MEDICATION: A BUDDYHEAD BLOG

Pavement - "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain"

I missed out on Pavement for a while because I was a narrow minded kid that was only into "punk rock". Yeah I went through this lame phase when I discovered punk where I sold my Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath records and only listened to Minor Threat, the first four years of Black Flag and some Posh Boy records comp with the Circle Jerks on it. Plus I figured Pavement was a band for people who went to College and liked Dave Mathews. Wow, was I wrong. Sure, they've got some dorky fans (like the people who write for Pitchfork), but you're gonna have to look past that my friend. So anyways back to me, then when I got a little older and I started smoking way more pot, I realized these dudes were a pretty kick ass band. This is my favorite Pavement record. For some reason I like this collection of songs the best, but they've got some other good ones as well. The whole album is hitsville and the expanded edition has some killer BBC tracks as well so pick that version up if you can lift the pricetag. "Unfair" is pretty damn fast for Pavement song and it's also about Los Angeles or something, "Let's burn the hills of Beverly!"  "Range Life" has a country swagger and Stephen sings about skateboarding, running from the pigs and makes fun of The Smashing Pumkins (who I must admit are one of my guilty pleasures even though I know better) and The Stone Temple Pilots (Aaron owns every Stone Temple Pilots record) so I figured that one might sell you on this record if you're not already a fan. I'll post some solo Stephen Malkmus someday. Also check out some unreleased song Matador's got posted on their website "All My Friends".

(Download - "Unfair")

(Download - "Range Life")

(Download - "All My Friends")

Antelope - "Washington, DC Cubist Neu Wave"

In all honesty, this is my favorite DC band in the past 7 years! Justin (guitar/vocals) from this band current plays in the dance-punk band Supersystem (formerly called El Guapo) and the rest of the lads played in a rather under the radar DC band Vertebrates. The rhythms and alien-like disconnected vocal delivery remind me a bit of a tame Devo or Kraftwerk meets a more cubist Lungfish/Gang Of Four. The rhythms and short-songs hit your nerve and some point within your brain that fires synapses and equally makes you want to begin an "alien dance party" in your living space under darkness with just one pal and a flashlight (for atmosphere). I saw them live and just couldn't believe how perfectly well placed their parts were and how beautifully they interweaved. Asking them in passing I found out Antelope's influences and approach comes from electronic music, which makes sense when you hear how things function in a "loopish" manner and flow with a robotic coolness. This Neu Wave band only released 1 EP and a single and in proper DC tradition called it quits before really hitting thier stride. I really wish they never broke up, I feel like a band as this is MUCH more needed than dance-punk. Justin, play in this band again! Record a full-length!!! 2005 is alien syncopation... not dance punk! Bee and the other gent (who is really tall) have a new band that I am sure will be equally exciting.

(Download - "Wen Ho Lee")

(Download - "Crowns")

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