Last Friday there was supposed to be a Surfer Blood concert on campus, but the organizers of the event didn't clear it with the admin. So, seeing as word had gotten out to the community and a bunch of randos had started calling the school, the school obviously felt uncomfortable with the event seeing as no security measures had been set in place. So the concert was ostensibly cancelled...but actually just moved off campus. It was held in a bike shop - all the bikes pushed aside to make room. I think 3 (maybe 4) bands played before SB, and they were all actually really good. There were only like maaaybe 75 people there, which was sweet. There wasn't a stage so I could only see the band when they were crowd-surfing, which was fine.

Surfer Blood was AMAZING. AMAZING. I stood near the back away from the mosh pit with some friends and we just like bopped and absorbed the sound. They sounded better live than recorded, in my opinion. I get a super strong Vampire Weekend vibe from them a lot of the time, but it was waayy less pronounced live. They had a whole different edge that was extremely appealing.

If you're not familiar with them, here's my three fav songs. "Take it Easy" was the best song of the concert, I thought, because the lead singer was crowd-surfing, singing, and playing guitar all at the same time. It was ridiculous. Awesome.

"swim" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDBIpgCfRU8
"take it easy" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSeAwowu8GE&feature=related
"twin peaks" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIiwraf8FUQ&feature=related

yahh check it out.

this is the oddest cd i have ever burned

"idiot" - siriusmo
"oh my god" - kaiser chiefs
"country shit" - dj hard hitta (ft. ludacris and BIG K.R.I.T. and BUN B)
"ruby" - kaiser chiefs
"burning down the house" - talking heads
"and she was" - talking heads
"pace is the trick" - interpol
"animal arithmetic" - jonsi
"this is your life" - the killers
"all these things that i've done" - the killers
"paper planes (DFA remix) - M.I.A.
"like or like like"? - the miniature tigers
"education" - modest mouse
"peach, pear, plum" - joanna newsom
"you're just a baby" - belle and sebastian
"i don't love anyone" - belle and sebastian
"here's to now" - ugly casanova
"four winds" - bright eyes
"someone great" - lcd soundsystem

been a while. here's some stuff.

"oh my god" - kaiser chiefs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54DtVXjk2jY
excellently catchy. nice eyeliner dude. this band's a new one to me, though a few songs were oddly familiar (like "ruby").

"people II: the reckoning" - andrew jackson jihad
thanks for the rec, hans. this singer sounds like hutch harris but more consistent. this song is a lovely example of dark feeling light.

"middle distance runner" and "black dirt" - sea wolf
YES PLEASE. that first one especially kills me.

"genius of love" - tom tom club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIW4skg3Ceo
from stop making sense (watch it now). this is killer. chris fantz is simultaneously hilarious and awesome. fuck da haters. tina weymouth for life.



this feels even more self-indulgent than usual..

David Byrne: authorartistmusicianmyhero

Gaga fascination and Bowielust aside, David Byrne is my musical icon of choice.

Besides that whole ohyeahTalkingHeadsfuckingrock thing, he's sharp, "peculiar" (self-described), intellectually curious, hilarious, awkward, and fashionable. And his dancing is the absolute best.

In one word I'd go for ingenious.



If you haven't seen Stop Making Sense (concert movie), correct that. The songs are a lot faster than on the albums, and it almost makes it better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9XN6W31jwc - look at those moves. those glasses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JLZ31sozHw&feature=related - THE MAN THE SUIT THE LEGEND


And even if you ignore all the music (which would be highly foolish and morally reprehensible) he's so good.
Read this preface to one of his books: http://www.davidbyrne.com/art/tree_drawings/about/arboretum_why.php
(and if you stop ignoring his music you'll see STOP MAKING SENSE emerging in there a bunch). I mean, agree or disagree with his claims (and my father certainly disagrees) it's hard to deny that he's fascinating.

I highly recommend exploring his music and books. So highly.

I LOVE THIS MAN SO MUCH.

the past month of my life in 5 songs

not content-wise so much, but just like general...atmosphere and beatz?

anyway, these have been the most important songs over the past month.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1wg1DNHbNU
"once in a lifetime" - the talking heads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGitBIedvbY
"i can't decide" - the scissor sisters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lfY0W-CoKM
remix of "spanish sahara" - the foals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqo8sxQ5puA
"we will become silhouettes" - the shins (cover of a postal service song)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVHxMn8trOk&feature=related
"here's to now" - ugly casanova

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZdwtdM-MK8&feature=related

so, I saw The Naked and the Famous, the Freelance Whales, and Foals last night. My friends and I were going primarily for the Freelance Whales, but by the end of the night we all agreed that Foals was where it was at.

The Naked and the Famous were awkwardly modest onstage. I like my rock bands talented and cocky, and the group was all just too darn apologetic. Unless a band is absolutely rockin' it, I'm not a fan of bands pandering to the audience. Which is probably why I loved Foals - more on that later. The N and the F sounded pretty good. Their intense similarity to Passion Pit was not as pronounced live. Their set was only like 30 minutes, which was about perfect.

Freelance Whales was simultaneously lovely and disappointing. The singer was cocky but couldn't get away with it. His voice was lackluster and drowned out by the percussion. The keyboardist was SO fun. "Broken Horse" was beautiful. The band was good but not as awesome as I imagined.

Okay. Foals was everything a rock band and concert should be, in my opinion. I wasn't very familiar with them at all before this, and I have no idea how they've slipped past my radar because they were FANTASTIC. Their drummer and lead vocalist especially - the drummer because he was oozing talent (one of the people I was with is a drummer and she was practically having a heart attack at how good he was) and he singer because he was amazing and charismatic and acting like an huge asshole. He pulled it off. I think the best way to sum his attitude/the audience's reaction to it is that at one point, he shotgunned a can of PBR and threw the empty at someone in the audience and everyone applauded him. There was much mic-throwing and stage-diving and good old jamming out.

I like people to act humbly and kindly. I like rock bands to play well and pull off being obnoxious.

I have to go, but you should check out Foals, dear reader.

speaking of soundtracks

the theme song for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind might in fact be my favorite song from any movie. Jon Brion is godly.

also, that soundtrack has been the most reliable headache-banisher I've been able to find. Any recommendations in a similar vein would be extremely much appreciated.

YANN TIERSEN

YANN TIERSEN.





!




ALL OF IT. EVERYTHING.

start w/ this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML4ffX4pvjk





yes I am a little late on the Yann Tiersen boat...but geeeeeeeez

the original "jam sesh"?

Anyone like Big Band music? I always have.
Louis Prima is just fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pELxwTp7gk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJKTt30kMeA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpAM9qCsuyI

The Social Network soundtrack is actually pretty good. I'm going to buy it.
There were actually a lot of great soundtracks this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOlDhvJ9Kdc

But there will always be a special place in my heart for Hans Zimmer. I always want him to win the oscar, but he hardly does.

CAN I JUST SAY.

IS THE WORLD OVER THIS WHOLE "CLASSIFYING AND DISMISSING MUSIC AS 'HIPSTER' BECAUSE IT'S NOT WIDELY KNOWN" THING YET?


Because it's disrespectful to the artist, condescending to the fan, and just fucking annoying.

on the radio

I have a radio show!
7-8 pm every Monday.
97.9 fm on KRRC.

non-Portlanders, check it out at http://www.live365.com/index.live!

very, very important news

I listened to every single Modest Mouse song ever released/available on Grooveshark and feel confident in my assertion that The Moon and Antarctica is their strongest album.

what happens after you win a grammy?

Arcade Fire won't let their newly acquired fans/fame ruin what they're all about now, will they?

http://www.rorrimkcalb.com/
If you haven't seen this it's way cool. AND CREEPY. For scariest results choose only #5. However my favorite is a combination of 1, 4, 5, and 6. Also, the swimming part is crazy in negative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J-900xpiI0

arcade fire cover of "this must be the place"

during renn fayre, there's a talking heads dance....yes.

I DON'T WANNA WORK NO MO'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN2VKL-4Pj4

guys.

the new iron & wine, my god.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIzfUK91xuw

Peaceful

"Psalm" by M. Ward; I just happen to be attached to this song tonight.

It's only 3 minutes and 54 seconds long, but if you let it play behind whatever it is you happen to be focusing on, it feels like 10 minutes. It's gorgeous. Has that home-made feel, like he was just picking around one day and the studio's microphone just happened to be recording.

Odd side note, it was released ten years ago, yesterday.

My iTunes play count for this evening is 5 and counting.