WHAT THE CRAP?!?!?!
Oh man, I’m chuckling after reading this quick blurb about the Will Smith album that came out today: “The Fresh Prince switches it up with a tougher set of new raps…” Despite “Ali” and “Independance Day,” I simply can’t buy “The Fresh Prince” and “tough” in the same sentence …
Anyways, on to more important things:
WDET-FM’s on-air spring fundraising efforts officially begin this Thursday and run through Friday, April 8th (though the pledge drive will shut down early if the station’s goal is reached before that, of course). YES, I’m not necessarily pleased about most of the ‘restructurings’ that have occurred at WDET in the past year; YES, I understand that most folks (including myself) feel like the station sounds a bit more ‘commercialized’ than it should … and despite my gripes, YES, I still feel strongly enough about WDET-FM to try to encourage folks who listen to pledge even a small amount, if possible (which I indeed will be doing myself). WDET is still the most diverse widely-available station on the FM dial, and I personally still support NPR – hopefully, some of MCR’s faithful readers will feel the same … (and for those of you who know me, NO, my feelings towards WDET-FM really aren’t influenced by the fact that I think Liz Copeland’s late-night slot is the best thing since sliced bread – though I guess that doesn’t really hurt, either)
At the moment, I’m giving Splendid Ezine major props – check out a rather funny round of random questions answered by Kent Heine, bassist of the tragically overlooked New York band The Holy Ghost.
It’s refreshing to hear a band completely distancing themselves from the garage and nu-punk scenes these days, even if the musical direction of the band could be classified as (GASP!) ‘commercial-sounding’ by local hipsters and nay-sayers. Still, The Silent Years have developed a reputation as a truly enjoyable melodic pop-rock band through impressive live performances, and Stand Still Like the Hummingbird only further cements that notion. Unattentive listening could quickly lead to an easy dismissal of the band as John Mayer or Gavin DeGraw fare, but closer aural inspection leads to the startling revelation that these songs aren’t sterotypical fluff – actually, they’re damned good. While the band’s sound is indeed indelibly rooted in contemporary guitar pop, the fellas from The Silent Years take as many cues from shoegazing pop, Wilco and Radiohead as they do from anything else (the Radiohead vibes are especially evident on the guitar squalls that erupt from the dreamy sprawl of the intense “Important Things”). The hopelessly catchy “Slept Through the Whole Thing” is the disc’s other highlight – a deliberate, well-constructed song that would blow the doors off most current radio playlist fodder. The masses might unite to burn crosses on my doorstep, but this is easily the best local offering I’ve heard thus far in 2005. Check out the band’s website for more info about this self-released disc.