We Like Sports

"Love will get you like a case of anthrax and that's something I don't want to catch"

2009-10-20T17:37:00.004-04:00

Delivering dance-driven dub guitar coupled with tongue-in-cheek political satire, Gang of Four implemented ideas that continue to define present-wave, underground music.

For fans of contemporary dance music ala "The Rapture" and "The Feint", the echoes priciples that currently ride the airwaves are derivations of the classic 1979 Gang of Four album "Entertainment".

The lyrical content of "Entertainment" address themes and terminology that may as well be scoured off of your most recent Political Science review guide. . They were, in fact, the first openly socialistic band to be signed by Warner Brothers records. Accordingly, the "quintessentially British" wit scours the leftist fancies of 1970s British socialism and thus became the target of frequent BBC bans during the "Northern Troubles" in Northern Ireland as well as the Falklands conflict with Argentina.

For condescending conservatism expressing sincere liberalism, all signs must lead to Gang of Four.

Hate the radio? Here are some alternatives.....

2009-10-09T01:00:00.002-04:00

So had enough of that Clear Channel crap they've been spoon-feeding you with a toilet plunger for the last couple decades? Then tune in to www.wvau.org for some REAL music:
Batwing Hoodies! with Carrie and Ryan. Monday nights 10pm-12am
Indie-Sense hosted by Danielle King and Eugene Wheelis and Max Gibbons. Tuesdays 10am-12pm.
Eclectricity! brought to you live from the mothership by Antonio Forte (me) with special guess Claire Caldwell! Saturdays 10am-12pm.
AND
Raisin Brahms, DJed by Max O'Hern, Johanna Dwinells, and Jimmy Jones. Sunday mornings 10am-12pm.

.....among other AMAZING super-powers-you-wish-you-had shows all on WVAU!!!!!
so, it's pretty easy to remember: 10-12, or any other time, on any day and you could find some kickin tunes streaming from your computer's speakers!

Thank you. That is all.
Keep them Cosmic Vibes aflowin'.
Love always,
Mantonius

1 X 1 (1944) - e e cummings

2009-09-18T15:10:00.002-04:00

let it go-the
smashed word broken
open vow or
the oath cracked length
wise-let it go it
was sworn to
go

let them go-the
truthful liars and
the false fair friends
and the boths and
neithers-you must let them go they
were born
to go

let all go-the
big small middling
tall bigger really
the biggest and all
things-let all go
dear
so comes love

Why Pitchfork Frustrates Me Sometimes

2009-09-17T16:19:00.003-04:00

"But do you want to wallow in grey impotence in the face of quotidian bullshit every damn minute of the day?"

"it's a similarly grandiose ballpark where the fans wear slightly different clothes."

"It's high-test pop-prog hokum, better suited to mashing buttons to kill wizards or gorging on a stack of four-color batshittery than working on your thesis or darning your socks."

These are just a couple of quotations from Pitchfork's review of Muse's new album, The Resistance. I should not have to dig through all this bullshit to understand what could have been said in one sentence. I keep up with Pitchfork since they're always on top of music news and tours. However, they infuriate me with their weekly pompous album dissections. I am also getting sick of their love for Vampire Weekend.

I'll stop bitching now since I know I should really read reviews at my own discretion and go in expecting all the wordy, over-the-top metaphors.

New Track: Sotto i Muri della Cattedrale

2009-09-15T16:13:00.001-04:00

http://tindeck.com/listen/hnww

(Beneath the Walls of the Cathedral)

The Songs of Leonard Cohen

2009-09-10T18:38:00.003-04:00

Leonard Cohen is an artist whose outwardly minimal approach belies thoughtful, introspective and utterly honest ballads of musical expression. "Poet laureate of pessimism", the "(Sad) Songs of Leonard Cohen": such are hurled criticisms at the man who simply arranged his expression to the simple chords of a guitar. Without fantastic proclamation, the album art and layout reflects the simplistic arrangement. Affixed with a photograph lifted off his own passport and an image of Joan d ' Arc at the stake, the album delivers a portrait of male sorrow through song.

Recently, he has performed several world tours (and allegedly played in Mansfield circa '76).

Last but not least, a link to his seminal album "The Songs of Leonard Cohen".

2009-09-06T15:25:00.003-04:00

hey everyone, i know you may not know me but i know Danielle so its all good. Ive seen these dudes twice and theyre really good and just really nice to listen to and see live. theyre playing on September 10th at the DC9 and I'd really like to go. If you like them then lets go see them! tix are only $12 and the other bands that are playing are pretty good too.

Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie

2009-09-06T14:36:00.005-04:00

This is a poem that Bob Dylan recited at a Town Hall in 1963, a few years before his idol Woody Guthrie's death. This is one of the best poems ever written, in my opinion. I've attached this YouTube video, because you really should hear it from Bob Dylan's mouth. Anyway, either read it and/or listen to it. But really listen, because it's long but so worth it.

2009-09-06T02:37:00.001-04:00

Child Prodigy.

2009-09-05T22:50:00.001-04:00

The Flaming Lips: A Review

2009-08-24T23:50:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday marked my third time seeing The Flaming Lips. I didn’t think that any show of theirs could beat the second time I saw them, where I paid a mere $6 to witness an epic confetti-filled set in which Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite (who is apparently a Flaming Lips fan) danced on the side of the stage in a Santa Claus costume and then roused a double encore that included a Black Sabbath “War Pigs” cover. I was right in that that show could not be beat, but last Saturday was pretty damn entertaining.

The show was again $6 since it took place at the racetrack tourist magnet in Del Mar, California that I’ve mentioned in my previous posts. Stardeath and Seven Dwarfs opened the concert. They seemed a little nervous, but this was the first date of The Flaming Lips’ North American tour so I’m guessing that after a couple of shows they’ll get better. Otherwise they were pretty solid. The singer/guitarist was wearing a snazzy jumpsuit and had a firecracker attached to his guitar that he lit up halfway through the set, causing bluish green smoke to fill the stage. I was really into the drummer, he was the highlight of the band for me. At one point just him and the bassist were onstage jamming for two minutes, which was surprisingly not boring. My only complaint about Stardeath and Seven Dwarfs is that the sound was not up to par. I couldn’t hear the lyrics of the songs and any banter they tried to start up with the audience was indecipherable mumbling.

The lead singer of The Flaming Lips, Wayne Coyne had been teasing the audience for a good hour by coming to the front of the stage, raising his arms and then leaving. When it was finally time for them to actually play, they entered dramatically through the giant arch of lights that formed the backdrop of the stage. Each member of the band slowly descended one by one from the arch, like aliens from a sparkly UFO (how’s that for a metaphor). Then finally… Wayne came onstage. He crawled into his inflatable bubble and slowly rolled off the stage into the audience. BADASS. Rolling in a half circle Wayne made his way back to the stage and the band went straight into “Race for the Prize”. They ran through a set that included all of their classics, “The W.A.N.D.”, “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song”, “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” and “She Don’t Use Jelly”. At one point a guy dressed in an ape suit picked up Wayne and put him on his (her?) shoulders. Wayne sang the rest of “Silver Trembling Hands” from the shoulders of the primate. EPIC. The show was filled with giant orange and yellow balloons and lots of streamers. The giant arch served as a projector for the camera on Wayne’s microphone and for some other stunning and slightly erotic visuals. My one disappointment was that they didn’t play their cover of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. The set seemed rather short too, only about ten songs. They did do an encore, but only of “Do You Realize”.

People have sometimes accused The Flaming Lips of relying too much on their stage antics; the balloons, streamers, confetti, flaming bullhorns, and the fans dancing in animal costumes. They’ve played pretty much the same setlist every time I’ve seen them. However, a band’s job is to entertain, and I have never been bored at a Flaming Lips show.

Curiosity Killed the Cat... and I'm the Killed.

2009-08-15T01:09:00.003-04:00

This post is in reference to a re-discovery for one of my favorite No Idea Records bands: Small Brown Bike. Not quite cycle themed in nature, rather, they seem to bring every musical instrument of the band to screeching emotional crescendo. True story: for at least a month I would leave my MP3 player at home when I studied because if I brought along Small Brown Bike I would be so focused on listening to their albums that nothing homework-wise would ever be accomplished.

I was waiting outside a show in Boston on Thursday night and found myself next to another kid in a Small Brown Bike shirt. After the immediate "where did you get that?" query, we began to go back and forth about how much we appreciated the band, to the point where as soon as I came home, I dug out their LP, plugged my headphones into the turntable, and listened to the whole A-side of the record.

This is definitely something I want to share, their first album "Our Own Wars"

Their label, No Idea Records, has an amazing distro and catalog with an eclectic array of bands and merch that span the first Against Me albums to 80s-era Chewbacca action figures (no, seriously). If you are a fan of folk-polk, quasi-experimental electronica, or plan straight up emotional hardcore slash indie, they are truly an amazing resource.

The Past Recedes

2009-08-14T16:36:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite songs.

John Frusciante - The Past Recedes
Uploaded by Mauno.

Age Sixteen - Open Up Finders, Please

2009-08-14T10:29:00.002-04:00

Over the last two or three years there has been a resurgence in modern emo/post-hardcore/screamo that pulls back influence from the progenitor acts of the genre, culling together an early-mid 90's style and sensibility run through a contemporary strainer. Things look good for the state of modern emo/hardcore; I know that in itself is unfortunately a sort of buzzword, but for the time being let us imagine that those mallgoth shitcakes and the lieblous media that spreads their corrupted gospel doesn't exist, and let's focus on the good stuff.

While Philadelphia's Algernon Cadwallader has been spearheading a resurgence in twinkly, Kinsella-esque, Midwestern indie/emo, other notables have been emerging. Loma Prieta has been releasing riff-driven screamo with a clear Honeywell influence, as European screamo acts bring us a more melodic style of hardcore, one which is deeply indebted to post-rock and it's loud-soft dynamic.

Baltimore's Age Sixteen takes a cue from European contemporaries such as Sweden's Suis La Lune and Italy's La Quiete. The album is beautifally melodic, yet deeply chaotic. All things considered, Age Sixteen's Open Up Finders, Please is absolutely a punk album. It's short and sweet, abrasive at moments - the entire album, nine tracks long, clocks in at about twenty minutes. Ultimately, it meets somewhere between traditional screamo/hardcore and the noodly guitars of Midwestern emo, influence which shines through in tracks like "Empty Nest", "Seasick", and "Peter Pan Complex."

Summer Reading

2009-08-14T09:41:00.002-04:00

I spend much of my time with a book pinned betwixt my eyes, even during the outdoor-oriented days of summer. I have an inescapable, nigh ineffable sort of problem; one that suggests, in the grand scheme of my life I may like books more than people, in some ways.

Literature always puts out. Remember that.

So. I, the book-whore, have maintained a polygamous life of unprotected readings this summer. So dig this:

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

This novel was recommended to me by a trusted writing professor, one that has read much of my own work, and has a good head for the sort of tragic undertakings I like to read about. Boy is this one ever.

Oscar de Leons, also known as Oscar Wao after an unfortunate Doctor Who Halloween costume, is a grossly overweight Dominican ghetto nerd; he fills his days with Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, anime films, and Dungeons & Dragons. He has but two goals in life - to become the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien, and to find love.

Suffice to say this: he struggles.

The story centers on the de Leons family and the string of terrible luck that follows them from their origins in Santo Domingo straight into Patterson, New Jersey. The novel weaves several family tales together, telling Oscar's story, that of his sister Lola, his mother's upbringing and hardship during the late Trujillo-era of the DR, and that of Oscar's grandfather, who started the whole mess. This fuku, or curse, haunts the family without end, and (of course) makes it near impossible for Oscar to get laid, and what else would such a ghetto nerd want in the world?

Junor Diaz writes with a casual flowing narrative, full of character. The entire novel is told to you second-hand by one of the characters, Yunior. There are few to no quotations, and the whole book certainly has the feel of a spoken narrative. It's littered with nerd-culture references, as would befit the title character. Something in the story rings of Garcia Marquez, the sort of magical realism flavor that you'd find in one of his novels is present in the life of Oscar Wao. The fuku, La Inca's powerful Voice and Gaze, the supposed supernatural evil of Trujillo (Fuckface) sprinkles the book with a mystical undertone.

Oscar Wao's story is a supremely refreshing contemporary novel, and a history lesson that goes untaught in most American public schools. Did you know about Trujillo's salughter of Haitians based on pronunciation of the word "parsely?" Or anything about the hideous racism in the Dominican Republic? Yeah, me neither. The name Trujillo was never mouthed in any of my history classes.

But anyway.

There's a reason that this novel won a Pulitzer. Read it. I promise it's good.

The Cinestudio at Trinity University

2009-08-12T10:23:00.002-04:00

Trinity University in Hartford, CT features a rare gem for film aficionados, a tastefully restored 1930s-era movie house. Complete with a balcony and velvet curtain, the university saved the venue from assimilation into the science building by allocating funds to the historical preservation of Western culture.

The theatre features a revolving schedule of films from several loosely associated genres: foreign, independent (limited release), and vintage cinema classics.

To achieve a state of reciprocity with their fanbase, the theatre organization regularly accept visitor requests and recommendations for future film scheduling. These are taken via lobby clipboard and judging by the last few annual schedule are examined with serious consideration.

Special events and holidays are scheduled, for example, Halloween and Valentine's Day events focused on the screening of double features associated with each holiday.

Located at the center of the Trinity Campus at 300 Summit Street in Hartford, CT, the Cinestudio is an altogether amazing resource for film buff and fandom.

Free Music From Newport, RI.

2009-08-09T21:02:00.001-04:00

Free recordings (24 total) from both the Newport Folk and Jazz Fests. I attended the Jazz Fest today. It was exquisite. Yum. Enjoy. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106427862

Matt & Kim

2009-08-05T11:35:00.003-04:00

Today I walked in while my sister was on the computer and she was listen to Matt & Kim. I almost cried of joy, I was so proud.
For a while I hated her listening to my things because I felt like she couldn't appreciate them properly, but she found them on her own!

New Style? "My Boyfriend's Shirt / Blazer" Hits the Streets.

2009-08-03T16:46:00.004-04:00

Start checking those random Macy's styled catalogs that are discarded with the daily mail. Today, I spotted an advertisement for a new themed line of women's fashion dubbed "my boyfriend's shirt".

From what I can determine, this new trend dictates a style of dress patterned after oversized, male clothing on women. Now, this particular idea is no way novel. For decades, women have adopted originally masculine clothing such as peacoats, jeans, corduroy, and boots with outstanding success. It may have roots in male themed occupation, but these girls have made it look good, too.

This new trend deviates from this previous notion. Rather than pursuing a feminine line of styled products or simply utilising smaller sizes, this trend fosters the impression that the woman is not wearing her own clothes, but those that belong to a familiar man. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not slamming this as a "whore" image or debasing female sexuality. I've most definitely shared sweaters, jackets, and knitwear with partners before, and why not? Yes, it is endearing and sweet and let's face it... ultimately, it's also extremely convenient.

The clothing line offers slightly oversized or baggy garments, usually themed along the lines of shirts and blazers. Titles are as such: "My Boyfriend's Shirt", "My Boyfriend's Blazer", etc.

The obstacle in mind for this particular fashion is that it is marketed AS a "boyfriend" product. Sex sells, but in this case it is the assumption of sex that is moving these garments off the shelves. Ultimately, my indignation towards this clothing line arrives from the point that there is simply no need for ANYONE to purchase these clothes. The girls that proffered this image did so out of necessity and the girls who pursue that amazing indie, genderless style pull it off through second hand stores or consignment shops.

Overall, I felt insulted by this marketing gimmick. This engineered social image of waking up in someone else's bed seems to prey on human emotions and our want for love. It offers up a minuscule element of a desirable situation, without all of the truly significant components that make it all worthwhile.

Ultimately, it reminds me of this product.

Serge Gainsbourg: "Initials B.B."

2009-08-03T16:21:00.002-04:00

Chasing Gainsbourg through the annals of pop culture references, I became exposed to his influence on underground music long before I ever heard his albums. The name was first introduced to me through the novel "High Fidelity". In this case, two adolescents are chased out of Championship Vinyl after they were caught stealing Gainsbourg albums (actually, to the confusion of the store owner). Subsequently, Radio City Music Hall played this particular album before Morrissey took the stage during his 2004 tour. Now, having heard him in both name and sound, I looked up the lyrics to the tune after the concert and made the initial connection!

As a brief bio, Gainsbourg was a 1960s French pop singer whose accolades included dating Briggite Bardot (for whom the album is dedicated). Feeling himself lesser than the male ideal, Gainsbourg turned his sentiments towards musical expression. To me, this album represents the zenith of his style as a unique frontman, alternating lyrical poetry with brass and string sections alongside vocals from none other than Briggite Bardot herself.

G.Love and Jack's Mannequin (shut up): A Review

2009-07-31T14:28:00.006-04:00

I am from San Diego. Del Mar, to be exact. It is a beautiful place to call home and a great place to grow up, but home is home no matter where you live if you get what I'm saying. Anyways, during the summer it becomes a huge tourist destination. The Del Mar Racetrack is one of the main attractions, and in exchange for making our town overrun with tourists in ridiculous hats and creating large amounts of traffic, the racetrack offers 4 O' Clock Fridays, a free-ish summer concert series (free with $6 racetrack admission). Whoever the concert promoter is, he or she always brings in some pretty good bands. This summer includes G.Love & Special Sauce, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Flaming Lips, Pinback, and Pete Yorn. I'll be back at school for some of these, but I did get to see G.Love last friday.

I was skeptical at first when G.Love & Special Sauce took the stage, but once they started a shout and response with the audience during "Can't Go Back to Jersey", they got the crowd moving and kept the momentum going for the rest of their set. They're music is pretty funky, a mix of r&b, blues, rock, and rap. Eventually I found myself grooving and dancing amongst a sea of drunken and sunburnt adults. They ran through their popular songs (My Baby's Got Sauce, Peace, Love, and Happiness, Milk and Cereal) and ended with a surprisingly good cover of The Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" They came back onstage for a long encore that included a duet with singer/song-writer and Del Mar local Tristan Prettyman. Overall, it was a show that was well worth my $6.

Also, I saw Jack's Mannequin on Tuesday at a local arena venue with my sister and one of my best friends. YES I like Jack's Mannequin. They are the ultimate guilty pleasure, fulfilling my girly and sometimes emo musical needs. They destroyed the stage with their emotional piano pop rock. Andrew McMahon is a talented pianist/frontman and their music is a lot more rocking live than on the album. An advantage of huge expensive arena tours is that the lights are usually incredible, which they most definitely were. The band went through a short set of the popular songs from their two albums and ended with an epic cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "American Girl". A side note to male bloggers and readers: if you are looking to pick up girls, go to a Jack's Mannequin concert.

Jack's Mannequin was opening for The Fray. I stayed for one song. If you're into the prime time Grey's Anatomy soundtrack I guess they would be good, but I personally felt that their light show was far more exciting than their music. As I made my way out of the amphitheater the scent of weed hung fresh in the air. Who would smoke weed at a Fray concert? To each his own I suppose.

Dear My Favorite Bloggers

2009-07-26T23:22:00.003-04:00

There is a small co-op in the town over from me called Wrench in the Works which is a small little nook with books and a small stage and members can use the space for their liking. About two-and-a-half years ago I went to see my friend Becky Noonan play guitar and sing. While waiting for her to play, my then-lover (?) picked a book up off of their bookshelves called "How We Sleep on the Nights We Don't Make Love" and looked at the first poem; titled "Salat" it is a poem of only nine lines. Becky then began her show and we stopped looking at the book, but for the next couple of weeks I just kept thinking about it. What a name for a book: "How We Sleep on the Nights We Don't Make Love."

I eventually forgot about it for a while only to suddenly remember the book while walking outside one day. I came home and racked my brain to remember the titled. To make a long story short, I found a copy of the book at a used book store and I bought it. The author is E. Ethelbert Miller and in Washington, DC, he has a day - September 28th - which is also my Mom's birthday. One of my top three is titled "14th Street Station" and the page has been folded over so much that the crease is as ingrained in the page as the poem is ingrained in my memory. Here it is for you to enjoy:

14th Street Station
by E Ethelbert Miller

I want to hug you close
in subways that no longer
belong to New York and feel
the softness beneath your
dress like when you walk or
dance and the poetry is in
your eyes and I read them
aloud and taste the words
on my tongue and to speak
another language is to love
and touch you tonight or to
follow you home is to say
I will miss you whenever
I breathe in dark places or
where trains run and your
hands remain invisible on
my chest like tracks we
might one day cross

Taste = Experience ?

2009-07-26T18:51:00.001-04:00

Carrie's recent blogpost in addition to my experience driving past some ethnically dressed people has got me thinking about our experience when dining in ethnic restaurants.

Chang's (Storrs, CT): Does anyone remember that protest outside of the high school last year about how the Chang's workers were all here illegally and were being paid under minimum wage and living in a basement? That shit was legit! Or when I ask the lady for "tofu with broccoli in brown sauce" she has no idea what I am talking about because she can only understand enough English for me to tell her the numbers from the menu. Everyone who works there is Asian.

Guapo's (Washington, DC): Mexican restaurant where I feel as if I can almost see the sombreros on all of the waiters. They are all Hispanic and all probably under 5’6”. They are constantly brining you chips and salsa while talking in a heavy Mexican accent.

La Petite France (Stafford, CT): Bakery where I work. The owners (Romeo and Alexandra) are from France and speak in extremely heavy accents. Alexandra’s grandmother has also been helping out recently and is here from France for a few months. She is about eighty years old and wears dresses, orthopedic shoes, and sneakers while smiling at me in silence when I do something correctly because she cannot speak a word of English.

Willington Pizza (Willington, CT): No one Italian works here.

Abyssinian (West Hartford, CT): They guy who served my food last time I was there was most definitely not Ethiopian.

McDonalds (Everywhere?): Pretty sure they don’t only have Americans working there serving our American food.

See how in the picture something just looks wrong? YEAH IT’S BECAUSE THE SERVER doesn’t exactly fit. It would be like if the guy from Chang’s were working at the Abyssinian or if a Guapo’s waiter served your food at La Petite France or if a black guy served you sushi. It just doesn’t fit.

Discuss…

New Order soundboard recording from Blackpool, 1982.

2009-07-24T22:39:00.005-04:00

"There is no end to this, I have seen your face but I don't recognize all the things you must have left behind. It's a problem, you know, that's been there all your life. I tried to make you see the world without you that just turned black and white." (New Order "Procession" lyrics).

An early soundboard recording from the British electronic pop band New Order. One of their early appearances, the band was still reeling from the suicide of their former singer, Ian Curtis.

"This was not long after Ian Curtis passed away and the band became New Order instead of Joy Division. I thought they felt almost uncomfortable on stage, they seemed like reluctant heroes, like they didn't really want to be there."
-Francesco Mellina 1981

A year later, the band began to mature and develop a new, unique, musical identity. This particular recording captures the essence of this maturity and musical progression. Ian Curtis had been the creative focus of Joy Division, yet 1982 verified the ability of the band to continue the soulful performances of their past as well as progress towards an electronic dimension of sound.

The bass levels and distortion give me chills every time I listen to this.

Best of 2009: The First Draft

2009-07-18T09:45:00.003-04:00

Considering how en vogue it is to tout your own pseudo-elitist "best albums" roll call in order to promote one's own sense of self-indulgent musical superiority, I figure I'd best start on this project now; if I wait until the end times of 2009 to begin, I'm certain that some gems would be lost in the proverbial mix. Thus, with a clear and conscious mind, I begin:

RAY'S BEST ALBUMS OF 2009 VERSION APLHA-1.0

I've already predicted what the vast majority of these sort of things will look like, with every hipster douchebag in the world fawning over the exceedingly mediocre Animal Collective release, Merriweather Post Pavillion. I apologize for bursting the bubble of perceived snobby coolness here, but Animal Collective has always been mediocre at best - they are a band restricted by their own ridiculous sense of avant-garde. The whooping, hollering, and yelping...art it does not make. And anyway -

Grizzly Bear - Vecktamist
Castevet - Summer Fences (Best Debut LP of 2009)
The Chariot - Wars and Rumours of Wars (Best Post/Hardcore Album of 2009)
Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
Kevin Devine - Brother's Blood
Mastodon - Crack the Skye (Best Metal Album of 2009)
Metric - Fantasies (Best Pop Album of 2009)
mewithoutYou - It's all Crazy! It's all False! It's all a Dream! It's Alright!
Mount Eerie - Wind Poem
Radical Face - Ghost
Say Hi - Oohs and Aahs
Wolves in the Throne Room - Black Cascade (Best Black Metal Album of 2009)

These aren't in any particular order, and still have to be sorted out...but that gives you some modicum of an idea into the way I'm leaning here.

Singing Children Are So Hot Right Now

2009-07-17T14:59:00.005-04:00

Featuring a children's choir/chorus seems to be a foolproof formula for a good song

M.I.A. - Paper Planes

Thanks to Pineapple Express I think everyone has heard this song (as Clive Dangerously once asked, how many facebook photo albums do you think are titled "Get High Like Planes?"). Kids from Brixton sing along in the chorus about taking your money. Very creative on M.I.A's part since the song samples The Clash's "The Guns of Brixton".

Justice - D.A.N.C.E

I think Justice needs to give the London based Foundation for Young Musicians Choir a little more credit since they are the ones singing this entire song.

Peter Bjorn & John - Nothing to Worry About

Please go listen to this if you have never heard it. It's a perfect steering wheel drumming sing along song. Chanting children start the song and form the chorus.

Passion Pit - Little Secrets

Passion Pit has been righteously hyped beyond belief, and I am joining the rest of the music blogosphere by professing my love for this electro-pop group. "Little Secrets is one of my personal favorites off of their debut album "Manners". Love the lyric "have you ever felt so goddamn strong/how come it takes some people so damn long". Anyways, this song also has kids singing backup in the chorus line "up and up I keep on climbing/ higher and higher and higher higher and higher and higher." That shit's catchy.

Yeasayer - 2080

Probably the most well known track off of their album "All Hour Cymbals". Children join in at the ending chorus. Makes the song more powerful I think.

What exactly do children add to these songs? Contrast? Innocence? Juxtaposition? Metaphors? Not entirely sure but it seems to result in some good music.

The Sartorialist Fashion Blog

2009-07-13T21:51:00.002-04:00

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

My personal favorite fashion blog, it focuses my interest and appreciation for photography through the power of expression and worn style. In one way or another, this is my way of exposing these photographic archives as well as recommending that this be added to the list of favorite links. In no way is this merely a gallery of beautiful people in expensive clothing. rather an individual development of self-defined fashion through a myriad of locations spanning from Milan to New York City.

Jetboy / Jetgirl

2009-07-11T00:39:00.002-04:00

Over the course of the day, I was able to see "Bruno" in the theatres as well as catch a touring band bust out this classic cover. Coincidence?

Random Musical Jibble

2009-07-10T12:39:00.003-04:00

I started this post two weeks ago, then never finished. Then I thought of a bunch of other stuff to blog about so I figured I would just put it together, like a musical smorgasboard.

Anyone who knows me is aware that Be Your Own Pet is one of my favorite bands. I love the messy punk style, spastic screaming of the singer Jemina Pearl and lyrics like "Have fun and be safe with it/Just kidding, fuck shit up!/ We ride bikes, cars are for idiots" They broke up last August and the split makes me sad on almost a daily basis. Thankfully, BYOP kinda lives on in the new projects of the old members. One is Turbo Fruits, with former guitarist Jonas Stein on vocals and lead guitar. Turbo Fruits sound kind of like Be Your Own Pet if they smoked a lot of weed and had a male singer (coincidentally, many Turbo Fruits songs have a cannabis theme).

Former lead singer of Be Your Own Pet, Jemina Pearl, is working on solo stuff. It's got kinda an old school girl group vibe. It's cool I guess. At least she's not playing an acoustic guitar and writing Jewel-esque songs. But I will miss songs about her taking xanax and drowning her boyfriend in bogs. Reincarnations are better than nothing right?

I previously mentioned my girl crush on the lead singer of Metric, Emily Haines. I've been listening to her solo stuff (Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton) more lately and it's beautiful beautiful beautiful. She has such a unique voice and her vocals seem to soar more without the heavy synths of Metric.

Also, I just got to see an early screening of 500 Days of Summer. It was SO GOOD and the soundtrack is SO GOOD. Please go see it.

Tracklisting for 500 Days of Summer Soundtrack

A Story of Boy Meets Girl - Mychael Danna and Rob Simonsen

Us - Regina Spektor

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths

Bad Kids - Black Lips

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths

There Goes The Fear - Doves

You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates

Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap

Quelqu'un M'a Dit - Carla Bruni

Mushaboom - Feist

Hero - Regina Spektor

Bookends - Simon & Garfunkel

Vagabond - Wolfmother

She's Got You High - Mumm-Ra

Here Comes Your Man - Meaghan Smith

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - She & Him

Hang the DJ Hang the DJ Hang the DJ

2009-07-09T17:32:00.003-04:00

Another "amazing story behind the song" example. Morrissey wrote this song as a response to DJ Steve Wright's insensitive placing of Wham's vacuous "I'm Your Man" directly after a news report of the horrible Chernobyl disaster. Done live, Morrissey often twirled a noose around, wearing a T-shirt with the "zany" Steve Wright's face stamped, like a passport, with "HANG THE DJ". (Borrowed from the "It All My End Tomorrow" site)

Despite the song's connotation, it's still yet another catchy pop classic with all the usual Smiths' ridiculousness to boot.

Laura Marling.

2009-07-09T00:28:00.004-04:00

You know the girl who does the backing vocals for Noah and the Whale? (She isn't actually in the band, so you may not know.) Well her name is Laura Marling and she's a 1990 baby like a lot of us. You should check out her solo work. Her style is like a mix of Kimya Dawson and Deb Talan.

Poor, poor Llamas :'-(

2009-07-07T19:26:00.001-04:00

OOOOOooo, i like my sugar with coffee and cream...

2009-07-07T19:21:00.000-04:00

http://rappmusic.ytmnd.com/

.

2009-07-05T20:55:00.001-04:00

My Friends and I

2009-07-03T22:31:00.002-04:00

An old thing from back in high school, my friends and I just recorded it tonight. Fits nicely next to John's Ass.

A Quiet Place

2009-06-26T22:10:00.002-04:00

[For a completely otherworldly, sublime, and psychedelic experience: turn off all the lights and turn the volume up.]

So here is a new track from yours truly. Although most of my music is recorded on computer, I aim for the rawest, simplest, most honest sound and process possible. And, although these are overdubs (me recording over myself, as I am only one person and sadly can only play one instrument at one time well) each "dub" gets only ONE take. Only once for each sound, even if they're electronically manipulated.

"The Stoned Ambassadors"

2009-06-26T02:17:00.003-04:00

Tonight I was finally able to see my friend's new band "The Stoned Ambassadors". Hailing from the great state of New York, they received an A+ for music with "Incomplete" grade for a band name. Please, if any of you have any suggestions send them a friendly myspace message with an improvisational idea or name, I hear they are taking other names into serious consideration....

A great live show, these guys play music reminiscent of "The Jesus and Mary Chain" mixed with "Funhouse" era material from "The Stooges".

If you wish to check them out, these "Stoned Ambassadors" can be heard here.

And for fun, "The Jesus and Mary Chain" are always waiting for new listeners or returning admirers.

The Jane Austen Book Club.

2009-06-24T20:06:00.004-04:00

So I am currently sitting here watching this film with my sister called the Jane Austen Book Club, and it is amazing. I feel that you should all watch it. If you like Jane Austen and/OR if you are a girl. The people are all sexy and smart.

Something to Ponder and Pander

2009-06-21T23:51:00.000-04:00

http://downhillbattle.org/reasons/index.html

ohmigod ohmigod

2009-06-19T22:22:00.005-04:00

I LOVE BECK! I LOVE THE VELVET UNDERGROUND! AHHH!

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico 'Sunday Morning' from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

This video is the first song of Beck's latest project, the Record Club. Basically, Beck gathers his friends, they record an entire cover album in a day with no rehearsals or practices, and then Beck releases it on his website. One track is posted each week. The guests for "The Velvet Underground and Nico" were Joey Waronker, Icelandic singer-songwriter Thorunn Magnusdottir, and Yo (?). Future collaborators are Devendra Banhart, MGMT (!!), Jamie Lidell and Nigel Godrich.

2d+e+a = MO-Dettes

2009-06-19T19:22:00.006-04:00

Dutch, English and American female punks tour Dallas circa 1980.

The Mo-Dettes appeared in the early 1980s and represent a form of uniqueness through several dimensions. Besides the most apparent observation, an all female lineup, the Mo-Dettes also elaborated on the simple, three chord punk style of the mid-1970s and added their own flavor to the movement . Comprised of a British and American girl, as well as two other Dutch female punk rockers, the Mo-Dettes played music closely inspired by the postpunk reggae influence of the late 1970s as well as earlier American motown and British rock n'roll tunes. The band released a single "White Mice" on the British "Rough Trade" label (The Smiths, Delta 5, Gang of Four) as well as subsequent releases including a cover of The Rolling Stone's "Paint it Black".

I've always been a sucker for postpunk dub guitar and female fronted vocals, and any band that finds a clever way to include "MOD" in their band or album title, as such this band has always held a soft spot for me. They released an album "The Story so Far" which compiles their singles as well as four tracks recorded in 1980 by none other than the man himself, John Peel.

Check it out here.

FM 94.9 Independence Jam: A Review

2009-06-16T23:21:00.010-04:00

I apologize for my lack of blogging...

Anyways, about I week ago I attended my local radio station's annual indie jam. It's always a good deal, $30 no service charge and the venue is beautiful, almost on the beach. Very strong lineup this year; Dead Confederate, Metric, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the Black Keys. I was postponing this review in hopes I could find a picture of Karen O. hilariously singing in a bodyguard's face, but no such luck.

Dead Confederate: Meh. Solid, slightly emo grunge. The had some intense rockin' moments, but they definitely didn't blow me away. BORED. The singer and drummer were sporting some ridiculous bangs, I don't know how they could play their instruments.

Metric: Canadian synth-poppers brought the dance-ability. Their set was mostly made up of songs off of their latest album "Fantasies", and of course the fist-pumper "Monster Hospital". I have a huge girl crush on lead singer Emily Haines now. She's been described as "sassier than fuck". It's true.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Most of the sold-out crowd was there to see Karen O. and co, so everyone pretty much lost their shit when they came on and went straight into "Dull Life". They played a good balance of new and old material, I was very happy they played "Rockers to Swallow", it's probably one of my favorite YYY's songs. It was a short set, but a good one. Good timing as well, since the sun was just starting to set. Very high energy, the three of them have such good stage presence. They played "Maps", naturally. Here's the thing, I think Maps is a beautiful song, but I really don't understand why it's so popular. I just think they're just better at the raw, higher energy songs. Give me the glitzy, angsty, foot stomping, dancing music!

The Black Keys: I had not heard much of their stuff beyond "Strange Times", and "I Got Mine", but they killed it, despite some technical issues. They had some guitar problems and had to stop a couple times, spurring the crowd to start screaming for a drum solo. A lot of their songs sounded the same, but I didn't really have a problem with that since all the songs were good. There was lots of headbanging and blusey swaying going on in the audience.

Minus some obnoxious high school hipsters and the usual douchebags, it was one of the better shows I've seen lately.

My Jesus Wore A Crown Of Broken Guitar Strings (an improvisational apologia)

2009-06-16T19:19:00.003-04:00

So, in case you were wondering (I highly doubt) where I have been for the past 5 days, why I have not "bloggered" anything, or why I had to catch up and view/comment on your entries all today, I was in enjoying a little bit of wilderness. For 4 days I was "living" on top of a mountain--albeit small--in the middle of the great Granite state of New Hampshire with nothing more on my person than an acoustic guitar and a fresh pair of socks. Accompanying me (or perhaps I was the one doing the accompanying) were two high school friends of mine: Jeff and Mike. Now, Jeff and Mike were fellow classmates of mine, as well as bandmates (Jeff being an ex-player of trumpet, and Mike that of trombone)--although they never pursued musical undertakings to the extent that I have; and I spent most of my adolescence in the company of Mike, as we were in Boyscouts together on many-a camping trip. This past year (our freshman year) they went about the arduous task of teaching themselves to play guitar, and have since come out into the summer having accomplished much, musically speaking. Now, Jeff is all into rap, jungle, noise, and all this other crazy [insert genre]-core whozeewhatsit (which tends to get on my nerves sometimes, though I'll never admit it, as Jeff usually rants on and on about his clearly biased and ill-educatedly hyper-analysis of why so-and-so is better than so-and-so), whilst Mike enjoys folk, bluegrass, red hot chili peppers, and a sprinkling of eclectic potpourri. In fact, Mike started playing some Beirut, which instantly brought my mind back down to DC, recalling fondly-found memories of Danielle and of the planting of seedlings that seemed to bequeath my first year of the college experience. Amongst the trees, sky, mountains, rocks, dirt, bug bites, spider webs, sunburns, fog, rain, wood chucks, and dirty socks, there was still music playing (and not a single broken guitar string, except the ones in my head and heart).

"Jesus made me so Jesus save me from pity, sympathy, and people discussing me"

2009-06-16T14:01:00.003-04:00

Morrissey - November Spawned a Monster

Definitely the most sexually charged Morrissey music video to date. Honorable mentions include the mesh shirt and the "VILE" hat. Once upon a time I actually held this man's hand (true story).

The "Bona Drag" (slang for "nice clothes") album can be found here .

Banksy.

2009-06-15T23:00:00.002-04:00

The "anonymous" artist Banksy, famous for his street art, is having a show in Bristol coming up. Check it out - and check him out.

Walk the Line.

2009-06-15T21:59:00.001-04:00

Yo. Homies. If you haven't seen the Johnny Cash / June Carter film "Walk the Line" with Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, then you must see it. So effing good. Plus you'll start listening to Johnny Cash if you haven't already.

Top Class Manager ROB GRETTON - Joy Division / New Order Tour Diary

2009-06-14T14:14:00.004-04:00

Wes Eisold's "Heartworm" bookstore / record label / whatnot has obtained the only copies of this limited volume to make it to North America. This book compiles twenty notebooks that chronicle the tour diaries and personal notes of Rob Gretton, the manager for the bands Joy Division and New Order. So far, the most introspective journey into Joy Division has arrived due to Debbie Curtis, but as she never toured with the band this source is sure to add yet another level of intimacy and detail to the Joy Division / New Order story. The treasure trove of insight for Joy Division fans, this publication is limited to a global release of a mere 1500 copies, get it while you can!

http://www.theheartworm.com/storePurchase.php?storeID=77

In the city there's a thousand things I want to say to you....

2009-06-14T00:13:00.005-04:00

The Jam stood out among the 1977 British punk scene because they resumed the modernist fashion of the 1960s but retained the frustration and emotion of contemporary UK underground pop. "In the City" was one of their first singles and this video debuted on Tony Wilson's "So it Goes" along with Joy Division's "Transmission" in 1977. Their later career saw them assuming even more of their "mod" influence as their sound grew more reminiscent of 1950s Rhythm and Blues. Definitely the coolest band to ever rock the mullet. As most of my own fashion is contrived from this band, I unabashedly admit my fondness for this debut full length.

The Jam "In the City"
http://www.mediafire.com/?znmzwknodty

Lays.

2009-06-13T13:50:00.005-04:00

So I'm sitting here watching TV and being awesome, and a Lays commercial comes on. I thought: I-Must-Know-Who-This-Is. Here it is.

Cry Yourself To Sleep.

2009-06-11T22:48:00.001-04:00

This is amazing. The band is "Sun Kil Moon" named after a sumo wrestler named Sung-kil Moon or something like that. Anyway, it explains the name. This song is so sad sounding. It will put you to sleep... crying?

It's Time To Lose Big.

2009-06-09T22:26:00.001-04:00

Everybody. It's time that you check out Eef Barzelay if you haven't already.

"Look here junior, don't you be so happy. And for Heaven's sake, don't you be so sad."

2009-06-08T21:35:00.004-04:00

New York City postpunk expressionism at its finest, Television's "Marquee Moon" successfully defines the sound of 1977. They literally built the stage at CBGBs and played the club's first matinee show. Amidst Debby Harry hangouts and Iggy Pop antics, Television grafted an intricate chord structure to the emotional elements of the punk rock movement in the mid-1970s. No doubt the album of its era and highly representative of the "post" punk transition.

http://www.mediafire.com/?quixzbznxdx

Noel Gallagher "The Dreams We Have as Children" (Live for Teenage Cancer Trust

2009-06-06T18:02:00.005-04:00

For those of you who wondered how Oasis would sound with Noel singing rather than Liam, ponder no further. Imagine the beauty of "Sad Song" applied to acoustic versions of all the classic Oasis songs, not to mention an epic cover of the The Smith's "There is a Light that Never Goes Out". Songwriter begets singer / songwriter and the result is amazing. Not to mention that the concert was planned as a fundraiser for a Teenage Cancer foundation.

http://rapidshare.com/files/211179106/Noel_Gallagher-The_Dreams_We_Have_As_Children_2009_.rar

Music

2009-06-05T17:54:00.002-04:00

This summer I've been working on recording an album. Here's one of the pieces I felt was fit for being listened to:

ee cummings

2009-06-05T01:17:00.002-04:00

While Mr. Cummings' works can be somewhat agitating for me because I love proper grammar and punctuation, I find that no matter how often I come back to his 100 Selected Poems, I am enamored once again. I picked this little book up at a flea market or used book store somewhere and have never regretted the small change I paid for it. In other words: buy it.

Here is one of my favorites; number 28 (in this book):

since feeling is first
who pays any attention
to the syntax of things
will never wholly kiss you;

wholly to be a fool
while Spring is in the world

my blood approves,
and kisses are a better fate
than wisdom
lady i swear by all flowers. Don't cry
-the best gesture of my brain is less than
your eyelids' flutter which says

we are for each other: then
laugh, leaning back in my arms
for life's not a paragraph

And death i think is no parenthesis

kutiman

2009-06-03T20:17:00.002-04:00

In the spirit of the Mary Poppins video, I figured I'd share this:
www.thru-you.com
This Israeli DJ 'kutiman' essentially edited together a bunch of random homemade videos to make this online album. Not only is it conceptually very cool, but musically the album is really enjoyable as well.

Sharing the Wealth

2009-06-02T11:57:00.001-04:00

My cousin went to Phenway Park to see Phish reunion. She gave me this link, figured I'd share it with y'all. Hope it works.

www.megaupload.com

I Belong to the (Blank) Generation

2009-06-01T17:50:00.003-04:00

Hopefully, this video will substantiate my recent melancholy and nostalgia that arrived as a result of passing the old New York City club "CBGBs". This past weekend I revisited Bleecker Street to find that the club where I performed my first stagedive, saw Bad Brains for the first time and forged many unforgettable memories and friendships is now an upscale motel.

This song goes out to the Blank Generation, I still take it or leave it each time.

2009-06-01T12:59:00.002-04:00

Normally I'm skeptical of people who create derivative works (see anyone who wrote a book about the Da Vinci Code) but this is effing sweet. Using only the movie Mary Poppins and video editing software... Wow.

The guy has several more on his youtube page, including an autotune-sounding Harry Potter mix. Check it out.

Technicalities.

2009-06-01T11:44:00.000-04:00

Guys how come when people type it goes into the margin instead of the thing automatically going to the next line so people can read it on Antonio's and Carrie's posts?

Bach, dig?

2009-06-01T11:08:00.004-04:00

I have gone to see John Bayless before at the Newport Music Fest and was
utterly blown away by his playing. Here's a man who can take suggestions
from the audience, like "play a Bach Fugue but play it dixieland" and can
pull it off. The performance I went to see, he ended with playing Amazing
Grace in his right hand and Jesu Joy of Man's Desire at the same time in
his left! Enjoy this video all about how Bach improvised (a fact I did not
know until this year when I had to do research for one of my music classes).

ALMOST makes Taylor Swift sound good

2009-06-01T02:25:00.008-04:00

Beautiful beautiful beautiful. And I am neither a Taylor Swift nor Coldplay fan.

Joe Schmidt is the mastermind behind this composition, you can
download the mp3 off his website www.jonschmidt.com. Or I'll add
it when I figure out how to put mp3's on blogs.

The Beginning of the Blog.

2009-05-31T23:18:00.000-04:00

I would like to begin this blog by telling everyone to listen to PBJ's "Young Folks" because it was the last song I danced to at American.

Rejoice! The blog has been created.