A History Lesson for the Hipsters

There are many different types of albums out there in the world. "Well of course there are," you say. "Rock, Rap, Country, some kind of electronic music that will be out of date 3 months after it is released (don't worry though, it'll be retro 8 months after that and will be played at college parties for the next 12 years.) I'm talking about a specific type of album that some bands make. Not every band has this type of album, and not all of the bands that do have good ones. Some of them though...are the greatest albums ever made. I'm talking about the drug album. The one that was inspired by something that can only be legally obtained with a stolen prescription pad.
Recently I've rediscovered one of my favorite albums of this category, This is Hardcore by Pulp. For those of you that don't know, Pulp was huge in the UK during the Britpop scene and had very brief success here in the U.S. (however, as of late hipsters across the country have embraced Jarvis Cocker and his solo work. Good for you hipster-douche. Much cooler than back in '98 when you were embracing Marilyn Manson t-shirts and Korn CD's.)
The album came out in 1998 and is to me the last Britpop album. While it was given good reviews by the critics and went to number 1 in the U.K. it didn't do much here...which is a shame because it is great from start to finish.
Why do I call it a "drug album"? Well, the first track is over 5 min long, the first single off the album is over 6 min long, 90% of the songs make a drug reference, and one track that is over 8 minutes long spends 5 minutes and 30 seconds building up to less than 2 minutes of music. While I've never had the pleasure of a cocaine-fueled psychotic episode, I completely plan on this album blaring if I do. In short, this album is incredible.
I love the different layers of guitar, the bass, and the orchestra that keeps popping up in songs throughout the album (another sign of a drug album). There is also something about the drums on the album that sound incredible to me. Especially on the track Sylvia. There is just a really cool groove throughout the album. And of course you can't ignore the incredible voice of Jarvis Cocker. Narrating the story of his life going out of control, he sounds like David Bowie on one track and Leonard Cohen the on the next. It's a pop album that you can dance and pump your fist to, but at the same time, it's dark as shit.
Have you ever had a party at your house where at the end of the night you've had way too much fun, you're way too drunk, way too tired, and you just want to tell everyone to get the hell out of your house? That's This is Hardcore.
Favorite Tracks
The Fear
TV Movie
A Little Soul
Sylvia

I Still Want to Punch You in the Balls, Julian Casablancas

So I thought this blog would be me writing about whatever it is I'm listening to at the time and that it would be things that have been out for quite sometime because I wasn't up on new music anymore. Low and behold, I've been hooked on a new album for the last couple of days! Granted it's a solo album by a guy whose band really hasn't been hip in something like 6 years, but whatever, it's a new album. Put me on the board.
So in 2001 I was like a lot of Strokes fans. While being completely blown away with their music I also wanted to give every single one of them a cock punch. Well, maybe not the bass player. He seemed pretty harmless...but yeah, aside from being annoying I loved the Strokes and listened to the album constantly. I even thought the second album was great as well, which I'm pretty sure was considered a failure. The third album though, I think is pretty much destined to spend the rest of eternity as the "i didn't even know they made a third album" album. Which is good, because it's pretty bad.
So, like most Strokes fans, I pretty much wrote them off as a band I would never seek out again, nor did I care to. Then somehow I stumbled across the new solo album, Phrazes for the Young from lead singer Julian Casablancas.
Son of...
this album is good. I mean, honestly, it's awesome.
If you never liked the Strokes, then don't bother - because it sounds like a Strokes album a lot of the time - but that's mainly due to the fact that Casablancas has a very distinct vocal sound. Musically, it's kind of all over the place, ranging from the signature Strokes guitar sound and fist-pumping choruses to 80's synth and drum machine beats that wouldn't sound out of place at a dance club. I'll even go out on a ledge and say Julian Casablancas does a good job at channeling Lou Reed on a couple tracks. Yeah, that's right.
I forgot how much I liked the dudes vocals. Some people have whiskey voices; Casablancas has a beer voice. Slurring and crooning his way through a song in a fashion that only 7 Budweisers could create.
I read an interview with Casablancas where he said the Strokes are planning on getting together in the coming year to work on a new album but he didn't seem that optimistic. I'll tell you what Julian. Don't bother. Using this and that last train wreck of an album you guys put out as a reference, I say stay with the solo career. Hopefully you tour and come to Chicago, because I'll be there. Can't say I won't want to still give you a cock punch though...
Favorite tracks:
Out of the Blue
Left & Right in the Dark
Ludlow St.
Glass