30 Minute Boyfriend.. Casablancas Style.

Hello, it's been a while since I've posted, but I hope this post makes up for lost time.
I recently have been getting more and more into older more alternative music, and Julian Casablancas is becoming one my my favorites. Most well known for his role as the lead singer of The Strokes, he has branched off and has been releasing some of his solo work. Fear not, the retro-punk sound is still there more than ever! Casablancas released an album in 2009, and has been touring on and off since. He is actually coming to Seattle on November 13, and I'm excited to announce that I will be attending! Also, Mac Demarco is opening, so how could I resist?

The album titled Phrazes For The Young contains a mix of psychedelic funk bass guitar, driving jazz-like drums, and his strongly worded lyrics, coming all together for a catchy, feel good album. My favorite tracks on this album include 30 Minute Boyfriend, a love song with heavy use of synthesizer, which almost reminds me of bad boy in an ice cream shop singing to the innocent blonde at the counter 80's style. I guess I like that the lyrics in this song are very straight forward.
The beginning lyrics are as follows:

I think you're pretty
I think you know it
You got a boyfriend
You just forgot him that's all
For five minutes that's all
You're my best friend that's all

Overall, this song is just really catchy (as is the rest of the album) and guarantees easy listening.
Admittedly Casablancas doesn't have the best voice out there, but the combination of post-punk era punk and edgy lyrics, along with a new more "electronic" sound come together beautifully.

Namaste,

Carly


(Also I must apologize for the sloppiness of this post, I wrote it quickly but I just wanted to post something!)

I dunno guys, I just really like this band.

A picture of Brandon at the release concert for
the "&" EP

I don't even know where to start, this post is gonna be a tough one. The Moth & The Flame is one of my favorite bands ever, and I've been following them for so long, I think I'll just start at the beginning.

I started listening to TM&TF about two and a half years ago, I was introduced to their music through the radio station that's owned and operated by the high school I attended. I quickly took a liking to their music and made plans to get to one of their concerts as soon as I could. I was 16 when I first saw them live and last weekend I saw them for the tenth time, this was the last time I would be able to see them before I leave for 2 years to New England doing service for my church.

The first time I saw them I was only able to stay for the first two to three songs of their set (I wouldn't want to be late for curfew), the one that hit me the most is titled Maker. I bought their CD and I remember driving home listening to their album and just sobbing, the music coming through the speakers in my car really meant something, and it was this experience that started the revolution in my musical taste. Before TM&TF all I listened to was cheesy pop music and dubstep (as much as I hate to admit that).

Me and some friends with Brandon after the release of the & EP

All I wanted to listen to for the next month was that self titled album I had bought at their concert, and I made sure to listen to it on my CD walkman to  keep with the idealism that they had about that first album. They only released that album as a physical copy because they considered the artwork to be a first track of sorts, I had never heard of anyone doing anything like that before. I really liked the thought of that and it's what inspired me to start my collection of CD's and vinyl rather than just buying digital copies of everything online. I still have the same copy I bought years ago and I still listen to it often.

During my Junior year of high school they released their "&" EP, and the singer, Brandon Robbins, wanted to do a radio interview on my high school station. My friend Jake and I were the lucky DJ's who got to speak with Brandon for about an hour and we got to exclusively preview the track Winsome about a week before the EP was released. I remember that interview so vividly and I remember how much time Jake and I put into coming up with the questions we were going to ask when we had the chance. The interview went well and when the EP was finally released it was all I listened to for what seems like weeks. I still love the EP, I'm actually listening to it as I write this.

Brandon and I after speaking with him after Saturday's concert

Most recently, the band signed onto Elektra records and they're hard at work on a new album. I've heard some of the songs that are going to be on the new album and they're fantastic! When I spoke to Brandon after their show on Saturday, he told me that the band is constantly looking for a balance between a catchier sound that will appeal to a greater audience, and sticking to the integrity of their older music that really means something, and in my humble opinion they've done a great job finding the balance. I love their new music and can't wait to see them go places.

I feel really connected to this band, reason being I've been following their progress so closely for so long. There will always be a special place in my heart for their music and many times when I'm listening to that first self titled album I react the same way I did when I first listened to it. I end up sobbing in the lamplight in the corner of my room. The first time I saw the TM&TF live was the first time I really felt what I was listening to.

The music this band makes has really grown to become a part of me and has helped me through a lot of hard times. I dare say that if it wasn't for TM&TF I would still be listening to sub par pop music and dubstep. I owe a lot to this band and I hope one day to be able to repay them for all their music has done for me. Do yourselves a favor and give them a listen. I'm not sure if their self title is still available, but if it is, GO BUY A COPY ASAP, it'll change your life. If not, listen to the EP, it'll change your life too.


Cheers,
    Michael

Just a quick rant

No matter how smart you think you are, you don't know exactly what someone is thinking when they write a song. No matter what you read about on the internet, you don't know exactly what the lyrics meant to the artist. I've seen a lot of people on different forums and such online claiming to know exactly what the artist meant in their lyrics, and that just isn't possible.

I think the reason that this bugs me so much is the fact that thousands of people can listen to the same song, and everyone can get something different out of it. That, to me at least, is what makes music incredible. I love the fact that different people interpret songs differently because we all have different situations.

I'm using the word different way too much but that's the point. Everyone interprets music DIFFERENTLY. This being said, WHY THE HECK ARE PEOPLE CLAIMING TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE SONG MEANS NO MATTER WHAT. I'm sorry, I just hate it when people do this. I think Dave Grohl says it perfectly "That's one of the great things about music, you can sing a song to 85,000 people and they'll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons."

Everyone has a different story, and everyone has a different perception of the world, so who are you to say what they should think of a song.

I try to avoid doing this in my blog, in fact, I try to encourage all of you guys to listen to songs for yourselves and decide what you think.

So if you're one of those people on the forums who tell everyone what to think, throw your computer out the window because you don't deserve to have it.

Sorry about the rant but it really needed to be said.

Cheers,
    Michael

Cheers to Thom Yorke

Today marks the birthday of Thom Yorke, also known as the lead vocalist Radiohead, the  most famous rock, metal, classical, alternative infusion band from the early 90's through today.

 A few short weeks ago, Thom released a solo album titled Tomorrow's Modern Boxes which was released with great controversy. This album was in fact released through BitTorrent, a popular online music downloading website often best known for hosting illegally published music for free download. A short twist, you actually have to pay for the album. Charging what seemed to be the too good to be true cost of $5.99, I was disappointed to see that the track list only containing 8 tracks, but I was thoroughly rewarding upon listening to it. Fear not if you don't use BitTorrent, it should be released on Vinyl and CD for purchase within the coming months.

Originally planned to be an EP release with three tracks, it was later expanded to an entire studio album. The release came to a complete surprise for his followers, no promotional anything or any information was given prior to the internet release. However, he must of done something right, with 2 million downloads since it's release September 26.


Tomorrow's Modern Boxes contains many unexpected gems. The basis of the album is built on complicated intertwined synthesized lines. Radiohead is definitely famous for this, but usually with "real" instruments. His vocals remain as good as ever, sliding up to the high register with ease on nearly every track. This album definitely is a branch off from the usual sound of Radiohead, but it's not a bad thing.

The second track, titled Guess Again, is definitely one of my favorite tracks. The intro includes an ever so famous catchy piano intro, and the sultry entry of his voice happens right after. The electronic back beats and rhythms create a nice contrast from the smooth piano line. My favorite lyrics from this song are as follows:

As one door shuts
Another opens
Guess again!Do you think your mind blows up?
Do you think your mind blows up?
Guess again ......

Overall, I just really like this song.

The fourth song on this album is another one of my favorites, titled The Mother Lode. A rhythmically driven beat and uptempo keep this song driving. The "melody" so to speak is passed between a series of synthesizers, going back and forth throughout the entire song. With large instrumental breaks, this song is good for driving around, relaxing with friends, ect.

Also, this album comes with an unusual album cover as expected, considering the fact that Radiohead always has one.

Overall, this is a very good album. Different than Thom's previous releases, but in a good way.


Namaste,
Carly

Seasons Greetings!

Hello!
My name is Carly and I reside in Seattle, WA. I have known Michael for 5 years now and he and I starting bonding over our love for music. Because Michael will be gone for 2 years, I am honored to say that I will resume posts on this blog while he is away (hopefully you are all okay with that).

I would say that Michael and I have a similar music taste. I enjoy almost all genres, and I am constantly surprising myself by getting into new styles, artists, and musical ideas. You can expect my reviews to contain a variety of music. My first post will be up soon!

Also, feel free to comment with any songs or artists you would like to me review.

Namaste,

Carly

I'm leaving soon

In December I will be leaving on a 2 year religious mission and I won't be able to post while I'm gone. Because of this I'm adding a friend as a writer. My Friend Carly is now a writer so there will be content for you to read while I'm gone! So everyone say hi to Carly, you'll be seeing posts from her soon. She has a great taste in music and I'm confident she'll do great things!

Cheers,
    Michael

Someone Great

Someone great, an amazing song that gets me every time. From the lyrics to the overall feel of the song, it is a masterpiece.

In my opinion, the mood that is set beneath the lyrics is more important than the lyrics themselves. The feeling behind the instrumentation, the way the artist uses the sound of the song to convey emotion is what makes or breaks the song for me. LCD soundsystem sets the mood perfectly. Just the overall feel of the song sets the mood so well for the lyrics, and carries that feel throughout the rest of the song. The band somehow creates a bright yet melancholy feel, the brightness of the chimes, but the slow, dragging of the synthesized bass.

I'm not gonna pretend that I know what James Murphy was thinking when he wrote the lyrics to this song, but I will say that whatever he meant, he really meant it. Nothing about this song is shallow. You can feel the emotion flowing through Murphy as he sings. That is my favorite thing about music, someone can write a song and have it be very close to their heart, and then a listener can have it just as close to their heart for entirely different reasons. Music is the one thing that everyone can love and relate to, and that's what makes me love it so much.

To tie in that last bit, I dare you to listen to this song
REALLY listen
and not feel something.

Music transcends all. If there's anything that I know with a surety, that last statement would be it. I love music and I love this song. I hope you can listen, feel, and enjoy it just as much as I do.

Cheers,
    Michael

Here, Have a post!

I'm the worst kind of person... I know I've promised so many things and not followed through. It tends to be a pattern if you look back at my blog. I think I'll just quit making promises, I'll post when I feel the need to write my feelings about music down. It was never my intention to turn this blog into a chore so I'm not going to. I have a hard time writing when I feel like I have to instead of wanting to. So I'm not making any more promises, I'm just going to post when I feel the need.

Also... a HUGE thank you to everyone who has read my blog, I have over 1250 hits and that's way more than I ever expected to get. I really appreciate all of the support I've gotten. I hope you enjoy my posts, I do my best to just speak from the heart. I love you all!

Cheers,
    Michael

I'm a terrible person

    I promised to post everyday and I'm at a party and have no time so just go listen to music that makes you happy. Have a wonderful evening.

Cheers,
    Michael

A/B Machines

    So the last few posts have been about song that have a message, I think it's time to say forget the meaning and have some fun.

    A/B Machines is a song by Sleigh Bells, a noise pop duo that's all about partying. Their song A/B Machines has no meaning whatsoever but it's a super fun listen.

    Noise pop is a fun genre because it goes something like this: hey would that sound go good with this song? WHO CARES LETS THROW IT IN ANYWAY. And that's why I love noise pop. It has loads of distortion, catchy melodies, heavily processed vocals, and it's just fun. So next time you throw a party, give Sleigh Bells a try.

Cheers,
    Michael

P.S. If the bass in this song sounds like it's blowing your speakers, don't worry to much, odds are it's not, it's just designed to sound like that.

Real

    Just a quick disclaimer, this song is a rap song and it does have some cuss words, so if that's going to offend you just go ahead and skip listening to this one but it would definitely be cool if you still read my post.

    Real is a song by Kendrick Lamar featuring Anna Wise. I like rap a lot, especially when a rapper's songs or albums tell a story. I've seen a lot of people instantly blow off any rap anyone recommends, and that makes me sad. To be honest I used to do this too but listening to rap has actually really helped me identify with lots of people and learn a lot of valuable lessons. Like I said, I like rap.

    So... Back to the song Real, this song, to me at least, is about Kendrick having the realization that his crazy life isn't that fulfilling. It seems like he wants to love himself more, he wants something to keep himself grounded. The crazy lifestyle he illustrates throughout the album good kid, m.A.A.d city seems like the only option when living life in the projects, and it's fun at first, but becomes less and less fun as time goes on.

    I think the point that I relate to most in this song is this: how can you expect to live a fulfilling life that you can enjoy, if you don't love yourself? I've had my fair share of self esteem issues throughout my life, and I've always found my life to be more enjoyable when I find ways to love myself and the person I've become, through the good times and the not so good times. If you love yourself life becomes much better, remember that.

Cheers,
    Michael

Holocene

    Oof... This is gonna be a tough one. Holocene by Bon Iver, one of the songs that just hits me right in the feels. This song has been so influential in my life it's hard to find a place to start. Bon Iver is an incredible band founded by Justin Vernon, an amazing man that you should really read up on. Vernon plays just about every instrument imaginable and has an incredible voice.

    In the song Holocene, Bon Iver masterfully paints a scene of brothers getting in a car crash. During the crash one of them realizes that his life wasn't that inspiring, and not that eventful. I know that's kind of a sad topic, but something about this idea inspires me to do my best to make a difference in the world. It makes me want to do things that are worthwhile. It makes me want to bring out these same ideals in others. I love this song.

   

    So I guess if there's one thing you should take from this post it's this: get off the couch and do something worthwhile (I'm typing this while sitting on the couch so I need to work on this as well). But when it all comes down to it, I want to be the difference that I wish to see in the world. So Imma get off the couch and do something.

Cheers,
    Michael

Just a quick post because I promised

    I promised to post everyday but I've been really busy today so here's a few songs for you to look up and listen to. Sorry this is all I had time for.

It's Never Over (Hey Orpheus) // Arcade Fire

I Need My Girl // The National

Datascroller - Blue Foundation Remix // Apparatjik

Hopefully that'll be enough to hold you over for now. I'll write a better post for tomorrow!

Cheers,
    Michael

Far Away

    Far Away is the title of a song by Washed Out, Washed Out aka Ernest Greene is another basement producer that I actually really like. A lot of people consider Greene's music to be a part of the chillwave movement (chillwave being a subgenre somewhere within the electro/electronic genre). I really enjoy Washed Out as well as many other chillwave producers. Something about the soothing synths and almost minimalist structure of the songs makes listening to chillwave give me a chance to relax and think.

    In my post about Bowery by Local Natives, which you can read by clicking here, I talked about how music helps me to feel and move through emotions in a healthy way. The song Far Away by Washed Out is no exception. I think of this song as Greene reminiscing about a missed opportunity, someone being close physically but far away emotionally, he wished he would've bridged that emotional gap to become closer to the said person. I think most anyone has had a situation like this at some point or another. I enjoy the mood Greene sets with the mildly distorted synth chimes and the drawn out violinish tones, it fits well with the message of lost opportunities and sets a somewhat melancholy tone. I find the mood and message of this song easy to relate to, we want to get to know people, but passed up the opportunity when we had it and now it's long gone, and that isn't too good a feeling. Failing to reach out and live through the what ifs is never easy, but there's always next time I guess.

I'm also going to start trying to post daily so I want you all to hold me to that. Remember to comment with suggestions of music for me to talk about, and if it doesn't let you comment just tag me in a tweet! (twitter info is in the sidebar that way ------>)

Cheers,
    Michael

P.S. I think my self diagnosed ADD and sloppy thought processes are poorly effecting my writing style, so bear with me as I learn how to properly put my thoughts down on paper. And if you would like to coach me on writing feel free to comment or tag me in a tweet, I'm very open to constructive criticism!

Cheers again?... yeah I guess so, It makes sense to me so yeah...
    Michael

Bowery

    Bowery is a song by Local Natives, a band that is full of feelings. I don't think I've ever managed to listen to one of their albums all the way through without tearing up at least a little bit. Every once in a while when I listen to their album Hummingbird I end up sobbing uncontrollably.

    I think to properly understand that last statement I need to give a little bit of background. Music is what keeps me together emotionally, and in order to be emotionally stable you need to be able to feel emotions, all of them. Music helps me identify and feel my way through certain emotions so I'm able to move on to the next. Hummingbird is an album that's packed full of emotion and you can almost feel the songs rather than hear them. Last night I was listening to this very album and the song Bowery stuck out to me much more than the others for some reason.

    Bowery is an incredible song and I'm not even sure what the lyrics are supposed to mean, but it just has so much feeling and emotion packed into it that I can't help but love the song. There's something about the way the somber piano chords mix with the dynamic vocal harmonies and the lyrics that are left open for interpretation, I LOVE this song. I was planning on trying to give you my take on what the lyrics meant, but I decided to let all of you listen to it and just feel your way through it.

    This post didn't go at all as planned, but I like the way it turned out. I know I've said this like a million times but I'm going to pick the blog thing back up and post somewhat consistently. If you want me to listen to a song or album and give me your take on it feel free to either comment or tag me in a tweet and mention the fact that it's for my blog (you can see my twitter in the sidebar). I really enjoyed writing this post, it feels good to share my thoughts on a song that's close to my heart. You'll be seeing much more of me in the near future :)

Cheers!
    Michael

An album based band in a track based world.

When most people today buy music, They buy it track by track. Because of this, most bands write music based upon the track, not the album. Arcade Fire is not like most bands, when they write an album they write it as an album, not a bunch of singles smashed together.

Funeral, the bands debut album, doesn't have a bad song on it in my opinion. The reason for this statement being the fact that I've listened to Funeral as an album so many times that I enjoy every song and it's place in the story told by the album. Each song on this album was written as a part of the story that the album has to tell. Of all the songs on this album, Wake Up seems to be the most popular, in a way it has become Arcade Fire's anthem of sorts. Even though it sounds cliche, I'm going to say that listening to this album is an experience.

Neon Bible, Arcade Fire's sophomore album, talks a lot about organized religions and some of the hypocrisy that exists within it. It was really cool to listen to this album all the way through and gain insight from the unique perspective that's offered when fully experiencing this album. I found the song Intervention especially moving, Give it a listen and see what you think.  

The Suburbs, The third album released by Arcade Fire, tells a story of life growing up in the suburbs. It's absolutely brilliant lyrically, the words sung really paint a picture that you can become a part of. As you listen you really become immersed in the story and feel like a part of it. It's an emotional journey, I know I sound super cliche when I say that, but trust me, it is. Better yet, listen to it for yourself, you won't regret it.


The newest release by Arcade Fire is an album called Reflektor. Reflektor is a double album, a two disc set. The first disc seems to be just a lot of fun to me. The songs do have meaning and they all connect, but it's the second disc that really tells the story. Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice) and It's Never Over (Hey Orpheus) retell the ancient myth of Orpheus and Eurydice which you can read about by clicking here. Followed by that double header is a song called Porno. I know the name sounds questionable, but it is a great song all about insecurities and how terrible it is that we objectify women so heavily nowadays. Then come Afterlife and Supersymmetry. I'm not going to talk about these much because you need to listen to fully understand.

Every one of the albums is masterfully crafted and tells an individual story with a unique style. There are definitely great singles in all of these albums, but that's not the point. Arcade Fire has a very special talent when it comes to telling stories in their music. Anyone can write lyrics that tell a story, but very few artists can take you on an emotional journey the way Arcade Fire can.

I recently had the opportunity to see Arcade Fire in concert and the experience literally changed my life for the better. I needed that concert, and I didn't realize how much it would affect me going into it.

Arcade Fire is a band that is extremely important to me and I hope you can be moved by their music as much as I have.

Cheers,
    Michael

P.S. if you love arcade fire as much as I do, share this post on your preferred social media site so your friends can learn to love them too.

I suck a lot, don't I?

So it's been three months and 10 days since I've posted... I have plenty of good excuses I promise. I just thought I'd say that I saw arcade fire in concert on Wednesday and it was pretty much the best thing of my life. If you have something you want me to review or write about please post a comment below. Thanks for everything!

Cheers,
    Michael

One at a Time

The album cover for UMO's self titled debut album

    One at a Time is a song by the group Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO). UMO was my gateway into psychedelic rock and they have a great sound that very closely resembles the sound of psychedelic rock groups of the sixties and seventies.

    One at a time begins with a crazy guitar riff that you can't help but jam to. Then comes the vocals of Ruban Nielson who has a very distinct voice. UMO seems to keep it sweet and simple, their music is very easy listening even if you're new to psychedelic rock. This is why I would recommend them if you want to start listening to psychedelic rock but don't know where to start.

    UMO is just really easy to jam to and I dream of seeing them in concert someday. I highly recommend any of their music. Give it a listen and I hope you like it!

    And as always, If you have a song, album, or artist you want me to post about feel free to drop a comment on this post.

Cheers,
    Michael

I'm sorry.

I could make a million excuses about why I haven't posted in over two months, but that's all they would be. Excuses. So I'm just going to get back on track and post at least once a week on Wednesdays.

Cheers,
    Michael