The Land Pirates Ep. 9 - "The Wedding Presents"

The Land Pirate wedding has finally come and nothing can stop it... except some wedding crashers.

Starring: Steve Neumann, Patrick Auggie White, Maxx Maulion, Elizabeth Ammann Jennie Taber, Natasha Rose Capener, Mohammad Hussain, Harry Hannigan, Frank Wolff.

Written by: Murph and Frank
Directed by: Murph
Edited by Murph
A Not A Banana Production
http://www.notabanana.com

The Land Pirates Ep. 8 - "Pass the Courvoisier"

Just hours before the wedding, Captain John Denver and Maximillion Hook wonder where Whitey Brownbeard could be as Maureen frets over the loss of her cousin.

Starring: Steve Neumann
Patrick Auggie White
Maxx Maulion
Elizabeth Ammann
Jennie Taber
Natasha Rose Capener
Written by: Murph and Frank
Directed by: Murph
Produced by: Frank
A Not A Banana Production
http://www.notabanana.com

The Land Pirates Ep. 7 - "Enter the Sand Ninja"

As Land Pirates go in search of their tripping bud, Whitey Brownbeard, the girls continue their plan to foil the wedding by calling up the mysterious and odd Sand Ninja.

The Land Pirates Ep. 6 - "The Drinking of the Cups"

While the girls enjoy their bachelor party, Land Pirate Whitey Brownbeard must go through the ancient Land Pirate ritual of "The Drinking of the Cups."

The Land Pirates Ep. 5 - "The Bachelor Party"

Land Pirate Whitey Brownbeard and his sweet Maureen are excited about their upcoming nuptials, but their friends have other ideas.

The Land Pirates Ep. 4 - "Blind Dates Part Deux"

Our not so friendly pirates have the tables turned on them, but love, like hope in a better grog, springs eternal.

Starring: Steve Neumann
Patrick Auggie White
Maxx Maulion
Elizabeth Ammann
Jennie Taber
Natasha Rose Capener

Written by: Murph and Frank
Directed by: Murph
Produced by: Frank
A Not A Banana Production http://www.notabanana.com

The Land Pirates Ep. 3 - "Blind Dates"

Our lovable scallywags find that dating sucks just as much for pirates as the rest of us.

Starring:
Steve Neumann
Patrick Auggie White
Maxx Maulion
Elizabeth Ammann
Jennie Taber
Natasha Rose Capener

Written by: Murph and Frank
Directed by: Murph
Produced by: Frank
A Not A Banana Production
http://www.notabanana.com

Murph’s Coachella Review

Music lovers young and old showed up for the 2009 Coachella Music Festival in Indio, CA over the weekend to catch some up and coming acts and some legends.  I’m guessing the legends are the reason for the large number of “elderly hipsters” and their offspring frolicking around the festival, standing uncomfortably and averting their children’s eyes from such horrible sights as nudity, drugs, and The Killers.  Meanwhile, the male hipster nation apparently proclaimed this as “The Year of the Fedora,” as proven by the sea of tan and brown-rimmed hats that deluged the younger sect of the crowd.  The girls seemed to opt for the usual -- as little clothing as possible.  And that’s hard to argue with, since the weather creeped up into the low 100’s by Sunday.  Still the festival was cooler than previous years and the music was solid.  What more can you really ask for?  A day-by-day review?  You got it.

FRIDAY, APRIL 17TH:
My fellow concertgoers had planned on catching Cage the Elephant at 3:15 on Friday.   As usual, we ended up running late and barely got there in time for The Hold Steady, who I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen before.  But maybe I have.  I dig their sound and despite their reputation for an awesome live gig, I found myself kind of bored.  People say they’re the best bar band in the world.  Maybe it would have been a better show if it was in a bar, but out in the desert and in a hot tent, I could see why I might have forgotten seeing them before... Assuming I actually did.

From there, a couple of us headed over to see M. Ward, but not before walking by Los Campesinos! and hearing their poppier than pop single: “You, Me, Dancing!” I wouldn’t have minded hearing a bit more, but I wanted to see as much of M. Ward as I could before rambling on to see Akron’s own, The Black Keys.  I’ve seen M. Ward a bunch of times and I’ve never been disappointed. However, I wasn’t exactly blown away this time. Of course, I was only there for about fifteen minutes, so maybe Mr. Matt Ward just didn’t get a chance. 

The Black Keys have been one of my favorite bands since 2003.  I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve seen the band live, and every time (with the exception of a 2004 Bonnaroo appearance jammed with technical difficulties), the band fucking kills it every time.  I’ve seen better performances by the Keys, but they were no slouches on the main stage, and it was nice to see the Ohio boys get some recognition from the masses. 

From the Black Keys, I hustled over to the outdoor stage to see Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band.  Conor looked pretty ridiculous in a ginormous black bad-guy western style hat, but I guess when you’re an indie rock prince, you can pretty much get away with anything.  Conor’s new band is solid and has more of a southern classic rock feel than the folk rock feel of previous efforts when he called himself Bright Eyes.  I dig the new sound, but don’t know how I feel about other dudes in the band singing.  They just don’t have the stage presence their frontman has.  And Conor’s antics on stage while NOT vocalizing only took the attention away from the singer, so why not just sing yourself?  The band’s got your name in the title, Conor?  If you guys are gonna switch off, why not just call yourselves “The Mystic Valley Band”?  Maybe all the side antics were an attempt to keep the crowd energized while some no-name dude sang... Whatever the case may be, I’m curious to hear the new record and see how they balance out the singing duties. 

After Conor, we lingered at the outdoor tent waiting for our man, Leonard Cohen.  A lot of weird looks shared between the young and the old as this was the first big “melting pot” show of the day.  You could almost read the thoughts of the old-timers as they exchanged confused glances with their younger brethren wondering what the hell they’re doing at a Leonard Cohen concert and if anyone actually knows who he is.  Meanwhile, we all stared back at them, wondering if they were truly there for the concert, or perhaps just a bunch of senile old bastards who mistakenly got on the wrong bus near the retirement center.  But all that went away when Cohen took the stage.  The dude might be old, but he still has that same booming voice that can captivate an audience. Plus, his band is fucking tops. I really hope I get a chance to see a full concert by Cohen and recommend you do the same before this legend is no longer with us. 

A lot of people, myself included, might be a bit surprised by next my choice -- I skipped the sweet rock sounds of the Silversun Pickups to hit up the dance party mixes of one Greg Gillis - aka Girl Talk.  I don’t know what to say about this guy other than he’s probably the best wedding DJ to ever live.  The dude from Pittsburgh mixed classic rap beats with pop tunes from today all the way back to the eighties.  It should be cheesy.  It should be unlistenable.  I should be outraged.  But I wasn’t.  I totally dug it.  If you want to have a fun night, and maybe even dance, go see Girl Talk.  Silversun can wait.

From there, it was on to Sir Paul McCartney.  Surely, the man was the highlight of the day and was probably one of the biggest reasons for Friday’s sell out and definitely didn’t hurt the plethora of old-timers walking the grounds.  I was super psyched to see Macca, and it seemed like everyone else was, too.  But I guess Paul didn’t see it that way.  After only one song, “Jet“, he was at the front of the stage demanding more applause and acclaim from the crowd. I only took umbrage because the dude only played on song. And we were all fucking clapping and cheering pretty hard. What does he want this early on in the show?

Now look, I know the dude’s a Beatle and totally one of the greatest musicians of our time, but the grandstanding was a bit much for this guy.  Plus, I’ll admit it -- I don’t know his solo catalogue other than the big hits.  So, other than ”Drive My Car,“ I wasn’t familiar with 3 of the first 4 songs. And I certainly didn’t feel five minute clapping and cheering breaks were warranted.  Especially, considering ”Drive My Car“ was marred by the promo that played on the jumbo video screen behind him for the upcoming Rock Band: The Beatles release.  Ugh.  At this point, I was planning for the worst from Mr. McCartney.  But then the old guy turned it around, playing more Beatles, hits from his own catalog, and even a couple songs off last year’s ”The Fireman“ -- a great album in it’s own right.  I was actually hoping for more from this instead of his older solo shit, but whatever.  Apparently, he was just getting warmed up and teasing with a Beatles song here, a solo hit there, before blasting away with hit after hit.  And none of the other songs were accompanied by crappy promos for stuff he was selling.  It was a balls to the wall rock show.  Sure, everyone in attendance had to be disappointed that neither Ringo Star or Dhani Harrison (who was playing Coachella with his own band) stepped in for the set.  In lieu of that, I thought for sure he’d get some other celebrity musicians to sit in like Dave Grohl pounding the skins or maybe The Black Keys coming out for ”She Said, She Said.“  But alas, it was not to be.  And at the end of the night, I wasn’t even disappointed.  If I only could have arrived at his set 4 songs in, I think it would have been near perfect.  With the multiple encores, the pyrotechnics, and the fireworks, it was one hell of a way to end the first night of Coachella.

Friday Bands I would have liked to see:
Cage The Elephant, Noah and the Whale, Los Campesinos!, N.A.S.A., Beirut, Peanut Butter Wolf, Silversun Pickups



SATURDAY, APRIL 18TH:
Had to watch the Cavs first playoff game or I would have arrived in time for the Liars, but it would be a day of conflicting schedules and only seeing partial shows.  I wanted to see all of Blitzen Trapper, but as it turns out, I ended up only catching about half of their set.  I really like their album and their sound in general.  I heard they had some technical issues early in their set, but I didn’t hear many by the time I got there.  I can’t wait to see a full show of theirs.  I expect big things from these dudes...

As soon as Blitzen Trapper finished, I ran (okay, walked briskly...) over to catch the end of Dr. Dog.  They’re good guys who make good music, and they were solid as usual.  I just wish I would have caught more stuff off their earlier releases as I dig those more than their latest -- ”FATE.“ 

From the Dog, it was on to the beer garden to watch (more like listen to) Michael Franti and Spearhead.  I just don’t get the caged in necessity of the beer gardens.  Is it really to stop underage kids from drinking?  Because guess what?  Security was so tame this year, you could have smuggled in a handle of Jack and no one would have noticed.  Or cared!  So why are legal drinkers forced to watch from the sidelines?  Coachella is only losing money in this regard, too... I’d be buying more beers if I could drink and watch up close by the stage.  A stupid, stupid move.  I only feel more sorry for the smokers in the beer gardens who are encouraged to go into a smoking lounge that completely prevents you from enjoying the concert.  Anyway, Michael Franti sounded just fine as I lounged around having a few beers and people-watched from within my cage. 

The funniest sighting of the week had to be on the way to the TV on the Radio show when I saw a rather rotund youth with his dad.  He was proudly carrying a sign that read: ”Free Hugs and Kisses“ -- but unlike the other handful of other concertgoers with the same sign, his had additional text, seemingly written after the original sign was made.  In the corner next to ”Free Hugs and Kisses“ it read: ”Girls ONLY!“ and had a big circle around it.  I have a feeling the youth didn’t have any luck... and still find it surprising his dad ever did.

TV on the Radio would have blew the lid off Coachella if it wasn’t outdoors.  This was probably the second best live show I’ve seen them put on.  They just rocked from top to bottom and the crowd was totally into it.  My favorite part of the show was watching the TVOTR trumpeteer do his crazy, fun white-boy-dance-of-joy as he jammed with the band.  I can only imagine I would be the idiot jumping around having a great time if I could be on stage and jam with this most excellent band. Seriously, ignore the SNL performance.  That sound was fucked.  This band is for real.  Check out TV ON THE RADIO when you can. 

Fleet Foxes are meant for the outdoors, but not when you’re playing against a loud and rowdy Thievery Corporation.  Their light folk rock musings were overpowered by the main stage and it hurt the feel of the show immensely.  Hell, even the dam DJ jungle gym disaster they had in the middle of the festival grounds was louder than the Fleet Foxes.  This is a problem Coachella has to fix -- either by putting lighter sounding bands up against each other or just turning down the damn DJ tent.  The massive crowd (and I do mean massive... shockingly big crowd...) did not get the full effect of this band live and missed out on something. I was glad I saw them at the Echo last year.

Band of Horses followed Fleet Foxes, but since I’ve seen them before, I only caught about 10 or 15 minutes of their set.  They sounded good, but I wasn’t disappointed that I had to leave to go catch M.I.A.  I’ve been reading a lot of reviews that M.I.A. didn’t bring it on the mainstage. On the contrary, I think it was mostly the crowd’s fault.  They all just seemed to be there to hear her hit single ”Paper Planes“ -- And they didn’t seem to want to hear anything else.  This is the fallout of the itunes single generation.  I, however, thought she put on a great show -- especially considering she was filling in at (relatively) the last minute, just shot out a kid, and hasn’t performed live in a while.  She really only managed to get the crowd’s attention when she demanded that security help a number of those up front be allowed to dance with her onstage.  And when ”Paper Planes“ finally started, the crowd went apeshit -- those that hadn’t already split early anyways.  I think her set was solid and I bet it would have even been better if it was in a tent, like she suggested. 

After M.I.A., it was a mad dash to get as far away from The Killers show as possible.  I only managed to make it to the nearby beer garden and heard a bit of Jenny Lewis’ set.  She’s got a great voice, but it was late, I was a bit tired and in need of something more upbeat.  Luckily, up next were three bands I wanted to see -- Atmosphere, Mastodon, and Gang Gang Dance.  But I was only gonna be able to catch a little bit of each, starting with Mastodon.  They fucking rock.  If you like metal, you must get into Mastodon.  But since I’ve seen ‘em before, I only caught a few songs and then headed over to catch a bit of Atmosphere.  I dig his album, but was totally unimpressed by his stage show.  I don’t know if it didn’t translate well, I was too far away, the crowd wasn’t into it, or if he can’t really pull off a live show.  I was bored, so I left after a couple of songs to check out Gang Gang Dance, who I’d never seen.  And man, was I glad I checked them out live.  I’ve always had a hard time getting into them on record, but I really, really dug them live.  They were fun and very interesting.  I look forward to catching a full show from them in the future and might have to take another listen to their cds.

Saturday Bands I would have liked to see:
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Liars, Drive By Truckers, Tinariwen, Booker T and the DBT’s

SUNDAY, APRIL 19TH
Sunday would be my longest day at the festival.  I wanted to get there early to catch The Knux, but of course arrived late and only caught about half their set.  I did get to hear ”Cappuccino“ though, which made me happy.  They were pretty good live and gave a decent show to the couple hundred people that were there.  I did think they asked the crowd to ”make some noise“ an obnoxious amount of times, but otherwise, would totally see them again.  Pick up their album Remind Me in Three Days. They kind of sound like an indie Outkast.  Not quite as tight or produced, but still pretty catchy. 

Grabbed a couple beers after The Knux and then headed over to catch Fucked Up.  If you haven’t seen Fucked Up before, do it.  Fucked Up is a misfit band of Canadians led by a bald fat dude named Damian Abraham aka Pink Eyes.  This dude started the show by tearing his shirt off, taking a sip of some red soda and then bashing the can into his head until it began bleeding.  Then he tore into one of Fucked Up’s hardcore/punk/indie tunes and left the stage for the crowd, where he spent most of his time.  It’s amazing he was able to sing (okay, scream/yell) while being battered and bruised by the moshing crowd, which he became a part of.  I don’t think I’ve seen a pit at Coachella this hardcore since Rage was there.  Back in the day, I totally would have been in there, but I’m older and wiser than that now.  I saw a few people get blindsided and thrown to the ground -- While hilariously funny to anyone watching, not something I long to experience anymore.  I also found a Fucked Up show to be far superior to the CD.  It was much easier to get into the feel of their music, and with a frontman like Pink Eyes there’s plenty to watch.  It’s crazy because while the dude looks and sounds scary as hell, he’s probably one of the nicest frontmen in the business -- making sure to give thanks to security, yelling at fan for groping a hot chick who was body surfing, and then at the end of the show announcing missing items he’d found by the stage.  What a dude!  They made me a fan, and I’ll be going to back their shows whenever they come to town.  I suggest you do the same when they hit your area.

After Fucked Up, I stayed in the Mojave tent for The Brian Jonestown Massacre.  Plenty of people were there just hoping lead singer, Anton Newcombe would lose his shit and go off.  In fact, some concertgoers were trying their hardest to instigate him by yelling: ”Dandy’s are better!“ and ”Play some Oasis.“  Anton just stood facing the drum kit, ignoring the crowd, and left the frontman stuff to tambourine player extraordinaire, Joel Gion.  I really dug their psychedelic sounds and it was a good show.

I had planned on going to see The Clipse after this, but they cancelled for reasons I was not privy to.  So, I made another trip to the beer tent and totally missed Antony and the Johnsons.  Yeah, I suck, but at least I was drunk.  Left the beer tent and longingly looked at the outdoor stage where Paul Weller would be playing.  I really wanted to check him out, but he was playing up against Devendra Banhart and I just can’t miss a Devendra show.

And I was really glad I didn’t miss this one.  Devendra’s set was great, maybe better than usual.  His band is pretty tight now and they ripped through some live staples and even did a Little Joy song.  The highlights were definitely the two new songs Devendra played.  They were really fucking rockin’ and catchy.  I can’t wait for the album.  Devendra was definitely a highlight and made me feel a lot better about missing Paul Weller. 

After that great Devendra show, I needed a drink.  So it was back to the Beer Cages for me.  From the side of the Beer Cage, you could clearly hear, but not at all see, the main stage.  So, I listened to My Bloody Valentine from there and waited until about quarter to nine before walking over to the Outdoor stage to see Public Enemy. 

Public Enemy decided to play It Takes A Million To Hold Us A Back in its entirety.  Flavor Flav really might be the best hype man in the business.  He was yelling and screaming and climbing on shit and wearing stupid clothes -- has anything changed in 26 years?  But the dude knows what’s up.  He’s an entertainer, pure and simple, and you have to appreciate that.  He introduced Chuck D and they were off to the races.  I was really hoping for a special surprise guitarist for ”Bring The Noise“ but didn’t get it.  Still, it’s hard to believe this album came out so long ago and still hits so hard -- just like the band. 

After Public Enemy I headed toward the main stage where The Cure was playing... and then kept walking to the car.  I just saw The Cure here a couple years back, and really, I’m just not a big fan.  Sue me. Better off beating traffic.  I heard it was an amazing set and they even got the plug pulled -- literally -- by Coachella organizers.  Even after all this, I’m still not disappointed I missed it.  I was tired and had my fill of good music for the day. 

Sunday bands I would have liked to see:
No Age, Lupe Fiasco, Paul Weller, Late of the Pier, The Kills


Overall, I’d have to say Sunday was the best day of music from top to bottom -- at least from what I saw.  I did miss a lot of bands I really wanted to check out, but hopefully I’ll be able to catch them at a local venue... and write more about here!  Look for more show and album reviews, as well as recommendations, coming in the future. 

Peace, Love, and Good Music.

-Murph

My recommendations for every day of the festival:

Friday:
2:25 - 3:15 -         Noah and the Whale         (Outdoor Theater)
3:15 - 3: 40 -         We Are Scientists                 (Coachella Stage)
4:30 - 4:50 -         The Hold Steady                 (Mojave)
4:55 - 5:10 -         M. Ward                                 (Outdoor Theater)
5:20 - 6:10 -         The Black Keys                 (Coachella Stage)
6:10 - 7:00 -         Conor Oberst and they Mystic Valley Band         (Outdoor Theater)
7:15 - 7:45 -         NASA                                 (Mojave)
7:50 - 8:30 -         Leonard Cohen                 (Outdoor Theater)
9:00 - 9:50 -         Girl Talk                                 (Sahara)
10:00 -??? -         Paul McCartney                 (Coachella Stage)

Saturday:
1:30 - 2:10 -         Ida Maria                                 (Gobi Tent)
2:30 - 3:15 -         Liars                                 (Outdoor Theater)
3:45 - 4:30 -         Blitzen Trapper                 (Gobi Tent)
4:30 - 4:55 -         Dr. Dog                                 (Mojave Tent)
5:10 - 6:00 -         Michael Franti and Spearhead         (Coachella)
6:25 - 7:15 -         TV on the Radio                 (Coachella)
7:25 - 8:15 -         Fleet Foxes                         (Outdoor)
8:40 - 9:00 -         Band of Horses                 (Outdoor)
9:00 - 9:45 -         M.I.A.                                 (Coachella)
9:50 - 10:40 -         Jenny Lewis                         (Outdoor)
11:05 - 11:30 -         Atmosphere                         (Outdoor)
11:30 - 12:00 -         Mastodon                         (Mojave)
12:00 - ???         Gang Gang Dance (if they’re still playing!!)         (Gobi)

Sunday:
1:35 - 2:20 -         The Knux                                 (Coachella)
2:50 - 3:40 -         Fucked Up                         (Mojave)
4:00 - 4:55 -         Brian Jonestown Massacre         (Mojave)
5:50 - 6:10 -         Antony and the Johnsons / Clipse         (outdoor/gobi)
6:15 - 6:50 -         Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs                 (Coachella)
7:00 - 7:50 -         Devendra Banhart                 (Gobi)
7:50 - 8:15 -         Late of the Pier                 (Sahara)
8:15 - 9:00 -         My Bloody Valentine         (Coachella)
9:00 - 10:10 -         Public Enemy                         (Outdoor)
10:10 - ??? -         The Cure                                 (Coachella)

GET ALL THE SET TIMES FROM THE WEBSITE!

See you at Coachella!

Can’t make Coachella this weekend? Economy got you down? Boss won’t let you off? Here are some alternatives...

THURSDAY NIGHT:
Born Ruffians at Spaceland

Bruce Springsteen at LA Sports Arena

The Derek Trucks Band at the Wiltern

The Black Keys at the Glass House in Pomona


FRIDAY NIGHT:
Cave Singers at Spaceland (rumored Dr. Dog will be playing…)


SATURDAY NIGHT:
Abe Vigoda at Spaceland


COMING ON HEELS OF COACHELLA:


MONDAY NIGHT:
Henry Clay People/The Whip at Spaceland – FREE!!! (gonna be a great show!)

TUESDAY NIGHT:
Heartless Bastards at Spaceland

Not A Banana cast member has a special message for everyone after learning that our webseries "Guitar Heroes" was canceled.

Cast member Steve is saddened by the cancellation of Not A Banana's Webseries, "Guitar Heroes."

That’s right, NABbers, that’s not a typo. After much deliberation, we at Not A Banana have decided to cancel the self-heralded web series we like to call “Guitar Heroes.” Why have we decided to kill such a series just as it was just gaining an audience? (This is up for debate, but according to Youtube, hits were up 95% this week...)

Well, there are many reasons for the cancellation. However, there is one reason that stands above all others -- “Heroes,” the NBC show which “Guitar Heroes” parodies, has become so bad it’s no more than a parody of itself. And that makes what we were doing a parody of a parody and that just sounds crazy, right? ‘Cause it totally is. Wait, you thought “Heroes” was a drama? Oh, you were (and probably still are) so, so wrong.

A lot of people thought “Heroes” was good in the first season. Sure, it was better than it is now, but even then it was just a bad “X-Men” rip-off. But at least show creator Tim Kring copped to that. Oh, wait. He didn’t. Instead of admitting he was a hack, he instead lauded himself as a genius for never hearing of these comic book characters and creating them out of thin in air in his own head. In my book, that doesn’t make you anything but a dumbshit writer. What’s next? He has the idea for a virgin birth and then starts his own religion and when someone mentions to him Jesus, he’ll have no idea who that was? And yeah, I’m comparing Jesus to “X-men.” If you haven’t heard of both you’re no better than Tim Kring. And yes, hack-beleivers, that is an insult AIMED AT YOU!

Thankfully, I have your beloved series “Heroes” to back up my claims. “Heroes” is definitely more comedic than it is a drama and every line seems to be the most cliched line a character could utter. And the stealing from better works continues on this season -- now they’re ripping off “Lord of the Ring” imagery, “Lost”, and afternoon soap operas! Well, I just can’t take it anymore.

The saddest part about the show that it has actually gotten so bad that it’s not even funny anymore. I remember laughing my way through much of season two and enjoying it’s badness. and nothing would top the comedy that came from the “Previously On” at the top of each episode -- marking all the Hacky Highlights and cliches that were hit upon the previous week. But then something happened. The hackiness hit an all-time high. The characters no longer talked in ridiculously funny, cliched lines, but just inane cliched lines. They’re filler. Like something you write that you plan to come back and fix later -- you just want to get the idea across. I guess they don’t do re-writes on “Heroes.” Either that, or someone has a totally different idea of what the term “filler” means. All this makes for a show that’s not good, funny, or interesting -- it’s just hacky, lazy writing. And if I want hacky, lazy writing, I can read some shit I wrote in college.

I could go on and on for days about how much I dislike this show and why you should stop watching it. But I don’t have that kind of time and the show hardly merits it. Plus, I’m really just here to let you know we cancelled our series -- “Guitar Heroes.” I wish NBC would take a cue from us at Not A Banana Productions and get rid of their own overpriced, bloated piece of hackiness they put on weekly called “Heroes.” They’d be glad they did.

Of course, what do you expect from the network that just renewed “Howie Do It”?


--Murph

P.S.

I’d like to apologize to any fans who were actually looking forward to the next webisodes -- I don’t believe you actually exist, but just in case...

And lastly to our cast: Sorry about dropping this project in the middle of its run. It just felt like it had to be done.

More comedy videos from http://www.notabanana.com to come...

And that’s not a promise... It’s a threat.

Animal Collective’s latest release Post Merriweather Pavilion is being hyped as the Best of Album of 2009 already -- not even a month into the year. People are blogging like crazy (myself included) about this band. Many are praising their new album, yet others are completely dismissing it as crazy, unlistenable dance music that’s been overhyped by the hipster blogosphere. So who’s right?

I can tell you right now that Animal Collective is not for everyone. I don’t care what the blogs are saying. Sure, I happen to agree with a lot of them that this is the best album I’ve heard all year. But the year just started. I’m not saying it won’t still end up being my favorite album at the end of the year (’cause it probably will be...), but let’s not start blowing each other like it’s Obama’s first day in office just yet. As a critical musical pick, Animal Collective’s new album is surely amazing, but I can’t imagine the average music listener jumping on board. Nor can I (as a Spin reviewer wrote) see these Animal Collective songs in commercials, breaking into the mainstream like a mid-nineties Moby. The songs on Post Merriweather Pavilion may be the most poppy Animal Collective has ever made since forming about ten years ago, but it’s hardly a departure or a new breakthrough in their sound -- as some people are saying. This album seems like the next logical step after “Strawberry Jam” -- to me a bigger departure from their previous albums and started them down on this sample happy synth path. A path I was happy to follow them down despite being a big fan of their earlier stuff.

To me, Animal Collective have always been a crazy, psychedelic dance band. On Post Merriweather Pavilion, they’ve just refined everything. Their psychedilic soundscape trips are tighter. Their lyrics are more intelligible. Not only can you understand what’s being said, but the messages are easier to decipher. And the melodies are poppier. The album has also amped up the beats, making certain tracks unmistakably dance-y. Album starter, “In the Flowers” starts off with a slow, melodic piano riff that Avery sings over for about half the song until it erupts into an uncontrollable psychedelic rave song. If you don’t start pogo dancing after Avery asks “if I could just leave my body for a night” at 2:30 in, you truly have no soul. But if you do find yourself head-bobbing, pogo-ing, or unable to sit still, you’re in for one hell of a ride.

“Brothersport” and “My Girls” are clearly the two highlights of the album -- and probably the most poppy. When seeing the band perform these songs live over the last couple of years, I’ve always found myself attached more to “My Girls” -- the band’s first single off the album. However, after listening to the album numerous times, I find that the infectious “Brothersport” might end up my favorite. Where “Brothersport” is sped up and even made poppier on the album, “My Girls” seems slightly slowed down. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something’s missing. However, it’s still an amazing song and a great choice for the first single. I can only imagine that “Brothersport” would be one of next two singles. If I was managing the band, I’d make sure of it. Of course, with these guys, I’d be willing to be they go with one of the more slow or trippy tracks first-- with “Brothersport” coming as a third single to get more buyers. Because one thing is for certain about that song, it leaves you wanting more. It’s such an interesting choice for an end of an album, but Animal Collective tend to make a lot of interesting choices.

The best songs on the album are the one where the band borrows heavily from the Beach Boys in utilizing harmonies -- as both of the above songs do. They really are never better then when they’re all singing together. “Summertime Clothes” and “Blusih” are also good examples of this. Possibly even more-so in terms of coming from Beach Boys influences due to the fact they are at their base, love songs. Can it get any more simple than the refrain of “I want to walk around with you” on “Summertime Clothes”? If Brian Wilson did more acid, maybe this could have been a cover. Actually, I’d love to see Brian cover this with his current band. That would be mind blowing. But I digress...

“Guys Eyes” and “Lion in a Coma” stand out as especially odd songs that have a more “old school” Animal Collective feel. I’m an especially big fan of “Lion in a Coma’s” weird time signatures and African feel. One song that even I don’t get is “Daily Routine.” They’ve been playing this live and it’s by no means bad, but to me, it’s the weakest song on the album. It’s an odd song with a quick synth sample at the beginning that breaks down into a repetitive drone at the end. It seems like the soundtrack to someone having a bad trip. And that’s not something I’m always up for listening to.

“Also Frightened,” “Taste,” and “No More Runnin’” are all kind of in the same slow beat trip song vein. “Taste” is a classic Panda Bear song in style. It’s solid, but doesn’t compare to “Also Frightened” and what was almost the album closer -- “No More Runnin’.” Lyrically, they’re all very solid songs. But “Also Frightened”’s syncopated beats and starts and stops along with Avery’s yelping really puts you in a dream-state. I see this song as a soundtrack to a warped dream. “No More Runnin’” doesn’t sound so much like a soundtrack to a dream, as a dream itself. A slow, crushing wave sample played over and over against a slow piano melody and a chorus with multiple-layered vocals. It might be the song that enters you into a dream state. Or perhaps it’s better suited playing through the speakers as you exit your dream and enter back into the harsh realities of your waking life that you must now face. But don’t worry. The album’s closer “Brothersport” is there to perk you up and even give you a boost of self-esteem, encouraging you to “open up your throat.”

--Murph

Murph really hopes Animal Collective doesn’t cancel tonight’s show at the Troubadour and that Friday’s show gets rescheduled to a decent venue and quickly...

Hey kiddos,

So Animal Collective got cancelled last night. Total bummer. Especially since I couldn’t even go to Jay Reatard as that was also sold out. Hoping the Animal Collective show is a go tonight. If not, there’s always the Tapes’n’Tapes show. Here are some of my other recommendations for concerts over the next several months:

1-24-09 (tonight!):
Animal Collective at the Troubadour - SOLD OUT
Tapes’n’Tapes at the El Rey

1-28-09 (Wednesday)
Benji Hughes at Spaceland

1-29-09 (Thursday)
Kidsister at Echoplex

2-2-09 (Monday)
Le Switche and Whispertown 2000 at Spaceland - FREE!!

2-3-09 (Tuesday)
Fruit Bats at the Echo

2-4-09 (Wednesday)
Aziz’s Glow in the Dark Tour at Largo

2-6-09 (Friday)
Bird and the Bee at Natural Museum of History
The Bad Plus at the Mint
Fucked up at the Echoplex
Lady Sovereign at the Echo

2-10-09 (Tuesday)
Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan at the Troubadour

2-18-09 (Wednesday)
Mystery Jets at Spaceland

2-25-09 (Wednesday)
Dead Confederate at Spaceland

2-27-09 (Friday)
Dr. Doom and Dr. Octagon at El Rey

2-28-09 (Saturday)
Ra Ra Riot at El Rey

3-4-09 (Wednesday)
M. Ward at Henry Fonda Theater

3-7-09 (Saturday)
Les Claypool at the Palladium

3-12-09 (Thursday)
Plants and Animals at Echo

3-14-09 (Saturday)
Dan Auerbach (of Black Keys) solo at the El Rey

3-17-09 (Tuesday)
And you will know us by the Trail of Dead at Echo

4-16-09 (Thursday)
Derek Trucks at Wiltern (Get a 4pack of tickets and save big money -- only 19 bucks a ticket!!!)

4-17-09 - 4-19-09
COACHELLA - Pavement rumored...

5-1-09 (Friday)
The Black Lips at the El Rey

5-9-09 (Saturday)
The Dead at the Forum

5-27-09 (Wednesday)
Sun Kil moon at the El Rey

5-29-09 (Friday)
Animal Collective at Wiltern (general admission floor already sold out. general admission upstairs still available.)

6-11-09 - 6-14-09
BONNAROO -- Phish and Springsteen rumored... amongst others...

Another year goes by, and with it comes my best of CD. This year, due to some great music, I’ve expanded out to two discs. Some general notes about my selections: They are not in ranked order, but instead, the order in which I think they flow on the CD. Future posts will go over my “25 Best Singles of the Year” and “25 Best Albums of the Year” in ranked order. Until then, dig this!












DOWNLOAD THE TRACKS FROM ITUNES:
Disc 1
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=301011848



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DOWNLOAD THE TRACKS FROM ITUNES:
Disc 2:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=301011784

Two Not A Banana cast members start a romance that involves a love triangle, mustaches, and Italian boy bands.