The one where I try to make myself cry

It didn't feel fitting to end the last blog post with only more reviews. Also the things I tried weren't notable enough for me to comment much on, they were okay at best, (I'm looking at you, Yuck) and some were just bad. So rather I thought I'd close out with some comments about how some of the ones I reviewed earlier stuck with me and what I'm looking forward to. Then I'm going to review an album I'm going to listen to soon after I type this which is allegedly one of the saddest albums ever. It's Hospice by The Antlers. I have almost no idea what I'm getting into. I think the genre is indie folk or something and that it's about a guy who's girlfriend is dying. Can't wait!

Gonna start by saying I actually thought this was more fun than I thought it would be. Blogs aren't bad. Hard to keep up sometimes though. But most importantly I finally got back into listening to music. Really happy about that. I got a lot of great bands out of this whole thing and I'm doing pretty good at just listening to new things on my own often now Loving it. I haven't stuck with all of that bands I listened to, but many of them I try to play often depending on my mood. But the one that really stuck out to me was fun. They were my absolute favorite band to come out of this now. Really hope they keep going in a good direction with their music. Also GDP, that was just a really good hip hop group, and SBTRKT and Bonobo's albums are the best electronic pieces. Also I'll probably see I Fight Dragons this summer, they're pretty great.

Also I didn't go to Coachella. Which makes me sad because beyond all the great bands there, just, hologram Tupac guys.

It's got some kinks to work out but I freaking love that we can just do this now.

But I know the question you're all asking yourselves, "But Sam, what happened to the zombies?" Settle down.
Well those became increasingly hard to work in and eventually I learned a lesson. You can't pick and choose what music to listen to. There's so much good music out there if you just give it a shot, so take what you get and make the most of it! Also if you tried to sync your ipod with new music just before the zombies break in your windows, well frankly you probably deserve to be eaten. Priorities people!

Now without further ado, let's see if this album will actually make me cry. Bring it!
TRACK BY TRACK STYLE!

  Prologue:Okay well that was a pretty cool build up but nothing so far, moving along
  Kettering: Okay first thing I noticed was that I should take this nice youtuber's advice and look at the lyrics while I do this, because his voice is quite hard to understand. Everything else sounds pretty good though. And the lyrics are quite sad, it's a guy talking to this girl in a , get this, a hospice. They seem to have a thing, she's quite unhappy and wants him to leave but he won't. She's not going to make it. Okay it is a pretty sad start.
  Sylvia: Sylvia Plath references and mostly just confirming what the last song said. He seems to be a worker, okay. he seems to really care for her. Sad but still not crying. Come on Antlers.
  Atrophy: Really poetic stuff right here. It's rather pretty.
  Bear: The lyrics kinda threw me for a loop here, seems to have been a shift but I'm following in my own way. This is the catchiest track.
  Thirteen. Mostly instrumental. Alright. Oh and more Sylvia Plath apparently? I'm interpreting it as this girl just wants to die already, but then wants to be saved, conflicted and whatnot.
  Two: I lied this one, pretty good lyrics, and the instruments were very fitting. Things are getting real, this just sounds very dysfunctional to me, but what a devoted guy. Hearing two different stories now.
  Shiva: Oh no... the ring part got to me a bit. Again very very nice music behind the voice.
  Wake: Still rather sad but not as bad as I thought. That "Don't ever let anyone tell you you deserve that," bit in this song hit me a bit. This whole song had interesting lyrics but wasn't my favorite.
  Epilogue:Welp, no tears. A very very sad story though. Both telling of a hospice worker trying to save a patient he loves and an abusive relationship at the same time.

Overall Very artfully done. The lyric are practically poetry at times and the music in the background is very nicely fitting and well done. I especially liked the duality of it all I realized about halfway through. I rather enjoyed it. Though it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be it was very emotional. Now I don't know if I'd listen to it often though... but for the first time it did good. A very good indie or artsy album. Not so much for listening if I'm in any other mood though.

I suppose that's it. What did I learn today? Probably not very much. But I enjoyed the ride. Now to try Mountain Goats...

Rescuing forgotten bands from the depths of my iPod

So last time I submitted I noticed I was one short... uh...crap. Little late but here's a blog! No theme here this time, other than these a couple bands I just never got around to listening to but I've had to listen to for awhile.

Pharoahe Monch - W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)

      Pretty interesting rap album here. It opens with a message from Idris Elba in the future saying it's a warning for a war. Basically it's a concept album about a future war and abuse by the government. It was a rather interesting story but it's been done before. What I liked was the many styles in this album, almost each track has a very separate style which is something I always love. Like the track above, it sounds very akin to a Madvillain or any MF DOOM style track in terms of delivery, it plays out like a story, it's like if a comic book was rapped and it was actually good. Sounds pretty dumb but I think it's a rather cool style. But while this one is like that, other songs get crazy with their instrumentation, from electronic beats to hairband sounding guitar solo's. All with some pretty excellent rapping, lyrically and flow wise. I was really impressed with this and it'll probably get better with repeated listens, can't wait. Loving it.
 Oh and this whole album is up on youtube it seems. Here:

The Script - Science and Faith

      Most of the time, I can't listen to bands who just center on love as their theme. It just seems too bland to me, too overdone, and boring. Not to say there aren't exceptions, Yellowcard for instance is still one of my favorites, though I always figured that was primarily for nostalgia. So I was really surprised that I enjoyed this album after the realization they were nearly all about love, usually break ups and trying to fix them. I honestly am not quite sure why I liked it. They lyrics do seem above average to me, and the band just sounds great in the background especially the guitars, not that they sound to be doing anything particularly difficult. Everything just kind of... fits I suppose. And I do like the singers voice. Honestly this is just really weird to me and I'm surprised I like it at all. It might be because some of them are about being drunk in love, I have a strange weakness to songs about drinking. Who knows, it was a pretty decent album though.

RIP Star Burns

Things I should've listened to already (Indie? edition)

Right, so I have confusion regarding why indie is considered a genre. I figure it should mean that the artist is "independent" and publishes their music with no help from a label. So I don't understand at what point did we collectively decide it should define a certain type of sound. Never understood that. In addition some "indie" musicians actually have labels. Just don't get it. Not that I dislike any of it. Just putting that out there. Anyway here are a bunch of things I really should've listened to before now, all of I have heard referred to as indie.

Arcade Fire - Funeral

            See here's an example, these guys are referred to as indie but are HUGE now. Hell the song above hs been popular for awhile and it came off of their FIRST album. But more to the point HOW HAVE I NOT LISTENED TO THIS YET WHAT AM I DOING. Oh well. To be honest I wasn't a huge fan of it, maybe it was just al of the hype or maybe it's just because I haven't listened to it enough times yet. There just wasn't anything in particular to draw me in. I would almost call it bland. Hopefully I'll come around to it eventually so I can see what the fuss is. But so far everything just sounds very average to me.




Andrew Jackson Jihad - People Who Can Eat People are the Luckiest People in the World

           These guys are more folky I'd say, but I rather liked this album. Had a pretty unique sound, was rather short which is actually something I liked. Not every album needs to be an hour long. The lyrics were enjoyable and were quite clever in some parts. The singer had a very unique voice, which clearly cuts out on purpose at some points, which actually helps the emotional aspects of the songs. Overall I really enjoyed these guys.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not

       Also described as indie but I would say they're more punk rock. I heard their sound changes as you go through the albums so maybe they get more indie. Irrelevant though, I loved this stuff. I haven't heard a good, interesting punk sound in awhile. It's just pure punk sounding, aggressive and whatnot, and the lyrics are catchy as hell. Now as an indie band and what they typically stand for, somber artistic lyrics and an experimental alt rock feel, not quite good. But as a punk rock album with a few twists here and there with a great vocalist and instrumentation as well, it exceeds most punk bands. It takes whats fun about punk, cuts the boring crap, and fills it with their own touches of crazy sounds and vocals. Few punk albums make me want to dance.

Remember when I talked about zombies?

Obligatory/Cliche

Alright so I'll be perfectly honest, was not ready for the next deadline to be so soon. Haven't listened to anything new yet or even found anything to download other than a few singles I've been listening to. So instead, I figured I'd do what most internet music blog writers end up doing at some point, rather than reviewing I'm just gonna start throwing some of my favorite things your way for a bit. I hope you like at least something, if not, well sorry, I tried please don't hate me.

First thing I'm going to do though is mention the song I am listening to currently on an awesome site Mr. Arra told me about, the Gorilla vs. Bear blog. It says it's called here, in heaven 4 & 5 (CFCF remix) by Elite Gymnastics. Can't post it directly on here but check out that blog and give it a listen, very nice sounding track. The bassline kills and the synths are beautiful sounding. Lot's of different elements and I love that.

Keeping up with electronic based music, I've been listening to this band a friend (Thank You, Michael Melick!) showed me awhile back called Does It Offend You, Yeah? a lot more recently. Their sound comes across to me as incredibly catchy at points, which then soon devolve into clusters of insane sounding hooks. Their sound is absolutely amazing, ranging from calm to near rock like mosh-pit worthy parts. It's been one of my most listened to electronic bands lately, it's one of the most energizing bands I can think of at the moment. Loving it more as I listen to it.

Alright next I'm gonna go towards a great hip-hop/rap/who cares artist, P.O.S. again recomended by a friend(Thank You, Mickey Kessler!) This guy is now my one of my alltime favorite rappers. He has this flow that is just perfect in every song. The lyrics are conscientious and always interesting to listen to, and give some really interesting viewpoints. The music itself can have a rock liike quality to it as well, which brings me to the next best thing about this, the drumming is able to steal the show in most of the songs. It's near perfect, every song the drums just pull you into the song and hook you to it so well. With those drums and P.O.S.'s unique singing style, voice, and lyrics, this is a group you would not want to miss if you have any love for the genre.

And lastly let me finish with a more rock or punk rock band which is all sorts of crazy and weird and incredible, Bomb the Music Industry! Forming after the death of a somewhat popular but critically acclaimed ska band, the Arrogant Sons of Bitches, this band has become a hybrid so far gone that it is difficult to describe in terms of a genre. The best I could do is say it is a punk - ska, electronic based band which incorporates an indie DIY style and amazing lyrics. Everything about thees guys is extraordinary. The lyrics are thoughtful and can be near poetic, even when they're talking about drinking and other typical ska themes. Every song has a real meaning behind it, and it's not typical punk themes of angst and anarchy, in fact they mock these themes. But as great as the lyrics are, their instrumentation is just as incredible. They most often use electric and acoustic guitars, typical bass and drum, a piano, synths, and a saxophone. Though they also use things such as harmonica's, trumpets, and their own voices A Capella whenever they choose. Surprisingly all of these sounds fit together to make a beautiful harmony.

The video above is kinda slow to start but it entertained me. Anyway their latest album, Vacation, is their best work to date I would say in the form of an album at least, but all of their work is amazing. At least I think so. Definitely my favorite band at the moment.




Clearly, I have a problem with posting videos.

Oh, and did I mention all of their music is FREEEEE???
You can find all of their albums somewhere on that site, make a donation if you feel like it!


Also, they'll be coming to Cleveland in April, so if I managed to get one random person to appreciate this band half as much as I do GO!!

Alright after way too much typing and abuse of the add video button, I'll bring this to a close.
And, since this entertains me now, here's Rob saying something: "Okay, so we're gonna get these magnets, and then we're gonna shoot them through fruits. Fuji apples. Because they beat Honeycrisp. [Wastes of Matter]"

Yeah.

I'm seriously having problems thinking of titles now

Things! Below! I'm really not feeling creative right now honestly I'm about to pass out and I'm running out of hot apple cider. Things are not looking good. Moving on...

SBTRKT - SBTRKT

Overall I rather liked this album. Suppose it'd be considered post-dubstep? I dunno I never know how to do genres. The tempo varies, has a darker, more subtle electronic sound. I wasn't expecting much as it started out but it grew on me. The beats are rather catchy, if a little repetitive, and almost sound tribal sometimes. It approaches being danceable sometimes, but is mostly an ambient electronic album. A somewhat unique sound which I enjoyed. Though the middle was probably the best, the album had an OK start and then petered out towards the end. But it was rather decent.

Bohren & der Club of Gore - Black Earth

     Oh god what have I started listening to oh no what is this. I don't even remember how I found this. It's like the giant black nothingness of eternity. Filled with JAZZ. I don't know how I feel about this. Very atmospheric with a slight hint of night terrors. Honestly as typical listening music goes it's just not a good fit. As ambient music it's okay in some cases. And It's perfect if you're drinking alone at midnight as it storms outside and you're either contemplating or trying to solve a murder. It's really good in the proper setting. So, you know, context people.

Fun. - Aim & Ignite

          I hadn't listened to an actual album by these guys yet. Their single out on the radio right now has been heard by almost everyone by now, but I wanted to actually listen to an album and I heard good things about this one. It's one of the best pop rock or indie or whatever you want to call it sounds I've heard lately. The rock parts are good, the overall message of the album is good, and just has a very nice feel to it. The definite highlight of this band is it's singer, Nate Ruess. His vocals are very emotional sounding at times, and he has unique sound to it that can really make him stand out. This also accents the lyrics which were also fantastic. The album is full of those moments where you're just kind of hit by the lyrics. The song above, for example, while not really their typical sound (there are a few throughout the album) has some great lyrics and seemed like a really emotional song to me. My favorite off of the album for sure. My favorite part being that surrounding the line, "you've never quit in all your life." Nate's singing here hits a climax and I absolutely loved it. Definitely a great album and I'm looking forward to listening to more of them.

Comments, Rob?
"F is for friends who do stuff together, U is for you and meeeeee, N is for anywhere and anytime at all! DOWN HERE IN THE DEEEP BLUUE SEEEEAAA."

Back to this now...

Hi there, just getting right into talking about what I listened to today. Wooooo!

As Cities Burn - Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest

I had this recommended to me, but frankly I didn't like it at all. It's post-hardcore, I didn't like how anything sounded in it. Everything sounded pretty generic to me. Only good song was the Widow and that's because it didn't sound anything like the rest of the album. Though I'll be honest I usually dislike this kind of music. Some kinds of hardcore and post hardcore sound great to me and others just flat out suck. Usually depends on the usage of screaming, too much here. Love that artwork though.





The Wonder Years - Suburbia I've Given you All and Now I'm Nothing

I've listened to these guys before and I've seen them live, they were good but I never listened to anything more though. Pretty good stuff, better than average punk-pop band I'd say. This album sounds a lot more serious sounding than the rest of the things that I've heard from them though. Gave off a good feel, most of the lyrics were catchy and the guitars were top notch on the album. Got a bit repetitive though. Overall pretty good I'd say.


GDP - Useless Eaters

This is my new favorite thing. Never heard of these guys but everything about this album was great to me. I was told it was hip hop and electronic sounding so I was already excited before I heard it and it delivered. The vocals on the album are incredible, the guy has great flow, good lyrical content (Seems to be mostly about addiction), and the beats in the background are just perfect. Whenever one of them takes the reins it's impressive. I will say I thought the quality dropped a bit at the second half but was still pretty great in my opinion. Loves it.

Alright, that's all I have to say this week. Not much frankly. So I'll just leave this Kanye West - Runaway cover I thought was pretty good here:

Also, here's some commentary on it by Rob Garbe:
Q: What do you think about this weeks blog Rob?
A: Pikachu I choose youuuuuuuu (continues playing Draw Something)

Mixing it up

Rather than going over music this week I thought I'd have a little public service announcement instead. See I found this petition about a documentary:
IT'S HERE YA'LL

The documentary is called Bully, and wouldn't you know, it's about bullying. It has not come out yet, but it has been cited as being very in depth, revealing, and informative. It should be a view into every aspect of bullying in and out of schools. It is also alledgedly very graphic. It was rated R by the MPAA for language.
The petition above OH AND HERE IT IS AGAIN is asking the MPAA to change the rating from R to pg-13. The movie would be much more effective if it was ACTUALLY AVAILABLE TO THE KEY DEMOGRAPHIC. Kids in schools are the ones who really need to see this movie. They're the ones who have to deal with bullying in one way or another every day. But if it's rated R, it would be difficult for a student to see, but if it's pg-13 it could be shown in schools. I understand that the MPAA believes it has too much language, but I've always found that to be a ridiculous argument. Why would I be concerned about kids who already know these words, play Call of Duty online every day, and are exposed to violence and whatnot constantly. Makes no sense to me.

Your average 13 year old

I just feel it is so much more important for children to see the effects of bullying and see what this documentary has to say. Bullying is still a huge problem in our schools and anything that might help prevent it should be implemented. Did you know in just one week earlier this month, there were 3 attempted suicides in Avon Lake? 3.
So if you believe that this movie should be made accessible to kids in schools, please sign the petition. ONCE MORE. Help us try and stop all of the torment to these kids.