Sing Out America

Flashback to Reality

2012-02-13T18:41:00.000-08:00

I just picked up this sweet little guy; spent most of the week's pay doing it too. I think I suffer from that poor-person syndrome where as soon as there is a little money in my pocket, it has to get spent-TODAY!

Delay pedals are so awesome. The uniqueness of delays is right up there with overdrives and distortions. Even if the effect does the same thing as another one, there are subtle differences and proponents will go to the mattresses over their favorite.

Delay pedals are in a decidedly more complex

category than overdrives though because there are many different kinds of delay effects derived from different technologies that produce their own unique kind of delay. I could go into the important differences between tube echos, tape echos, analog delays, lo-fi delays, digital delays and so on, or I could let someone else do it for me.

There are pros and cons for each kind and it really is a matter of what kind of effect you are trying to get before you start weighing in on a particular unit. Is an $800 vintage Roland Space Echo better than an inexpensive digital delay? Yes, but they make completely different sounds, that's my point.

The TC Electronic Flashback delay is great because it has a wide variety of popular delay sounds packed into a compact pedal. Additionally, it's a lot easier to use than, say, a DL4, but it's not as versatile either. One of the things I wish it had was a tone knob or "x-factor" knob to change some of the parameters within a delay type. For instance: the lo-fi delay voicing is great, but I wish it could get even lower-fi where the repeats are super squawky and chirpy; or on the modulated delay setting, you can't really dial in more or less modulation without getting more or less of the overall effect level.

One of the most inventive features of this pedal, though, is really ground breaking. There is a small connection on the front (depending on how you look at it) of the pedal that allows you to hook up to your computer's USB port and download an artist-created special delay. They call the process TonePrint and I think it's a great ideal. There is a library of over two-dozen-and-growing TonePrints available for this pedal alone. I only wish there was a way of giving the sound a listen before downloading it so as to prevent from downloading them all, because they all seem like they would be useful and usable.

Questions without answers

2012-02-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

Somebody get this girl a glass of milk!

The terrible present

2012-02-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

"...wild me lost among wild you."

On the Road, Again.

2012-01-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

Over a month since a blog post? Something must be awry! Not that anyone reads this, but so many wonderful things have happened that I have hardly had time to collect my thoughts.

First, there was the holidays. The holidays, for me, is a reminder that there are some justifiable reasons to commit suicide. If it's not the stress of dealing with pent up emotional abuse from your childhood, it's the stress of dealing with on-going emotional abuse from your adulthood. Thanks the Lord Baby Jesus for whiskey and beer, even if it's the not-good kind.

Next, there was a move. No, wait: TWO moves. Or three. You can never be sure because the sky keeps on changing. And here I sit in the Windy City (that's what they call San Francisco, right?) and the wind is a-blowin'! I just returned from a short mini-tour with my friend's band. They dropped a new record and it's good enough to allow them to take a professional like me out on the road with them. I did all kinds of heavy lifting and guttural laughing and string tuning, and light mooning. The van had no heat and we were headed north! It was great to be back in Minneapolis for a day and see some old friends and my cuss of an ex-girlfriend's ex-boyfriend's band. Wait, my ex's ex make him my...what? Who cares. I had a blast and got to hang out with a bunch of good old boys, a girl, and a sassy three-year-old.

Has anyone ever thrown you one of these: I can't remember the last time I fucked a super model? I can. BOOSH! But enough about my dreams...

Then there was the guitar, oh, Lordy, the guitar. I am super excited to have it, even if it's only for a limited time. If I can manage to save my dollars, it'll be my second next big purchase. I'm proud that Bilt has made a name for themselves and came out of Des Moines.

Things are really heating up! Kid Rock, Los Lonely Boys, some black guy and... was that Stallone?

Netflix can't keep me entertained.

New Video!

2011-12-13T09:20:00.001-08:00

Eric & Magill "You Make It So Good" from Liam Mitchell on Vimeo.

You didn't see it here first, but this is the brand spankin' new video from Eric & Magill, who have done more awesome things in the past year than I have this century. I was inspired by the kid in this video and used him as a model for a couple of frames in the comic I'm drawing for a final project. This is my favorite kind of music video: the kind where the band isn't playing their instruments. This is even better because Eric and Ryan don't even make an appearance.

Alabama Shakes

2011-12-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

This is probably one of the best bands I've come across recently. They released a 4-song ep earlier this year, marrying a great combination of delta blues, soul, and rock. I am eagerly anticipating a full length.

Oh, I Forgot

2011-11-13T11:29:00.000-08:00

"The one that loves the most is at the mercy of the one that loves the least."

2011-11-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

Also, Damien Jurado is working on a new record with what looks to be Richard Swift. I've got a good feeling about this!

Damien Jurado at National Freedom from Lance Alton Troxel on Vimeo.

Glory Days, You're All Out!

2011-11-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

I generally don't like cover songs. It's one of those quirky things, that I don't really know how to explain. I'd like to say nobody should sing them ever, but I've heard too many good covers to be that extreme.

I think that a good cover should somehow capture the best parts of both the person/group covering it and the original. A good cover shouldn't sound exactly like the original, but it also shouldn't venture so far away that it bastardizes the original message either. Let's use Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" as an example of a great cover. His voice alone is enough to make his version magical, but the instrumentation is also wildly different. Buckley's electric guitar is a far cry from Cohen's original synths, drums, and choir.

Another cover that I would call one of the ballsier I've heard is Cush's version of Prince's "I Would Die 4 U". It takes Prince's classic Minneapolis Industrial Dance sound and turns it on its head by stripping it down to an Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? style spiritual with only an acoustic guitar, country organ, and a dusty voice for most of the song (the solo is banged out on a typewriter). The result is something almost unrecognizable from the original. I had a roommate that was a big Prince fan and not even he recognized it until after many, many listens.

Old Derek Brown posted this version of a Springsteen song today and, although my first reaction was that he was trespassing on sacred ground, I think it's a fine example of how to properly cover a song.

<a href="http://nightreports.bandcamp.com/album/glory-days">Glory Days by Night Reports</a>

Speed Trials.

2011-11-07T18:06:00.001-08:00

I don't remember this album getting very much play when it was released, but I think it's one of Jurado's better recent efforts; much stronger than St. Bartlett, in my opinion.

My Love is Like Alaska

2011-10-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

My friend Jeremy knows how to write songs. He gets distracted by remixing reggae dance tracks and making watches, but if he was more bohemian (or arrogant) he could have been somebody you've heard of.

He is releasing his double album, Divider/Destroyer, next week at Cause Soundbar. It's a departure from what he had mostly done in the past. Luckily, last month, he also released the North ep, which sounds more like what he usually does, whatever that means. Under all that reverb and (gasp!) auto tuning, there are beautifully mature songs that most songwriters could only dream about. Except for maybe that club version of "The Scientist".

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://secretpanels.bandcamp.com/album/north"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;North by Secret Panels&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Rosie Thomas Says It Best

2011-10-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

It isn't melodrama when it's true, right? "I'm still in love, why aren't you?"

Line 6 DL4 and IMPROVED!

2011-09-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

This starts with a metaphor: This device looks broken and useless to some most people. but others might see that could be under repair. I'd like to think that as broken and messy as I feel, I'm actually getting better somehow.

This was the first piece of equipment that I owned that made me feel like I was getting serious as a musician. I could be wrong, but I think this predated my first tube amp (a 4x10 Fender DeVille that I just sold for stupid cheap to my friend Jeremy). It always made me feel cool when I'd go see some of my favorite touring bands and they'd have the exact same piece of equipment that I had.

You're given a bank of over a dozen modern and vintage delay sounds that you can adjust the tones of as well as an accessible looper option. Once you get a sound you like, you can save it into one of the three presets and access it whenever with the push of a button.

Looking back, while I may have been able to justify using this back then, I certainly didn't use it correctly. One of the hang ups of the DL4 is that it's not easy to fiddle with. Even the slightest adjustments need to be saved, and it can become a tedious process. I never developed subtlety, either, so when we'd play a show at the Mews, I'd get frustrated that I couldn't ear myself and make adjustments so the delays were obnoxiously loud and repeated five or six times longer than necessary.

When I'd hear David play, his command of this seemingly untamable device always amazed me. Even his spazzy delay sounds were musical and controlled. I found out that he spent hours learning the specifics of each control and working to make each sound exactly what he wanted for each song. I just didn't have that kind of foresight, let alone patience.

Some people think that the sounds of some of the delays, especially the tube-or-tape-based echos, can't hold a candle to the real devices that they're modeled from. To this I will concede any number of points from immediate interactions to subtleties in the warble of actual tape. However, I will say that, even though the DL4 isn't inexpensive per se, it costs less money than almost any one of the

vintage units that it models. Prickett writes that when playing music, it's much more important to use what works, what's available, and what you're comfortable with. So if you have an actual tape echo, by all means use it. If not, don't think that not having one is going to prevent you from sounding great.

I recently discovered a great new company out of Oklahoma and sent them my DL 4 to get some work done. It wasn't broken, so they weren't repairing anything. They did, however, have to take the whole thing apart in order to upgrade the switches and install new LEDs. I asked them to put on some cool new knobs, too, and they look sharp. I guess the important difference between an upgrade and a modification is that a modification changes a feature, or adds a new feature, to an existing device. An upgrade allows the device to do just what it did before only better.

call it forgiveness

2011-09-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

"here's to the few who forgive what you do, and the fewer who don't even care"

-the reverend leonard cohen

I think I'm going to start blogging about all the music equipment I've accrued and how much I don't know how to use it. Maybe I'll become so popular that A. Prickett will notice and tell me what I'm doing wrong.

Due up on this blog are showcases of my guitars and amps, some effects pedals I've bought and some I've built, a microphone or two, and some odds and ends that I'm pretty sure would be put to better use in someone else's hands.

On the off chance that you read this, I'm sorry.

Why You're A Terrible Person

2011-08-31T07:35:00.000-07:00

The first five minutes are the set up for the last three. It articulates how having good self perception doesn't always translate into being a good person.

Five Points

2011-08-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

1. Thanks to this, mom wouldn't let us play with gravity anymore.

2. He missed the moped by about 15 feet.

3. I haven't seen anybody dropped that hard since my last girlfriend left me.

4.He should date Cecilia Lisbon.

5.I don't know why he's a tree hugger. It was the ground that broke his fall.

You are Pushing Me Away

2011-08-19T21:14:00.001-07:00

no one defies artificial light

2011-08-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

"maybe you try to be pretty instead of kind"

An Old Yarn

2011-08-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

Haunting and peaceful, like music to hang yourself to.

Good Quote

2011-08-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

"Me, I want to bloody kick this moronic bloody world in the bloody teeth over and over till it bloody understands that not hurting people is ten bloody thousand times more bloody important than being right." -David Mitchell

Prids

2011-08-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a band that has been around for a while, but I've only just heard of via Velvet Blue Music. Awesome indie rock from Portland, OR.

I Do, or Did, or Tried.

2011-07-26T08:06:00.000-07:00

There is this place in South Minneapolis that buys and sells used jewelry, specifically the kind you're left with after your marriage falls apart. You go in there and you're greeted, nice enough, by staff that wear convoluted smiles belying the circumstances that brought you there in the first place. Even if you're there to buy, you're buying a ring that got hocked after somebody's divorce, and they don't try to hide this fact in their advertisements. Maybe I'm being sensitive, but the place was depressing in the same way Dollywood probably is.

It's really uncomfortable when the person helping you tries to make small talk and asks you about where you got the ring (an estate sale), how long you were married (never got the chance to propose), and how much you originally paid for it (a lot more than they offered to buy it from me for).

When you leave, the lady says, "I hope everything works out for you." And the rest of your weekend is spent trying to catch your breath, like you just got punched in the balls.

At Least This Guy Left Me with a Mark

2011-07-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

Of all the people that have hurt me, this guy is one of the only people to have put a cigarette out on my arm. It's True. I wish I had more - not better, just more - experiences with him. His voice kills me and I'm glad his happy making babies in Omaha.

Its True from Zac Eubank on Vimeo.

Grand Poohbah

2011-07-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

I love you is back.

The Worst is Over

2011-07-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

I remember when Cursive's "The Ugly Organ" was first released. Kyle Munson, of the Des Moines Register, gave it a glowing 5-star review and I went out and bought it immediately. It was one of those albums that wasn't quite like anything I had heard up to that point and, for a time, I listened to it all the time.

At least I thought I did.

I'm pretty sure that when this album came out, the closest that I had ever come to a broken heart was never meeting Stephanie from "Full House". I hadn't really dated anyone, so the subject matter of the album was ultimately lost on me.

Fast forward to today and I just got done listening to it for the first time in what must be, at least, 7 years. Most of the songs hit me in the gut like a sledgehammer, not just the music, but the narratives. The manic guitar that opens up the album is the perfect sound of the confused anger in my chest. Lyrics on songs like "the recluse", "driftwood", and "gentleman caller" brought tears to my eyes.

As much as I felt like I was hearing this album again for the first time, there was a genuine surprise: the final track called "staying alive". I honestly don't think I ever heard this one, although I must have. I just didn't remember it. The haunting chorus that closes the song, and album, singing "the worst is over" is what it must sound like when one passes into the afterlife.

My thoughts about it today are this: Even if the worst is over, there are still lingering effects of it. Think about the Jews that survived the holocaust. They survived, but now they have to live their lives trying to process the horrors that they lived through. Or, where I'm calling from, it's over, but that doesn't mean the damage is repaired.

Farewell, Shutterbug.

2011-07-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

Peter and Sabrina took off today. We had ourselves quite a wild weekend. It was so hot and humid for most of it that I almost wish they stayed another night so we could have relaxed out on the deck without sweating our balls off. Well, not Sabrina.

Peter took a zillion pictures and at least half of them are awesome. I only saw about 10% of the ones he took because he is, apparently, really sneaky when he takes pictures. A bunch of candid shots, for sure.

Last night I took them to a bunch of Uptown bars and tried to share a story about each one. They tried sake for the first time at Moto-I and we all had our first Baked Potato Pizza at Pizza Luce. We over drank all weekend (especially Sunday) and last night we overate like real Americans. I barely made it through my classes today. I came home to find that they cleaned the place up real nice before leaving, which goes to show how sorry they must have been for keeping me entertained and preoccupied for four days and nights.

They are both real amazing people and I am so glad that, although I don't see them often, I can count them among my greatest friends.

The best surprise of the trip was David coming to town from Chicago, the same day that he got back from vacation in Peru with Allison. We posed for this ultra awesome picture in Northeast Minneapolis over by where I used to live. I think it's going to be the album cover the next time we have an album that needs to be covered. Stay tuned for that. I think we'll call it "Goin' My Way?".

Wash Away

2011-07-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

My friends Peter and Sabrina are in town for a few days. Peter is the best photographer that I know. Except maybe for that guy that took that famous picture of Jesus. You can't tell from this picture, but I'm feeling pretty sad and lonely, but we're having a good time anyway.

David also came for the weekend, which took the awesomeness to a new level. We tried recording a song from start to finish. We didn't quite make it, but maybe it'll show up somewhere someday. Stay tuned.

We've listened to some Mountain Goats, Ride, and Wild Nothing this weekend. We're going to get some Lebanese for lunch and maybe some new tires for Peter's VW.

Long long gone

2011-07-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

This is one of those songs that you hope never makes sense to you. And when it does, it makes you sad because you'd like to think that love is strong enough to overcome the hard times.

Breaking Up is Hard to Be Done To.

2011-07-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

This song was real popular when it first came out. I don't think I ever heard it until this morning. There's a lot going on here, but I think that there's something to be said about it all. Something.

At a certain point you tell yourself that the best course of action is to try to remove yourself from what is happening. Try not to dwell on it, don't let it ruin your life. The pain doesn't go away, but it's not always there holding you down. There's things you want to say, but "fuck you" seems counter productive.

At a certain point she goes to far. She might be experiencing pain similar to yours, but she's a fighter. She's not going to fight for love, but she's going to fight to make you feel worse, worse than she feels anyway. And why not? When she's feeling bad, all bets are off. And then things get nasty. She's not interested in being civil and she's not interested in not saying anything that she can't take back.

So now you sit there, every morning, at the edge of your bed thinking: what does it all mean? And, this time, what really troubles you, is what you're afraid that the answer might be.

It doesn't mean anything.

Heaven can't offer salvation now because you gave your heart to a girl. Enjoy damnation, kid. I hope it was worth it.

Seryn

2011-07-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Bittersweet for the broken heart.

Art is the world's caged beauty. Caged by, like, frames and stuff. You know?

Pornography and the Rapture

2011-05-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well, as of right now the rapture of the Christian faithful hasn't occurred. I've wasted my morning listening to Together by the New Pornographers. I don't really care for it. It has it's moments where some parts are better than others, but nothing comes close to the jaw dropping awesomeness that is all over Electric Version and Twin Cinema, two stupidly good pop records.

I've always appreciated the name The New Pornographers. It really articulates one way people react to music, both in positive and negative ways. Plus, it gives mom a false perception of the music I'm listening to because, it just so happens that, pornography is a dirty four-letter word.

Here Comes the Balding Man

2011-04-26T12:39:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I'm only the least bit interested in the Smashing Pumpkins anymore because Jeff Schroeder, guitarist for one of my long-standing favorite bands The Lassie Foundation, has started playing with them. That being said, I think that my assessment of the new Pumpkins' stuff is fairly accurate:

If it wasn't called The Smashing Pumpkins, you'd probably think it's a pretty good band. If Billy Corgan wasn't singing, it might be a pretty damn good band.

Some of it is more new-wave than the harder metalesque/doom-pop stuff that their known for. Think if they stayed with the idea of Adore and ran with it. I'm not wild about any of it, but I'm surprised at how not-bad it is.

Check it out here.

Yes I Would, Bonar

2011-04-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

"Kid October" - Haley Bonar from The Duluth Scene on Vimeo.

Amber and I got to see Haley Bonar on Friday for her second CD release show in less than a year. Last November she released "Leo", an instrumental e.p. that was a departure from her more traditional songstress sound, if only because she didn't sing actual words.

Friday celebrated the release of "Golder", a return to form and then some. Since 2008's "Big Star", Bonar started taking the singer-songwriter status quo and giving it a quick twist around the neck, adding lush layers of reverb and instrumentation to produce songs that instantly transport the listener to the Bonar's scene of the crime. This isn't to say that the songs wouldn't be just as good if she was playing them solo (as proved by the video), but with her backing band, she has managed to created something gently violent and beautifully devastating.

Decibully Farewell Record Review

2011-04-18T05:36:00.000-07:00

Decibully has covered a lot of sonic ground on their five albums. Largely built around some sacred version of Americana - not quite country, not quite rock 'n roll - Decibully has never shied away from taking an adventurous step into new territory whether it be the spacey sounds dancing along with banjo on "Beyond Hope" from City of Festivals, the irish jigginess of "Megan & Magill" or the straight up, spot on barbershop quartet song "Temptation" from Sing Out America or almost everything from their epic World Travels Fast, Decibully has solidified their sound as only being loosely definable at best.

On their newest, and reportedly final, album, the mid-west's best band take a straight forward approach to the writing and production process. Considering that Decibully has consistently been surprisingly successful with their experimental sound, it is kind of jarring to hear so much restraint, especially after the balls-to-the-walls-of-sound of their last album.

Multi-instrumentalist/producer Ryan Weber said in an interview that the focus was making an album that sounded like the band does live. No fancy post-production tricks, no overdubs.

Almost every song on this album sounds like it would be perfectly comfortable being placed in the middle of one of the band's previous three albums. Song like "I Want" and "A Girl Like Her" sound like they could have been pulled off of City of Festivals. "Ain't Afriad of Nothing" could have been on Sing Out America and "Blood We Bleed", "Forever" and "Been There Before" would fit in nicely on World Travels Fast. However, taken together, these songs are something completely their own.

On its own, Decibully might not be the quintessential Decibully album. But when viewed in the context of the final album from the band, it is a fitting capstone and a treasure of a listen. The song writing has never been stronger and the genuine fun of the band's live show is easy to hear. Decibully is sure to continue making converts long after the band is gone. The only problem is that the album's closer "Been There Before" ends leaving the listener wanting one more for the road.

So Long, Dear Friends

2011-04-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

Decibully played their final show Saturday night at the Cactus Club in Milwaukee. I was unable to attend, but some dear soul recorded it and put it up online.

Their set plays like a highlight reel of the best parts of a relationship that is ending. It might be hard to come to terms with why something so good has to come to a close, but it's hard to feel sad, even though there won't be anymore music after this night. The only things that remain are smiles, good memories and five incredibly strong albums that will only get better with age.

Decibully has been one of my all-time favorites for a while now, but it's not just because of their music. Every member of Decibully, past and present, has been nothing short of an awesome dude. They have always been approachable, genuine and gracious when I've spoke to them. They are the same guys on and off the stage, and whether they're playing to 20 or 200 people. They all seem to get a kick out of living life and inspire me to do the same.

Best of luck to Aaron, Andrew, B.J., Kenny, Nick and Ryan as they continue on to the next stage of their lives. Stay wild!

Be A Man

2011-04-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

You know how it's a thing now to insert some kind of peripherally masculine word inside another word to make it juvenilely more masculine? "Bromance", "Manscape", even one of my favorites: "Bro-out" are popular with the young kids. I was thinking about coining one of my own and I first thought of something like, "Girls think I'm attractive because of my GUY LASHES," but it didn't have the zing I was hoping for.

Then I came up with "Va-Guy-na". It's basically a MAN-gina, but I changed it so it's totally my own. "I pleasure the ladies with my large va-guy-na". No? Fair enough.

How about "Man-iscule"? It could mean something like a short dude or something.

Maybe "Oni-MAN-opia", a dude that looks the same forwards and backwards. Or maybe wears all of his close backwards?

Anyway, I can't sleep. Inso-MAN-ia.

Sheesh!

Daytrotter: Monahans

2011-03-26T14:59:00.001-07:00

Hey Kids,

Check out Texas band Monahans throwing down a pretty decent Daytrotter session from this week. Experimental Americana that's right up there with the best of them.

Surprise in Chicago

2011-03-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

David forgot to leave the key, so if I left the apartment, I couldn't come back until he was back from work. Thus, I didn't leave until well after noon and wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere, except there was a bit of a chill and I hadn't worn a jacket. I went into the first store that I thought I could pass as a legit patron to warm up, Reckless Records in Wicker Park. I casually browsed records, just in case I came across anything special. Amber called and I paced the aisles talking with her, not in a hurry to go back outside without knowing where I was going. I became aware that the store had begin to fill with an unexpectedly large amount of people for a Friday afternoon. I was still talking with Amber and slightly disoriented and wasn't able to process what was happening. Was there a band preforming or something? I was just about to put Amber on hold to ask someone when I saw a poster advertising an in-store appearance by Patton Oswalt, of "The King Of Queens" fame. I interrupted Amber and demanded what time it was. "Uh, like 2:30," she said. "Why?" Patton Oswalt is reading from his new book in an hour, I told her. No biggie. Of course, I'm telling this to someone who was at SXSW at the time and was being entertained out the wazoo, so it's not like accidentally seeing a comedian read was going to make her jealous, like I secretly hoped it would.

I ended up hanging out by the stage at the back of the store for an hour and change. Oswalt came out and read a couple of quick pieces about Dungeons & Dragons and then took some questions from the adoring audience. One of the most impressive qualities about this guy is that he comes off as very non-exclusive and encouraging. You don't have to know a lot about him to know that he is very supportive of other comedians and his close group of co-workers seems to be deep and wide, rather than just the three other people you saw in "The Comedians of Comedy". More than half of the audience questions came from aspiring comics, and Oswalt was very encouraging and honest with his answers. He told one kid not to worry about delivering jokes like his favorite comics (Oswalt, Louis C.K. etc.) but to just get up on stage. Don't worry about the material, what you look like, anything. Nothing you can do at this point is going to effect your career for good or bad. Just get out there and get experience. It was a refreshing answer. I wonder how many times he's given it.

There was one kid up front that was filming, but when Oswalt realized what he was doing, he told him to stop. He was cool about people taking pictures and I think that I got a couple of keepers that I might put up here later.

Victory Explosions by Derek Brown

2011-03-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty rad performance from the awesome Derek Brown at Word Stock in 2008. This poem is about reveling in the small victories when nothing seems to be going right.

This morning I'm thinking about how we attempt to manipulate the sun and stars by changing our clocks. Really, we're just manipulating ourselves. And also, our clocks.

Key lines: "I was skinnier than a dead model." and, later, "It was worth it."

Union Song

2011-03-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

Hey Wisconsin,

Sorry that you're politicians don't care about the working class. I guess you'll think twice before electing a stranger again, won't you? Remember, they might have a bad rap from years of smearing and some unfortunate missteps in the past, but unions exist to protect the workers from being abused by management, even if the management is the government. Public workers' rights are being taken away in Wisconsin by a party that proclaims freedoms and liberties. This is just an example of conflicting ideologies that nobody wants to address and nobody is calling them out on it. My roommate, Jason, thinks you, the public workers, should have a general strike and raise some hell. Whatever happens, my hearts are with you, the Wisconsin workers. Union or not, this song is for you.

R.E.M.

2011-03-09T05:45:00.001-08:00

R.E.M. - "Oh My Heart" Video (Live In Studio) from stereogum on Vimeo.

If I Only Could

2011-03-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

Hidden under all the layers of the 1980's, there is a fiercely beautiful song about love. This song kicks off Kate Bush's album "hounds of love". The album examines love as the typical beautiful thing that you're probably familiar with. Bush also articulates love as a terrible beast or monster that chases you through the night. I think that she brilliantly captures the dichotomy of the wonderful and horrible aspects of love. Love isn't a bad thing, but it has it's consequences. When you're really in love, you're no longer living for just yourself. When it comes for you, you had better be ready for it.

Key line: "you don't want to hurt me, but see how deep the bullet lies"

Are You Still Mined?

2011-03-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

"Love is my weakness and my weakness is strong."

This song is balls to the walls. Key line: "I'll fight like a son of a bitch for that which is mine". And...peel my jaw off the floor.

A Lesson From The Boss

2011-03-01T06:15:00.000-08:00

This song is a good example of the dichotomy between self-perception and self-awareness. Even when we think that we understand why we do the things we do, are we really aware of the consequences? How do we deal with misunderstanding or being misunderstood? What is intentionally kept hidden and what is unknowingly kept from others?

One line that hits me hard in this song is when he sings "...know just what I got in this good thing I've found." I'm not sure I know why though. There's a lot packed into every line of this song, but this line stands out to me.

The Song Is You

2011-02-28T07:19:00.000-08:00

"everyone dies in my movies. everyone dies ain't that beautiful? and all things blow up."

-all black cinema

Get It?

2011-02-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

ArtWerk

2011-02-21T09:56:00.000-08:00

These are a couple of possible pieces that might be included in the art work for the Eric & Magill vinyl pressing. I really like Eric Hancock's scratchy pen style and both of the pieces capitalize on depth and perspective, two things I feel like I'm short on in my life right now.

Eric & Magill have reached their Kickstarter goal, so the record will get pressed fo-sho. You can still donate on their Kickstarter page for the next couple weeks (a $25 donation secures you a copy of the record, so you can just think of it as pre-purchasing it), so do so if you can and maybe they'll use the proceeds to do a tour or something.

Best of luck to those guys.

If You Don't Love Me, Let Me Go.

2011-02-17T13:25:00.001-08:00

I had the lyrics to part of this song stuck in my head the other day during class. I knew it was The Decemberists, but I couldn't place the actual songs, or which album it was on, or, even, the actual words. All I could remember was that it was exactly what I was feeling at the time.

I think the words I was trying to remember were "I am the heart that you call home" and "I have written pages upon pages trying to rid you of my bones". It didn't work, by the way. I didn't really want it to.

I went home and have been listening to Decemberists albums ever since. Once, I thought I had forgotten what I was looking for, and another time questioned if I would know the significance of the song to what I was feeling a few days ago. Luckily, it all came back when the song finally played. It was disarmingly beautiful and hope snuck up on me in a way I didn't think was possible anymore.

Flourish

2011-02-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

Velour 100 was a band that was around when I was young, but I never got into them as much as David. Every once in a while I'll pull out the albums I have a give them a listen.

Why don't I do this more?

On Critiquing and Appreciating.

2011-02-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

Does critiquing something mean that you don't like it? If you don't wantonly love everything, does that make you a negative person? I'm not ridiculous enough to think that my opinion really matters, but I feel that cautiously warming up to books, music, movies, art, etc. is just as fulfilling and gratifying as being in love with everything. Personally, I think it saves me a lot of anxiety to not really expect much. I tried going around being disappointed with everything and I didn't really like how I felt. I tried to learn to take things as they are and leave my expectations out of it and I found that it was much more satisfying to enjoy something for what it was, rather than disliking it for what it was not.

Perhaps this has resulted in a detachment in, or a difficulty to be moved by, a lot of art. However, one must also take personality into account when judging such things. I am traditionally find much more joy in an honest conversation than I do in any song or movie or book. You know the way people hear a song and you can see on their face that they are moved; they are changed? I rarely get that way from hearing songs that I love. I get that way from talking intimately with someone I love.

Just because I don't light up and beam when I hear that song on the radio, doesn't mean I don't enjoy it. Just because I don't feel faint when I see a band I like play my favorite song in concert doesn't meant I'm not having a good time. If there is a problem, it probably stems from an expression of enjoyment, rather than the feeling of enjoyment.

What I try to write here on this blog concerns things that I enjoy and appreciate, mostly in terms of pop music. When I try to sound especially enthusiastic about something, I don't feel like I am actually saying what I feel about it, but rather I feel like I'm trying to write something so that somebody else might feel compelled to listen, based on something I said. In conversation, I don't readily feel this burden to convince someone else. Perhaps I don't come off as enthusiastic if I just say something like "I like this," but I'm usually oblivious to the fact that I'm supposed to be enthusiastic or risk sounding sarcastic.

That being said, I like this. I love you.

It looks like Radiohead is going to release another album. I hope that it's good. They really haven't done much for me since Kid A, but they're still a lot better than most stuff out there; even when they're disappointing. The new album is going to be called The King Of Limbs.

Barbara Mason's Thoughts As My Own

2011-02-10T17:18:00.000-08:00

Faux Fir on Morning Blend

2011-02-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

If you're going to do a morning show, wear your bathrobes! Faux Fir of Milwaukee plays some psycho keyboard pop and tries to get the ass out of bed shaking.

Warm Tone of "Americana" on Vinyl

2011-02-09T10:29:00.001-08:00

I had a conversation with some friends about name brand and generic items a while ago. We discussed the products that we felt mattered to spend the extra money to get, what we perceived to be, necessarily better quality. These items included toilet paper, cotton swabs for the ear, and beer.

Some people, myself included, feel that vinyl is a superior medium for listening to music. But, unlike some, I am completely aware that this is nothing more than a perceived notion that doesn't really make it true. There are so many qualifiers that play into what you ear besides the actual item being played that it's hard to tell what factor is making one sound better than the other-if anything at all.

A crappy turntable is unlikely to sound better than a quality CD player. A CD and a record played on the same high quality system are even likely to have factors that will make them sound different. The quality of the record and the CD, the volume and tone levels will factor into what a person hears. This is all nitpicking, but I bring it up to acknowledge that I am aware that comparisons aren't always apples to apples.

However, I can say, in all honesty, that Starflyer 59's "Americana" sounds amazing on vinyl. I recently overpaid for a copy on eBay to fill in a gap of my collection and was floored by how good it sounded. It was much fuller and warm sounding than I had ever heard it and I don't even have a respectable sound system. Holy cow.

The only downside is that it came with a lyrics sheet, something that the CD did not, and now I know for sure that every last song is sad and hits very close to home. Six albums later, Jason Martin wrote a song with the line "Hey, man, did you write that for me? It sounds like it." which I took as something he was constantly asked by obnoxious fanboys. Now that I know what the words are on "Americana", I'm in the same boat as the fanboy.

"Please, say what you mean. You've got time for everyone but me. Don't tell me after how I feel"

And that's the whole song.

Green Line Overdrive by Smart People Factory

2011-02-02T12:49:00.000-08:00

I'll admit two things. Less than two years ago, I had solidified a guitar playing philosophy for myself that submitted that I should use the fewest effects pedals as I could. Not including a tuner, I was thinking as little as two. I flirted with the idea of one, but felt completely justified using two: a rat distortion and a delay. I have the Line 6 delay modeler, so that's really like having three delays at once and access to a dozen others with the flip of a dial. It was a loophole I felt fine exploiting.

Then, I unfortunately began to appreciate the subtle differences between an overdrive and a distortion. Then, I began to appreciate all sorts of things and, before I knew it, I had myself a small collection of pedals. After a while, I tired to limit my purchases to pedal kits that I would build myself, but I recently broke that rule by scoring a Green Line overdrive off of ebay for less than $100.

I came to know this little guy by copying what I had read Jeff Schroeder used to record the Lassie Foundation album "Face Your Fun". Most of the effects were pretty standard, and some I already had. However, Schroeder wrote in the band's recording diary very flattering things about both the Green Line ("sounds really, really good) and the Boss OD-1 ("awesome fucking pedal!") which made me covet them. I also really want a Fender Bassman reissue, but don't have them dollars.

The Boss OD-1 was pretty easy to find on ebay. I even got a modified pedal that is more true to the original 80's circuit than later models. The Green Line, however, was a pain to find. On the Smart People Factory website, which is cleverly designed, there isn't a whole lot of ordering information and nobody responded to my email. I went out to the Pacific Northwest over the summer and came across a couple in some guitar shops. They were expensive and I was poor and there on somebody else's dime. Once every six months or so, for two years, I might come across one on ebay, but they'd always sell for more than I had or was willing to spend. Today, however, I finally lucked out.

There's always the chance that this will be a bust, and once I have the actual pedal, I won't really like it all that much. But who cares? At this point, after all I went through to get one, I'm going to love it like I would a bad movie. "Hey, it's not as bad as AIDS."

$hare the Love

2011-02-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

Eric & Magill are trying to raise money to press their album "All Those I Know" on vinyl. They're giving the record away for free on their bandcamp.com page, so the least anyone could do is cough up a buck or two to help them out.

They are offering some boss incentives: a $25 donation gets you a copy of the vinyl, so basically, you're just paying for the record that you bought, $250 gets you the record and they'll right a nice song about whatever you want. $500 will guarantee that the song is on their next record. A donation of $1 or more will get you a kiss on the lips from me.

This was one of my favorite records of 2010, and I'd love to see it get pressed on vinyls. Help them kids out!

Screaming

2011-01-26T07:04:00.000-08:00

I wasn't aware that there Ibanez made an amplifier based on their famous Tube Screamer overdrive pedal. Even more interesting, it's cheap as hell, especially for a tube amplifier. Sure, it looks like it is stripped down to the barebones of an amp, but it's still a tube amp and it costs just a little more than a Vox AC-4. Plus, there are two tone controls on the Tube Screamer amp, as opposed to the normal one of the Vox, or even the outrageously expensive Orange Tiny Terror amps.

I haven't got the chance to play one, so it might sound like crap. I was just surprised to find out that it even existed. And for not as much as you'd think.

Night Reports

2011-01-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

2011 didn't have to wait very long for its first brilliant record. Recorded by Beau Jennings and Derek Brown, Night Reports' "You're All Out" is a somber, yet sharp record about a baseball player who plays worse the more he falls in love. Nearly every line is packed with heartbreaking baseball wit like "You are not like the others/ you're a swing and a miss". The analogies are heavy, but never feel forced or misplaced.

Musically, the album is largely simple piano, bass, and drum that deftly makes use of the simplicity of the ensemble. Similarly, none of the individual parts are particularly complex, but neither do the songs, or the album, ever seem boring. Think more sincere Ben Folds songs, only not really.

The most harrowing like comes from the song "Signal the Runner" in which Brown sings "the signal you were trying to send me was love. But I didn't get it, dear". This sums up the worst possible case for lovers, in my opinion. One tries to show the other how much they care, and it just doesn't get through. Not because the recipient is oblivious, but rather because they just don't understand.

The song "Hang On Me Darlin'" features Samantha Crain's beautiful singing and almost sounds like a discarded Decemberists song.

Billed as a "haunted baseball musical", "You're All Out" certainly delivers although in the most unexpected ways. It's a perfect album to listen to. It doesn't overwhelm with complexity but draws the listener in with ernest sincerity and honest emotion that is backed up with masterful talent.

The newsletter for Brown's WRITEBLOODY publishing label announced that this would be Brown's last venture into music without explanation. If true, it would certainly be a loss to music lovers, but I can't imagine a better way to go out. Bravo, Derek.

Listen here for free. Buy the album for $9. Type "haunted" in the coupon box and I think you get a good discount.

Riff Heavy

2011-01-13T21:21:00.000-08:00

I was with Jeremy the other night forcing him to plug in a clone of the Marshall Shredmaster I made and gave him a few months earlier. It sounded great and he started playing some great Starflyer 59 riffs. We talked about how awesome it would be to start a Starflyer cover band that mostly played stuff from their first three albums (the shoegaze era). Oh, we'd dabble with songs from later albums ("Too Much Fun" from The Fashion Focus), but mostly it would be a riff heavy affair with loud guitars with too much (is there such a thing?) reverb and drums that are only there to keep time after kicking off songs with numerable, memorable, one-measure fills.

The idea sent me into a dizzy of excitement. Maybe it wasn't a sincere conversation. Maybe it was a side effect of the smoke inhalation. Regardless, I can't get the idea out of my head. I'm seriously considering learning about 10 Starflyer songs so I can play a complete set at will. I think the hardest part might be learning the actual lyrics instead of what I hear them to be. I probably won't be singing anyway.

I don't know how much of my soul school will suck out of my this semester, but if there is any measurable amount left at the end of the day, look for our Starflyer 59 cover band at a dive bar/rock club in the Twin Cities.

Limmerick

2011-01-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

There was a young man from Des Moines

Who was rich in friends if not coin.

And although no one asked

He announced to the class

That he found this poor lady annoying.

2010's Bestest

2011-01-05T06:49:00.000-08:00

Off the top of my head, these are some end-of-the-year-awards and mentions.

Best New Artist: Eric & Magill

Best Band I Just Discovered That's Been Around A While: Antlers

Best Album: Aloha "Home Acres"

Best Iowa Band That Isn't The Envy Corps: Parlours

Best Band That Didn't Do A Reunion Tour: The Smiths

Best Band That Didn't Do Anything In 2010: The Lassie Foundation

Best Concert(tie): Decibully at The Cactus Club, Milwaukee. January 23rd. Broken Social Scene at First Avenue, Minneapolis. October 4th.

Best Album Cover: Jeff Beck's "Emotion and Commotion" (This is also the best album title, kids. Ever.)

Best Band That I Couldn't Think Of A Clever Award To Give: Wild Nothing

Best Song Writer: Doug Burr

Best Project: "One Single Released Each Month And Offered As A Download" by Monahans

Best Artist That I Briefly Thought Was Marcy's Playground Playing On The Jukebox At A Bar: David Bowie

Best Bands With Disappointing Releases(tie): New Pornographers "Together" and The Arcade Fire "Suburbs".

Best Unheard Album:"Divider" by Secret Panels (I'm not sure if this was actually released. Stay Tuned.)

Best Hip Hop Record: Lunaversol9 "A Novel Slur"

Album That Grew On Me The Most(tie): "Suburbs" by The Arcade Fire; "Wild At Heart" by Lookbook

Oh Night Divine

2010-12-28T17:04:00.001-08:00

This has been my favorite traditional Christmas song since I was small. I don't like Christmas music, traditional or otherwise. I especially have a dislike or modern takes on old standards. Whether by higher design or sheer luck of the draw or, perhaps, a genuine understanding and respect for the original, this version, by a band unfortunately named Seven Day Jesus, hits it out of the park.

I have a tendency to be repulsed by the nature of the lyrics in carols, as well in the way the are sung; heavy and dripping with lament. Many traditional carols seem to invent a manger scene, or some far-reaching ideal that doesn't quite ring true. Songs like "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "We Three Kings" use grand language and regal imagery, perhaps a result of the time they were written, to paint a picture that betrays the humble nature in which the Christ-child supposedly came into the world.

This song's lyrics touch on some common themes of other popular Christmas carols, such as the Savior coming to earth to redeem mankind. However, this song strips down the redemption to its lowest common denominator, as well as cutting through all of the august ideas of Jesus. "His law is love and His gospel is peace" is a strong challenge to much of the teachings of American Christianity.

Exposition aside, I can't listen to this song, almost any version I have heard, without getting chills down my spine when the line "Fall on your knees/hear the angel voices/Oh night divine..." is sung.

I Hate Christmas Parties

2010-12-21T07:12:00.000-08:00

There is so many things to love/hate about this song. It's catchy, it's delightfully melodramatic, it's irritatingly close to home. Originally released on a Happy Christmas compilation as Matt Thiessen and the Earthquakes, it's actually a bullshit pop/punk band called Relient K in disguise.

For some reason, I've thought about this song specifically this time of year since I was in high school. I wish I didn't, especially this year, but facts are facts and this is one of them

And also, I found this song accompanied with video from "The Office" so, no matter what, there is something to like.

Love is an Abandoned Backyard

2010-12-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

If Derrick Brown can do wrong, artistically speaking, I haven't seen it yet. Even rough and unfinished demos carry more weight than a lot of slick polished work. His words on paper are dynamic, organic, violent and original. His voice only makes them come alive long enough to break your heart. The premise is preposterous, but the execution is spot on. Who hasn't felt like the baserunner who doesn't understanding the signal? If I could identify anymore with this, I'd be the one in the video.

Worst Band of 2010

2010-12-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

Screw this band and their Hyundai holiday commercial. Fuck them.

I'm sure they're nice people, but I don't care.

Why I Shouldn't Listen To Pop Music These Days

2010-12-06T10:53:00.000-08:00

SF59: "I only see what I want to see 'cause I only hear what I want to hear. Because I'm right most of the time. That's the way I would self-describe...Call it what you want, it's automatic."

Eric&Magill: "I'm stranded."

Wild Nothing: "It just doesn't feel right when you're not here"

From now on, I'm restricting myself to a strict diet of Mono and Unwed Sailor. Words are slicing up my inside parts.

Audiophiles vs. Audio Files

2010-12-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

I'm supposed to be giving a presentation in an hour involving the differences between analog and digital recording. Originally, I thought that this would be fun because I'm genuinely interested in the topic. But the more I learned, the more confusing it became. Also, I'm entirely unprepared for my presentation.

Up front, the differences are plain. Analog recordings, usually committed to magnetic tape, contain actual waves on them that are ANALOGUES of actual compressions in the air, which we hear as sound. Analog sounds, such as real sounds, are continuous frequencies through time. This means their graph will have a smooth curve over time. Digital recordings capture sound and convert the frequencies into numbers, called samples. Because no more than one number can be assigned at any given moment in time, the graph of the wave is not smooth, but boxy. See the graphs below.

Audiophiles argue that this makes a dramatic differences in how the sound is reproduced and is inferior to analog. A common CD, however, contains 44,100 samples every second. If we think of these samples as film, which is a collection of still pictures moving so quickly that the images themselves appear to be moving, we can begin to understand that a rapid rate of sampling would be heard just as well as an analog recording.

There are plenty of factors that serve to determine the quality of recordings such as sample rate, quality of equipment used to record and the quality of the equipment used for playback. So it's no easy task to definitively say which is better or higher quality or anything. They are two different processes that produce similar results. It is up to the user to determine which method they prefer to use for their purposes.

Music For Nothing

2010-11-22T16:34:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting article from the Onion A.V. Club/Milwaukee where they discuss the seemingly large amount of Milwaukee bands that are giving away their albums free of charge. Ryan Weber from Decibully and Eric & Magill has a nice quote in there.

http://www.avclub.com/milwaukee/articles/music-for-nothing-and-the-records-are-free-why-mil,47971/

I'm really intrigued by their reasoning. I've certainly already decided that I'll be giving away my album for free if/when it is ever written, recorded and given access to the internet. But that has more to do with my determination to prove that I can, in fact, despite what people have told me, give my music (that doesn't yet exist) away.

Eric & Magill: All Those I Know

2010-11-18T06:16:00.000-08:00

From "Should We All Wake Up":

"Should we all wake up with nothing but our love, that should be enough".

It's a simple sentence that belies the complexity of its implication, which does a better job of describing what the record sounds like better than I ever could.

It may be an unfair comparison, but it's

the only one I can come up with: Eric & Magill's "All Those I Know" sounds like a Bon Iver record without the bullshit auto-tuned layers of falsetto self-indulgence. Actually, to compare the two at all is kind of weak. My first impression was "this sounds like a good Bon Iver record", but, really, it's far beyond that.

Eric Osterman and Decibully's Ryan Weber have crafted a dizzyingly coherent and tightly expansive record. Listening, it reminds me of early Vanderslice records, of mad scientists in t

heir lab. Not experimenting with tried and true pop sensibilities, but with the process of recording, they have crafted a unique sounding record.

There are influences from all over the place here: Irish folk and, maybe the most glaring Bon Iver comparison on "Vegetable Gardeners"; vocals pushed back in the mix a la early shoegaze; melodies that would make Brian Wilson proud, probably a lot of stuff I don't even know about.

Additionally, the songs are strong. If you were to strip away the layers and effects down to just a voice and guitar, they would be as interesting as their final product. The production of the album isn't used to make up for weak songwriting, but instead creates an environment that these songs live in, allowing the listener to explore and find new treasures with each play.

Download it for free from their bandcamp site:

http://ericandmagill.bandcamp.com/album/all-those-i-know

Thirteen

2010-11-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

Most everyone that watched a little television in the past seven years are probably familiar with at least one Big Star song. Maybe not familiar with the actual band, per se, but their song "In the Street" was re-recorded for the theme song of that one show about all those stoners not doing anything in the 70's. It ended up sounding like KISS recorded it.

I've been thinking about this band for a while now. My friend Jeremy has their first two albums and had mentioned to me that I should get them. We were driving from Minneapolis to Des Moines one year, maybe for Christmas or Thanksgiving, when he first played Big Star for me. Somewhere along the way, I picked up their album "Radio City". Since then, I've always wanted to explore the band more, but never manage to keep them in the forefront of my mind.

I asked Jeremy a couple of weeks ago if I could borrow the albums that he owns, but he said he was driving to Des Moines for the weekend and likes to have them on hand during road trips. Until then, I'll have to amuse myself with "Radio City". From what I can tell, their first album, "#1 Record" is a little more nostalgic compared to "Radio City", which is a little darker.

I got thinking about about this band again recently after seeing Wayne Everett preform this song on the Lightbulb Mouth Radio Hour.

Called as Paul

2010-10-25T12:03:00.001-07:00

When you think about how many people cite the Beatles as influential, it's largely considered a good thing. I always point to Millie Vanilli as one of my earliest musical influences but it is wholly as a negative as they shattered my innocent ignorance regarding corporate music. I think I was 8 or 9 when I refused to watch an episode of the Super Mario Bros. cartoon because Milli Vanilli made a (unwelcomed) guest appearance.

Even after the Beatles broke up, John and Paul continued to have a monopoly on where popular music was going. Just take a look at how Paul and Wings were completely ripped off in this Ratt video.

Granted that there were some other, less obvious and contemporary influences in Ratt's look and sound. But it's hard to deny that, a dozen years after he sang "Maybe I'm Amazed" at that concert, Paul's influence was all over Ratt like Aquanet on, well, Ratt.

Assembling Pumpkins

2010-10-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

The Smashing Pumpkins were a band that I was really into for a while there. Then they broke up. Then they came back, zombie style, and Billy Corgan tried to convince the world that it was still the same band (it wasn't). Then Jeff Schroeder, a founding member of the Lassie Foundation joined the band, piquing my curiosity, if not making me a little worried about the future of one of my favorite bands (hint: not the Smashing Pumpkins).

TSP still haven't done anything to reclaim that Mellon Collie glory, but they've recently embarked on a 44-song project douchely titled TEARGARDEN BY KALEIDYSCOPE, that sounds better than anything Billy has done post-Machina. I'd like to think that Mr. Schroeder had something to do with it(the music, not the title). What do you think?

Road Trip Diary.

2010-10-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

We took a drive to Stillwater, a town on the St. Croix. The last stop before Wisconsin.

Laura Veirs played on the muffled car stereo as we drove into town under a brown sky and found a parking spot right on Main Street.

After a day of seeing and doing, we turned down a road we had never been down, played the Stars as we drove through the countryside. Home was only a vague destination.

"Hospice" by The Antlers

2010-10-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

I'm always hesitant of new music, especially from new bands. Even more especially when someone tells me I'll love it. Most of the time, it doesn't work out for me so much. This is why I wasn't too broken up about missing the Antlers open for The National a couple of months ago. I had never heard them, so I didn't know what I was missing. But most telling was that a bunch of people told me I'd probably like them.

To be fair, I already didn't like their name, which is a stupid reason to not listen to someone. The Antlers calls to mind a deer and with that a whole slew of bands with "deer" in their name: Deertick, Deerhoof, Deerhunter, Deermolester, etc. One shouldn't judge a band by their name. See: Radiohead, Starflyer 59, and Totally Wrecked (ok, maybe not that last one).

I went out west and my friend Peter was playing The Antler's "Hospice" record, which immediately made me want to know who it was. Peter and I share some musical tastes, but also butt heads on many things. I never really fell in love with Pavement, he thinks that Belle and Sebastian's "Life Pursuit" record blows.

When I came home, I bought the record. It's one that you want to listen to all the way through every time you play it, but also contains strong enough songs to stand alone (although they shouldn't). This is a concept record in the most literal sense. Not only does the album tell a cohesive story through out, but the music plays like a classical piece with themes and variations. The harrowing story tells of a narrator who becomes attached to a dying child as his relationship with his girlfriend falls apart. The imagery is stark and the metaphors are ruthlessly strong (I seriously can't pick one because they're all so good).

Now I'm all bummed that I didn't see them perform these songs live when I had the chance.

Bail Out

2010-09-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

This happened to me in high school when I first heard the Pixies. There is this period of uncontainable excitement at discovering something that moves you and, knowing, somehow, that it will continue to move you long after the initial excitement wears off. But then, and this is what I'm talking about, you learn that the band isn't even a band. Not anymore. It's like the death of a loved one you never had the chance to know; a grandparent that only exists in photographs.

In the case of Iceland's Parachutes, they left you a little trust fund to remember them by; as they have made their two albums and e.p. available for free download. God bless them as we keep them in our ears.

One can always hope, though. Even the Pixies resurrected for a reunion tour.

MBV joke.

2010-08-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

-"Loveless" is such a brilliant record.

-Yes, but isn't anything?

Northwest Territory

2010-08-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

I went on a trip to the Northwest part of the continental United States last week. My friend, Peter, was gracious enough to treat me to just about everything while I was out there including half my airfare and a ticket to see Seattle's Damien Jurado play at Mississippi Studios in Portland, which I assume is one of the city's finer venues.

Jurado has been throwing down killer songs of double crossing lovers, haunted memories, and ponies for more than a long time. While his subject matter doesn't always stray very far from the road set out before him, he never seems content to record the same set of songs wrapped in a different package with each new release.

One album might be recorded on a peasant's budget and sound similar to an early Mountain Goat's album, the next might have a full rock band, the next a stripped down, backwoods Mississippi jug-and fiddle accompaniment. Reworking his sound, rather than reinventing himself.

Portland's Dolorean was one of the three openers. They are a pretty solid Americana outfit. Think good parts of Wilco without the obnoxious ego or that extra something that sets them apart from the rest of the herd.

I missed the third opener's name, but he was a Bob Dylan-esque folkie complete with this crazy voice that I can only best describe as a sounding like a slide whistle. My only comment is that he played much longer than anyone else, including Jurado. Perhaps twice as long. Additional note to aspiring musicians/singer/songwriters: If you're going to have the gall to do an encore when you're an opener, please don't make it a 9-minute-plus folk opus about everything.

Literally, EVERYTHING.

When it was over, Peter said that he thought Damien Jurado was like a more literary version of Will Oldham. I agree. So if you like Bonnie "Prince" Billy, you might want to look into some Jurado.

We're Guards!

2010-08-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I got to wondering when Starflyer 59 might be putting out a new record. I try to check in at the band website regularly but it hasn't changed in the past 2 years (an announcement that Dial M is coming out October 28, 2008). One Tuesday I just happened to go to the bands myspace page, which appears to be updated more frequently than their website, to be greeted by the announcement that the new album, Changing of the Guard, will be released today.

Upon first listen, it is a strong album. It sounds akin to Dial M, but darker and more haunted. Even the more peppy sounding songs are juxtaposed with very dark lyrics. J. Martin's vocals also seemed to be pushed back in the mix much more than the past few releases, calling to mind 1980's Brit-pop. Indeed, songs such as "I had a Song for the Ages" sounds like it could be a latter day Smiths song (sans the Morrisey vocals).

Neon Horse

2010-07-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

Amber,

the first page of this review pretty much sums up my conclusions on "christian" music. I found it interesting and articulate in a way that I'm too jaded to express.

Lucas,

You will recognize some of the bands mentioned in this review. I don't know if you have any interest, but I would recommend checking this band out; even if it's just for the novelty factor.

Peter,

Hi. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, yeah?

NEON HORSE Review; Myspace

Fine China's Three Strikes

2010-07-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

Arizona is the last place you'd expect to find an band that worships 80's europop with the fervor that Michael Bay fans do explosions. Much less so than in 1997 when Fine China signed to Velvet Blue Music and released their "No One Knows" ep, a collection of songs that prompted a young me and friend David to take notice, become interested and expand our, then limited, musical landscape.

The following is a weak baseball analogy of their three albums:

Strike One: "When the World Sings" was their first of Fine China's three albums and continued the collaboration between the band and Ronnie Martin (of Joy Electric) that started with the bands second ep "Rialto Bridge". This album features some very strong songwriting and construction for a band that, at the time, was basically a novelty. The songs were, however, completely drowned out by Ronnie Martin's overdone, synth-heavy, production. Upon listening, it would appear that Martin ran wild and seemed to make Fine China his side project rather than producing the band and letting their instruments shine through. The only reason I'm able to still listen to the record is because I was able to see the band while turing for this album. They left the synth at home and recreated much of the annoying sounds on the record with real instruments; highlighting the songwriting and a surprisingly tight and original band.

Strike Two: "You Make Me Hate Music" was the band's second (and most awesomely named) album in which they left Ronnie Martin's production in favor of his brother Jason (of Starflyer 59). The new Martin left a subtle, yet unmistakeable, mark on this record. Where Ronnie used heavy synth and technoesque beats, Jason added a little more reverb and the songs on this record seem to be played at 20bpm slower than they should be. While it was a relief to have the band out from the synth grip, it was disappointing that the songwriting was so melancholy. The best way to describe the album is "a downer", because of both material and expectations. However, listening with fresh ears after years on the shelf (or hard drive) the album doesn't sound as much like the let down I remember it being, but the songs are also much more depressing than I realized in 2002. I'd be interested in hearing Jason Martin produce this band today as he has grown leaps in bounds as a producer over the past few years.

Strike Three (or: A Hit!) So we'll say the strike is on me for not having a physical copy of "The Jaws of Life" on hand. I can't tell you who produced it or much about the record because I didn't even know it existed until 8 months ago. Whatever the process was, everything seemed to fall into place. The songwriting is as solid as ever; the music ever euro. But it all works to the advantage of the record. Keep in mind that this album was the only one released in a time where anyone know about bands like Interpol. The europop revival wasn't "hip" for most of Fine China's existence. Perhaps it was the success of bands like Interpol that made 2005 a fertile year for Fine China to become the next big thing. But for whatever reason, they didn't and subsequently broke up.

(this is from "Jaws of Life" but for whatever reason the picture is of the cover from "You Make Me Hate Music")

It's always a shame when the world loses a great pop band that nobody has heard of.

Wild Nothing: Gemini

2010-07-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

If the Smiths ever recorded a song that was engineered by Kevin Shields that had a love child with Starflyer 59, the resulting eraserheadmutant-childsong would be "Chinatown" by Wild Nothing. I've really liked everything I've heard from this record so far. Thanks to Chris M. Short for bringing something worth hearing to my attention.

I especially how the songs are moody and spacey with plenty of reverb to go around, without sacrificing strong songwriting.

Consider This

2010-07-22T20:39:00.001-07:00

Rainer Maria was the best woman-fronted rock and roll band since EVER; yes, even better than the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. A comparison: Caithlin De Marrais is a much stronger singer than Karen O, and never had to dress like a $5 hooker trying to pick up a $10 John to prove it. Karen O might have more stage charisma, but stage antics don't really come through on the record. And if you do want to go there, Kyle Fischer had more than enough charisma for one band, let alone one member of a band; he played everything Nick Zinner does all while jumping around like he had ants in his pants and was also on fire. Brain Chase and William Kuehn have surprisingly similar playing styles as well as blank facial expressions and, as far as drummers go, I'd be happy to see them mud wrestle to the death. Kuehn, however will have a little glint in his eye and a barely-there curl at the corners of his mouth.

This turned out to be Rainer Maria's swan song single. They never did make very good videos, but one can assume this was largely due to budget restraints. Which begs the question as to why this band never took off to the level the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have. Notice that you can still recognize the instrumentation as derived from actual instruments.

I was completely blown away with "Maps" especially that it came from a band such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who didn't really have another song that would have prepared me for how gut-wrenchingly awesome "Maps" was. I never really got into them until last year when Amber played me this song. I like to think of it as "Maps: The Sequel". Notice the awesome (and low-budget) effect when the band appears in the alley although the sounds that you hear, aren't the sounds the instruments they're playing would make in that particular setting.

Let's be fair. Both of these videos suck more than a neutron star, but were used to illustrate the mannerisms of the individuals and the wildly different budgets the bands have worked with.

I Dream of Dessa

2010-07-21T07:59:00.001-07:00

For all of the crappy music the Current plays on a regular basis, they still manage to knock a few out of the park. Lately, the Minnesota Public Radio "alternative" "rock" station seems content to feed us a diet mostly consisting of Hold Steady-esque semi-sonic bullshit or refrigerator buzzing, auto-tuned club music intent to rival the local top 40 Clear Channel station, KDWB.

Before I wage my war on the Current to demand that they stop caving to advertiser demands and start playing more of what the public demands, I thought I would point out that there is good to be had. I'm not all that familiar with Dessa, but everything I have heard (including her read an open letter to Dave Eggers) has blown me out of the water.

One of my biggest complaints about the Minneapolis music scene is that style seems to prevail over substance, almost without exception. The Current's playlist only seems to perpetuate this attitude in the worst kind of way. It is encouraging to see and hear videos and performances like this one, but they are too few and far between. It is my wish that this kind of thing would be the norm, rather than the exception.

Skinny Ankles and Long Pants

2010-07-19T06:43:00.001-07:00

Chris Davies writes a music blog called Skinny Ankles that is head and shoulders better than this one. A while ago he posted video of Decibully (yeah, I know. This isn't a Decibully fanblog, but I can't seem to stop writing about them) preforming three stripped down versions of unreleased songs.

In bands that do a lot sonically, whether it's with layered effects or more-than-usual instrumentation, it can be interesting to hear their music stripped down to its lowest common denominator. Decibully does this wonderfully as witnessed by the video. There is one, but perfect example in the video for "Band Bang" when drummer Aaron Vold is keeping time on the bass drum and tambourine and then comes in with the jingle bells right at the end. It completely changes the feel of the song without distracting or taking away from the rest of the players. The ability to add without taking away from the rest of the band is one of the ingredients that make Decibully stand out to me as one of the American greats.

Decibully Sings in America

2010-07-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

Here is an unreleased Decibully song that helps one through bad days. The quality of the sound is noticeably improved by watching in hi-definition.

Born Again Drops (and Sucks)

2010-07-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

As promised (or threatened...?) the Newsboys released their new album "Born Again" on Tuesday. While fans might find comfort in the band not heading in a drastically new direction, I'll submit that release is yet another exercise in sterile, polished noise; offering nothing new or interesting to the world (even if the "world" is limited to CCM).

I'm not trying to pick on the Newsboys and perhaps I'm wrong for using them as a template for everything I think is wrong with music. They brought it upon themselves, though. Breaking out with a cover of Degarmo and Key's "Boycott Hell", calling out "Christian" bands to step up and stop settling for being cheap imitations of popular secular music only to turn around and make a too-long career by doing just that.

I'm reminded of the U2 song "Even Better Than The Real Thing" as they articulate the copycat nature of popular culture:

"give me one last chance

and I'm going to make you sing

give me half a chance

to ride the waves that you bring"

While there is, of course, comfort in the familiar, people shouldn't be content to remain unchallenged. The "Real Thing", as U2 puts it, doesn't have to remained confined as this God-thing that alienates twice as many people as those that can identify with. Instead, the "real thing" can be found in the everyday and mundane. Just as struggles help to sharpen and grow, so does stripping away the layers of everyday life to find what makes life so good.

We'll find that the "real thing" isn't going to remain good if it's repackaged and sold over and over. It will spoil.

To answer Barry's rhetorical question, it is better to burn out. In a blaze of glory.

The Newsboys are Night Zombies!

2010-07-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Are you surprised that the Newsboys are still releasing albums? Seriously, they’re like the poppy Christian version of Pete Doherty. Only, you know, a band. Tuesday will mark their first release without an original member, calling into question the validity of calling themselves the Newsboys at all. Do you know who is signing for them now? Former DC Talk-er Mike Tait. Do you know what a bad replacement he will make? Where their previous vocalists for the band both shared not only Australian accents, but this nasally buzz saw quality that, granted, might not have been appealing to everyone, but made the Newsboys sound like the Newsboys. Having Tait front the band would be on par with getting John Legend to front the Smashing Pumpkins.

Here is an example of the Newsboys ripping off the Cure in 1994 with original vocalist John James.

Here is a video with choreographed dancing the Newsboys released long after I thought anybody cared anymore in 1999. Note the use of heavy eye makeup on new vocalist Peter Furler.

And here is a crappy modern rock song featuring their new singer Michael Tait.

I understand the importance of legacy, but as Barry asks in "High Fidelity", is it better to burn out than fade away? This literally isn't the same band anymore and I'm going to preemptively question whether or not this group would sell any records if it weren't for the inherited moniker. I get that they're a "Christian" band, but that doesn't excuse the lack of integrity displayed.

For good or bad, some bands just won't go away. However, a band should consist of an original nucleus that holds the group together. Once the nucleus disappears, so should the entity that was the band lest all credibility vanishes in its place. The "Newsboys" have lost the plot.

Getting Funky

2010-06-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

I went to Rock the Garden on Saturday with Amber and her brother. The line up wasn't that exciting (Retribution Gospel Choir, OK Go, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, MGMT) until I heard Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings on the radio a couple of weeks before the show. I like RGC, but an outdoor festival playing to thousands doesn't do their music justice.

Words will not do Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings justice, either. To say that they are a throwback to James Brown-esque soul cheapens them, because they are authentic, straight out of 1968. I can't recommend them enough; if you get a chance to see them, plan on a spiritual experience. I haven't listened to any of their albums yet, but was encouraged that all four are available on vinyl.

Retribution Gospel Choir is worth checking out too. Fronted by Alan Sparhawk of Low fame, they are the heavy, doomsday preachers that you'd expect to be the project Sparhawk fronted in college, rather than after 18 years of grandfathering the slowcore movement (is that a fair summation of Low?). His strong, yet broken voice brings all the harrowing themes you've come to know and love from Low. Oddly, it fits in well with the dive bomb riffs and hypnotic sludge of RGC. It would have been nice if they played later in the day to cleanse the palate of all the high gloss and tightness the other bands brought to the stage.

Note: Picture of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings courtesy of Jason Albus (if he ever finds out that I used it).

This Sound is Broken

2010-06-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

Broken Social Scene performed "Texico Bitches" last night on Jimmy Fallon. The new record is solid and, for their part, so was the performance. However, the opportunity was hampered by a shoddy mixing job by the sound engineer. Obviously, reproducing the sounds from a record is never easy, but I wonder if the sound guy even bothered to listen to the record, or, if he had, if he bothered to listen to what the final mix sounded like. It reminds me of listening to an album meant to be listened to in stereo with only one speaker. What is a full, rich sounding song in principle, came off sounding thin and, honestly, rather amateurish as if every sound was attempted to be recreated through an old Casio keyboard.

On the plus side, singer Kevin Drew's vocals are pushed forward both on this record and on Late Night. It was ballsy to have the vocals pushed so far back in the mix on their self-titled release, but Drew's voice is very capable, and it's a relief to know that the decision was a conscious one and designed to mask an inability to sing.

Still no word on where fans can purchase their official BSS tutu...

Duck and Cover

2010-06-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Miss Lucia,

Iron and Wine, Mates of State, Nada Surf, The Bird and the Bee, and The Flaming Lips are just a few band that have recently released, or plan on releasing entire albums of cover songs. It is disheartening to see some of indie rock's heavy hitters reduced to cover bands. I have always looked to "indie" music as a beacon of creativity compared to more mainstream music and, perhaps foolishly, held higher standards for their output. While cover songs are wonderful in the arena of live music for their spontaneity and homage to influences, releasing an entire albums worth of over material is nothing but a two-bit vanity project designed to do nothing more than make some quick money without putting in the time to actually write the songs. Not only does this erode the integrity of the recording artist, as well as the original song writers, but selling an album of cover songs grossly panders to a gimmicky capitalism that completely negates idea of "independent" music.

Even if we are to believe that the intent of the recording artist is to, as suggested by the Mates of State website, expose their fans to music that they, the recording artists, like, there is no reason why these artists can't just compile a mix "tape" of the original recordings and post them on their websites.

The question also arises as to how a band is supposed to tour in support of such albums and how, apart from perhaps a larger budget for laser lights, are they going to be any different that the cover band that just played at my cousin's wedding?

eskimo hunter

2010-06-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

I finally gave Eskimo Hunter a listen. It's a shame I didn't do it earlier, but to be honest I was turned off by the name. I don't know which came first, the sound or Jason71, but Eskimo Hunter does sound a whole bunch like Pacifico era Lassie Foundation in all the right ways; dreamy, jangley shoegaze pop. Sure, the songs could use a little more dynamic, but that would defeat the spaciousness of the songs.

The ladies will like them too because Jason71 has played bass with Ryan Gosling's band Dead Man's Bones. What lady doesn't love "The Notebook"?

She Does That Thing.

2010-06-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

If there's no music, we can't dance.

And we can't meet girls unless we dance.

Prom Night 2010

2010-05-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

My friend Jeff has been talking about what a huge year 2010 was going to be for music since this time last year. Actually, I remember him mentioning that The National was going to be releasing a new one at Christian's birthday party in early March. There has been many a heated discussion as to what the best album of the year is so far. Yes, I realize that it's barely May and yes, I realize that it's rather childish to be so passionate about what, in fact is, the best album so far this year, that you throw your drink into Jeff's face and tell him that he should have been a blow job, but we aren't hear to discuss manners, I'm just telling you what happened.

Anyway, The National, Broken Social Scene, The New Pornographers, Stars, Arcade Fire, and others all have albums dropping this year. Surely one of these established heavy-hitters has got to top the lists at the end of the year. So far, both Jeff and I have been underwhelmed with the typical highly anticipated releases. Broken Social Scene's "Forgiveness Rock Record" is solid, and my girlfriend is in love with the National and hasn't be disappointed with their offering. Jeff is holding out that Stars will explode and crush him with their ultrahigh gravity songs.

It's too early to say anything so far. In fact, I'm a big fan of making best of lists after a 365 day cooling off period. So if it wasn't for the excitement of something new, I'd be writing about the best of 2008 right now. However, Aloha's "Home Acres" has really been doing it for me. They are such a great band, lying somewhere between prog and thoughtful pop. "Home Acres" really trims the fat as there isn't much, or any, filler. The dynamic of the record is thought full and "Ruins" ends the record on one of those epically high notes that makes you want to turn the record over and immediately listen to the record again. I wish they would come to Minneapolis sometime.

Do you like to dance?

The good people at Aloha's record label, Polyvinyl, also released a Norwegian band called Casiokids this week. The album isn't just a dance record, although it does have those hip beats that the young kids really go for. The record is also considerate enough to play like a regular pop album complete with reach-out-and-grab-you-singles, more intimate hip swayers, and songs that reveal their greatness with multiple listens.

Here is a little taste of Casiokids and Aloha:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=H86M8JQ0

Kiss Me.

2010-04-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

If I were to compose a list titled "Best Bands That Only Released One Album" the John Wilkes Kissing Booth would almost certainly top the list. If I were to make a list of best songs that were never properly released on an album, "Black Market Malaysia" would similarly be high about most. While not the best quality, this video is much better than I'd expect it to be and excessively demonstrates how epically rock and roll this band is. From "Are you pussies ready for this?" to "Skah-douche!" this video oozes awesome. I'm glad this exists

I was lucky enough to see JWKB preform in a class room at the Des Moines Botanical Center to a crowd of, maybe, ten.

Secret Panels "Divider" Review

2010-04-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

Maybe halfway through, it hits you that what you've been listening to isn't a rock record. Sure, it's guitars and drums and voice, but the album is something else entirely. At first, the words seem to represent various religious sects. Islamic zealots are easily identified on songs like "Last Morning" and "Rush Hour Bus", and as you listen, other cults like Heaven's Gate are represented on songs like "The Comet". But the revelations do not end as it is here that the purpose of the album begins to become visible.

The epic is disguised by it's six songs; yet it's length rivals the last Radiohead record. Half of the tracks are mini Who-like rock operas. Think "A Quick One While He's Away" only menacing. Nearly every song has "Peter and the Wolf" like instrumental representation with several apocalyptic breakdowns in the manner of Wagner.

The lyrics are simple enough, but like a doomsday Hemmingway, they tell a devastating tale of violence and ideology. The war cries of Jihads and Crusades are the same words sung in Christian churches every Sunday morning. Indeed, the songs are structured after Muslim prayers, Psalms and Sunday morning praise songs.

The album may suffer from some production short comings, but it only serves to make Secret Panels helmsman Jeremy Grace come off as an Old Testament Prophet, using what he can to preach his message; not for fame or glory, but to save the people from themselves.

This is not a rock record, but listen and hear one of the most ambitious and important musical recordings of the past five years. You'll be blown away like a suicide bomber on a rush hour bus.

Casiokids

2010-03-13T14:16:00.001-08:00

There is something about the phrase "dance music" that makes me throw my defenses up quicker than a corporate CEO caught red-handed orchestrating a Ponzi scheme. See, despite knowing better, I still associate "dance music" with trashy clubs downtown with V.I.P. areas that amount to nothing more than a velveteen rope around a semi-circle booth where you pay for overpriced, watered-down drinks. It's not just the club, the patrons or the proprietors of clubs that make them trashy in my mind. It's the music. Loud, thumping quarter notes, unimaginatively arranged or remixed (barf.) and blasted threw subwoofers to the point that one would literally have to suffering from a terrible case of rigamortis not to hypnotically bob their head up and down.

There's nothing wrong with dancing, liking to dance or even going to a club to dance. The sin is that the music is Lady Gaga at best and some flavor-of-the-week rapster wanna be at worse. Actually, it could get really ugly if the DJ played "Who Let the Dogs Out", but we won't count your cousin's wedding reception here.

Why do I not associate dance music with New Order or even, more recently, MGMT? Both groups make perfectly acceptable songs to listen to, and most of them have beats funky enough to get even the most rigid of us to swing a hip or two.

Even if dancing is the activity and listening to the music is secondary, I would still think it imperative to the conscientious listener not to pollute themselves with noise that amounts to the music equivalent of empty calories.

Lady and maybe a Gentleman: I give you Norway's Casiokids. From what I understand, their forthcoming album will be the first Norwegian language record released in the US. That's right, you won't be able to understand what they are singing. However, from what I've heard, it won't matter one bit.

This is music that dares you not to throw a party.

Second Hand News

2010-03-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

When I first heard the song, I thought it was obscure single from Kindercore band Masters of the Hemisphere, released only as a 7-inch Singles Club A side. If you were a member of the club, Kindercore would send you a different 7-inch every month featuring a song from two different Kindercore artists. Subpop would do this too, which is where I first heard bands like The Mountain Goats and John Vanderslice. Unfortunately, more often than not, the fun was in the artifact of having a collection of a dozen or so 7-inch records than finding a new band to fall in love with.

The glaring exception was Masters of the Hemisphere. From the first time I put the record on, I was in love with the song. It had a great acoustic guitar chug and a melody that soared. For years-years!-I would fish threw my small stack of 7-inch records and pull out this Singles Club release to listen to this one song; usually three or four times in a row.

When I began to mature a little and became more open to music released by bands that were older than I was, I went on a mission to find some great classic rock that would inspire my fledging indie rock sensibilities. One such record that was continuously recommended to me was Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors", so when I saw a used copy for $1 at Des Moines' Zzz Records, it wasn't a difficult purchase to make.

I sat on the record for a couple of days, maybe, before I blocked out enough time to give the whole thing a listen. Listen: The vinyl sliding out of the paper sleeve, the crackle of the needle on vinyl, the chug of an acoustic guitar. My jaw hitting the floor.

Yes, I was, and still am, largely sheltered from classic rock and roll that many people view as staples of a well balanced music diet. I was also surprised to find out that I was semi-familiar with many of the other songs on "Rumors", but this was largely due to my familiarity with car commercials and the like.

So this Masters of the Hemisphere song that I loved was only a cover song. I was overwhelmed, I almost felt betrayed. I gradually came to accept the release as a well done cover, true to the original.

But now that I'm familiar with it, the cover is not as good as the original.

New Broken Social Scene song

2010-02-19T13:12:00.001-08:00

Top of the Pops

2010-01-31T15:50:00.000-08:00

I tried to select one album that I obsessed over per year since I was in high school, but some years there were more than one.

The List:

1998-16 years old. Radiohead "Ok Computer"; Starflyer 59 "The Fashion Focus"

1999-17 years old. The Lassie Foundation "Pacifico"

2000-18 years old. Pedro the Lion "Winners Never Quit"; The Flaming Lips "The Soft Bulletin"

2001-19 years old. Starflyer 59 "Leave Here a Stranger"; John Wilkes Kissing Booth "A Threat to the Broadcast"; Death Cab for Cutie "The Photo Album"

2002-20 years old. John Vanderslice "Life and Death of an American Four Tracker"; Mates of State "Our Constant Concern"; The Flaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"; Wilco "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"

2003-21 years old. Death Cab for Cutie "Transatlanticism" Unwed Sailor "The Marionette and the Music Box"

2004-22 years old. Sufjan Stevens "Seven Swans"; The Envy Corps "Soviet Reunion"; Arcade Fire "Funeral"

2005-23 years old. Decibully "Sing Out, America"

2006-24 years old. Belle and Sebastian "The Life Pursuit"

2007-25 years old. The Arcade Fire "Neon Bible"; TV on the Radio "Return to Cookie Mountain"

2008-26 years old. Starflyer 59 "Dial M"

2009-27 years old. Decibully "World Travels Fast"

Weekend Travels Fast

2010-01-27T14:58:00.000-08:00

Amber surprised me with a trip to Milwaukee to see one of my favorites, Decibully, play at the Cactus Club with Minneapolis hipster darlings, Lookbook. Amber is the awesomest.

Decibully embodies everything I love about music and their set Saturday night did not disappoint. I found myself helplessly grinning at merely being in the room under the circumstances I was in. They opened with a new song that Aaron tells me is going on a split 7" with another, as yet unknown, Milwaukee band. At first I thought the new song might be a Bengals cover, but I guess it was original material. I was even reduced to audience participation durning Megan & Magill, clapping my hands like it was my job. And I'd like to think that, for that night, it was. Other highlights included the wall of beautiful sound that was Live By the Lake, and the R&B groove during Weakest Kind of Heart. However, the best was seeing Aaron play drums on this song, also an apparent new one.

Lookbook is always a source of contention with me. I like their music and they put on a fun show, but something about them puts me on edge. I don't know what it is and I'm confident that it is a feeling exclusive to my own self. If anyone reads this and gets the chance, check them out on myspace and catch them if they play in your town.

In short: I'll be your boyfriend for a chance to see Decibully.

Stuff I Got For Christmas.

2009-12-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

I'm always conflicted when it comes to digital. The iPod has made it all too easy to carry an entire library of music everywhere. As far as I know, it's still allowed on airplanes, even transatlantic flights. My New Year's resolution a couple of years ago was to abstain from buying any digital music for a year, and was consecrated in blood with my friend David. I bought only vinyl only with a preference for new albums that came with a free mp3 download (legal under the guidelines of our pact since we were actually paying for the record and getting a download for free). Since then, I've only bought a few CD's and fewer records. A large part of it has to do with me being broke as I am unable to afford luxuries these days. Such is the life of a student at a major public university. Nonetheless, I have downloaded more albums in the past year than I had ever downloaded in my entire life. They are considerably less expensive and I decided after my last move that the last thing I need is another object that will need to be packed up in a box and carried up and down flights of stairs. As impure as I feel digital is (and I wouldn't even call myself an audiophile, I just like having an actual object after buying something) there are times when I feel convenience trumps reality such as when your favorite band gives away their new album for free via download, or when your brother gives you a christmas gift.

Decibully finally released their album World Travels Fast just in time for the holidays. The best part is, they released it for free on the internet. A high-quality vinyl version is also available for purchase for a very reasonable price. Go here: http://store.listeningpartyrecords.com/album/world-travels-fast-2

Not only is the album free, but it is easily my favorite album of 2009 and one of my favorites of the decade. Decibully is everything I want a band to be, especially when there are as many as 9 guys up on stage. You can tell that their music has soul in a world where soul has gone the way of betamax.

my brother gave me an iTunes gift card for christmas. At first I was unsure what to do with it as it was merely a link in an email. Fortunately for me, clicking the link was all that was required of me. One note on shopping the iTunes store: It's not the same as shopping at a record store. If you're browsing, it's a real pain because you have a load of sub genres so you have to guess which one an artist you might be interested would be under. I was surprised to see the Boss listed under the "singer songwriter" sub genre.

Anyway, I was able to get a bunch for not a lot of money. I think I made some good picks.

Unwed Sailor "little wars"

Jack Peñate "everything is new"

Lassie Foundation "three wheels" ep

A Tribe Called Quest "anthology"