the gullibility of American consumers in his native Icelandic (or his equally native, imaginary “Hopelandic”), but I have a feeling that understanding the words would only enhance the joy one achieves from listening to the song.

I’ve already featured the beautiful (and decidedly work-unsafe) video for Gobbledigook, the opening track on Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly). Working with the master record producer Flood, the band achieves a visceral quality to their music that matches the unbridled sensuality of their video.

Although these two tracks aren’t indicative of the tempo of the entire album, they serve as a demarcation point of sorts. Even mid- and down-tempo numbers like Við spilum endalaust and Með suð í eyrum (collectively, the two halves of the album title) are imbued with a new vitality. The album is also the first to feature a track, All Alright, sung in English.

I’m not suggesting you go out and buy or sit there in your PJs and download the album (from your friendly Intertubes music store). I’m merely saying that your day won’t be as joyful if you don’t.

Topics: Within Me a Madman Sings | No Comments »

History Never Repeats

By Brian | July 17, 2008

In 1989, Tom Friedman wrote of Israel in From Beirut to Jerusalem:

“Indeed, instead of entering Lebanon with a real knowledge and understanding of the society and its actors, Israel simply burst in with tanks, artillery, and planes in one hand and a fistful of myths in the other..”

Substitute “the United States” for Israel, and “Iraq” for Lebanon, and I think you may have a perfectly crafted sentence to describe the last half decade of American history.

Topics: The Strength of Many | No Comments »