Finally Going to Mecca

Or at least a Radiohead concert.

I bought my seats this morning, two in section 6 of Charlotte's Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Row Q. I cannot say how excited I am for this. Now I just need someone to go with me.

Something that dulls my excitement is having to deal with these large ticket distribution sites. I used LiveNation today, but Ticketmaster is just as guilty of price gouging. Why complain about scalpers when companies are doing the same thing? I'm not quite sure why it takes nearly 25 dollars to process two tickets, but it does. At this rate, I'll have to get a job soon. It reminds me of a comic I saw once.

Podcast Delivered

Here is the first bit of the podcast I promised on "Trapped in the Closet." At the moment it is set to be expanded with at least one more person speaking who is well equipped when it comes to the hip-hopera. Make sure to take some time and browse around the site. I've been very impressed with what you can incorporate into an English class.

Trapped in the Podcast

"It has all the trappings of a Shakespearean Comedy"

I was interviewed yesterday for a podcast produced by Erin Stoneking. The podcast was supposed to be about the literary qualities of a piece of music. So what did she want me to answer questions about?

R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet."

It isn't often that being an English major, Music and Poetry Writing double-minor, and having a love for both high-brow concepts and low-brow culture intertwine. This was one of them.

I promise to link to the podcast site when it goes up.

"Really, it's doggerel, but I love it still."

Highly Refined Pride

First off - the first video for the new Mountain Goats album, Heretic Pride, was posted today. Looks like "Sax Rohmer #1" is the first single. The video is similar to the Bob Dylan video for "Subterranean Homesick Blues" but I definitely got more of a kick out of this one. The Mountain Goats' vid is much more "wow" than the "haha" that goes along with Dylan's. Watch it:

Next on the docket - I've been ordering vinyl to frame and put on the walls of my apartment. I've been getting records that really meant a lot to me growing up. The flat will feel more like home that way. A packaged arrived for me today with Minus the Bear's Highly Refined Pirates in it. Even better, the vinyl is clear and orange, which I am told is special. So of the albums I plan on mounting, here is what I have in:


A new one should come in soon too.

Guabi Guabi

I've been listening to an African folk song called "Guabi Guabi" all day. The version I've been working is Ramblin' Jack Elliott's version, but the only full one I can find online is this video of Arlo Guthrie from a 1978 live show. It is good, but I recommend dropping a dollar somewhere online and buying the Ramblin' Jack version. Or go get the Essential Ramblin' Jack Elliott. Well worth it.

Guabi Guabi kuzwan le toum diome
Ize les gambi shooey entana
Guabi Guabi kuzwan le toum diome
Ize les gambi shooey entana

Ni izome tingy la ma bonza
Ize widgy le ba na na
Ni izome tingy la ma bonza
Ize widgy le ba na na

Arlo and his band playing Guabi Guabi

Party's Over For Nodatta

I hate writing these posts.

In the past hour, nodatta.blogspot.com shut down for good. In the past few years, there hasn't been another blog that could rival the services provided by nodatta. I doubt anyone upped as many albums in the past few years as the guys who ran the site. Just about anything you couldn't find anywhere else could be found at nodatta. It is quite a shame. What's worse, I heard that the reason they shut down might be because they upped the new Mars Volta album that had leaked. Not sure if that is true, but if it is, Mars Volta is a bad reason to have to shut down.

No more OiNK.
No more Albumbase.
No more nodatta.

The big guys are falling hard.

Reunion Tour

The Weakerthans are coming to Carrboro on the 9th of April. Am I pumped? Considering how much I liked their release from the Fall of 2007, yes!

However, before the Canadians get down to the Southern Part of Heaven, I plan on seeing Jose Gonzalez on campus at UNC on March 3rd, and then the everybodyfields and Chatham County Line in Carrboro on March 7th. Good times.

See you there.

Tomahawk Chop

The spring semester is still a few days from starting, but I've already set aside a reward for a hopeful strong finish. I'm getting tickets for the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets series in May. I've always been a Braves fan, but never seen them play, so the three games against their biggest rival should be a treat.

Other tickets I picked up/plan to pick up recently:

1/9 - UNC vs. UNC Asheville basketball
1/18 - the everbodyfields in Winston-Salem
3/7 - Chatham County Line CD release with the everybodyfields in Carrboro

I hope everyone had good and safe time on New Year's Eve. I hope your night was as good as mine, just without the shouting match over which suburb of Winston-Salem was better, Walnut Cove or Clemmons, at two in the morning in a crowded diner.

The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride

I've been listening to the Mountain Goats' new record, Heretic Pride, all night now. There have been background listens, there have been critical listens, active listens, and there have been relistens. I've listened to the record a few times over, and still want to hear it again. This one is something else. I've listened while watching the Patriots run the table, while reading about a way to determine points per possession from basketball box scores, and while doing nothing at all besides listening.

I don't feel like I can write a review of Heretic Pride at this point. It would be lots of comments like, "This is so damn cool!" And it is. But that isn't terribly insightful. So now for the attempt at insight. These were the things that I was curious about before hearing the album, and what caught my ear while listening.

1. The production and arrangement - It seems like ever since John Darnielle first went into the studio and released Tallahassee, the production has gotten increasingly interesting and natural sounding. Heretic Pride definitely sounds more like a full band is in the studio than any Mountain Goats album to come before it. Piano and organ work are featured more prominently on songs here than anything since "No Children." Scott Solter and John Vanderslice really got the sound right on these songs. The string parts are great, and "San Bernardino" features some stringed instrument ostinato from the start that intrigues me greatly. Arrangements are inventive and strong throughout.

2. Bright Mountain Choir - I've always enjoyed the parts of the Mountain Goats' back catalog that featured Darnielle's voice paired with a female singer. Be it Rachel Ware, the BMC, or Kimya Dawson. The parts where female vocals show up are treats.

3. Jon Wurster - I used to think "This Year" was the Mountain Goats' rocker. Not any more. Wurster elevates a number of these tracks to great heights. I hope to see JW on drums along with Peter Hughes and John Darnielle the next time a tour comes through the area.

4. Monsters - Some research would probably reveal more ties, but the monster theme that had been previously suspected is somewhat present. Heretic Pride is not an album about monsters, but perhaps an album about how it feels to be a monster, or be perceived as one. I like that better. Perhaps there will be a video for one of these songs, and monsters will be involved. I'd like that too.

5. Michael Myers Resplendent - One year ago this week, Darnielle posted a demo of this track. It was good. When HP's tracklist was announced, some fans were surprised that MMR was closing things out. Or curious might be the better term. I was very curious as to the changes, if any, Michael Myers Resplendent had undergone from the "Grendel's Mother" esque demo. Well, MMR went in a totally different direction than I had expected. It's big, and it deserves to have the final say on Heretic Pride.

Really, there is only one song on HP that I'm not already sold on, and that is only because it is a little too reggae for my tastes. Lyrically, it is solid. Now I will just wait in anticipation for the liner notes when the record is released on February 19. This record should be one of the best for next year, it would have been for 2007. I just hope that when the end of 2008 rolls around, people won't have forgotten how outstanding Heretic Pride is like they did with The Reminder.

Ska Fans are Proud People

I found out last night that 17-year-old fans of local ska bands do not like it at all when you say you don't really like ska. If you are ever in a tightly packed crowd, waiting for the opening ska act to finish in order to see a band you like more follow them, never say out loud to the person you are with, "I don't really like ska, so let me know if you want to go sit outside." If you do, expect every person wearing checkered Vans slip-ons in the room to glare an evil glare that says, "I want to do awful things to you with my trombone."

That was the scene for the first half of last night for me. I went to the Werehouse in Winston-Salem to see a friend's band, and had to wait through a ska group to see said band. I've tried so hard before to like ska and reggae, but both just do not entertain me in any form. Except for laughing at characters that you see at ska shows and the white Rasta kids who love reggae, there is nothing entertaining about those kinds of music for me. I tried, but just couldn't catch on.

The band I wanted to see, Holland, 1945, played beyond my expectations. All I had ever heard before were some demo-quality recordings, and seeing them live made any mp3 I had heard pale in comparison. I feel the band's name is a tad bit misleading - I don't hear any traces of Neutral Milk Hotel in this two guy, two girl group, but more like Sunny Day Real Estate without any screaming. Kudos to these kids on big, loud guitars, as well as bass lines that aren't boring.

And one other thing - I've never been to a show in Winston-Salem that started anywhere close to the advertised time.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to anyone who happens upon this site.
I spent my eve of Christmas watching the new Sigur Ros DVD, Heima, and I'd say it is on par with the group's studio work. The footage isn't a necessity, but it is definitely enjoyable, and watching it made me remember how epic and mind blowing the last half of the final track to ( ) is.

After enjoying myself on Christmas day, I'll be spending the 26th with family. On the 27th, I plan to go spend a day in Chapel Hill. Definitely plans to see one great person, maybe a couple more friends if they can swing it. Hopefully, I'll be able to take in the North Carolina vs. Nevada game. The 27th has me more excited than the 25th.

Go over to the Mountain Goats' website. John Darnielle put up a demo of a collaboration that he and John Vanderslice hope to work on. Let him explain it to you.

Hope everyone has a great time over the holiday.

In the Craters of the Moon

The first few tracks from The Mountain Goats' new album, Heretic Pride, are making their way to the internet. The album is due February 18th, and JD has explicitly stated not to link or share the tracks, so I'm not going to be that guy. Will I download it when I get the chance? Yes. Will I buy it the day it comes out? Yes. No sharing though. Don't ask.

Anyway, the track I've listened to the most, "In the Craters of the Moon," is pretty spectacular. Epic sound, and beautiful too. So, consider this a hype entry. I'm not going to search out the HP's tracks one by one. I have a feeling HP might have a thematic strain running throughout, so I want my first exposure to be an intact one for the most part.

HP Cover Art

4AD has the cover art for Heretic Pride, the Mountain Goats' upcoming release, on their website. This graphic is rather small, but the cover seems much more different than I would have expected. Expect something a little more badass? The approaching storm and totally heavy metal font say "YES!" I heard from one person who has given a listen to a watermarked copy (no, I don't have it and haven't heard it) that this album was much edgier and used the full band more often. This album may or may not be monster themed, so I'm hoping that John Darnielle's appearance in Aesop Rock's zombie themed video for "Coffee" won't be the last footage of JD with ghouls we get. I plan on buying the vinyl when the record drops on February 18, 2008, because framing a compact disc and putting it on the wall is dumb.

Small Labels Play it Smart?

I'll always remember Christmases when I was younger for the wealth of new music I got my hands on. I got my first cd player for Christmas, along with my first cd's. Growing up in a house that was still operating on cassette tapes and vinyl, I remember my older, cooler cousin explaining to me that, "no, you can't flip over your Space Jam Soundtrack cd and have it play on the other side." Sorry R. Kelly. Christmas was a great time to be a music fan - when else were you going to wake up and have that hot new Chumbawamba or Wallflowers album waiting on you (guess which one of those bands I still like)? Christmas as a kid who loved music was monumental until I stepped outside the music box and started listening to artists who weren't so popular or weren't recording for major labels with big distribution deals. Once we age a little and our musical tastes mature in leaps and bounds, we can't really expect Grandma to find that album from the Mountain Goats back catalog. Do they have it at the Wal Mart or the Best Buy? Sorry.

What got me thinking of all this is that since I've started writing here again, I thought I would give a little review of a new album I was listening to. And then I realised that besides Radiohead's In Rainbows, nothing new and exciting had made its way through my speakers in a couple months. And the last thing the internet needs is another review of Radiohead's LP7. It seems to me that during this time of year, the musical giants like Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones all put out best of albums, and the contemporary independent artists delay new releases. What I believe is happening is that smaller record labels (think Matador, 4AD, Merge sized labels and smaller) recognize that a majority of pre-Christmas record sales come from people buying records as gifts for other people - and the chance of Aunt Bettye or even Mom or Dad going into the local record store in the alley to buy Magnolia Electric Co.'s new box set is unlikely. If you look at the slated releases for the past week, along with the coming weeks, only major label artists are dropping their albums before Christmas. It isn't until the 8th of January when smaller labels begin to release albums. I don't think this is a "our small staff is off during those weeks" things either. These small labels know kids are more likely to go purchase records themselves than have them purchased for them, especially the week or two after the holiday when they might have some Christmas money. All of this sounds like smart business practices to me as well. The better the Secretly Canadians of the world know their niche in the market, the better chances the artists they put out will be successful. John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats summed the entire situation up perfectly last month with this quote about his intentions for his new album, Heretic Pride:

It will be released by 4AD, and features artwork by Vaughan Oliver. It was
recorded at Prairie Sun, and produced by Scott Solter & John Vanderslice. We
are really excited about this album, and we wish it were out right now, but
there is a law against releasing albums in December unless you are Queen. Any
album you see released in December is actually by Queen, no matter what it says
on the cover. Then in January everybody is recovering from having listened to
too much Queen. Hence, February. See you then!

So until I can get my hands on Heretic Pride or Cat Power's Jukebox, no reviews. Unless someone gives me some Queen for Christmas.

Local Music Roooooooools!!!!11!

Anyone who knows me in the slightest is probably aware of my love for Married to the Sea, Toothpaste for Dinner, and Natalie Dee, three webcomics put up by a husband and wife. You can read them at the MttS link I posted to the right under 'humor.'

I read those three daily, and I always end up laughing nervously when I could be who is getting made fun, especially on Married to the Sea. TFD makes fun of bloggers a lot, but I don't consider myself in the crowd he pokes fun at so much. People don't really read this thing as far as I can tell, I don't schill for my blog outside of it, when I don't let it consume me. However, these two comics hit a little close to home:

mp3 Journal

I've finished classes now for what has been a fairly easy semester. I'm going to miss it come January when I have more hours and more difficult classes.

Since it is the end of the semester, I'll post a list of the songs I rocked extra hard during the last few months. I got the idea to keep a running diary of sorts on iTunes from a good friend, and am glad that I did it. Each time i realized I was obsessing over a song, I just added it to a play list entitled sophomore. Here they are, in chronological order.

1. CC Rider - Old Crow Medicine Show
2. Aeroplane - the everybodyfields
3. Out on the Highway/Worker's Playtime - the everybodyfields
4. Tournament of Hearts - The Weakerthans
5. Sun in an Empty Room - The Weakerthans
6. Over and Done - the everybodyfields
7. 1/1 - Brian Eno
8. Stronger - Kanye West
9. The Old Home Place - The Dillards
10. The Opposite of Hallelujah - Jens Lekman
11. A Postcard to Nina - Jens Lekman
12. Detlef Schrempf - Band of Horses
13. Lamb on the Lam (In the City) - Band of Horses
14. Nude - Radiohead
15. Boyz - M.I.A.
16. Birds - M83
17. Styrofoam Boots/It's All Nice on Ice, Alright - Modest Mouse
18. Speed of the Whippoorwill - Chatham County Line
19. Blue Factory Flame - Songs: Ohia
20. Rock of Ages - Gillian Welch
21. Farewell Transmission - Songs: Ohia
22. I've Been Riding with the Ghost - Songs: Ohia
23. I Gaer - Sigur Ros
24. Goin' to Acapulco - Jim James & Calexico
25. People Gonna Talk - James Hunter
26. Cataracts - Andrew Bird
27. Lull - Andrew Bird
28. Pretty Girl From Raleigh - The Avett Brothers

Al Green in Chapel Hill: No Grits Were Thrown in the Making of this Concert

Al Green is still a bad mamma jamma. He said so himself.

I didn't think I would get to hear Al say anything at all though. As of five o' clock, I didn't have a ticket to Green's sold out show at Memorial Hall on campus here at UNC. Craigslist had people asking for tickets and offering upwards of $100 and they weren't getting tickets. Why would I?

However, this is Chapel Hill, where everything turns out right in the end. You always end up getting those tickets you need here. When Sufjan played the same venue, a guy walked right up and offered three to me in the second row. For free. So I decided to call the Memorial Hall box office and ask if they were going to do a ticket dump tonight. They asked me, "What is a ticket dump?" Things looked bleak. "Where you hold tickets to sell on the night of," I replied. Ends up they had a few tickets left in the orchestra pit - that means in front of row A. Center stage. The pictures in the entry aren't pulled from the web. I took them with my piece of crap camera. Best seats in the house. I bought one at a student price. But things get better. When I was standing around waiting for the show to start and contemplating the possibility of making lots of cash off of my great seat, a scalper came up to me and gave me a ticket. I got in touch with my friend Ella, and she too had the pleasure to see Al Green.

Al Green stepped on stage at 9:18 to a packed house, wearing a tuxedo and glasses. He had a gold star hanging around his neck, and lots of gold chains on his wrists. Here's the setlist:

1. Just Can't Stop
2. Let's Get Married
3. Everything's Gonna Be Allright
4. Amazing Grace
5. Let's Stay Together
6. What Makes the World Go Round
7. Here I am, Come and Get Me
8. R&B Medley: Sugar Pie Honey Bun/If You Ever Change Your Mind About Leaving/My Girl/I've Been Loving You For Too Long/Wonderful World
9. Tired of Being Alone
10. Still in Love With You
11. Love & Happiness

The Reverend's backing band came out before him though, wearing all black, and featured a horn section (one trumpet, one saxophone, one trombone), two guitarists (playing maple strats), a bassists, a keyboard player, an organ player, a drummer, a percussionist, and two backup singers - one of which was Green's daughter, Deborah (or Debra? I don't know). Being up front and center probably had a lot to do with me enjoying things so much. Al's voice wasn't what it was way back, but he could still hit the high notes. The decades on the road doing shows definitely taught Al Green how to work a crowd, and after every high note Green would say, "Now you try to hit that note! Somebody do that!" and then say, "I'm a bad mamma jamma!" By far the most entertaining part of Green's stage presence was the throwing of roses (upwards of two dozen) to the female members of the crowd. When Green would trot down into the aisles, hordes of women, all over forty, would rush towards the singer for roses and hugs. The Reverend knows how to work a crowd, especially if they are older women. Green was helped out throughout the night by two guys in shiny clothes to dance along.

Green's set seemed to alternate, in the beginning, between work the crowd songs and big hits. An entertaining "Let's Get Married" was followed by "Everything's Gonna Be Allright," which was never more than an extended jam. Afterwards, Green said something to the likes of, "I may be a preacher, but I'm still a man," and launched into an alternate version of "Amazing Grace." At one point during the set, there was a guitar solo played by the teeth. By far though, the closer, "Love & Happiness" was the best part of the night. It really is Green's best song in his catalog, and everyone sang along at the top of their lungs on the song we all wanted. After singing the song, Green walked off to a rocking Memorial Hall, and the band was left to go around and do their solos. At one point, the horns all came to the main mike and played the horn riff at the end of the song, which was great. It wasn't the best concert I've been to, but I had a great time. Also, it gave me a chance to make the grits reference in my title. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, you gain my respect.

I'll have a review of the Avett's show soon. I promise.

Andrew Bird in Durham

Last night I went to see Andrew Bird play the Carolina Theatre in Durham, an event I've been waiting for now for the past couple years. My friends and I got in the auditorium halfway through Augie March's set and from what I saw they were a decent opening act. It made me realize one reason I really am starting to enjoy seated shows - the opening acts are less likely to be horrible, and if they do end up being bad, you don't have to stand through them. Also, you can get to a show after the start time and still be guaranteed a decent view. After Augie March finished their set, I went out to the lobby to talk with friends and hydrate before Bird's set. The show felt very much like a Chapel Hill show - I knew at least 15 people in the crowd. Also, the ever present Old King was in the seat in front of me.

Before his set, I heard news that Andrew Bird would be sans-drummer, which automatically deflated a bit of my enthusiasm. I was expecting a lot out of the play between Bird and Martin Dosh, super-drummer/keyboard player. However, once Bird came out to play any disappointment was gone.

The main man came out and started immediately to lay down loops on violin. After the loops had been tracked, Bird moved into "Sovay," making most everyone in attendance happy. Bird was accompanied by a sideman in a few songs to help out on guitar and bass, but there was no question who the main attraction was. Bird's setlist, from what I can remember, went as follows:

Intro
Sovay
Why?
Plasticities
Wait
A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left
Opposite Day
Masterfade
Cataracts
Lull
The Happy Birthday Song

(Encore)
Trimmed + Burning
Scythian Empire
Spare-Ohs

The most interesting aspect of Bird's set was seeing which songs worked in new instrumentation and arrangements, and which songs were flat. "Plasticities" sounded like a full band thanks to the looped pizzicato violins. "The Happy Birthday Song" sounded great as well. However, "Lull" lacked that same push that it gets from the drums on Weather Systems. "Nervous Tic" sounded like a demo of the album version. Besides being awed by Andrew Bird's great musical ability, I was rather interested in his stage presence. During "Why?" he seemed to ham it up every chance he got, almost acting out the song.

"Why?," "Wait," and "Trimmed + Burning" were all unexpected treats - Bird's new albums have moved away from almost any tinge of folkiness he has in him, and those old songs allow Andrew Bird to really 'go off' in a way that the pop songs do not. Watching him put everything into them, it is easy to see why those three are still in his setlist.

A special treat was finally hearing an explanation behind "The Happy Birthday Song." Bird described the song as being indirectly about a friend from North Carolina who, 'could take "Happy Birthday," the most cliche, sing it out of tune song ever, and make it sound like the most beautiful thing in the world.'

After the encore, Andrew was nice enough to come out and sign merchandise for fans. I got my copy of Fingerlings 2 tagged up by Mr. Bird, and plan on putting it up so everyone can see it. See:
Nice, right? The only bad thing about the night was getting lost in Durham on the way back to Chapel Hill.

Now I'm going to go up to Memorial Hall and see if anyone is selling extra tickets to Al Green. Have a good night everyone!

Bow to the Google Gods!

Really, we should all be worshiping at the feet of the Google people. Even if they had created that wonderful search engine and called it a day, we would still be indebted to them. But then they gave us Gmail, Google Talk, iGoogle, and Google Reader, among a slew of other tools to make our lives easier. I just recently got to know the last two programs, and dear God are they wonderful!

Other news: I've been doing some heavy listening lately, which is not the same as listening to Slayer. Elliott's Song in the Air was on all day yesterday, and Eno's Ambient 1: Music for Airports has been listened to straight through at least once a day for the past week. I've been catching up with the 1990's by way of Built to Spill and Braid as well. More important than all of that though is new music: the Band of Horses album Cease to Begin that comes out in October is not as bad as everyone would lead you to believe. Hopefully I'll get around to writing a review soon. It doesn't match the strength of their debut album, but it isn't a clunker either. However, Kanye West's Graduation is just as good as everyone says it is. "Stronger," the song that samples the Daft Punk track, is pretty much all I've listened to today.

And one other thing: I'm reading a lot of academic writing about poetry right now. I read a good blurb about syllabics this morning that helped answer my main question of "Why write in syllabics?" and I'm also making an attempt to get through Rosenthal's The Modern Poetic Sequence. I have a long line count sequence poem due at the end of the semester and I need some help in wrapping my head around what makes a good one. Reading The Dream Songs is on my 'to-do' list as well for that assignment.

Andrew Bird is tonight. I heard great things from my friend Jamie after he saw AB in Asheville last night. Can't wait.

The Onion Never Misses a Beat

Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8

CHICAGO—According to the review, the popular medium that predates the written word shows promise but nonetheless "leaves the listener wanting more."

What happens when one Internet powerhouse makes fun of another Internet powerhouse? Pure gold happens.