Winning Days in the Vision Valley...

Good Evening Gentle Viewers,

So this morning Kim and I went upstairs to make breakfast on this beautiful day. She wanted me to put on some happy music that would be appropriate for the sunny day. I chose to put on the Vines' first album, Highly Evolved.

As sausages sizzle on the pan, I jump and sing and thrash around the kitchen to this fun and saucy record. And unfortunately, amongst all this fun, I stop and recall this review about the Vines' new record, Vision Valley (which is romping bit of fun imo) I read recently from the retardedly pretentious fucktards at PitchFork Media.

Ouch. It really infuriates me when someone even bothers to review an album when at the beginning of it they pretty much tell you that this sort of music is not "their thing" or don't take it seriously. Or perhaps that's the wrong phrasing, for this is exactly my problem with this over-hyped group of commentators and many music fans alike--seriousness.

Not every band has to be Radiohead, with the weight of the world on their shoulders, expected to "save Rock-n-Roll" or whatever the hype is the media keeps blabbering about for years now. Let me say that Rock doesn't need saving. It's very much alive. But the best of it, for the most part, is very hobbit-like: deep in a hole and doesn't like to venture out much for fear of unnecessary harassment from the "big folk" (aka corporate jerk-wads) and are content in their own world with those whom know and love them. People just have to try harder to hear good music, which means they can't simply switch on the radio and expect to hear something that catches their ear or minds. And for some, that's too much effort so they just submit to the trash on the radio and claim that somebody needs to come save them and rock as a whole. Kind of reminds me of a line from Aesop Rock from his song "Save Yourself" off the incredibly brilliant album Labor Days, "Next time you wanna be a hero try saving somethin' other than hip-hop
And maybe hip-hop'll save you from the pit-stop." But the same applies to Rock and music in general. But this is not the point of this rant, though it is important as well....

FUN! That's what I was trying to get to. One can enjoy a record and just dance around to it, without it having to be about Global Warming or some other dire issue. Now am I a saying to run out and purchase the latest piece of pop garbage that tops the Billboard Charts? HELL NO!! But something can be quality but not have some important issue to get across. Which brings me to the Vines. Their music is somewhere between surf, Beatles-esque pop, and grunge wall-of-sound. And I think it's a great sound. Fun stuff to sing along to, to drive to the beach or some other recreation and just vibe to it. Which is still how I feel about Weezer's Green album that was severely trashed and underrated as well, because it wasn't a tortured Pinkerton masterpiece, instead being just a fun summer record to sing, drink, and smoke to with your pals. In fact, I will list here a few of my favourite records that are just fun records to dance or thrash to:

* Head Automatica - Decadence
* Electric Six - Fire
* Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakdown & Elevator
* The Faint - Danse Macabre, Blankwave Arcade, and Wet from Birth
* Weezer - Green album & Maladroit
* Franz Ferdinand - Both of their albums
* Modest Mouse - Good News...
* The Stokes - Is This It
* The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious, Tyrannosaurus Hives
* Any Sugarcubes album
* Hell, Misfits records are fun as hell too!

Anyway, you get the point. Or at least I hope you do. These are not incredibly famous bands (most) but still have fun quality work that you can throw on with a group of friends and just enjoy without worry. And that's how it should be. Or at least that's how the whole thing started. Like the Birds said there's a time for ...well all sorts of stuff anyway. So don't be on the heady serious road all the time. Lighten up and enjoy yourself and your music. Don't just sit around and listen to Neutral Milk Hotel and weep. Life can be a fun thing, enjoy it. But make sure you have the proper soundtrack. Have fun people. The world is full of enough woe and sorrow that sometimes the only way to combat it is to show that all its weight doesn't drag you down, and you can your happiness can endure.



P.S. How can you say "NO" to this guy?!