New Secret Machines track

The Secret Machines recently released this new song, although it will not be featured on the band's upcoming self-titled album, due out Oct. 14.

This song really reminds me of the opening track from their album "Now Here is Nowhere." I wonder why this song wasn't included on the new album, especially since it's only going to have 8 songs. I hope the album has a similar sound to this song, at least.

2008: Year of the animal

For whatever reason, a lot of music I've been digging this year has had something interesting in common. A bunch of my 2008 highlights revolve around bands with animal-related names. One of my favorite albums released this year would have to be "Fleet Foxes." They backed up the solid album with an impressive appearance at Pitchfork Music Festival in July. (I'm looking forward to seeing these guys at Metro in October -- who's with me?)

Another "animal" moment for me this year also came at Pitchfork. The out-of-this-world performance from Animal Collective is one I'll never forget. And while the band's studio works leave something to be desired with me, Animal Collective has to be one of my most anticipated bands to see live.

This leaves me with my third "animal" highlight of 2008. I've held off writing about this band on claptrapped, waiting to see if their appeal would wear off. If anything, my fascination and appreciation is growing by the day. The band is Wolf Parade. I kept reading about their debut, "Apologies to the Queen Mary," and took a chance and picked it up a couple months ago. I have to say, it's a pretty impressive album. The band features two singer/songwriters that basically alternate every song. But instead of having a disjointed feel, the two songwriters really mesh well together, making for a very enjoyable flow.

After hearing this album , I wanted more, so I picked up their second album, "At Mount Zoomer," which came out in June. This album is darker and probably not as easy to get into. But after some closer listens, the different sound of this album has me very excited about this band.

Dan Boeckner, who plays guitar and is one of the songwriters, had this to say (from Sub Pop's Web site): "After Apologies… we wrote about four or five new songs, but we decided to throw them out because they sounded too much like what we’d already done. We could have easily made another Apologies… but what would have been the point?"

I know my last post involved me totally ripping into a band for changing their sound, but "At Mount Zoomer" is an example of how a change can be a good thing. The band kept a lot of the great elements from "Apologies." The guitars and keys mix seamlessly and simply work very well together. It features the same wide range of vocals. Both singers have distinctive voices, but they never seem to sound the same in any two songs, which makes it feel like there are more than two singers. They took these elements that work and added a twist. A dark twist.

So while it's inevitable that I'll stumble across another animal-related band, I'd have to say Wolf Parade is my favorite discovery of 2008 so far.

Most-recent MMJ album 'urges' me to scratch my eyes out and cover my ears

I'm all in favor of bands changing up their sound. In fact, I enjoy witnessing the evolution of a band -- as long as it's for the better. The evolution of My Morning Jacket between their album "It Still Moves" and "Z" was definitely a pleasure. The first track from "Z" started with a slow, smooth keyboard, and it sounded like nothing from the previous album. But it also sounded good. The rest of the album followed suit in the quality department.

On MMJ's newest release, "Evil Urges," it appears the band tried for another transformation. What exactly they were trying to do, however, is a puzzle to me. This album carried a lot of buzz with it. In Chicago, tickets for their October two-night stop went on sale at least 6 months early, in anticipation of the band exploding after the release of "Evil Urges." Rolling Stone proclaimed the band as its Best Breakout band for 2008 (before the new album came out).

I'm starting to think MMJ might have carried a little too much ego into this record. After starting off decently -- three out of the first four songs are different, yet enjoyable (the exception being the third track, "Highly Suspicious," which is absolutely unlistenable) -- the album quickly takes a nosedive. "Thank You Too," "Sec Walkin," and "Two Halves" are just plain boring songs. You have to roll your eyes to this opening line from "Two Halves":

"Remember when you was seventeen?/You's going crazy!/You know what I mean?"

A couple tracks near the end of the record try to revive things, but it has a "too little, too late" feel to it.

MMJ decided to stray from what worked for them before: Some magical sounding vocals with a lot of reverb, and then throw in a kick-ass guitar riff here and there. As I said before, I can respect a band that wants to change up their sound. But this just seems like a step backward.

I waited to buy this album to let some of the buzz die down after its release. I read a lot of mixed reviews, so I wanted to take some time and listen to the album for myself. I listened to it a good six or seven times before writing this. Sorry to say, I probably won't listen to it much, if at all, again.

What I like most about music ...

I listen to music for many reasons. I like to discover new, exciting sounds. I like to relive memories and think about where I was at a certain moment while listening to a song. I like to find music that matches my mood -- and music that is completely opposite of my mood.

I enjoy dancing or rocking out at a live show, just about as much as sitting in a chair listening to something on headphones. The versatility of music is a great thing. Music fits into so many aspects of my life, it's hard to pinpoint what I like most about it. But I think I have ... at least for now.

I would have to say my favorite thing about music is that moment when I hear something that, just out of the blue, makes me smile. I've caught myself smiling a lot while listening to music lately. I don't know if it's a recent thing or what. It often occurs when I hear something unexpected in a song. It could be a 5-second bridge; a long, building guitar solo that explodes; a sudden change in tempo. Something that makes me think, "How or where did this person come up with that??"

It's this search for moments like this that makes me love music. I usually try to share these moments with other people, but they rarely feel the same way. And that almost makes it better, more personal. Everyone listens to music in a different way, I guess.

So I know it's hard to narrow it down, but why do you love music?

ClapTrapped Lollapalooza overview

Five out of the six members of this blog attended Lollapalooza this past weekend. Here is an overview of the three days -- the best and worst of Lollapalooza.

JMOC:

Favorite/best performance: I'll go with Rage. I thought it was a great show, plus I've never seen them; my neck is still sore from the headbanging. Also, this kid I saw dancing for the Nine Inch Nails show -- it was hysterical, I wish I had video.

Worst performance: Love and Rockets. I was listening far away for this show, but they did not impress me at all.


Biggest surprise: I would say Yeasayer. Didn't know much about them going in, but they rocked it. Plus they win for weirdest looking bassist, and the most stoned...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c8W3hcu2XQ


Biggest disappointment: The last two songs for Radiohead. Why did they turn off the sound in the back two sections? This was the headliner! I talked to some co-workers that were in the back of the crowd, they said they could hardly hear a thing for those last two songs.


Honorable mention: The visual effects NIN had on their stage the second half of the show. At first I was disappointed, but they definitely won me over by the end.


Zorm La:

Favorite performance: Gotta go to the National, blew me away how much better they make the songs sound live ... Radiohead was a great show (can they play a bad one?) but the bar is set so Bonnaroo high......


Worst performance: Bloc Party. Just can't do a stadium with a tin sound ... their first-album songs sound so much better than the second-album songs do live ... it's just too weird seeing a band play half a good set....


Biggest surprise: NIN. Had no idea what to expect, but they were GREAT. Great sound, great stage setup, great set. Even the slower instrumentals (which Jim Derogatis described as "meandering") worked because they served as chapter breaks for the whole set -- if you stayed for the majority of the set (which Derogatis did not). GREAT energy. HONORABLE MENTION: Flogging Molly. Awesome set from a band I knew about as well as my ass from my elbow. Will be checking out more.....


Biggest disappointment: Not being able to be at both Rage and Wilco. Had a great time -- really a perfect, chill Chicago night at Wilco. But Rage sounded, from all accounts, like they raged.


New discovered band: Booka Shade. Was on my way to MGMT, and Booka Shade were playing right next to MGMT. Told myself I would stay for a song -- was so blown away that i stayed the entire 20 minutes and missed all of MGMT. And I swear, HALF their crowd was people just like me, passing and then staying......


OD:

Favorite: Radiohead, even though I couldn't hear it as well as I would have liked. I don't think I stopped smiling through the entire show.

Best: Rage. I'm really glad I was talked out of leaving this when they kept stopping their set to keep people safe. The band wasn't rusty at all; they were totally rocking.

Biggest surprise: Yeasayer and Battles. I loved how Yeasayer translated to the outdoor setting and managed to put on a really kick-ass set without the benefit of a light show. Battles was just crazy, and it was really fun to watch each band member contribute something different, yet strangely cohesive. That drummer was intense; I loved the tall cymbal. Another surprise was seeing Slash playing guitar with Perry Ferrel on the Kids Stage. I was kind of far away and kept thinking "That kid that looks like Slash can really play!" Then I found out it really was Slash.

Biggest disappointment: The Sunday lineup, as a whole. I liked the National and NIN, but the rest was pretty weak. I was also once again disappointed by the Black Keys. I'm not the biggest fan of theirs to begin with and this show didn't help my opinion. I guess I can chalk some of it up to the sound issues. I just wish they'd mix things up a bit; all their songs sound the same to me.


Mickey:


Favorite/best performance: Radiohead. Between the light show, the setlist, the fireworks, and the crowd it was quite a production. 2nd Rage. Despite the stoppages I was quite impressed.


Worst performance: Okkervil River. I did only stay for the beginning, first five songs, but I definitely thought they sounded better on the album, and the lead singer really needs some practice with a microphone.


Biggest surprise: Yeasayer. I like the album but had moved on. Their performance was loud and impressive, even on a mainstage. Even their stage banter was better than I would have thought. I'm definitely giving the album another listen. Battles had their moments too.


Biggest disappointment: The sound on the Bud Light stage. Very inconsistent for a few acts that I saw there (Keys and NIN). Thought the PS3 stage had better sound most of the time.


Honorable mention: The crowds, for the amount of people and alcohol, I thought it was fairly orderly, no thanks to Lolla (long lines, no cold water, and so on).


Daniel Haas (Apehands)

Favorite/best performance: Favorite -- NIN (first time show, long overdue) Best -- Radiohead.


Worst performance: Any DJ tent that caused sound bleeding, especially during MGMT.


Biggest surprise: Wilco suits and new song.


Biggest disappointment: The National.


Honorable mention: Okkervil River.

LOLLA DAY 1

This years Lollapalooza sold out all 3 days bringing the total amount of people at Millennium Park for the weekend to 225,000. Holy shit, that is a lot of people. (Not counting the amount of people that swapped the easily removed wristband from a friend.) The first day set the tone for what was going to be a very crowded, and very hot weekend down on Chicago’s lakefront. Walking in I was already a little annoyed. I could see the entrances on Columbus and decided to make a pit stop at Panda Express in order to get some business finished from the night before. Remember you can act like you are gonna buy something and they will let you use their facilities! I trekked back out and entered the madness under the giant inflatable Lollapalooza sign while friendly voices from WXRT guided me along the way. After about a half hour of shuffling my feet I was finally at the security check. My bag was filled with a blanket and two sealed, festival approved water bottles. It was at this point that I realized I could probably have anything in that bag because all I got was a squeeze at the bottom of my sack. Thank God Obama didn’t make his rumored appearance. Once I was in I took a look at Buckingham Fountain, thought of Al Bundy, and was on my mission.

I headed over to see Jeff Tweedy perform on the Kids stage. I promptly left because there was a significant crowd of children and I could barely hear Jeff’s guitar or voice through the bass from one of the main stages. There were also 4 year olds flowin' to the most generic rap beats ever produced right behind me. The sound bleeding always seems to be a problem with me and this wouldn’t be the last time this weekend at Lolla. I have seen Tweedy acoustically perform a bunch of times and decided to move on not crying over spilt milk.

Relatively close by I ventured over to the MySpace stage for a band I was told ‘rocked live’. The Kills are a two person band consisting of a British dude and an American babe. I picked up the latest Kills album “Midnight Boom” about 2 months ago and had a few select tracks I wanted to hear. They wasted no time and opened with U.R.A. Fever followed a song later by Sour Cherry. As the set went on however, it started to drag. Not because I didn’t know the songs, but because I started to realize what I thought of a lot of the bands at this years Lolla. They would be much better at a smaller indoor venue. Their sound just doesn’t work outside and while they tried their damnest to work the crowd I just kept thinking I would be rocking out harder in my apartment just listening to their CD. The babe was pretty hot though, and chick rock stars get me all willy-nilly so I stayed.

Next up was The Black Keys. “We’re from Akron, Ohio,” Dan Auerbach the singer/ guitarist yelled. “We’re basically neighbors.” The Black Keys consist only of a guitarist and drummer while creating sound that appears to include a bass player. Chicago being the blues capital of the world made a perfect fit for this riff driven twosome. Sound issues crept up again however making their set a little lackluster. The shear energy in The Black Keys music sounded muffled as they tore through favorites like Your Touch and Strange Desire.

After grabbing some moderately priced food and a $5 beer I walked around a bit and did some people watching. I have one question. Did we travel back in time to 1985 and no one told me about it? I have never seen so many florescent sunglasses and jean shorts in my life. Another popular item of clothing was the shorty-short track shorts on dudes. That coupled with all the new wave dos really had me contemplating my cargo shorts and crew-cut look. I digress.

The Raconteurs were on the Bud Light stage and I had to fight the wave headed towards Radiohead whom were playing on the opposite side of the park. It was only 6, but they started at 8 and people were getting ready to stake their territory out before it started. Who could blame them, there were 75,000 people in the park and I would say a good 75% were there to see Thom Yorke and the boys. Not being a Radio-head I took this opportunity to get pretty close for Jack White’s ‘other’ band. The Raconteurs are made up of Jack White (of The White Stripes), Brendan Benson (solo), Jack Lawrence (of The Greenhornes and Blanche), and Patrick Keller(also of The Greenhornes). Some might say that this band is not as good as all its parts separately but they sure are tight playing together. The harmonies sounded fantastic and their set will definitely cause me to revisit their latest album, “Consolers of the Lonely”. Jack White’s talking between songs was pure unintended hilarity and I found myself laughing just trying to make out what exactly he was saying. Brendan Benson sported a sheriff’s badge while belting out songs like Old Enough. Their entire set was high energy and they didn’t miss a beat.




Radiohead was on the AT&T stage or the main stage and had the 8-10pm time slot all to themselves. The sun was setting when they started in with 15 Step. Not being the biggest Radiohead fan I was very happy to have them kick it off with that song. “In Rainbows” is such a solid album and the most consistent of all the Radiohead albums in my opinion. I wanted a heavy “In Rainbows” set and boy did I get it. The first half of the show lagged a bit with Thom Yorke admitting that they were all a bit jet lagged. The sun was now all the way down and I was about to see a light show like I have never seen before. What appeared to be paper-like streamers (I was later told they were not paper) were hanging from the top of the stage. Reflected on those streamers were lights that corresponded with the music like an equalizer. The video screens behind the band and to the right and left displayed split screens mainly of front man Yorke and various foot pedals. It made for a very artistic presence. It all came together during Everything in it’s Right Place when the words to the song were displayed on those streamers and fireworks erupted in the background. Radiohead truly does put on one of the best light shows I have ever seen. 2+2=5 and Idioteque closed out the show and it was time to hit the streets. Be back with a Day 2 review.

Daniel Haas (Apehands)

Some Good Songs

My cousin asked me to make a list of 10 great songs for his website, so I'd thought I'd share my list with you all. No criteria:

"Glad Tidings" - Van Morrison 1970

"Isobel" - Bjork 1995

"You Can Make Me Dance" - The Faces 1976

"The Opposite of Hallelujah" - Jens Lekman 2007

"I've Been Riding With the Ghost" - Songs: Ohia 2003

"Luv N' Haight" - Sly and the Family Stone 1971

"Water Here" - Bodies of Water 2008

"I'll Be Glad" - Bonnie "Prince" Billy 2008

"Can't See Your Face No More" - David Vandervelde 2007

"Favorite Thing" - The Replacements 1984

"The Grind Date" - De La Soul 2004

"Snow Falls in November" - Julie Doiron 2004

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