Quick Hits, Vol. 370 (Goose, Wednesday, Arcade Fire, Garbage)

Man, this morning the cooler weather was like a lifeline.  The dog has a spring in his step to walk a little farther, I don't sweat the second I step out of the door, and I could drive to work with the sunroof open.  Small thing but I am so pleased by it.  Now, if only that can happen three weeks earlier next year for the cold ACL experience!

Goose - Everything Must Go.  Gooooooooose!  I'm still mad at myself for skipping their ACL show a few years ago.  They hook up exactly what I want to hear in a live show, with inventive and interesting jams based on catchy grooves.  My jam band era is here.  I was actually really hoping that they would appear on the ACL lineup this year, but no such luck.  I've actually turned into a little weirdo for them since this disc came out pre-ACL time.  When I sit down to read in the evening, while waiting for dinner or in between errands for the kids, this is what I keep reaching for.  Also, they have an epic, 4 hour-long Madison Square Garden concert that was recently added to YouTube and I've been slowly rolling through that as well.  This disc just feels like joy to me.  And we sure could use a little joy in our lives right now.  Like, as an example, listen to "Give It Time," which builds and builds until just after 3:30 when the guitar solo takes flight and the song soars into the sky.  I know that this is one of the reasons my wife can't stand jam bands, but it is giving me goosebumps hearing it again right now for the 43rd time.  That rules.  And listen, if you jump in here and start listening, and you get to "Animal," and you roll your eyes because this is so cheesy and obvious, I hear you.  I'm not saying this should be the next Sgt. Peppers.  All I am defending here is that the music is funky and fun and I want it to soundtrack my day.  I have to say that I am a little disappointed in these stream counts.  RISE UP GOOSE GAGGLE!  Top track is "Your Direction" with 2.4 million streams.

Laaaaaaaid back.  Also, I own that same little scooter that goober is riding down the highway.  Well, and then into the sky and everywhere.  Pretty sure he is over the weight limit.  Also, a tragically awful video.  Nice little tune though!  Much less jam-forward.  Anyway, whole thing is worth a stream!

Wednesday - Bleeds.  What a schizophrenic album.  If I were to bring two offerings from this same disc to my wife, I could make her very happy and very angry in the course of two songs.  She is not a fan of dissonance or screaming, and so if I presented her with "Elderberry Wine" on one hand, and then "Wasp" on the other, we could really see her transform.  Odd though, for this band to have such things in their quiver and be able to play a lovely little country-flecked Americana beauty just a few tracks before a throat-shredding swirl of unhappiness.  Which, in my opinion, is unfortunate.  I don't mind them going louder/harder/noisier, but some moments in here just take me out of the pleasure side of it all and are jarring to the listening experience.  Looks like the world agrees with me (and I swear I had not previously looked at this before writing the above) as "Elderberry Wine" is the most streamed tune on the disc and "Wasp" the least.  4.2 million streams for the former.

Little observations in there - driving all the way to the airport with the emergency brake on - are sweet.  Sounds very much like a Courtney Barnett tune.  And that steel pedal is freaking money.  So, you can see what they can do when they go with a pretty sound.  "Phish Pepsi" is a shambling little groove.  "Candy Breath" is more 90's alt-rock crunch.  But meanwhile, I am not trying to say that the harder edged pieces are all bad.  The opening track has a delicious 90's alt-rock buzz bin fuzzbox chug to it that is also exceedingly rad.  Maybe this will be like the otherwise excellent QOTSA album Songs for the Deaf, where I feel the need to skip "Six Shooter" each time.  Also, can I go to that bar and play cards with those dudes in the alley?  I need to go to more dive bars...

Arcade Fire - Pink Elephant.  There are multiple bands like this out there right now, where I just find myself chasing their first few albums and never finding them.  Neon Bible was my jam for a while, and I also loved The Suburbs and Funeral.  But nothing since then has lasted.  This one has a nice enough little collection of indie rock tunes in between some weirdo dreck, but I've heard it at least twenty times by now and I don't think I could sing a single snippet for you.  I do like the introductory song, with its expansive instrumentals that make you feel like a new Blade Runner movie is about to start.  I really don't think I could tell you what the lead single would have been without looking it up.  Nothing in here feels singular.  Looks like it is "Year of the Snake."  5.4 million streams.

It isn't a bad song by any means, but it feels like something that would have been in The Suburbs to bridge the gap between some top tier songs about disillusionment.  WILLIE!  Okay, well, if Willie is in the video, I guess the song must be great.  But really though, it is a nice little tune.  But then go to "Alein Nation" and you get a completely different, jarringly annoying thing.  I'll let it go and hope that the next one finds some traction in my brain.

Garbage - Let All That We Imagine Be Light.  As these songs have popped up during my shuffle of new songs, while on the road or doing work around the house, I have usually either stopped what I was doing to see what this garbage was, or just skipped the track immediately.  To me, definitely has the feel of a generic, inoffensive attempt to get their name back into pop culture without working too hard at it.  And much like the album above, it just glides by without any noticeable, singular tune that would lodge in the brain.  Some of the guitar is kinda cool, some of the underlying grooves and nice, but there is no catch.  You can see it in the play count as well, where the first song is the only one with more than a million streams, and then the second song doesn't even crack 300k.  People are trying this out and then heading for the exits.  I'll give you the second-most streamed, in part because the name is so whack that you need to see it.  "Get Out My Face AKA Bad Kitty" has 537k streams.

Someone in the comments said this has "Only Happy When It Rains" vibes.  Yeah, I'm not seeing this as any fraction as catchy as the OG hits.  I'm good!  Thanks for the memories!