I listened to four other songs from the new Sonic Youth album and I am quite disappointed after the promising I Love You Golden Blue. Those songs were not really bad but they were kind of bland. Plodding along. Continuing the prog-rock trip they started in Murray Street. No punch, no verve in Stones. Just flabby beer belly stuff. Kind of Sonic Youth on autopilot (e.g. Pattern Recognition) as Matthew from Fluxblog said in the ILM thread. The only real surprise (and it wasn't a good one) was the softness of Unmade Bed. Sonic Youth on sleeping pills. I have the feeling they have become boring old farts with this album. Probably I should let these songs slowly sink in. And maybe the other six tracks are outstanding. But somehow I doubt I will change my mind. Here are four tracks (via kingblind).

The second best song I heard was Lee Ranaldo's Paper Cup Exit (fluxblog). But even this one is not breaking any new ground. It's okayish not too hard rocking stuff with a nice collapse of the music in noise and chaos in the middle. Lee's Sprechgesang is slightly annoying at times but that's quite normal.

So it seems that this is another SY album much below their capabilities. Not bad but not brilliant neither.

Weblogging is like wanking in public.

I have changed slightly what Salam Pax, the Bagdad blogger said recently. He was referring to the addictive element of blogging. I think the exhibitionist EGO part is quite important too.

I don't remember from where I downloaded PJ Harvey's new single on Friday. It is PJ grand cru. I'll try to upload it tomorrow but right now I can't get my ftp program to work. She is on fire on this one like on her first album. I don't think there has been a woman as powerful as her in the rock music business after Patti Smith. A couple of years ago I went to Munich (350 km from here) to see my favourite band Giant Sand open for her. Howe and his sidemen were great but PJ was the real thing. Live she is even better than on record whereas Howe live is a mixed affair.

In the meantime there is this slow fragile rendition of the classic Moon River where she duets with Vincent Gallo. Jim O'Rourke, John Frusciante and Steve Shelley are providing the extras. Original post at said the monkey.