411 Music Roundtable: June Edition

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 06.06.2006

Join the 411 Music Staff as we look back on May, a month where the Chili Peppers scored big, Gnarls Barkley unleashed itself on the world, DMX refused to click it and “American Idol” dominated the music world. All the news, plus a look at upcoming releases by AFI, Dashboard, Counting Crows and others!

It's that time once again, when the well-known and straightforward incorporation of the 411mania Music Zone breaks in proceedings for a second as it considers the month past and contemplates the musical happenings that may be revealed under the next lunar cycle. These cogitations have been designated the 411 Music Roundtable.


JUNE 2006


BIGGEST WINNER OF THE MONTH


Red Hot Chili Peppers
Mitch Michaels: You know, in the early days of May, we had Flea whining on RHCP's message board about how it was breaking his heart that people were downloading a leaked copy of Stadium Arcadium and hearing a version of "lesser quality". I thought, damn, this is never a good sign. Amazingly, though, the band came out with a pretty solid album and has enjoyed some of their best sales ever (of course, you have to consider that it's a double album, so its sales are somewhat inflated). I wasn't "wowed" by the new album, but it does have some nice songs on it and gets a little better after you've lived with it for a while. Plus, two weeks at #1 had to help Flea find his smile.

Gnarls Barkley
Tim O'Sullivan: It's just a mad, mad time for these experimenting nutters. In terms of the singles chart, "Crazy" is pretty much the hugest song in nearly fifteen years in the UK. The live performances on "Jools" and "Top of the Pops" are still quirky and cool, but the radio edit is getting on my tits now. However, kudos to them for turning the UK singles chart on its head for a few months. The album is shit, though.

Beanie Sigel
Jared McGuckin: I'm not going to pretend I'm up to date with what's going on in the hip hop/rap world, but I do know Beanie Sigel just got some "street cred" by getting shot this month. So, way to go Beanie!! Actually, I really can't think of someone who had a really stellar month.

Taylor Hicks
Josh Richey: While I'll admit that I have never watched an episode of "American Idol", even I have to be impressed when I hear that 200 million people tuned in to see this guy win a contest. Especially a contest in which you received over 64 million votes, and made David Hasselhoff (who was in attendance) cry like a baby.

Jamie Buttineau: If we take the term "Winner of the Month" literally, then I guess we have to go with the grey haired buffoon who has won American Idol. I mean, you can't be more of a winner than this guy really. Even Katharine is bound to benefit since she's the runner-up and that means she'll put out at least one album. So to the Joe Cocker wannabe, "Soul Patrol"-yelling freakazoid Mr. Hicks, I salute you.


BIGGEST LOSER OF THE MONTH


DMX
Mitch Michaels: Not a lot of "loser" news this month, but I found the story about DMX being arrested on a New York to London flight for refusing to buckle his seat belt particularly pathetic. DMX has always found trouble in the strangest places, but after Snoop Dogg's recent hardcore total ban from the United Kingdom, a warning for not following the "faster seat belt" sign is just sad.

Jared McGuckin: For all the praying and talk about God that this guy does, he sure as hell gets in trouble a lot. This month's scuffle with the law: refusal to put on his seatbelt on an airplane. I know that the rap game is jam-packed full of guys trying to prove who's the toughest or whatever, but a refusal to put on seatbelt? C'mon now, I'm the first one to say "Damn the man", but it's only a seatbelt.

Jamie Buttineau: There wasn't anyone that really screwed up this month as far as I can tell, so I'm gonna go with the guy who seems to be getting arrested more and more each month: DMX. This month the dude got arrested for refusing to put on his seatbelt on a plane. Seriously, that is the lamest thing you could ever be arrested for. Dumbass.

LL Cool J
O'Sullivan: He was street. He was cool. He was nearly bitten by a shark in Deep Blue Sea. But more importantly, and more relevantly, he has taken a one-way ticket to the land of commercial mediocrity, and it's all boiled up via a song that I don't think I could hate more. He and J-Lo should be banned from music....maybe for life.

Axl Rose
Josh Richey: So you invest all these years recreating Guns N' Roses' image. Spend years on the Chinese Democracy album. Then, right when people were actually starting to regain interest, you allow yourself to get bitch slapped by Tommy Hilfiger?


BIGGEST MUSIC NEWS OF THE MONTH


American Idol
Mitch Michaels: It seems that almost half the music news you read this month in the US was somehow centered around "AI", be it who was eliminated in the final weeks, the rumors that Chris Daughtry may be joining Fuel and the ultimate crowning of ol' Gray Charles himself. The sad thing is winning "American Idol" by no means has been proven as a hot ticket into the music biz. While Kelly Clarkson has no doubt parlayed her Season One victory into a great career (and it's still too early to call Carrie Underwood a rousing success), when was the last time you heard from Ruben Studdard or Fantasia what's-her-name? And with the exception of Clay Aiken, the non-winners are pretty much guaranteed an end to their fifteen minutes as soon as the credits roll on the season finale. But even as the Season 5 contestant names fade into obscurity, you can't deny that May was "American Idol's" month.

O'Sullivan: Well, I guess it was?! Taylor Hicks has a good voice.....but was by no means groundbreaking. Daughtry should have owned this ridiculously mediocre season of the show, but it may be a mega, mega blessing in disguise.

Jared McGuckin: I would be remiss if I didn't mark this down as the biggest story of the month. You couldn't take a piss without hitting a magazine that had "American Idol" coverage. I don't really watch "Idol", nor do I care who wins, but somehow I always manage to know more about the contestants on this show, the winners and losers, than I care to. This year's soon-to-be-forgotten-winner? Taylor Hicks. Take a bow Taylor, you're about to become a trivia question.

Josh Richey: Over 200 million people tuned into Fox to see the gray haired Hicks become the latest American Idol. Let's just hope it works out better for him than it did for Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, or that really fat guy.

Thom Yorke To Release Solo Album
Jamie Buttineau: This seems like a pretty big deal seeing as how Radiohead is a pretty damn big band these days. I'm sure at the very least this is bound to be decent and will hold over Radiohead fans until their next album comes out. Plus, I'm curious as to whether or not Yorke can make us all sad and depressed on his own.


MOST NOTABLE RELEASE OF THE MONTH


Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
Mitch Michaels: Between the big sales and the constant rotation of "Dani California" on both radio and TV, you just couldn't get away from this one this month. The ambitious double album might have not been as blow-away as other recent Chili Peppers CDs, but it pleased a lot of die hard fans (trust me, I know) while managing to interest enough casual music fans to bank big. Given their track record, I'm not surprised by the success.

Jared McGuckin: This is a huge release for a tremendously over-rated band, except for Flea, he's OK in my book. The RHCP double disc got some pretty decent reviews and some solid sales numbers, just about what you'd expect from these guys.

T.I. - King
O'Sullivan: It was released in the States a while back, I know cos I read Mitch's review, but it only surfaced this side of the pond recently. I can't stop playing "What You Know" ridiculously loud.

Silverstein - 18 Candles: The Early Years
Josh Richey: Silverstein released some of their unreleased tracks this month. The album also features a remix of the hit "Smile In Your Sleep". They also have some decent acoustic work on the album, which makes it a so-so release. It was a pretty unimpressive May for music, but this album is at least worth a spin.

Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere
Jamie Buttineau: This was hard to narrow down and, in fact, it might change over the next few months cuz I really like the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Built To Spill albums as well. But in terms of sells and notoriety and goodness I'll give it to Cee-Loo and Danger Mouse for this crazy, weird album of electro-soul and funk. Or whatever you call what this is. My favourite album at the moment.


MUSIC DVD OF THE MONTH


AC/DC: Family Jewels
Mitch Michaels: I picked this up for only $6 last month at a Suncoast clearance sale. Damn, I'm gonna miss that store. The DVD is a double-disc set, featuring a bunch of AC/DC videos and TV performances from their early days to the beginning of the 90's. It's fun to watch the early clips, especially the one where Bon Scott is dressed as a school girl to complement Angus Young's school boy schtick, or where the band is being hauled on a flatbed truck through the streets of Sydney with a bagpipe band in tow. The video blocks get slightly annoying (such as the Back In Black portion, which features 4 lip-synched songs all performed on the same sound stage), but just having all these AC/DC chestNUTS assembled in one place makes for a fun and kick-ass Saturday night.

Live 8
O'Sullivan: ‘Tis a good cause people......plus, you can see a performance from Pete Doherty that is so bad it's terrific.

Alice In Chains: MTV Unplugged
Jared McGuckin: You say Nirvana had the most memorable "Unplugged" performance but for my money, it doesn't get any better than Alice In Chains.

Johnny Cash: A Concert Behind Prison Walls
Josh Richey: The most amazing musical performance that you'll ever witness. I highly, highly recommend it.

Dio – Holy Diver Live
Jamie Buttineau: Oh hells yeah! I haven't seen it cuz I don't usually watch music DVDs, but come on! It's Dio! Ronnie James Dio! The man! If this isn't worth seeing then I dunno what is.


CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE MONTH


V/A – WWE Forceable Entry
Mitch Michaels: OK, you may not consider this album classic, but it's definitely really good (if not totally overlooked), and I think it would be apropos to include here since its sequel, WWE Wreckless Intent was released this month. There are some great songs on here, from Our Lady Peace's rocking "Whatever" to Disturbed's rumbling "Glass Shatters" to Monster Magnet's trippy "Live For The Moment". There are few bad moments on this album, and each song is guaranteed to get you amped up. Forceable Entry is a testament to both WWE in-house music producer Jim Johnston's ability to write great music and the participants' abilities to rock the fuck out.

Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life
O'Sullivan: The guy is money. He kills this disc from start to finish, and it still stands up as the only 'very long album' that I can still listen to without the urge to skip.

Eric Clapton - Time Pieces: The Best Of Eric Clapton
Jared McGuckin: It's Eric Fucking Clapton, is an explanation necessary?

The Offspring - Smash
Josh Richey: Summer is here folks! Time to drive around with the windows down, the music up, and the sunglasses on. Nothing says summer like The Offspring's Smash.

Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes
Jamie Buttineau: One of my favourite albums. It's got "Blister In The Sun", "Add It Up", and a song that was covered by Gnarls Barkley on their new album, actually: "Gone Daddy Gone". Their version is good but the original song is much cooler. Plus any song with a xylophone scores extra points. Fun!


LYRIC OF THE MONTH

Mitch Michaels: "Ever take a drink, stop and wonder why/Think about where the shadows go when you turn out the lights/Why God put tears in men if we're not supposed to cry/And what are we doing here tonight?" - Radney Foster, "What Are We Doing Here Tonight"

O'Sullivan: "JT is a fag......../A fag he is......../He misses Scott Ruther so bad........./He kisses his pillow and pretends it's him" - The True Stories, "JT Is A Fag"

Jared McGuckin: "In my bed I lie alone/Scrape together bone to bone/And I can't seem to seem to find my way/I can't seem to find the break of day" - Coal Chamber, "My Frustration"

Josh Richey: "When our time is up/When our lives our done/Will we say we've had our fun/Will we make a mark this time/Will we always say we tried" - Lostprophets, "Rooftops"

Jamie Buttineau: "I used to wonder why he looked familiar/Then I realized it was a mirror/Oh and now it is plain to see/The whole time the monster was me" - Gnarls Barkley, "The Boogie Monster"

NEXT MONTH'S NEW RELEASES


The New Cars - It's Alive
Mitch Michaels: A new album with a new lead singer and only some of the old band? This one will probably go over about as well as the New Monkees. The time for a Cars reunion passed a couple of years ago. Although, if the album was called New Cars Smell, I'd at least be a little entertained.



Cheap Trick - Rockford
Mitch Michaels: I've never been a big Cheap Trick fan, but the band seems to really believe in this new album, with all the press hype talking about how it "easily stands up against other Cheap Trick albums" and how it "combines the band's best elements." Well, either they believe in it or they just really want somebody to buy it. It would be a cool summer for a new Cheap Trick hit, though.

Jamie Buttineau: These guys had the gall to go on Conan and NOT play "I Want You To Want Me". Dudes, look, I know you guys want to have some sort of a career. I'm sorry, it's too late for that. From now on, you should just release albums that are basically just you guys playing different versions of that song. That song is you, and you are that song. You poor bastards.



V/A - Strummin' With The Devil: The Southern Side Of Van Halen
Mitch Michaels: Bluegrass tributes to unlikely bands pop up all the time (just check the Wal*Mart bins, hell, I think even William Hung has one), but the interesting thing about this is that David Lee Roth is actually participating on a couple of songs, and there are different bands on each track. I can't imagine Diamond Dave having a very nice voice for a bluegrass number (or anything these days, for that matter), but this one will be interesting to hear as an oddity. But I won't be buying it.

Jamie Buttineau: ….What the fuck?! Seriously? What the hell is this? What's next, Blitzkrieg Bouzouki: A Greek Tribute To The Ramones? Jeez.



Live - Songs From Black Mountain
Mitch Michaels: They're still around? Shit, I remember them seeming washed up at Woodstock six years ago. This is just proof that 90's rock bands never die, they just fade away.



Billy Joel - 12 Gardens Live
Mitch Michaels: Just what the world has been clamoring for, another live Billy Joel album. Seriously, fuck this old ass fuck. I used to enjoy Joel's music, but everything he does is a cash grab these days, such as his $200+ concert tickets. The guy doesn't even make new songs anymore!

Josh Richey: Everyone buy this album! Billy Joel needs more beer money.



The Replacements - Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?: The Best Of The Replacements
Mitch Michaels: I love when hits collections from bands like this come out. I've always wondered just who the fuck the Replacements were.



Keb' Mo' - Suitcase
Mitch Michaels: Summertime is a great time for the blues. Let's hope Mr. Mo's Suitcase has plenty packed in.



Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope
Mitch Michaels: Hot hot hot!!! I love fucked up Russian alt-rock chicks.

Jamie Buttineau: I liked her first album, and thought the name Soviet Kitsch was a neat little title. I hope this is pretty good. The song "Us" and the music video to it was one of my favourites from last year. Plus her asking "can you help a brother out?" is just hilarious.



Madonna – I'm Going To Tell You A Secret
Mitch Michaels: A new Madonna live DVD and CD? Given the Material Girl's recent concert behavior aimed to isolate and offend anyone remotely Judeo-Christian, I wonder how much of the shit on here Wal*Mart will have to edit before they can sell it? Oh, that's right, Wal*Mart only edits music, not movies.

Josh Richey: What will her secret be? Will she finally tell us that Kabbalah is a scam? Perhaps she'll finally reveal that she's really a hermaphrodite.



Nelly Furtado - Loose
Mitch Michaels: Looks like she wasn't so much like a bird after all.

Jared McGuckin: Why is she still allowed to make music?



Counting Crows - New Amsterdam: Live At Heineken Music Hall, February 6, 2003
Mitch Michaels: I'm a big CC fan, but even I'm a little baffled by this one. The band hasn't released an album of new material since 2002, and, as a follow-up to their 2004 Best Of set, they release…a 3-year old live set? What the fuck? I'm sure it will sound nice, but I think this is just so they'll have something to sale on their upcoming tour with the Goo Goo Dolls.

Josh Richey: When one of the greatest bands in the world releases anything -- you buy it! The Counting Crows, ladies and gentlemen; are one of those bands.



India.Arie - Testimony: Vol. 1 – Life & Relationships
Mitch Michaels: Damn, did this woman take a while to capitalize on her Grammy hype or what? I remember when her first album broke big in 2002, I was like, who the hell? Now it's 4 years later and she's finally back with another set of boring girl singer/songwriter shit covered up as neo-soul. No thanks, I've had enough sleep today.



Bjork - Surrounded: Dual Disk Brick
Mitch Michaels: If you buy this box set you have 1) too much spare cash and 2) absolutely no taste in music.

Jared McGuckin: Why's SHE allowed to still make music?



Pearl Jam – Live At Easy Street
Jared McGuckin: It's about time Pearl Jam put out a live album. Their live shows are just so unbelievably good, I'm surprised they haven't released 1000 live CDs before. I hope you're all picking up on the sarcasm, 'cause I'm laying it on pretty thick.



Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped
Jared McGuckin: I don't think they can still have the word "Youth" in the name of their band.

Jamie Buttineau: Oooo, sweet a Sonic Youth album. Usually bad Sonic Youth is better than most anything else. Righteous.



AFI – Decemberunderground
Joshua Richey: The first album that I'm really excited about this summer. AFI is headlining the Warped Tour, and rarely disappoint.

Jamie Buttineau: This actually might not suck. I've become somewhat of a fan of them lately and Sing The Sorrow was a pretty good album. Might be worth a listen.



Busta Rhymes – The Big Bang
Josh Richey: The Hip Hop scene just isn't the same without Busta. Fear not, for Busta is back...with a Big Bang. (Sorry, I couldn't resist)



Guster – Ganging Up On The Sun
Josh Richey: Haven't heard anything from Guster in years, and that album title isn't helping. I'd expect Clay Aiken to title his album that, but not Guster. (Editor's Note: Due to a typographical error on my part, Josh thought that the title of this album was Ganging Up On The Gun. Neither Joshua Richey, 411mania nor Clay Aiken (to our knowledge) condone group child molestation of any manner. Had he replaced Clay Aiken with Michael Jackson, this note would not be necessary.)



Dashboard Confessional – Dusk & Summer
Josh Richey: Time to make some more Emo kids cry. Yay!



Keane – Under The Iron Sea
Jamie Buttineau: These guys had one good song and aside from that have done nothing else. I expect more sad piano twinkling and not much else.



Carpathian Forest – Fuck You All
Jamie Buttineau: Now that's an album title! That's how you draw in the fans and money, baby.


THE END
And that'll do it for this month. Join us next month for another awe-inspiring edition of the 411 Music Roundtable!