• Indie

    Grandaddy live at the Independent in San Francisco (8-12-2012)

    One of may favorite bands from the 90’s and early 2000’s days of yore is Grandaddy. I consider The Sophtware Slump to be a masterpiece with its futuristic space-pop, bleepy, bloopy and utterly beautiful vibe.

    After a 6 year hiatus, Jason Lytle and the band have reformed for a small tour around California and Europe. As is usually the case, there is no Phoenix date scheduled, so I must live vicariously through the magic of the interwebs.

    This past Sunday, the band followed up their festival appearance at Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park by playing a late night gig at the Independent in San Francisco. A kind person, “cuthere,” recorded the performance (with the blessing of the band). I thank cuthere, and you will too…

    Check out this Stereogum link for pictures from the night.

    Grandaddy
    The Independent
    San Francisco, CA
    August 12, 2012

    01 Intro
    02 El Caminos In The West
    03 Now It’s On
    04 Yeah Is What We Had
    05 Summer Here Kids
    06 Fare Thee Not Well Mutineer
    07 The Crystal Lake
    08 My Small Love>
    09 Levitz>
    10 Chartsengrafs
    11 The Go In The Go-For-It
    12 AM 180
    13 Lost On Yer Merry Way
    14 Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground)
    15 Laughing Stock
    16 Stray Dog And The Chocolate Shake
    17 Hewlett’s Daughter
    18 Here (Pavement Cover)
    19 (break)
    20 He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s The Pilot

  • Ickmix

    IckMix 6: Move

    I put this together for my brother a few months ago as a running/exercise companion. Since then, I’ve listened to it quite a few times on my runs, and quite simply, it pretty much kicks ass.

    So download, throw it on your iPod/iPhone/SmartPhone of choice, and move! (Or, sit back in a La-Z-Boy with a strong cocktail. You do what you want, I’m not your daddy).

    IckMix 6: Move (mp3)

    1. “Month of May” – Arcade Fire (3:51) | The Suburbs
    2. “Bushwick Blues” – Delta Spirit (3:44) | History from Below
    3. “Seaside Bar Song” – Bruce Springsteen (3:35) | Tracks
    4. “Run Runaway” – Slade (5:01) | The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome
    5. “Now It’s On+ – Grandaddy (4:08)  | Sumday
    6. “When My Time Comes” – Dawes (5:08) | North Hills
    7. “A More Perfect Union” – Titus Andronicus (7:10) | The Monitor
    8. “The Leader” – The Clash (1:42) | Sandinista!
    9. “Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)” – Pat Travers Band (5:06) | Pat Travers Band…Live! Go For What You Know
    10. “Let’s Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix)” – Prince (7:37) | Ultimate
    11. “Freedom Park” – Marah (4:35) | 20,000 Streets Under The Sky
    12. “I Do (LP Version)” – J. Geils Band (3:08) | Monkey Island

  • Best of Lists

    Pete’s Favorite Albums of the 00’s

    Quick Note: I didn’t want to bombard my Top 10 with Springsteen and Prince albums, so I chose my favorites of theirs from the 00’s. Did I spend more time with  M.I.A.’s Arular than with Bruce’s Magic or Prince’s Musicology?  No way.  Just so you know, I limited my picks to one album per artist.

    And now, on to the completely subjective look at 10 of my favorite albums of the decade!

    10. Prince – The Rainbow Children (2001)

    Jazzy, funky, and dipping deeply into P’s then new-found life as a Jehovah’s Witness, this album connected with me more than any Prince album of the 00’s (and nope, no JW am I). As much as the 54 second “Wedding Feast” makes me cringe, the album makes up for it with great tracks like “Digital Garden”, “The Work, Pt. 1”, and “The Sensual Everafter”.

    Favorite tune: “1+1+1 is 3” (mp3) – to me, easily the funkiest Prince song of the 00’s.

    9. M.I.A. – Arular (2005)

    I couldn’t leave the girls out! M.I.A. came out of nowhere halfway through the decade with her brand of world-influenced electronic hip-hop. I love her attitude, her style, her accent, and she ain’t so bad lookin’ either. I think this is one of those love it or hate it albums. My wife can’t stand it. But for me, songs like “Pull Up The People”, “Fire Fire”, and “Amazon” just, er, do it for me, okay?

    Favorite tune: “Bucky Done Gun” – super sexy militant rappin’ time:

    8. Steve Earle – Jerusalem (2002)

    Steve had a lot to say about the state of our country after 9/11 and the ensuing conflicts overseas. Of course he was his controversial self with “John Walker’s Blues”. He was fierce as hell on “Ashes to Ashes” and “Amerika V. 6.0 (The Best We Can Do)”. And he looked for a world of peace in the gentle album closer, “Jerusalem”. A great album top to bottom.

    Favorite tune: “What’s a Simple Man To Do?” (mp3) – an organ-driven barnburner of a tune about a Mexican drug smuggler’s letter to his madre.

    7. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

    Sure, some people think this is the obligatory best of the decade album – even if they think it doesn’t merit it. But guess what, it’s completely subjective, and certain albums connect with certain people. YHF was on constant rotation early in the decade. Wilco’s creativity and originality were through the roof in the late 90’s to early 00’s. The changes in direction between Being There, Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and A Ghost is Born are startling.

    Favorite tune: The “War on War” and “Jesus, Etc.” combo special.

    6. Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump (2000)

    The brainchild of Jason Lytle, this futuristic, tech-themed album – with its gorgeous, sweeping electronic-based melodies – blew me away. Who would’ve guess I’d have such strong feelings about songs like “”Broken Household Appliance National Forest” and “Miner at the Dial-a-View”?

    Favorite tune: “The Crystal Lake” and the beautiful “So You’ll Aim Toward the Sky” (YouTube).

    5. Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)

    Win Butler and his merry troupe of noisemakers got my attention with “Old Flame” from their self-titled EP. And when I heard this album, I was hooked.

    Favorite tune: “Wake Up” (YouTube) – especially after seeing them live at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. A sea of people singing “Whoooa-ooooa Whoooa-oooo-oooo-ooo”.

    4. Bruce Springsteen – We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)

    When Bruce takes a break from the E Street Band, you never know what you’re gonna get. And with the Sessions record, it was a return to the roots of American folk music, and he brought along about 15-20 of his friends for the ride. This album provided countless hours of joy around our house. And the tour stop through Phoenix was an absolute thrill for me and my wife. Hey Bruce, bring back the Sessions Band!!

    Favorite tune: “Pay Me My Money Down”. A family favorite. The kids still sing it.

    3. Band of Horses – Cease to Begin (2008)

    2. Band of Horses – Everything All the Time (2006)

    Thank God these guys came along. Led by the gentle voice of Ben Bridwell, the first two Band of Horses albums are folk/indie masterpieces. There isn’t a bit of filler in either of these, and I look forward to following these guys for the rest of my lifetime.

    Favorite tune: “Monsters” [mp3] (from EATT) and “Windows Blues” [mp3] (from CTB) – surprise, the slower tunes.

    1. Marah – Kids in Philly (2000)

    In 2000, when I was going through some “woe is me” / “whaddya mean I can’t get this girl back”-type stuff, this album picked me up, punched me in the nuts, and knocked me back over. I was living down by the new Tempe Town Lake, and I’d run around it a few nights a week – I’d start running as the opening banjo riff of “Faraway You” ignited the album, and I wouldn’t stop ’til the closing street harmonies of “This Town”. The album was super cathartic, and every time I listen to it, I think of that summer of 2000. August 2000 also included one of the best rock ‘n roll shows I’ve ever seen: Marah at Tempe’s now defunct Long Wong’s – a small, sweat-soaked bar. I’ll never forget the energy of Dave, Serge and the boys that night. The album and band encapsulate what stripped down rock ‘n roll is all about.

    Favorite Tune: “Round Eye Blues” – capturing the spirit of Motown and Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, this is a vivid and beautiful song, sung in the perspective of a young man in Vietnam:

    Fables tell of men who fell
    With swords dangling from their chest
    The old guys down at the taproom swear
    The Japs could kill you best
    But late at night I could still hear the cries
    Of three black guys I seen take it in the face
    I think about them sweet Motown girls they left behind
    And the assholes that took their place

    Goosebumps every time.

    When all is said and done, this is the album that affected me most personally, and therefore must be crowned: Pete’s Album of the 00’s!

  • Ick's Pick

    Ick’s Pick (Week XX): Jason Lytle

    I got sucked right into grandaddy‘s beautiful space pop when I heard their amazing album The Sophtware Slump way back in old ’00. A couple of albums later, front man Jason Lytle decided to call it quits (after releasing Just Like the Fambly Cat in 2006). He packed up his gear and moved to the Bridger Mountains around Bozeman, Montana. I opined back then that the clean Big Sky air would likely result in something cool in the not too distant future. Well it took three years, but here we have it: Jason’s debut solo album, Yours Truly, The Commuter.

    The sound and feel of the music doesn’t stray far from the grandaddy sound – gorgeous melodies, unique lyrics, and an infusion of experimental electronic sounds into indie/folk based songs. There’s a sweet and gentle quality to Jason’s music, with an undercurrent of bittersweet sadness.

    And it’s the dreamy, floating, melancholic tunes that I gravitate towards most on this record. The last half dozen songs have this area covered… “Fürget It” transitioning into the slow waltz of “This Song Is The Mute Button”; followed by “Rollin’ Home Alone”, “You’re Too Gone”, “Flying Through Canyons”, and “Here for Good”.

    After hearing these, I can guarantee you won’t be cheered up. But that’s obviously not the intent. The self-imposed exile that Jason imposed on himself – from Modesto, Calif. to Montana – obviously sparked some soul searching, and the result is a sublime but sort of downcast collection of songs (if you ignore “It’s the Weekend”, an out of place ode to Saturday).

    It’s all summed up during “I Am Lost (and the moment cannot last)” -“On mountain high / I’ll say goodbye / My concerns have been confirmed / I am lost

    Jason Lytle’s Montana days have yielded a great album, but hey – friends of Jason – sounds like he needs some company!

    BUY Yours Truly, The Commuter (Amazon)

    Watch the video for “I Am Lost (and the moment cannot last)”

    Visit: Jason’s Official Site | MySpace

  • Christmas,  Indie

    Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland

    If I knew Photoshop / Image Ready a little better, I would’ve added some sweet wintry sparkles to this picture of Alan Parsons. But it involves things like rasters and vectors and “noise”, and I’m just not up to that level yet.

    As the man behind the Alan Parsons Project, and the man who manned the controls in studio for Abbey Road and Dark Side of the Moon, Mr. Parsons is clearly not someone to be messed with. But Jason Lytle and his now defunct band Grandaddy had some fun with him in this holiday ditty.

    Jason’s web site has shown promises of his first solo album sometime in 2008, but the clock is ticking, and there is no word from Mr. Lytle. So enjoy this. And if you don’t have The Sophtware Slump, go get it!

    GrandaddyAlan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland (mp3)

    BUY

  • Indie,  Video

    Music and Ads: Let Me Sleep On It

    By no means do I think it’s a great idea for respected musicians to shill products on TV. But once in a while, as hard as it may be to stomach, I can’t help but be entertained. Case in point, the use of Meatloaf and “Paradise By the Dashboard Light” in a new AT&T “GoPhone” commercial. Oh, and that’s 80’s teen queen Tiffany playing Mom.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5YMVO7-8ns 336 278]

    Another recent surprise is the appearance of Grandaddy’s music in the advertising world. “A.M. 180” shows up in the new Dodge Journey ads…

    GrandaddyA.M. 180 (mp3)

    [audio:grandaddyam180.mp3]

    This one comes from Under the Western Freeway

  • Miscellaneous

    Two Years of Ickmusic

    Millau Viaduct

    This is a picture of the Millau Viaduct in France, the tallest vehicular bridge in the world. Pretty amazing if you ask me. It opened on December 14th, 2004. Guess what else opened on Dec. 14th, 2004? Why, this web site of course… Yep, today marks the 2nd birthday of Ickmusic. 429 different posts, 715 comments, and still plugging along.

    Sing it with me: R-I-A-A Stay Awayyy, let me blog another dayyy

    Looking back, here are a few milestones:

    First Post & Song: Dec. 14th, 2004 – It’s Worth a Try | Song : Quattro (Calexico)

    First Prince Mention: Jan. 5th, 2005 – Baby What’s Your Phone Number | Song: 777-9311 (The Time)

    First Bruce Mention: Feb 1st, 2005 – Let There Be Chicks | Song: Stolen Car (Patty Griffin)

    Long-Winded First Birthday Post: Dec. 14, 2005 – One Year of Ickmusic | Song: Show Me Your Heart (Need New Body)

    First Christmas Post: Dec. 23, 2004 – Happy Merry Christmas Funtime | Song: Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderland (Grandaddy)

    So hey, thanks to all of you who stop by from time to time. I reiterate, leave a comment or shoot me an email from time to time. Let’s commune. Peace and Love. Adios…

    I leave you with one request, and that is for you to watch, in its entirety, Tex Haper’s “Country New Wave.” You will not be sorry.

  • Indie

    Biking with the Fambly Cat

    jason lytle

    Whatever happened to the music video? I don’t know, maybe I’m just getting older, but I do know that you have a better chance of winning the lottery than seeing one on MTV or VH-1. Yeah I know, we have MTV2, VH-1 Hits, and Fuse and so on, but it’s rare that I’ll see any contemporary video that captures my interest (now Vh-1 Classic, that’s another story!).

    That is, until I caught the new Grandaddy video for “Where I’m Anymore” (online of course). It’s back to basics weirdness, Jason Lytle on a bicycle, riding along in a grove of trees and a typical American suburban neighborhood, singing his song with in inanimate cat (the Fambly Cat, I assume).

    It’s sort of indicative of the current state of Grandaddy, all that’s left is Jason. He just finished up a short promotional tour with some in store acoustic performances and radio interviews. From what I understood from his WOXY interview, he’s heading back to his new home in Montana to live the quiet life. ‘Just Like the Fambly Cat’ is sadly Grandaddy’s swan song, but I’d bet Jason will be soaking up some inspiration out there in the Big Sky Country and it won’t be too long before we hear his melodic, poetic tech-organic-space tunes again….

    It’s downright depressing to me that Grandaddy is no longer. I only saw them live once, opening for Elliott Smith in the early 00’s (once again, I think). I never saw a full show. Will I ever? No Fambly Cat touring? What gives?

    Buy Just Like the Fambly Cat

    The Ickmusic Fambly Cat (Jefe)

    jefe the cat
  • Acoustic

    Grandaddy at Good Records

    Jason Lytle at Good Records

    Last Tuesday, the great Modesto, Calif. band Grandaddy released their final album, ‘Just Like the Fambly Cat‘. I first discovered Grandaddy when I heard ‘The Sophtware Slump‘ in 2000, a collection of dreamy, gentle, electro-space-pop with awesome songs (and song titles) like “Broken Household Appliance National Forest”, “Jed The Humanoid”, “Chartsengrafs”, and “The Crystal Lake”.

    So last Tuesday, singer/guitarist/keyboardman Jason Lytle and drummer Aaron Burtch got together at Good Records in Dallas for a full set of Grandaddy acoustic goodness.

    Jason Lytle & Aaron Burtch (from Grandaddy)
    May 9th, 2006
    Good Records, Dallas, Texas

    [Buy some Grandaddy music]

    1. intro
    2. The Go In The Go-For-It
    3. Jed the Humanoid
    4. Summer Here Kids
    5. XD-Data II
    6. Go Progress Chrome
    7. Laughing Stock
    8. Summer…Its Gone
    9. Hewlett’s Daughter
    10. Protected from the Rain
    11. Today I Started Loving You Again (Merle Haggard cover)
    12. Disconnecty
    13. Chartsengrafs
    14. Jeez Louise
    15. Sarah 5646766
    16. Jed’s Other Poem (Beautiful Ground)
    17. Fare Thee Not Well Mutineer
    18. El Caminos in the West
    19. Dreaming My Dreams With You (Waylon Jennings cover)
    20. Miner at the Dial-a-View
    21. Elevate Myself
    22. The Crystal Lake
    23. Aisle Seat 37-D
    24. Jason speaking
    25. Nothing Big
    26. Levitz
  • Christmas

    Christmas at IckMusic

    Here’s my first batch of extra special Christmas music selections to carry you through this holiday season.

    Hands down my favorite Christmas song and my favorite performance of the song:

    • The Temptations: Silent Night (mp3) – buy

    A twisted instant Christmas classic from Grandaddy:

    • Grandaddy: Alan Parsons in a Winter Wonderlandbuy

    A cool radio excerpt of Coldplay:

    • Coldplay: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (mp3) – buy