Friday, March 1, 2013
St. Vincent "Champagne Year" Live at Bonnaroo 2012
This song has so much meaning to me, I can't even begin to describe it. I love her more than air.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Lately, lately
I've written a bit of poetry, the slightest bit of prose. Most of my writing has gone into my Int. Creative Writing class at school. It's not for lack of time, but for lack of inspiration that I haven't done a whole lot of creating.
Shimmer has moved to the back burner as the last half of the year begins. I have been thinking about it more than I ever have, and that speaks volumes. Even when I was working on it an hour or two a day I wasn't putting too much thinking into it.
Erik and I have been exchanging a bit of music. My frequent conversations with Dominic have begun to push into R&B. Valentine's Day is fast approaching. I have things to do.
On the other hand, I've decided on what I want to study when I get to college. I'd like to get a double major in English and Music while also getting some minor degrees in Ethnic/Racial Studies, Women's Studies, Sexology, Political Science, Comparative Religion, and a basic Liberal Arts degree. Graphic arts would be pretty cool, too.
Humans, considering they are mostly water, are the scariest beings alive.
Shimmer has moved to the back burner as the last half of the year begins. I have been thinking about it more than I ever have, and that speaks volumes. Even when I was working on it an hour or two a day I wasn't putting too much thinking into it.
Erik and I have been exchanging a bit of music. My frequent conversations with Dominic have begun to push into R&B. Valentine's Day is fast approaching. I have things to do.
On the other hand, I've decided on what I want to study when I get to college. I'd like to get a double major in English and Music while also getting some minor degrees in Ethnic/Racial Studies, Women's Studies, Sexology, Political Science, Comparative Religion, and a basic Liberal Arts degree. Graphic arts would be pretty cool, too.
Humans, considering they are mostly water, are the scariest beings alive.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Talking Heads happened.
I've been on a massive St. Vincent kick lately. I finally have all of her discography in some form in my possession and hope to one day own them on vinyl as well as CD/digital. Her single "Krokodil" inspired my Health Unit project about the drug, on which I received the full 100/100 score on. I feel like my favorite album from her could change by the month, week, or day. Currently, Marry Me is astounding me in its complex beauty and is certainly her "prettiest" piece of music.
Last year she released a collaboration with Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne titled Love This Giant. The album made its way onto my top thirty of 2012 and I've been going back to it even more vigorously in this past month. Eventually my interest in David Byrne/Talking Heads was piqued and I decided to venture into the band. I had dismissed them before as more 80s pop drivel, but with a few views of clips from their 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense I knew the beginning of something new had come about. My first listen to their debut album 77 made me both ecstatic about delving into Talking Heads and disappointed in myself for putting them off for so long. My close friend in Michigan had given me Byrne's new book How Music Works for Christmas, so I'll definitely have plenty to work with.
Last year she released a collaboration with Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne titled Love This Giant. The album made its way onto my top thirty of 2012 and I've been going back to it even more vigorously in this past month. Eventually my interest in David Byrne/Talking Heads was piqued and I decided to venture into the band. I had dismissed them before as more 80s pop drivel, but with a few views of clips from their 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense I knew the beginning of something new had come about. My first listen to their debut album 77 made me both ecstatic about delving into Talking Heads and disappointed in myself for putting them off for so long. My close friend in Michigan had given me Byrne's new book How Music Works for Christmas, so I'll definitely have plenty to work with.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Tell me I'm your National Anthem
I’m alive, I swear to you. I’m just a poor blog manager.
You see, I’m trying to break free of the restraints I’ve put on myself by saying, “I’ll do book reviews and now I’ll do album reviews.” That sort of thing curbs my appetite for blogging and I’ll have to stop. I’ll still talk about music most of the time, but it doesn’t have to be about one specific band or musician.
Most of my listening lately has been dedicated to Florence + the Machine and Lana Del Rey. Lana is a surprise to me, as I was a bit put off by her performance on SNL and heard less than flattering things about her album ‘Born to Die’ from my hero, internet music critic Anthony Fantano. Video Games was catchy enough, and I allowed it into my repertoire. An alternate version of National Anthem came about, and before I knew it I was reading her interviews and reblogging her pictures and making her a Pandora station, right above St. Vincent and Big K.R.I.T. and below THEESatisfaction.
She’s an interesting character underneath the pouty, likely synthetic lips and vintage sex appeal. Lana has mentioned the probability of her not recording another album, but I am secretly hoping she releases something big. With her unique contralto and writing style, I think she’s capable.
As for Florence, I’ve fallen head over heels. I bought Ceremonials numerous months ago and always loved it, and now I’m beginning to dive into her first album. While not as epic or triumphant or mature as Ceremonials, Lungs does maintain its own form of innocence and wonder. Cosmic Love is incredible, possibly suited for Ceremonials. Their trademark percussion does much to fill up and enrich their sound. Her live performances are bordering on magic. Florence is in her own little world when on stage, often taking the audience with her.
I’m a bit uninspired in terms of other things at the moment. I’m at odds of what to do with myself most of the time. Hopefully I can get rid of it.
You see, I’m trying to break free of the restraints I’ve put on myself by saying, “I’ll do book reviews and now I’ll do album reviews.” That sort of thing curbs my appetite for blogging and I’ll have to stop. I’ll still talk about music most of the time, but it doesn’t have to be about one specific band or musician.
Most of my listening lately has been dedicated to Florence + the Machine and Lana Del Rey. Lana is a surprise to me, as I was a bit put off by her performance on SNL and heard less than flattering things about her album ‘Born to Die’ from my hero, internet music critic Anthony Fantano. Video Games was catchy enough, and I allowed it into my repertoire. An alternate version of National Anthem came about, and before I knew it I was reading her interviews and reblogging her pictures and making her a Pandora station, right above St. Vincent and Big K.R.I.T. and below THEESatisfaction.
She’s an interesting character underneath the pouty, likely synthetic lips and vintage sex appeal. Lana has mentioned the probability of her not recording another album, but I am secretly hoping she releases something big. With her unique contralto and writing style, I think she’s capable.
As for Florence, I’ve fallen head over heels. I bought Ceremonials numerous months ago and always loved it, and now I’m beginning to dive into her first album. While not as epic or triumphant or mature as Ceremonials, Lungs does maintain its own form of innocence and wonder. Cosmic Love is incredible, possibly suited for Ceremonials. Their trademark percussion does much to fill up and enrich their sound. Her live performances are bordering on magic. Florence is in her own little world when on stage, often taking the audience with her.
I’m a bit uninspired in terms of other things at the moment. I’m at odds of what to do with myself most of the time. Hopefully I can get rid of it.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
So brother, raise another pint.
SORRY GAIS I WAS LAZY BUSY.
Album time.
Their lead singer sports a Johnny Cash-like baritone range, narrating the vivid lyrics that paint this band's steampunk-1899. Their sound can't easily be restrained to one genre; I've read everything from steampunk to alternative to alternative country in their bios, but nothing seems to fit quite comfortably on MBD's shoulders. This was their 2006 and best received release. Their cello licks are their replacement for guitar solos, the percussion is solid and steady. "Dead Men and Sinners" is essentially boozing music suitable for pirates. "Shiola" is a bittersweet love song about being settled down. "Brother" is by far my favorite track, a loud proclamation of sibling loyalty.
"Red of Tooth and Claw" is the album that follows this one, and another one I quite enjoyed. Once I get back in the swing of things, I'll post about it.
Happy listening.
Album time.
Bless tumblr in it's glory, especially it's audio tag, because that's how I discovered this incredible and unique band. Though not their most recent release, this album has earned a special place in my heart. Before I get into detail, some of my favorite songs from this LP:
- Shiola
- Brother
- One More Notch (This is a live version)
- Dead Men and Sinners
- Devil Drives
Their lead singer sports a Johnny Cash-like baritone range, narrating the vivid lyrics that paint this band's steampunk-1899. Their sound can't easily be restrained to one genre; I've read everything from steampunk to alternative to alternative country in their bios, but nothing seems to fit quite comfortably on MBD's shoulders. This was their 2006 and best received release. Their cello licks are their replacement for guitar solos, the percussion is solid and steady. "Dead Men and Sinners" is essentially boozing music suitable for pirates. "Shiola" is a bittersweet love song about being settled down. "Brother" is by far my favorite track, a loud proclamation of sibling loyalty.
"Red of Tooth and Claw" is the album that follows this one, and another one I quite enjoyed. Once I get back in the swing of things, I'll post about it.
Happy listening.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
No one's getting out
I finally got around to another album review.
Metric hails from Canada with an intriguing indie pop/new wave sound utilizing melodic guitar riffs and keyboards. This is their most recent studio album and was welcomed with fairly warm reviews, and since it's been the subject of my most recent musical digging, I thought I'd throw in my two-cents worth.
This album definitely qualifies as one of my top-fifteen albums. Before I start in on my rambling, I'll list my favorite tracks:
'Gold Guns Girls' was the first song I heard from the album and likely the first Metric song I heard. The most famous song from the album and the most scrobbled on their last.fm is 'Help I'm Alive'. I do enjoy this track, but other songs stood out to me more. 'Sick Muse' is by far my favorite, with it's lyrics dismissing affection in ways other songs haven't. It's much more honest in it's dismissal of whatever love means. 'Front Row' is the most organic, rock sounding track, with a much more 'band-ier' sound rather among the fluid keyboards and synths on the rest of the album. 'Gimme Sympathy' is straight-up lovely, there's not much more I can say about it. The whole album is honest, in a nutshell.
The one thing I disliked on the album is the length of the songs. While some fit snugly into their 3:30 or 4 minute times, half of the songs could have easily had 30 to 50 seconds shaved off, which would've made the album considerably more listenable.
I give it 8 out of 10. Solid.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
All the things you love, all the things that may hurt you
I bring you another album review a la Dominic and his superior music taste.
This band is Minneapolis based, which makes me all the more proud. Light Chasers is a concept album with a relatively vague story line, so I took the liberties of making one up myself. I'll save you all the eye-rolling and not post it.
Cloud Cult is best described as an experimental band, which comes through quite clearly in songs like 'The Interference' and 'The Birth'. Their sound could also be called electro-rock or simply categorized as indie. Their music uses other instruments like horns and strings to bring another factor into the game. It's very beautiful and near impossible to file. The album is so beautiful that the first few times I gave it a listen I wanted to break down and weep, something previously only achieved with albums like Quadrophenia and The Wall.
I enjoyed the whole album, but there were some tracks that struck me in particular:
This band is Minneapolis based, which makes me all the more proud. Light Chasers is a concept album with a relatively vague story line, so I took the liberties of making one up myself. I'll save you all the eye-rolling and not post it.
Cloud Cult is best described as an experimental band, which comes through quite clearly in songs like 'The Interference' and 'The Birth'. Their sound could also be called electro-rock or simply categorized as indie. Their music uses other instruments like horns and strings to bring another factor into the game. It's very beautiful and near impossible to file. The album is so beautiful that the first few times I gave it a listen I wanted to break down and weep, something previously only achieved with albums like Quadrophenia and The Wall.
I enjoyed the whole album, but there were some tracks that struck me in particular:
- You'll Be Bright (The Invocation Part 1)
- You Were Born
- The Exploding People
- There's A Room Full of People In Your Head
- Running with the Wolves
You'll Be Bright is bursting from the seams with energy. You Were Born is a lyrically unique 'love song', The Exploding People is a intriguing, almost disturbing song seemingly about the consequences of keeping things inside. '...In Your Head' is an intimidating song about madness and identity; listen to the piano and horns here. Running with the Wolves is the incredible single released from the album, invigorating in it's free lyrics and sound.
They're definitely worth checking out; I'm beginning to turn my attention to their earlier stuff.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
I feel the pain of everyone
I finally got around to listening to my Dinosaur Jr. CD I picked up at Heaven/Electric Fetus.
While not necessarily an album, it's a good way to get exposed to the band. Apparently they led the birth of alternative in the '90s.
This discovering came from my best friend and fellow music snob Dominic giving me my current favorite track, 'Feel the Pain'
The song begins with what sounds like the uncorking of a wine bottle, then courses into glorious harmonious guitar. Have a listen for yourself; you'll hear what I mean.
My favorite tracks from this basic run-through of Dinosaur Jr's career are as follows;
While not necessarily an album, it's a good way to get exposed to the band. Apparently they led the birth of alternative in the '90s.
This discovering came from my best friend and fellow music snob Dominic giving me my current favorite track, 'Feel the Pain'
The song begins with what sounds like the uncorking of a wine bottle, then courses into glorious harmonious guitar. Have a listen for yourself; you'll hear what I mean.
My favorite tracks from this basic run-through of Dinosaur Jr's career are as follows;
- Feel the Pain
- Take a Run at the Sun
- Thumb
- Not You Again
I liked the whole disc, these four in particular. You could hear their sound evolve as the release moved from their earliest tracks to the more mature ones as alternative became popular.
In other news, I still haven't hung up my Keep Calm poster.
Tracks of the week:
Tracks of the week:
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Winter is here.
"I worship the winter.
I am, and almost always have been, infatuated with the freezing purity and stillness of it. Walking from my singing instructor’s house last Saturday, the first Minnesota flurry had begun to fall. I skittered to the car, complaining initially, but feeling a small rush that the silent season had arrived.
We drove through the art district of Minneapolis, which added to the snow rekindled my love for the City of Water. College students scurried about with their organic coffees and indie brand book bags. I look forward to the years when I can both live that peacefully and, by night, party that hard. The art district, full of theaters and small-businesses outlined by the Arizona Theater by south and Electric Fetus, was outlined by white that brought alive the smattering of color and chrome. The red light district, harboring Dream girls and Sex World, flashed it’s bright lights even in broad daylight to remind the residents of the sin that was offered at nightfall.
Even sitting here, laptop in hand and internet less along the north shore of Lake Superior, with melted snow and mild weather, am I content to know the death and birth season is waiting to have it’s way with Minnesota. The state itself is a woman of contradictions. The rain here could last for minutes or for days, usually in the late spring and throughout the summers. Summer and winter are two warring seasons, polar opposites of humid and hot to dry and cold. Autumn is my favorite season because of the smell of wood in the air and fires held in family back yards. Despite this, winter will always have a large section of my heart. If Autumn is my husband, Winter is my affair.
The light in winter is always perfect. Nights are the brightest they’ll ever be and days are a comfortable grey. Nothing like summer, with it’s dark midnight hours and blinding sunlight. I could never leave this state. I may wander through other lovers; the theatrical promises of New York City, the wind of Chicago, even the harbors of Maine might attract my attention. I’ve always wanted to have some kind of show in London or Leeds. Vienna, Austria, is the music capitol of the world and I’ll be damned if I don’t visit it. However I stray, though, my home and heart will always remain here, in the northlands of Minnesota."
/attempt at poetic drabble I wrote over a week ago.
I cringed walking around the grocery store today once I detected Christmas music. I know I won't mind it the week of the commercialized holiday, but it's still too damn early. Especially for Rocking Around the Christmas Tree. I can't tell you how much I hate that song.
In other news, I've become disillusioned with Rolling Stone. It's an alright magazine for informative purposes, but their lists drive me up a wall.
We get the fact that you think the Beatles are the greatest band to ever walk the face of our planet, yes, but they shouldn't populate almost the entire top ten albums. It's so blatant that the lists are made by people of a certain generation it almost discussed me. I talked to Zoya about this for awhile after I first discovered the lists and she put it best.
My personal lists, because they're personal, are pretty biased but I'm not publishing them as representation of a general idea. I'm attempting to stop being so cynical about it.
This post is probably going to give people the idea I hate the Beatles. Which is very far from the truth, I just get sick of people worshiping them.
In other news, the music business is trying to suck money from me that I don't have. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour is coming to Minneapolis in February, followed by Roger Waters returning with The Wall in June and very hopefully the Who at some point.
Why yes, mother, of course I'll do the dusting.
I am, and almost always have been, infatuated with the freezing purity and stillness of it. Walking from my singing instructor’s house last Saturday, the first Minnesota flurry had begun to fall. I skittered to the car, complaining initially, but feeling a small rush that the silent season had arrived.
We drove through the art district of Minneapolis, which added to the snow rekindled my love for the City of Water. College students scurried about with their organic coffees and indie brand book bags. I look forward to the years when I can both live that peacefully and, by night, party that hard. The art district, full of theaters and small-businesses outlined by the Arizona Theater by south and Electric Fetus, was outlined by white that brought alive the smattering of color and chrome. The red light district, harboring Dream girls and Sex World, flashed it’s bright lights even in broad daylight to remind the residents of the sin that was offered at nightfall.
Even sitting here, laptop in hand and internet less along the north shore of Lake Superior, with melted snow and mild weather, am I content to know the death and birth season is waiting to have it’s way with Minnesota. The state itself is a woman of contradictions. The rain here could last for minutes or for days, usually in the late spring and throughout the summers. Summer and winter are two warring seasons, polar opposites of humid and hot to dry and cold. Autumn is my favorite season because of the smell of wood in the air and fires held in family back yards. Despite this, winter will always have a large section of my heart. If Autumn is my husband, Winter is my affair.
The light in winter is always perfect. Nights are the brightest they’ll ever be and days are a comfortable grey. Nothing like summer, with it’s dark midnight hours and blinding sunlight. I could never leave this state. I may wander through other lovers; the theatrical promises of New York City, the wind of Chicago, even the harbors of Maine might attract my attention. I’ve always wanted to have some kind of show in London or Leeds. Vienna, Austria, is the music capitol of the world and I’ll be damned if I don’t visit it. However I stray, though, my home and heart will always remain here, in the northlands of Minnesota."
/attempt at poetic drabble I wrote over a week ago.
I cringed walking around the grocery store today once I detected Christmas music. I know I won't mind it the week of the commercialized holiday, but it's still too damn early. Especially for Rocking Around the Christmas Tree. I can't tell you how much I hate that song.
In other news, I've become disillusioned with Rolling Stone. It's an alright magazine for informative purposes, but their lists drive me up a wall.
We get the fact that you think the Beatles are the greatest band to ever walk the face of our planet, yes, but they shouldn't populate almost the entire top ten albums. It's so blatant that the lists are made by people of a certain generation it almost discussed me. I talked to Zoya about this for awhile after I first discovered the lists and she put it best.
My personal lists, because they're personal, are pretty biased but I'm not publishing them as representation of a general idea. I'm attempting to stop being so cynical about it.
This post is probably going to give people the idea I hate the Beatles. Which is very far from the truth, I just get sick of people worshiping them.
In other news, the music business is trying to suck money from me that I don't have. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour is coming to Minneapolis in February, followed by Roger Waters returning with The Wall in June and very hopefully the Who at some point.
Why yes, mother, of course I'll do the dusting.
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