Album Review Raditude

Many families have had a talented, charming, and clever member that has been in and out of rehab. This cousin/nephew/uncle shot out of the gates and soared to great heights with ease. He became the family favorite because despite the success he achieved he maintained his aw-shucks charm that was so endearing. Eventually he begins to falter. He burns the candle at both ends and the older he gets the less amusing and excusable his drunken actions become. The Keaton family had Tom Hanks as Uncle Ned on a very special episode of Family Ties. For music fans Weezer is the proverbial Uncle Ned of our generation.

Eventually the Uncle Ned’s sober up after 28 days and look like they are getting their act together. Then just when we get our hopes up that we are getting the pay off of all their potential, they rip our hearts out. Yet, each time they fall off the wagon and go back to rehab we get our hopes up that this time they will pull it together. With each passing forgettable Weezer album we get our hopes up with a quality single (eg. “Pork and Beans,” “Hash Pipe,” “Perfect Situation”) and then left heart broken wondering what happen. After years of hoping the cycle would end, it finally has. Weezer is dead. At least the one we knew and loved. Their latest Raditude, is the equivalent of Uncle Ned blatantly ask for money. No more schemes, no more false hope, no effort whatsoever.

The first single "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" sounds like something from one of the thousand long named worthless bands that are played on Fuse all day. The second single "Can't Stop Partying" has some potential that is lost by distracting piercing synths not mention the ridiculous repetitive lyrics. River's even sings, “Screw rehab, I love my addiction!” “Put Me Back Together” could easily be mistaken for an American Idol runner-ups debut single. Worse yet, they co-wrote the song with The All-American Rejects. One of the best bands of the 90’s is now co-writing songs with the “Give You Hell” guys! The only song that sounds like a Weezer song is “Let it All Hang Out.” Except the lyrics were written by Jermaine Dupri wasting good riffs and hooks on lines like, “I'm going out with my homies and we gonna let it all hang out.” Even Cuomo’s teen angst at 40 isn’t that embarrassing.

Raditude is an uneven and lazy record. Weezer has forgotten who they really are, or at least who they were. Listening to The Blue Album is like looking back at an old photo of Uncle Ned’s graduation. We can remember how happy it made us, the future looked so bright and exciting. Now it’s a sad reminder of how far they have fallen. Fortunately, this will be the last time we get our hearts ripped out, which in itself is pretty sad. Who needs a drink?

Paddy the Prophet

I've been listening to Glenn Beck for sometime on the radio. I'm not a fan mind you, more know thy enemy. But over the last few months he has gone total batshit. I thought his apocalyptic shit on the radio was bad, but lately on T.V. he has been losing it. He has become a real life Howard Beale! Network is one of my all time favorite movies. Paddy Chayefsky is like Nostradamus, now that's truly horrifying.

indie pop on a spring day

I cannot get enough of matt & kim, especially this song! probably my favorite of the year.

Who said 8 tracks were dead

i discovered probably the coolest website in sometime yesterday. 8 Tracks. you create a mix and upload it. like most things on the interweb there is the incredibly good and bad.

That's Life

That's life, that's what all the people say.
You're riding high in April, Shot down in May

It's interesting what happens when a clock strikes midnight. 2008 was the greatest year of my life. It's been 19 days of 2009 and I find myself listening to the Chairman on loop. At the risk of sounding like I am wallowing in self pity (because I really am) I will explain how shitty the first 2 1/2 weeks of 09 have been. I am unemployed, I missed two credit card payments this month, I stood out in the 20 degree cold for 8 hours harassing strangers only to be fired for the first time in my life, my online Spanish midterm closed when I was only half way done, I can't pay my rent, the only time I eat is when kind strangers make me food, I can't pay for the Spanish class that I am now undoubtedly failing, I missed my set at Comedy Forum, I'm doing medical studies to support myself, and a spider bit me on the face. But as Franky says, "That's life I tell ya, I can't deny it." Now I just need to find the resolve that that old Italian bastard had, "I thought of quitting baby, but my heart just ain't gonna buy it." Then again he does leave on a good point, "But if there's nothing shakin' come this here july I'm gonna roll myself up in a big ball and die."

Another month, another worthless effort

Man I am a worthless blogger, which is more of an indictment on my merit as a human considering how little effort blogging takes. In all honesty I'm just neglectful. I have writing on another blog, a heavy traffic, newspaper funded blog. I'm a sellout and a whore I know. This is why from here on out I am committing myself to you. And by you I mean me, because lord knows I don't have any readers. I am moving to the midwest in two weeks and leaving behind this wonderful life in "America's vacation land" so I'm sure I will have plenty of material to write about until then here's a picture of Jeff Goldblum.