Monday, February 11, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
it's official.
My last college spring break will be spent volunteering for SXSW in Austin. I'm excited to hear up & coming bands. Many of my current favorite bands have played SXSW previous years.
Take 2006 for example. Artists included:
*Arctic Monkeys
*Jose Gonzales
*Cat Power
*Belle and Sebastian
*Jamie Cullum
*Neko Case
*Nickel Creek
*Of Montreal
...just to name a few.
Downside? I am volunteering 4 nights and am committed to one specific venue, so there will be several shows I'll have to miss out on. But hey, music at the cost of volunteer hours? Beautiful.
Take 2006 for example. Artists included:
*Arctic Monkeys
*Jose Gonzales
*Cat Power
*Belle and Sebastian
*Jamie Cullum
*Neko Case
*Nickel Creek
*Of Montreal
...just to name a few.
Downside? I am volunteering 4 nights and am committed to one specific venue, so there will be several shows I'll have to miss out on. But hey, music at the cost of volunteer hours? Beautiful.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Cover or Composer?
What do most people think of when they hear "When the Stars Go Blue?" Tim McGraw? Bono? Cary Pierce? Tyler Hilton? The Corrs? Phil Lesh? ER? One Tree Hill? Who actually wrote this frequently covered song? Ahh, Ryan Adams, the ultimate songwriter.
Speaking of covers and Ryan Adams, he does one of the greatest covers I've ever heard- Oasis' "Wonderwall." He changes the tempo and emotion of the song-- in my opinion he makes the song much better (and I am an Oasis fan). If you're into songs Ryan Adams has covered, you should also check out his version of "Is This It?" by the Strokes.
Speaking of covers and Ryan Adams, he does one of the greatest covers I've ever heard- Oasis' "Wonderwall." He changes the tempo and emotion of the song-- in my opinion he makes the song much better (and I am an Oasis fan). If you're into songs Ryan Adams has covered, you should also check out his version of "Is This It?" by the Strokes.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
never too late for resolutions
My resolution? See more live shows. It becomes quite difficult to blog when I'm not seeing any new music (the last post was far too long ago).
I always complain about having to drive to Austin or Dallas for shows, but I was fortunate enough to start my music year in good old Waco, TX. Jon McLaughlin and Matt Wertz played the annual Omega Kids concert, which all proceeds go to Kenya. Last year Dave Barnes and Andy Davis played. Not only was I able to stay in Waco, but the tickets were only $15.
Jon McLaughlin played first, opening with "Industry" as I had imagined he would. Immediately I loved the vigor with which he played. He was concentrated on the force and passion of his songs- not on note and pitch perfection. Between every song, he had several witty remarks. He said something like, "I'm going to play some new songs that I've been working on. You won't know them. And if you do... that's creepy, because I've never played them for anyone." The new songs had more of a jazz flare to them. McLaughlin played solo with a grand piano (he said he hadn't played on a piano that nice in a long time). This allowed the songs to sound similar to the ones off "Songs I Wrote and Later Recorded." On a side note, McLaughlin was just nominated for an Oscar for his performance of "So Close" in the Disney movie Enchanted.
Unlike Jon McLaughlin, who I have been following for a couple years, I had only heard two Matt Wertz songs (he played both). Wertz entered the stage wearing a shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. I had flashbacks to the first (and only) time I saw Gavin DeGraw-- "Oh, here comes the rocker who thinks he is the man." He began playing alone, and I must admit that he plays a mean rhythm guitar. The band entered half-way through the first song and the sound significantly improved. Wertz and his band had a lot of energy and actually managed to get the stuffy Baylor crowd dancing. I didn't know it was possible. My favorite song of the night was "Wesley, Why?" a heart-felt song about the death of his grandfather.
Great show. Both are worth seeing.
I always complain about having to drive to Austin or Dallas for shows, but I was fortunate enough to start my music year in good old Waco, TX. Jon McLaughlin and Matt Wertz played the annual Omega Kids concert, which all proceeds go to Kenya. Last year Dave Barnes and Andy Davis played. Not only was I able to stay in Waco, but the tickets were only $15.
Jon McLaughlin played first, opening with "Industry" as I had imagined he would. Immediately I loved the vigor with which he played. He was concentrated on the force and passion of his songs- not on note and pitch perfection. Between every song, he had several witty remarks. He said something like, "I'm going to play some new songs that I've been working on. You won't know them. And if you do... that's creepy, because I've never played them for anyone." The new songs had more of a jazz flare to them. McLaughlin played solo with a grand piano (he said he hadn't played on a piano that nice in a long time). This allowed the songs to sound similar to the ones off "Songs I Wrote and Later Recorded." On a side note, McLaughlin was just nominated for an Oscar for his performance of "So Close" in the Disney movie Enchanted.
Unlike Jon McLaughlin, who I have been following for a couple years, I had only heard two Matt Wertz songs (he played both). Wertz entered the stage wearing a shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest. I had flashbacks to the first (and only) time I saw Gavin DeGraw-- "Oh, here comes the rocker who thinks he is the man." He began playing alone, and I must admit that he plays a mean rhythm guitar. The band entered half-way through the first song and the sound significantly improved. Wertz and his band had a lot of energy and actually managed to get the stuffy Baylor crowd dancing. I didn't know it was possible. My favorite song of the night was "Wesley, Why?" a heart-felt song about the death of his grandfather.
Great show. Both are worth seeing.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
The Beatles...
have some pretty trippy lyrics.
Reference: Across the Universe (well, and their lyrics)
Reference: Across the Universe (well, and their lyrics)
Monday, October 22, 2007
that's so not history
So everyone has some "history" when it comes to music. Some regrets... some misinterpretations... some lost loves.
Here's my abridged history:
First full tape cassette (remember those?): "The Sign" by Ace of Base
First tape cassette single: "Run Away" by Real McCoy
First CD: "Tragic Kingdom" by No Doubt
First Vinyl: "Chutes Too Narrow" by The Shins
First music video viewed: "Barely Breathing" by Duncan Sheik
First concert: BB King & friends
The most embarrassing concert I've ever gone to is Hanson. Ok, second to O-Town (I was going through a rough time). All through middle school I tried convincing my parents that Hanson was the ULTIMATE band. I remember saying, "Dad- they play their own instruments- they write their own music- they are musical geniuses." I left out more important factors: they looked like girls- all of their "genius" songs were created in 4/4 from 1,4 and 5 chords. Saying that I liked them would be a complete understatement. I was infatuated. I'm talking... owned every CD (imports too), member of the fan club, posters covering every inch of white space in my room. It's part of my music history that I've suppressed... until now.
I'm going to see them live this weekend. I hope it is absolutely hysterical. I hope they play MMMBop.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
