Archive for August, 2009

Some new shit to close out August

It’s been a while since anyone has posted.  We are all busy with getting back to school and shit.  Expect more soon.

Here’s some shit to keep your ears thumping

New Weezer

http://hypem.com/track/888158/Weezer+-++If+You+Are+Wondering+If+I+Want+You+To+I+Want+You+To

I love it, but then again I love Weezer.  Hope yall like it.

http://hypem.com/artist/drake+feat++kanye+west++lil+wayne++eminem

New shit from Drake ft. Kanye, Lil Wayne, and Eminem…

I think Eminem takes this track.

I’m addicted to this song. It’s most definitely one of my favorites.


Some Chester French. They are a pretty cool band. Check them out

Best song off his new LP imo


I love Brendan Benson. Check out his new LP

That’s all I got for now.

Fuck Balls

http://link.paciolan.com/viewmsg.cfm?n2046s813c379915t822

I’m really disappointed…They are spending their budget on such garbage…

Decemberist’s Concert Review (Brian’s Take)

I’ll let Matt knock out all the details, but I thought I’d give my opinion. The Hazards of Love is an interesting record to say the least. It’s a Rock Opera for one, so it’s meant to be enjoyed from start to finish in order to capture the full experience. However, not many people sit down and listen to full albums anymore…It’s truly taxing. Hearing it live made me sympathize with Colin Meloy and enabled me to understand why he would release such a pretentious piece…because he can. Let’s be honest, Colin Meloy is a pompous fellow, but I feel he’s entitled to be. Personally, I feel he’s a literary genius. He is my favorite modern day lyricist and he is also a very skilled raconteur, whose stories are enthralling. I was on-board when he took his listeners on a trip to the Oceanside. Hell, I even reluctantly followed when he decided it was time to give his listeners a taste of ancient Japanese Folklore. However, I did not accompany him on his latest journey about some shape shifting creature who falls in love…at first. Until last night. Only the Decemberists could pull an album like this off and only they could play is so masterfully live.

photo

*Side Note* I still think the story line sucks wang and I still think this was an endeavor that should have never been taken on.

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That being said, I have lightened up on the album after seeing it live. It was epic live to say the least. I went into the concert believing that this was sonically the best Decemberists album to date but didn’t think much else of it. I was truly blown away last night at how beautiful it was live. However, those feelings didn’t really continue into this morning…I was excited to enjoy the album from start to finish when I arrived at work this morning, but I only made it 3 songs in…so I guess my opinion really didn’t change much after all…I think it can be said that this album was crafted for the live setting.
To sum up the first half of the concert which was the Hazards of Love, I would say it deserves a
8.5/10

The second set was a good old fashioned Decemberists show. If you haven’t seen this band live yet *Cough* Alex Davis *Cough*, then you really should. They are easily one of the best live bands around. The second set had some of my favorite Decemberists songs which made me happy, though I would have killed to hear On the Bus Mall or Engine Drive.

Overall, I think this was an amazing way to perform a show. They are touring off a rock opera…Okay cool. If I went to this show last night and only heard Hazards of Love, I would have been disappointed even though it was fucking awesome. However, this album is not why I love the Decemberists and I think they understand that it would be stupid to just play just one album in full. Though, I give them serious props for playing something like a 10 song second set. I’m pretty sure they played roughly 28 songs overall.

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My only quip about their playing is the Sporting Life…One of the better Decemerbists songs and I was extremely excited to her it live and I still am glad I heard it, but I think it’s the only song I’ve heard them play that loses something in the live setting.

Overall I give this show a

8.8/10

because I am a Decemberists fanboy.

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Dance Music Requirements

Chi Don’t Dance No More, ALL WE DO IS JUKE. If you don’t know about BBU, consider yourself warned. They will be the next best thing out of Chicago. If you live in the ChiCity, please go to one of their shows and enjoy.

The Hood Internet

I love them.  Almost without exception.  Each song is so great and it perfectly mixes my love for hip-hop with indie music.

MJ x Ratatat

Twista x Boys Noise

Drake x Weezer

And I’m Back…

So it’s been about two weeks since I’ve written anything because I was busy. Vacation and slaving the fields of Grant Park were higher on my priority list, but I did not leave without gathering important reviewing information. Give me time, but I have plenty to post on:

  1. Lolla Reviews for each day
  2. New Tracks from bands at Lolla and elsewhere
  3. Decemberist Review

Give me time, and you will enjoy.

At A-Trak, but it was also used for an article about a man punching a horse...

At A-Trak, but it was also used for an article about a man punching a horse...

Sufjan Stevens hits the Road

Sufjan Stevens:

09-12 Monticello, NY – ATP New York
09-21 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s *
09-22 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s *
09-23 Ithaca, NY – Castaways *
09-24 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom *

    09-25 Pontiac, MI – Crofoot Ballroom *

09-26 Champaign, IL – The High Dive *
09-27 Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar *
09-28 Madison, WI – The Majestic *
09-29 Bloomington, IN – Buskirk Chumley *
10-01 Toronto, Ontario – Lee’s Place *
10-02 Montreal, Quebec – Cabaret *
10-03 Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall *
10-04 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
10-05 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
10-06 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg *
10-07 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg *

Fuck me…I really really really want to see Sufjan live, but Ferrel and I will be heading to NY on the day he’s in town to see Phoenix and Passion Pit. All you people in town should really go see him. The Crofoot is an amazing venue as well.

Ferrel was under the impression that he was going to be playing all electric because it was a tour off his re-released album that no one listens to but pitchfork had this to say: His label, Asthmathic Kitty, makes it clear that the tour “has nothing to do with” the “BQE” box– so it seems safe to expect some of those Sufjan songs you still put on repeat every now and then. And, who knows, maybe he’ll break out a couple new ones, too?

New Muse

Muse does it again! This is their first single off their new record title “The Resistance” due to drop in September.

This sounds like a Queen song, but since when has that been a bad thing? I think it’s awesome…Matt would disagree, but that’s because Matt isn’t stable.

Interpol Solo Work

So there has been some cool stuff going on in the past week with music.  I will be posting a bunch of stuff today so stay tuned.  I wasn’t one of the lucky ones who could afford going to Lollapalooza, but I’m sure Matt will have a round up of it when he gets back.

But now, Interpol.  Their lead signer is apparently venturing off into the solo world, and he has recruited Emily Haines for his frist video.  Emily Haines is the lead signer of Metric, she’s also in Broken Social Scene, and she also is a Babe for her age.

Here’s the video:

It’s a pretty awesome song. I’m not really a fan of Interpol because they have that classic Indie sound that I don’t really dig anymore. Though, this doesn’t sound much like Interpol which is pretty awesome.

Vinyl Obsession

So for the past year I have been on a vinyl kick.  Problem is I had no money to buy them.  That has changed a little since I have a job now.  I just made a large pickup.  Listening to a Vinyl is really quite fun and different then an mp3.  I put an LP on and just sit and listen.  No skipping of songs, none of that.  I listen to the whole LP.  It’s really organic and awesome.  On top of that, it’s something tangible.  I can lose my whole music collection in a second.  That’s depressing because if it happened, I would most likely forget to re download some of my favorites and I might forget about them forever.  I decided to change that a little.  I want tangible LP’s for some of my favorite records so I can remember what I liked when I was young and so I can pass them on to my kids.  I wish my dad had a record collection that he could pass onto me, but he doesn’t :-( .

Here are my Pickups:

1. Piacresque – The Decemberists

2. Castaways and Cutouts – The Decemberists

3. The Hazards of Love – The Decemberists

4. The Crane Wife – The Decemberists

5. Oracular Spectacular – MGMT

6. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

7. Salute Your Salution 7′ single – The Raconteurs

8. Furr – Blitzen Trapper

9. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – Phoenix

10. Fantasies – Metric

11. Broken Boy Soldiers – The Raconteurs

12. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

Those are solid additions to my collection which consists of

1. Horehound – The Dead Weather

2. Continuum – John Mayer

3. Day and Age – The Killers

4. Hot Fuss – The Killers

5. In Rainbows – Radiohead

6. Try! – John Mayer Trio

7. Assorted singles.

Paying for music is hard on the wallet, but I’m not paying for the music.  I’m paying for something tangible to accompany the music which happens to sound better than any other format.

Fleet Foxes w/ Dungen Concert Review

I’m yet to find a person who doesn’t like the Fleet Foxes after listening to them. They are just a solid band with very talented members. Now, whether that band would put on a great live show is another question. Their music is extremely complex vocally, and also very chill which could mean a few interesting things for a live show. Here’s my experience/verdict on the show:

Kevin, Alexa, my cousin Ryan, and I headed down to Royal Oak at about 6:15. We stopped in at the Royal Oak brewery and grabbed some good bar food before heading to the show. I couldn’t help but think that this might be the most interesting concert experience I’ll ever have. Dungen is an awesome Swedish Psych-Rock group and Fleet Foxes are extremely chill cave men looking guys…A very interesting combination. Well, we rolled up to the theater at about 8:10 and there was a decent line. We thought the line wrapped around a couple blocks but it turns out it was for a bar right next door. Kevin, Alexa and I grab a spot right in the middle tier of the ROMT. If you haven’t been there, it’s like the Fillmore in Detroit. It goes Bar, steps, Standing area with a rail, stairs, standing area with a rail, then main floor. Pretty cool. So we grabbed a spot on the rail because we decided that a Fleet Foxes concert is on that doesn’t need to be appreciated from the first row. Though, we did have second thoughts because we thought Dungen was gonna put on a high energy awesome show…
Well Dungen came out at 9ish to an unenthusiastic applause. They opened by just jamming for a few minutes…It was awesome. Though I couldn’t help but be angered at the whole country of Canada after some dumb girls from Canada who I had been chatting with beforehand asked me if there were any words in a disgusted tone…I wanted to bitch slap her. Well, Dungen put on a great show, but it was definitely toned down…but that was to be expected. Fleet Foxes core fans as a whole wouldn’t appreciate in your face rock. They played a lot of Ta Det Lugnt (Panda, Ta Det Lungt, Du E För Fin För Mig and maybe one more.) It was rockin’, but again, I couldn’t help but be pissed at the unenthusiastic crowd around me. The floor seemed to be enjoying it, but the fucking Canucks were too busy thinking about Polar Bears ice skating while slurpin’ up some Coca-Cola in Montreal and they weren’t shameful about making sure everyone knew they weren’t into it. Long story short, Dungen was awesome!
Fleet Foxes came out at about 10:30. Let me just throw this out there…I’m normally in bed by 10:30 and Fleet Foxes are super chill…I found myself almost falling asleep a couple times throughout their set. But alas, they were freaking amazing live. The lead signer blew me away! His vocals were spot on! There’s really not much to say about the show…They played a few new songs which sounded very much like their old stuff, which is a good thing I guess. I couldn’t help but imagine how awesome it would be to see them outside at like 10 at night. Say Grant Park in Chicago. I could see myself just flopped out on a blanket and passing out listening to them.

All in all, it was a pretty sweet concert, though it’s not comparable to most shows I’ve seen. I’ve seen some folk groups before live, The Decemberists being the first to come to mind. They are so dominate live and I think it’s safe to say that the Fleet Foxes are as well.  Because of their strong performance, and because they played their music just about as good as you can live, I give them:

7/10