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Mares of Thrace

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Marine Dreams

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Seeker Lover Keeper

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Elizabeth Shepherd

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Shooting Guns

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John Southworth and Andrew Downing

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Catherine Taddo

Inside the Chart

By Bryndis Ogmundson
!Earshot Charts Editor

Is it true that all things get better with age? Sonic Youth have meant something to a lot of people, in a lot of different ways. They’ve been at the forefront of grunge, indie rock, experimental avant-noise, stoner rock, revolutionary teenage angst, beatnik poet-rock, and even a pillar of grrrl power thanks to Kim Gordon. What they haven’t been Sonic Youth: Kicking Ass in Their Old Age.
Sonic Youth: Kicking Ass in Their Old Age.is non-productive. Sure some of it has been less than great, some even downright self-indulgent, but it’s always been respectable…to me anyway. Having said that, I find it very pleasurable to see the rest of the djs in Canada feeling that same respect and getting Rather Ripped to number one this month.

As oldies-but-goodies Sonic Youth sit at the top of so many young bands this month, I thought I’d pick out some of the more vintage acts still producing. Like say, The Flaming Lips. They have been around since 1983. They too seem to be way ahead of the zeitgeist. Whatever is musically cool at the moment, they were doing it two albums ago. However, I do think they are going down a rusty boring road at the moment. But because of their track record I have faith they will blow me away again. But for now, the album that Mission: To teach those youngsters a lesson
Mission: To teach those youngsters a lessonmade me lose my faith in Yoshimi, At War With The Mystics, is still doing grand at number fourteen.

Mission of Burma.  Sure they only put out four albums, but they were around since the eighties. And if you like punk, you should like Mission of Burma. Otherwise I’ve got no time for you. But I see some of you do, and The Obliterati is number sixteen this month.

I could talk about Neil Young, but I’d fall asleep out of boredom. Old Neil Young = yes. New Neil Young (Silver & Gold to the present geriatric offerings) = blah.  However, credit where credit is due leads me to point out that Living With War is number twenty-three. Also in the old folks category, Frank Black. Now, I happen to think Frank Black is aging well. His voice sounds rich. His music does the cool Calexico meets Built to Spill... even into the later years.
Built to Spill... even into the later years.Tom Waits thing. But I don’t love it. There is something missing. Please tell me if you know what that something is. Fast Man Raider Man is number thirty-one this month.

Carla Bozulich creeps me out (Evangelista at number thirty-two) and Cab Calloway is dead (Hep Cats And Cool Jive at fourty-one) so I won’t bother. But, I do need to point out the awesomeness that is Built To Spill. This is the type of band one has memories with. How many times did you lay on your bed looking at the ceiling while listening to the opening guitar on “Randy Described Eternity”? Or how many times during a day would, “I wanna see movies of my dreams” go through your head? That’s right people…legends. Their seventh album, You In Reverse is number fourty.

So thank you young bucks. As I approach thirty, I’m starting to feel good about older things…except Leonard Cohen. That guy needs some sense knocked into him.
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