Cover to Cover - Part 2

I hadn't abandoned Aerosmith though. In 1990, my brother and I were disappointed that 75% of the songs they played seemed to be from their new albums. While looking through the liner notes from their Greatest Hits album, I noticed 'Train Kept a Rollin'' was a cover song. After some quick research, I found out that Led Zeppelin had rehearsed with that same song in their early days.

Back to the library.

I found 1969's 'Led Zeppelin II'. Then their 1968 debut. Within a matter of weeks I had found and listened to their catalogue. 'Train Kept a Rollin'' was nowhere to be found, but I was not disappointed. This stuff was foundational. Led Zeppelin did what other bands had been trying to do. Their albums were varied, thematic, and whole. I eventually found 'Train Kept a Rollin'' on a The Yardbirds album. The Yardbirds at one point had Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck in their roster. You can't get much more modern-rock-foundational then that.

So, now Aerosmith had led me to the alt-rock founders R.E.M. as well as one of the most influential bands of all time -- Led Zeppelin.

Cover to Cover - Part One

Back in the late 80s, my brother and I started listening to Aerosmith. Singles from 1987's Permanent Vacation were all over the radio and MuchMusic and we enjoyed their blues-rock. Catchy melodies, great guitar riffs and straight forward beats - Aerosmith was good stuff. Between Permanent Vacation and its follow-up (1989's Pump) my brother and I both started checking out older Aerosmith albums from the public library. Albums like 75's 'Toys in the Attic' and 76's 'Rocks' were full of gems that far-outshone the band's then current material. Thank goodness we went back and listened to the old material, because if it hadn't been for those songs I would've never discovered two of my most appreciated bands.

Although I had heard of them before, I had never sat down to really listen to R.E.M. until I found out they had covered Aerosmith's 'Toys in the Attic' on 1987's Dead Letter Office. I took DLO out from the library and listened to the cover. It was loose...exceedingly loose, frivolous and fun. The cover version was enjoyable because it hearkened the original, but added something of it's own.

Now, any R.E.M. fan knows that 'Dead Letter Office' is pretty much bottom of the barrel when it comes to their extensive catalogue. But I listened to that album over and over and over, taking in a style of music I had never heard yet: the beginning of alt-rock. On the next visit to the library, I checked out 1986's 'Life's Rich Pageant', 1987's 'Document' and 1988's 'Green'. After enjoying 'Dead Letter Office', a collection of throw away recordings and b-sides, those three albums were unbelievable. Rich lyrics, dueling vocals, earthy production. Thanks to Aerosmith, I had a new favourite band.

Sweden's "I'm From Barcelona"

There are two music sites I check daily for news and reviews. One is Pitchfork, the other is Chart Attack. A couple months ago on Pitchfork they had a news item about a band named "I'm From Barcelona"...who are from Sweden. There are TWENTY NINE members of this band. 29. Anyway, I clicked the video link and was pleasantly surprised to find a new band to enjoy. Finally, "Let Me Introduce You To My Friends" album is being released on this side of the Atlantic on March 6. If you enjoy this song/video, check out "Collection of Stamps" via the band's website.

Thanks Pitchfork and Youtube for increasing my awareness of good music!

Highs and Lows of 2006

Welcome to Tortuga's Sound Advice; a blog about the music I enjoy and enjoy talking about. One of my dream jobs was to be a music reviewer, and thanks to the Internet, now I am!

About a year ago, I tried out a music review blog but my self-expectations were too high. So this time, I plan on really doing it, but keeping it more simple. So this my little corner of the web, with which I'll share musings about recent music releases as well as coverage of some classic material.

To start 'Sound Advice' off, here's my "Really Good Albums of 2006" list...in no particular order.

The Decemberists: The Crane Wife
Maybe you've heard about them, maybe you haven't, but there's a reason why this album has been so highly reviewed. Musically, it's well produced, catchy but not simply pop. On their previous albums they've been developing their original folk-art rock sound and The Crane Wife is The Decemberists at their peak. Lyrically, they turn morbid stories into singable songs that stick in your head. Highlight track: "The Island"

Sloan: Never Hear the End of it
After two somewhat disappointing outings (Pretty Together and Action Pact) Sloan packs 30 great tunes onto one album. All four members contribute Sloan's own blend of alt-rockers, ballads, and ditties. It's overwhelming at first, considering there are few breaks over a 76 minute period, but this album will grow on you like that fungus you really ought to have checked out. Highlight track: "Fading Into Obscurity"

Belle and Sebastian: The Life Pursuit
B&S somewhat abandon their 'under produced' sound of past recordings to offer up a more uppity full sounding album of introspective pop rock. From start to finish, TLP contains some of the most finely crafted modern pop out there. Highlight track: "Song for Sunshine"

Other 2006 picks:
The Dears: Gang of Losers
Tom Waits: Orphans
Grandaddy: Just Like the Fambly Cat

Disappointments of 2006:
The Lemonheads: The Lemonheads - Evan Dando reforms The Lemonheads (which is basically Evan Dando) for a somewhat bland album. It's alright, but doesn't compare to other Lemonhead classic albums in terms of production and/or songwriting.

Bruce Cockburn: Life's Short Call Now - Cockburn has been on a roll since 97's "The Charity of Night", so he had to come down at some point. LSCN shows Cockburn's ability to flex his writing muscles, but the results are sometimes unlistenable ("Beautiful Creatures", for example).

There will be more Picks and Disappointments as Sound Advice grows. Feel free to share your favourite recordings of 2006.