in what is sure to be a drawn out, sporadic, and typically substance depraved event i've recently decided to declare my music op-ed and news hobby retired.
i don't think this is a permanent end to my hobby. but the ideas and creativity that have at least existed in my mind, whether they actually made it into the realm of palpable existence ... if you think something does it exist, or does it not exist until it is shared with someone else? .... they no longer inhabit the same space in my thoughts and hopes and plans ... it's like if my brain were a metropolis that was run by music the city has been vacated by the music. music still exists. music still runs city hall. music still lives in the boojy neighborhoods with the big gates and the fancy cars. but that's only one neighborhood. the best neighborhood, but not the majority of the city.
see, sporadic? i just liked that analogy so i ran with it.
anyways, i still like music, i'm just not really feeling like it needs to run so much of the show lately. i think i really enjoyed music as a companion because of the ups and downs that personal relationships are prone to. music is solid and will always be there. and will not be unforgiving should i let go for a while and decide to come back later on.
so adieu to sonic anarchy ... it was mostly about the dream anyways.
2010-10-14
2010-09-11
Contra Contrast
Sadly I won't be able to devote enough time to this post. Still, it'll prove a relief to get some of these thoughts out, and make room for new ones to be born, grow, and eventually mature to a point where they always want to borrow your car every friday night.
Last night's vampire weekend show in rochester raised a multitude of ideas and questions. From the beginning of my experience listening to vampire weekend I've always been quite intrigued by many facets of their existence. Friday evening only led to a number of interesting angles to think about.
For example, has vampire weekend reinvented the 'college rock' band? Judging from last night i would say yes. The mix of fans was very typical of what you would see at concert where the band's largest audience demographic is the 18 -22 range. Meaning, most of the people there were 18-22. This is not unique in itself, but looking more closely at who these people were, and by that, I mean what they wore, and general mannerisms it was easy to tell that these were not punk kids, they were not hipsters, they were not older post college faded rock glory folk, and not hippies.
They were a generation of in betweens, and since so many shows I go to are full of 'scene' kids, it was awkward experience to feel like the 'scene' of the night was vampire weekend kids. Why do i say 'vampire weekend kids', well because in my mind this distinguishes them from the 'oar' and 'guster' type college radio crowds. An overwhelming appreciation for opener's Beach House clearly indicated that the crowd was indie leaning ... i'm not sure what that really means, but it was meant to more clearly define the difference between those who listen to slightly off the beaten path pop, and those who tend to adventure a little bit further into the pop jungle.
Above all this is my interest in VW's ability to remain a credible band, shirking the sellout label that eventually every band who doesn't end up living in the drummer's mom's basement gets stuck with because the music they make is no longer 'real' once you've collected a paycheck for playing it.
There is no question that VW gets fat paid. A #1 album tells you that they got a few fans. In the past I've talked about how the music industry is learning to survive without big money. And that listeners are controlling the quality of the product, not boardrooms. So how does VW do it? How do they remain 'in' when it's 'out' to have mainstream appeal. A video starring jake gyllenhal, a bunch of obvious rich kids, and yet they are admired and adored for following the same steps that many of other bands have taken into the 'sellout dungeon'.
I guess I remain one of the admirers for now. They have definitely earned my respect for being able to balance the air of coolness and the legitimacy of a band as a profitable career. I suppose it's as easy as continuing to create interesting, and enjoyable music, huh?
Last night's vampire weekend show in rochester raised a multitude of ideas and questions. From the beginning of my experience listening to vampire weekend I've always been quite intrigued by many facets of their existence. Friday evening only led to a number of interesting angles to think about.
For example, has vampire weekend reinvented the 'college rock' band? Judging from last night i would say yes. The mix of fans was very typical of what you would see at concert where the band's largest audience demographic is the 18 -22 range. Meaning, most of the people there were 18-22. This is not unique in itself, but looking more closely at who these people were, and by that, I mean what they wore, and general mannerisms it was easy to tell that these were not punk kids, they were not hipsters, they were not older post college faded rock glory folk, and not hippies.
They were a generation of in betweens, and since so many shows I go to are full of 'scene' kids, it was awkward experience to feel like the 'scene' of the night was vampire weekend kids. Why do i say 'vampire weekend kids', well because in my mind this distinguishes them from the 'oar' and 'guster' type college radio crowds. An overwhelming appreciation for opener's Beach House clearly indicated that the crowd was indie leaning ... i'm not sure what that really means, but it was meant to more clearly define the difference between those who listen to slightly off the beaten path pop, and those who tend to adventure a little bit further into the pop jungle.
Above all this is my interest in VW's ability to remain a credible band, shirking the sellout label that eventually every band who doesn't end up living in the drummer's mom's basement gets stuck with because the music they make is no longer 'real' once you've collected a paycheck for playing it.
There is no question that VW gets fat paid. A #1 album tells you that they got a few fans. In the past I've talked about how the music industry is learning to survive without big money. And that listeners are controlling the quality of the product, not boardrooms. So how does VW do it? How do they remain 'in' when it's 'out' to have mainstream appeal. A video starring jake gyllenhal, a bunch of obvious rich kids, and yet they are admired and adored for following the same steps that many of other bands have taken into the 'sellout dungeon'.
I guess I remain one of the admirers for now. They have definitely earned my respect for being able to balance the air of coolness and the legitimacy of a band as a profitable career. I suppose it's as easy as continuing to create interesting, and enjoyable music, huh?
2010-08-24
quick quick quick!!
Ok I've slacked on updating this lately. And by lately I mean August. I think this is my first post of the month.
That doesn't mean I haven't had my ear to the ground or the speaker or what have you. So what's going on?
1. Rock Fuckin Tember - There's just shy of a donkeyfuckton of awesome shows coming in September liiikeee ... black keys, shellac, Of Montreal, built to spill, vampire weekend, cocorosie, holy fuck ... oh and broken social scene ... all good, be there or be rectangle.
2. i knocked my most valued possession off a table. It'll going to take felony level downloading over the next few months to regain the fort knox of music back into my possession. Sad fucking times.
3. New music for august ... hmmm, i started checking out cocorosie, they're kinda weird but I think I kind of their weirdo bjork esque bulls hit.
The !!! album is aight, actually it kind of sucks. I mean it's better than listening to whatever shitbrew pop douchebaggery the radios are pumpin these days, but it's not the dance hurricane i hoped for.
The Arcade Fire album pissed me off at first. I thought every song sounded like something Bruce Springsteen would write. And I loathed all the old NJ turds who think the Boss is boss. Cause I mean he writes NJ blue collar darsh anthems ... it's not really my bag man. But then some of the tracks started to stick, and i realized ... i'm probably going to be one of those old lame aggressive dudes some day ... i suppose whiney canadian indie pop can be my Boss for now.
I think I am just really starting to hate NJ ... at least the music scene
Except ducktails, I got II and it's not bad ... I def want to check out the first album. It's pretty awkward pretentious bullshit, but it's a lot better than the shit heap that is usually forced on my ears via "in" music scenes telling me what I'm missing out on.
Besides that I'm furthering my love of Love is All ... they're a strange cross between my high school ska punk sentiments and my late 20's indie pomposity.
Also, I really want to see either shellac or black keys sept 2nd. Fate decides where i end up that night.
That doesn't mean I haven't had my ear to the ground or the speaker or what have you. So what's going on?
1. Rock Fuckin Tember - There's just shy of a donkeyfuckton of awesome shows coming in September liiikeee ... black keys, shellac, Of Montreal, built to spill, vampire weekend, cocorosie, holy fuck ... oh and broken social scene ... all good, be there or be rectangle.
2. i knocked my most valued possession off a table. It'll going to take felony level downloading over the next few months to regain the fort knox of music back into my possession. Sad fucking times.
3. New music for august ... hmmm, i started checking out cocorosie, they're kinda weird but I think I kind of their weirdo bjork esque bulls hit.
The !!! album is aight, actually it kind of sucks. I mean it's better than listening to whatever shitbrew pop douchebaggery the radios are pumpin these days, but it's not the dance hurricane i hoped for.
The Arcade Fire album pissed me off at first. I thought every song sounded like something Bruce Springsteen would write. And I loathed all the old NJ turds who think the Boss is boss. Cause I mean he writes NJ blue collar darsh anthems ... it's not really my bag man. But then some of the tracks started to stick, and i realized ... i'm probably going to be one of those old lame aggressive dudes some day ... i suppose whiney canadian indie pop can be my Boss for now.
I think I am just really starting to hate NJ ... at least the music scene
Except ducktails, I got II and it's not bad ... I def want to check out the first album. It's pretty awkward pretentious bullshit, but it's a lot better than the shit heap that is usually forced on my ears via "in" music scenes telling me what I'm missing out on.
Besides that I'm furthering my love of Love is All ... they're a strange cross between my high school ska punk sentiments and my late 20's indie pomposity.
Also, I really want to see either shellac or black keys sept 2nd. Fate decides where i end up that night.
2010-07-30
summer mix adds
beach fossils - golden age: I've got a post about this band. I just like it. It's killin me this summer
ceo - illuminata: this is basically the best song this summer. Furthermore I strongly urge you to check out the full album White Magic. It's basically the best album that has come out the entire summer. You're going to fucking love it.
ceo - illuminata: this is basically the best song this summer. Furthermore I strongly urge you to check out the full album White Magic. It's basically the best album that has come out the entire summer. You're going to fucking love it.
my darlins
this isn't any type of ringing endorsement, but I came across this band while doing some early morning reading. I basically played the first song, and then switched back to reading, and at one point realized i had listened to like three of their songs.
it was enjoyable.
I separate that statement because, as silly as it is to make generalizations the fact is that I for the most part do not enjoy most bands with female lead vocals. this is not rooted in any type of sexist way. It's more that I find there are too many bands that sound exactly the same. I'll try to keep a running list of vocalists I think sound the same.
For the record there are many many female vocalists that i pretty much adore including:
Lykke Li, MIA, Nekko Case, Sharen Worden, Tracyanne Campbell, and Karen O. just to name a few. I feel like their voices cover both amazing and unique whereas artists like Ingrid Michaelson or the vocalists in bands like Best Coast just get away with being 'amazing' because they've penetrated the scene and are considered 'cool'.
I'm certainly not trying to take away from their vocal talents outright. They are far and away more talented than I am. And if I were them I'd probably find me, and punch my groin for badmouthing them. But too many times I get jazzed when I hear about a new great band, only to find out the vocals pretty much sound like a million other bands before them, and I struggle to determine what makes them unique.
anyways ... the funny thing is that this band is not all that unique ever, but they carry a country twang with their punk rock, and for whatever reason this morning it struck a good nerve:
My Darlins
it was enjoyable.
I separate that statement because, as silly as it is to make generalizations the fact is that I for the most part do not enjoy most bands with female lead vocals. this is not rooted in any type of sexist way. It's more that I find there are too many bands that sound exactly the same. I'll try to keep a running list of vocalists I think sound the same.
For the record there are many many female vocalists that i pretty much adore including:
Lykke Li, MIA, Nekko Case, Sharen Worden, Tracyanne Campbell, and Karen O. just to name a few. I feel like their voices cover both amazing and unique whereas artists like Ingrid Michaelson or the vocalists in bands like Best Coast just get away with being 'amazing' because they've penetrated the scene and are considered 'cool'.
I'm certainly not trying to take away from their vocal talents outright. They are far and away more talented than I am. And if I were them I'd probably find me, and punch my groin for badmouthing them. But too many times I get jazzed when I hear about a new great band, only to find out the vocals pretty much sound like a million other bands before them, and I struggle to determine what makes them unique.
anyways ... the funny thing is that this band is not all that unique ever, but they carry a country twang with their punk rock, and for whatever reason this morning it struck a good nerve:
My Darlins
2010-07-28
Menomena: Mines
One of my most highly anticipated releases of ohhh, the last 3 years is finally here. And when I say finally here, I mean streaming on npr.org for free. I have to disclose up front that I don't actually have a full copy of Mines yet, and so maybe somehow I am missing something. However, I have listened to that stream a number of times and feel like one of the things I want to get better at on sonicanarchy is getting reviews of new albums done while they're still new.
Menomena first rose to prominence in my vast collection of musical interests back in 2007 when they released Friend and Foe. I recall being immediately taken with their first single Muscle n' Flo. A dramatic, beat heavy awkward pitched track that incorporated an awesome saxophone backing track. Everything about that song embodied what was to be found on the rest of the album, and can easily stand as my flagship track to introduce new listeners to Menomena's sound. Friend and Foe easily stands as one of my top albums of the decade, and is the reason Menomena has become my next 'must see' band (though unfortunately they're not doing any festivals or coming near WNY on their tour).
With Mines taking over 3 years to record and release perhaps the level of excitement for this album may have become a bit exaggerated. This was the first time I had followed a recording cycle for the band, and every news update mentioned the meticulous work that goes into creating one of their songs. Many articles mentioned how they like to lay down a song, then dissect it over and over until it's almost a new song. Far be it from me to tell someone how their creative process should be handled, but I sometimes worry when I hear this type of program employed in that a band might be prone to 'overdoing' it.
I make note of that because what I think a listener will find on Mines is probably the result of this type of work ethic. Each song sounds very carefully mixed, and constructed. Utilizing the sonic build up's and epic conclusions that are common among the group's previous works. One thing Menomena is not for lack of is evoking a sense of intimacy between a song and it's listener. On Mines they have carefully crafted a 54 minute set of agreeable indie rock.
To this listener though the album feels like a let down. After introducing myself to their work on the aforementioned 'Foe' I delved back into the band's earlier work. To me, a lot of similarities can be found between Mines and the group's freshman LP 'I am the Fun Blame Monster'. Much like on 'Monster', Mines' songs are filled with twists and turns, vocals that seethe and yearn, and a complementary mix of pianos, horns, and drum tracks. But what separated 'Foe' from these two was the jagged edges, the unexpected twists, and the brash calamity of noises that often dissipated into sickly sweet conclusions. To me, this is what makes Menomena feel like a 'must see' band. One that is truly pushing the envelope, and embarking on sound collages too daring for those who wish to only sell records.
I can't in good conscience tell readers not to check the album out. It could be completely possible that my follow up expectations have led to my not so favorable conclusions. And by golly, this album IS GOOD. Those unfamiliar with the band might crap their pants in delight to finally discover their sound. Far be it from me to discourage you to listen, because it all actuality the album is the clever, concise work that the band has been promising all along. It never really drags, and parts seem to continue to dare listeners to think outside the verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus box. But it just hasn't pushed me like I really expected it would.
Menomena first rose to prominence in my vast collection of musical interests back in 2007 when they released Friend and Foe. I recall being immediately taken with their first single Muscle n' Flo. A dramatic, beat heavy awkward pitched track that incorporated an awesome saxophone backing track. Everything about that song embodied what was to be found on the rest of the album, and can easily stand as my flagship track to introduce new listeners to Menomena's sound. Friend and Foe easily stands as one of my top albums of the decade, and is the reason Menomena has become my next 'must see' band (though unfortunately they're not doing any festivals or coming near WNY on their tour).
With Mines taking over 3 years to record and release perhaps the level of excitement for this album may have become a bit exaggerated. This was the first time I had followed a recording cycle for the band, and every news update mentioned the meticulous work that goes into creating one of their songs. Many articles mentioned how they like to lay down a song, then dissect it over and over until it's almost a new song. Far be it from me to tell someone how their creative process should be handled, but I sometimes worry when I hear this type of program employed in that a band might be prone to 'overdoing' it.
I make note of that because what I think a listener will find on Mines is probably the result of this type of work ethic. Each song sounds very carefully mixed, and constructed. Utilizing the sonic build up's and epic conclusions that are common among the group's previous works. One thing Menomena is not for lack of is evoking a sense of intimacy between a song and it's listener. On Mines they have carefully crafted a 54 minute set of agreeable indie rock.
To this listener though the album feels like a let down. After introducing myself to their work on the aforementioned 'Foe' I delved back into the band's earlier work. To me, a lot of similarities can be found between Mines and the group's freshman LP 'I am the Fun Blame Monster'. Much like on 'Monster', Mines' songs are filled with twists and turns, vocals that seethe and yearn, and a complementary mix of pianos, horns, and drum tracks. But what separated 'Foe' from these two was the jagged edges, the unexpected twists, and the brash calamity of noises that often dissipated into sickly sweet conclusions. To me, this is what makes Menomena feel like a 'must see' band. One that is truly pushing the envelope, and embarking on sound collages too daring for those who wish to only sell records.
I can't in good conscience tell readers not to check the album out. It could be completely possible that my follow up expectations have led to my not so favorable conclusions. And by golly, this album IS GOOD. Those unfamiliar with the band might crap their pants in delight to finally discover their sound. Far be it from me to discourage you to listen, because it all actuality the album is the clever, concise work that the band has been promising all along. It never really drags, and parts seem to continue to dare listeners to think outside the verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus box. But it just hasn't pushed me like I really expected it would.
2010-07-09
Sum Ten Awe Sum
instead of trying to compile a playlist that is easily distributable I'm going to take to the blog and bring
sonic anarchy's Songs of Summer aka SumTen Awesum
here's the first ... Male Bonding track: Nothing Use To Hurt ...
edit: in case it doesn't load you can check the video here ...
sonic anarchy's Songs of Summer aka SumTen Awesum
here's the first ... Male Bonding track: Nothing Use To Hurt ...
edit: in case it doesn't load you can check the video here ...
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