In the last 3 weeks, i’ve been to 3 concerts…before that it was a long, long time since i’d seen live entertainment of any sort. First, i saw Coheed and Cambria, a prog rock outfit with soaring guitars and metal riffs intertwined with a sci-fi love story. After that, i saw Paramore, a band with a 17-year old girl lead singer who is primed and ready to become the next Avril LaVigne – and the most likely band to land me on a show with Chris Mathews — but i behaved myself and despite being surrounded by 14 year old girls, had an awesome time singing goofily along to their songs. At that show, i saw two little girls, maybe 8-12 years old — sisters, obviously — being strung along by their mother who, at best, was unhappy to be there. But the girls, despite being far from the stage and probably unable to see, danced and sang with reckless abandon, the way few of us would. I watched these girls (briefly, i swear) and noticed the innocence and pure thrill they got out of even being in the same room as a group that had performed on a CD player in their rooms, or god forbid, TRL. Similar to many of us seeing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Rainbow Bright on Ice (kidding!)….
All creepiness aside, i remembered back to my own days as an idealistic 15-year old at 106.3’s Damn Show, seeing 15 bands a day and crowd surfing and moshing to each one, even if i didn’t particularly care for them (ie Fenix TX).
The thing that struck me was the pure joy that i used to feel, at seeing something that had always come through an electronic means finally be seen live and in person. It used to be a joy, nay, a privilege, for us too.
So tonight i went to see Motion City Soundtrack, a pop punk outfit from Minnesota, and was again the only person there old enough to be holding a beer in my hand. They played with Mae and Anberlin, who were both incredible and had bigger crowds than the headliners, and then when MCS came on stage, i just said, “You know what? Fuck whoever is watching. I left my skinny jeans at home, i’m not wearing Keds, Chucks or Vans, and my t-shirt is not ironic. Fuck the scene, fuck that i’m almost 25, i’m going to have some fun.” And so thats what i did. And thats what my friend Lisa did too. We sang along, pumped our fists in the air, played air guitar, air synth and air drums and laughed our asses off. And even though people in the back of the room looked at me and thought i was weird and pointed with their tattoo-sleeved arms, I sang at the top of my lungs, i danced to every song and i had a terrific time. My drive home was spent catching my breath after all the lyrics i belted out. And i still wanted more. The best part without a doubt was when they finished playing and we were like “Crap, they didn’t play that one song that we wanted to hear.” and they came out for the encore and played it! Unbridled joy right there.
Go see live music, go participate in it. Pump your fist, dance around, shake your ass, move your feet. Music was meant to be moved to, and i suggest all of us let our proverbial hair down and have some fun. You’re talking to the biggest cynic here…
Filed under: Coheed, bevmo, drinking, paramore, quickie | Tags: Coheed, paramore, quickie, stupid chicks
Hitting the Sauce – There’s a new store that just opened up near my office called BevMo and apparently all they sell are beverage and beverage-related things. Apparently gas stations, liquor stores and grocery stores are no longer carrying the satisfactory amount of beverages and we need a completely seperate store to carry the load…i love this country.
Also, as i was driving through the Bev Mo parking lot, i stopped for a guy pushing a shopping cart full of Maker’s Mark, AND he was wearing a Maker’s Mark shirt. I’m really hoping that they gave him the shirt in the store and he decided to put it on right there or else that guy woke up a 9am on a friday, put on his Maker’s Mark shirt and went to stock up for the weekend. This may be the sign of a problem (pot, kettle, black, i know…)
The Road to Hell – Yesterday i had the privilege of following one of earth’s finest human beings on the freeway. This person was driving a dirty, beat up Toyota Camry and weaving stupidly in and out of stop and go traffic. I say stupidly because i weave through traffic with the best of them but i usually have my next 3-4 steps worked out…in other words, i’m not making a move (ie cutting someone off) unless i know i’m going to get around the car in front of them too. This driver was switching lanes, speeding up and then slamming on her brakes as if he (notice that i didn’t assume the gender of this person immediately…) didn’t see that the other lane wasn’t moving either. The Pi Beta Phi sticker on the back window of her car cleared up her gender (and probably attitude) for me and then, despite her aggressive moves, i pulled up along side her. To nobody’s surprise, she’s bleach blonde, teased poofed hair, casually flicking cigarette after cigarette out the window and had sunglasses on that made her look something like this:
The only thing that surprised me was that she wasn’t in a BMW or Hummer. Now, this might not seem like such a big deal and that i’m being a shallow, caddy bitch. The reason she drew my ire was her bumper sticker…yes, under the sorority sticker was another that read: The Road to Hell is Paved with Liberals
There are no words.
There’s Paramore where that came from – Last night i went to see Paramore, a band who’s typical demographic is just a little younger and maybe a little more female than me. And i have to say, it was the most fun i’ve had surrounded by 17-year old girls in a long time… (Tune in to How To Catch a Predator later this month to see my episode!)
The Yngwe Malmsteen Award for Friggin Thrashing on a Guitar – This goes to Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez and guitarist Travis Stever who, on Tuesday night, put on an absolute clinic on how to absolutely whale. Claudio did a part of an 8-minute solo with his guitar behind his head and also while soloing with Stever, played with his teeth. Those 2 might be some of the better guitarists in popular music right now. Also, this was a little intense:
For those playing at home, that’s Coheed’s logo. Youch.
Dirty Jokes – I’ve always had a penchant for making up dirty words to popular songs…i don’t know why this is but it’s one of the reasons my mom likes my dad, so i guess it’s hereditary. Anyway, as soon as i find someone to play fiddle, banjo, guitar and drums, i’m starting a dirty lyric-bluegrass band called Dixie Wrecked. Who’s in?
Filed under: Coheed, Dropkick Murphys, Motion City Soundtrack, Spoon, Tokyo Police Club
I want to talk about music, but before we get to that, i found this link on Kelli’s blog and i thought it was pretty interesting. Although, for a constantly updated chronicling of global incidents, does anyone think that the lack of activity in Africa is a bit suspect?
Anyway, I’m picking up new music at one hell of a fast pace lately…Case in point, my computer has 35 total GB of memory, and my music folder takes up 22 GB of that. I have 330 MB remaining. Yeah, you read that right 330 MBs…that’s barely enough to even run my computer…i’ve placed all my digital pictures on my external hard drive and deleted them off of my computer to make room…deleted pictures of family and friends to make room for music…totally worth it.
So here’s what i’m into this week:
Motion City Soundtrack – Even If It Kills Me
I’ve liked these guys for a long, long time and their new album is just as good as anything they’ve ever done. I’m not going to lie to you, it’s super emo pop punk. If you went to their concert and stood in the 21 and up section, you’d be the only person there…and to go one step further, there’s a good chance your car may be the only one in the parking lot. But after months of listening to bands whose names start with “The,” i’m feeling like i need something with a little more force and direction, not to mention some more drum and guitar and MOOG synth. I don’t know what Chutes Too Narrow or Pablo Honey mean to me as album names, but i sure as fuck know what “Even If It Kills Me” means. Sometimes you just need that.
Dropkick Murphy’s – The Warrior’s Code
I know they’re kinda old and pretty damn silly, but their music is funny, upbeat and has an old school punk feel that i’ve always loved and always will. Besides, any music that combines sing-along choruses, fist-pumping beats and bagpipes is A-OK in my book.
Tokyo Police Club – A Lesson in Crime Ep
This band comes highly recommended from my friend Sara, who by living in NYC always is one step ahead of all of us when it comes to cool music. She goes to Arcade Fire concerts like we go to the bathroom.
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
This is a terrific album that i’ve listened to only once. And i’m pretty convinced that me saying its terrific after only one listen is kind of a big deal. I’d never heard of them but apparently this is their 6th album. Who knew?
Coheed & Cambria – Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume II: No World For Tomorrow
How can you not love an album with that kind of name? This is the second act of the 4th and final chapter in the story of Coheed and Cambria and it is a very decent album. I’m going to go ahead and say that their previous 2 albums were better but i think that’s only because i expected so, so much from this one. It’s the last chapter in what will be 5 albums (their last album will be a prequel) of crescendoing, high-powered rock and roll and it just should have been blow-your-mind huge…and most of it is, but i think the last song really disappoints me and that taints the whole album. There were musical questions that i had after the last album and they weren’t answered in this one. It’s still a kick ass record and can be listened to on repeat for days at a time.
What are you listening to?
Filed under: Ben Folds Five, Coheed, Joanna Newsom, Monday Morning Shuffle, Sade, Sublime
I’m off to Vegas for the POOL/MAGIC apparel trade shows today and i’m more excited about hanging out and talking music with Ron than i am about any of the other stuff we have planned. There’s a lot to talk about, especially the new Common CD which i’ll be digging into during the drive out there. The first line of the CD is “Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s the C-O-Double M-O-N.” and that just set s a good tone right off the bat.
Anyway, on with the shuffle:
(#1 should have been A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash and i love that song with all my heart but i’m skipping it because we had a Cash song last week and he’s been on the shuffle like 20 times…trying to keep it fresh for ya.)
1. Cuts Marked in the March of Men (acoustic) – Coheed & Cambria
For as much good work as these guys do using electronic guitars and sounds, their acoustic stuff comes through pretty amazingly. I think that’s an important mark of a good musician…can you make an acoustic guitar dance like you do an electric one?
Raise your hand if you’re excited for their new CD!
2. April 29, 1992 – Sublime, off of Sublime
This is definitely one of my favorite Sublime songs of all time. And for those of you who don’t know, April 29 was the date of the Rodney King verdict in Los Angeles and the song deals with the subsequent riots which Brad Nowell claims to have participated in. Good times!
3. Sawdust & Diamonds – Joanna Newsom, off of Ys
Laura, who used to have a music blog herself, sent me this album way back when and actually made her first post about it. Ms. Newsom is strange, let’s just get that out of the way right now. When you first hear her voice you’ll want to stick thumbtacks in your eyes…but then for some reason it grows on you…and the music and melodies are just so friggin fantastic, that you just forget about impaling yourself on a railroad spike and you actually start liking it. She plays the harp and sings and the music is just gorgeous.
This is the type of music and musician that i typically despise…and yet, for some reason, i like her. Go figure.
4. Gracie – Ben Folds, off of Songs for Silverman
This song is about Ben’s daughter and it’s one of the only songs i really liked on this album. And that’s about all their is to say about it. Listen to it, like it, just don’t try and write a blog post about it.
5. Smooth Operator – Sade, off of The Best of Sade
This absolutely has to be one of the most random CDs on my entire iTunes…i mean, it doesn’t fit at all. And it’s even more random, because i took it from my mom’s music collection. You can’t say that about many songs in my collection.
Still Sade deserves her spot. The music is jazzy, new age, the kind of crap you’d hear on the Coyote, but there is also something undeniable about her voice and her lyrical content. It’s baby-making music, i’m not going to lie.
Alright, have a good week. Enjoy the tunes. I’m off to Sin City.
Filed under: Ben Harper, Coheed, Eric Clapton, Monday Morning Shuffle, Phil Collins, Pink Floyd
So sorry for the hiatus. Christmas was on a Monday, New Years Day was on a Monday so i just took those days as vacation and then i went out of town for a week. Not a lot of time to blog or even think about blogging, so when i’m lying on my couch dreading each passing minute as signifying one minute closer to the hell i call “waiting tables” it occurs to me that it’s Monday. Holy Shit It’s Monday, or, HSIM.
It’s good to be back, on with the shuffle:
1. See Emily Play – Pink Floyd, off of The Best of Pink Floyd
This song has a distinct Beatles, early The Who feeling to it, which is different than i’m used to from Floyd. It, of course, still has the requisite psychedelic sound to it. And since i have nothing else to say, i’ll recount this story for you.
When we were 20 and drinking on fake IDs, one of our favorite shitty little bars was called the Horse and Hound, on Broadway in Tempe. They had tons of specials, pretty decent food, a lot of video games, TVs, off-track betting and of course a jukebox full of random music. The jukebox had a lot of good classic rock and some decent modern stuff and it also had a ton of the obligatory white trash bullshit that one would associate with a bar such as this. (ie. Kid Rock, Linkin Park, etc.) Well anyway, when the place was packed on a Friday night our good friend Adam Pierce would go to the jukebox and select Echos by Pink Floyd. If you’ve never heard Echoes then you won’t get it but it’s basically a 16 minute song full of random noises and, well, echoes. After about the 8 minute mark people would start looking around to see what the hell was going on with the jukebox and trying to identify the person in the bar who thought that would be a good bar song….high comedy. Guess you had to be there.
2. By My Side – Ben Harper, off of Fight For Your Mind
Ben Harper is good. Really good. This song is a little on the unremarkable side so there’s not a ton to say other than, if you’re not listening to Ben Harper, you’re way the fuck behind.
3. You Can’t Hurry Love – Phil Collins, off of Hits
Oh dear god. This is awful. Normally i’d skip it and get to something good but i’m in a hurry today and we haven’t had anything this bad on the Shuffle in so long, that it almost feels good to talk about something i hate. This is a cover or a song i’ve never liked and Phil isn’t really helping the situation. And usually i like Phil Collins just like i like Peter Gabriel and Genesis. “In The Air Tonight”, despite being used as the intro for every Fox nighttime sporting event, is a great song and “Another Day in Paradise” is a great sounding song with tremendously poignant lyrics. Seems weird that he’d include an awful, cheesy cover like this on an album called Hits. Although, i’ve often felt that when a band does a greatest hits CD, they’re pretty much mailing it in anyway.
4. The Light & The Glass (acoustic) – Coheed & Cambria
I don’t know where i bootlegged the acoustic version from but it’s pretty good. This is one of my favorite Coheed songs and if forced at gunpoint to say whether i liked the acoustic version or the album version better, i’d have to say the album version. For some reason Claudio uses this weird effect on his voice when he does acoustic stuff. It sounds like he’s harmonizing with himself but the high harmony is sang through a kazoo. It’s weird and it doesn’t help. It actually hurts. He does it on a lot of stuff and i don’t know why. The guitar parts really stand up acoustically which i’m always happy to be able to say. Guitars have always been a Co& Ca strong point and usually Claudio’s vocals compete neck and neck, but not on this recording. Occasionally throughout this song they turn the effect off and it sounds great. Bummer they couldn’t just do the whole thing like that. In other news, Coheed did a 5 track acoustic LP that was available on iTunes for a while. They didn’t use the vocal effect in those tracks and it’s awesome. They do a super slo-mo version of A Favor House Atlantic and a souped up version of The Final Cut which is just some of the best air-guitar material i’ve ever listened to. Let me know if you want it.
5. Hey Hey – Eric Clapton, off of Unplugged
Everyone knows this CD for the acoustic of Layla and of course the heart-wrenching Tears in Heaven, but this whole thing is extremely kick-ass. And despite the downbeats and minor chords of the aforementioned songs, it actually seems like Clapton had a great time during this recording and was laughing and jamming happily through most of it. Good stuff, and if you don’t have this you’re way the fuck behind; again.
Alright that’s it for me. I’m off to hell. I’ve got some new things to post in the next few weeks, including a follow up on some of those bands i didn’t quite get to in 2006 but have had the chance to listen to in the meantime.
1. False Media – The Roots, off of Game Theory
I’ll be honest, i just got this CD and i haven’t had a chance to really digest it. That being said, i love the Roots, i’ve heard nothing but good things about this CD, and i’m really glad the Roots took another turn at making a political statement. People with the loudest voices need to be saying these things. I talk about them on Everything is A-Ok all day long, but like 7 people read that right now. Anyway, this CD is going to have to be really damn good to compare to the Tipping Point (their last album), but i’m crossing my fingers. Bottom line, The Roots have always been good, they’ve been around a long damn time and unlike another formerly good formally underground hip-hop group i could mention, they haven’t resorted to hiring a meth-head with very little talent and a heinous face but a decent body to sell their records.
2. Running on Faith – Eric Clapton, off of Eric Clapton Unplugged
Remember when MTV did unPlugged shows with only the biggest groups and even then, only with people who actually had the talent to pull it off? Nirvana, Eric Clapton, Alice-In-Chains…all of them talented, and huge draws at the time they did the show. Yesterday while channel surfing i was a show that said “MTV Unplugged” so i clicked on it to see who it was, hoping for one of the greats. It was fucking Ricky Martin.
3. Midnight Show – The Killers, off of Hot Fuss
I love this CD when it first came out and then it got overplayed in a hurry. Some people think it compares to Pearl Jam in its longevity but i disagree. Does anyone have any thoughts on their new CD? I haven’t heard it yet but i have heard mixed reviews. Anyone who loves it/hates it can have their own post on this site if they’d like to review it for me. (And send me a copy.)
4. The Velorium Camper III: Al the Killer – Coheed & Cambria, off of In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
That’s a damn mouthful isn’t it? Full Disclosure: Co&Ca is one of my absolute favorite bands. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being a basic music fan, 10 being the obsessed kids flipping through the comic books and liner notes trying to pick up any single clue they can as to the story of Coheed and Cambria, i’m about a 7. I’m not trying to determine the story for myself, but i’m definitely interested in it and will be in line buying the next CD the moment it comes out (unless Perry can get it for me early, like he always seems to do.). So anyway, for those of you who don’t know, here is a basis of the story so far. And for those of you who have never listened, i definitely suggest giving them a try. They’re not for everyone so i can’t guarantee everyone who reads this will like them (Suzanne, ahem.) but if you like addictive guitar riffs, soaring solos and a lead singer with a massive afro who sounds like Geddy Lee from Rush, i highly suggest you check them out.
5. So Far Away – Dire Straits, off of Sultans of Swing
Not the song i would have picked from this Cd but hey, it’s the shuffle, you can’t argue. Anyway, back in the day, when i still thought i loved country music, i was in a car on the way to baseball practice when one of my friends (who may, or may not have been Brandon Peyton) had Money for Nothing playing in his Dad’s truck. The guitar solo at the beginning was so damn mind blowing that it just stuck with me. This is probably one of the very first glimpses i had of what rock music could be like and while it may not have been the defining moment in my conversion from country, it was definitely a crumbling in that foundation. Dire Straits is a great older band and really has a lot of the same characteristics of what i like in a band as coheed. Great catchy riffs, pretty great lyrics and awesome solos. I didn’t think i’d ever be comparing Dire Straits to Coheed but hey, that’s what you get with the Shuffle. Oh and MBFY.
Alright, that’s enough for today. Tune in Wednesday when i inject some major controversy into Championship Vinyl.
Alright, this isn’t finished yet but this is what I came up with just scrolling through iTunes. I like to work out to harder music with a solid beat and stuff that will distract me (ie. Good lyrics, a story, etc.). I also like some continuity among the music so I put a couple songs in a row. We’ll see how it works out. I’m going to go give it a test run (pun very much intended) right now.
1. Tom Petty – Running Down a Dream
2.-8. Rajiv Patel – The Retaliation for what they’ve done to us
I’m using this whole CD because it has a great beat to run to and it’s perfect to get me into the rhythm I’ll need. It’s 27 minutes long and should get me through at least 2.5 miles.
9. Fall Out Boy – Of All The Gin Joints In All The World
10. Fall Out Boy – Dance, Dance
11. Fall Out Boy – Sugar We’re Going Down
12. Modest Mouse – Float On
13. Mos Def – Fear Not of Man/Hip Hop
14. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Higher Ground
15. RHCP – Suck My Kiss
16. RHCP – Slow Cheetah
17. RHCP – Make You Feel Better
18. Tool – Vicarious
19. Tool – Jambi
20. Tool – Schism
21. A Perfect Circle – Magdalena
22. A Perfect Circle – Three Libras
23. Coheed & Cambria – Ten Speed
24. Coheed – The Suffering
25. Coheed – 33
26. Coheed – A Favor House Atlantic
27. Fivespeed – Fair Trade
28. Guns & Roses – November Rain
29. Bob Seger – Against the Wind
30. Eric Clapton – Running on Faith
31. Hoobastank – Running Away
32. Run Fay Run – Isaac Hayes
33. Pink Floyd – On The Run
34. Snow Patrol – Run
35. Soul Asylum – Runaway Train
36. Steve Miller Band – Take the Money and Run
37. Talib Kweli – Where you Gonna Run
38. Three Doors Down – Duck and Run
39. Thursday – Running from the Rain
40. I need something to end with. We Are the Champions is a little too cliché and maybe a little too dramatic for a kid who will stumble in the middle of the pack on a HALF marathon and isn’t actually winning anything.
Alright, this is just a preliminary list. Just like the race, this will take some training and some dedication. It’s all out of order and doesn’t really have the continuity I need it to. Besides, it’s already at 2.5 hours and I really wasn’t planning on running that long. We’ll see I guess. I’m sure I’ve missed some crucial songs.
Please give me your suggestions in the comments.
