Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Saturday, September 24, 2011

are you in Cincinnati?



'cause OTR is awesome right now.

MPMF brings out the best of everyone.

i'm in a cafe, looking killa AND comfortable.
red shoes
gray/black heart tights
form-fitting black skirt
gray sweatshirt
red sequin heart in loose, wild hair

i'm at iris.
which has its doors flung open.

a ROCKING band (the mudpies) has set up two storefronts down 
AND THEY ARE JAMMIN.

**also, does EVERY band in the world know that all they have to do is point to me and give me a shout out and i'm theirs forever? because everyone does it. does that make me easy??


they're stopping everyone!
everyone is watching and loving it!
the street is full of so many great, happy, sexy (hello, they're musicians on tour) people!

i keep leaving my table at iris and stepping out to jam!
they're doing a funk version of "boy named sue," which i love!

also, i'm feeling the OTR love right now...
i boxed this morning.
and then jogged.
and now i'm in an OTR cafe, having a very excellent dinner and drinking a chai tea.
yum yum.


if you're not here...maybe you should be? :)
i'm just sayin'...


you're only young once.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

shouting


there are a few things that turn me into a maniac, and "Shout," by the Isley Brothers, is one of those things.

Two nights ago, I lay in bed for three hours. Finally, around two a.m., I tooned and downloaded the remastered version of their  1959 first big hit, and fell asleep like a baby.
Surprising lullaby, right?

Let's take a look at this video.
The Isley Brothers. Amazing.
How do they even contain themselves?
I cannot.
When this song comes on, I am nothing but arms and legs.
I am a jumper. A flailer. A "oh-my-god-i-love-this-song" partier.

and they're so slick, the entire video.
They're SINGING it, for god's sake, and they're still so, so slick.

but not me. not me at all.
i'm a maniac.
in my chair.
at my desk.
in my office.
crossing the road.
in my car.
at the gym.
in the shower.
doing  my writing.
or going to sleep.

they sure do make me want to shout.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

garth brooks


what she's doing now

Last time I saw her it was turnin' colder
But that was years ago
Last I heard she had moved to Boulder
But where she's now I don't know
But there's somethin' 'bout this time of year
That spins my head around
Takes me back makes me wonder
What she's doin' now

'Cause what she's doin' now is tearin' me apart
Fillin' up my mind and emptyin' my heart
I can hear her call each time the cold wind blows
And I wonder if she knows...what she's doin' now

Just for laughs I dialed her old number
But no one knew her name
Hung up the phone sat there and wondered
If she'd ever done the same
I took a walk in the evenin' wind
To clear my head somehow
But tonight I lie here thinkin'
What she doin' now

'Cause what she's doin' now is tearin' me apart
Fillin' up my mind and emptying my heart
I can hear her call each time the cold wind blows
And I wonder if she knows

What she's doin' now is tearin' me apart
Fillin' up my mind and emptying my heart
I can hear her call each time the cold wind blows
And I wonder if she knows...what she's doin' now

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Midpoint Education: Bridge 19, Bro. Stephen, Browngrass and Wildflowers, and Buckra which is the first band to have a great sense of humor

Bridge 19
hmmm here's a good thing. i just haven't turned Bridge 19 off yet. I didn't think maybe i'd like them so much--they're a girl group, two ladies, and they're really good...but, i mean, how impressed am i with female singers? not so much sometimes. but BRIDGE 19 is REALLY good. they don't remind me of heart aches (too much) or heart breaks (that much) and they don't sound overly feminine or even close to whiny. I really like them. They remind me a bit of my classic and contemporary country upbringing through the 90s and early 00s, so maybe something like that. they're nice. :)
snap i lost what page i ended up finding their music on, but i listened to all five of their songs, and i listened well.
Bro. Stephen
oh bro. stephen is kinda sad and mellow. only one song, and that was it. it's amazing how much shorter my reviews get the further i get into this festival.
Browngrass and Wildflowers
I couldn't easily find free samples of Browngrass online, so I satisfied myself with the fact that apparently he's old and lauded. Ah well! On to the next!
Buckra
oooo buckra catches me in the first .2 seconds of their first song. OOOOH. LISTEN TO THEM. RIGHT NOW. LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN. Buckra is everything i like in music, CATCHY, ENERGETIC, DANCE-Y DANCING, with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. In this set of four, without a doubt, I love Buckra the best.
And they DO have such GREAT range! the first song is kinda creole, kinda bouncy and vibrant--right into the second one, a jammish, punky funky jam with really great throwback guitar notes.
and the other thing about buckra? they don't shut up. it's as if there's something on their minds, and they're just gonna say it whether anyone wants to hear it or not. BOLD. BRASH. very appealing. ;)
i'm on Buckra's third song, "Shake Your Baby Fat," AND I AM LOSING MY MIND!! BUCKRA IS SO HILARIOUS, so refreshingly, undeniably original, reminiscent of parody music, but not at all that goofy. So serious. So, so good. I LOVE THIS SONG! It's so quiet and sexy with the music almost quite titillating....and then "shake your baby fat" is whispered in the background, and i am losing my mind over it. :D AHAHAHAHAHA!
and they whistle. rad.
i sure do love "Lawn Man" too. It's about a lawn man who likes to get it on. It's so funny. I'd be thrilled to come to this show!! Good music, good humor!
on my player, from their myspace:
"Crash and Burn"
"Stop"
"Shake Your Baby Fat"
"Confession"
"Lawn Man"

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Midpoint Education: Black Owls, Blue Cut, Booker T. Jones, brass bed

Black Owls
Black Owls, I like immediately. They don't have a myspace, they have a WEBSITE, and it plays tunes as soon as you log on. And then, bam bam bam, a beat shows up and i'm on board with it.
Rock music that grabs you by the hand instead of banging into your head. GREAT vocalist.
also, i'm at a point in my life where everything ROCKS, and i do ROCK HANDS all the time. I'm on board with that. :)
On my player, per their weeebbssssiiiitteee 0o0o0o0o
"June '71"
"Magic Lantern"
"Stone"
"Horrible Pilgrims"
"Her Normal Courtesy"
"Glorious in Black"
Blue Cut
Blue Cut is a father-daughter-son trio, which may, perhaps, be the oddest trio in the world.
Music is GREAT. Folksy, and wholesome, as you would expect. The combo of an older male voice combined with either the son/daughter (it's actually hard to tell who) is fantastic. WOW, i kinda love them. "Can't you see/that you were meant for me?" Nice.
they get a bit too adorable after awhile, like the folksy version of the Juno soundtrack.
Not so much dancing music, more like, let's all sing to each other and have a spiritually amazing time. Lots of songs about healthy relationships and wedding days.
The most interesting thing about forming your own band is that you can figure out where and when your vocal limit is reached. The young daughter in this group sounds like she hasn't come fully into the vocal range she's singing in, although, she does it unabashadly, which is not even close to really being a bad thing. Just interesting to note.
Pure. Religious. Spiritual. Family-friendly.
"French Broad River"
"Harmless Dove"
"Peel the Onion"
"Me Too You"
"Don't Swallow Camels"
Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones is not what I expected, meaning no vocals. He gets great reviews though, mostly, the "so old! so awesome!" type, and it's true--there's a lot that's impressive about artists who have been doing it for years. The Quiet of their art, the Settled of their art, is amazing. The ability to appreciate their...umm...ability :) and the appreciation of us to them for doing so. :D Same here. Booker T.s got it going on, but I imagine he has had it going for years and years and years and years.
on my player, from his myspace:
"Everything is Everything"
"Warped Sister"
"Native New Yorker"
brass bed
ohh brass bed, why do you tease me so? oh la la! i love brass bed! upbeat, happy and fun, if i KNEW them, i'd wear yellow, polka dots, and ribbons to their concert. they're so great!
it's a nice relief to hear happy artists!
they've got an undeniable catch, an undeniable LIFT, with a really beautiful piano and strong constrasting raw base. see if you can find it, there's something grounded about their music that keeps it from being floaty and blase' and much more relevant and tangible. reminds me of The Beatles.
lots of HEART, lots of PASSION, structured and unobtrusive. the kind of heart and emotion that lets me really experience it; suddenly, my heart strings are being pulled so far up and i'm so fascinated as to why. easy listening, probably an amazing concert. a MUST SEE for me.
on my player, from their myspace:
" People Want to Be Happy"
"God Save the Thieves"
"Miniature Day Parade"
"Olivia"
"Polar Bird"

Midpoint Education: Beat Connection, Bella Ruse, Belle Histoire, Ben Lapps

Beat Connection
 
 duh. Beats!
They're great! Go see for some beats. :D 
Aptly titled, you get what you expect when you hear 'em.
 
On my player, from their myspace:
"Sunburn"
"In the Water"
"Theme from Yours Truly"
"Silver Screen"
 
Bella Ruse
 
Bella Ruse sounds like the kind of music you listen to when you have a new boyfriend.
 
The kind where you've hit a good stretch, found your love legs, and you're on the prowl looking for some theme song, some something, some perfection to sum up this newest adventure. <3
 
It's the music you reach for when you've had a big fight and now you're driving home in your car at night from your boyfriend's house. It's the calming, quiet, and here-we-go kind of music that keeps your spirits boppy and present. OR if you made an asshole of yourself in front of a good catch and now you want it to have never happened. yeah. This music is good for that too.
 
Also, when they get all french (impressive) on you in "J'ai presque peur" and you're wearing tights and a scarf for the first time all season, it kinda makes you feel like when your freshman year in college you holed up in your dorm room over the thanksgiving holiday and listened to foreign christmas music while burning pumpkin-scented candles and dreaming of the holidays. dreamy, and cozy.
 
on my player, from their myspace:
"Gumption and Guts"
"Dark Horse"
"Push On"
"Like Spinning Plates"
"Heart of Everyone"
"Hold Me Close"
"Remember Me"
"J'ai presque peur"
"Fever"
 
Belle Histoire
Belle Histoire's got that sound to them that sounds like a lot of things now; pretty good, pretty rythmic, vocalists and musicians very skilled and talented. And that's about it. I like 'em. I'd be pleased to hear 'em if I was reading a book or writing a manuscript in the middle of a coffeshop. They're pretty.

and brand new! band formed spring 2011!
 
On my player, from their myspace:
"Spirits"
"Nightmares"
 
 
 
 Ben Lapps
 
"Heartbeat" began, and I was struck by how much it sounded like a rainy day. And then I read the song title, and "heartbeat" immediately makes oh so much sense. Calming, soothing, smooth, peaceful, Ben Lapps is skillful and available with acoustic guitar. His "Making Mountains" is inspiring, would make an excellent background music for personal revelations. ;)
 
p.s. he's 17.
ladies, hands off. that's just creeps.
 
On my player, from the myspace:
"Heartbeat"
"I Want! I Want!"
"Making Mountains"
"Marigold"
 
 
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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Midpoint Education: Ava Luna (funky office dancing,) Bachelorette, Banderas, and Bear Hands

 
Ava Luna
 
Ava Luna starts out as a toe-tapper, but not in the ol-timey la da la da kind, in the "0o0o0 check it out! kind of way." They further impress by being smooth and groovy, nice throwback harmonizations with female back-ups, and kinda funky/modern with the bopping and the beeping. a doot doot!
 
"i always knew you were a dangerous one/and you just might make me lose my cool" from "Clips" kinda fun, very relatable. isn't every "other one" a dangerous one that makes someone lose their cool? I'm telling you what, all someone has to do is tell me they like me and i freak out. :) I attribute it to the "no distractions" part of my life, even though distractions have a very excellent way of doing what they like. :D
 
"just a regular day with a friend of mine/and i don't mind!"
 
**note--this is the first band that i've actually really transcribed some lyrics over. that's saying something! they're catchy, they're infused with the toons, they're spot on enough that i'm already singing 'em.
 
OH SNAP!! PLAY BY PLAY UPDATE!!
I totally just put my hands up in the air on this band and FUNKED IT UP!! AAAAHHHH!!! I'M IN AN OFFICE!!
i have a firm theory that the the amount of people watching at any given time is directly related to how stupid my actions are. AAAAHHH!
and of course, someone walked by right as i threw my hands in the air. i'm telling you what, i very, VERY quickly turned it into a high stretch. YYYAAAWWWNNN, i'm *so* tired. :P
 
YEAH! AVA LUNA'S got me dancing in the office! yeah yeaaaaah!
 
Ava Luna's got some serious range. going from funky, spike lee's "do the right thing" feeling to a little more industrial, a little more dangerous, a little bit heavier with all the same elements. "Six Seven" provides the first contrast for me, but it's there. They also have a "Four Five" which just cracks me up. Relating to the tunes, they've got this great vocalist with a White Stripes quality--strident, especially as a contrast.
 
Yeah, I'm surprisingly more into Ava Luna than I thought I would be. I'm definitely catching them at Midpoint. Yeah, Ava Luna, yeah! Way to win me over!
 
Five songs on their myspace, which i listened to thrice, each and am definitely hitting up later this evening:
"Clips"
"Past the Barbary"
"Six Seven (I Want to Hide Away)"
"Four Five (I Will Survive)"
"(Do Me No Wrong) While I Am Gone"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bachelorette
 
hmm Bachelorette's kinda good!
pretty spacey. strong lyrics, consistent, sensible beats. the music makes sense, the genre makes sense, the vocals are perfect. 
 
not my Midpoint hotspot (i'm a dancing fool,) but pretty darn good! i'd love to see the people who dance their feet off to this jam!
 
on my player, from their myspace
"Blanket"
"Digital Brain"
"Not Entertainment"
"Do the Circuit"
"Mindwarp"
"I want to be Your Girlfriend" 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Banderas
 
Snap. Banderas, I need some more music. Two songs on their myspace, left me hungered for an opinion.
Kind of hissy, kind of persistent, kind of passion-less, in the man-something-sucks-and-now-let's-rock-about-it. I imagine they headbang while making waffles and eggs for school-aged children in the morning.
 
On my player, from their myspace:
"50 Dollar Pyramid Scheme,"
"Disgraceland"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bear Hands
 
Yeah, Bear Hands, yeah! You're surprising me with how good you are! Yeah!
Beeping. Bopping. Boaping. which is not a word, but has to do with the constant beat beat beat of me bopping to Bear Hands. Nice for moving, easy for listening, plentiful for surprises.
GREAT vocals, with a hipper, hipster sound. Less angsty. More "shazaam today's the best day in the world."
 
OH SNAP. "Crime Pays" just came on. I'm LOVING it. A piano. A strong down up, down up, down up. AH. and then teensy vocals. So great. :) Makes me laugh. Makes me want to dance! makes me all into it!
 
ooooh, and for the first time today, they hit me with a love song "What a Drag," that makes my little heart skip a few beats. YEAH. I love that. Kill me, music, kill me right. Sheesh, check it out. Let me know if it kills you too, or if it's just me. <3 i'm sorry, i've totally gotta listen to "What a Drag," again. so good.
 
Loving this group. Polished, focused, not annoying, doing their sound and doing it WELL.
 
 
On my player, from their myspace,
"High Society"
"Crime Pays"
"What a Drag"
"Burning Bush Supper Club"
 
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A Sunday Night of Heartbreak, unleashed by the Alwood Sisters, Asobi Seksu, Astro Fang, Aunt Martha

Alwood Sisters


aaaaand sometimes i'm an idiot. here's the story. i had a date. he didn't show. i was so embarrassed. we'd been seeing each other a week, and i was all, "this sucks, no no no," and ran for it. and now, i'm thinking i was wrong.


i'm thinking that i believe him, he overslept, and that i should have aired my grievances like any normal adult before flying off the handle. 


and i hate that. i told him "nope no no," and he said, "okay.


suuuuucks.


but alas, it didn't happen that way, and i'm here with the short end of the stick.
and so, THEN, in the midst of your Midpoint education, you find The Alwood Sisters, and suddenly you feel a little bit like crying, and you don't know why. OH DUH, of course you do. it's because you're a girl, and girls have lots of feelings about everything. :) and the Alwood Sisters know this. Lonely, yearning, rain pouring down, The Alwood Sisters will pour you a drink and sing you your perfect lady let-down blues.
"Attila" kills. it set the stage for a blue mood, and the following just unleash the hurricane of missed love, missed connection, better luck next time. definitely loving them, but absolutely not seeing them at Midpoint. They'll kill me! I'll start bawling and drinking double shots by myself on the dance floor. It's not even that anything is WRONG, it's that they let you in on their lonely, lovely, little secret, and if you've an empathetic heart, it's all downhill from there. ;)
on my player, from their site:
"Attila"
"Perfect day"
"Two for one"



Asobi Seksu
I settled myself in for a song or two before really writing anything about Asobi Seksu. First things first, which is they have a VERY impressive vocalist. Excellent skill, very appreciated focus. Very in her own voice.
Clear, like a bell, and just right for hitting a crystal note. 
Great contrast and mixture of electronica and more earthy, natural sounds (i.e. guitar.) Vocalist shows impressive range, poppy and then, soothing and womanly. Sweet and sophisticated.
Collection tends to lean more romantic and sweet, music to listen to while sitting down, eating dinner.
"Thursday" tends to be heart breaking and poignant in the way that Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" breaks your heart into a million pieces that shatter against a glass floor anyway.
On my player, from their myspace:
"Trails"
"Familiar Light"
"Breathe into Glass"
"Thursday"
Astro Fang
words words wordswordsmorenoiseandROCKONloverROCKON
not impressed with Astro Fang.
i'm just not impressed by things that don't seem very nice.
i mean, whatever. i know my sensibilities just don't match up with astro fang, and i'd probably be fine for a few songs if i somehow wound up at a venue they were playing. 
but they make me so anxiety-ridden. not going to this one. 
on my player, from their myspace:
"SUPER RAT"
"i.c.u."
"TIME MACHINE"
and then i tried to find a slow one to appease my rapidly beating heart and couldn't stick it out.
not for me.
Aunt Martha
An immediate relief after being subjected to Astro Fang, review directly above. oh yeaaaah, i can breathe again. There's something I like about Aunt Martha that happens to be the very same thing that I like about Jack Johnson: WITTY WORD PLAY.
Words bend to their doing, their intention, their skill. Sounds, feelings, phrases, all sculpted, perfected, utilized, and used well.
Simple strumming, easy-listening, sweet, back-porch southern with a mason jar of lemonade and sweet tea vodka. Sepia colors, faded clothes.
Nice pieces. "Ojos Ojos Ojos" is a different kind of sexy.
and i listened to them all.
"Blue Buildings"
"Bloodshot"
"Neighbor Song"
"No Excuses"
"Omaha"
"North"
"Steal Back"
"Detroit City"
"Call it Quits"
"Hypocrite"
"Carolina"
"Ojos Ojos Ojos"
"Emilie"
For links to other Midpoint Posts,
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Midpoint Education: 20th Century, 500 Miles, A Lull, and Adam Arcuragi

 
1. 20th Century Tokyo Princess
 
there's this thing about me that lets me know immediately what music i'm into, and what music i'm not. this thing is called my waist. and then my hips. and it starts to sway, starts moving side to side, the hips bounce in, and suddenly my shoulders show up to the party, and i'm dancing. that's how i know i've got something going on with a beat, a rythm. 20th Century Tokyo Princess starts immediately with a strong beat. Rustic Rock, i call them. makes me think of all kinds of nostalgia-filled rock, exposed plumbing, maybe they have long hair. the beats are steady. all three songs I listened to kept the same pace, so maybe it gets commonplace after awhile, music that fades into the background while you decide that now is actually a good time to learn a little bit more about your dance partner and refill your drink. a safe bet.
 
Magic and 99 Years sound pretty similar, i can't even remember what the two were about now yet, but "Come Over" kicks it UP with a VERY different intro, and a VERY different grunge feel. snap. do you guys remember that movie ummm.....the football one....not "we are marshall," the BIG one before that with racial tension and a qb named sunshine? snap what was that? OH! "REMEMBER THE TITANS!" yeah. this music fits right in with all that. Remember-the-titans-esque, if you will. "come over," leads with "why don't you come over?" which is absolutely one of my favorite things a guy can say to me. not because of any SEXUAL SUBTEXT, DAD (stop freaking out,) but because of the excitement that comes with meeting a new person. "Why don't you come over?" "Why don't I?" BAM. Flirting. Too fun. 
 
on my player, all available immediately from their myspace, which is obviously where i found them:
"Magic"
"99 Years"
"Come Over"
 
 
 
2. 500 Miles to Memphis
 
oooooh, i love a good contrast. OOOOH i love this! 500 Miles to Memphis sounds a little bit like a lonely version of Tennessee, which, of course, is a happier version of Texas. a little rockabilly, a LOTTA dancehall (which rocks!), a good take on a sad song. Sad songs with a twist--they're not actually sad. Dealing with content to make a grown man weep, but in a fun way, sooo...devilish. Enough to light my fire, for sure. Yeahh man, they sound great. Actually, in "Barfly," they get a little sk8terboi on me, which is okay. sk8terboi sometimes = dancehall, and that's definitely 500 Mile's forte. Oh man, I've gotta find this group. "Barfly" also hits home by reaching a really great tempo change right before hitting their final-ish refrain. One of those ones that, in the midst of dancing, makes me drop my hips and sway a little lower, a little longer.

Also, SNAP, there's a freaking FIDDLE in "All My Friends are Crazy." Amazing.
 
Actually, the more I listen to 500 Miles to Memphis, the more I'm a little bit struck from its similarity to the Texas-famed "Eli Young Band." Here's my deal with the Eli Young Band; they've kinda, almost got it going on. Same here. obviously, 500 Miles has more polish, more focus than Eli Young (i imagine Eli is much younger than 500 Miles,) but they're similar. Excellent beats for moving a body, nice play on lyrics, even if it journeys a second over into Youngtown, which to me, has a little bit to do with playing cliche' without effect. Sometimes, 500 Miles does that, and as long as it's sometimes, I'm gonna be okay with it.
 
"Darlin" is GREAT. A duet matched perfectly with a sexy, bouncy, rodeo-d, spicy female vocalist who's a little bit crazy because she loves a little too LOT. Totally no love songs from this group. All "woman done me wrong" themed, and it's kinda fun. :D Those damn wimmen.
 
Props to 500 Miles for having eight songs available on their myspace page.
on my player:
"Six Foot Hole"
"Barfly"
"It's Alright"
"All My Friends are Crazy"
"Let it Rain"
"Don't Mislead"
"The Regret"
"Darlin'"
 
 
 
3. A Lull
 
YIKES. "A Lull" has this quiet CRASH, BOOM energy that's verrry progressive right in the beginning of their tunes. One song on myspace, "Weapons for War," that they create with imposing beats, excellently sophisticated vocal use, and a nice repetition of rumbling, crashing, parallels to rain which are solid throughout the song.
 
I'd definitely use this song for modern dance. It's the kind of thing that makes me feel weirdly artistic, in the good way, :P like i need to be wearing a nude onesie and spacing out in the middle of pointed lights and fog. :D A Lull is gonna be good for the raving crowd, maybe young teenagers just coming to musical revolutions, and a few weirdos. They're totally rad, just not where I'd spend my precious Midpoint time!
 
 
 
4. Adam Arcuragi and the Lupine Chorale Society
 
HOLY COW! BLUES AND SOUL AND SWEET, SWEET, MUSIC OF LOVE.
oh crap, they're soo oo oooo oo o o o good.
oh shoot, such blues! like gospel, but quieter. soooulful. nice and strummed and light. breezy and airy and completely unobtrusive. feel good. reminiscent of keb mo' in attitude, much more poignant than keb mo' (he gets a little sleepy and dreamy.)
all in all, pretty good dancing and swaying music. beats and rythms that excite, in a happy kinda-pleasantly-drunk state. things that make you hold on to your dance partner and sing in his ear. <3
 
on my player, from their myspace:
"People and Private Music"
"Broken Throat"
"She Comes to Me" <--so good
"Sin is Just an Old Archery Term"
"Almost Always"