Saddened to learn today that Gerard Smith, bassist for TV on the Radio, lost his battle with lung cancer. TV on the Radio is one of my favorite bands of the last decade, and Gerard was an integral piece of the puzzle. They are one of those rare bands with no weak link– every part is expertly performed, and yet if you pay attention to each, each shines. I still remember when I first heard Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, so many inventive sounds. I don’t mean to write an obituary of the band here, but just to note that his work will live on.

I actually had the privilege to speak with Gerard around the time of Dear Science,‘s release. Although only a 20-minute phone conversation, you could tell he had an open spirit, and was excited about what he was doing, and even give a young fan a few minutes of his time. I’ve reposted my piece for Okayplayer below.

RIP.

TV on the Radio, like their name might suggest, is an awkward and quasi-oxymoronic set up of a band. Avant-garde and difficult to classify (other than lumping them into “alternative rock”), yet possessive of an all-together addicting and powerful sound, the band does not look like your typical rock band gearing up to release their second album as Interscope-signees, and third overall. “There is no reason a bunch of early-to-mid-30-something dudes should be [where we are]” says Gerard Smith, bassist and Keys-contributor for the band. Yet reality remains true and with the release of Dear Science, TV on the Radio’s unique position gives a little hope to the rest of us that maybe the major labels do care about good music (or at the very least are spending their Jonas Bros. money wisely).

When speaking with Gerard, one gets the sense that the evolution of TV on the Radio as a band happened very organically. “It’s been amazing watching it grow. From two, to three, four, and now five [members]. I had never been in a rock band before, and didn’t plan on it as a career choice. I originally signed on for a month and a half. It’s now been five years,” he says looking back. “I remember before I joined, I was just a genuine admirer of the music. After OK Calculator was released, I bumped into David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame) at a club on 34^th street. And I was like, ‘whoa, David Byrne!’ and just so psyched to meet him, I gave him a copy of OK Calculator as a fan, as someone saying ‘you’ve got to check this out.”

This organic development of the band itself has also leant to an intriguing evolution in its sound. With their first, unofficial release OK Calculator and the resulting proper album debut, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, TV on the Radio’s sound was decidedly dissonant—space was explored, rhythms were inventive, and instruments along with recording techniques seemed pushed to their limits. The following Return to Cookie Mountain, was similar, if not more accessible. With Dear Science, the band seems to have found what works best in terms of translating their sound into logical terms for the rest of us.

“The production on Dear Science, is definitely more ‘on,’ more cleaned up,” explains Gerrard. “But at the same time, there are still some dirtier sounds, and it’s not like we’re more polished or anything.” In fact, even with the band’s growth, the recording process has remained largely the same, and a reflection of input from each member.

“You know, we’ve grown from borrowing and renting studio space, to now Dave (Sitek,  guitarist and producer) having his own studio, but we still do things in generally the same way. We each kind of come in with our own influences and ideas and just try them out to see what works and build from there,” Gerard explains. “Also in the studio, we all play different roles. While I am technically the bassist, I also help Jaleel (Bunton, drummer) in finding and compiling drum samples.”

“What we’ve always tried to do though is like, just how you and I are talking now, is really create our own conversation—our own language,” Gerard explains when asked about TVOTR’s sound. “We’ve always been about compiling what we each know and learn and you know, create our own sort of computer and language. How we interpret the world and technology and all of that.”

 So maybe, TV on the Radio isn’t a proper “band” at all. Could they be just a bunch of dudes, possibly aliens, conducting some social experiment, using older technology to interpret the meaning of our contemporary, hyperactive world, attacking from the inside out? It may be a bit of an overstatement, but when one listens to the music, it doesn’t seem that far off.

“Personally, I’m very grateful for what it is,” Gerrard says. “(Our position) gives me a little bit of hope. Some very little hope.”

I can only imagine the devastation felt by both the music loving and pop culture adoring masses at the start of 1970, when the unrivaled force of the Beatles ceased to exist. I quipped to my friends that the recent White Stripes breakup must have been somewhat similar in feeling, except, you know, the White Stripes haven’t been active for over four years.

But luckily for us, these men were far from being over with music, just working on it together, and their first true solo offerings were evidence of the direction their work would move. George Harrison’s sprawling, rocking All Things Must Pass, John Lennon’s depressed genius Plastic Ono Band, and Paul McCartney’s fucking-around-but-smart McCartney all stand very tall on their own. For the purposes of this writing, yes, I’m avoiding Ringo Starr’s irrelevant Sentimental Journey, a collection of old-timey standards.

So where do these three titanic releases stand—especially against one another? They all stand very tall, and my feelings on them waver with moods and life-changes. John’s POB sets the tone for his proper 1970s solo career—deeply personal, yet expertly written and performed. George’s ATMP is a bit harder to nail down in its expanse—there are hints of his spirituality throughout, but the size of it all makes it harder to find a coherent message, however, the adept songwriting is definitely there. Paul’s McC is similarly scattershot, if not as large—there are some great songs, but I often am unsure of what I think of it.

I have wavered back and forth in my personal favorites. Forever it was McCartney, with its highlights of “Maybe I’m Amazed,” and the extremely funky, extremely slept-on (seriously, why hasn’t someone ever sampled it? Or am I just not aware??) “Momma Miss America.”  My favorite has often also been Plastic Ono Band, an album deeply cathartic for Lennon, enjoyable, and influential—however, it too is a bit scattershot. All Things Must Pass, for me, has never quite been understood—the album is cryptic in its size, however there are definitely some great moments.

But overall, I have to give the crown to John Lennon. POB has the ability the other two don’t have in their songwriting: the ability to go beyond the fact that what you’re listening to is good music, the ability to make you think about John Lennon’s mindframe when writing songs like “Look at Me,” and “Mother,” and connect the music to your own situations. Not necessarily literally approximating them, but nonetheless, the songs on POB INSPIRE you to look inside, potentially for your own answers, but at least apply your own analysis.

And then there’s “God,” one of the heaviest pop songs there is. Let alone the song’s start (“God is a concept/by which we measure our pain”), his “I don’t believe in Jesus,” etc., one of the most moving lines, even 40 years after the breakup, is “I don’t believe in BEATLES… I just believe in me.” Wow. What a statement so soon after the pop music landscape was changed. And lets just look at the lyrics after that:

I don’t believe in Beatles. I just believe in me. Yoko and me. That’s reality.

The dream is over. What can I say?

The dream is over. Yesterday.

I was the dream weaver, but now I’m reborn.

I was the walrus, but now I’m John.

And so dear friends, we’ll just have to carry on.

The dream is over.

Are you kidding me? That may be some of the ballsiest lyricism ever put to tape. In the span of less than a minute, John Lennon is, gently, forever closing up the Beatles, and putting the whole world-altering experience behind him, and telling you to do the same. Apply this to the larger message: “I don’t believe in anything other than myself, and you should do the same.”

So all things considered, each of the three albums remarkably sits heralded, barely able to be called a “misstep.” They especially set up each of their solo careers. John would go on to record more introspective work, Paul would make pop music, both good (see: “Ram,” his next and highly recommended album) and disposable (see: Wings), and George, some remarkably good rock. But out of their three rebirths, Plastic Ono Band sits atop—not only is it a powerful statement from John, but it connects beyond that. These three men were great songwriters, but I think I know which one of them I’d like to get to know the most.

So I know I literally just said that the new focus of my writing is going to move away from traditional reviews. Well, you could say I was inspired to write after hearing this album? Here are my thoughts:

The Strokes

Angles

RCA

Rating: 2.5/5

Fans of the 2001 “garage rock renaissance” have had a tough 2011 already, what with the White Stripes breakup and all. Also, whatever happened to The Hives? And now there’s Angles, the new offering from The Strokes, the guys who arguably led the whole “movement” in the first place (afterall, its not like an OFWGKTA thing that happened, just coincidence). So does Angles keep fans intrigued? Is it a proper evolution? While the sound may mirror the evolution of rock from The Velvet Underground to The Cars (or at least they reference those bands specifically), the 2001 emperors’ new clothes don’t quite fit.

When the world first heard that the Strokes were getting back together, there was excitement, but the smart ones took it with a grain of salt. It has been five years since their last album, First Impressions of Earth, released; plus everyone in the band has released a solo album or side project in the time since, some even multiple times over. Did “The Strokes,” as a collective, still exist? Or was this just a cash-in or RCA-contractually-obligated album?

Its hard to tell, and unless your name is Julian, Albert, Fab, Nick, or Nikolai, you will probably never know (until the Behind the Music 20 years from now). But listening to Angles, it’s hard to get that possibility out of your head. There are a few highlights that stand with the best of The Strokes’ work. Lead single “Under Cover of Darkness” has it all—Valensi’s adept guitarwork, Casablancas’ removed harmony, and overall technical prowess. “Taken For a Fool” is also a standout, again, technically sound, with everyone doing what they’re best at. If the album had more songs that sounded like this, Angles could be considered a perfect evolution—the band sounds great, and a decade of professional work can be firmly heard.

While the majority of the album is this crisply-jangled, jumpy guitar, very particular in its direction (Angles?), it is overall harder to predict where it is going, and when it arrives, the listener is not quite sure the destination was worth the trip. A band exploring a new sound is great, but that’s what demos and the studio are for. Some of what The Strokes seem to be aiming for with Angles unfortunately isn’t realized.

Is Angles a fun ride? It is, moderately. But were The Strokes driving to a killer party, to be soundtracked by Is This It?, or just lunch at Taco Bell? I mean, a chalupa is fine and all, but was it worth the trip? If you were looking for background music to that drive, Angles is fine. But if you were hoping for those moments where you’re already a little buzzed by the experience and you stop doing everything and “remember why I love this band”– you’re mostly out of luck.

Inspiration is a funny concept. Usually, it entails experiencing something through one sense or the other (seeing, hearing, tasting. I guess smelling, too? Although I’ve never been inspired by a smell), and then feeling a sense of “wow, that was really good.” Inspiration may not mean you feel you can do better, or even half as good, than the original, nor that you even want to mimic the inspiration in the first place. Nevertheless, there’s a feeling that I have to do something.

But that sensation only gets you so far. The true test is of your own willpower to actually do it. Stop questioning yourself, and just go at it. No, it probably won’t hold a candle to whatever the inspiration is, but if you don’t jump, your wheels will just keep spinning, getting you more stuck in the mud.

I think music has always had the most effect, generally speaking, in inspiring me. Inspiring me to literal means like trying my hand at an instrument (Trumpet (thank you, Mighty Mighty Bosstones), Guitar (Thank you classic rock, particularly power chords), or synthesizer (thank you my sophomore-year-of-college 80s discovery. Even though its done by guitar, I taught myself how to play the riff from The Cure’s “Boys Don’t Cry!” That was the crowning achievement of that attempt)). Beyond that, music has always inspired me to think, especially introspectively, and more importantly, get that thought out through writing. Over the years, this has manifested itself through self-indulgent, glorified “diary entry”-type false-starts and inaccurate attempts at novelizing my life. It has also inspired me to actually write about the music I’m listening to, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done there.

But along the way when I was writing album reviews regularly and semi-professionally (read: not getting paid), I tired of it, especially combined with the awkward time of transitioning out of college into whatever it is I wanted (and still) want to do next. I didn’t have time to listen to MC Lil’ G’s new album that I or noone else outside of Topeka, Kansas would be into, nor The The’s debut they recorded on shitty lo-fi equipment not because their parents wouldn’t pay for studio time, but because they thought it was cool. I was force-discovering, and I got tired of it. Yet I’ve really been looking to get back into music writing.

Which leads us to here. And I think I’ve found a way forward.

I’m not interested in writing standard reviews anymore. The format is dying if not already dead, that according to my sophomore-year-of-highschool homecoming date, Alex Gutierrez. The format is boring and unnecessary. Plus, new album reviews, if relevant at all these days, are only worthwhile for completely new, never-before-heard-by-anyone music. I don’t have time for that. There is so much music from the past 50 years that I’ve been and have yet to be inspired by. I’d rather write about that, but in a new way. Oh yeah, and I also consume all sorts of other popular culture too.

So how to fuse all of that together? Exactly. What makes something relevant is its effect on your own life, or at least in how you think about the subject, or in general. So I think I’ve come up with a format, inspired by this choice quote from Jim Jarmusch on inspiration:

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable, originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery– celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Goddard said: ‘It’s not where you take things from– it’s where you take them to.”

So here’s the thing. I plan to write about whatever, mostly my thoughts on various topics from the changing seasons, life in DC, new trends, old trends, my life, relationships, and as Carles (of Hipster Runoff and Tulane Facebook freshman year fame (+San Antonio Perez)) would probably say here ‘what it all means.’ Lets face it, in this hyperactive world of 2011, we are constantly bombarded, confronted, and most importantly inspired by a million different sources, all at once. So, at the top of each entry will be a list of what inspired it. For example, I could write a post on ‘authenticity’ (again, nod to Carles) and at the top, say this post was inspired by M.I.A.- Kala, The Clash- Super Black Market Clash, and Steven Soderburgh’s Che. Or, I feel like maybe writing my thoughts on seeing ˆThe Social Network. But you know what’s a key part of that inspiration? Trent Reznor’s score, and hearing The Beatles’ “Baby You’re a Rich Man” at the end. Basically, I don’t have time, nor is it any fun, to write about what doesn’t inspire me. And I doubt that is really that much of an interesting read for you, if this even is. So I’m going to value my time, I’m going to value you’re time, and only write and share things that really inspire me.

I hope you’ll join in for the ride.

I would add this to your RSS, because no promises on my inspiration schedule.

So, it would be awesome if this all strikes a chord with you.

-Michael

So periodically I’ll make myself a mix to listen to in the car or whatever, representative of the music i’ve been feeling over the past few weeks or months or whatever. It usually seems a bit disjointed, but I think this one came out pretty well. Definitely pretty diverse in time and sound, but most of it’s pretty upbeat.

Now, in the folder, the shit’s not in order, but I implore you to listen to it in this order for the best overall experience. I’m a big fan of sequencing, so its all in the order it is for a reason. Okay?

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GNSJJ9LA

Tracklist:

01 Animal Collective- My Girls

02 Kas Product- So Young But So Cold

03 Handsome Furs- Legal Tender

04 Megapuss- Theme From Hollywood

05 Paul McCartney- Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey

06 Here We Go Magic- Only Pieces

07 Iran- Airport ’99

08 Chairlift- Garbage

09 Illa J- Illasoul

10 Talking Heads- This Might Be The Place (Naive Melody) (live)

11 Donny Hathaway- Jealous Guy (live) (John Lennon cover)

12 Kanye West- Robocop

13 The Muslims Soft Pack- Bright Side

14 Roger Riley & Teddy Troutman- Ante Up (MOP cover, autotuned)

15 Curtis Mayfield- Wild and Free

16 Lou Reed- Men of Good Fortune (live)

17 Paul McCartney- The Back Seat of My Car

What the fuck are you doing, man?

At some electronics conference yesterday, reports are that while giving a presentation on the problems of malaria in devleoping nations and how the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation is helping, Bill Gates literally opened a jar of mosquitos and let them loose on the audience. He reportedly said, “Not only poor people should experience this.”

Sounds very ominous, really. I know that if I were in that audience that I wouldn’t feel compelled to donate to his anti-malaria crusade. Or was it a crusade? It all sounds sort of mr.-burns-”release-the-hounds”-ish. Could the bugs actually have been exposed to some sort of wealth-debilitating disease? If the people in that room begin to start losing money, I think a legitimate case coud be made that it wasn’t the fault of the markets, but of the bugs Gates released.

story from msnbc

I hate to give away the ending, but:

“It’s not a hybrid,” says Linda Martinez, up there with the Volt prototype and kicky leather jacket and a no-nonsense bob. She is patient with all the questions. Yes, you plug it in. Ten cents per kilowatt hour, they’re guessing, eight hours to charge it up fully. No, it’s not a hybrid. Yes, it’s coming out next year. No, the gasoline fuels the generator, which keeps the electricity going after 40 miles. No, she can’t open the trunk because this is a prototype model. People are still confused.

What makes it go?What makes it go. What makes it go, and who are we now, and where is this all headed, and what’s going to happen to us, and why can’t things be like they used to be when the Washington Auto Show was in the dumpy old convention center a block away and cars were something we called “bling-bling” and credit was easy?

“I answer what I can,” Martinez says.

Read the full article here

Saw this on The Fader’s blog yesterday. It’s a mix from some dudes down in Australia that I still can’t tell you if it’s good or not since i’ve only listened to 5 mins, but this cover art is amazing, so i was captivated to check it out. From Fader:

It may be winter for us, but down in Australia our dudes at Hole in the Sky have been dropping summer mixes of psych disco and other ephemera for the last few weeks. Sure, some of these may involve more beardstroking than actual dancing, but can you ever really go wrong with Holger Czukay’s “Photo Song”? Maybe we should be paying closer attention to the wide assortment of CAN-related solo projects that are out there. Download Vol. 3 below, then hit their blog for the first two along with pictures of a bunch of Australian parties we wish we were at.

Download: Hole in the Sky Summer Mix Vol. 3

I won’t re-post them all here (here’s all of them), but here are my favorites:

I was at the capitals website looking up the practice schedule, cause i want to go check it out at lunch sometime since they’re literally across the street, then clicked on an ad for the DC auto show, then checked their celebrity appearances. I wasn’t surprised to see wrestling stars john cena and batista, or that surprised to see redskin QB Jason Campbell and Wizards could-be-star Nick Young. But then I was scrolling down. Idris fucking Elba! Yooooo I am so there!

I love cars and loved going to the dc auto show growing up. I was taking a look though, and it looks like it’s going to be drastically reduced in size and who’s participating– I didn’t see mercedes’ name on there. I’m interested in going though, as well as seeing how many people do, too, in this not-so-great time for cars in america (but hey, if a dealer wants to sell me a drastically reduced floor-model Toyota FJ Cruiser, I won’t pass that offer up.

But yeah, Stringer Bell is one of my favorite characters on one of my favorite shows, The Wire, of all time. He’s so bad ass, but also pretty funny, espcially with those drug dealer meetings they held at the hyatt or wherever. I’m interested in seeing his character on The Office. You didn’t hear? He’s going to be in 6 episodes as a new corporate hire, sort of overseeing Michael. The auto show website advertises him as a star of The Office (no mention of The Wire), so maybe he will be on tonight?