a musical evangelist

me - the christmas song

2011-12-25T01:39:00.001-08:00

merry christmas

radiohead - all i need

2011-12-11T11:06:00.001-08:00

this song is like an open plane ticket. i'm never sure where it's going to take me, but it moves me. jay and i were talking about music at dimsum and this song came up.

hans zimmer + charlie chaplin

2011-11-30T23:38:00.000-08:00

damn, this really hit me to the core...
but then again i think you could put anything to the inception soundtrack and emotion bends like tall grass in the wind

sigur ros - lúppulagið

2011-11-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

a new track just surfaced. delicate keys blend over a contorting melody; ambient, complex and beautiful.

modeselektor - new tracks with thom yorke

2011-11-02T09:51:00.001-07:00

some new modeselektor tracks from their new album monkeytown have surfaced. they sound very clubby, but still maintain some real bassy grooves with thom's falsetto drifting like a lazy rowboat in the tide. i think, 'this' is better, swiveling on a synthesized bass line giving eventually to a 'kill bill 4' chopped up percussion. hopefully these tracks indicate more good stuff coming on the modeselektor album.

com truise - brokendate

2011-09-24T09:43:00.001-07:00

Com Truise - "Brokendate" from stereogum on Vimeo.

grizzly bear - shift (live)

2011-09-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

cant - rises silent

2011-09-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

cant is chris taylor, who occasionally plays bass with a band called grizzly bear.

his new album, dreams come true, just came out. it's a erratic electronic ride. the song 'rises silent' is a favorite moment off it for me. it begins sounding like working for a nuclear free city or a mix of autechre with hushed vocals from my bloody valentine. jumpy percussion pads the smooth bass sliding until semi-pantomiming piano plucks minor bass chords while shards of synthesizers scatter.

peter, bjorn and john - 'tomorrow has to wait'

2011-06-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

again, thanks to guru nick for the recommendation. peter, bjorn and john are a power trio from sweden, who you've undoubtedly heard from before even if their name brings back childhood memories of a certain savior of a sandwich. their song 'young folks' was scattered across the internets, television and even videogames. i would whistle the theme and you would recognize it immediately. anyway, they have released a slew of albums in the millennium and their most recent one titled gimme some is gold. the first 6 tracks or will have you bobbing your head and even humming leads akin to 'young folks'. i'm picking to highlight a track which drove me on most of my trip through vietnam/thailand called 'tomorrow has to wait'.

the lead track begins on a droning guitar note and a high falsetto as the grinding bass grittily chugs along. 'i don't think you're sorry for what you did' peter blankly spits out. i can imagine a stadium of fists pumping along with the bass drum as it slams into your skull. the droning verse gives way as heavily distorted guitars swarm enmasse ,(ala nick zinner style). peter/tyler durden declares, 'if you control yourself and give up before you break, well, it's too late'. accusingly caustic of procrastination, this song swept me and i recommend you let it do the same for you.

other lives - 'for 12'

2011-04-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

other lives is a band from oklahoma. their self titled debut reminded me of a bluegrassy south, with big melancholic strings and was produced by joey waronker.

their upcoming album is entitled tamer animals. although they never sounded like an unbridled beast to me, they seem to have woven their music tighter. 'for 12' is a great step for them, enveloped the reverb, melting plinking upright pianos, a galloping rhythm, wyatt earp leads and haunting cello sounds. i enjoy that i didn't have an easy time guessing the direction of the chord progression and melodies. it even has a break that made me think of the good, the bad and the ugly. even though it doesn't truly have a climax, it's a great playlist starter on a cloudy day.

coachella!

2011-04-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

well, it's my dad's birthday today, so first of all: happy birthday to my dear father, who i love to death! even your quirks, mannerisms and dad-sayings! love you, dad!

secondly, it is the eve of a grand journey, 3 seattleites are partaking in to a mystic music festival hidden in the mountains and taking place on polo grounds. i've always dreamed about going to coachella, but it never fell into place until this year. as the gray hairs are pushing forward, i'm wondering how much longer i can stand being cramped into sweaty festival scenes and in light of the effortless planning, (thanks to my californian friends) it made sense.

combining forces will be my little brother, who professes his more worldly perspective and experienced soul remains trapped within his youthful stature, and the venerable sizzler, who apparently believes since we survived austin city limits together that coachella will be a cakewalk, (i've also put him through vigorous tests in withstanding my own quirks). the californians jackie and liz will be alongside for moral support and genuine deep laughter that only comes at the verge of wetting oneself. we will all be camping in the same 10X30 space with jackie's lovable scion for the festivities. this will definitely put a stress test on myself, as i've never been to sasquatch or any festival where you don't actually leave the festival but for catnaps stolen in tents.

this all remains a bit daunting to me, but i am a lifetime subscriber to the theory that life is about the journey and i can't wait to imbibe this fantastic weekend of music, camping, sun and general revelry.

so far here are my notes (tentatively):
*friday*
chemical bros
robyn
crystal castles
black keys
interpol?
lauryn hill or (yacht and the pains of being pure at heart)
morning benders
titus andronicus
moving units

*sat*
daedelus
arcade fire?
paul van dyk
swell season
mumford and sons
elbow
bss or new pornographers
???
gogol or tallest man or foals
thao

*sun*
kanye
strokes or chromeo or phantogram
national or trentemoller
death from above
css
?
menomena
____________________________
godspeed.

digitalism - 'blitz'

2011-04-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

digitalism was lauded after their 2007 album, idealism and has announced they have a new package coming out called i love you dude (they are german, so please forgive punctuation).

they have a single off the new one called 'blitz' and i'm sharing the video with you. no quirky lyrics run through this song and it's more of a dark grinder itself.

after a beaten up introduction akin to a chewed up and spit out chariots of fire synthesizer, digitalism locks the bass and the bass drum and the beast of the song stirs: this beast being an infectious, repetitive dance track with glitchy percussion. then there is a brief dreamy build with a synth lead and the song promptly picks back up. 'blitz' has a dark edge built into it's poppy architecture and around 2:38 it gives way for just a moment and fades into a daft'y exit very similar to the entrance.

radiohead - 'lotus flower'

2011-02-18T02:27:00.000-08:00

sorry to have been away for so long.

in case you didn't know, we are shortly embracing a new lp or whatever a newspaper album will be for radiohead's new album the king of limbs.

as mounting radiohead hype goes, a cryptic japanese message appeared stating 18:59 in a japanese square. at that moment, it seems the new music video for 'lotus flower' became available on youtube.

about the song, i've heard the live version by atoms for peace (thom's band) and loved the performances. the radiohead version is very jazzy and layered, very reminiscent of trip hop and sneaker pimps. driven by a big synth bass booming and thom's placating wails. the video is quite possibly a homage to thom's crazy dancing; note there is a choreographer. think thom = tom waits = charlie chaplin.

just listen. and believe. shortly we will have a new radiohead record!

arcade fire - 'ready to start'

2010-07-31T15:38:00.000-07:00

much. anticipated. would be how i would describe the new arcade fire album the suburbs.

as some tracks have leaked, i decided to write up the track 'ready to start'.

first of all, this album sheds some of the dark, apocalyptic vibe of neon bible, but by no means does this mean the edginess has disappeared. what i've heard reverts to the old school dancy, toe-tapping funeral days. 'ready to start' is an excellent example of this, from the looped dissident notes to the droning drop 'd'ed bass/guitar lines struck intermittently by win's dreamy/exhausted delivery. i've noticed on some of the songs off suburbs, you can hear beach boys type surf rock sounds, which partially manifests itself on this track through chiming synth lines atop the mix. (i really enjoy the emperor's new clothes references.) as the song rambles and builds, churning into a techno synth line towards very similar build to the famous 3/4 to 4/4 'crown of love' transition, although it flips back into the gouging bass/guitar drone line.

very. excited.

wolf parade - 'ghost pressure'

2010-05-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

delay delay delay. no apologies, life doesn't stop and makes no apologies for it's crash course speed.

this is a new one from wolf parade being streamed over at pitchfork. it blends boeckner's hoarse groans with wobbly synths and gritty guitars. i do adore the space invader keys; i know you hear it too.

the beatles - 'no reply'

2010-03-30T07:43:00.001-07:00

sorry for the lack of posts recently.

i'm reading here, there and everywhere and the book is absolutely engrossing from a more technical point of view. it still has a great deal of information about how the beatles crafted their signature sounds and a snippet of their songwriting process, but from an engineering standpoint, it's absolutely spellbinding.

here is one song which gives me chills, (it hasn't been talked about in the book, not yet). the big open chords during the chorus give me goosebumps.

it's amazing that the beatles still have such relevance and power... although i doubt they will ever lose it, no matter what year it may be.

grandaddy - 'the crystal lake'

2010-03-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

so this is an oldie/yet goodie.

grandaddy is out of california and ever since i first heard the sophtware slump, i was intrigued at the complexity despite the simplicity. as gritty as the song remains, there is something liquid, flowing and crystal clear in the arpeggiated synth. in 'the crystal lake,' jason lytle's placating pleas saunter casually, yet authentic and his truckerhat adorning disposition shines through.

check out the sophtware slump if you have a chance.

phantogram - 'when i'm small'

2010-03-05T07:18:00.000-08:00

jay tossed this link my way yesterday:

phantogram is a duo out of seratoga springs, who specialize in "street beat, psych pop" although their sound would closer to portishead with hip-hop beat stylings and the occasional clunking/chiming of guitars. eyelid movies is the title of their record released this year, and it is truly an eclectic mix, with guy/girl vocals, big beats, and neatly wrapped synths. 'when i'm small' is a 2 toned track, with a clunky james bond/surf guitar lead, a big cyclical beat and plunking casio keys overlayed by sarah barthel's coos. yet another score from barsuk... a damn good label.

download the track here:

white hinterland - 'icarus'

2010-03-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

first of all: this day is for my friend ian, who passed away. you were far too optimistic and kind to live such a short life. i hope you rest in peace, my friend.

in the midst of all the chaos and misery surrounding my day today, my dear friend jackie passed this track on to me and it helped me cope. white hinterland is casey dienel's shoegaze project based in portland, or. on 'icarus' she draws feist-esque falsettos over a new wavy synth bassline. adding vocal harmonies and guitar noodles, the song progresses with a simple rimshot and kick driving; churning at a slow and steady rate, flickering and dancing akin to shadows from a dying fire on my living room wall. with all it's comfort and swelling tones, it has managed to soothe me on a day where every strand was falling apart and fraying.

i wish i could have shared this with you, ian. rip

miike snow - 'cult logic'

2010-02-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

first of all- thanks to my musical guru nick, who always helps me find bands or uncover great bands which i have passed over...

so. like so many i wrote off this band. i listened to 'animal' and thought to myself, "that's catchy, but what the hell is with the intentional double 'i's?" 'animal' is only a brief glance into the depth and multifaceted sound of miike snow, which isn't one but three dudes from sweden who just happen to produce a lot of electronic music. even for some big names, which i will let you find out on your own accord in hopes to avoid prejudice.

'cult logic' is a ping pong electro song, bouncing around only to submit for grinding choruses and breaks. andrew wyatt's falsetto dances over the electric pond of melody below. wyatt sings in a bee gee key, flouishing with 'ooh's'; matching the razor sharp beats with smooth syllables and coos. 'cult logic' caters occasionally to swaying trance sounds, bending in velocity and resolution and briefly skipping down a couple of flights on the scale.

'but at least there's something beating inside my chest'

take it easy my brother

2010-02-10T22:45:00.000-08:00

in the spirit of brasil.
i will be gone for 10 days of awesomeness.

prepare for great stories!

yeasayer - 'ambling alp'

2010-02-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

'ambling alp' is the first single from yeasayer's second album odd blood, which is just coming out feb. 9th. i'm completely aware that this track has received more than a little buzz on the interwebs, but my goal is to share gems to the potentially unaware.

the single is crafted with the psychedelic synth lead which quickly bends into the background of the track. a globbing bassline spills over the track with almost with serendipitous nature, bumping and grinding in similar fashion to some drunk's hips on a dancefloor. the true grit of the song is driven by the prevailing vocal line, uttered with wavering emotive tones. the song builds into an odd brass break, then dies down like a campfire to playfully climb back up; touching down aptly with the little psycho-synth lead to stick a gymnast's landing.

following is the psychotropic video, which yields no less than mirror-masked men on horseback, and mulheres menos roupa. don't worry herm, you don't directly work for the gov anymore.

pawel's version of 'videotape'

2010-02-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

so, i've been pretty busy recently and haven't been updating my blog.
in an attempt to jump-start things, i'm posting this link to pawel's reworking of radiohead's 'videotape'. it resembles a live version from their 2006 tours and has been kicking around for a bit of time. pawel is a bit of a legend in the radiohead fanatic base, he mostly draws from radiohead's back catalog of songs never completed, sketching and channeling radiohead to record all the instruments but the vocals and sometimes guitars. i hope 2010 is treating everyone well! and i will be more diligent about my posts.

six drummers

2009-11-24T20:48:00.000-08:00

this blew my mind

death from above 1979 - 'blood on our hands'

2009-11-16T22:34:00.000-08:00

boombastically, death from above 1979 contends to be one of the heaviest bands i've heard in my life. this is huge considering the fact that death from above 1979 was a two piece band.

'blood on our hands' is a dirty jagged example of the grit and depth of the band. it's as though a landslide has been triggered itself by a bass pickslide. sebastien grainger wastes no time flaunting brooding vocal melodies, instead he begins the song with a scream: "i'm leaving!". could it be mindless machismo, indifference, defiance or all three, there is a resolute stance behind his howls. jesse keeler's distorted bass bounces around throwing elbows in a vain attempt to dominate the song. instead it punctuates grainger's vocals and bleets spurring urgency the brutal drums. momentarily a soft synth interjects to oil the bass' tattered syllables, but is promptly pinned to the ground and pummeled as the song climaxes and breaks. from the truly fantastic album, you're a woman, i'm a machine.

spooky

2009-11-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

from eric's halloween party.
beware of columbian coffee bean farmers, nutcrackers and ketchup.
apparently they get agitated when cornered.

digitalism - 'pogo'

2009-11-08T23:13:00.000-08:00

yes. it has been a while since i've posted. i'm beginning to realize i can't wait for my life to slow down to write, so i'm going to take more initiative from now on.

this song is a little older, as most are from overseas. digitalism is from the great deutchland. i was at eric's halloween party and the moment the song started, i knew i was smitten.

'pogo' begins with a glitchy synth torn between notes by the furious paces of relentless high hats. the bass synthesizer bounces around similar to the device which the song was aptly named. these eventually give way to the chorus, blending mostly synthetic buzzing with a guitar backbone. the quirky lyrics, spliced between "wha-oh!" come out like brad pitt mimicking an italian accent in inglorious basterds, syllables stretched and chewed over. many elements pull references to the 80's electronic / glammish movements. this song promises no great dark twists or lyrical wit; rather it promises a great time dancing on the lights in the city and a fantastic soundtrack as you are racing away from the police car with it's colors flashing. i really enjoy the way the song flows with this "game" called audiosurf.

wall of ice

2009-08-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

so, undoubtedly radiohead has either generated a lot of buzz for a fictitious site and all these rumors about an ep coming out today. now, the site has a track with some words about not publishing fabricated facts to get hits and not believing people's tweets. the music on the site could / could not be radiohead.

but, if you go to waste, they now have 'these are my twisted words' for free...

okkervil river - 'for real'

2009-07-31T00:10:00.000-07:00

this song imagines our inner darkest thoughts. i remember my dad setting me aside and lecturing me that all of us have dark ideas, but it's really important to never let the dark side of us come out. i don't know if i agree with the sentiment to never let it out, but i do agree that all of us have sinister thoughts, whether it be considering how an airplane crash would feel if we were aboard in row F with the window view or some crazy perverted thought you would never explain to someone.

okkervil river was a band i really never had looked into. one night at a friend of a friend's house, i was played this song and it immediately reminded me of the speech i had from my father. 'for real' understands the suppression behind the emotions and moreover realizes the release when we acknowledge our darkest depths. the stark contrast between the soft verses and the rough, jagged prechorus sent chills down my spine indicating the songs powerful pull. find your darkest spots and don't be afraid. as the song labors, "you can't hide".

creepy video...

thom yorke - 'the present tense' (live at latitude)

2009-07-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

if i could count the amount of times i've wondered if radiohead are angels/aliens, i'd be able to count myself to sleep for many nights. thom yorke, et al, have such dynamic musical abilities, i find it challenging to not sit in wonder if this will be the greatest band i will ever experience in my lifetime. this recording is from this year's altitude festival and thom plays a new song entitled 'the present tense' all by his lonesome.

breaking down the elements of the song, the guitar is something quite similar to 'reckoner', fingerpicked loosely in lopsided succession. yorke's vocals are restrained in the beginning, singing lightly of weapons and self-defense. implicitly, his soft vocals mirror the folky nature of the song and lyrics ("don't get heavy, keep it light, keep it moving"). following the second verse, he shifts into jeff buckley's vocal range with a fervent, yet calm demeanor. briefly, there is a definite feel of 'you and whose army' mixed with the break from 'reckoner' as the chord progression changes in a familiar sense. as the guitar shifts back, the bossa nova roots becoming more evident, as he coos, "in you i'm lost;" leaving just enough time to breathe deeply and it abruptly ends.

elbow - 'some riot'

2009-07-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

i'm so fortunate to have a wonderful twin who shares so much with me. i'm not always into his music suggestions, but sometimes he recommends music which it takes a while to digest but is amazing. he recommended i relisten to elbow recently and i'm surprised they didn't catch my ear the first time.

elbow is a seasoned group out of england who has been around for over 15 years i believe. 'some riot' is off their most recent album the seldom seen kid.

this particular riot is built on a tinker piano which sounds like it should be in a music box. a cello, (i believe), shifts like a top nearing the end of it's dance. the piano and the cello shift back and forth, as if in a slow waltz, swelling and ebbing. the vocals are soft and gentle, but grow to a strained, saddened call. as things progress, an church organ creeps up and looms heavily in the air, framing the song. there is also a spectacular live version with the bbc orchestra on youtube if you want to check it out. (by the way i think he says 'booze' rather than bruise)

i'm ready for some fireworks

kent - 'things she said'

2009-06-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

kent is another band from sweden.
fairly obscure in reference until rock band came out with 'vinternoll2' on it.

this song is off their classic isola back from the year 1998.
the back beat is driven by a hollow tom sound from behind a thick curtain of acoustic guitars reminiscent of the flaming lips. the bass guitar shifts underneath the rhythm and joakim berg's vocals stretch vowels in an unnatural way. guitar harmonics float above berg's falsettos at the crescendo, where it fades away. fitting that kent was formed to try and emulate my bloody valentine.

sneaker pimps - 'bloodsport'

2009-06-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

i've loved the sneaker pimps since becoming x, which sadly is their only recognizable album to most folks. followed by the more complex and acoustic feel of splinter, which is probably my favorite album by them. when bloodsport was scheduled for release, i was anxious to get my hands on it. there was a debacle and tommy boy records cut the british band off the label, although i was lucky to get my hands on a cd, (i would have waited over 6 months if i wasn't able to grab that copy).

the title track immediately drew me in with the complex, dancey rhythms and squawking synthesizers, (the sexiness of the female moans probably didn't hurt). the song grinds like a stripclub anthem, but still has that edge which comes with the lead singer, chris corner, who is very likely to pick up a guitar on even some of the most techno sounding tracks, (although he doesn't pick one up for 'bloodsport'). he feigns an innocent boyish charm, ensnared in some complex and kinky sex act, but you can be sure it was his idea all along.

this is the song i can put on late at a party and even though i've got no energy left, (or dance moves for that matter), i will go strong to this song.

tv on the radio - staring at the sun

2009-06-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

beginning with an urban hymnal feel, synths boil to churn out the bass line. 'staring at the sun' has always been bone chilling due to the stark contrast between the howling of the backup vocals and the choppy bass; the vocals being smooth and polished opposed to the grinding of the synthesizer. the lyrics are poetic and deliberate, not stopping due to breathing, but exaggerating the depth of field. the twittling guitar buzzes with energy, but rather than sprinting towards a refrain or chorus, it jogs in place idly. a standard high hat emerges from the ruckus in synthetic fashion, very close to a typical trance high hat. subsequently, the guitar dies down in spastic nature, picking a random cluster of notes on the way down to pick itself back up. the instrumentation fades away as the song shifts into an anthemic dance.

"note the trees because the dirt is temporary"

deerhunter - agoraphobia

2009-06-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

cryptograms was a fascinating record, but deerhunter's microcastle, just blows it out of the water. when nick gave me the record, he told me he wanted 'agoraphobia' to be played on his retrospective video... it's that good.

remember that hippie girl in high school, who would always request grateful dead songs at the dances? you know, the one who would bust out the 60's snorkel and throw scarves around in faux slow mo to half the tempo? deerhunter has apparently channeled that ora on microcastle; it's the beach boys without the beach. with heavily saturated guitars and bradford cox's dreamy vocals, 'agoraphobia' is layered comparably to the six socks the hippie girl wore to make rainbows dance around her ankles. i'm puzzled as to how the song sounds so spotlessly clean in production, even though i'm positive i hear a tremolo'ed guitar in the back. when i play it back, i can never actually find the guitar; maybe it's only present in spirit, not totally unlike the girl from high school. i love the placating nature of the song despite the fact that i believe cox is asking to be thrown in jail in a solitary confinement chamber... so that's where all the hippies go?

and if the song wasn't erie enough, then they had to go and do a video with slow motion tango dancers?

radiohead - gagging order

2009-06-10T07:46:00.001-07:00

so i'm another year wiser, akin to this track.
'gagging order' is one of my favorite bsides by radiohead.
so simple for a band of such complexity.

in this one take miracle, a lone acoustic tinkers in a country style hammering technique. perhaps it's slightly off in timing because thom yorke didn't want any remixes. the vocals are slow, meditated, and reassuringly disarming. yorke's vocal presence marks him a worn out performer, maybe a magician whose 'illusions' have all been torn apart and discovered; yet for unknown reasons passers by continue to prod him for an song/act he performed years ago. instead of spitting in their faces, as he did in younger years, he only musters enough force to raise a hand and wave them away. while coursing through his routine self-administering medication 'just to take the edge off' his normal day, he assures them, he is 'just a body, there's nothing left to see.' the most powerful thing to me about this song is despite his exhausted tone, you can still literally feel the much larger capacity and depth just below the surface.

apologies for the lack of posting, if you are reading

brand new - jesus christ

2009-06-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

this track means a lot to me right now. i was honored when my guitar played this song on stage in front of me. thank you, jesse.

beginning with the solidarity of constant chords being plucked like worn out stairs, walked up and down in an almost death march pace. a hopeful lead emerges and gives the feel of the sun emerging from torrential rain. jesse lacey's vocals are almost uttered in poetic rhythm, somber and alone. as harmonic shards fade in and out of the song, nothing can break the momentum of the seemingly canned drums. this is the feel when you've lost control on the unfamiliar dark road you are speeding down. the look of your eyes straining to find where you will fall eventually as everything slows in a fatal slow motion blur. as the music builds, lacey's screams haunt you like the smell of the dust off the airbag. did you evade death or have you changed from the first person to the third?

where's my phoenix now?

van she - here with you

2009-05-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

'here with you' is an electro-psych-surf-shoegaze track from the aussie band van she named after, (surprise!), the lead singer matt van schie.

a dark bass riff ala 'lust for life' beat emerges and gives way to a sprinkling of light percussion, akin to wind dancing upon roofs of grass huts. the vocals on the verses, begin with a robert plant bouncing technique and play on the surf rock guitars bending with phasers. invoking imagery of a lazy rave on a beach in the middle of the night; the sole illumination of the moon, comprised of thousands of glow sticks burning out and in, piercing the darkness. the movement stopping for a brief break before returning, the bass slopping like waves on the shore in a futile effort to tear the sand away. is the tide only unmasking what lies beneath?

"running out naked in the truth of you, only know the seas through the seasons of change, it will never be this good with you, it will never be this good again"

thee more shallows - cloisterphobia

2009-05-28T10:42:00.001-07:00

in one of those moods where i'm so overwhelmed things begin to slow down.
somehow 'cloisterphobia' by thee more shallows comes on and although it may not muster enough to soothe me, it calms me in the same vein as exhaling one of those long breaths to hear your ribcage pop.

'cloisterphobia' demonstrates thee more shallows ability to accent percussion in all of their instrumentation. all three of thee shallows are experienced drummers, by the way. from the interwoven softly plucked guitar, to the delicately whispered dialogue and the incessant tapping of a snare, everything is about timing. the swaying organic synth swoons over the already momentous moodiness, drafting this feeling that even though everything is put together so scrupulously, there is a clear undertone of laziness which encapsulates the whole thing. as songwriter dee kesler sings "to celebrate..." (bejeweled with sarcasm) the rhythm changes and a chorale with never ending vocal capacities strikes a hymnal tone until the choir faints and the song fades to fragmentation.

sardonic, in every sense of the word.

advance apologies about the video, it's probably a high school project.

phoenix - wolfgang amadeus phoenix

2009-05-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

there has been a good deal of internet buzz about phoenix's new album wolfgang amadeus phoenix. the title of the album and track 'lisztomania' tongue in cheek throwbacks to classical composers. a stab at the pomp behind classical composers, or nod back towards classical compositions?

wolfgang amadeus phoenix doesn't blaze new territories with the french quartet's signature blend of funk/pop/alt vibes, but they do employ some deep resonating synths to channel a darker shadow on their playful image. despite the dark texture, thomas mars' vocals remain unsinkable with syncopation, youth and naivety.

while many tracks dangle usual phoenix pop hooks, jangly guitar rhythms and skipping bass lines akin to sounds of united, wolfgang amadeus phoenix finds the band more spatially aware. '1901' and 'lisztomania' will find you uncontrollably bobbing your head to tunes which could totally have been remixed off the band's first album with added guttural, buzzing synths. this new found sense of space will surely draw comparisons to another distant french cousin (air) with synthmospheric tracks like 'love like a sunset part 1' and the break near mid 'rome.' of course it goes without saying they will continue to be likened to the strokes, (although i hear more albert hammond jr).

wolfgang amadeus phoenix finds phoenix darker; but only for a moment like the short boy who walks into house of mirrors to make himself taller. phoenix's texture and imagination are what really adds to the depth.

menomena - my my

2009-05-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

'my my' is late track on menomena's friend or foe, a mixed up, yet cohesive and collective album.

starting with a warbling organ, twisted together with plinky acoustic guitar and swooping bass, the quirky nature of the song battles between the constant pull of the organ and cut/paste punch-ins. this spawns the spontaneity of shifting guitar parts and other random instruments including glockenspiels, synths and wood blocks. the song really has two crescendos relying on hushed campfire vocals to construct the climax. as the song fades, toy pianos shimmer, as if to reassure you it's just a dream. my favorite part though, is the distorted guitar sample which continually tries, (unsuccessfully), to offset the elements of the song.

no album version on youtube so here's a live version followed by a last.fm link for the album version.

Here is the last.fm link

kid loco - tracy (remix)

2009-05-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

it's the beginning of the week and i'm really sick. i could barely think yesterday and i was surprised i was able to complete basic functions at work. today i've been sweating it out at home.

'tracy' was written mogwai and this interpretation by kid loco has always held me hostage. not in the bank robbery way with the gun to the back of your head, but in an eerie, calming manner. beginning with tribal congas and spacy synth sounds, the steady bass lead emerges, embroidered with twinkling piano arpeggios and what could be a phased out guitar. everything dissolves into one big swirling sound as the main drums kick in, with occasional unearthly synthesized whale calls. it's easy to find comfort in this ocean of noise.

torche - healer

2009-05-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

in honor of alex's show at the showbox at the market, i'm going to post something a little more heavy.

torche is out of florida and despite the associations usually indicative of a florida band, they are a bulldozer. add 1 droning sympathetic string squeal, a pumpkins-like rhythm guitar with aggressive drumming ala dave grohl bringing me back to nirvana's glory days. as guttural and raw as 'healer' comes across, it still manages to sheen with gunmetal finish; you know, like that guy's car in high school with the hand painted skull.

happy friday

the cinematics - keep forgetting

2009-05-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

the cinematics are out of scotland. there are a number of reminders of their origin, whether it be a franz ferdinand-esque riff, bubbly bass or simple synths. 'keep forgetting' is off their arguably great lp a strange education, which blends spacey guitars ala u2, poppy vocals and mostly upbeat tracks.

if you want an idea of their sound, take a franz ferdinand verse guitar riff, add a chorus in the vein of dandy worhols and overlay vocals from kele from bloc party. the result isn't a sound you've never heard, but it's polished and constructed solidly. and i would be shocked if you don't have "there's something i keep forgetting..." stuck in your head.

rilo kiley - the good that won't come out

2009-05-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

another wave of melancholy and i'm listening to rilo kiley.

a canned beat, with a dancy guitar lead open up 'the good that won't come out,' a testimonial to lost potential. being a child star, jenny lewis doesn't sing with empathy, (no one ever said stars were always happy). add a slide guitar and throw down a rambling rhythm section in the end; you've got a hard hitting, passionate and honest song.

muse - new born

2009-05-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

muse is a band out of britain, who routinely sells out stadiums in other countries and has only recently blown up in the u s of a. 'knights of cydonia' crafted muse's sound as futuristic surf rock, while 'super massive black hole' found likeness in britney spears, but, come on, their sound is much more complex than either of those comparisons.

'new born' is off the origin of symmetry, muse's second album, which finds them pulling from a broader range of influences.

beginning melodically with chiming piano and bubbly bass; the song finally gives into it's more brutal dark side with a dirty guitar mirrored by the bass. the guitar flavourings ranging from hard rock riffage, to skanky chicken scratching, then to full blown open chords; this song blends all these stylings together flawlessly. matt bellamy's vocal range is incredible, bordering on the operatic level.

logh - yellow lights mean slow down, not speed up

2009-05-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

logh is a band out of sweden. pretty much unheard of west of the atlantic. my friend jason, passed this track to me; i'm not quite sure how he found them.

'yellow lights mean slow down, not speed up' is off their album everytime a bell rings an angel gets his wings'. the track opens with a soft lullaby guitar lead while a saturated rhythm guitar sheds single strums. as the song picks up a slide guitar gently sweeps into the frame and it carries the thematic melody until the distorted outro. the vocals remain hushed mutterings about neon lights and what quite possibly could be the future. difficult to understand, but then again the whole concept is abstract.

air - universal traveler

2009-05-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

this song, off air's talkie walkie, is a calmer display of the band's repertoire. their mix of techno and acoustic guitar sculpts a sound which soothes the soul similarly to a mother robot beeping a lullaby her human baby. the constant click of the wood blocks and thumping of obvious electronic percussion, make way for the occasional synth which glides effortlessly over the melody of the guitar. the vocals maintain a distance with robotic like jumping within keys, but breathe in androgynous tones.

sigur ros - untitled 3

2009-04-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

yep, it's been a long month. yet short at the same time.
i'm feeling mixed up and listening to a sigur ros track, "untitled 3" off the album (); reminding me to slow down and take everything in. the simple and melodic piano draws deeper breaths, like a slow lapswimmer training to span the atlantic ocean. waves of ebow'ed strings and synths build slower than any squall imaginable. rather than throw the dedicated swimmer off, the swells build the speed and seem to even stretch time itself in the same sense as a flipbook effect triggers our persistence of vision.

slow, delicate and breathtaking.

say hi - one, two... one

2009-04-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

say hi continues to amaze me with his relevance and sincerity; even through sarcasm. add these to his other claims to fame: he can write an albums worth of material about vampires; signature self deprecating humor and his blend of poppy, upbeat and goth-esque at the same time.

this is a track off his newest oohs and aahs entitled 'one, two... one'. it's bluesy rooted guitar hooks in front of the mashed keys and pep band drums, (which for the record are done with reason and still sound damn live). on the new album eric's vocals have this ghostly reverb presence which almost appears before he sings.

this should be his next single (hint, hint)

youtube won't embed, so check out the album version here

or below for a live performance

beck - lost cause

2009-04-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

my favorite track off 2002's sea change, beck tosses aside his silly side to craft a seriously thematic, country-esque track. this testimonial references so many of those who have been in a failing relationship despite the best of their efforts. 'lost cause' is the wake of calm felt after the fighting; a deep understanding that further actions are useless and surprising enough, the collapse is much more alluring than imagined.

pieced together by clips of vocal snippets, the brilliance of simple plucked acoustic guitar strings and laid back vocals, 'lost cause' reiterates the fragility and beauty in relationships.

the national - brainy

2009-04-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

it's friday and i feel upbeat, optimistic and a little silly. in that light i'm going to post about a song which shines in my current mood and sticks out in a dark and sarcastic album (i'm not putting the album down).

as many other bands i'm in love with, the national still practices the lost art of creating albums. yes, an album used to be a collection of songs which fit together in a holistic sense to craft a story, sentiment or just a theme. currently the music industry is shying away from albums since the popularity of singles has risen during the current digital age.

the national's boxer from two years ago was from start to finish a complete album. backed by a dark canvas, boxer has moments of seriousness, silliness, optimism, pessimism, honesty, sarcasm and overall drunkenness. the track i'm posting 'brainy' is possibly just an inner dialogue of a boyfriend trying to impress his lady with booksmarts. the persistent upbeat drum work is the spine of the main character, the churping guitar falling like streetlights onto him. horns envelop this picture, distinct but only from an arm's length.

happy friday

working for a nuclear free city - je suis le vent

2009-04-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

working for a nuclear free city is a band that i randomly came upon while perusing a sonic boom records store. their texture, complexity and diversity within their music is astounding. businessmen and ghosts is an inexpensive and gigantic catalog of their style which blends most elements of modern alt rock with techno and even club music at times.

the song which translates to 'i am the wind' in french, immediately invokes aerial imagery of scattered city lights at night, sparkling and winking while cold wind holds the aircraft in place. the feeling of isolation starkly contrasted with an inner warmth and comforting nature.

enjoy

modeselektor - happy birthday

2009-04-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

in recognition of my friend adam's birthday today, i'm putting up a song entitled 'happy birthday' off modeselektor's incredible album happy birthday. the song progresses from an airy lead which builds and builds until you are swept off your feet with a warbling synth. the commotion is finally brought back down to earth with kraftwerk-esque bleeps.

happy birthday, my figga

mother mother - hayloft

2009-04-20T15:42:00.001-07:00

very excited about this band from vancouver b.c. they just released their second album in two years. this track comes off o my ♥, an eclectic, thoroughly layered and youthful record. the album, is fantastic from start to finish and their live show leaves nothing more to desire.

both o my ♥ and their previous touch up are amazing and can be replayed for hours, do yourself a favor and check them out.

shearwater - 'rooks'

2009-04-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

so, i've had a new idea, which i'm going to post songs from bands i believe to be excellent discoveries and see what you think.

shearwater is a band from austin, texas which found two members from okkervil river collaborating. there recent album rook blended jonathan meiburg's knowledge of ornithology, haunting vocals and guitars and dulcimers.

i hope you like it

here is my favorite from rook entitled rooks

the national/menomena - moore theater 9-19-08

2008-09-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

wow. if i keep going to only great shows, could it possibly make me more of a music snob?

first of all, i'm going to try to be brief with my criticism of the crowd. they are getting to be more and more obtrusive it seems as i get older, but that could be part of the process. to the woman exalting in orgasmic yesses during 'fake empire- no the drummer doesn't have to be cued and no it's probably not the greatest social tendency to scream "do that shit!" after every drum fill. i didn't know if she was drunk or just plain vanilla stupid, but she will go in the vaults under annoying.

menomena

after hearing my brother rant about this band various occassions, i finally got the opportunity to see why. their cd, i feel is a bit drier and calculating then their live show, (most good bands are), even though they are so technical and precise.

like most of my brother's favorite music their set started with some white noise as the drummer madly pantomimed his drumming. he looked delirious, as in a trance like state and then in a split second he began beating the holy hell out of his kit. it reminded me of a surgeon but one whose incisions are more akin to being stabbed by a deranged junky on the ave, albeit one who navigates around your liver with extreme accuracy, pulls it out and puts it on an alter as a sacrifice. the bearded bassist/guitarist/alto saxophonist is definitely one of the better bassists i've seen with seasoned moves on the fretboard. the keyboardist/ebowing guitarist/singer was amazing. mostly he danced lightly on the keyboard but he later brought out some huge sounds more a la concertos. he sung most of my favorite song, wet and rusting, which was amazing.

then came time to set up for the national. a lot of seats had been vacant, some were filled but a ton of people went to the front, which i've never seen, mind you i've only been on the lower floor for sigur ros in 2002. thank god the stage seating which still gave us perfect view despite "crazy dancer" next to me who continued to sway to and fro like a drunken bear. i just have a notion that the national brings out the drinker in us, and yes we must have sat next to more than a couple of fans full of liquid fuel for the national.

the band got on the stage after a brief video about co-ops which was awesome. i'm a big fan of local farms and fresh food. the national came onstage, matt was wearing dark rimmed glasses and seemed a less drunk than the last show, and they chose to open with 'start a war'. this time there was no violin added by padma newsome, but someone was in his place playing keys and working with a whole arsenal of pedals.

we were very excited to see the national was flanked this time by a bassoon, a trombone and a trumpet; excellent to have backing such a well rounded cd as boxer. they were really overpowering at first, but they adjusted the volume to a nice level later. the band had a really strong performance, playing all of boxer but my favorite ‘guestroom’ and ‘gospel’ and decided to throw in a couple of older songs which were a good surprise, including 'abel', 'secret meeting', and 'mr. november', which they are selling shirts with obama's mug on.

matt continues to go all out on stage, apparently he quit smoking recently and was complaining that his voice doesn't go as far as it used to since then. he jokingly asked for a cigarette and then said "no, that's bad". his voice was in dire straits near the end of the concert, bordering on the side of deep croaks, but he still puts 110% into the show and as his voice strains more, the songs seem to hit a more emotive vein. another funny berninger quip was him dedicating 'abel' to menomena and the croc who closed shortly after the show they played last there with menomena. matt was going on to talk about percentages of dedication and kept changing his mind. he paused and then quizzed "so is it clear? who this is dedicated to?"

they chose to end it on the song 'mr. november'. very fitting for the election:
"i won't fuck us over, i'm mr. november" - possibly echoing all our political fears

great show

radiohead - in rainbows

2007-12-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

1st review-

radiohead - in rainbows

apart from this being the most anticipated album for me, (well technically two, if you count the second disk included in the diskbox); i was anticipating more exactly how this album was going to make it into my impatient eardrums. as many radiohead fans, i already heard numerous 'new' songs which were to make it on the new album which, in the beginning, was vaguely more than a whisper amongst fans starved for a new shiny disc to spin. once news broke there was indeed a new album, radiohead, (one of the most innovative bands), decided to not deliver the cellophane jewel... well, not immediately. limiting it's release to 160 kbps, audiophiles were wailing as much in agony as in excitement.

in rainbows, may come across as more of a personal memoir at times, echoing fantastical cravings, youthful perceptions and evils of a temptation; other parts of in rainbows seem much more conscious of its large audience.

the opening track '15 step', strides out strutting. as most of the starting tracks on radiohead albums, it attempts to offset any preconceived notions of just exactly what you are getting into. electronic high hats, blipping bass and computerized claps through back to thom yorke's the eraser until it collides with an extremely bluesy guitar provided by jonny greenwood. yorke's voice maintains as a motif while the song continues to progress, adding more layers of seeming percussion with the occasional synth warble.

the second track: 'bodysnatchers', throws an avid radiohead fan into the bends timeline. a big fuzzy guitar with plenty of greenwood guitar squeals and yorke's frantic vocals claw for your attention. as he is declaring how he has "no idea what you are talking about", the song quickly fades into an acoustic guitar driven by haunting distortion alto guitars. all at once the song builds to a crescendo with the fuzzy bass line leading the way, where it tames back down, just saving enough energy for the final frantic stab.

'nude' is a radiohead fan favorite which has been floating around for some time now. it's original version was accompanied by an organ you would hear in the local presbyterian church. the song begins swirling softly backward as a hint of its different direction. more of an ethereal mix of 'punch up at the wedding' 's bass with harmonizing vocals akin to 'i will', the song echoes the treachery of seducing someone.

'weird fishes / arpeggi' has had a couple of makeovers. after debuting at the ether festival and then being scored and played with nazareth orchestra. the song is, in essence, loops of arpeggios which melodically churn into an inescapable texture. in the end, the ondes martinot looms above and you could quite possibly find yourself unable to untangle yourself from the dancing ocean floor.

a newer song, 'all i need' is derived from a warbling electric guitar and a bass clef of piano cleverly disguised by a synthesizer. the vocals recount past lives and inanimate details of lives, be it an animal trapped inside parked cars or days you ignore. amidst of all these symbolic symbiotic relationships, yorke throws in more than a dash of a grand piano and hints of a brass section and gives a taste of his amazing vocal capacity to garnish the crescendo.

the next song, many thought would be a refreshing filler sans vocals such as 'treefingers' or 'hunting bears'. in actuality, 'faust arp' turns out to sound more like 'blackbird' with light finger plucking acoustic guitars, gentle assuring vocals and soaring swing arrangements.

'reckoner' was a complete surprise to me. being one of the few thousand to witness the first and only performance of the original 'reckoner' at the gorge in 2001, i expected the raunchy thudding bass line with eccentric wails i took in over six years ago. a song which had heard when sitting on the ground waiting for the gates to open when, amongst many well known pieces, came this ugly and vulgar pulsating song which couldn't have been radiohead... at least i had thought. after being proven wrong in front of my own eyes at the show, i was sure i wouldn't be tricked again... but i fell to another transformation. the leading percussion recalls the rolling stones with more maracas and an ambling guitar which seems to find rhythm by coincidence. the result is breath taking, and after dedicating the song 'all of you' or proposing 'did i cater to all of your needs?' the song breaks down for a syrupy string seranade briefly only to return to the throbbing percussion and guitar while raising a bass line. as yorke's vocals seem to stretch into eternity, it's almost as you are engulfed in the sun's rays and the day turned into a holiday.

'house of cards' is an interesting radiohead song. most interesting because it is a bit of a love song; a bossa nova-esque guitar with a melody which would start hula dancer's waists shaking. it's also one of the more boring radiohead songs i've ever heard. jonny greenwood's guitar work with pickslides resembles airplanes taking off.

'jigsaw falling into place' practically bounces off your earbuds. the quick syncopation of the quickly strummed acoustic guitars, the jumping bass, to the jangling electric. yorke's vocals begin calmly almost as he is taking in a battlefield right before the battle. as the song builds, more urgency slips out until he becomes as animated as a baptist preacher on a rant depicting the casualty unfolding, 'you can feel it on your back'.

when i first heard 'videotape', i couldn't do much less than marvel at it's complexity. i downloaded a live version from a concert in berkely and fell in love. the lyrics were so simple, yet so powerful. in the live version, jonny greenwood's guitar accompanies yorke's piano and the drums gather themselves and roll up into almost a smith' s feel to the glorious finish. the version on in rainbows is resonates completely differently. it feels much more private; a video only his loved ones will ever see the light of, not legions of fans spanning nations. as stripped as it is, it much more resembles a track off the eraser rather than a radiohead project. the bass steps into the picture much earlier than the live version and overlays of thom's melodic harmonies all collide framing a breathtaking but frantic picture; as if trying to summarize his fondest memories in moments. the themes are still epic, as epic to me as 'a day in the life' and as the song dies down, off kilt metronomes try to offset thumping minimalist tom toms until the piano falls quiet on sustain.

radiohead is always moving in different directions and this album finds the continuing the search to discover more, from within the music and further. the album flows unlike most music on shelves today and most likely will not be grasped by people looking for some sweet singles to put on their ipod to work out with or to bump home in their suburban. when i came to the end of the album, i must admit i was a bit disappointed in videotape, the album ended on a much more melancholy note than i had expected. the live version was so much more emphatic and positive.

we are always much more intrigued by diminishing chords than by major chords, i've been told by a very wise person. often we derive more depth and meaning from a book where the lovable main character dies, rather than living a happy live in the bubblegum forest. just listen to videotape as the closing chapter in the novel.

middle school music tastes

2006-11-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

i find middle school consists of many similar thematic components: baggy clothes, cliques, terrifying hairstyles and one of the broadest spectrums of music out of any of the primary schools. during the same period i was deceiving my father into purchasing cords sized 42 in the waist to cover my impressive size 24 waist, (maybe i contemplated smuggling gallons of milk in them?) i was discovering there were more musical tastes around me than jellybelly flavors.

to some of the less informed, (and the more ridiculed), children's music was still a staple; but i imagine they were forced to speak of it in dark corners during recess. being from a smaller town, we also had our share of country music fanatics, a group who was mainly girls and boys with gigantic cowboy boots and names like travis and justin. then there were the trendy kids. some picked up rap artists and pop, but i found myself sticking mainly to alternative music. yes, i do admit that i did buy some music which i would turn red in the cheeks to mention today, but it helped me find my taste today.

green day, weezer, soundgarden, (the) smashing pumpkins, nirvana and radiohead were just a few names which I became thoroughly aquainted with during middle school. nirvana had carried over from elementary school and was establishing it's presence as a motif through my lifetime and james had introduced me to most of the rest with the exception being radiohead.

my brother jay and i started playing the guitar halfway through our seventh grade careers, largely due to us winning a bet with our parents to not watch television for two years. the acquisition of the guitars led to us having a better understanding of what we listened to while providing a new found appreciation for the compositions themselves. through playing with friends, i also found out about new music learning different guitar parts.

elementary tastes

2006-11-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

between late elementary school and early middle school my musical tastes had begun to expand in ways that are considered to be pretty routine for a young male. during phooseball outings at james' house, we bathed in blaring music which just faintly masked our vulgar outbursts. (hey, i couldn't help it if my defenders never had enough pledge to respond in time.) through the aftermath which consisted of my twin and i hurling cheaply molded plastic spheres in our best budding pitcher forms, a slew of bands ravaged our pristine virgin ears.

these bands were formed from what could have been considered the depths of a new social movement which could be defined as "grunge". ah, the mere breath of the word or the bands names (which unwillingly were bound and gagged to the term) caused so much despair in parental units; it was always a favorite sight to behold. james had been enlightened by his older brother to the scene which had just bloomed (or decayed) in Seattle, a town seemingly light years away despite the 2 and a half hour commute, which seems to be nothing now that i'm here.

i still remember more about the first time i uttered the poster band's name than when i first heard them play. when I had mentioned that i listened to a band named nirvana, my mother really didn't understand what that meant, but her friend did. the color fell from my mother's friend's face and my mother looked as though she was trying to think of the solution to solving a calculus problem i wouldn't even fathom until high school. james had given me a rebel's outfit in many parent's eyes with the simple touch of a play button. the screeching guitar wails mimicked the piercing shrills of vocal chords strained past their limit seemed to cast a dark shadow over all the parents and their idea of how a small, isolated town should guide their children from the foul, angst filling which begets youth around middle school days.

my favorite by Nirvana was a song called "heart shaped box" which contained lyrics professing to wish to "eat your cancer, when you turn black". to me, for reasons i will most likely never understand, the song stood for romance. sure, freud could spit out a number of reasons for anyone to stretch a meaning so distant from all reason, but this was the element of music; definitions can vary as much as eskimo words for snow and can be as simple and caustic as "shit". i was shocked when many of my friends didn't know the beatles and equally shocked that every single one of them knew who tlc was. Coming up next: the middle (school) ages...

humble beginnings

2006-10-16T23:07:00.000-07:00

i wanted to start my blog on music with a very small background on who i am and how i've begun my life listening to my own soundtrack.

memories pop into my mind as quickly as the melodies crowded my ears growing up. some of my first musical memories, (other than the absolute horror of children's records my mother felt the maternal urge to assault my eardrums with), came from pop harmonies, whether it was the beatles (some of my early and continuing favorites) or simon and garfunkle with soft, simple, yet poignant verses. aside from the beatles, most of the music i enjoyed purely on the level as a student learning a foreign language by immersion; one of the most elemental ways to indulge, because while listening, there can be no judging of content. of course i do remember countless evenings singing alongside mccartney to "rocky raccoon", one of my past and present favs; bouncing from vowel to vowel in a tone i'm sure would only attract the audience of a family of deaf coyotes.

as i grew older, as many of us do, i became enamored with what syllables escaped from my lips. it wasn't as much quality at times, but i tried to parrot every single word i took in during my thoughtless, childbabble youth. whether it was sculpting my lips to create the perfect "bungalow" or focusing on the maximum amount of saliva i could shoot while pittering "prudence" (who would know i am a fan of the white album); i was working on becoming one of the great contortionists with my mouth, engaging in some of what could be classified as jibberjabber onslaughts. words flew, bounced off walls, collided with companions and were shot right back at me through the force that was my twin brother. i swear to you, i am... i was just trying to give a background, only a simple background.

as i grew older my taste moved with my mother's, as i had been occasionally pierced through the middle by country music artists my dad professed to enjoy. i listened to a good deal of sting and phil collins, which piled on top of the beatles, did much to aid my obsession with british music. i will admit to listening to many albums which cause a great many of my friends to melt down and between laughing fits and controlling their bowels cast me a look which only begins to punish me for the absurdity i had just spit out. yes, "nothing like the sun" was a consistent favorite and surely, at that age i had been destined to follow up delilah, devoting love struck ballads to sappy 30 somethings as they admitted within their pathetic existence, the romantic ballad they shared with their loved one is "more than words". although i will admit today, i think the guitar part and vocal harmonies are timeless; the song is simply one of the most cliche and thoughtless songs a couple could dedicate to a love life, (obviously indicating they would be more accepted if they dressed in flowing gowns singing hari krishna and downing poison jello in the middle of the busiest street, which I would have believed Tieton to be at my age).

to be continued...