More than meets the eye

The best thing about Lou Reed's "Transformer "is the guitar work of Mick Ronson and the vocals of David Bowie. OK, that's two things, but they go together as one, especially during that time period.
Apart from that, you have some good songs despite Reed's overrated, often silly lyrics and, of course, his very unmusical voice. His singing works on a lot of his songs but doesn't work as consistently as other "bad" singers (e.g., dylan, coyne). It's just sort of bland. I didn't notice it as much with the Velvets because that music is sort of bland in an anti-Beatles way. And I love VU. But on "Transformer," you have all of this glam Bowie production and you feel the need for over-the-top vocals to match the music.
But it's still all very Lou Reed and a really good album. The VH-1 Classic Albums episode shines a spotlight on all the hidden gems within each song. So it's got that going for it.

Wolf Parade revisted but in a non-sophisticated way

I haven't listened to my Wolf Parade disc, Apologies to the Queen Mary, in a while. Partially, because I lost the disc not terribly long after I bought it back when it was first released. Luckily, I had the foreskin to upload it into my iTunes (when I was sure I was going to be addicted to my iPod; instead I developed an addiction to alcohol; just kidding... I already had that).
But listening to WP today reminds me of how I listen to them differently than I listen to other bands who were hitting around the same time (the arcade fire, clap your hands say yeah, etc.)
I feel like Wolf Parade is constantly crashing down on me from an overhead cliff. It's like boulders raining down on you and you can't get out of the way. It must have something to do with the big drum sound. The opening track immediately starts sledgehammering you over the head with the snare drum, and it's fucking great. My favorite track is still "I'll Believe Anything." That song also kicks the heaviest of heaviest snares at the beginning. Then it builds to an angry crescendo that always makes me stand up and throw my computer chair through the wall. Apartment deposit be damned.

Not by the hair of my shinny-shin Shins

I'm a little late in reporting on this, but here it is anyway. The Shins performed last week at the Palladium Ballroom (aka Gilley's) in Dallas and naturally made a joke about a mechanical bull that I didn't see (though I did look for it upon entering the building). And that was the best of their stage banter. Luckily, they didn't talk much and crammed a million of their 3-minute-or-less pop songs into the set. They opened with several off the new album, Wincing the Night Away, then delved into Chutes Too Narrow before going back to the first album, Oh, Inverted World. They rocked pretty well but didn't stray too far from their recorded arrangements. However, an added bandmember who played keyboards and guitar added some extra depth.
What could have been the real story of the night, openers Viva Voce (a husband-wife duo from Portland), started sour and ended the same due to technical difficulties. Sounded like a bad mic or a faulty guitar cord. Just when they'd get to rockin', the audience's ears would be raped by static. Still, the Vivas made the most of it and turned in a determined performance, despite the drummer/guitarist/singer's unfortunate Luke Wilson in The Royal Tenenbaums headband. His wife, the lead guitarist and singer, couldn't have been any sexier knocking out her sonically swelling solos.
But as it goes for GA shows for those of us over 30, my knees and back took a beating. It's hard to go to shows for new bands because they're probably going to be playing these kinds of venues. Thank god for Elvis Costello and Steely Dan -- old bastards whose audiences like to sit and even nod off halfway through the show. Or maybe that was just me.

Cover bands

I bought Of Montreal's "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?" and Dr. Dog's latest, "We All Belong," with the intention of reviewing one or both discs in this space. But I've yet to find my way past the packaging of these albums.

Dr. Dog's was nothing too out of the ordinary, constructed mainly of cardboard with a hard plastic inset tray. Great! The artwork is probably too busy, what with their apparent dollar and tobacco theme, but I can forgive that, too. The problem I have is the accompanying 14"x19" fold-out lyrics sheet/poster. Only 1/3 of the sheet is taken up by lyrics. The rest is a large drawing of a Southern belle with a moneybook and an apparent duck in a basket on her back. Oh, and her head is actually the head of George Washington from the $1 bill. Cute. Symbolic. Unnecessary. To their credit they include dotted lines around the drawing so you can cut it out and display it in your office cubicle, I guess. But for those of us who don't want to put out that much effort (like me) and who like to keep all of their CD pieces together (also me), this sheet, when folded up and slid back into the sleeve, causes too much thickness and heft. I mean, I'm not getting sore from carrying it around or anything, but...

Turns out, Dr. Dog ain't got nothin' on the elaborate packaging tip. That gold medal goes to Of Montreal. I guess it's supposed to be a kaleidoscope theme of some sort, but jesus fuck, you should see this thing. First of all, you remove a plastic slip cover. Immediately, the folded-down side flaps partially open. Then a kaleidoscope-colored piece of paper falls out. That piece has the recording info on the back. But you can't close the CD case because the four flaps stay semi-erect at all times. Soooooo... to store this disc, you put the roundish liner notes on top of the CD. Then you fold down the flaps. Then you put the clear plastic slip back on it. Now you've got a perfectly dangerous disc to take along on a drive, and you'll definitely run off the road trying to get the CD out and in your player. (Am I the only one who still listens to CDs in my car?)

All I'm saying is that upon purchasing these discs, upload them to your iTunes post-haste. Or just buy the albums online. Or my co-blogger would tell you to get them free through file-sharing. But I recommend buying them outright because they're new bands and the odds of them becoming the next Wilco or Arcade Fire are unlikely. Possible, but unlikely. Assuming the music is good, anyway.