LN3 - THRONESTER

Sounds like the name of a new monarch-sharing service. Will the new Nightsticks and PKG albums be released at the same time?

Unlikely, unless PKG really slows down badly and LN hits a spurt like never before.

We've got 11 finished PKG songs, with 2 more done musically waiting for Nick's vocals.

I can't speak for how many LN songs are in various stages of completion, but they've got 6 so far.

Whatever happened to the REMAKES album?

Good artwork.

Nice and simple. If I stare at it long enough will a secret picture develop or will I just go cross-eyed?

Nice work (the cover art). I REALLY need ot listen to these at home. I will make every effort to do so this week.

Well that's good news. Been waiting to hear that song for awhile.

Good title and cover art.

I like. Very cool.

Very nice.

Handicap assassin!

Great!

Looks pretty good. Would be funnier if it was a shot of a bathroom door w/ that logo...

Handicap assassin is much cooler than the first.

I received the new material as well as Exploder. Give me a few days to digest...

Same here--along with DIRTY DANCING SPECAIL EDITION, you bastard--and I'm liking what I hear so far. Give me a couple days and I can give you better opinions, though.

But thanks, Nick. It's appreciated.

But, really, who doesn't like a good Patrick Swayze song?

ME

Okay, here's a few tentative thoughts on the nine Thronester songs. If you want feedback on Exploder or the Package songs, just let me know. And please remember that this is just one guy's opinion--and I have shitty taste in music--so I hope you don't take offense to any of this.

On the whole, I can hear a lot of improvements. The sound is generally a lot cleaner than Leviator, especially the vocals. The wash of fuzzy feedback is almost completely gone, which is a good thing, because there are a lot of fun and smart lyrics here. The instrument playing is solid throughout the tracks. It seems like there's more guitar and less synth work here, which is kind of a mixed bag. The guitar playing is great, but I kind of miss the spaced-out experimentation sound from "No One Special," which remains my favorite LN track. This seems like more straight-ahead rock, and while that's not a bad thing, it takes some getting used to.

Okay:

1. THRONESTER--I really dig the opening. It's got a funky, cool beat. Almost surfer rock, but then it breaks in with the strange guitar squeals. Very cool. Once the singing starts, though, it seems like the melody gets lost in the shouting. I'm not a huge fan of the chorus...it seems a little rushed, and the melody gets drowned out in all the noise. It seems like a fun song to play live, but as the album opener, it feels too scattered and unfocused.

2. I BROKE THE WORLD--This really feels like two songs smashed into one. The verses are great--the lyrics are clever, and it hums along with a nice, driving beat. It's nice and fast, a good listen. I'm not such a big fan of the chorus (the "I broke the wooooooorld" part)...it just moves at a different tempo, and the tonal shift from the fast verse to the slow chorus kills the song's momentum for me, especially the high note that ends the chorus. The result is an uneven beast, fast and groovy, then slow and experimental. It's an interesting listen, but I think that speeding up the chorus and dropping it down an octave or two would make the entire thing feel more cohesive.

3. LO SCIAME MORTALE--I love this. It's just fucking great...the gothic feel, the Count Chokula vocals, the synth layer in the background...and then it ends. After less than twenty seconds. This needs to be a full song. The melody and lyrics are strong enough to support four minutes, easily. As it stands, it's still fun and cool, but it feels like a tease. This would by far be my favorite song on the album with a few more minutes of material. (Hell, I'd rather see "Thronester" cut down to an opening instrumental and this one fleshed out to a regular length).

4. I'M JACK--This one is definitely growing on me. Again, you've got different tempos for the verses and the chorus, but here it works a lot better. The drum work is awesome here, and the jam band feel is a nice change of pace. And the background synth track adds a lot...I'd actually like to hear a bit more of that. Fun chorus. I dig.

5. SLOWRIDE SUPERSHINE--I didn't like this track at first, but it's growing on me. For some reason it gives me a "Dazed and Confused" feel...just a good song for cruising around in the car. Excellent guitar work here, and the song feels really confident.

6. JAPANESE WEREWOLF--My current favorite track on the CD. Impressive vocal work, and the lyrics are a lot of fun. Great opening, and a solid bluesy riff throughout. I've got no problems with this one at all...it's great.

7. OWN UP--Along with "Sweet Young Thing," this song feels a little...I dunno. It's tough to describe. There's nothing wrong with either song, but neither of them particularly grab me, either. I dig the drum work on this one, and the guitar solo is good, but it just seems to be missing something to make it stand out, to make it memorable. It's not a bad song, but it's missing that chorus that you find yourself humming later in the day. Not bad, just kind of "there"...

8. PAN IN YOUR PANTS--Okay, I have no fucking clue what these lyrics are supposed to mean, but that's okay. Fun song, probably my second favorite full-length song on the CD. A killer opening, a catchy chorus, and a solid melody throughout. Not a big fan of the "Charles Dance" ending, just because it feels kind of forced. Other than that, a solid, enjoyable song. Might be a good album opener. I almost get a Mr. Bungle feel from this, but I might be way off base. Still...I like.

9. SWEET YOUNG THING--See #7. Not a bad song, just not a song I remember once the CD ends. Very slow and ambient, but it almost seems too safe, like Songwriting 101. I kept waiting for the song to grab me, but it never happened. Out of all the tracks on the album, this one seems like the one that would benefit from a bit of electronica the most, a bit of weird synthesizer or keyboard work to distinguish it from the rest.

So there's my humble opinions. I liked the CD quite a bit, and I look forwards to hearing the final cuts when the album is released. Let me know if you want feedback on Exploder or the PKG songs, or if you have any questions about anything I said.

Thanks again for the CD.

I agree with what a lot of what Slater said in the beginning of his post, but I can tell that we have different taste in these songs. He's absolutely right, though. More guitar...less keyboards. I'm a bigger fan of the guitar, so I don't mind, but it does take away from what I've understood to be LN music. Fuck that, though. If you don't expand horizons and change, you'll end up like the Gin Blossoms. Here's some thoughts:

Thronester- I dig the intro and the guitar squeals, but I enjoy the rest of the song much more. I listen to it when I just put the cd in, but I usually skip to...

I Broke the World- This is my favorite on the album. A hypnotic beat and the way chimpanzee is sung is downright catchy. Now when I say chimpanzee (not that I say it often) I say CHIMmmmPANnnnnZEeeee. The fact that you mentioned that he's wearing a seatbelt rules. Thank you for this song.

Lo Sciame Mortale- Wow... you took this one right from the Disco Volente cookbook. It's got Mr. Bungle written all over it. It's too damn short though. Way too short. I hope this isn't the final version. I want more. Fun lyrics, and fun keyboard.

I'm Jack- Not one that I thought I was fond of in the beginning. Since then, it's grown on me. I'll catch myself saying "I'm Jack da da da DA!" The da da da is because I forgot the words.

Slowride Supershine- this reminds me of old school Mike Watt. I love old school Mike Watt... thumping bass and all, but it's the Firehose-like singing that puts me back in flannel. This song flat out rocks. It's not a LN track I was expecting. This track is much more collected and together. That can be good and bad for the Lucky Nightsticks. In this case it's great. This is perfect grunge rock from the early nineties (at least to me it felt that way). My favorite type of music.

Japanese Werewolf- Fun and funny. I love the themes, but the music portion hasn't grown on me quite yet. More later

Own Up- This one hasn't left an impression on me yet... I'll comment later when I have something more insightful to say.

Pan in Your Pants- This is the best advice I've heard in 2004. "Put a pan in your pants...take it out for romance." My wife thanks you. We were having issues of a sexual nature, and it wasn't until I heard this song that I figured out the problem. I needed to TAKE THE PAN OUT OF MY PANTS when it was time for romance. My wife thanks you. More important than my sex life, though... you have the funniest line I've ever heard in a song "...protect your own little Glen Hubbard." Awesome baseball reference. Awesome. I hope to get a Kelly Gruber reference in a future song. Fun stuff.

Sweet Young Thing- I've commented on this before, but here's some more... I loved this song from day one. I think it's the guitar solo later on that did it for me. On the same token, It's lost favor with me. It needs something more for me to give it pure lovin'. Parts are back to the moodiness of some of the mellow/dark stuff on Levitator, and I like that. There's just something disjointed about it.

More later... But thanks Nick... I really appreciate you wanting my input.

I'll try to get some comments written done once I find all the mp3's on my computer.

Maybe by this weekend or next.