Monday, March 10th, 9:54am:
Received text message from esteemed colleague and roommate Chris reading, "Whoa dude. Asgeir - Torrent. Check it out."
9:55am:
Opened Spotify and listened to "Torrent" by Asgeir.
9:57am:
Auditory arousal achieved. Listened to rest of album. More arousal.
Tuesday, March 11th, around 7:30pm:
Discussed Asgeir album with roommate and concluded that the band is the Icelandic Bon Iver. Freaking spot on.
7:45pm:
Searched future tour dates on Do512.com and discovered that Asgeir would be performing at a free show on Rainey Street the next night for SXSW. No freaking way.
Wednesday, March 12th, around 9:00pm:
Showed up by myself to Blackheart on Rainey Street for the show.
10:00pm:
Asgeir show began.
10:27pm:
Had slightly embarrassing emotional experience induced by beauteous music.
10:53pm:
Shook lead singer's hand. Whoa. Those were soft hands. Does he moisturize? Probably. So cool.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Friday, February 7, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Antics
My senior year in high school I took a class called "Athletic Training". It would be wrong to call it a "class", though; it was more of a one-hour workout in the middle of the school day. I liked Athletic Training quite a bit. There wasn't any homework, and it turns out that picking up and vigorously moving heavily weighted objects is a good way for an 18 year-old testosterone slave to blow off some steam.
Somewhere around the end of the semester we had a substitute teacher come in to supervise our workout. But, this wasn't just any substitute. It was Mr. Gove. Mr. Gove was the previous Headmaster of the high school who had retired a few years earlier. By all accounts, Mr. Gove was an upstanding and well-respected dude; and, as I would find out a little later on, he had a set of real brass ones. Anyway, I guess I was feeling quite senior-y that day, because I decided I would not be participating in the workout. Instead, I went into the locker-room to get dressed and I never came back out. I just sat there in that locker-room and did nothing.
Looking back, it was kind of wonderful just sitting there in that smartphone-less world... doing nothing...
About 20 minutes later, though, my tranquility was disturbed by a commotion outside of the locker-room door. Someone was coming in. I bolted for the nearest bathroom stall and quickly stood on top of the toilet. The best hiding spot of all time. I would be safe there.
I braced myself as the door creaked open. It was Mr. Gove. He began walking through the locker-room in a slow, deliberate manner peering between the rows of lockers. He was methodical. I didn't make a sound. Mr. Gove then ever-so-slowly made his way toward the bank of toilet stalls where I had taken up shelter. I didn't even breathe. Surely, he would recognize that there were no feet under the stall doors and that would be enough to satisfy him. Surely, he would be gone soon and I would be able to return to my peaceful solitude.
No.
Impossibly, Mr. Gove sauntered up to the bathroom stall where I was hidden and looked through the cracks. He ACTUALLY looked through the cracks. The AUDACITY. I was shocked; offended, even. But, I would be remiss if I did not admit that I was also a little bit impressed. He was a worthy adversary.
For a moment there was silence. We stared at eachother through the crack of the bathroom stall. Finally, Mr. Gove bellowed out, "Doug..."
Nothing.
"What are you doing?"
With my dignity still fully intact, I looked Mr. Gove straight in the eye through the crack in the stall door and I responded, "This is how I poop."
Somewhere around the end of the semester we had a substitute teacher come in to supervise our workout. But, this wasn't just any substitute. It was Mr. Gove. Mr. Gove was the previous Headmaster of the high school who had retired a few years earlier. By all accounts, Mr. Gove was an upstanding and well-respected dude; and, as I would find out a little later on, he had a set of real brass ones. Anyway, I guess I was feeling quite senior-y that day, because I decided I would not be participating in the workout. Instead, I went into the locker-room to get dressed and I never came back out. I just sat there in that locker-room and did nothing.
Looking back, it was kind of wonderful just sitting there in that smartphone-less world... doing nothing...
About 20 minutes later, though, my tranquility was disturbed by a commotion outside of the locker-room door. Someone was coming in. I bolted for the nearest bathroom stall and quickly stood on top of the toilet. The best hiding spot of all time. I would be safe there.
I braced myself as the door creaked open. It was Mr. Gove. He began walking through the locker-room in a slow, deliberate manner peering between the rows of lockers. He was methodical. I didn't make a sound. Mr. Gove then ever-so-slowly made his way toward the bank of toilet stalls where I had taken up shelter. I didn't even breathe. Surely, he would recognize that there were no feet under the stall doors and that would be enough to satisfy him. Surely, he would be gone soon and I would be able to return to my peaceful solitude.
No.
Impossibly, Mr. Gove sauntered up to the bathroom stall where I was hidden and looked through the cracks. He ACTUALLY looked through the cracks. The AUDACITY. I was shocked; offended, even. But, I would be remiss if I did not admit that I was also a little bit impressed. He was a worthy adversary.
For a moment there was silence. We stared at eachother through the crack of the bathroom stall. Finally, Mr. Gove bellowed out, "Doug..."
Nothing.
"What are you doing?"
With my dignity still fully intact, I looked Mr. Gove straight in the eye through the crack in the stall door and I responded, "This is how I poop."
Saturday, January 18, 2014
How to Ride in a Car in 2004
In 2004, my younger brother got the iPod. The iPod. The original. You know. The one with the four buttons above the circular scroller? That one.
We were pretty excited to have a new place to put our treasure trove of illegally pirated music. We quickly emptied our Limewire music library onto the MP3 player, and the device was suddenly packed with great songs like "Unknown Artist - Track 1" and "Unknown Artist - Track 5".
After transferring all of our music, the next step was to make sure that the iPod could be enjoyed while riding in my newly acquired (used) car. We hopped into my 1999 Galant and made our way to the nearest Wal-Mart to pick up a tape deck adapter.
Ahhhh the tape deck adapter. A cassette tape with an auxiliary cord hanging out of it. What an invention. How the hell did those things even work? No matter.
On the way home, my younger brother plugged the iPod into the tape deck adapter and pressed play.
A nicer drive through the Missouri countryside has never been had...
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
London Calling
Over the years, Americans have come to expect one thing from any proper English band: from The Beatles, to Queen, to The Clash, to Coldplay, we have come to expect a certain "pop sensibility" from British rock music. The catchier and more infectious, the better.
As always, there is a wave of new bands from the UK waiting for their turn to make a splash in the US. Here are 3 new bands (with 3 very catchy singles) that I think might do it:
THEME PARK
These guys are a bit of a mystery band. I haven't been able to dig up too much information on them (their band name is remarkably un-google-friendly); but, listening to their single "Jamaica" was enough to make me believe that there could be big things in store for Theme Park in the future.
THE CROOKES
The Crookes hail from Sheffield, England. The band has a no-frills approach to their music that is a throwback to great britrock bands like The Futureheads and Maximo Park. The sound is very smart, and oh so British
The second studio album from The Crookes is set to release in the US on October 1. Check out their first single entitled, "Afterglow".
THE 1975
This Manchester-based quartet has created a lot of buzz with their new EP entitled "IV. Lead singer Matt Healy said that one of the band's largest musical influences is filmmaker John Hughes (which is extremely rad).
The 1975's first single off of the the EP is entitled "Chocolate", and it is best played at obnoxiously high volumes.
As always, there is a wave of new bands from the UK waiting for their turn to make a splash in the US. Here are 3 new bands (with 3 very catchy singles) that I think might do it:
THEME PARK
These guys are a bit of a mystery band. I haven't been able to dig up too much information on them (their band name is remarkably un-google-friendly); but, listening to their single "Jamaica" was enough to make me believe that there could be big things in store for Theme Park in the future.
THE CROOKES
The Crookes hail from Sheffield, England. The band has a no-frills approach to their music that is a throwback to great britrock bands like The Futureheads and Maximo Park. The sound is very smart, and oh so British
The second studio album from The Crookes is set to release in the US on October 1. Check out their first single entitled, "Afterglow".
THE 1975
This Manchester-based quartet has created a lot of buzz with their new EP entitled "IV. Lead singer Matt Healy said that one of the band's largest musical influences is filmmaker John Hughes (which is extremely rad).
The 1975's first single off of the the EP is entitled "Chocolate", and it is best played at obnoxiously high volumes.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Uncovering: "Intimacy" by Bloc Party
Bloc Party burst onto the indie music scene when they released their debut album, "Silent Alarm" in 2005. Following the success of Silent Alarm, the band was widely considered to be one of the best new acts out of Great Britain in recent years. Two years after Silent Alarm, Bloc Party enjoyed another warm reception from critics with their second studio album entitled "A Weekend in the City". Then, the band surprised everyone by quickly churning out a third studio album that took them in a new musical direction...
Bloc Party released "Intimacy" in 2008. The album was greeted with lukewarm reviews and was considered by many Bloc Party fans to be a "dud". The harsh reception occurred for two reasons:
1. Intimacy was a large musical departure from the first two albums
2. Intimacy was ahead of its time.
Bloc Party delved fully into the world of electro-infused indie rock for Intimacy. The album was drenched with synthesizers, drum machines, voice modulation, and everything else that has become commonplace for music in 2013. Essentially, Intimacy was a taste of 2013 in 2008. But, that was the problem. People weren't ready for the sound of Intimacy, and the album was largely dismissed.
Bloc Party pushed the proverbial envelope with Intimacy. The album was a masterful fusion of the worlds of rock and electronica. Bloc Party correctly identified the future of music, and then they beat everyone else to the punchline.
One of my favorite songs on the album, "Ion Square", is an ethereal ballad that builds wonderfully with layers of sound. Something about this particular song sticks with you; as the layers build and the final chorus bursts into life you can't help but feel the emotion in Kele Okereke's words:
"I carry your heart here with me. I carry it in my heart."
Although Intimacy never reached the popularity of "Silent Alarm" or "A Weekend in the City", the album was still a wonderful achievement. Intimacy helped usher in a new era of music. Perhaps the greatest aspect of the album is how well it translates in 2013. Take a listen for yourself. You might be surprised that the album was released more than 5 years ago:
Some highlights: Trojan Horse, Talons, Your Visits Are Getting Shorter, Biko, Letter to My Son, One Month Off
Bloc Party released "Intimacy" in 2008. The album was greeted with lukewarm reviews and was considered by many Bloc Party fans to be a "dud". The harsh reception occurred for two reasons:
1. Intimacy was a large musical departure from the first two albums
2. Intimacy was ahead of its time.
Bloc Party delved fully into the world of electro-infused indie rock for Intimacy. The album was drenched with synthesizers, drum machines, voice modulation, and everything else that has become commonplace for music in 2013. Essentially, Intimacy was a taste of 2013 in 2008. But, that was the problem. People weren't ready for the sound of Intimacy, and the album was largely dismissed.
Bloc Party pushed the proverbial envelope with Intimacy. The album was a masterful fusion of the worlds of rock and electronica. Bloc Party correctly identified the future of music, and then they beat everyone else to the punchline.
One of my favorite songs on the album, "Ion Square", is an ethereal ballad that builds wonderfully with layers of sound. Something about this particular song sticks with you; as the layers build and the final chorus bursts into life you can't help but feel the emotion in Kele Okereke's words:
"I carry your heart here with me. I carry it in my heart."
Although Intimacy never reached the popularity of "Silent Alarm" or "A Weekend in the City", the album was still a wonderful achievement. Intimacy helped usher in a new era of music. Perhaps the greatest aspect of the album is how well it translates in 2013. Take a listen for yourself. You might be surprised that the album was released more than 5 years ago:
Some highlights: Trojan Horse, Talons, Your Visits Are Getting Shorter, Biko, Letter to My Son, One Month Off
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Booyah Achieved
I bought my reasonably priced $15 ticket at the door because
I procrastinated and didn’t utilize the Internet, and arrived at the venue
about 25 minutes before the show. Tonight, I’m riding solo because I procrastinated and
didn’t attempt a coordination effort with my friends in Austin. Ten years in
the making brought me here…ok, my piece of shit truck literally brought me
here, but I was not going to miss this show for anything. My excitement grew as
the masses piled into the bar per usual, however, this time was different. I’ve
seen this group of musicians gather numerous times, however, this time was
different. This was the night I saw Minus the Bear celebrate their 10th
year anniversary of ‘Highly Refined Pirates.’ A celebration capped by
performing the entire album from start to finish.
I love this band. This is not a blanket statement, like “I
love cashews!!1” This group opened my eyes to the intricacies of music. Don’t
let the eccentric song titles deter you, frontman Jake Snider (much cooler than
Schneider) knew how to capture the
feeling of a single memory in time. Their sound has grown over their long musical tenure, but their vivid song-writing, unique rhythm-guitar tapping and swirling synths style can always be found. Listening to “Hooray” you can feel the warm
of whiskey in your belly on a snowy night back in your hometown for Christmas
break. It just takes you there.
This is music. This is feeling. This is Minus the Bear.
Friday, August 9, 2013
TV on the Radio Returns With New Single "Mercy"
TV on the Radio have returned with their first work since the tragic death of bassist Gerard Smith. The new single "Mercy" is vintage TVotR with their signature blending of distorted guitars and melodic synths. Take a listen:
I am especially excited about the return of TV on the Radio because they hold a very special place in my heart. TVotR once saved me from a strange phase in my life. Somewhere around my fourth or fifth year in college I got into dubstep; a little too into dubstep. Then TV on the Radio released "Nine Types of Light", an indie rock masterwork. I sat down to listen to the album and was immediately awakened to a harsh realization: I had been wasting the last six months or so of my life listening to some pretty crappy music.
I owe TV on the Radio a debt of gratitude for helping bring me back to my musical roots.
RIP Gerard Smith
Here's the particular track that brought me back to my senses:
Let's hope that the release of "Mercy" signals more to come from these guys.
I am especially excited about the return of TV on the Radio because they hold a very special place in my heart. TVotR once saved me from a strange phase in my life. Somewhere around my fourth or fifth year in college I got into dubstep; a little too into dubstep. Then TV on the Radio released "Nine Types of Light", an indie rock masterwork. I sat down to listen to the album and was immediately awakened to a harsh realization: I had been wasting the last six months or so of my life listening to some pretty crappy music.
I owe TV on the Radio a debt of gratitude for helping bring me back to my musical roots.
RIP Gerard Smith
Here's the particular track that brought me back to my senses:
Let's hope that the release of "Mercy" signals more to come from these guys.
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