JasonBuckley.com » Rock

The Cult – Lucifer

Jason — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:50:07 +0000

I loved The Cult back in the day. They weren’t exactly punk and they weren’t exactly metal, but whatever they were, they rocked. Love was kind of chill and strange while Electric, was, well, very electric. Sonic Temple had some good tunes, but after that I had pretty much forgotten about them. Ian Astbury went touring with the surviving members of the Doors as the replacement Jim Morrison which I ignored on principle. It seems the Cult are releasing their first new album in 5 years (they had another new album 5 years ago?) and the first track is available along with this interview on Rolling Stone’s site. For those too lazy or uninterested in hearing the new stuff, here’s a classic…

The Darcys – Aja

Jason — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:22:10 +0000

Wait a second, there’s already a Steely Dan album called Aja. What’s this then? Yes, it’s the same album, played by different people. I truly enjoy listening to one band’s interpretation of the entire album of another band. The Flaming Lips’ Dark Side of the Moon and Camper Van Beethoven’s Tusk are the first that come to mind but there are others out there (many of which are Dark Side of the Moon). The other night I was running an errand and as I was pulling into the parking lot a really strong indie rock groove came on the radio. I was about to turn the key off and go about doing what I needed to do when the singer started singing “I see your picture. I keep it with your letter.” Wait a second, could this really be a cover of Peg? So I sat and listened to it, trying to remind myself to go to the KALX website and look at the playlist to see who that was. And then I completely forgot about it. Then an ad on Facebook caught my eye. It was for a band I’d never heard of called The Darcys, with their interpretation of the entire Aja album. Then I did something I rarely ever do. I clicked an ad on Facebook. And I’m glad I did, because it took me to a page where I could stream and/or download the whole album!

Steely Dan seem to be one of those bands that people either love or hate, and many of those who love them consider them a guilty pleasure. I don’t get this. The musicianship is top notch (which it better be considering the roster of top hired studio guns who played on their albums). Their lyrics are witty and sarcastic. Their hooks are downright infectious. There’s nothing to feel guilty about there. Kiss are a guilty pleasure. Journey are a guilty pleasure. Styx are a guilty pleasure. But Steely Dan are just a pleasure. I know the critics say they sound too over-produced or dated or cheesy in that special 1970′s sort of way, but I consider that to be part of their charm. Aja is the album that many a sound engineer uses to test their levels because just about every part of the sonic spectrum is in there. And if an entire album can be taken and remade in a completely different style and it sounds as good as this one does, that points to some mad songwriting chops.

Greg Dulli covers Leonard Cohen

Jason — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:42:34 +0000

Greg Dulli from Afghan Whigs and more recently the Twilight Singers can belt the hell out of anything. I’ve always particularly enjoyed his covers. Afghan Whigs had an EP in the mid-90s that covered a bunch of old soul tunes in a beautifully dark and haunting way. Here he is more recently covering Leonard Cohen’s Paper Thin Hotel.

New Leonard Cohen! – Darkness

Jason — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:01:42 +0000

Leonard Cohen has a new album coming out, and here’s the first single, Darkness.

Leonard Cohen – Darkness by leonardcohen

Frank Zappa – Montana (1973)

Jason — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:49:30 +0000

With Jean-Luc Ponty on the violin!

Frank Zappa – The Torture Never Stops (1988)

Jason — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:27:09 +0000

Frank Zappa – Jesus Thinks You’re a Jerk

Jason — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:59:04 +0000

Frank Zappa – The Illinois Enema Bandit (1981)

Jason — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:21:37 +0000

Zappa on Crossfire (1986)

Jason — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:07:07 +0000

During the height of the PMRC’s war against rock and roll, Zappa appears on Crossfire in defense of free speech.

Frank Zappa on SNL 1978 – The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing

Jason — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:30:22 +0000