What We're Listening To Wednesdays - 06/24/15 Edition

.



Fran - Red Fang / Prehistoric Dog & Vampire Weekend / Oxford Comma

While riding to the beach with my boys for Father's Day we were listening to the Radio.  Which I never do.  I am always listening to my collection or streaming.  The local station was playing dance song after dance song that sounded exactly the same. I needed something to cleanse myself and this popped into my head.  While playing it I asked my oldest if he even remembered seeing Red Fang in concert.  He kind of looked at me funny.  I then reminded him that Red Fang opened for Dillinger Escape Plan and Mastodon.  It was his first concert.  He smiled and said, "Yes".

Life is all about balance.  After all that Red Fang I needed something light and whimsical.  I had been listening to 'Step' by Vampire Weekend but I decided to go back to their debut album.  This song just kind of stuck which makes sense as it wasn't one I overplayed when I first heard the album.  The sarcasm and melody are perfect.

Cathi – Willie Nelson / Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down

Oddly enough, one of the things I most enjoyed doing with my dad while growing up was going to the grocery store, or driving to a neighboring city to pick up a pizza. Regardless of the mundane undertaking, the drive provided us with special alone time, with music taking no small part. Dad didn’t always talk much back then so the radio filled the silence. When a song came on and he let me turn it up? That was the equivalent of singing along together, which definitely did not happen.

In my pre-teens he listened to the Oldies, but in my early teens he seemingly out of nowhere got hooked on Country. I was horrified! So after a while, when Dad would ask if I wanted to ride along to the store, I’d ask, “Can I bring my music?” And because I might not have come without it he would let me bring my cassettes that I imagine he hated 10 times more than I hated Country: The Cure, Violent Femmes and The Dead Milkmen, to name a few (though, I honestly remember him laughing out loud once when hearing “Takin’ Retards to the Zoo”, and he was not usually cool with that brand of humor). 

But I couldn’t completely escape his music, and neither could anyone who ever used our bathroom—you couldn’t switch the light on without Cleveland’s Country–WGAR exploding out of the radio above the sink. I spent half of my teenaged life in that bathroom trying to not look hideous, and after that kind of forced exposure, I grew to love much of what he was listening to back then. I eventually stopped bringing my music on every trip and I know he loved that I learned to appreciate his. Now, some of Dad’s music is my music. On this day—the first Father’s Day since losing him—that’s what I’m listening to. Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

Stephanie - Deftones / You've Seen The Butcher

How did I just read TODAY that Deftones will have a new album out in September?!  And that Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains will play a guitar solo on it?  What the hell, Chino?  You have my phone number!

Deftones is currently my favorite band according to my last.fm stats.  I can count on Deftones for pretty much anything.  They scream at me and pump me up during my workouts.  They always shower with me after my nighttime workouts and usually sing me to sleep with their acoustic tracks on B-Sides & Rarities and Chino's side project  ††† (Crosses).  Chino's lyrics get to me like no one else's.  He can yell the crudest things at me and then sing the sweetest, most romantic words in the very next song and I love him either way.

I will be very anxiously awaiting this next album.  In the meantime, here is one of my favorite songs by Deftones with the added bonus of Shirtless Chino.  Yes, Shirtless Chino needs capitalization. Shirtless Chino probably needs to be in bold and all caps but I'll stop there.  Chino's Nipple (also deserving of capitalization) makes a cameo under his wet white shirt.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

Chino (Shirtless or otherwise), call me.

Joel - Oxcross / Infinite Loop & Goatsnake / Elevated Man

I spent my weekend at Salt Lake City's Crucialfest. I saw roughly 50 bands in 3 days. I'm an unapologetic homer for the scene I grew up in and most of the best perfomances I saw this week were from my fair city. This first track is a band from Salt Lake called Oxcross. Their performance was one of my favorites this week.

The headliner for this year's Crucialfest were doom legends Goatsnake. They put on an amazing show and I'm sure my ears will be ringing for days. This song is from their new album "Black Age Blues" . If you like heavy music, even if you don't, pick this one up.

Shane - Salty Dog / Lonesome Fool


Once in a blue moon an unknown band is able to harness perfection. In the year 1990 cult legands Salty Dog was one of those bands. A group that was able to latch on to a shooting star and go for a quick ride before crashing and burning. Their cd "Every Dog Has Its Day" is so solid and so fresh even to this day. Unique vocals, steady bass lines, and guitar squeals that Zakk Wylde would be fond of. This band is in my top 3 favorites of all time and that is with one (and only ) cd release. Sadly, the band was torn apart from rampant drug use just as they were hitting their stride and the guys would split never to be seen again. Makes me wonder just what could have been. I still hold out hope with the resurfacing of many of those 80's bands that somehow, someway, we will hear from these guys again. Surely there has to be some unreleased material from these dogs. I'll continue to hold out hope that my wish comes to fruition. 

See You When The Needle Drops!

Tweet