Corey Kupfer - Nindy: a short film

I used to waste time thinking of silly things to videotape with the guy who is creating this short film. He's now a NYU film student studying in Singapore, and I am a frog doing experiments on laboratory people.

Corey Kupfer is awesome, and so are his films. Watch, support, follow. You won't be let down.

The Doors - The Soft Parade

Jim Morrison has been pardoned. Maybe now he'll finally come out from hiding.

Lower Dens - Batman

Hey guess what. Pitchfork approved doesn't mean shit anymore. I think they just choose bands with shitty haircuts and call them the next best thing.

!!! - Strange Weather, Isn't It?

This girl I know told me she got the latest !!! album and I asked, "How is it?" Her response was, "It's no Myth Takes." She's right, but this album still gets me all movin', toe tappin', and head noddin'.

Arcade Fire - Suburbs

I wish Arcade Fire cared more about writing a good song than looking cool.

Smog - Knock Knock

There are some albums that sound like road trips and this album is one of them. The first time I heard Knock Knock my friend was having a bad day and after searching through all of his record crates to no avail he gave up and retreated to his room. I poked around, found it, dropped the needle and ten seconds into the first track his door opened up and he said, "You found it." After listening to more of the album I asked, "Why didn't anyone tell me about this sooner??"

Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here

This album is the only thing that gives me hope for growing old.

The Roots - How I Got Over

The first time I heard this album I listened to it on repeat driving from LA to SD and then when I got back I downloaded the album and listened to it on repeat. The songs are super catchy and the album flows nicely from track to track. The Roots know how to groove, plain and simple.

Kera and The Lesbians

Kera and The Lesbians are a local band from here in San Diego. I played this video for my friend and he said, "Oh, it's not just a clever name."

Pixies - Live at Coachella

The Pixies are giving away a free live album of their Coachella performance from way back in 2004. Thought you should know.

Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville

There are a number of people that were pissed off when Liz Phair signed to Geffen and started working with pop producers. And I admit at first it was a little weird. Liz Phair, the self-proclaimed blowjob queen, on a major label? It just doesn’t make sense until you go back and listen to Exile in Guyville again. It’s filled with nothing but great pop songs that you can play on endless repeat. So am I pissed off Liz Phair signed to a major label? No, I’m pissed off because her songs started to suck.

Wooden Ruler Society shirts now in stock!

We finally got around to printing some WRS shirts. White on black. Simple. Stylish. Send an email if you're interested. $10 a pop!

best study music mix

Alright, alright. My friend needs suggestions for music to listen to whilst studying. First off, it has to be instrumental, but chill. Jazz is good. Classical is a little pretentious. Ornette Coleman is a bit overbearing. Wes Montgomery is perfect. Django Reinhardt is pretty good, too, as long as no one's singing. Tristeza is good if you want something a little more modern. Basically, pick something you'd fall asleep to.

Travis Morrison - Travistan

In honor of the newly reunited and kinda sorta touring Dismemberment Plan, I decided to review Travistan, Travis Morrison's solo debut and the album that took six years for me to listen to. I got into Dismemberment Plan pretty late in the game (but I once called Emergency & I a perfect album) and never saw them live (I heard they were great) and when I found out their lead singer put out this album I said to myself, I should check that out. That was six years ago. I was still in high school. Weird. Turns out there's a reason I never heard this album. It's because anyone that heard it didn't want to think/talk/remember/dance or believe it existed. The song "Born in '72" has a great, if obviously obvious, Fugazi allusion but instead of feeling inspired it only makes me want to break out End Hits. Travis Morrison fell to fourth in my all time favorite Morrison list after I heard this truly awful album.

1. Van

2. Jim

3. Fred

4. Travis

Listen to Emergency & I instead. And preferably while Googling "Walter Fred Morrison."

Van Morrison - Moondance

I usually don't swear in my blog posts, but you seem really cool. Anyone who says Astral Weeks is better than Moondance is a fucking idiot.

Weezer - Hurley

Full full disclosure - I haven't listened to any of this album. All I know about it is that they put a picture of that guy from the TV show Lost on the cover. Why won't Weezer die? They were cool when I was in middle school and then Rivers was all, "I'm celibate" and all my friends we're like, "Fuck that dude! I'm trying to get laid and can't get anything and he's a fucking rockstar and decides he doesn't want any!" Seriously, Weezer has been shite for a long time and I don't need to listen to this album to know that.

Menomena - Friend and Foe

Full disclosure - I've barely listened to this album. I heard three songs off this album while riding to the beach in the back seat of my friends car and could not stop shouting, "This is amazing!" over the wind from the open windows. I finally downloaded (yeah, fuck that, I haven't paid for an album in years) the album and quickly realized that the three songs I heard while riding in the back seat were the best off the album. I've tried to listen to all of it but always end up skipping to track #9. Steal this album and tell me I'm wrong.

The Drones - Havilah

Have I told you how amazing this album is? Oh, I have? Well, here's a refresher. First you'll want to listen to the rock'n'roll songs, but then you'll want to listen to everything Garreth Lillard has ever recorded. This is the man that inspires me to drink whiskey with my Fruity Pebbles. Mmmm, think about it and then think about having a cigarette for breakfast dessert. That's what this record sounds like. Fruity Pebbles whiskey juice stirred with cigarette butts.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat the Devil's Tattoo

Distorted guitar? Check. Distorted bass? Check. Distorted church organ? Check. Distorted vocals? Check. Even the acoustic songs are 100% rock and roll.

Moon - OST

Wooden Ruler Society doesn't review movies so I can't tell you how awesome Moon starring Sam Rockwell is. I can't tell you to go Netflix that shit (even though I want to,) but what I can tell you is that the soundtrack is amazing and worth listening to whether or not you've seen the movie. Clint Mansell composed this which makes sense. He's the guy that did the soundtracks for Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, and a bunch of other awesome movies. When his name rolled by in the credits I thought to myself, that makes sense.

No Kids - Come Into My House

If Yeasayer's All Hour Cymbals is the steak, No Kids' Come Into My House is the red wine to go with it.

Endless Boogie - Full House Head

I just sent my friend this text - "I'm 10 seconds into Full House Head and it's awesome." I only got this album cuz he sent me a text to check it out. His text read - "I think you'd love it. Endless riffs." If I didn't know this just came out, I'd think this was the album that influenced Tony Iommi. Oh, and I haven't looked into it, but I'm willing to guess that the ratio of bearded dudes to not bearded dudes at an Endless Boogie concert is probably somewhere around 23:1.

The Swell Season - Two Headed-Boy

Glen Hansard should be the only person allowed to cover Neutral Milk Hotel.


The Swell Season covers Neutral Milk Hotel

Russian Circles - Geneva

Here is another album that makes me feel a little bit better about These Arms Are Snakes breaking up. This is the epic instrumental metal band of the bass player from TAAS. At times the music is sweet and soothing and at it's peak you can hear his bass growl like a dog. That's pretty much all you need to know.

Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club

Oh man! I can hardly keep up with what Tom Morello is doing! First, he ditched his electric and grabbed an acoustic for The Nightwatchman and then he dusted off his electric for Street Sweeper Social Club, a collaboration with the emcee Boots Riley. I really wanted to like this. At the start of the first track it sounded like Tom was back to his usual riffage, but after six tracks I just wanted to listen to Rage Against the Machine instead. Boots Riley isn't nearly as versatile or urgent as Zach de le Rocha can be and the crazy Tom Morello solos don't come often enough. Even the most die hard RATM fans don't need to hear this.

David Cross - Bigger and Blackerer

Wooden Ruler Society, I have neglected you. Sincere apologies.

I have been on a huge David Cross kick lately. I've been listening to his old albums. I've scoured YouTube for any stand up clips. I went out and got his DVD Let America Laugh. And if anyone wants to get me a belated birthday present, the Mr. Show: Complete Collection DVD set is fairly cheap. wink wink. David Cross' latest offering, Bigger and Blackerer, is terrific. The thing about David Cross is that, while he's not necessarily laugh out loud funny, he's smart and has something to say. For that reason you are able to listen to his albums repeatedly and it doesn't lose anything. With most comedy albums you can listen to them a couple times, laugh, and then you might as well toss it in the garbage. How many times can you listen to the same joke? It's different with David Cross. If anything, the material takes new shape after repeated listens and never fades on enjoyment.

Sleigh Bells - Treats

Damn, I'm in love. Listen to it and try not rocking it. Impossible. This was released in May of '10, it's the guitarist from Poison The Well, which is ridic, and then a girl/lady with the name of Alexis. If I knew karate, I would karate crush people's heads and have this as my soundtrack.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Up From Below

When dreams still had a chance in my mind's eye, I was living in the mountains, chewing on pine needles and watching my friends prepare and eat squirrels, well that last part only happened once, but in any case, I wish I had found this album earlier, because it's perfect for those kinds of days, and an almost perfect pairing with said circumstances. The folkie assortment of instruments and the far away sound of Alex Ebert's voice, alongside the very westernesque clangy piano, makes it a quite enjoyable listen and should hopefully inspire you once children of cowboy and indian dreams to dream again. Wikipedia's origin story is a winner as well with...
"After breaking up with his girlfriend, moving out of his house, and joining a 12-step program for addiction, Ebert began work on a story about a messianic figure named Edward Sharpe. According to Ebert, Sharpe 'was sent down to Earth to kinda heal and save mankind...but he kept getting distracted by girls and falling in love'."
The song you may know them best for is most likely "Home", where you get the excellent opportunity to really enjoy Jade Castrinos' smokey, sexy-fine, female vocals.

Morrison Hotel - The Doors

In the everlasting purpose and quest of starting shit off right, I do implore you to start the summer off correctly by listening to and, or, having on hand, Morrison Hotel. If you're like me, you've got specific albums you listen to at certain points throughout the year, and this is my all time, gotta have it, summer album. Roadhouse Blues, Land Ho!, and Peace Frog are just a few of the amazing tracks featured on this 1970's album. If you don't have this, go get it. Blood in the streets of fantastic LA, damn!

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

I had originally intended to use this blog to complain about all the music I hate, which is most of it. But now I'm finding that it's more fun to talk about the music I actually like. That brings us to our next entry - Phoenix. Why won't this band go away? There is absolutely nothing special about this band. It's like the indie rock version of Maroon 5. On top of it all they named their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. That's not even clever or funny. It's just dumb. Fuck these guys.

Varnaline - Songs in a Northern Key

Maybe it's a sign of getting older but my music choices have mellowed out considerably since high school. When I first listened to Varnaline's Songs in a Norther Key all I could think was, why haven't I heard this yet? This has everything I love about music right now. Acoustics, a whiskey soaked voice, the occasional distorted bass (!?) and a melody that gets you stuck humming it for days. If I was 16 I would hate this.

Soft Metals

Hottest band in America. Soft Metals encapsulate everything you loved about 80's synth pop bands.





Soft Metals

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

The good is good and the bad you can skip. This has a lot of awesome guest appearances, too - Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Lou Reed, the guys from The Clash - and debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts. Who knew there could be life after Blur?

Ke$ha - Animal

Turns out I love pop music. I had no idea.

Apples in Stereo - Travellers in Space and Time

Most of this album reminds me of ELO and in no way is that an insult.

Narrows - New Distances

I was (and still am[and will always be]) upset that These Arms Are Snakes broke up. These Arms Are Snakes were one of the few bands that got me through high school so they hold a special place in my heart. That pain relaxed slightly after I saw Narrows a couple weeks ago. I had heard this album and enjoyed it, but it really came to life after seeing them live. Listening to the album I was impressed except it starts strong and ends weak, having a long, instrumental track finish the album. When I saw them live they opened with the last track on the album and it worked perfectly. The guitarist let his looper pedal do the work while he went to the bar to get another beer. It was the quintessential build up to a live show. By the time he returned to the stage with a fresh Tecate everyone in the small venue was ready to rage. The band is a veritable super power with members coming from such bands as the aforementioned These Arms Are Snakes as well as Botch, Tropics, and Some Girls. By the end of the show, with everyone in awe, I expected the singer to grab the mic and say, "We know what we're doing."

Townes Van Zandt - Delta Momma Blues

The only country album you need to own.

David Sandström - The Dominant Need of the Needy Soul Is to Be Needed + Om Det Inte Händer Nåt Innan Imorgon Så Kommer Jag + Pigs Lose

You might remember David Sandström as the drummer from Refused. You know, the hardcore band that has only gained popularity since they broke up and have basically attained a legendary status. It's members have gone off and done other projects. The singer was doing The (International) Noise Conspiracy for a while. Which was good, but not as good as Refused. Then there was the band Text which had the other three members of Refused and the album Text released sounded absolutely nothing like Refused which could be disappointing if you were looking for The Shape of Punk to Come PT. II. So when I finally tracked down these David Sandström albums I was a little worried. Would it sound anything like Refused? Would it still be good? And the answer is no to the former and yes to the latter. Pigs Lose is more of a throwback to straight up rock and roll while still being good. He's got a good voice for a drummer. Who knew? And the Om Det... album is incredible. It's full of piano and strings and xylophone and delicate guitars (and I swear I heard an oboe in there) and distorted bass over hard hitting rock/n/roll drum beats. All while singing entirely in Swedish. My friend from high school would call it "powerful." The point is that this dude is awesome and you should give him all your money.

Songs: Ohia - Ghost Tropic

Here's another guy that seems to have released close to a million albums with all of them being perfect. This one is less rock and roll with very subtle percussion, but it's great if you're in a chilled out mood. Jason Molina is so good I hate him.

Frank Black and the Catholics - s/t

Frank Black has released over 20 albums under many different names (Pixies, Black Francis, Grand Duchy, etc.) Since 1988 he's released an album virtually every year. I'm still catching up. This was the first album under the Frank Black and the Catholics banner and it's awesome. I don't understand how someone can be as prolific as this man and stay as consistently good. It's ridiculous, a complete anomaly. Add this one to your Frank Black collection.

Weezer - Pinkerton

Weezer should have started and stopped with this album.

Warpaint - Exquisite Corpse EP

This is all I've been listening to for the past week. And knowing that you would think I would have something to say about this, but I got nothing. It's pretty girls making pretty music that's drowned in reverb until it becomes dream-like. The singer's voice resembles Bjork occasionally but not in an obnoxious way. Actually, forget I mentioned Bjork. These girls are a million times better. Check it out yrself!

The Knife vs. Fever Ray

So if you are, or have been, a fan of the Swedish duo The Knife, you're probably aware that until recently they haven't put out much for music, but in the last couple of months The Knife put out Tomorrow in a Year and the girl, Karin Dreijer Andersson (Fever Ray) of The Knife, put out her own solo album Fever Ray. I bought both of these, and some part of me wanted half of my money back. My expectations were flipped, and I, left in a state of bewilderment. Tomorrow in a Year was a bunch of long drawn out noise and sounds, and made me miss the older songs that'd make you want to dance with trans gender beings, ah the good old days. Fever Ray, on the other hand, had more of what I expected The Knife to have, but still not on the same level as The Knife of old. If I were on a heroin withdraw,Tomorrow in a Year would be all I could hear, and it'd feel like tomorrow was a year away, because I had no more smack, and getting to tomorrow would suck dick. Fever Ray didn't make me want to kill myself. Both of these albums are dark and ominous, but Fever Ray has been more visual, has painted the night with a few more constellations, and has done a better job of conducting this choo choo train. In my opinion, skip Tomorrow in a Year and get Fever Ray instead, you'll be much happier.

Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Yeasayer's new album, Odd Blood, is definitely a move away from the "middle eastern-psych-snap-gospel" sound of their debut album, All Hour Cymbals, but awesomely poppy and dance-esque. I mean, they still sound like Yeasayer, but if you're looking for an All Hour Cymbals 2, I don't think you'll find it in here, but I don't think you'll be disappointed at all. What do I want to do when listening to this? Pretty much live, possibly shake it whilst doing all that living, run around in environments hugging pretty girls I don't know, and smiling. Also I am super stoked to see them with Sleigh Bells, April 28 in Madison WI, or in Chicago the following day at the Metro, but if you are cooler than I, I'm sure you'll have plenty of more opportunities to check them out this year, they'll be coming back to the states at the beginning of April, so go check them out!

Grizzly Bear - Ready, Able

I laughed, I cried, and experienced some flashbacks. If you haven't yet seen this video, you got to check it out. Grizzly Bear is pretty rad, too.

Laura Veirs - July Flame

I would like to introduce the first great record of the New Year. Veirs' 2005 album Year of Meteors was incredibly sweet, unabashed and pure (not to mention catchy) but at the same time I almost forgot about her after I was through listening to it. Listening to this album was a reminder of how great of a songwriter Veirs truly is. The production is smooth, but never too perfect. At times you can hear Karl Blau singing backup harmonies. It's quite different hearing him without the standard sloppiness that accompanies his solo records. Overall, July Flame is a great gem that won't go unnoticed or forgotten.

Staygold - Backseat

There is nothing I don't love about this video. I'll be watching it on repeat until the full length drops.

Pinback – Autumn of Seraphs

My ex-girlfriend got me to listen to this band which means every time I listen to it I think of her which sucks because it’s a really good album and she’s a bitch.

John Mulaney - The Top Part

I put a comedy album on my best of 2009. Unprecedented? Absolutely. I saw this guy in 2008 when my friend had free tickets to a comedy club. It was hilarious and for a week my friend was convinced that he could do stand-up. This dude is just really funny and cool and, umm, "fun for the whole family?" I don't know, but if you want a good laugh check out John Mulaney.

Passion Pit – Manners

My friend was opening for Passion Pit in what ended up being a sold out show (this was at least six months ago) and he put me on the list, which is always awesome. I invited this girl I knew and we met up and got a few drinks before the show and then headed over to the venue. She kept asking if I had tickets and I said no. Then she saw the sold out sign and started getting nervous, but I played it cool and was like - don't worry, baby, we'll get in. I tell the door guy I'm on the list and we're in and I look like a badass. The show's packed and mostly with young, cute girls. And that's pretty much all you need to know about this band. Cute girls like this band which means you will end up liking this band or at least pretending to like this band.

From Monument to Masses – On Little Known Frequencies

From Monument to Masses is a political instrumental band and I know how that sounds - you should still check them out. This isn’t the boring kind of instrumental music, either. There’s just no room for vocals. They’ve got more in common with Rage Against the Machine than they do with, say, Explosions in the Sky or Mogwai. This is the greatest thing they have put out. It’s super ambitious and connects all the way.

Best of 2009

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's January 5th, but the holidays are a busy time and plus there weren't that many good albums put out this year. But here it finally is - the Wooden Ruler Society's Best of 2009. Some of these I have talked about already. The rest I'll tell you about later.

Marrissa Nadler - Little Hells
From Monument to Masses - On Little Known Frequencies
Lightning Dust - Infinite Light
Molina & Johnson - Molina & Johnson
The Sound of Wonder! - Compilation
Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Tiny Vipers - Life on Earth
Woods - Songs of Shame
Passion Pit - Manners
John Mulaney - The Top Part
Dead Man's Bones - Dead Man's Bones

Yeah, I put a comedy album in there. I kept looking over all these other music blogs "best of's" because it felt like I was forgetting something, but the entire list becomes meaningless when Girls makes it into the top 10.

Volcano Choir - Unamped

I was really excited to be seeing a new album coming from Justin Vernon, the falsetto master of Bon Iver's For Emma for Ever Ago, and also being from good ol' WI was a plus too, because it gives kids like me hopes. High Hopes, them apple pie hopes. I had to listen to Unamped around 5 times before I could really write to you about it, and if you've listened to it as well, I hope you've put the much needed time into it, too. The first time I really gave it some attention, I was driving through some mountains strung out on some day time medicine, not the best time to be "digging" a new album, but when I drive I really listen. What ever. All I could think about was cartoons performing lewd acts in dark alley ways, and I liked it. But was also disturbed, quasi disturbed. And I was pretty sure that there was only really one song on the album as well, ISland I believe; the other "songs" mainly seemed, to me, like soundtrack music, but I love soundtrack music, and if you do too, another good listen is Omar Rodriguez-Lopez' A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Vol. One, but anyways, if you're going into this thing looking for this album and group to sound anything like Bon Iver, you'll be disappointed, but isn't that what a good artist is meant to do?Not to disappoint, but to switch it up? Take the Beatles, for example, many of their albums didn't "go" with their previous ones, they kept things a-changing. And granted this is a different group, I believe they are going in the right direction. The other four or so times I listened to it, I found myself enjoying it more and more. I won't lie, I had mixed feelings for this at first, but that's why you have to listen to it a couple times, because I did go into it thinking it might come out a little something like For Emma... and although it didn't, I grew to like the album as something almost entirely different. I guess what I'm really trying to say is listen to it! And if you've already done so, listen to it some more. I now kill zombies to this album, and I'd like to think it helps me perform better, but you be the judge of my zombie slaying skills.