I admit, my initial response was shock. Shock and dismay. I mean, how would you respond if the places you left long ago but still look upon fondly in nostalgia were being torn apart, destroyed forever? I was also surprised by the relatively mild opposition to this brutal act. But perhaps I shouldn't really be all that surprised. After all, it's not real.
Oh yeah, I'm still stuck in my virtual world, now facing annihilation brought on by the most dangerous of beasts - its creators. Those who for the sake of the chance of bringing back old players would destroy the "old and familiar". What kind of people would be attracted by the utter destruction promised by the next expansion pack and do we really want such people, whose sole attraction point to the game is death and fire, to be running around in our midst?
Sure, the game needs to undergo changes from time to time, keeping players wanting more and challenged and attracting new ones. But the price of these changes may be too high to pay. If the apocalypse promised by the trailer is of any indication, much of the most beautiful and tranquil areas would be forever gone, all for the momentary thrill of the pouring lava and flight over churning chasms.
It's not good enough, Blizzard. You're not one of the many teenagers playing the game, taking delight in senseless killing for instant gratification. You're supposed to know better than that.
I saw death today; Ever present, it was missing from The dying man's eyes; Nor was it noticed upon the wild Creases of his face.
Paralysis gripped him And me.
I saw death today, But it wasn't the wheelchair That betrayed it; Nor the argent splinters still clinging to The forgetful scalp. It was in me, Remembering, seeing, hearing, feeling -- Naught.
I sit by an enormous network switch with a huge fan that constantly streams torrents of chilled air straight into my right ear. Besides the occasional blue ear, this situation allows me the experience the arctic freeze on a daily basis, possibly in balance to the actual arctic rapidly melting away.
It also enables me to connect to some types of music in a pseudo-physical sense, feeling the chill and images they project on my own body. The story of northerner Arran Arctic, as you can read and listen to on his MySpace, is one such example. Through it I see bleak and forlorn coasts, green-grey forests and a fire blazing in welcoming hearths. It looks like a hard life, but one worth living.
Venture on to his MySpace and Facebook for your own experience; just don't forget the ear muffs (on top of your headphones). His latest LP, The Boy in Brown, is available here.
Arran Arctic - Lonely Accordion {Video} (from The Boy in Brown)
I don't know any good songs about unicorns (or hippogryphs, for that matter). I do know a lot of great songs of religious and spiritual meaning, of personal and what sometimes seems like collective significance. Why am I writing about that now? Where have I been all this time? These questions are somewhat related.
These past few days I've been reading Richard Dawkin's "The God Delusion", a rather blunt and forceful attack on religion. Already agnostic before I began, I admit the book has carried me over a bit towards atheism. Yet shaking the shackles of the past can take time and I find that even my very way of thought is fraught with the irrational. And a significant part of me doesn't want to abandon it.
But when I say irrational I mean feelings and emotions, not superstitions (which should be left far behind). Religion, like any human creation, has its ups and downs, and while I don't share the belief that the supposed focus of most religions (i.e. god) actually exists as usually described, I can appreciate some of the feelings of wonder, hope and admiration some people of faith seem to share. To believe means to trust completely without question or doubt in something that isn't proven to be so (or perhaps can never be proven), and it's something, though I tried very hard as a child, I could never really accomplish. But to share the ecstasy in Aretha Franklin's rendition of "Amazing Grace", even as a non-Christian, that I can do. Listening to it and similar songs brings me to a point where I feel compelled to get on my knees and start praying (score one for mass media and televangelists), but then I remember there isn't really much of a point (knock out in favor of science and rational thought).
I need my irrational self. I know it's immature, a Peter Pan flying around Outland (Northrend coming soon), living in fancies and dreams. But without his imagination and vision I would be reduced to an empty shell of an automaton. And though there's no outright contradiction between science and the sense of wonder the universe seems to generate, without irrationality, without the presumption, without the fancy of a lost child, there would be no science or wonder as well.
I've found out I'm on a journey; I don't know where I'm going or where I started. The present surrounds and tempts me, the past is foggy almost as the future is murky; the sense of movement itself could be an illusion. And yet, I'm finally beginning to be thrilled about it, to discover between the bouts of storms and thunders, that I am still alive.
I'm sure this song can be interpreted in many ways; mine is taken with a sense of love towards the human race with all its faults, hoping it is on its continuous, never-ending journey in life.
Perhaps the summer isn't such a bad thing after all. Yesterday I wrote a guest post at Music is Art that expressed my longing for winter and summer's end. I complained about the heat and incessant bugs flying around when all I wanted was a breath of fresh, cool air.
Well, I got it in the form of Kym Campbell, a US expatriate who now lives in Australia. Kym writes and performs warm surf/folk songs that may be reminiscent of Jack Johnson or Xavier Rudd with her own personal touch and flavor. The result, other than a little more relaxed smiles around the office, is that suddenly I feel summer may not be all bad, especially when you enjoy the breeze down the beach with good music filling the air.
Treat yourselves to Kym Campbell on her website and MySpace.
I've had a small revelation today which soothed me and quailed my growing impatience quite rapidly. I'm sure most people have had it and even I had some prior notions of it, but I, as my usual way about things, forgot. It's very simple, really: I'm not perfect and am not likely to meet or encounter anyone or anything that is. Some say that god is perfect, but even if such a "thing" exists, I doubt our poor and limited human comprehension could ever truly fathom "it".
This brought about a small degree of peace, not because now I don't need to bother working to do the best I can (because perfection is unattainable), but because I could accept that the driving feelings and anxieties about not reaching some (fantastic) goals come from within, and it is, first and foremost, my own perception of myself I have to contend with. As I said, not the most original observation, but one that may make life a little more bearable in this prison of flesh.
What has all this to do with this post's music? Not a great deal. But this net mystery, recording under the moniker of Never Been Julia, has caught my attention and imagination with stormy seas ("Along the Sea") and broken memories ("When I Breath"). Also, as far as I can tell, I've never been Julia either. It's not a bad place to start (even if your name is Julia).
Check out Never Been Julia on last.fm for more tracks. If you've never been Julia too, tell me about it.
I've somehow managed to survive nature's latest assassination attempt (using microorganisms in the food to try and poison me was clever, better luck next time). As I slowly recover my strength and will to live, I realize how quiet it has been around me. This is not just due to the recently canceled TV cables, but mainly because I didn't really feel the drive to listen and write about anything. Obviously, that has changed.
And with good timing too. By a lucky happenstance Brighton's indie singer-songwriter Julius has released his LP Shepherdess only a few days earlier and I've ran across it. Julius claims the LP, recorded in the mountains of France, pretty much sums up his life in the past 2 years. Well, it's a beautiful life. Calming and inspiring with remnants of happy traveling days memories and friends intertwined, the sound is clear and fresh in my ears.
Check out Julius on MySpace and last.fm for awesome tracks and downloadable EPs and LP. Shepherdess is available on MySpace.
Julius - A Man Alive {MP3} (from Shepherdess) Julius - Dark Days {MP3} (from Shepherdess) Julius - My Lovely Boy {MP3} (from Shepherdess) Julius - Separate {MP3} (from Shepherdess)
Cherbourg, one of my currently most listened to bands, has unveiled its official clip for the first single out of their new EP, Into the Dark. Well produced and laden with symbolism of all sorts, it is up for the viewers to get whatever meaning they can out of it. That is, except for the obvious risk in being in a rock band...
Sometimes there's no need for lengthy introductions or colorful metaphors. Sometimes, you just need to listen, to delve the silence into which the sound is poured only gently, because too harsh a stare would dissipate it.
And sometimes, it's the simple and charming songs that will win you over. Even if you thought you heard it before, think again. A topic covered as much as love could never really be boring anyway. Not if there's even a fraction of a memory left in your mind.
Check out Zach Bronow on MySpace and last.fm for additional tracks and info.
Night falls and you're still at the Faire, marveling at the wonders and sounds around you. A soft laughter echoes in the distance as you notice a quiet spot around the burning open hearth. Around it a people sitting, listening, there and far away, distant in thought and memory. They travel by the sound of the singer accompanied by his lone guitar.
That singer could be the enigmatic man who works under the moniker of Like a Fire in Nebraska. You've never been to Nebraska yourself, but somehow you get it, or think you do. Originally from Berlin and now based in Wellington, New Zealand, Like a Fire has a way of producing a warm sense of solace, much needed at day's end. And perhaps, for you, it also sounds like home.
Check out Like a Fire in Nebraska in MySpace and last.fm for a downloadable EP and a few more streamable tracks.
I'm officially dedicating this week to the unofficial Faire week. The overall theme of wonder and strange coupled with the underlying passion of wanderlust of these artists leave me little other choice (other than to pack my bag and join the road).
The road is long and arduous, fraught with many dangers and delights, good company, some drinking, an accident here and there and a few broken hearts. It is the tale of the wanderer fewer people nowadays want to listen to or remember, instead preferring to fantasize about lying idly in the sand while eagerly checking the cell phone for news and gossip. Not here.
A genuine article personified in the sometimes NYC based singer-songwriter James Apollo will make you pick up that 40's styled hat, hop on a freight train or just drive away. A drifter himself since 16, he's toured extensively officially and unofficially for years across the US and Europe, and somehow it all gets reflected in that weary, knowing voice. I'm glad to have found him. Just let me grab my hat and a bottle and I'll be on my way. Where to? Beyond the idle sand.
Track Jame Apollo on his website, MySpace and last.fm for tour updates and music. His latest EP, Angels We Have Grown Apart, is available on Amazon and iTunes.
The traveling Darkmoon Faire, starting today, provides an arena for the worlds' strange and wonderful. That is, if it actually existed (it's virtual). If it did exist though, I'm sure NYC's Electric Black, covered here before, would have its own specially adorned and red smoke shrouded performance stage.
With their self titled debut LP fast approaching its release date (June 16th), the band has its own traveling to do, along dividing lines of the weird and the profane, the chasms of the soul and the fiery mountain ranges of the broken hearts. Where the journey will take them I cannot say, but I'm sure it will be wonderful.
Check out Electric Black on MySpace and their site for streamable tracks and updates. A second pair of singles is being released before the expected LP release of June 16th.
Electric Black - Reign The Night {MP3} (from Electric Black)
You'll never know what treasures will find their way into your mailbox. Granted, my junk mail folder is overwhelmed by all sorts of people soliciting for cheap drugs, heirlooms of devout Christians in faraway countries just waiting to be picked up and inquiries into my anatomy and if I'm pleased with it. Thankfully, my inbox is spared of all this and I can find myself lucky enough to be introduced into some really unique works of art.
With my newly acquired (virtual) horse (still looking for a name, I'd appreciate some suggestions), I can finally dedicate the time needed to go through it all. And I mean all - sampling songs is just not enough sometimes. This was the case with My Gold Mask, an indie-alternative-art band from Chicago. Their debut self titled work is available for free streaming on Bandcamp, with a few songs available for download.
So I took my time listening, starting with one of the downladable tracks and then just kept going. Gretta Rochelle and Jack Armondo, the band's members, started out with home recording of what they call "extrinsic pop songs" but I think they're much more than that. It was actually one of the streamable tracks, "Like Eli", that jerked my ears into action (as it were). A dark, haunting and wondrous sound, building itself from calm to wild shamanic ecstasy of some ancient cave dwellers. Hey, that's the image I got from it. Try it out for yourselves.
Explore My Gold Mask on their website, MySpace and Bandcamp. Their self titled LP is available on the band's website.
I'm seriously considering turning this week to an all Canadian experience. The sheer wealth and variety of artists and styles of music I encounter coming from that country would seem to demand it. I don't want to compare it to its neighbor from the south, but there's definitely something special and very much alive going on there.
Take Vancouver's indie folk-pop Said the Whale for example. Exuberance may be a hard word to define precisely, but putting a clip of the band in the dictionary might provide a good start. Just as important, the group appears to enjoy the whole experience and gives off a certain impression of genuineness.
If you're lucky and in Canada, you can check them out for yourselves in their grand summer tour: June 11th - Penticton, BC - Barking Parrot @ Lakeside Resort June 12th - Lethbridge, AB - The Slice June 13th - Calgary, AB - The #1 Legion June 18th - London, ON - Call The Office June 20th - Toronto, ON - Reverb (NXNE) June 23th - Windsor, ON - Phog Lounge June 24th - Peterborough, ON - Red Dog June 25th - Hamilton, ON- The Casbah June 26th - Sarnia, ON - Patty Flaherty's June 28th - St Catherines, ON - SCENE FEST July 8th - Winnipeg, MB - Lo Pub July 9th - Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's July 10th - Edmonton, AB - The Pawn Shop July 11th - Kelowna, BC - The Habitat
You can also find Said the Whale on their website and MySpace for more updates and tracks. Their LP, Islands Disappear, is expected to be released this October.
I've been overly neglecting my writing and, even worse, my music listening these past few days. The reason for that is that I'm working hard on saving money to buy a horse of all things (a virtual one, but I'm already looking for names). So, for those who've sent their lovely music over, please forgive me, I'll get there.
One of those I was happy to find is Hamilton*, Ontario's indie folk-rock band Dark Mean. I can feel the dark strand in their music, like a small shade haunting and providing added depth to their work. The mean part eludes me, unless you mean their lean-mean feet-moving rock.
Originally set up to provide a score for a play, the group has found that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and its initial Raison d'être and has recently released its first EP. Two more are planned and these will form the first LP and the next nexus from which to grow.
Check out Dark Mean on MySpace and last.fm. Their debut EP, frankencottage, is available for free download on their website.
* the more I listen, read and talk to Canadian artists, the more I see Canada as a treasure trove hidden in plain sight, filled with endless riches of culture and great spirit.
The mail in my inbox said that Blood Guts Bruises Cuts may not be for the faint of hearts. And it's quite correct, too. But as a title for the Alberta, Canada indie rock band The Dudes' new LP, especially when it is joined with the rather creepy promo video on the band's MySpace, it serves well enough.
That's not to say that gore and violence is what this LP is about; the general feel of it is energetic fun rock, fun to create, perform and dance to. Simple, direct and good.
So, is violence so intertwined with our lives that we can't do without it? A spotlight here and there, offered by the Dudes, may have some interesting revelations and insights.
Check The Dudes on their website, MySpace, Facebook, last.fm and Virb. Their new LP, Blood Guts Bruises Cuts, is out tomorrow, June 2nd.
When I was going through my regular sources for today's post, huddled in my little corner and enjoying my few minutes of freedom, it was particularly hard for me to connect with any of them.
It's probably fatigue, given my blood washed eyes (too many flights around Kalimodr...), but I just couldn't find someone who would stand out from all the others, talented as they may be.
Then, I put on UK's indie singer-songwriter Dean Austin track "Good Job Guns Are Illegal". The difference in charisma and presence was very evident. The lyrics and intonation, expressing genuine feeling I can empathize with, along with the rest of his material, just compounded the effect.
Check him out for yourselves. Dean Austin is on his website, MySpace and Facebook. His debut EP, Our Future in Spaceships, is available on his website.
So, how would you like to receive free (in spirit and in financial terms) catchy enthusiastic folk-pop songs on a weekly basis? Originally defined as "free sides", these b-sides tracks come from Donny Hue and the Colors, an NYC indie folk-pop band and their latest album, Letter from New Virginia.
A quick impression from the music, pictures and the videos of Donny and company, makes me want to get to know them better, especially in light of recent posts. Here's to New Virgina.
Form your own impression of Donny Hue and the Colors on their website, MySpace and label. The free sides are available on their label's website. The new LP, Letter from New Virginia, is coming out June 23rd.
Another great catch for a very limited time: New York indie singer-songwriter Jay Brannan has added a second performance in Tel Aviv tonight (May 26th). If you're in the area, check him out. The details are here.
Attention music lovers: Cherbourg's second EP, Into the Dark, is about to be released on June 1st and is available for pre-order here. Listening to it, I can just say that this London, UK indie folk-rock band is destined for greatness. The band's first EP, Last Chapter of Dreaming, (covered here) was simply amazing and still totally blows me away. The second one continues the first in some ways but also turns into new directions, with a similar end result: a great EP that moves you and evokes feelings and thoughts best shared.
Obviously, I had to try and grab an interview: Q. Cherbourg is composed of 4 unique members. Can you tell us a little about the group and its inner workings?
A. Well, I guess, we just try to be as open as possible to everyone in the band's suggestions and when it comes to making music it really is a full band process. We all come from pretty different musical backgrounds and that really helps to keeps the songs interesting but really we just try to compliment the songs in the best way possible.
Q. What inspires you to create and make music?
A. Everything really. I don't think any of us could put it down to a single band or an author or a person. I think that our inspiration lies all over the place and is very individual to each member of the band. I was watching the Sound Of Music yesterday and felt really inspired the whole way through. That film is amazing! Q. Both Last Chapter of Dreaming and Into The Dark feature a kind of a dark and gloomy spirit about them. Is that your "niche" in the music world or are you trying to deliver a specific message?
A. I guess they both are dark in many ways. I also think that there is a lot of optimism in the songs as well. I just think that our songs are very honest and I don't think were afraid of confronting dark topics or bleak feelings but i believe our music is also very uplifting, if you want it to be.
Q. Starting out as an indie band in a world filled with bands can be very hard (but also a lot fun, if you're with the right people). What's your approach? Do you consider yourself a part of the British folk revival movement, if such a thing exists?
A. I don't really consider Cherbourg as part of a "folk revival movement". I think a movement kind of implies that that all the bands have a message and share the same message which i don't think is true. Our approach is just to enjoy it! We're just happy to play music and enjoy and respect the bands that play and write music for the right reasons.
To support the new EP, Cherbourg is doing a very extensive tour of England and Scotland. Here are some of the tour dates (must see): May, 23 2009 10:00 PM - Mothers Ruin , Bristol May, 24 2009 10:00 PM - Unit, Southampton May, 25 2009 10:00 PM - The Cellar, Portsmouth May, 27 2009 10:00 PM - Oakford Social, Reading May, 29 2009 10:00 PM - John Kennedy Introducing @ Watershed, Wimbledon May, 30 2009 10:00 PM - Escobar, Wakefield June, 1 2009 10:00 PM - The Lamp, Hull June, 2 2009 10:00 PM - The Basement, York June, 3 2009 10:00 PM - Royal Park Cellers, Leeds June, 4 2009 10:00 PM - The Royal, Derby June, 5 2009 10:00 PM - Museum Courture Cafe, Manchester June, 6 2009 10:00 PM - The End Bar, Newcastle June, 7 2009 10:00 PM - Captains Rest, Glasgow June, 8 2009 10:00 PM - Sneaky Petes, Edinburgh June, 10 2009 10:00 PM - Korova, Aberdeen June, 11 2009 10:00 PM - Roxy, Ulverston June, 12 2009 10:00 PM - Mad Ferret, Preston June, 13 2009 09:00 PM - Goldney Ball, Bristol June, 14 2009 09:00 PM - Jericho Tavern, Oxford July, 4 2009 08:00 PM - Blissfields Festival, Hampshire July, 10 2009 05:00 PM - Lounge On The Farm Festival (10th - 12th ), Canterbury
Last post I wrote about how I should lighten up and promised to write about the issue of being serious. More true to my word than I had originally intended, I skipped yesterday's post altogether. Tackling this post's artist, Labrador Labratories (a.k.a. Labra), seemed to have been just as problematic for me.
I was immediately enchanted by his MySpace tracks, imbued with Devendra-like charm and the very curious bio piece. I then proceeded with my admittedly lame and failed attempt at an interview:
Q. Can you tell us a little about you? What are you trying to convey with the bio you wrote on MySpace? How much truth is there in it?
A. Not much of an interview, man. But the story is true. Ask my grandma.
Q. What inspires you to create and make music? What are your influences?
A. A lot of pretty girls i see in the street, and also being lonely, and my big mirror in my room.
Q. What's your dream performance/record?
A. Radio city, man. Naked. With Jimi Hendrix, but he plays rhythm guitar for me.
Q. Starting out as an indie artist in a world filled with other bands and artists can be very hard (but also a lot fun). What's your approach?
A. I go right for the kill.
This left me staggering for a while. Am I just too serious and stiff? Is Labra a weird post-modern cross of a Peter Pan lost boy and a street punk/indie rocker? Is there more to him than his San Francisco styled "man" and "dude" approach? Is it just a facade? I don't have the answers for these questions; I'm not sure Labra does either.
What I do know is that I like to be baffled by artists, to let them surprise me and face the unexpected. And here I got my treat: indie freak folk with classic rock roots that's genuine, kicking and screaming in its quieter moments, all wrapped in one mystery package.
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