Showing posts with label Soundgarden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soundgarden. Show all posts
Jul 26, 2022
Nov 14, 2020
May 20, 2017
Saturday Night Music: Cody Jinks & Paul Cauthen "Black Hole Sun"
May 18, 2017
Break That Cage, Chris
by Robert Dean
I remember the summer of 1994. I was 13. I was stuck in an emotional paradox of figuring myself out in this kaleidoscope of so many feelings, and so much going on internally. My grandmother had passed away and coupled with the death of Kurt Cobain. My world was on its goddamned head.
My grandmother had passed away from ovarian cancer at 54, and because we were so close, the loss shook the foundation of my being. Losing Kurt Cobain was my 9/11 – my favorite singer was gone, and it made the death of my grammie feel that much more real. To this day, I compound the two as the same loss, and both of their memories are inter-connected. Everything I saw, felt, and experienced was internalized, processed through a childhood rage that didn’t manifest in ways that were destructive, but bled out through what I consumed.
I’d already been a kid into rock and roll, metal, grunge, punk – but, because no other music captured that spirit, the tangibility for emotion, there was no going back. The sound of a guitar cranked to the ceiling with booming drums and a singer wailing their hearts out became the lynchpin to how my emotional process.
At 35, losing Chris Cornell hurts because he’s a mile-marker for that time, for my generation. We had front row seats to his rise. We watched the band become a part of the lexicon. Losing some of the other incredible artists of our lives hurts in their own, signature ways. We process death with a sense of ownership in relationship to our lives and personal experience with that person. Soundgarden’s music was a part of my childhood and remains a part of my culpability as a growing human. There’s poetry in those phrases – they stick with you, they imprint the bones with an aloof suffering. It’s not on purpose. It’s just symptomatic of the generation. There’s always a little tinge of suffering for the Gen – X that’s inescapable, no matter how happy someone may be.
Losing Chris Cornell feels odd. We didn’t expect his death. Losing Layne from Alice in Chains or Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots was sadly not surprising. We wanted them to get better, to regain their forms as idols and icons. But, that would never come to pass.
We mourn him because he was someone we were excited was back with Soundgarden, keeping the flame of rock and roll alive. Despite being elder statesmen in the game, they’re a meat and potatoes band that everyone can carry in their pocket as uniquely “theirs.” Losing Cornell is another showcase of mortality, but also that when our icons die, the feeling like you lost a page of your personal narrative is just too real. For a lot of us, we include the songs we love as psychological footnotes in our greater story. Soundgarden carries that weight for me.
Soundgarden was and is different. They’re a band who crossed the lines of so many styles and categories. Those riffs are powerhouse, sludgy masterpieces. From the vocal range to the destructive, bombastic drums, or the in the shadows, but totally amazing bass playing, Soundgarden was a band of pure players. They’d dabble in metal here, or define a notion of grunge, and I may be mistaken, but I think one song might have some banjo.
There’s an inescapable presence to their music. It’s timeless, and kids will always be into them.
One memory though, it sticks out anytime I think of Soundgarden. I remember they’d dropped Superunknown and the world was at their feet in the wave of Black Hole Sun. While I saved my pennies to buy a cassette, some of my friends weren’t so keen. I remember one of the first experiences in diversity was connecting with a Mexican friend because his world was hip hop and mine was rock and roll. We had the cultural exchange of him showing me Warren G and Nate Dogg’s Regulators and me showing him Soundgarden.
It seems small, but I remember that time of innocence where things like the music you liked didn’t define your friendship, like so many do. I’m a nerd. I obsess about music, about records, about every aspect of the artform. I connect with people who feel the same.
In this memory, the exchange was pure. We took something from one another and accepted it. We defined that summer by trading my grunge or punk or metal, for hip hop. I now liked Snoop Dog or Cypress Hill, and he now liked Metallica or Nirvana.
But, it was Soundgarden that opened that door. I grew as a person because of one song and one summer. It may seem insignificant for most, but I like to remember those pure moments, the ones that exist on the axis of absolute joy and now, so many years later, I still do.
Thanks for that time in my life Chris. See you on the flip side.
Labels:
Chris Cornell,
Nirvana,
Robert Dean,
Soundgarden
Apr 4, 2015
Saturday Night Music: Soundgarden
Labels:
Saturday Night Music,
Soundgarden
Mar 9, 2015
Zac Brown Band & Chris Cornell Perform on SNL
Feb 26, 2013
Happy Birthday Johnny Cash
Labels:
Johnny Cash,
Soundgarden,
YouTube Gems
Jan 9, 2013
FTM Top Albums of '12: Kelcy's 14
-by Kelcy Salisbury
This list is by no means exhaustive.
2012 has been an absolute banner year for good music. I’m sure
there are several great albums released in 2012 that I haven’t even
heard yet and will discover some time down the road & wish I’d
included them. I tried doing a top 5 list, then I tried for 10 but in
the end these were the albums I just couldn’t bring myself to cut
off the list.
14) Corb Lund - Cabin Fever
The Canadian musician released some of
his finer work with this album (get the deluxe edition with multiple
acoustic versions of several songs.) Don’t miss Down On The
Mountain, Drink It Like You Mean It, One Left In The Chamber &
the hilarious Hayes Carll collaboration of Bible On The Dash (as a
former rodeo cowboy who’s done his share of traveling I found this
to be one of the most truthfully humorous compositions I’ve heard
in years.)
13) Ray Wylie Hubbard - The Grifter’sHymnal
Texas music godfather reaches out to an
under-served demographic. Grifters need hymnals too, right?
Seriously, Coricidin Bottle & Lazarus are as good as any work
he’s done. My favorite Ray Wylie Hubbard album since Delirium
Tremolos.
12) Shooter Jennings - Family Man
The album is a touch uneven in places
but songs like The Long Road Ahead, Summers Dreams and Daddy’s
Hands are so good that they elevate the entire thing. There’s not
a song on here I skip, but there are a few I look forward to more
than others. Can’t wait to see what the next project sounds like.
11) The Trishas - High Wide And Handsome
Not sure I can really describe this one
but to say that The Trishas are easily the best female duo or group
in country music right now and it’s not even close (sorry Pistol
Annies but you could take some notes from these ladies). I hate to
distinguish them as a “female” act though. Isn’t it about time
we just acknowledge that this is one incredibly good bunch of
musicians? They can play, they can sing, and they can write…How
they can write! I’d tell you what my favorite songs are on the
album, but that changes every time through. Last time around it was
Mother Of Invention, John Wayne & Gold&Silver. Listen for
yourself, if you haven’t heard this album you’re missing
something great.
10) Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears
I’m a Dwight fan, I’ll admit that.
I’ve also appreciated Pete Anderson’s production work, so when I
heard that Dwight’s new album would not employ Pete as producer I
was a little worried. I’m sure the folks who want to hear
“Guitars, Cadillacs” re-made over and over won’t care for this.
It’s unabashedly Dwight’s “rock” album, but it’s
outstanding. Top songs are Waterfall, It’s Never Alright and Long
Way To Go.
9) Jason Eady - AM Country Heaven
Probably the best pure country record
of the year, this one saw Eady take a slight detour from his more
folk oriented material and record a straight ahead country album that
draws heavily on the Merle Haggard school of writing & playing.
The end result is simply astoundingly good in its simplicity. Don’t
miss the scathing songwriting of the title cut, the heartbreaking
Wishful Drinking or the Patty Loveless duet of Man On A Mountain.
8) Dirty River Boys - The Science Of
Flight
I have to thank Brad Rice (the drummer
from Jason Boland & The Stragglers, not the one from Son Volt)
for bringing this band to my attention. I was honestly getting a
little burned out on “new” Texas/Red Dirt/Independent bands. I
hadn’t heard a new one doing anything original in a few years &
even with all the buzz about these guys I hadn’t paid a bit of
attention. Brad told me they were “original” and “different”
and was he ever right! I’d venture to say that this album would be
top 3 material if I’d only picked it up a little sooner. I’ve
only had time to listen to it twice but it absolutely blew me away
and forced me to include it on this list. Dirty River Boys sound is
a hard thing to describe, but I’ll try. Let’s imagine that the
Black Crowes & Nick Cave had a baby that was raised by a group of
Celtic musicians who also happened to be bluegrass fans & the
baby ran away from home at age 14 to tour with Ray Wylie Hubbard &
Gram Parsons. These guys aren’t scared to try a mixture of styles
and influences and the end result is something amazing to hear. I
can’t wait to get a chance to see them live. Best songs on the
album (and there isn’t a bad one) are the title song & Six
Riders, but you’d better get the whole thing.
7) Soundgarden - King Animal
The best voice in 90s rock is back
where he belongs as Chris Cornell has reunited with Soundgarden &
put out an album that sounds like a worthy follow-up to Superunknown,
not the album that showed up a decade plus after Down On The Upside.
There’s no Get On The Snake, Blow Up The Outside World or Fell On
Black Days (my 3 personal favorite Soundgarden songs) here but what
there is, is more than enough to be the hard rock album of the year.
Soundgarden was somewhat unfairly labeled as “just another grunge
band” in the 90s & were never completely able to break free
from that. They may never break away from it completely but
hopefully this album will earn them a whole new generation of fans as
well as reminding their legions of Gen X fans (how’d we all get so
old anyway?) that Soundgarden are still kings of the rock universe.
6) Jack White - Blunderbuss
Jack White may be the direct spiritual
descendant of Keith Richards & Led Zeppelin. Nobody in
mainstream music is doing anything remotely close to his sound. Just
great rootsy rock 'n roll that comes straight from the heart. This
album, along with most of his output is proof that 3 chords and the
truth are really all you need.
5) Turnpike Troubadors - Goodbye Normal
Street
Turnpike Troubadours are one of the
finest live bands to come out of the rich musical scene of eastern
Oklahoma in the past several years. Their first two albums showed
tremendous promise due to the great songwriting and musicianship.
What sets this album apart is the addition of backing vocals of Jamie
Wilson of The Trishas. Like most of the albums near the top of this
list, there simply is not a single throwaway track. The album needs
to be heard in it’s entirety. The musicianship has actually
improved over their first two albums (Bossier City & Diamonds and
Gasoline) if that is even possible. Either this or Eady’s album
are the best true country albums of this year, if not the best of the
past 2-3 years. The only country album I’ve heard in the past
couple of years that can stand on the same level is Jason Boland &
The Stragglers Rancho Alto.
4) The Departed - Adventus
After This Is Indian Land came out last
year I was intrigued to see what this band could do with their
original material. I’m happy to report that they exceeded all my
expectations. This isn’t a country album, it’s a bluesy, rootsy,
gospel influenced trip through the prodigious talents of a band that
(while made up of an all-star cast of players) is truly much more
than the sum of it’s parts.
3) Chris Knight: Little Victories
Mr Knight (I feel like I should refer
to him as Mr., just because I’m pretty sure anybody with the kind
of body count usually exhibited in his songs might stab me if I don’t
call him Mr.) has released the finest album of his remarkable career.
It’s not quite a protest album, but there is a theme of social
commentary running through the entire thing. In almost any other
year this would be my album of the year. I’ve only had the album
since early October, but all the songs are among my most played for
the entire year. I can’t hear Jack Loved Jessie, Nothing On Me or
The Lonesome Way while driving without risking a speeding ticket.
2) Matt King - Apples & Orphans
First a bit of background: I am such a
fan of Matt’s 2005 album “Rube” (right down to the Marilyn
Manson sounding drums, and other industrial sounding touches) that I
have worn out two CD copies, and it’s been one of the top 2 most
played albums on my iPod every year since I got the digital copy,
something like 5 years running now. I liked the Matt King & The
Cutters EP. I loved the bare bones approach of Raw, which is also an
album that’s been in heavy rotation for the past couple of years.
(I’ll admit to not being a huge fan of Matt’s mid 90s Nashville
country output, but hopefully Matt will forgive me for that…) Point
is, I had very high expectations for this album even though I didn’t
really know quite what to expect. If you’re looking for real
stories of real life Matt is one of the three songwriters I’d point
you toward to start with (Chris Knight & Javi Garcia would be the
other two.) I’d be doing this album and the listener a disservice
to point out one song over another as the “must have” tracks on
this album. It’s an album that’s meant to be heard from start to
finish. It’s clearly a labor of love, care was paid to the
sequencing of songs - so get the album and listen to it the way it
was meant to be heard, start to finish. My brother once asked me
what Matt King sounded like and I told him that if Trent Reznor &
Loretta Lynn had a child who was raised in the Appalachians by Woody
Guthrie, he would be Matt King. That was meant as a compliment &
hopefully it’ll be taken that way.
1) Lincoln Durham - The Shovel vs. The Howling Bones
This one came out early in the year, February I believe. Anyway, the first time I heard Drifting Wood I was hooked. This album is proof that you don’t need “top of the line” equipment or fancy production to make a great album. The pure soul of the vocals, the simple blues influenced music suits each song perfectly. There’s great variety here. Clementine & Truckers Love Song are simple yet beautiful (if somewhat unconventional) love songs. Mud Puddles, Drifting Wood, Living This Hard and Reckoning Lament are haunting rootsy slices of goodness. I had the privilege of catching Lincoln opening for Billy Joe Shaver last fall in San Marcos,TX and he blew me away. The most amazing thing I’ve ever seen in terms of a single person making sounds that one person shouldn’t be able to. Lincoln is a young man with an old soul and a clear appreciation for the traditions of such influential acts as Robert Johnson and Ray Wylie Hubbard. If you’ve somehow missed the greatness that is The Shovel VS The Howling Bones, go pick it up today. You can thank me later.
------------------------
Albums I’m looking forward to in 2013:
New music from Jason Boland & The Stragglers: The best traditional country band going has a new album (produced by Shooter Jennings) on the way early in '13.
Javi Garcia & The Cold Cold Ground are finally coming with a follow up to A Southern Horror. March is the targeted release date.
Tyler McCumber (he’s a star in Italy of all places) plans to release some new music in '13. In an interesting side note, Javi Garcia was a member of Tyler’s first band.
Jan 3, 2013
FTM Top 75 Albums of 2012: 21-50
We're getting close now. Almost any of these could have easily made the top 20 in a lesser year.
Did I miss anything? Well, wait and tell me tomorrow when I reveal FTM's top 20 albums of 2012.
For now. 21-50:
Full of wit and askew approaches, Corb's Cabin Fever has nearly completed my transformation from respectful admirer to fan to obsessed fan. He's an acquired taste,
but it's well worth the effort coming around to his unique vibe and sound.
Standout tracks: Bible on the Dash, One Left in the Chamber, Cows Around
23. The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten
Who'd have ever thought you'd see Kellie on a Farce the Music "best of" list and not just
in ridiculous memes and jokes about her "blonde-ness" and amplifications to her figure? Well here she is.
She said she'd put out a classic country album and she followed through. 100 Proof is not just an experiment either - it's full-blown, cry in your beer, lock your cheatin' spouse out, burn down the honky tonk country music. And for her effort? No hits and dropped from her label. Nashville sucks.
Standout tracks: Long As I Never See You Again, Mother's Day.
A late discovery that probably would have ended up much higher on this list if I'd had more time with it.
RIYL: Ryan Adams, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark.
Standout tracks: Jericho(!), Forgotten Flowers
30. Soundgarden - King Animal
31. Japandroids - Celebration Rock
Another album that might have climbed higher if I'd heard it earlier. Imagine Fleet Foxes with (100x)
the vitality and actual hooks. Makes sense because J. Tillman was a member of Fleet Foxes.
Fear Fun retains a lot of the indie vibe with its off-kilter lyrics but delivers for those of us who prefer a rootsier sound with a true alt-country delivery and even some Gram Parsons-esque desert rock.
Standout tracks: Nancy From Now On, Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings
I can't say enough about this band. If you'd like Lucero by way of The Ramones, this is the album for you.
Passion, sorrow, humor and swagger. It's all here. And just look at that cover.
Standout tracks: White Bluff, Daddy's Breath
37. Rival Sons - Head Down
38. The Dirty Guv'nahs - Somewhere Beneath These Southern Skies
40. Alan Jackson - Thirty Miles West
43. Jack White - Blunderbuss
44. Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur
49. fun. - Some Nights
50. Frank Ocean - channel orange
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