Weekly: I Want Trouble

I think it would be cool to get like, a cease and desist order from Warner Records. It would certainly help my publicity (or I would like to this it would). "Yeah ... had to take down that MP3 since I got this official notice from Warner Records ... sorry, guys." Something like that would make my day.
So I am going to post a new Flaming Lips song here, but first, let me tell you my impressions of the album so far.
I like At War With the Mystics. With this new record, the Lips have gone a bit back to their roots, I think. They've made an album which seems less focused. It has no plotline like Yoshimi, and a lot of the songs center on Mr. Coyne's obsession with religious matters (i.e. if there's no heaven, then maybe there's no hell and stuff like that). The reason I enjoyed Yoshimi so much was because it was like delving into a book. I wanted to find out the "backstory," learn all about the characters, figure out what every song was about, read the prequel and wait for the sequel. The accompanying artwork, various EPs, and other Yoshimi-themed products didn't help vanquish this dream of mine. It's like if J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings and then ... stopped.
But I like the album regardless. Listen to the first track, Yeah Yeah Yeah Song.
Gliss is a relaxed, yet sexy alt-rock group from LA that, uh ... Billy Corgan likes. And so does the Wicked Witch of the West. They've got -- as far as I can tell -- their whole EP up on their site, but you can also check out their MySpace page and hear the ... same stuff.
These international bands are poppin' up faster than dandelions in spring. Fields is one such group ... they come from Rekjavik and London. How cool is that? They also have a roadie named Hector "Whiplash" McGee, and he comes from Newfoundland. They do cool chants and have an awesome drummer and have this very slick post-punk production sheen that makes them all the more likeable. There is something very M83 about their music ... like if M83 was an indie band or something. Listen to Song For the Field, If You Fail We All Do(?), Charming the Flames, and Skulls And Flesh And [...](?) ... sorry, they've self-released all their stuff on a record label they themselves made called Black Lab. Therefore, I cannot tell you the full names of all those songs ...
Who doesn't like a good old husband-and-wife band? Who doesn't like The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald? Eh? No one. Fitzgerald is the great grandson of the band that F. Scott was in, the Fitzies. The Fitzies were a sort of big-band group in the 20s. They unfortunately broke up in the early 30s because of heroin addictions and the murder of their bass player (he was stabbed with a pair of chopsticks by his wife), and never completed their UK tour. But luckily there is now just Fitzgerald, and they're just as sweet. They've been around for a while, playing "folk indie," and uh ... kickin' it, I guess. Now they have a new record, Raised By Wolves, and they're better than ever. Their vocals have gotten stronger and they're musicianship has gotten more nuanced and perfected. I like, I like. Listen to How Far North ... it's really cool. They're from Minneapolis, so they are therefore on 2024 Records since that's the only label all the cool Minneapolis bands sign to.
And lastly ... AM Syndicate. They are from Texas (and "holy shit, their record's out!!!!!!!!!!!!")
I like them ... all angular and depressed-sounding and ornate and very enchanting. Their music wraps around you, but provides no warmth or happiness ... they're good at sounding very sad. Very cool rhythms, too, and interesting song development. Listen to Kicking A Sailor In the Teeth (from -- "holy shit" -- their EP, Empire).
That's it.