əɯoɔ original

2010-03-21T16:46:00.004-04:00

The Haywards album is like a lounge-style Modest Mouse sound with tamer vocals, and Michael Levine's sounds a bit like Dave Matthews or John Butler's acoustics with Michael Stipe's voice. All good things, especially for a whopping 50 cents each.

2010-03-21T00:38:00.010-04:00

Live Phish, Vol. 15: 10/31/96, The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia is highly recommended. I bought it today at Habitat for Humanity in a case for Live From Bonnaroo, June 21, 22, 23 2002 Music Festival. Fear of Music by the Talking Heads was in the case too. I also got a demo for Priscilla Ahn's Blue Note LP A Good Day, Stars of Suburbia by Big Blue Marble, Universal Indians by Dark Meat, Side One / One Side by Haywards, and Lines Between Us by Michael Levine.

For some reason the thrift store had a bunch of copies of that Priscilla Ahn EP. I didn't know it existed.

Big Blue Marble recorded their album in Louisiana, but other than that there's really not much on the internet about them. They have 2000 fans on their MySpace, and that's their official website. They don't have a Wikipedia.

I haven't listened to the rest yet. Phish is good.

Jason Mraz

2010-01-20T21:28:00.004-05:00

Anna Scouten

2009-08-14T16:56:00.011-04:00

This isn't a very good recording, I'll put up a better one of us playing at bluegrass camp with other instruments. This is an original song me and my friend Madison wrote last year after her dad passed away. We are playing on my roof because it was a beautiful day outside. The first verse is Madison, the second is for her little brother, and the third is both. I hope that makes sense and I hope you enjoy. The lyrics are:

Dig me deep in the ground

'Cause I want to be close to you
You sleep like you'll never wake up
And I know, cause I'm dreaming too

Dig you deep in the ground
'Cause you want to grow tall like we do
But you're roots are tying you down
And I know, cause I'm tied down too

When you have two feet on the ground

Don't grow up, grow down
Even when I sleep,
I'm listening to my heartbeat
To tell me I'm alive

I dug you out of the ground
'Cause apart of me died, when you died too
And you said time is all that we have
And I know, cause it's true.

The Vines

2008-10-09T18:37:00.026-04:00

Craig Nicholls is a genius. Every genius has more than their fair share of problems, and Nicholls isn't any exception to that rule... a few years ago he publicly announced that he's afflicted with Asperger's Syndrome, and the disorder really made problems with the band for a long time. After they came onto the scene in 2002 with Highly Evolved, their most successful album to date, they've been up and down, but the Vines came out with a new album this past summer that went back to their old song-writing style (which I think is probably the closest thing today to the Beatles in their prime). The harmonies on this song from their debut are pretty əɯosəʍɐ, and the guitar solo in the middle is simple but I think it really brings out the classic rock tone that makes the album and made the Vines "the saviors of rock and roll," even if it was for just a short while.

Here's Homesick from Highly Evolved.

Antoine Dufour & Tommy Gauthier

2008-10-03T16:43:00.020-04:00

I feel pretty cultured today - I went to my first symphony orchestra concert last night here at school. Don't ask why. Everyone playing was really good, of course, but the guy playing first chair violin just looked so into the whole thing... his whole body was playing the instrument. Anyway, it reminded me of a video, so I thought I'd post it. I first heard of these guys in another video, something about "four-handed guitar playing," a pretty cool video too, but not quite like this one; the percussive guitar here by itself is awesome, but the whole instrumental duet action takes it to another level. Check out either one of these guys' MySpace pages for əɹoɯ.

John Mayer

2008-09-28T23:09:00.011-04:00

Everyone's heard of John Mayer, most people have heard of his Continuum album, and a lot of people know the song Slow Dancing in a Burning Room. Not that I have anything against the original, I really dig everything on Continuum, but the acoustic uoısɹəʌ of the tune that Mayer released before the final LP on The Village Sessions EP is just too good. There's really nothing wrong with The Village Sessions; it's definitely got my favorite acoustics anywhere, and I'd put it in my top five albums without any hesitation. Perfect. Stripped down, acoustic, and really just flawless.

Here's Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

(Acoustic) from The Village Sessions EP.

Silvertide

2008-09-28T11:17:00.006-04:00

And here's my favorite song by my favorite rock band of all time. I've always thought they sound a bit like the Black Crowes, but the riffs and rhythms Silvertide uses are really a lot more complex. I really hope they're still gonna be around after everything that's changed for them this past year.

Here's Devil's Daughter from Show and Tell.

Shinedown

2008-09-28T11:05:00.008-04:00

Shinedown got a little bigger for a while, but their last album wasn't really that successful as far as I know. I had some really high hopes for the last release, because even though the band lost its original guitarist, they picked up a replacement from the band Silvertide, my favorite rock group. Now I'm just scared that Shinedown lost their stride and the world lost Silvertide in the process. The whole combination really just didn't do so much for anyone. Everyone's heard '45' and Shinedown's take on Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Simple Man,' but I've always thought this tune was more true to the group's sound.

Here's Burning Bright (Sanford Mix) from Leave A Whisper.

Priscilla Ahn

2008-09-27T08:55:00.007-04:00

I posted another song by Priscilla Ahn before, but this one really shows what she does better than the last one: haunting, layered vocals and folksy lyrics with smooth acoustics and layered strings filling it all in. About 4:30 into the song she really hits her stride, but the whole thing is really well done.

Here's the original demo version of Lullaby, rerecorded

and released on the 2008 Blue Note LP A Good Day.

The Modern Skirts

2008-09-27T08:42:00.004-04:00

The Skirts have a CD release show coming up next weekend. Finally. They played some of the new material at their last show, but my favorite part of the night had to have been the beginning of the encore, when JoJo came out and played through "Save Me" by himself - he's the most talented guy in the group, I think. Not to bring down the rest of the guys, he's just pretty awesome. Save me anyway. Details on the new album as soon as I get myself a copy, which means Friday. Too far away right now. Enjoy.

Here's Save Me from Catalogue of Generous Men.

Fleetwood Mac

2008-09-26T23:43:00.013-04:00

Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac's guitarist, really developed his own style over time working with the band. The group formed in 1967, and by 1977, when Rumours was released, he'd really gotten down a folksy acoustic ambience that made the group's sound. The intro to the seventh track from that album shows the sound really well, not to mention that the tune has a really cool harmony at the end of each chorus - wide harmonies definitely helped make up the group's sound as well. The live version of the song from "The Dance" is more developed, but the harmony didn't make it into the chorus there, so I always end up liking the original copy a little more. If you like this tune give a listen to the last track on the same album, Gold Dust Woman. Folksy acoustic ambient goodness.

Here's The Chain from Rumours.

And just for kicks, here's the copy of The Chain from

The Dance, Fleetwood Mac's reunited 1997 live effort.

Sunsets & Sushi

2008-09-26T23:37:00.003-04:00

First I would spot a group of peers. The larger the better. No less than seven. They were required to be in a disorganized clump but close enough in proximity to one another for the unaided human voice to reach each individual.

Once I spotted the proper environment I would then project my voice with a weight of importance, indicating the necessity of promptness in response. Some phrases that might be used were "Hey, come here." "Everyone. Pay attention. Over here." "Come close!" "Closer." "Really, everyone lean in." "Quietly now. Listen." "I have something to say." After I had ensured complete silence and every eye was locked to mine, I would wait. I would silently look from person to person to person with a slightly approving grin. Inevitably, someone's patience would cease and he or she would say, "What?!" in a raised, aggravated tone. In response, I would allow the grin to grow, to creep over my face, blooming into a full smile. Then I, with utmost timing, would unleash the punchline: "I just wanted to be the center of attention."

...The story of some boy crying wolf was lost on me. The moral never hit home. I was sure that this boy doing the crying wasn't passionate enough. He never sold it. I, on the other hand, could sell it every time.

From Sunsets and Sushi by David Crowder.

Barcelona

2008-09-26T23:24:00.007-04:00

Harmonies. Female vocals. Female vocal harmonies. New. Maybe? I have no idea. If you like this song go check out more stuff by Barcelona, and check out Digital Citrus too. That blog's better than this one anyway.

Here's Get Up, Get Up, Get Up from Absolutes.

Jack Johnson

2008-09-24T20:39:00.008-04:00

I need some music to get me through the day today. I always find myself coming back to this song to pick me up. It's an old tune, everyone's heard it before, but this take on Jack Johnson's "Better Together" is just so much more relaxing and, well, just better. I don't really know how else to say it. Jack drops the key a half step and brings in melody over rhythm, and at least this time it made something really awesome.

Here's Better Together (Hawaiian Version) from The Mango Tree.

Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven...

2008-07-17T14:26:00.014-04:00

"There is an eschatology to bluegrass music that holds both suffering and hope. Both are inherent and necessary items within it.

And so we begin with a premise: the "high lonesome sound" of bluegrass music was born from pain yet, despite such dismal roots, has hope at its core. We are not scientists; therefore, we are not scientific in the formation or conception of this premise or in the execution of proving it. But we will tell the story of bluegrass. And you can hear that it is truth. That it is, in fact, pain that birthed this high lonesome sound.

In the living of life here on earth, there is most assuredly present a large amount of joy, but there is also a given amount of pain. Bluegrass is a shaking, shimmering echo of this - our reality."

"Sympathy is power. If you are able to offer it, you are in a position above the ones who are suffering. You are not feeling the same things banging brutally around your insides, or you'd be unable to offer your so thoughtfully extended hand."

"Santa started out as a pretty good idea, then it turned into something a little more vicious I think. All teenage rebellion comes from Santa.

Parents lie. Great intentions.

I'm sure they're just eager to provide some enjoyment for their children, you know, bestowing dreams of reindeer and candy canes upon them. Maybe hoping to provoke some small amounts of affection from them.

I don't own any kids, so what do I know?

But seriously a fib this grand can only bring injury in the end. I mean, how better to annihilate trust in a young impressionable child than to have the people they trust most tell them such a profound lie as the existence of this fat jovial man?"

From Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven But Nobody Wants To Die

by David Crowder and Mike Hogan.

White Fluffy Clouds

2008-07-03T00:36:00.009-04:00

"To think that one's actions could please the masses is indeed a notion bound in irony. Someone will inevitably find something wrong in almost everything. So do what it is you do best, and remember to have enough tolerance for two."

"I am a little kitten in a big, shit-filled litter box and I share this facility with a billion other fiercely independent felines who want badly to arm themselves against the burdens of uncertainty and to keep their paws clean in the meantime."

I would barely be missed.

I could leave at any time.

Yet, I stay.

"I think perhaps love thrives on unlikely circumstance and chance. Life thrives on these principles, and is life not love? And love not life?"

"You're wasting your time. Cherish what you have, reach for tomorrow, but always know that it will never be enough. Learn to love, now."

I've got a soft spot for you.

It might be dangerous

if pushed enough

spot might mold to your inclination

I thank goddess

for your imperfections.

They remind me, keep me at arm's length

just a few less

and I'd find myself

wandering into grey area.

From White Fluffy Clouds by Brandon Boyd.

Chasing Victory

2008-06-27T18:25:00.005-04:00

This blog was looking way too acoustic-heavy, so here's some hard rock. If you like Emery, you might like this group. They're called Chasing Victory, and they have a pretty similar sound; there's heavy drums, heavy, rhythmic guitar riffs, and vocals that range between screaming and pretty melodic. A lot of people can't stand screaming, and I totally get that, I just think bands have to know how to use it, having the harsh singing offset with some melody. Makes a good contrast. These guys (and Emery) seem to have the right idea. Thanks to Blake for this album too.

Here's Suspects, Alibis, And Partners In Crime from I Call This Abandonment.

April Cover

2008-06-27T12:59:00.006-04:00

Here's another GA band, this one from around Berry College (I think, someone should correct me about that). Blake gave me the CD, so yeah I'm not a primary source. And that might have been the lamest thing I've written on here yet. Anyway, I do know for sure that these guys sound almost exactly like Anberlin, really similar vocals and guitar effects. Pretty good sound.

Here's Don't Close Your Eyes from April Cover.

Justin King

2008-06-27T01:38:00.011-04:00

I've posted some Justin King clips before, and I'll definitely post some more music later. Maybe videos too. He's my hero. I'm sure I said that already in an earlier post, but that's okay, it's worth repeating. This is the first version of the song "Change" of which there's about 32 different studio recordings. Well, there's probably more like 5, but either way, there's too many. Especially because none of them are as good as this one; if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you have a short attention span (but somehow managed to read this far) skip to 2:50, it goes from pretty plainly mainstream to holy shit that's awesome in about 5 seconds. Pretty impressive, I'd say.

Here's the video for Change from The Bright And Dirty Lights EP.

Amos Lee

2008-06-27T00:54:00.009-04:00

Amos Lee's got a really good quality to his voice. He usually sings a pretty cabaret, acoustic style, but his last release, Supply And Demand, is definitely more blues. Being on the Blue Note Label, I guess that's about what you'd expect. The first three tracks on the album are my favorites, but the seventh track, Sweet Pea, is probably the most successful one of the bunch. You heard it on Verizon commercials at the beginning of the year, and you heard it so many times you got really sick of it. This one's a little less on the catchy, poppy side and more mellow (and slightly political), pretty typical of the album as a whole. And actually really good. Probably a more important difference? I think so.

Here's Freedom from Supply And Demand.

Switchfoot

2008-06-27T00:25:00.005-04:00

Switchfoot has to be the most ambiguously Christian rock band on Earth, but it works for me. I'm not particularly religious, so if I want their songs to be about other things then it's not too much of a stretch. Their first extremely successful album, A Beautiful Letdown, is pretty played out by now, but enough time has passed it's starting to be safe again to listen to. I think. Songs like "Meant To Live" and "Dare You To Move" and "This Is Your Life" were more popular, but I think the best song off the album was actually the last track, called Twenty-Four. Very ambiguous, very clean, very Switchfoot.

That whole thing didn't sound like a very positive review. Switchfoot's pretty mainstream, but they've got their sound down. You have to give them that. And this song is solid, so give it a listen. Enjoy.

Here's Twenty-Four from The Beautiful Letdown.

More Jason Mraz...

2008-06-26T20:00:00.005-04:00

Since I have no attention span, I'm already straying away from reggae. Sorry. The song from the past post just made me think of another Mraz recording; this one is an acoustic version of his radio-friendly less-than-amazingly-artistic song The Remedy, and as much as I dislike the original, this recording really shows how good Mraz can be when he keeps things simple and acoustic. He's got a really interesting rhythm to his guitar parts and a great flow to his lyrics when everything doesn't get watered down in a studio. And if this does anything for you, go ahead and check out the "We Sing EP" that came out just before the LP with the same title earlier this year. Acoustic goodness.

Here's an unreleased version of The Remedy.

Bob Marley / Jason Mraz

2008-06-26T19:44:00.008-04:00

What would reggae be without Bob Marley? I wonder how many Greatest Hits albums he has. I'm gonna go ahead and guess I wouldn't be able to count them with just my own fingers and toes. My favorite song in the world is One Love, hands down, but I actually like the Jason Mraz cover of the song better than the original. I know, blasphemy, but it's whatever. Or something. Bob really was an amazing musician, I just love how simple, clean, and powerful this recording is, not to mention how awesome the message of the song is to begin with. Thanks to the Digital Citrus blog for this tune... go check that thing out, it'll be worth your while.

This song wasn't actually released on any of Jasin Mraz's own albums; it was recorded for a GAP jeans sales campaign. Strange, yes I know. But it's absolutely flawless. I'm not sure where you can find his album unless you shopped for GAP jeans in the 1990's, so make sure and give this one a listen here. And if not for how rare it is, then for the fact that it's my favorite, and if you're reading my blog then maybe you think my taste doesn't entirely suck. Either way.

Here's One Love from GAP Favorites.

Bedouin Soundclash

2008-06-26T18:54:00.004-04:00

Now for my favorite reggae group, Bedouin Soundclash. Like Rebelution, this band's sound has really developed, going from a drier, more acoustic-driven tone to a fuller, more skaa-like sound with its characteristic upstroke guitar. This song is my favorite by Soundclash, from an older album called Sounding a Mosaic, but their new album, called Street Gospels (released last year), is pretty flawless. If you look you can also find Soundclash covers of Sublime and U2, pretty interesting takes on different sounds. The chorus in this song is absolutely addicting.

Here's When The Night Feels My Song from Sounding A Mosaic.

Rebelution

2008-06-26T18:30:00.005-04:00

I've really gotten into reggae lately, so I've decided to put up some of my favorites in the genre. To start, here's a band called Rebelution out of Southern California, a group with a slightly darker sound than some others but that still has the mellow optimism that is undeniably reggae. If you check out their MySpace there's an older version of this song, which I have to say isn't nearly as good; but listening to it you can really see how far these guys have come, and you can really see how far from simple it is to achieve this sound.

Here's Safe And Sound from Courage To Grow.

More Tristan Prettyman...

2008-06-26T17:39:00.007-04:00

As promised (for all you countless blog readers), here's some earlier, acoustic-er Tristan Prettyman, the song that put her on the map and showed the world her sunny tone. When people called her "a female Jack Johnson" they weren't far off.

Here's Love, Love, Love from Twentythree.

Tristan Prettyman

2008-06-26T17:17:00.008-04:00

If I asked you to name a female singer with a soothing, California voice and relaxing acoustics, Colbie Caillat would probably come to mind; if I told you this singer collaborated with Jason Mraz and was occasionally compared to Jack Johnson, you'd probably start getting pretty confident about your answer. Caillat's everyone's MySpace favorite, but Tristan Prettyman has been doing it all for years, and doesn't get nearly the attention she deserves. She came onto the scene in 2005 with her first hit single Love, Love, Love, and her newest single Madly was the featured iTunes single a few weeks ago. Some attention, but still not enough.

Here's another song off her newest LP, a jazzier piece from a jazzier studio effort. I'll try and post something a little more typical of hers soon, some happy SoCal acousticism. But for now...

Here's In Bloom from Hello...x.

The Modern Skirts

2008-06-26T16:54:00.010-04:00

Out of any of my music, I'd have to say The Modern Skirts are in the top five for bands I can't wait to hear more from. They're probably the most popular band at the moment in Athens, and with good reason; this song, in particular, shows how insanely catchy these guys can be.

Here's My Lost Soprano from Catalogue of Generous Men.

Priscilla Ahn

2008-06-26T16:35:00.012-04:00

Priscilla Ahn just released her first studio LP this month on her new label, Blue Note (think Norah Jones and Amos Lee). The album's called A Good Day and it's available on iTunes or through her website. She's got an absolutely beautiful voice, and the new album's really good, but I actually like her pervious release more, simply called the Priscilla Ahn EP. The new album is more refined, with more support from other musicians, but the EP really shows her raw vocal talent. She's especially good at layering vocals, and in a lot of her work she actually uses a looping pedal for her microphone, and she's able to make a really haunting and powerful sound.

Here's an early track of hers, a song that later made it's way onto the EP but didn't make the cut on the new album. You can also hear Priscilla backing Amos Lee and Joshua Radin on their albums and tours. I'll stop talking now, here's the song. Enjoy.

Here's Lost, an original demo recording later

redone and released on the Priscilla Ahn EP.

2008-06-25T01:52:00.007-04:00

It's only when your poison spins into the life you'd hoped to live

that suddenly you wake up in a shaking panic.

You set me up like a lamb to slaughter

Garbo as a farmer's daughter,

unbelievable, the gospel according to who?

I lay right down.

Don't turn your talking points on me,

history will set me free.

The future's ours and you don't even read the footnote now.

So who's chasing you? Where did you go?

You disappeared mid-sentence

in a judgement crisis I see my anecdote for it,

you weakened shell.

All your sad and lost apostles

hum my name and flare their nostrils,

choking on the bones you toss to them.

Well I'm not one to sit and spin

'cause living well's the best revenge.

Baby, I am calling you on that.

You savour your dying breath.

Well, I forgive but I don't forget.

You work it out, let's hear that argument again.

All your sad and lost apostles

hum my name and flare their nostrils,

choking on the bones you toss to them.

Well I'm not one to sit and spin

'cause living well's the best revenge.

Baby, I am calling you on that.

2008-06-25T01:38:00.005-04:00

I didn't think you would go

with the moon shining low

on a night like tonight with me.

But I asked you to be something you couldn't be,

you were free, you were free, you were free.

There's a feeling so strong

that it has to be wrong,

and I knew when it came to me.

But I asked you to be something you couldn't be,

you were free, you were free, you were free.

Now will we really be happier

than we thought we never could be then?

You're a beautiful sight

in the warm purple light,

like a dream I had failed to see.

But I asked us to be something we couldn't be,

we were free, we were free, we were free.

2008-06-25T01:22:00.006-04:00

What's wrong with a little bit of experimentation to

open the eyes of the new generation ?

Well, build your world on an empty foundation and

watch it all blow away.

And now it hurts me so, to have to see you go,

to watch these drugs pull you down.

When there's nothing we can do and no one can get through

I'll watch you fall deeper into this mess.

Well I haven't see you in awhile.

You know I, I miss our talks, I miss your smile;

cause the look of innocence is priceless,

but right now you look so lifeless.

And now it hurts me so, to have to see you go,

to watch this song break you down.

And when you feel you can't get through and there's no hope left in you

you know I'll be right here to help you find your way out.

2008-06-24T22:49:00.008-04:00

I was the one you always dreamed of,

you were the one I tried to draw.

How dare you say it's nothing to me,

baby you're the only light I think I ever saw.

I'll make the most of all the sadness,

you'll be a bitch because you can.

You try to hit me just to hurt me,

so you leave me feeling dirty cause you can't understand.

We're going down,

and you can see it too,

we're going down, down,

and you know that we're doomed.

My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room.

Happy Record Store Day

2008-04-19T12:36:00.002-04:00

Go buy some vinyl.

Wicked

2008-04-16T10:28:00.001-04:00

At The Bottom Of Everything

2008-04-15T17:12:00.009-04:00

So there was this woman and she was on an airplane, and she was flying to meet her fiancé seaming high above the largest ocean on planet earth. She was seated next to this man she had tried to start conversations, but the only thing she had really heard him say was to order his Bloody Mary. She was sitting there and she was reading this really arduous magazine article about a third world country that she couldn’t even pronounce the name of. And she was feeling very bored and despondent. And then suddenly there was this huge mechanical failure and one of the engines gave out, and they started just falling thirty-thousand feet, and the pilots on the microphone and he’s saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, oh my God... I'm sorry” and apologizing. And she looks at the man and says, “Where are we going?” and he looks at her and he says, “We’re going to a party. It’s a birthday party. It’s your birthday party. Happy birthday darling. We love you very, very, very, very, very, very much.” And then he starts humming this little tune, it kind of goes like this...

1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4

We must talk in every telephone

Get eaten off the web

We must rip out all the epilogues in the books that we have read

And in the face of every criminal

Strapped firmly to a chair

We must stare, we must stare, we must stare

We must take all of the medicines too expensive now to sell

Set fire to the preacher who is promising us hell

And in the ear of every anarchist that sleeps but doesn’t dream

We must sing, we must sing, we must sing

It’ll go like this:

While my mother waters plants

My father loads his guns

He says death will give us back to God

Just like this setting sun is returned to this lonesome ocean

And then they splashed into the deep blue sea

It was a wonderful splash

We must blend into the choir

Sing as static with the whole

We must memorize nine numbers and deny we have a soul

And in this endless race for property and privilege to be won

We must run, we must run, we must run

We must hang up in the belfry

Where the bats and moonlight laugh

We must stare into a crystal ball and only see the past

And in the caverns of tomorrow

With just our flashlights and our love

We must plunge, we must plunge, we must plunge

And then we’ll get down there, way down to the very bottom of everything

And then we’ll see it, oh we’ll see it, we’ll see it, we’ll see it

Oh my morning's coming back

The whole world’s waking up

All the city buses swimming past

I’m happy just because

I found out I am really no one

More From The King

2008-04-15T16:59:00.004-04:00

Just to even things out. I like to pretend I can play this song. I'm sure a lot of people do. I get the feeling people who don't like guitar will find this whole blog thing relatively uninteresting. I'll try to find some crazy Asian kid playing piano like a rockstar to appeal to the masses.

Justin King

2008-04-15T16:49:00.009-04:00

Time to start getting some videos out of the way. We'll start at the top, might be my favorite guitar video ever. Don't get me wrong, the Larivee clip is totally badass, people just tend to underestimate the difficulty of playing harmonics all over a fucking guitar while your hands run around playing percussive notes faster than what should be humanly possible anyway. Bada bing, bada boom.

ICEBERG, I MEANT TO SAY.

2008-04-15T01:20:00.000-04:00

That's all. It was an old post anyway. Justin King soothes the soul.

MAN OVERBOARD. OH MY GOODNESS.

2008-04-15T01:18:00.000-04:00

"Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold. "

Rolling Stone released their newest magazine this week to subscribers. With Radiohead on the cover. With a huge article about how Radiohead is affected the music industry. Not to mention the first thing inside the (Radiohead) cover, a chart of sales figures for the last two years for physical albums and digital downloads. The week after I wrote my paper about how Radiohead has affected the music industry, complete with sales figures for the last two years for physical albums and digital downloads. Of course they did.

Why is my life stupid?

I don't want to read the article now. I already wrote it. I'll end up reading it soon.

I'm painting a huge picture of Bob Marley on my wall. And then some other stuff. Maybe Anthony Kiedis or some other people that are more tasteful. Or maybe the people I really appreciate more. I don't really listen to the Stones or Bob Dylan. I'd rather rock out to Bedouin Soundclash or some acoustic Mayer. So I'm a bad person. Sue me, it's my wall.

I wonder if anyone's even going to read this.

Bob is looking pretty huge on my wall right now. I just outlined him though, don't have time to paint this week. So I'll have to wait until next time I'm home. I hate Rolling Stone Magazine today.

The kid across the hall is playing guitar very loudly and not very well. Sucking, sucking, sucking. Shoot me please. Side notes continue.

Stay Together For The Kids

2008-04-15T01:16:00.000-04:00

"This is the breakout year for Angels & Airwaves," he said. "This is the year where people are going to see and hear more about the band. It's not a brand new band anymore. We believe in our music. I'm sure that every band that you interview says that we are the best thing ever, but actually this time it's kinda true."

Tom DeLonge is an arrogant prick. I don't know if that's news. I don't really care actually. I need to broadcast my opinion to the world. I needs it. They needs to hear me. Or something. There's no such thing as a context issue when someone says they're the best thing ever. Maybe Tom's been sarcastic in every interview he's had in the past 4 years. Fat chance. I sure do miss Blink-182 right now.

CAPITAL LETTERS MAKE IT LOOK LIKE I'M YELLING

2008-04-15T01:11:00.003-04:00

"My music will go on forever. Maybe it's a fool say that, but when me know facts me can say facts. My music will go on forever."

The world today is so ridiculously small. I have 190 albums by 117 different bands that play music that fits into 32 different genres all sitting on my iPod that I can stick in my pocket. That's almost 6 days of solid music. And I'll add more tomorrow. How do I know? Because it's there. Because I can. Because either the world is tiny or I'm a giant. Probably the tiny one.

I AM A GIANT.

Someone 50 years ago, even someone 20 years ago would probably be amazed by something like that. If someone walked into a house in 1985 and saw 8 B.B. King albums, the entire collections of Steve Miller, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Elton John, and Billy Joel, plus a hundred albums from that decade alone, they'd probably think it was pretty cool. If not pretty amazing.

But 6 people on my hall have more music than I do. Rough guess. I really have no idea.

We're all overexposed though. Me, the people on my hall, the entire world. Well, everyone who can access the Internet at least. So a lot of people. We're overexposed. When I got my first CD in middle school, and I mean my first CD that wasn't really awful, I worshiped every second of that album. It was Blink-182's The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show, and I knew every lyric, every note on guitar and bass, and every drum beat through 20 tracks of solid entertainment. I know all the jokes they tell after the songs. Blink was pretty hit and miss live, but that album's the best thing they ever did. Just a side note.

I think I still have pretty good appreciation for my music. Didn't mean to say that I don't care about it by anything in that last paragraph. I love it all. I've listened to everything in my collection, all 3000 songs or whatever, I know the sound of every band, the chorus to almost every song, and every word and note of a good many. But to be honest, I don't love any of my music the way I loved the Mark, Tom, and Travis Show. I don't think I ever will, and I doubt that most people I know can. There's just too much available, whether it's jazz recordings from the 1920's or every song that's being made this year or that came out this decade. We have so much music around us (and so much of everything else, but that's too epic and understated to talk about right now) that we don't hear the subtleties anymore. We don't hear the bass notes, we don't love the off-beats and improvisations. Too much, too much.

Something To Read

2008-04-15T01:06:00.006-04:00

"What do you want to do today?" asked Bill. "I'm not sure. We could watch some TV or cable or play a video game or go on the Internet of rent a movie, I guess," said Walt. "Oh," replied Bill, "what is there to do on the Internet?" "My friends have a web cam. Do you want to watch it?" "What's a web cam?" asked Bill. "It's a camera that's constantly on in one of their rooms, televising to the Internet. People pay money to spend time seeing what they are doing." "I see," said Bill. "What are they usually doing?" "They're usually watching TV or playing a video game or typing on their computers," said Walt. Bill began to wonder why he was alive.

Don Hertzfeldt is awesome. I need a vacation.

John Butler Trio: Sunrise Over Sea

2008-04-14T18:54:00.015-04:00

Take Justing King, put him together with the Dave Matthews Band, send them to Australia, and take them off the American airwaves, and you've got the John Butler Trio. Some additional measurements may be needed; but with King's percussive stylings and Matthews' political drive, orchestral twang, and heartfelt lyrical expression, Butler and his band have taken over radio by storm across the world, with few exceptions besides a tasteless American ratings machine. Look out for the Australian invasion coming to a city near you, complete with dreadlocks and an upright bass.

This is Hello, from the studio LP Sunrise Over Sea by the John Butler Trio.

David Crowder Band: Illuminate

2008-04-14T12:08:00.019-04:00

Christian music can sound very contrived, and the David Crowder Band is no exception. They're not immune to inflated choruses and strained lyrics, standard chord progressions and hallelujahs. Crowder succeeds where others fail, however, in creating elaborate sounds, layered guitar work, and instrumental breakdowns that bring you to the end of a theme and back without just taking you through the motions. Illuminate, the group's 2003 release, highlights these uncanny abilities in melodious precision in an experimental effort with ideas to spare.

This is Intoxicating, from the studio LP Illuminate by the David Crowder Band.