Turning Up the Volume

Hmm...ramblings...

2008-10-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

I am having trouble focusing on another assignment, so I thought it would be best if I were to get some ramblings out of my head.

First off, I decided to forgoe the music video topic, it was too taxing, and I don't like having a set outcome for my blog. It's just not fun. Second off, I did get a comment about treadmills, in case anyone was wondering how efficient they were with exercise, etc...

And now, on to more pressing issues. The last day to register to vote is October 6th (I believe), see this link for answer to questions. The sooner you apply to vote the better. Also, don't forget to apply for absentee ballots! This election will probably end up being a very messy election--and one to go down in history.

On that note, I leave you with a couple of songs. The first is Bright Eye's "When the President Talks to God" and the second is Sage Francis's "Slow Down Ghandi." Music has and will always be a formative tool in getting the word out to the masses.

Video Kill the Radio Star...

2008-09-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Last time I mentioned that 1980s gave birth to the music video, increasing the creative license of the artists and in some cases adding a new dimension to the song. As most things go, the 1980s music videos were slightly over the top. New technologies were being developed and used in everyday life, and people were just getting the hang of digitally adding in images for whatever purposes.

Truth be told, the 1980s videos were as over the top as their songs were. Most of the videos that are remembered today include zany battle scenes with over obvious digital add ins. Now-a-days musicians still add the awkward out of the ordinary digital images, however, the graphic designers have learned how to scale down the "cut out" effect, or even blend the colors into the live action shots a little better.

Still, though there are the songs that are more remembered for their music videos than their songs, or even their entire album or career. What songs of today are outlived by the music video?

My first thought goes straight to OK Go's "Here We Go Again," where the band does an elaborate and very well practiced rutine on a bunch of treadmills. The band won a Grammy for the video, as well as being voted the most creative video on YouTube. A few of my friends cannot even remember the band name, the song title, or anything else outside of the treadmills.

One of my favorite music videos is the Red Hot Chili Pepper's video for "Can't Stop," the video goes through various montages of crazy arts, crazy antics; the standard Chili Pepper style. At the end of the video there is a sign recognizing the video as being made in honor of Erwin Wurm, and his "One Minute Statues."

What I find so refreshing about these kinds of music videos is how simplistic, yet complicated they are. Additionally, the musicians seem to be having the time of their life--which is one of the main factors of music.

On the other spectrum we have music videos that speak with a message, a clear cut example of what the musician finds wrong in the world, possible ways to fix it--or even just explicitly stating that their are issues in the world.

I'll continue on that note tomorrow, or the next day. Seriously, though, yell at me when I don't post frequently. Sometimes throwing your anger in my face is the only thing that gets me working.

1980s, music videos, and general ramblings

2008-09-04T13:22:00.001-07:00

As I was getting ready for the day yesterday I tuned into Bob Biolen's "All Songs Considered," which turned out to be one of the more humorous episodes to date. It was entitled, "The 1980's: Were they really that bad?" I was tempted to say, "Yes, of course. Why even discuss this issue?"

But as the guests reminded me there were the certain 80s rockers that broke away from the glitter scratch-n-sniff sticker that came out of every vending machine record label--such as The Cures's "Friday I'm in Love," Journey's "Anyway You Want It," or "Don't Stop Believin'," The Starship's "We Built this City," Simple Mind's "Don't You Forget About Me," among others.

But even these classic titles forever held in our minds as a solid representation of "good" music from the 1980's have been reduced to headphones since the introduction of iPods; where guilty pleasures are taken to a new height. Excluding, of course, Journey--which can only be brought out once the BAC level reaches an extrodinary high, knowing full and well that you will not remember it the next day.

So, what was it about the 1980s that made the music suck? Was it the synthesizers? Was it the keytar? Was it the cloud of hair spray that followed everyone? Was it George Micheal's white t-shirt with big, black, bold "Choose LIFE" in his video for "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"?

More to the point...what did the 1980s leave us with? The 1950s up until the mid to late 1970s are strife with emotion, change, demand, and most importantly a voice. The 1980s are fueled by drugs, sex, and hair spray; leaving the end result emotionless and tacky.

But, the 1980s did give us something to look back on and appreciate: music videos. In some cases the music videos were more popular than the song itself, causing the listeners to be more aware and excited for the video than the actual song.

A good example is a-ha's "Take On Me," which is a really great video and if you're 16 years old, cruzing around in your newly bought freakishly old beat up used car, it's a good listen too. More popular was Devo's "Whip It"--which gained such a noteriety as a music video that cheap shops started making the emphamis red hats, and college kids across the nation can still be seen pulling out the hats and re-inacting the music video.

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This post was supposed to transition into the modern day music video, but I rambled more than I anticipated and got distracted by other music forces outside the blogging world. So, look out for it later on!

Schools back...

2008-08-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Summer has end. School is back in session. It feels as if it never ended, as it always does. The teachers are assigning work, and I'm procrastinating. Not matter how many semesters go by I always do the same song and dance.

"This year I'm going to be ahead of the assignments. I'm going to read ahead and stay on top." Well, two days into the semester I've already begun to procrastinate and push off doing my homework to a later time.

On the bright side I did get a couple of cool things over the summer: first and foremost a new 35 mm digital SLR. So look forward to better and more frequent band shots. Second: a greater appreciation for the John Butler Trio.

I spent a month in Australia, doing volunteer work and backpack along the eastern coast of Australia. It was pretty amazing, while I knew who John Butler was before going to Australia I did not have nearly as great of an appreciation for him. Perhaps it's because Australia radios either play really crappy annoying songs, such as the highly repetitive and attention craved "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry, or John Butler.

While I as in Australia I didn't manage to make it out to any shows or to buy any CDs a new bands. I wrote a couple of bands down that I'm going to have to check out; such as the Waifs, the Sunpilots, among others that I can't recall off the top of my head. One night in particular stands out as an amazing night of fun, life, and definitely music.

The night started out in a cheap tourist packed bar aptly named The Cheeky Monkey. At the Cheeky Monkey there were grotesque and degrading games to win prizes; the prizes mainly consisted of alcohol. The worst game of all was strip musical chairs, where the same 30 second carnival tune was played on repeat. If you lost your seat, you simply took off clothing to stay in the game.

The bar was fill with beckoning men and a slew of half clad women in no time, and I was out the door. I probably lasted about 5 minutes of the game before I had to get out. On my way home my friend Ryan and I passed by a bar which was blasting some amazing sounding acoustic guitar.

There was no cover charge. The drinks were stronger (!!!). And there were few, very few tourists. The guitarist played a rang of music from the late 1960s to present day, covering all the essentials: Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Oasis, early Green Day.

And now, I am back here. Half way around the world, and a good 32 hours of various plane rides to get to the bar. Here's the new semester. I haven't exactly set out what I am doing this semester, yell at me when I don't post frequently. I give in easy to anger.

Oh schnickeys, I missed my cue....oh, wait, did I?

2008-04-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

From my previous experiences with musical performances—especially with musical performances for my school, I knew that appearance was just as important as our musical quality. For performances from 6^th grade and on, I stressed over every detail on my outfit; the outfit only became more impertinent once I reached high school, where students were denied their right to perform if they showed up to competitions wearing the wrong color socks. So, during our interview about a week ago when I agreed to play “iPod 2” in Dr. Jesse Guessford's concert I was a little taken aback when he told me to show up in street clothes; just as long as I had my score, iPod, and a stop watch.

On my drive back to my apartment all I could think was “Wow, seriously. This is going to be awesome, I love casual performances.” And then came the email with the aptly titled PDF file “Safety Guide,” and my thoughts immediately changed to “Um, what? How? ...?!!” And all I could think of was what did I get myself, or more importantly, what did I get my iPod into? And how was I going to be able to pull off this intricate development of skipping, playing, and pausing all at once?

According to the program “Safety Guide” was inspired by the actual Safety Guide included with iPods, warning new iPod users of all the “dangers that can befall someone during the operation and maintenance of an iPod.” Keeping that in mind, I could only think back to the time where I was fiddling with my iPod in class; excessively clicking next on my playlist just to see what random songs would come up when my iPod froze. And it remained frozen until the battery wore out, which took about 10 hours. During our interview I asked Dr. Guessford what would happen if the iPod froze, he replied that it would become part of the song.

According to Dr. Guessford the beauty of this piece is the unexpected, which admittedly eased my tension about not performing up to par. The iPod players are given a score, which has endless possibilities and outcomes; it would be impossible to predict what would happen next. The score is, in essence, a map of boxes each containing three numbers, each box breaks off into two different paths. The boxes build up four levels to the climax before dwindling back down to a single box, where it repeats back to the beginning. The best way to explain it is, it's kind of like a choose your own ending novella, only with the beginnings of songs. Bret Rushia, who played iPod 1, said that the piece was interesting because it brought so many different musical spectrums to the table, and opened the piece up to any generation, genre, or medium of music.

Aside from “Safety Guide,” the concert featured seven other experimental pieces, not including the “this is just background noise,” created by Rushia during the 15 minute intermission. “Sound Exploration Compositions,” was with out a doubt one or the more interesting and intriguing concerts I have attended in awhile. The first piece “i have found,” took the e.e. cummings “i have found what you are like,” read by choreographers Joy DiLillo and Meghan Tornai. The readings were then mixed and arranged to create a modernistic reading of the poem, creating an array of feelings and emotions within the text—but also creating a history and background of the voices.

The crowd favorite was, by far, the third piece “Within,” Where, according to the program notes, Dr. Guessford was asked to tell the story of his life, which he chose to do using a variety of musical genres and textures of music. “Within,” proves that not all stories need to be told through words, sitting in the back of the auditorium I began matching up the growths and falls of the song with the standard growths and falls of life, and wondering what parts of the songs were parts of Dr. Guessford's musical life. Even minutes into the songs I lost count of all the possible musical influences and styles; only to surmise that Dr. Guessford must have one amazing musical library and a history to backup the tracks.

In contrast to Dr. Guessford's “choose your own ending” scores, Theresa Ashley presented her score for “Blut und Ere.” “Blut und Ere,” is a 20 minute short film by Aaro Keipi, Ashley wrote the soundtrack for Part 1 of the film. While the piece is more traditional in the score, Ashely broke away from the normal to have a string quintet play the score to a movie live. Which may sound a lot easier than it actually is, the musicians must have impeccable timing and phrasing, otherwise the music won't match the movie. Additionally, the musicians must pay close attention to the conductor's cues if they happen to get off beat.

The evening only got better after intermission, while one piece “Create” was not performed, it was replaced by another “choose your own ending” score of sorts. The skills of the composers and musicians kept rising with each piece performed, nearly every piece sounded as if it had been tediously rehearsed and penned to the very last note. I was almost in complete shock when I heard the musicians had just gotten their pieces Friday, three days before the concert. Even more in shock to learn that Matt Richardson would be making his debut on the Viola. However, in the spirit of the unexpected, everything sounded flawless. During intermission, Brandon Harris, who played Double Bass, joked that as long as he and Richardson almost began and almost ended together the piece will be well played.

The last piece instrumental piece was “Space Between Bullet and Target,” featuring a Violin (Matt Richardson), a Vibraphone (Dan Heagney), and a Double Bass (Brandon Harris). In the program notes Heagney adds that the piece is unique because is has the players both playing together and separately within the piece.

The concert also featured visual and sound performances, which for me were a little more abstract than I am normally used to, though it was intriguing. “Debatable,” took clips from of all the presidents (or all that I counted) since the birth of the debate on television and played them over top of each other. Some of the clips appeared to have been speed up, some may have been slowed down. Either way the clips, the repetition within sound, and the similar setting and structure within the presidential debates led to personal questions, though none as poignant as the program notes; “[Ask] not what that they can say in a sound-bite, but what we should say to them.”

For me, it's challenging to say that the concert was a success, which I think it was, but it is hard because of the theory of the unexpected. If everything is a part of the piece, and unexpected portions or add-ins are welcomed to the piece, how do you rate the performances of the night? Well, for one, had I not known that the pieces were learned mostly during rehearsal and that the musicians were playing unfamiliar instruments, I would not have been able to tell. All of the musicians approached the the unexpected with full force and turned it into the most intricate pieces of music. Additionally, there was only one technical problem with all of the electronics, which for someone like me, who encounters problems checking her email, is a huge success. And looking back on the technical problem, I find it ironic that it happened in the middle of Dr. Guessford's biographical “Within.” Thus proving that the unexpected within songs is truly warranted and can be turned into a pivotal point within the piece.

Photos by Lexi Soya.

Spring Break?

2008-03-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Spring Break is drawing to a scatter and quick halt, is there anyway to make time stop? I'm trying to get back into the whole school/writing mode, so here is the second installment of Name that Tune.

Hopefully this one will be a little bit harder than the last one. Thou, it's still one of my favorite songs so it shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

"Formulate affinity
Stored deep inside me"

Just a reminder the scores are:
Nelson: 3
Rebecca: 3
Juankoogai: 2

Experimental Expose at the Bistro...

2008-03-06T17:36:00.000-08:00

March 8, 2008: Free show at the Bistro (bottom level Johnson Center)

The show starts around 6:30, is completely free for anyone (student, faculty, random person roaming the JC for no reason) and is set to continue until midnight.

The show is featuring five different bands mainly from the Fairfax/Washington D.C. area, with one band from New York.

Dark Sea Dream, who describe themselves as "Psychedelic/Experimental/Zouk." Zouk is defined as, "a style of dance music that originated in Guadeloupe and Martinique, featuring Caribbean rhythms over a disco beat and played with electric guitars and synthesizers," by dictionary.com. The band only has two songs feature on their myspace, though the songs feature a enjoyable fusion of many styles of music, proving that maybe it's a good thing to revive disco beats?

Say No! To Architecture, who describe themselves as "Experimental, Abient, Psychedelic," on their myspace. Though the bulk of their music could be easily mistaken for noise, the band weaves beautiful harmonies in between the noisy stanzas. Say No! To Architecture's is the type of music that tells epic stories through their intricate use of noise and static.

Hume, who describes himself (and sometimes themselves?) as "Regional Mexican," whatever that means. After listening to the music it seems that the only way to describe Hume is as "Regional Mexican." Though you may try to, it's hard to stop yourself from becoming consumed by Hume's mix of voice overs, experimental instrumentations, and awkward lyrical work. It some how works in their favor.

Micah Shot A Hole in the Sky, who describes himself as "experimental/ambient/folk." I have to admit that this is the favorite of the five bands. I am not normally one for instrumental music, though there is something magical about msahints. The songs have an extremely beautiful flow from beginning to ending, additionally, there is an obvious admiration for space, time, and infinite possibilities within the songs.

Telegraph (Cloud drop in jars, azure), who describes himself as "Classical Opera and Vocal/Healing and Easylistening/Acousmatic/Tape Music," in addition to Textural Meditation. I think "textural meditation" sums up the sound of the band better than the five, plus other genres. While listening to the music I found myself drifting in and out of different moods as the songs progressed.

Judging from the songs available on their myspaces, I have to admit that the five bands have proven to me that there is a lot more to instrumental and experimental music than I have been giving it credit for.

Don't forget, it's FREE.
Saturday, March 8th, 2008.
Johnson Center Bistro (Bottom Floor)
George Mason University
4400 University Dr.
Fairfax, VA

_____________________________________________________________
And now for the results of yesterday's game: (drum roll, please!)

"The Past Recedes," John Frusciante from his Curtains album.

The scores are:
Nelson Culley: 3
Rebecca Gagliostro: 3
juankoogai: 2

Who wants to play a game?

2008-03-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

My class got out early and I don't have enough time to write a full blog before my next class begins, so I decided it was time to play a game.

Name That Tune

Here are the rules:
1. One (1) point will be awarded for properly naming the song.
2. One (1) point will be awarded for properly naming the artist
3. One (1) point will be awarded for properly naming the album
4. One-Half (.5) of a point will be awarded for naming any well known covers that have been released on albums. (You will have to provide the artist and album information for the half point)
5. I don't care if you cheat, just promise me that you'll actually listen to the song afterwards. Because that's the point of this game.

OK. Round One! (Don't worry, it's really easy)

I don't understand why clock out
Comes so slow every time

Good luck!

I don't know what the prize for the winner will be, or when I will finish the game. It all depends on how many people participate to be honest. If the song is available on Youtube, I will post the video with the answer the following day.

EDIT: I decided to turn on comment filtering so other users won't read the answers and either just go with it or become discouraged.

Why don't we just start celebrating now?

2008-03-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

Spring break is 2, maybe 2 and a half days away. Saint Patrick's day is only about two weeks away--if that. So why don't we start the decent of our Irish debauchery now? I mean, today does mark the release for Flogging Molly's fourth studio album Float, does it not?

I probably became interested in Flogging Molly during my angst teen years, you know the time where you need harsh drunken lyrics that you're bound to regret in the morning pounding from your car speakers as you scurry to the party. Hell, I still need those lyrics.

It's hard to imagine but Flogging Molly's main influences are: The Pogues, The Dubliners, Stiff Little Fingers, The Clash, and even country legend Johnny Cash. In all seriousness, it was the musical style that hooked me (even my Mom!) to Flogging Molly. It's an incredible fusion of punk, Celtic, country, raw talent, and a wide range of music.

With their new album, Flogging Molly seems to have lyrically toned down, while blasting the instrumentals the fullest possible decibel. Rather than their previous (though amazing) lyrics which were mainly centered around drinking problems, black outs, drunken anger, depression, I'm sure you get the idea--the newer songs seemed to be focused around a feeling, or personal growth within the band.

Yes, of course, there's drinking and debauchery--but there's something else. And it's that unnamed SOMETHING that keeps you inevitably coming back for more. The band has posted all of the songs from Float on their Myspace for previewing.

Flogging Molly -- Float (Live)

Happy Birthday to You...

2008-03-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

This blog, but mainly tonight's post (though a little bit late), is dedicated to the one person whose persistent guitar playing got me tuned into the acoustic guitar, bluegrass, folk, but utmost music at an incredibly early age--my Dad. Happy Birthday Dad.

When I was growing up I was taught that music wasn't just listened to, rather it was felt, created, and lively. My brothers, sister, and I were avidly encouraged to embrace music as a form of artist expression--among other things. Prior to 1999, 90 to 95 percent of the music that was heard in my house was played by one of us--but mainly by my Dad. And at all hours of the night.

I knew of one band who trampled over any other band's attempt at talent in my dad's eyes: The Allman Brothers Band, who remain a very prominent and influential band to this day, nearly 40 years after they founded.

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In 1969 a band formed from the efforts of the two leading brothers: Duane Allman and Gregg Allman, who had been in three previous band before. First, the Escortts, which turned into the Allman Joys (Does anyone want an Almond Joy?), and finally the Hour Glass. The Hour Glass released two albums under Liberty Records, both of which failed. Finally, on March 26, 1969 Duane Allman (slide guitar and lead guitar), Gregg Allman (vocals, organ), Dickey Betts (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, vocals), Berry Oakley (bass guitar), Butch Trucks (drums) and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson (drums) and called themselves "The Allman Brothers Band."

By 1971, just two years after they founded, the Allman Brothers had already been described as "the best damn rock and roll group this country has produced in the past five years," by Rolling Stone. Their legendary album Live at Fillmore East was released in July of '71, spiraling the band's popularity to it's highest point. Live at Fillmore East remains one of the most highly regarded albums to this day.

Barely three months later the band's high wound down an incredible low, Duane Allman, one of the founding members and guitarist, died in a motorcycle accident on October 29, 1971. Fans and fellow musicians mourned his death, many songs were dedicated in his honor (Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird," though it was written before he died.) and one fan even carved his name in sand stone (which remained there for over 10 years). The band's following album, Eat a Peach, was named in honor of Duane's often comical response to interviews.

"How are you helping the revolution?"
"There ain't no revolution, only evolution, but every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."

After Duane's death the band was mainly held together through the tireless efforts of bass player Berry Oakley, who also became the band's acting leader. On November 11, 1972--barely 13 months after Duane's death, Oakley was riding his motorcycle just three blocks away from the accident site where he too had a terrible accident. Oakley declined medical treatment and returned to the Big House, where the band was set to play; three hours later he was rushed to the hospital where he died of a skull fracture. They were both only 24 years old.

In 1998, the Georgia House of Representatives passed a legislation recognizing "a portion of State Highway 19 in Macon as 'Duane Allman Boulevard' and a bridge thereon as 'Raymond Berry Oakley III Bridge' in honor and remembrance of late founding members of the Allman Brothers Band; and for other purposes."

After Oakley's death the band continued to play and prosper through the years. Admittedly the band took a couple breaks along the way; 1976-78, and 1982-89. To this day the Allman Brothers Band is known for discovering talent at an early age. Including founding member Butch Truck's nephew, Derek Trucks. Derek began playing the guitar at 9 years old, by 11 he was touring with the Allman Brothers Band.

In 2003, The Rolling Stone ranked Duane number two on their list of the greatest guitar players of all time, only failing to Jimi Hendrix. Warren Hayes, who joined the band in 1989, was ranked Num. 24. Dickey Betts, founding member, was ranked Num. 58. Derek was ranked Num. 81 on the list.

Wilson Picket and Duane Allman -- Hey Jude

The Allman Brothers Band -- In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (Life at Fillmore East, 1970)

Music Stalking

2008-02-29T18:46:00.000-08:00

My brother kept telling me about this site called "last.fm" for over a year. Nearly every time we spoke he said "So, have you signed up for last.fm." And every time, I said "No, what's it like?" It's nearly become a college requirement to have a facebook, a social requirement to have a myspace--who wants another Web page lingering around in their cyber world?

And then came the night I couldn't sleep, so I caved and decided to see what it was like. Before I even signed up I realized that procrastinating and pushing off last.fm was probably one of the more stupid things I have done in my life. This site is amazing.

You create a list of friends solely interested in music, you recommend music to people, you love music, ban music. As long as it involves music, you can do it on last.fm. Annnnd they don't allow profiles to have html mark up, or applications which makes it increasingly cooler than facebook or myspace at this time.

Anyway, I'm working on keeping my posts short (and regular) so here is my last.fm page, feel free to yell at me for listening to shitty music, or to send suggestions. But most of all--JOIN THIS WEB COMMUNITY. It's amazing.

EyesOfCuriosity, 20 points for who ever can tell me what song that comes from.

EDIT: I forgot to mention exactly what makes last.fm so freaking awesome. It leaches itself to your media player (they have a list to choose from) and an optional leach to your portable media player (I know I can hook it to my iPod, I would assume it can be hooked to other media players).

Then the program "scrobbles" the songs and compiles lists, top tracks, etc on your homepage. Additionally, the site finds the top 50 people whose music tastes are most similar to yours and creates a "neighbors" list. The list changes as your taste change.

The coolest feature is probably the "recommend" feature. Whenever you're listening to a song in your media player you can go to your last.fm account and recommend that track to any of your friends. Then, when your friend signs on to last.fm the track will show up on their login page.

When the site was first developed many of the songs had short 30 second features (similar to the sample feature with the iTunes store.), however now that the sight is gaining popularity it has been able to feature many full songs, in addition to more pictures and videos.

Germans, Georgetown, Duke Ellington, Hyper Tour of DC and Georgetown.

2008-02-26T08:01:00.000-08:00

That pretty much sums up my weekend, in that order too.

A couple weeks ago, my friend Jenn Peters (Vocal Performance Major at Mason) called me up and said "Emily, I have to ask you something really serious, promise not to laugh...Would you be able to let one or two Germans sleep in your living room for a weekend?"

What else could I say, other than "Of course." The original plan was for me to house two German girls, however, at the last minute all plans flew up in the air and I was assigned two German boys. I have to admit I was a little timid of meeting them, and even more so when I realized that I would have boys instead.

I thought, "What could be more awkward than having two German choir members sleeping in my living room for four days." Looking back on it, all I can think is "How could that weekend have been more fun?"

As we were leaving the Metro station Simon, Sven, Annette and I immediately began making jokes and laughing about the differences between America and Germany--but most of all Simon and I found an incredibly strong connection: We are both moderately, if not completely, obsessed with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and specifically with John Frusciante's solo work.

Just to let you guys know, I have met very few (one, maybe two) people before Simon who listened to Frusciante's solo work. And--I have never, never met anyone else who prefers to listen to Frusciante's acoustics or demos rather than his marketed albums. That is how incredible the--or as I said all weekend, my--Germans are.

We were barely in my apartment before Simon and I pulled out my dad's old Martin acoustic guitar and started singing one of our favorites, "The Past Recedes." Followed by a rendition of "Wet Sand," "Slow Cheetah," etc...

Of course a group of Germans didn't fly all the way here to play an acoustic guitar and highlight the differences between our cultures. They are members of a jazz/pop choir group called Fabulous Fridays.

Fabulous Fridays is a group that was founded in 2003 by Micheal Betzner in the hopes of completing one main goal: "singing and grooving." The choir group consists of 30-70 members with ranging disciplines and nationalities. Due to the different disciplines the choir group is able to bridge a gap between classical and jazz performances. (And incredibly well, might I add.)

On Friday, the group kicked off a lively concert in the Johnson Center, featuring John Lennon's "Imagine" (with a composition from a member of the choir), Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," and closing their performance with Mozart's "Joyful," which had Fabulous Fridays and nearly the entire audience singing and grooving along.

During their downtime, my friend Natalie and I showed my Germans the sites. Thankfully, the two boys agreed that they were bored with monuments and Washington DC and would much rather see shops and American sites--such as Georgetown.

I planned a trip to some shopping place on Saturday, which consisted of getting to the Vienna Metro station in one piece. I figured, we could figure the rest from the Metro station. Maybe, just maybe I should have planned a little better. The trip included walking a good distance from Rosslyn to Georgetown (and back again). And for me the trip included the scariest escalator that I have ever had to encounter. (I'm seriously deathly afraid of escalators.)

Still, with the lack of planning we managed to pull off a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon in Georgetown. We took Sven and Simon to Five Guys, which was also a first for Natalie and me. Five Guys may well have been the biggest hit of the weekend--the two boys were telling anyone who would listen about their trip to Five Guys.

Sunday was the big day for the Germans and Mason choir members--it was the Duke Ellington, the Sacred Concert. Which featured not one, not two, but three wonderful student ensembles--and even a tap dancer! The three groups (Soundcheque and Chamber Vocal Ensemble [Stan Engebreston, director--Mason], University Jazz Ensemble [James Carroll, director--Mason], and our honored guests Fabulous Fridays! Jazz-Pop Choir [Michael Betzner, director--University of the Arts, Berlin]) wove together many years of music history and oppression into a beautiful hour and a half performances.

The only bad aspect to the weekend was the Germans leaving, and how quickly they had to leave after their concert. We seriously had to change as quickly as possible and jet set it to Arlington to drop them off at their bus in a timely manner. All weekend I had been pulling off destination after destination without any issues what so ever. Maybe it's because I had a definite deadline--who really knows.

All I know is that when I tried to get to Arlington, I ended up beside the Washington Monument the first time. The second time I ended up on M Street in Maryland--where my Germans had to help me find my way back to Arlington, only for me to get turned around again, again...again. Before I finally caved and went into a gas station to ask for directions. Finally, I found my way to the bus and the three arrived only slightly late.

If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands.

2008-02-21T15:48:00.001-08:00

It all started with a little kiddie song:

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.

And then there was the VH1 advertisement for arts foundation in public schools, and ever since I've been completely consumed with the single self assigned task of trying to figure out what song the roadies were talking about.

I couldn't even tell you the first time I saw the commercial, all I know is that it's plagued me ever since that first infamous day. I've relentlessly searched the Internet for the ad, and I've failed miserably. Maybe it wouldn't be such a burdon on me if I could just find at least one person who has seen and remembers the ad.

If my memory serves me right, the ad is cheaply made. It's a bunch of middle aged roadies, sound technicians, music junkies, etc... from a previous musical era. It features about four or five different people who all speak of this one unnamed song that completely swept the nation and changed music forever.

The unnamed people speak of the songs use of clapping, where clapping was used in the studio to help keep the band on beat because there was no drumming. Apparently, the band didn't intend to keep the clapping in the final recording--but it became such a vital aspect in the song it stuck.

The message of the ad is strong and obvious: KEEP MUSIC AND ART FOUNDATION IN THE CLASSROOMS. Should I underline that too? Because it's incredibly important. Another key message: It might not be highly refined, use cellos, pianos, etc...but it's clapping; and clapping is still music and still important. As John Cage would stress, music is everywhere and everything.

Now, for the past 10 or so years I have been wracking my brain to try to figure out what song the are talking about, it's probably going to send me to the loony bin at some point. Anyway, I have made a small list of options:

1. Cat Stevens. Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat have both gone Triple Platinum, according to the Recording Industry Association of American. Also, his album Catch Bull at Four sold more than two million copies in its first two weeks.

Longer Boats was on Tea for the Tillerman, which was released in 1970 and is often regarded as Stevens best field of work. During the introduction to "Longer Boats," you can hear clapping from about nine seconds to 20 or so seconds when a subtle drum beat begins.

Peace Train was on Teaser and the Firecaat, which was released in 1971. Along with Tea for the Tillerman, it is considered some of his best work. Throughout "Peace Train" you can hear clapping in between stanzas of the chorus. "Peace Train" went all the way up to song Num. 7 on the tracks and is considered one of the greatest protest songs of all time (along side of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance."

Out of the two Cat Stevens's choices, I would have to say that "Peace Train" has a much higher chance over "Longer Boats."

Yes, Cat Stevens was great. Yes, he played a great and vital role in music, philanthropy, and too many things to list in this article. But, here's the catch. He didn't sweep the nation. The entire nation was not going completely nuts over him, as the ad deeply set in stone.

2. The Beatles. How could I mention an article about a band sweeping over the nation and taking control without mention the miscreants from oversees coming over with their sloppy hair and bad influence. I couldn't.

In 2004, nearly 34 years after the band had broken up and gone their seperate ways Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the Beatles as Num. 1 on their list of Top 100 bands of all time. Additionally, no band to this date has had as great of an initial impact than the Beatles did after they began their invasion (as many people refer to it these days) on Feb. 7, 1964.

Jumping ahead a couple of years and albums, there is the song Blackbird a beautiful song featuring Paul McCartney and an acoustic guitar--there is an obvious intruding beat coming from the background. At first thought it could be a clap, however, it's a little too regular to be someone clapping. More than likely, it is a metronome (a box like object used to help maintain a steady beat).

Falling back into the British Invasion, there is the top contender (saving the best for the last, but of course) I Want to Hold Your Hand. Many people often relate the British Invasion, or at least the beginning of the British Invasion with "I Want to Hold Your Hand." The song gained so much popularity that the band also recorded a German version ("Komm, gib mir deine Hand" ["Come, give me your hand"]), which was one of two times the Beatles recorded in an entirely different language. (The other song was "She Loves You.")

Earlier songs written by the Beatles had done terribly, especially in comparison to "I Want to Hold Your Hand," the band (mainly Lennon and McCartney) were given the task to write a song that would appeal to the American audience. After much consideration and convincing, Brian Epstein convinced Capitol Records that America was ready for the Beatles. The song was released in America on December 26, 1963.

The fans went absolutely nuts. In the first three days more than a quarter million copies were sold. 10,000 copies were being sold in New York every hour. The single sold more than 5 million copies in the United States alone, replacing the high selling single before hand (Elvis Presley's 1956 "Love Me Tender").

And finally, clapping is heard throughout the song.

And the rest, is history. The Beatles went on to be one of the most socially influential band in history, ranging from political, drug, social, and religious outrage the band constantly was under the microscope with conservative elders. And beloved by many, many, many eager, slightly rebellious teenagers.

So there you have my top four choices, whether or not they actually could be the song the people are talking about in the commercial, but I truly believe "I Want to Hold Your Hand" has a definite chance of being the song.

And yes, even though I've thought that "I Want to Hold Your Hand" has been the song for many years, I have to admit that anytime I hear any sort of clapping in the background of songs I wonder what type of impact the song had on the teens of America. Though, every time I am reminded that few bands will ever be able to have as much of a social impact as the Beatles had.

Bummer week for CD releases

2008-02-20T17:16:00.000-08:00

This week scarcely had a decent CD released, if it weren't for legendary musicians such as B.B. King and Bob Marley releasing compilations I don't know if getting out of bed would be worth it this week.

B. B. King released a CD entitled Live, with a DVD to match. Featuring well known (and loved) songs such as "You Are My Sunshine," "When The Saints Go Marching In," "Rock Me Baby," and more. It's no wonder why King has become a well known and respected musician in his time.

Bob Marley's Rasta Revolution [Bonus Tracks] was also released yesterday. Containing a couple of exact duplicates from African Herbsman, Rasta Revolution features songs from the 1970s, with a grossly mellow vibe to the album. While this album is not nearly as coherent as previous Marley albums, it does feature three new songs: Lively Up Yourself, Trench Town Rock and African Herbsman.

Computers during the day, guitars at night.

2008-02-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

People around Innovation Hall, the Fine Arts Building, and random rooms around campus might know him as "Chuck Blatchford, the IT/computer dude guy." His bandmates, various bar managers, and random listeners throughout the area might know him as "Chuck Blatchford, the guitar playing dude guy."

For the past year and a semester Blatchford has been working in the Devision of Instrictional Technology as a classroom technician for the "smart classrooms"--or as they are more commonly known amongst the students "the classrooms with computers."

In his spare time Blatchford plays the guitar for a band called "Triod," a triod is the three pronged electrical plug in. Aside from his band, Blatchford also travels to his friend's house to have jam sessions.

Blatchford first picked up a guitar when he was in sixth grade, however, he broke a string almost immediately and put the guitar down until he was 19 years old. According to Blatchford, he was hanging out with a friend of his when his friend started playing Neil Young's hit "The Needle and the Damage Done."

Young has always been a great inspiration on Blatchford because of the diversity of his music. "He doesn't get stuck on one type of music," says Blatchford. He furthered his statement by adding that Young plays both acoustic and electric guitars.

Additionally, Blatchford mentioned two CDs of Young's that caused great controversy and a law suit. In 1983 Young released a short 25 minute rockabilly album, Everybody's Rockin', and in 1985 he released a country album Old Ways. In 1986, Geffen sued Young for "purposefully releasing unmarketable music," says Blatchford.

Back to Blatchford: After serving time in Germany during the 1970s, Blatchford and a coworker started recording music in 1989. Though Blatchford says that it was more of an excuse to hang out than to play music. After a year of being a band, the drummer (his coworker) and he left the band.

Shortly after a guitarist of a band become sick, so Blatchford began recording with the drummer, which eventually led to "That Damn Dog." That Damn Dog remained a band for some years, playing at various places throughout the area--notable at Jaxx.

Until recently when the band broke up do to creative complications within the band. As for now, Blatchford is still making music and jamming out as often as he can.

Ok, so here's the deal...

2008-02-20T16:19:00.000-08:00

This blog gets pushed back to the end of the day, everyday--with out fail. And then I accidentally fall asleep on my bed reading Henry James, only to awaken in the morning with minimal time to scurry off to class.

It's not that I don't want to write it, I seriously do. It's just that I'm not getting yelled at for not writing it on time. So yell at me, get angry with me. Leave me hate comments about not posting on time.

Make me cry and you'll get your rambling posts on time.

The Slide Guitar

2008-02-14T21:07:00.001-08:00

The slide guitar is a technique which the player puts either a plastic, metal, or glass tube around his or her finger and slides up and down the frets--instead of using individual fingers. Because the slide does not have to be lifted, a transition is created between notes and frets, therefor lengthening the notes and the transitions between them.

The slide guitar traces back to the 1920s (and before) where it was revolutionized by Sylvester Weaver, who was the first musician to make a recording using the slide guitar. Throughout the latter years the slide guitar has been associated with classic rock bands, such as the Allman Brothers Band, Lynard Skynard, Led Zepplin.

Duane Allman, from the Allman Brothers Band, is considered one of the top slide guitarists of all time, if not the top by many accredited musicians and critics. Instead of using a tradition slide instrument, Allman used an Coricidin bottle.

Side note: Coricidin is an over the counter drug marketed for the common cold and people with hypertension. The company went out of business in 1980, though they have been reproducing replicas of the famed slide since 1985.

Derek Trucks is another famed slide guitarist. When Trucks was 9 years old he began playing the guitar, his uncle Butch Trucks is the drummer and was one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band. By the time Trucks was 11 years old he was touring the states with the Allman Brothers, as of now he has been in his own band for the past 12 plus years, The Derek Trucks Band.

And it goes like this; the fourth the fifth...

2008-02-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

Jeff Buckley, poor sweet Jeff Buckley. Whose Bob Dylan covers put Dylan to shame, and whose Leonard Cohen covers make Cohen laughable.

OK, Cohen was laughable on his own. Cohen, who is probably one of the greatest lyricist of the time has absolutely no musical timing or tonal range for the songs he writes.

Jeff Buckley was the son of famed musician Tim Buckley and classically trained pianist and cellist Mary Guibert. Buckley's stepfather also played a decent role in the musical influences, introducing him to many great bands of the time and before his time.

In 1990 Buckley moved to New York City to pursue his music career, it was there that he was introduced to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (a famed Pakistani musician). In his legendary performance at Sin-e Buckley would play one of his most compelling covers, "Yeh Jo Halka Halka Saroor Hai."

Unfortunately Buckley was only able to release one studio album, Grace in the summer of 1993. During Buckley's life sales for both albums were slow, though after his death (as is the case with most musicians) his sales began to sky rocket. Both albums have gone platinum multiple times since his death, additionally legacy albums have been released for both of the albums.

In 1996, after he completed the tour for Grace, Buckley set out to write his second studio album Sketches for My Sweetheart, the Drunk. Buckley had titled the album For My Sweetheart, the Drunk, however, since he died before the album could be completed when it was released "Sketches" was added to the title to convey that it was an incomplete album.

On May 29, 1997 Buckley died in a freak drowning accident in a tributary of the Mississippi River. Many rumors have circulated about Buckley's state of mind during the swimming accident, the police report, medical report, an eye whiteness, and his mother have clearly stated that Buckley was in sound mind during the accident.

Today, Buckley is best known for two songs. "Hallelujah" (originally by Leoanrd Cohen) and "I Shall Be Released" (written by Bob Dylan). "Hallelujah" was featured on the hit Fox TV show, "The OC." While "I Shall Be Released" was featured on a benefit CD for New Orleans.

Catching up, hardcore.

2008-02-14T11:06:00.002-08:00

To start, CD releases.

Last Tuesday (Feb. 12th) marked the 25th anniversary of Micheal Jackson's Thriller and the release of the special 25th anniversary edition. Thriller is possibly the only Jackson album which doesn't scare me to my core--it was made in a time before wide spread scandals, before he "mysteriously" lost pigment in his skin, and while he still had the majority of his nose.

The 25th Anniversary Edition features many new spins on classics, including a version of "Billie Jean," though it seems that the spunk and charisma of the original Thriller left with the curly hair, tight leather coats, and eerie dance moves. The CD runs nearly 50 dollars (ekk!) and features artists such as will.i.am and Fergie, the price and artists alone could cause anyone to think twice before purchasing the album.

On the plus side, an anticipated CD was released this week with great reviews, Cinnamon Girl: Women Artists Cover Neil Young for Charity. Featuring Tanya Donelly, Britta Phillips, Lori McKenna, Jill Sobule with John Doe, Elk City, Veruca Salt, Kristin Hersh, Josie Cotton, The Watson Twins, Julie Peel and more on this incredible two disc album.

And it gets better, all of the proceeds from the album go to Casting for Recovery, which provides fly fishing for women with breast cancer among other benefits. There isn't much else to say about this album, it's great all around.

The reason behind the album, the singers, the words. Plus, it involves Neil Young, does it need anymore encouraging?

NPR, Keeping up with the times.

2008-02-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me apologize for not posting a blog yesterday. I know this is not an excuse, but it is a reason. I bounced from aggravating (and unfinished) task to aggravating (and unfinished) task all day until I finally crashed late last night--or early this morning.

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National Public Radio (NPR) has a fairly extensive online forum for all their radio broadcasts, including my homepage Song of the Day: A New Song Every Weekday. Ranging from folk to indie, and some in between Song of the Day provides a quick and informative background of the band and song, along with a link to the song.

What began as All Things Considered grew into All Songs Considered hosted by Bob Boilen. In early 2000 All Songs Considered was began its broadcast and in 2005 Boilen extended the broadcast to include iTunes and Podcasts.

As of today, Boilen produces and broadcasts a Podcast a week, and he seriously keeps all songs considered. You never know if he will feature a classic musician, a oblique up and coming folk singer, a rap artist, orchestrated pieces...I think you get the idea.

Quite possibly one of the more creative and interesting ideas to come out in a while is the newest addition to All Songs Considered. And that is Project Song.

As NPR states it is a challenge for song writers and musicians, they are put into a recording studio with a make shift bar and are given two days to write and record an entire song. To help the writers along and to make the challenge a bit more daunting, NPR gives the writers six images and six words that must be included in the song.

To date, there are only two episodes of Project Song. In the first episode, Stephin Merritt wrote a dramatic song about shape shifting and use the word in an interesting manner--instead of using the literal word, he chose a number (1974) and included it in his piano work.

In the second episode, duo Georgie James created a beautiful song featuring a contrasting story line between the word and the picture they chose. Which could also be seen as a representative contrast between the two musicians. Either way, the band figured a way to make it work and sound beautiful.

Both of the episodes can be found under the All Songs Considered Podcast, or if you don't have iTunes portions of the episodes can be found on NPR's Web page.

Stephin Merritt
Georgie James

OK. It might not be a CD, but it might as well be.

2008-02-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

Julie Taymor's critically acclaimed Across the Universe was released on DVD today. Across the Universe features 37 (Though some say it's 33 and others say it's 34.) different Beatles songs, ranging from the early years ("I Want To Hold Your Hand") to the latter years ("Strawberry Fields Forever") and then some.

In combination with some of the most quizzical and poignant lyrics of the 1960s era and transforming them into a relevant portrayal of life then and now; the actors join together to create a movie that at least entices everyone to watch a little part of--if not over and over again.

In a year filled with bad movies, bad music, and overall bad taste--such as License to Wed's overly obvious one liners and cues to the audience or Lil Mama's repetitive ode to her poppin' lip gloss, Across the Universe proves that movie making and the music business are still art forms.

Sure, there are tons of plot holes, incoherent scenes, and an obvious love story from the beginning--but for every time the movie falters, Taymor finds a camera angle, a new spin on a classic song, or just a sight that will blow your mind.

Aside from camera angles, plot structures, and all the gritty details of movie making--the vocals are amazing. Featuring a bone chilling version if "Let It Be," by Timothy T. Mitchum and Carol Woods, and a heart wrenching version of "If I Fell" by Evan Rachel Wood.

And finally, how could the references not be mention. Granted, some of the references for names (Characters, bands, buses, cafes, etc...) boarder on the redundant and overdone, there are many--and I mean many--lesser obvious references throughout the entire film.

(EDIT: I have no idea what I did to the font and I cannot get it to be one style. Sorry.)

Come one, come all, and show the Firehouse Grill what you've got.

2008-02-04T18:16:00.000-08:00

Where: The Firehouse Grill (3988 University Drive, Old Town Fairfax, VA)

When: Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Show up, sign up, and play. The bands normally start playing around 10 p.m. on Tuesday nights and 8 p.m. on Wednesday nights.

What to expect: On Tuesday nights, the musicians are a little younger and more regular than on Wednesday nights. Both nights feature original songs and covers by the musicians.

Benefits for the bands: If the audience likes your music, and the management you may be invited to play on Friday or Saturday night. As a side note, the Firehouse Grill has live music every Friday and Saturday night. The cover charge is normally $5, which goes to the bands.

Contact Info: Web site.
Phone Num.: 703.383.1030
Email: thefirehousegrillfx@yahoo.com

Stand up, scream out, voice yourself...

2008-01-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

Protests songs have been around mid 1300s, when the peasants were rebelling against feudal oppressions. Through the years, over the changing musical genres, and current issues--protests songs have remained a constant in social change, or at least in the questioning of social norms.

Protests songs quite possibly hit their peak during the 1960s and 1970s with the emergence of folk singers such as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and John Lennon. Dylan could have quite possibly been the front runner of the political songs, releasing a number of songs which are still heavily relevant today.

With in their linear, though slightly metaphorical lines, protest singers asked their fans what society was teaching them, why the young men were being shipped off to war, how to bring change, etc... These songs were written during a time where change was escalating on either side of them; and the public was aware and eager of the change.

Nearly 40 years later, the songs are still relevant, the public finds itself in a shockingly similar situation--and again musicians have released protest songs. With bland, obtuse lyrics blatantly asking the government why they make their decisions.

One song in particular comes to mind, Bright Eye's "When the President Talks to God." This song needs no explanation, similar to the songs from the 1960s--quite obviously, Conor Oberst asks if the president considers anyone in his decisions.

On The Other Side Of The Mirror, Joan Baez said, "There's got to be an alternative to whatever ways of life are offered to them." In closing, protest songs are essential for change, evoking emotion, and social growth. Turn the music up, listen to the lyrics, and stand firmly for what you believe in.

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Side note: "When the President Talks to God," can be found for free on iTunes, search for the song title in the search bar.

You know him, he's the guitarist from the Chili Peppers

2008-01-30T13:23:00.000-08:00

Sure, everyone knows who the Red Hot Chili Peppers are. Most people can point out front man Anthony Kiedis, alongside of being able to recognize Flea from his zany outfits and antics on stage. The other two bandmates are more or less known by their instruments and quiet demeanor. John Frusciante, the guitarist, has quietly been building his solo career since March of 1994, with the release of Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-shirt.

After the release of Usually Just a T-Shirt, Frusciante's addiction to heroin and other drugs drastically worsened. In 1997, when he was on the brink of death and out of money Frusciante released another album, Smile From the Streets You Hold. Much of both albums were written and recorded years earlier, some songs dating back to his days with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

While Usually Just a T-shirt had many enjoyable songs, impressive guitar rifts, etc... Smile From the Streets You Hold was more of an expose of the declining state of Frusciante's mind, talent, and physical being. In 1998, after Frusciante had rejoined the Chili Peppers and regained his sobriety, he stopped production on both albums. In addition, Frusciante went to the stores and asked the managers to take the CDs off their shelves--when the managers refused, Frusciante simply bought their stock.

Many fans have voiced their disappointment with the removal of the albums, which lead to the re-release of Usually Just a T-shirt in 1999. Frusciante has said that Smile From the Streets You Hold will also be re-released, though he has not specified when.

Since he rejoined the Chili Peppers, Frusciante has kept himself busy with his own solo career, working in numerous side bands, and projects. In June 2004 Frusciante released six albums in the course of six months, varying drastically with the types of songs. Furthermore, Frusciante only used primitive modes of writing and recording.

My personal favorite is his album The Will to Death, the first album from the set of six. The album was written and recorded in a span of five days, using technology that was available in 1971. Frusciante has stated that he wanted to make a raw album, without computers or technology. Especially to contrast his previous album, To Record Only Water For Ten Days, which relied greatly on synthesizers and drum machines.

A few select albums from Frusciante can be found in generic record stores (such as Best Buy), it normally includes Curtains, A Sphere in the Heart of Silence, and Inside of Emptiness. All of the albums are available through the iTunes store, though Ataxia II is not available yet.

Frusciante's web page has an impressive background behind all of the albums, many of the backgrounds and explanations are written by Frusciante, then scanned and posted on the page as a picture. Additionally, Frusciante has made a download page for his fans, completely free.

Acoustics, Demos, and an Online Album. Included in his downloads are acoustic and demo tracks from his album Shadows Collide With People. Though if you have iTunes, theses songs will not play--they are formatted for Windows Media Player.

From Bad Omens to Good Music

2008-01-28T21:44:00.000-08:00

The newest CD from Mars Volta, The Bedlam in Goliath, started out on a down note and with a bad omen. During the band's 2006 tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez purchased a oujia bored for the lead singer, Cedric Bixler-Zavala. The band dubbed the oujia bored as "The Soothsayer," which soon became a bad omen for the band.
After a series of misfortune and bad luck, Bixler-Zavala buried the relic in an unknown place and asked that people not speak of it again with hopes of reversing the bad luck. The stories told by the Soothsayer helped shape the songs and direction of the newest album, many of the songs are stories from their experience.
Track Num. 5, "Goliath," which was originally intended to be the first single off the album, is a character from the bored; which spoke in the form of three people and frequently gave the band direction, demands, and stories.
Aside from having creative lyrics and a good combination of music, culture, mysticism, and Mars Volta's normal charm and charisma, the band created many different creative promotional tools for the CD.
Including a USB drive designed similarly to the original Soothsayer, promotional CDs, or--which is quite possibly the most addictive and aggrivating promotion ever--an online puzzle that unlocks a free song.
The puzzle can be found here. The CD is set to hit shelves this morning, January 29, 2008.

Where to begin, where to begin...

2008-01-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

Music has always been such a fundamental stepping stone in the development of children and adults--many of the daily lessons and common courtesies we learn as children are through music. Later in life, many of the hardships, tests, high points, etc... are also told through music.

The late Kurt Vonnegut once said in an interview with the Sunday Herald, "If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD WAS MUSIC."

The schedule for the blog is:
Mondays: Local music, local venues--anything local.
Tuesdays: CD Releases--CD reviews
Wednesdays: Exposure day, a short feature on an artist
Thursdays: Folk Day or personal choice