Songs Without Words

two new and important internet tools in my life

2010-03-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

for when silence seems to engulf my evenings, i pop over to www.rainymood.com and just listen to the peaceful sounds of a storm (oxymoron?) this also sounds lovely with music playing over it, and covers up the awkward pauses between songs (without needing the yucky crossfade).

for anyone who wants to be a writer, but knows that they don't write enough: http://750words.com/ is epically cool. i've only just signed up yesterday but i love the simplicity, the word count, the incentives and the mood analysis. i'll be sticking around for the april month-long "contest."

Readernaut: or, how I learned to stop worrying and love my obsessive tendencies about cultural phenomena

2010-01-05T20:09:00.001-08:00

My friend Doug Campbell is often on the forefront of the rapidly-unfolding new-Internet-lexicon that is morphing and redefining itself daily. He has an account on just about every media-related website, personal and promotional. Of course, he is therefore x-amount more likely to forget about these accounts and let them gather dust. It was through a link on his tumblr that I discovered Readernaut, and dusted off the poor, overlooked book nerd haven.

Readernaut takes my somewhat-compulsive annual desire to read 50 books to an entirely new, and quite possibly unhealthy, level.* Now, not only can I track how many books I've read, but exactly how many pages I've read in each. And there's a nice little bar for me to track my progress. Convenient!

Perhaps my favorite thing about Readernaut is the "notes" feature - which I have not used except for the "quote" widget. I can forever immortalize (in my Internet life) the few turns of phrase that stand out from otherwise forgettable books. The first time I used it was for a quote from Lowboy, a recent release that was challenging enough to take my time on, but that I honestly will probably never pick up again. John Wray writes:

He forced his eyes shut but her outline persisted, the afterimage bright against his brain. A green, girlshaped pillar rose through the veins of his retina like ivy twining through a chainlink fence. As soon as his eyes were closed her beautiful face began to disassemble. He'd suspected it would. Her features came apart like knitting.

It's absolutely beautiful. I can now forever evoke that imagery, and perhaps even the way the book made me feel at its peak moment (in uncertainty, hope, promise; before it comes crumbling down) whenever I so desire. (Though, I wonder if, in the long run, this will diminish its potency...)

This post is nothing more than a cry for friends (mostly my super-nerdy friends) to join this site! Because, it would be nice to have a little bit of healthy competition. And I am curious about what my friends read (if anything at all.....unless it's Twilight in which I'd rather you just keep it to yourself). Readernaut releases all of my happy endorphins - not just from finishing a book or a pile of books, but even just for finding a brilliant talking point or progressing further along in a particularly challenging tome. Endorphins just for readers! Take that, all ye illiterate Farmville degenerates!

*Mind you that the starting point here is a girl with a folder on her laptop called "Cultural Consumption," (there's really no more glamorous way to describe this) including lists of all of the books she's read for the past four years, lists of suggestions (movies/music) she has made for others, suggestions people have made to her, Excel spreadsheets of every episode of This American Life (idea stolen from Doug) and Doctor Who [every episode ever] just to keep track... This girl would also be devestated if she ever had to give up Netflix, on which her account shows (nearly) every movie she has watched for the past two years and makes uncanny suggestions daily.

Musical score of the day

2009-12-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

Discovering that a song I dug all summer long on the radio but couldn't track down for anything was, indeed, included on one of those free iTunes samplers I never listen to and is in my iTunes library.

Elizabeth & the Catapult - Taller Children

Songswithoutwords Best Albums of 2009

2009-12-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

Songswithoutwords Best Albums of 2009

Since I actually published something of substance, now I feel worthy of posting my favorite albums of 2009. Let me know what you do or don't agree with in the comments, I always love some good dialogue. Sorry for using the word "nuance" twice.

1) St. Vincent - Actor
This is the standout album of the year for me. Unafraid of taking risks, the music of Annie Clark and her band is sexy and smart. Orchestration is a strong point for this band, experimenting with effects on woodwinds, electric instruments and vocals.

2) The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
After finally negotiating their bluegrass roots with music for a wider audience, this could prove to be the group's lasting masterpiece. With heartfelt lyrics and versatility that makes them hard to pigeonhole, the Avett Brothers have finally come into their own. Have I mentioned that "Laundry Room" is perhaps the most beautiful thing that I have heard all year?

3) Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Case's voice is one of the strongest in indie music today. Her range and expression, both in vocals and guitar playing, is second to none.

4) Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
This album ranges from driving to delicate, touching on every nuance between. Bird's violin playing and grasp of live looping has lent his music depth and the subtle assurance that comes with time and experience.

5) Beat Circus - The Boy From Black Mountain
This band is seeking to unearth the strange and beautiful subtleties of "weird American gothic" and succeeding at every turn. I think of them as the sonic equivalent of Carnivale. Give it a listen and maybe you'll agree. This was perhaps the most under appreciated of the year amongst what appears on my list.

6) Matt & Kim - Grand
Released at the very beginning of the year, Grand remained my favorite pop album of the year. "Daylight," "Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare" and "I'll Take Us Home" are always just right when I need a pick me up.

7) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Another catchy, no-nonsense record that gave a long-established band the bump they needed to find their way into my heart and many others'. "1901" is my indie hipster jam of the year.

8) Jason Lytle - Yours Truly, the Commuter
I first heard this album after succumbing to NPR All Songs Considered producer Robin Hilton's infinite praise got to me. While I have to admit that I've never listened to Grandaddy, I fell in love with Lytle's solo work immediately. I can imagine the music echoing around me, filling cavernous spaces with each nuance. A good album to ruminate on alone in a quiet, dark room (like most everything Robin Hilton likes...)

9) Why? - Eskimo Snow
With an unusual voice reminiscent of They Might Be Giants, the recurrence of exuberant arpeggio'd keyboard/mallets, and layering of sonic textures that could only be their own, this album keeps me engaged from start to finish. Is it just me, or does it sound a bit like Christmas?

10) Pearl and the Beard - God Bless Your Weary Soul, Amanda Richardson
A late discovery for me this year, I love the breadth of textures this trio is able to produce. The anthemic "Oh, Death!" just rips at my heart. Most of all, Pearl and the Beard prove that there is indeed life after music school--it is anything and everything you choose to make of it.

Honorable mentions: Samtidigt Som - Flykt, Karlek & Broderskap, The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love, Fanfarlo - Reservoir, Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

A look back at this decade in music, according to my music collection

2009-12-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I cared about anything in my corner-CD tower. It's trapped between the bookcase that holds my record player and the wall. It's not at all accessible except for the top few tiers. Today I wrangled it out to snag my Pet Sounds album, since I discovered that Mono is indeed better, and wanted to revisit the album.

I can't remember the last CD that I bought that wasn't from a brick and mortar store that didn't belong to a friend or The Hold Steady. The newest additions are, of course, Stay Positive, and last year's Emilyn Brodsky's Greatest Tits, but aside from those, most everything on this rack was purchased sometime during high school, the 2002-2006 era. I remember trips to Tower Records, with about $40 in my pocket. I'd stack up four or five CDs and my understanding, saintly stepfather would make up the difference.

I devoured records then. I distinctly remember using my portable CD player on the bus, choosing one album a week with care. I'd listen to half the album in the morning, half in the afternoon. All week long. One album in particular I remember doing this with was Ryan Adams' Gold. I think that album may have turned me from music lover into music worshiper.

Looking back at this tower of forgotten media, I can outline the decade. Well, almost. For me, at least. There are the CDs that lived in that Walkman: Ryan Adams' Gold, Demolition and Rock and Roll; Josh Joplin's Useful Music; Rhett Miller's The Instigator. Then there are those that nearly warped from the heat after sitting in my car stereo for months on end: Streetlight Manifesto's Everything Goes Numb, The Smiths' Louder than Bombs, Motion City Soundtrack's I Am The Movie. It's a time capsule not just for the great artists of the 00 decade (Belle and Sebastian, Modest Mouse, Beck, Ryan Adams, Interpol), but also a tribute to every discovery from the near and distant past that I made in the past 8 years or so (the aforementioned Smiths, Phil Ochs' discography, Randy Newman, The Blues Brothers, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Elliott Smith--the list goes on.

It's a shame that, well, frankly no one gives a damn about CDs anymore. They served their purpose. They were my gateway drug into finding the music that I loved, and putting a proper value on it (an ideal that I held dear, then departed from, but find myself slowly returning to). But, I am confident that the music industry will streamline, adapt, and renew itself as it always does (did you see those nifty Apple records-shaped Beatles anthology jump drives?) My fiending for vinyl more or less came and went; every record that I truly LOVE currently sits in my collection. Except perhaps for Paul Simon's self-titled number, but that will be easy enough to track down.

After all of the changes that the industry has endured, nothing refreshes me more than to discover an excellent album, preview it on Lala, and if my funds allow, purchase it instantaneously on iTunes. No wonder our generation is so impatient for everything.

Gutbucket makes a modest proposal

2009-05-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

I recently spoke with Ken Thomson and wrote this feature up for The Racquette. I did a bit of graphic design myself for the layout and I am pretty proud of it.

The word "gutbucket," although now a somewhat obsolete term, might conjure up the image of a clunky, homemade washtub bass and the raw, raucous early New Orleans jazz associated with it. NYC-based band Gutbucket stays true to the barrelhouse implications of its name, but tends to avoid being pigeonholed by any genre-specific stereotypes. Gutbucket has brought its musically rabble-rousing sentiments into the 21st century through a unique juxtaposition of every genre from jazz to punk to neo-Classicism. They have declared musical warfare, "destroying walls between art-rock, avant-squonk, and mathed-out prog," so they say on their website bio.

Breaking musical assumptions

The quartet consists of Ken Thomson on saxophone, Ty Citerman on guitar, Eric Rockwin on bass and Adam Gold on drums. Just reciting the instrumentation, and calling it a quartet, probably brings some assumptions to mind. "People have a sense that if there's a band that's saxophone, guitar, bass, drums-if you tell them that's what the band is and that it's instrumental, they have a certain guess or expectation for what that's going to be and they're thinking jazz; they're thinking people kind of standing still and looking a little bored, and being really, like, overly intellectual. I guess what I love to do with Gutbucket is not do that. Really, do my best to make it a show. Really try to connect with people with instrumental music, which is kind of a hard thing to do because it's not always clear," elucidated Ken Thomson, saxophonist of Gutbucket.

With their rebellious approach to instrumental chamber music (literally, music to be enjoyed in an intimate setting), the gents of Gutbucket risk alienating haughty classical music lovers and young punks alike. That is a risk they are willing to take. Thomson clarified his goals, "I want to…kind of bring instrumental music and instrumental music with a saxophone into places, into people's heads, where they kind of wouldn't expect it and in a way they wouldn't think about it." Gutbucket accomplishes the unexpected on every record, sometimes with "rabid genre-switching" (as Thomson called it) and other times by juxtaposing asymmetrical rhythmic meters. One thing is for certain: Gutbucket's music will take you on a veritable rollercoaster of sound.

Gutbucket has something to offer to every open-minded listener. Their music exists at the juncture between jazz, rock, punk, classical and avante garde, and doesn't even stop there. It is clear that they are picking and choosing from a smorgasbord of sonic delights, confirmed by Thomson, "when we are all together, we rarely agree on music we like to listen to. In the van, it really just runs the gamut of any kind of music that you can imagine." Combining so many different elements can harm a band striving for a solid, homogenous sound, but that is not much of a concern for Gutbucket. For Gutbucket, the basis of their sound lies in their ability to constantly change and not feel restricted by musical assumptions.

A Modest Proposal

A Modest Proposal, Gutbucket's fourth studio album, marks another chapter in the band's 10-year history. As a band that adapts to new styles as often as they change meters in their music, Thomson revealed that, "at some point we try to document a period by putting a record out." Therefore, a new record isn't only a culmination of the band's hard work, but, more significantly, a benchmark in the band's ongoing musical saga. With that in mind, it is interesting, and fitting, to examine how the band has evolved between records.

The most notable change on this album is the inclusion of several slower songs. Thomson explained the reasoning behind pulling back on the reins: "With Adam [Gold] joining the band on drums (and he's been in the band a couple of years now) there were some things that we felt like we were inspired to do, like doing things that are slower. On this record is more stuff that actually is not at a break-neck pace the whole time. That's also something that was kind of exciting for us to explore." On A Modest Proposal, the true surprise is the presence of those slow songs, which were few and far between on previous albums.

Three out of four members of Gutbucket are active composers for the project. Ken Thomson ranked the prominence of each composing member: "The biggest writer for Gutbucket is Eric [Rockwin] our bassist. He is incredibly prolific and he just goes through these spurts where, in a month, he'll push out like five or six tunes or something like that," which the band then has to work through; "our second biggest writer is Ty [Citerman], our guitarist, and I'm the third biggest writer in Gutbucket." Each composer has refined his individual style to the point that, "the three of us are getting more and more distinct as songwriters," said Thomson, who is now able to identify the composer just by hearing one of Gutbucket's pieces.

What's in a name?

The seemingly asinine song titles (such as "More More Bigger Better Faster with Cheese," "I Am a Jelly Doughnut [Or a Commentary on U.S. German Relations Post WWII]" and "A Little Anarchy Never Hurt Everyone") do sometimes have deeper meanings, but, as Thomson so aptly pointed out, "not everything needs to be so serious all the time."

The importance of Gutbucket's song titles is rooted in the group's lack of a vocalist/lyricist, explained Thomson. "Most people, if they write a song, have got three minutes of lyrics in which to develop...to deliver a message, and we have five words or something like that. We definitely think carefully about what we're calling things. Sometimes it's really just us having a good time, and other times it is relevant, or sometimes it's just a feeling…that you have during the song," elaborated Thomson. He went on to say that most often, the title comes after the fact. The song titles serve as a reflection of the original intention of the pieces, whether those intentions were based on a sociopolitical issue or just for fun.

Gutbucket's album titles bear significance as well. In case you were wondering, the album name, A Modest Proposal, is indeed derived from Jonathan Swift's 1792 essay of the same name (a satire in which he suggests that the impoverished Irish eat their own young to survive). "It's also alluded to with the cover, a bird feeding a bird to its child. Our drummer Adam [Gold] realized that the songs are basically about food, politics, and children. We were trying to come up with something that would work as an overarching idea for the title, and Eric suggested A Modest Proposal. We thought it was perfect," recounted Thomson.

Hearing is believing

Because the music of Gutbucket does not easily lend itself to literary branding, there's no better way to familiarize oneself with their sound than listening. To hear some tracks from A Modest Proposal, visit the band's myspace at http://www.myspace.com/gutbucket. For general information about the band, go to their website, http://www.gutweb.com. To find out more about what Ken Thomson does in all of his "spare time" (playing saxophone and clarinet with The World/Inferno Friendship Society, being part of a kid-friendly band-that has appeared on Nickelodeon-called The Dirty Sock Funtime Band and composing for offbeat chamber collective Anti-Social Music, to name a few) visit his homepage at www.ktonline.net.

Student-penned play to premiere as part of Spring Play Festival

2009-04-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

The creative vision of one SUNY Potsdam student will come to life on stage as part of the annual Spring Play Festival next week. Erin Nicole Harrington, senior theater major, wrote and is directing Transfigured Night, a play in one act roughly based on a poem by Richard Dehmel and the subsequent music composed by Arnold Schoenberg. The original story has been adapted from the original male-female couple to reflect the lives of contemporary lesbians.

Although Harrington drew inspiration from the works of Dehmel and Schoenberg, she mostly based Transfigured Night on her personal experience. "They say you have to write what you know and I think Erin has done a solid job of looking at that situation within the LGBT community," said sophomore theater and geology major Chelsea Wischerth who plays John Romme, the professor. "I think Erin wrote a great story that will hopefully reach closeted girls and speak to them," Wischerth elaborated.

Realizing something for the first time on stage has been a rewarding and challenging experience for those involved. "I love that Erin is both the playwright and director because she can essentially just do whatever she wants, which is amazing," expressed Wischerth. "[One challenge] has been learning lines that change quite frequently because this is a brand new play and some of the kinks had to be worked out," remarked Matthew DuBrey, freshman, who plays Stephen Maddow in the production. "It has been really cool to see the script kind of morph into what it is now," commented Liz Tarantelli, sophomore, who plays Ruth Hall. "I'm secretly hoping she gives me a line change opening night," she disclosed. "It's changed dramatically from where it started to where it is now," noted playwright Harrington. The play will quite possibly still be in flux until the very moment the curtain rises.

Writing and staging Transfigured Night doubles as Harrington's Presidential Scholars project and senior project for her theater degree.

Harrington's creativity does not stop with Transfigured Night. It is to be part of a "cycle of ten plays that deal with the experiences of American lesbians from 1920 to 2020," explained Harrington. Although Transfigured Night is the only fully realized play so far, she said it is "all sketched out in my head." Ideally, they will all be one act plays so that they can be performed together over a three-night span.

You can see the world premiere of Transfigured Night on April 28, April 30 and May 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Black Box theater. Admission is free for students and $5 for the general public.

Potsdam music scene evolves

2009-04-24T15:03:00.000-07:00

Since my arrival in Potsdam nearly three years ago, the "Potsdam music scene" had been a sort of running gag. "What music scene?" someone would always interject.

Suddenly, refusing to settle for what little we have here, a few people have taken matters into their own hands. There's no denying that things have gotten better little by little. Hurley's has changed hands several times. Both the demeanor and quality have drastically improved under the guidance of current Hurley's chair Ben O'Brien Smith. Show attendance is stunning every time. The on-campus venue has brought in acts of ever-increasing quality. Downtown, La Casbah has also played a huge role in reviving live music. Lastly, the school radio station, 90.3 FM WAIH, has brought musicians into the studio to perform on air at every available opportunity. This has made the long drive seem a little more worthwhile to out-of-town musicians. All of the people involved in those efforts deserve our thanks. Because of them, our scene is flourishing and sometimes even boasts multiple shows on the same night. Although double booking isn't ideal, I could never have imagined that we would have so many options.

Freshman business major Brian Bond deserves major props for the show he put together last week at Backstreets. What I experienced on Thursday night at Backstreets was not all that different from a dingy New Brunswick punk house basement show. It brought together people of different interests with a solid lineup. There was dancing, socializing and most importantly, amazing music. Local acts Keeping Wyatt and Greene Reveal (Watertown) drew the crowd anxious to hear familiar acts. The Knockdown (Oneonta) subsequently wowed the crowd with tight harmonies and a solid punk rock sound. I think that the raw punk show and community feel reminded a lot of people of their hometown scenes.

For those looking to help the scene, there are a few places to start. First, pair touring acts with local ones. Touring acts that don't have a name here might have trouble drawing a crowd no matter how good they are. Secondly, use your resources. Money can be an issue, but if the musicians are flexible, there are plenty of opportunities around town and on campus. Lastly, advertise the hell out of your events. Attendance and overall interest will keep musicians coming back and even spreading the word about how great our small town really is.

I'm surely not the only one completely blown away by the transformation that has happened within the scene during the past year. Maybe all we needed were some positive-minded people and fresh blood. The collective effort to bring a scene of such magnitude to Potsdam is admirable. The more we continue to put our hearts into it, the better it will get.

Radio DJ utilises technology to enhance experience & an interview with Bob Boilen

2009-04-17T14:59:00.001-07:00

Radio has undergone many changes since its prime. The seemingly dying medium has done anything and everything to change with the times. The biggest change that terrestrial radio has undergone is to incorporate the Internet as a viable tool and broadcast medium. One music-based radio show has gone to great lengths to utilize the Internet as a way to expand its scope and allow for dialogue between host and listeners.

All Songs Considered started as an online radio show in 2000, putting itself slightly ahead of the curve. The show is now syndicated weekly on many NPR affiliate stations. Every week, host Bob Boilen presents a variety of tracks from forthcoming albums of many genres for the listeners' consideration. Aside from the normal show broadcast, Boilen hosts Tiny Desk Concerts at his own desk, allows musicians to guest DJ, streams full albums in advance on the NPR music website (the First Listen series), brings musicians into the studio to chat about their albums (with live questions from listeners) and maintains a live concert podcast. Boilen and his affiliates also provided extended coverage of SXSW Music Festival, including podcasts and videos detailing newly discovered artists.

Boilen started podcasting in 2006 because, "listening to a forty minute, fifty minute show while sitting at your computer was not as inviting as listening to it when you wanted to, where you wanted to." Now, one can even look at individual episode blog posts on the web site and choose particular tracks to stream.

All Songs receives hundreds of CDs each week and Boilen personally sorts through them. "There are just so many hours in a week," said Boilen, "I used to try to listen to every single thing I got, if not, just at least the first song. I still stay pretty true to that although I have to say I've gotten discriminating to the point where a bad album cover filled with an aesthetic that doesn't appeal to me, or just a bad opening cut, sometimes even a label where I've never liked an artist, I will pass on if I'm really backed up. So, all of it that goes on the show is something I really, really like, and that's the bottom line." Boilen will sometimes include music less appealing to himself if he thinks that it is something listeners will truly want to hear (like the new U2 single). As the host of the show for almost 10 years, Boilen's discerning taste is easily trusted. But, when there is dissension, radio listeners no longer have to remain mute at the other end of the transmission.

"The community's built up to the point that I am constantly getting suggestions from audience members," said Boilen. He interacts with listeners through e-mails, Facebook, Twitter and blog post comments on the All Songs Considered blog. "I always like to have a dialogue with people on an individual basis. I think it's what public radio should do," he illuminated. The surge in communication has made it difficult to keep in touch with everyone, but he is certainly doing his best. Boilen also poses questions on his shows from time to time to encourage dialogue between listeners. Recent questions include: "When you go to a show and hear prerecorded backing tracks, does it bother you?" "How much would you pay to see your favorite band(s) live?" and "What does your vinyl collection look like?" The response to informal questions allows for one to get a feel for trends in music today.

The benefits of this increased communication via the Internet has transformed listening to a radio show into an entirely new experience. Radio DJing no longer consists of talking and playing music into the darkness. Now, all of the people out there listening actually get a chance to talk back.

KH: Well, I was just wondering, just as background, how did you get into radio in general?

BB: Oh, haha, let's start big, huh? Well, let's see…This goes back a long way. In 1983 (like I said, a long way), I was a composer for a theater company based in Baltimore and I did a piece using sampling that NPR heard my music and did a story on my music. About five years later, the person that produced that story was Ira Glass, working at All Things Considered back then, and I went and visited Ira five years after he had produced that piece and said "Remember me? I wanna work here. How can I do that?" I quit my job at a TV station at the time and just sort of determined to work at NPR. Long story made very short is that I started working at All Things Considered the following week, and about a year later I was directing the show and I did that for eighteen years (of directing, nineteen years with All Things Considered).

KH: So when did you start podcasting All Songs Considered and what brought you to podcasting?

BB: Well, first of all, All Songs Considered started just as an online music show in the very first month of the year 2000. Podcasting started in the summer of 2006, August 2006. I had learned about podcasting from a listener earlier in the year and I approached NPR about podcasting…and NPR was already starting to work on the idea of podcasting and launched All Songs Considered as a podcast along with a number of other podcasts. Our show is perfectly suited for it, so that's sort of what interested me. I mean, listening to a forty minute, fifty minute show while sitting at your computer was not as inviting as listening to it when you wanted to, where you wanted to. Podcasting is just sort of natural. It brought up a whole lot of legal issues that didn't exist with streaming. It was a big nut for a lot of record labels to chew to allow downloading, basically, of their music. It was a real uphill battle for a long time to podcast full versions of songs.

KH: And it's progressed to the point where you stream full albums, which is pretty great.

BB: We stream full albums, we don't podcast full albums. It's been quite a game changer in the record business, with how they feel about particularly what we do in general and I guess they see value in it. Now they're clamoring.

KH: You said it's more comfortable for people to be able listen when and where they want. Are there any other differences between podcasting and regular radio?
BB: Well, being able to rewind, being able to listen more than once. We have people who listen to our concert podcast; we have a number of different podcasts: we have the All Songs podcast, the All Songs Considered live concert podcast, we also have a podcast called Second Stage, and especially the live concert podcast is something that people can listen to over and over again.

KH: In general, when did you think of podcasting the live concerts and what process did you go through to do that?

BB: Well, first of all, in January of 2005 we approached Bright Eyes who had then just released two albums and was coming to town and we asked whether or not he and his band would mind if we tried live webcasting, so, not just streaming it but literally doing it live at the site at the time, and they were up for it. We didn't podcast that, we didn't think there would be a chance in hell anyone would let us podcast an entire concert. A few months later after doing Wilco as a live concert, we approached, I think it was Bloc Party who was a smaller, fairly unknown band at the time and asked them if they would care to podcast, figuring it would be pretty cool if we did that. That was just part of our regular podcast. We did concerts in our regular All Songs podcast for the first year or so and eventually decided to split it off and do a separate live concert podcast.

KH: Do you find that all of these methods with which your listeners can interact, through the blog post comments and Facebook, does that influence how you do your show?

BB: I mean, the best thing is I get more feedback. People can listen more, they can listen again and again and then write to me about it. The community's built up to the point that I am constantly getting suggestions from audience members. We did a series of shows about sort of your "secret band," bands that you know and love that maybe others don't, and I asked suggestions. We did a number of shows based just on listener's suggestions. I listen constantly to things people are suggesting to me, so in that way it influences the show. The audience we've built up is such a music savvy audience that I'm always trying to find stuff to keep them happy, stuff that's already out there or stuff we get way in advance. Our theory used to be don't put anything on the show that isn't out yet. That's what we used to do back in the year 2000. Because it was hard to find stuff; even finding it on Amazon it was hard. But now, we look forward to previewing stuff that's a month before release, six weeks before release, because there's so many ways to get music that we want to constantly surprise people.

KH: With those web-based things, are you the person checking and reading all of them?

BB: Yeah, I've always answered all of the e-mail personally, the Facebook as well. It's mind numbing and overwhelming, I have to say. It's getting to the point where I'm not able to answer every single person and that is very frustrating to me, because I always like to have a dialogue with people on an individual basis. I think it's what public radio should do. So it's a little frustrating now that it's gotten so overwhelming, but I'll keep just doing my best.

KH: If all of your listeners are finding out about great music from you, where do you find out about this music, aside from artists that are established, I mean, you must get so many CDs it's probably mind numbing as well, so how do you weed through that?

BB: We get a few hundred a week. You know, I have lots of different methods. Some of it has to do with, I used to try to listen to every single thing I got, if not, just at least the first song. I still stay pretty true to that although I have to say I've gotten discriminating to the point where a bad album cover filled with an aesthetic that doesn't appeal to me, or just a bad opening cut, sometimes even a label where I've never liked an artist on a given label, I will pass on if I'm really backed up. I'll just say I'm not going to deal with this, because there's just so many hours in a week and if I start falling behind then I'm not going to get stuff on in a timely manner. So, all of it that goes on the show is something I really, really like, and that's the bottom line. If I don't really, really like it, it doesn't go on the show, with very few exceptions. For example, we put a U2 song on the show, and I've never been a big fan of U2 but I think they're a really talented band and I think people would want to hear it. We got a slightly early release of it so we put it on the show. Tom Jones was a novelty to me, I thought he would be fun to put on the show. Not an artist that I'm in love with, but certainly an incredibly talented person. But, really, for the most part, the stuff on the show is stuff I'm in love with.
KH: I was just going to ask if you put things on for the sake of the listeners even if it's not your favorite. And, you answered that.

BB: It's very rare I do. And if I do it, it's usually to generate a conversation tossed to the blog. Like with the U2, I started a conversation about, "why do we love the music we love?" I mean, obviously U2 is a talented band, they have something to say, they're innovative and I don't love them. So what is it about a band that makes you fall in love with them and care about them? I used it as a jumping-off point to try to get comments about that and they've been absolutely fascinating comments.

KH: When you're listening to so many CDs in a given week, if you find something you really love, where do you make time to listen to it? What's been the most recent thing that you've really been in love with and gone for multiple listens?

BB: Well, the Decemberists record, the new one that comes out the end of March on the 24th, I listened to four times over the weekend. One of the only drawbacks about this job is that, I used to, when I fell in love with an album I'd listen to it over and over and over again, and I just don't have time to do that. So, four times in a weekend is a lot for me, and I'll do that at home, I'll do that in my car while driving around. That's where I listen to stuff that I really, really like: either in the house or in the car. But it is rare that I get to hear things multiple times.

KH: Is there anything exciting in the future of the All Songs podcast or the live concert podcast?

BB: Well we've been doing this Tiny Desk concert series, but the biggest thing coming up is South by Southwest, which is always a hoot. I have no idea what we're going to do down there, well I have some idea what we're going to do down there because we've been planning for three months. We have a number of concerts we're going to present live. They'll all wind up in the live concert podcast. We're bringing video cameras and stuff. Last year we grabbed Lightspeed Champion and we put 'em in a field in Austin. We found Jaymay and we put her on a porch. We'll try to do some fun stuff like that this year too. I have no real idea what those are going to be. I'm the sort of person who on one level plans a bit, but I also like to be able to do something on the spur of the moment and be flexible. We'll see.

Student Art Show opens at Creative Spirit gallery

2009-04-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Featuring everything from oil paintings to Sharpie drawings and three-dimensional works, the greatly varied Student Art Show (StASh) opened at Creative Spirit Art Gallery on Friday, April 10. People came together to enjoy live music, delicious snacks and each other's company while admiring student creations.

Students, faculty, friends and family gathered at the inviting Creative Spirit space to see the works of their peers. The mood of the event was extremely upbeat. Music provided by Some Elan Vital, which means "all good things," drifted through various spaces of the gallery. The pleasant soundtrack of flute and balafon (a type of West African wooden xylophone) and other percussion provided a perfect background for the constant din of friendly conversation.

The difference between attending an opening and visiting the gallery on a normal day is the interaction with the artists themselves. From a distance, one could see several artists interacting with the attendees, explaining the meaning of their works. This guided viewing made the works instantly accessible to the viewer.

The most attention-getting piece in the gallery, entitled Turn Me On by Sarah Haze, was a mixed-media work of suggestive light boxes. Shy onlookers stood back while the more daring stepped forward and toggled the light switches. Sharpie-inked works by Chase Winkler garnered attention for their simultaneous complexity and simplicity. The animal-themed paintings of Krystal Stowe inspired speculation and conversation.

Unfortunately, there was little publicity for the event. Luckily, word of mouth spread quickly. Perhaps with flyers around campus, even more people would have come out to the gallery opening.

This American Life live simulcast to appear at Roxy

2009-04-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

Potsdam's Roxy Theater will be a part of something very exciting on Thursday, April 23. The Roxy will be one of 400 theaters across the nation to host a live simulcast of This American Life - Live! The unique radio show will come to life on screens across the country and Potsdam residents have a chance to experience it too.

This American Life, a Chicago Public Radio show syndicated by Public Radio International and podcasted for free, presents a new theme each week and then brings listeners a variety of stories based on that theme. Endearing host Ira Glass introduces and sometimes even tells the stories, and the cast of contributing writers is just as colorful as the characters in the stories. Segments of the show range from humorous to profound, from memoirs to fiction.

The theme of This American Life - Live! is "Return to the Scene of the Crime." Popular contributors to the show featured in the live performance will be Dan Savage, Starlee Kine, Mike Birbiglia, David Rakoff and Dave Hill. There will be a cartoon by Chris Ware, visuals by Arthur Jones and a music performance by special guest Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and more). Unlike the one-hour radio show, the live movie simulcast will be two hours in length.

The second annual live show will be broadcast live from NYU's Skirball Center. "Our listeners enjoyed getting together in their own communities to experience our show in a new way," said host Ira Glass. "The live cinema transmission was surprisingly effective. We were flooded with emails asking for us to do it again. Last year was mostly a sneak preview of stories from our television show. This year we're excited to do a full-on stage performance of the radio show."

For those unfamiliar with the radio show, I highly recommend checking the This American Life website for archived shows or the iTunes store to download the free podcast. Unlike many subject-specific radio shows, This American Life succeeds through its flexibility and wide appeal.

Tickets are currently on sale at The Roxy at $12 for students and $15 for adults. For more information, visit http://jscinemas.com/ and http://www.thisamericanlife.org.

Poor security at SLU event a problem

2009-04-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

Two thousand people descended upon St. Lawrence University on Saturday, April 11 for an event that promised to be memorable. The concert, featuring performer Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis), turned out to be memorable for different reasons than the norm. The Association for Campus Entertainment of SLU was underprepared for the 2,000 people and security was unable to control the crowd. The show, which started an hour late, was shut down after 25 minutes. Luckily for paying ticketholders, Gillis returned to the stage and fulfilled his contracted hour of performance. Gillis did his best to make up for the night's many setbacks with his high-energy performance.

The sheer number of people who attended the event was clearly more than the organization had ever dealt with before. Security checks at the main entrance were abysmal. SUNY Potsdam student Jon Wendt had a pen confiscated, while others entered with contraband that was seen throughout the evening, including beer bottles, cans, lighters, cigarettes and marijuana-the scent of which wafted noticeably through the Leithead Fieldhouse on several occasions. Bathroom facilities (port-a-potties) and water jugs were inadequate and unguarded.

Although doors opened an hour early, according to ACE, approximately 800-1,000 attendees arrived ten minutes before the event was set to begin. This mob caused event planners to make the decision to change start time to 10:30 p.m. Although they claimed (in their message to event attendees) that the event began at 10:30 p.m., in actuality, Gregg Gillis did not enter until 11 p.m. Amber Schmidt, sophomore theater major, was affected by the crowd outside. She recounted events that prevented her entry into the building: "I bought a ticket, I was really excited, but I went all the way there for nothing…just to stand around in the cold getting pushed around by drunk people and watching security do nothing." Twenty minutes after 10 p.m., she said the door was shut. After 20 minutes of waiting around with around 300 drunken people and no progress made, she and alumnus BJ LaBrake gave up on the event, both forfeiting their $15 tickets.

ACE concert chairs Sam Tyler and Casey O'Brien enumerated that there were "8 SLU security, 6 student safety employees, 14 uniformed ACE affiliates and exec members working enforcement, 4 school administrators [and] 6 EMTs and 1st responders on scene." It was arranged before the event, through contract stipulation, that 15 audience members would be allowed on stage at a time from designated stage right stairs. This plan quickly disintegrated when people jumped the front boundary (where there was no active security) and got on the stage. Dancers on the stage crowded Gillis, stood on his equipment table and climbed the speaker stacks. The few security members were unable to hold back the crowd, and the rush caused the show to be shut down because of danger to the performers and attendees.

The behavior of the majority of the crowd was nauseating. Clearly intoxicated (whether with alcohol or drugs) attendees tripped, behaved obnoxiously and made sober attendees uncomfortable. The crowd was, at best, outrageous. The manner in which our peers chose to conduct themselves in public is concerning. Event planners removed only a few over-intoxicated attendees (at least eight people had been transported to Canton-Potsdam Hospital before the event even began).

It is unfair to blame the conduct of the crowd and ACE's lack of preparation on the performer. It was clear after the break that Girl Talk was enthusiastic about continuing the event. He made an effort to compensate for the lack of action on stage by moving around and dancing.

Soon after healthy dialogue between attendees about their grievances began on the Facebook event, someone from the organization with administrator privileges deleted the event, and thus all of the content.

One final side-note was the unnecessary mass of toiler paper waste produced by two blowers on the stage. Approximately 20 rolls of toilet paper were blown into the crowd and turned to a soggy mess on the floor. The piles made it difficult to find lost possessions after the concert and was atrocious in the face of Earth week's approach.

ACE concert chair Casy O'Brien gave insight into future planning considerations: they would "request that the setup company bring extra barricades for outside the doors" and "gve people some incentive to arrive more than 20 minutes before the show starts." One way to draw students into such a big event sooner would be to have an opening act.

Hopefully ACE and other similar student organizations learn from the shortcomings of planning for the Girl Talk event. If any student organization chooses to hold such a major event again, perhaps they should take a more detailed look at the things that could go wrong.

Local musician Tas Cru celebrates CD release at McDuff's

2009-04-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Constantly surrounded by musical happenings in Potsdam, it's no surprise that some professors want to get in on the fun. Rick Bates, associate professor of Literacy, under the pseudonym Tas Cru (it means "raw potato" in Quebecois), plays blues guitar and sings, often with a backup band. Tas Cru and friends will celebrate the release of his latest album, Grizzle n' Bone at McDuff's on Saturday, April 11 at 9 p.m.

When Tas Cru plays slide guitar, harmonica and sings, there's absolutely no holding back. His emotional investment in the music is clear and certainly infectious. Cru takes the blues and makes it his own. His songs range from upbeat and catchy to slow and truly bluesy. The mix is sure to make for an entertaining night.

At the CD release party he will be joined by Chip Lamson on the piano, the Slow Happy Boys band and the Stacked Deck Singers, namely Jenny Macri, Meaghan Manor and Montana Rodriguez. Local band The Moistmakers, playing funk and jazz that gets audiences to their feet, will open the show.

The Blues Festival Guide recognized Tas Cru as this year's "Blues Artist on the Rise." He has appeared at clubs all over the country with some well-known artists. He also presents assemblies and workshops in elementary schools through his blues education program, Blues Alive! The program involves general music, literacy and social studies in conjunction with his unique style. Tas Cru keeps a busy touring schedule and will make appearances in the North Country, Vermont and Albany area throughout the spring and summer.

The Grizzle n' Bone release party will be held at McDuff's (59 Market St.) on April 11 at 9 p.m. The event is open to everyone 18 and older. Advance sale tickets are available at McDuff's and Northern Music & Video and cost $5. Entry will cost $8 the night of the show.

Girl Talk to take SLU by storm & interview with Gregg Gillis

2009-04-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

Unconventional musician Girl Talk uses beats, drum fills, keyboard solos, vocals and other pieces of mainstream music to create completely new and different tracks. Girl Talk, whose real name is Gregg Gillis, has played on stages and floors all over the world, and his next stop is St. Lawrence University.

Formerly a biomedical engineer, Gillis now devotes all of his time to sampling, mixing and performing his creations live. His April 11th show, which will bring together people from all of the local colleges and communities, promises to be the biggest party that the North Country has seen in a very long time.

SLU's Association for Campus Entertainment booked Girl Talk after negotiations with Slightly Stoopid for the spring event fell through. "[We] had been receiving a lot of requests for Girl Talk," said SLU Association for Campus Entertainment Concert Chair Sam Tyler. "When it turned out he was [available], we did a bunch of sample polling throughout campus and got such a positive response that we decided we just had to go for it." Listening to the student body and conducting polls provided the right amount of support from the local community. "We've had a ton of interest in the concert, both from students on our own campus and kids from the surrounding schools and communities," said Casey O'Brien, another ACE concert chair.

There has been a similarly enthusiastic response from students here on campus. Tyler Fox, freshman history major, said, "having the chance to see Girl Talk is just mind blowing, especially here in the North Country." He listens to Girl Talk because Gillis "take[s] such popular and loved songs and mold[s] them into his own style." Freshman psychology major Ariel Einbinder expressed a similar sentiment about the show and elaborated, "I think it shows that our music scene up north is slowly growing, which I know makes me, and many others, happy because there are a lot of people up here that have a real appreciation for great music." Even some alumni are planning to attend the concert. Mike Belhumeur, a recent graduate, plans to make the trip from Albany. "I'm driving back to come see Gregg (Girl Talk), see my friends, steal some time on 90.3…and see some of my professors. I'm carpooling with three other friends. Saves on gas," stated Belhumeur, an avid Girl Talk fan. The capacity for the show is 2,000 persons. O'Brien expects that if ticket sales continue at the same rate, the show will be sold out by Saturday.

The Girl Talk show at SLU will be far from an ordinary pop/rock concert. Gillis, with his laptop and other equipment, will be positioned on a stage in the middle of the room. Standard etiquette at Girl Talk shows is that members of the audience always climb up on stage to dance. "It's a nice visual element for the crowd," said Gillis, who loves performing but realistically has to be clicking the mouse to keep the show going. The SLU show will be no exception. "We'll be herding everyone up onto the stage from one end and off of the other every twenty minutes or so," said O'Brien. "We're really excited to have been able to set this up as an interactive show with the crowd constantly cycling."

"Girl Talk's musical content taps right into the heart of the current generation at SLU," explained Tyler. "His mash-ups bring many of us back to specific memories of our 'younger years'," asserted Tyler. The musical content he referred to is a jumble of everything from hip-hop to top 40 hits. In one track off his 2008 release, Feed the Animals, Gillis bounces through samples by Beyoncé, DJ Funk, Queen, Beastie Boys, Phil Collins, Busta Rhymes, The Police and The Cure in under a minute. The result is just short of chaotic and actually surprisingly comprehensive. Just when one riff settles in, another takes its place. There's always a solid beat in the background and an ever-changing flow of vocals, backups, synthesizers and other instruments floating through the fore- and mid-ground. "The aesthetic of the music of things moving quickly is my influence from electronic music. I really like quickly edited electronic music…things that are always moving forward," said music-manipulator Gillis in an interview. He elaborated, "I like [finding out] how chopped up and chaotic it can be while still being cohesive." "It all goes back to the hip-hop production," emphasized Gillis, citing Public Enemy, De La Soul and Paul's Boutique (Beastie Boys) as examples. The Pittsburgh native grew up on pop, hip-hop and rock music, especially Nirvana, because they seemed like normal guys.

In the live environment, the music will be just as chaotic as the uninhibited dancing. Gillis uses his live show as a chance to try out new material. "Most of the stuff I play live is just temporary. It will just be in there for a little bit, it'll be a new thing, and most people will never hear it again," said Gillis about the unpredictable nature of his performances. Because of the ephemeral nature of his live music, he needs to gauge what works and what doesn't on the spot. He revealed that the dancers are his feedback. If they are really enjoying something, he will let it play out longer; he'll cut something that isn't going over well. Each show is a process, and what is heard at one live show may never be heard again. Gillis also admitted that he takes things down a notch in a live show (with samples, that is): "I don't want to rush through the material. I feel like if I was able to play at the speed and density of the records with new material, then I feel like it might be too much for people to really be able to enjoy upon a first listen."

Tickets will still be available for Girl Talk until the time of the show unless it sells out before then. The event will take place at St. Lawrence University's Leithead. Doors are at 9 p.m. and the show will start at 10 p.m. Tickets are $5 for SLU students and $15 for the public and can be purchased at the SLU Bookstore or online at http://prettypolly.tickets.musictoday.com.

Kim Harrison: So, you're comin' to upstate New York. Have you ever been this far north before?
Gregg Gillis/Girl Talk: Uh, yeah, I've been to Canada, all parts of Canada, dark parts of Canada. I've been to Maine. What other states are above you? New England? I've been to upstate New York a few times: Poughkeepsie, yeah, I can't remember, but I've been in the area a few times.

KH: I was wondering, because your music you put out is so hook-oriented-you get to the point real fast with everything you use-were you into hook-oriented music when you were younger? What were you listening to that drew you into music at a young age?
GG: You know, I feel like with a lot of people, what you get into is a response to what you were into prior to that. So I was into pop, hiphop, rock music when I was young. The first music I can remember enjoying when I was in Kindergarten was kind of like hair metal with Def Leppard and Poison and things like that. The first music I started getting into like "buying" music was like hiphop, stuff under more pop-like, …and Kris Kros also, some more hardcore stuff like Public Enemy and NWA. After that, I also got into Nirvana and lots of alternative music. I feel like a lot of this project is a response to a lot of far out, experimental, noise stuff-a lot of stuff without hooks. But I mean, I always followed pop and hiphop throughout those times. Kind of the aesthetic of the music of things moving quickly is almost my influence from electronic music. I really like quickly edited electronic music, not necessarily hook-filled, but things that are always moving forward, and you know how chopped up and chaotic it can be while still being cohesive. I think that's something I strive to achieve with the Girl Talk stuff.

KH: Did you come up with mixing popular and rock and all of the great things you put together, did you do that on your own or was it that electronic music that influenced you to take it to that level?
GG: Yeah, I mean I definitely heard things, and you know it all goes back to the hip hop production, you know, when you listen to a Public Enemy record, you know, the bomb squad production is lots of samples. When you hear Paul's Boutique, there's tons of samples. When you hear De La Soul, lots of samples. But a lot of that stuff, when I was getting into it, I wasn't really breaking the music up in my head. I wasn't trying to think about how they made it or why they made it or what instruments were involved. It was just music to me. But I think a lot of people my age grew up listening to sampling as an instrument. The actual influence of me starting to do that style of music, I think, came from more or less my experimental days, where I heard guys like Kid666, John Oswald, Negativland, Evolution Control Committee; all of these people making very crazy, experimental electronic music out of samples, and I thought it was very exciting. I thought it was cool to, you know, make music that was progressive and challenging but was still appealing to people who didn't necessarily follow the scene, based on kind of pop references. So that was just the music I was really into in high school, and that kind of led me down the path to starting Girl Talk.

KH: That's great! So, as a musician myself, I am really curious about the process you go through when you are putting together these-I mean, your CDs are almost one continuous piece of music-do you dissect songs in your head and know how you are going to put them together ahead of time? Do you alter things on a computer and do it that way? What's your approach?
GG: It's very slow and drawn out. I think, you know, when you hear an album, it's basically after two years of a huge trial and error process. So, I mean, every day I sit down and I'll have, you know, a bunch of CDs sitting by the computer, a bunch of MP3s on the computer, things I think could be interesting to sample. That all starts with just isolated parts, you know, just a drum fill or a vocal breakdown or you know, an interesting keyboard solo or whatever. And I sample those parts and I do many variations of it. I chop them up, cut it in half, speed 'em up, slow 'em down, do different things to them. And then I try to start figuring out if any of that works with other material. When I get a drumbeat, you know, I'll figure out the tempo of it, figure out whether I like it sped up or slowed down. What does it really flow with rhythmically? What melodies does it match up with? And then same thing with the vocals, I mean, just try out different combinations and try and get these layers of material that work together. And usually, when it works it's a very small idea. I'll have a thirty second or a minute-long part that I enjoy, and then if I want to try playing that out live, in the live set, it's all kind of live sample trigger. And if I'm queuing up different loops and hooks and samples in real time, if I want to play one of these new parts live, I figure out where it fits in the set, you know, what does it come well after? What does it go good into? You know, I kind of have to figure out those transitions. And then I build from there. Maybe I really like the vocals but the melody's not working, and I've got a new melody at a similar tempo or similar key. So I'll put that in there instead. You know, most of the stuff I play live is just temporary. It will just be in there for a little bit, it'll be a new thing, and most people will never hear it again. And certain things sticks, and I keep playing it over and over and keep developing it. So, by the time I sit down to do an album, it will be about two years into that process, and I'll have a really good idea of where this begins and ends, and you know, what flows together and what goes into and out of everything else. So, it's like most of the album is all just, like, written in my head when I sit down to do it. I have a pretty good idea. I do build it as one composition; I build it as one track and that's the intention it is to me: the albums are basically one song. Feed the Animals is one piece of music and I separate the tracks just to make it easier to navigate.

KH: Did you ever study music traditionally? Did you play any instruments or anything?
GG: No. I mean, I played saxophone when I was very young, but not long enough to really consider myself to be actually trained in it.

KH: So you consider what you're doing to be a result of everything you've listened to and you processing it the way that you like it?
GG: Yeah, I mean, for me, I was obsessed with music when I was young. I don't really know why I didn't get a guitar. Maybe they were too expensive; I don't know what the reason was. I just never got an instrument. I was in bands in high school without having an instrument. To me, it was like, well, you just pick up a toy keyboard and you can play in a band or you can scream or you can do whatever. When I was young, maybe 12 or 13 I was starting lots of bands that never actually practiced. You just come up with a name and you figure out who's in it and it kind of goes nowhere. But that was just the nature of it and from there I kind of kept exploring more and more forms of underground music. I was interested in how little training you would need to have to be able to perform. To me, Nirvana was so exciting because they just seemed like normal guys. Even though they were very well trained in their instruments and they write pop music, as a young kid seeing that, it didn't really come across as necessarily professional. I think that's what I kind of liked about it. It just seemed like regular guys in ripped jeans and you know, just didn't seem to care that much. So that kind of led me down a path to just find more and more out about music. And when I was maybe 14 or 15 I really discovered experimental electronic music and I saw people using foot pedals and children's toys and all these crazy things as different instruments, and I started going to shows and buying records by people who had no formal training in music and that was just very exciting and raw to me. So, that's when I officially started up, I mean I started my first real band around 15 and it was all electronics and completely experimental and just unhinged weirdness, basically.

KH: I've read in interviews that you've said that your instrument is basically your laptop and that you can just pick it up and go wherever. I was wondering, what's your setup? What software do you use? Does what you do when you're recording and you're on your own differ from what you do during your live set?
GG: I use two primary pieces of software. One is Adobe Audition, which is just a sound editor. So that's where I cut up all the samples and I try to make beats and I sample songs. And then to perform live I use a piece of software called Audiomulch. And, like I was saying before, that is where I flesh out all of the ideas. So, when I perform live, I really feel like it's a bit more loose and freeform than the actual albums. One reason being that I just couldn't really click the mouse and edit as specifically as the album-it would just be impossible-and also because I like it to be a bit more loose. I don't want to rush through the material. I feel like, you know, if I was able to play at the speed and the density of the records with new material then I feel like it might be too much for people to really be able to enjoy upon a first listen. So, I think with the live show, it's like when I do an album, I kind of record myself performing live many different times and then I edit those down. So, it'll be like, for a section that lasts one minute long, I can perform that live, in the live setting, but then actually sitting down and editing it-get the transitions right, kind of piecing it together-it might take me eight hours to do that one one-minute segment. It's just a very fine-tuned, detail-oriented version of editing down the live shows.

KH: As your music has evolved, as you said from the more experimental to more pop and hip hop samples and everything, it's obvious your live show has evolved a lot too, just by seeing pictures through the years. When all of those people are up on the stage dancing, how does it affect your live performance? Is it distracting to you? Is it invigorating?
GG: You know, it's mostly exciting. I feel like that whole aspect of the performance kind of evolved to a point where I was no longer in the decision making process. It was definitely a component of the early days, when I started, always kinda gettin' in the crowd, getting a few people on stage. But it wasn't really a fundamental aspect that people would be on stage. So that kind of just took off in the past two years or so. Since then, it has slowly developed into the standard etiquette. You know, when people come out to shows, they know that's what they want to do. People in the front row are ready to get on stage. And that's cool, you know, I kind of let that happen. And at this point, it's just a matter of controlling it to a level where it isn't completely distracting. I've kind of done this on my own for many years and I officially got my first tour manager starting in November, and now he's the guy who kind of camps out on stage and helps brief the security and them ready just so the shows don't completely collapse. For a minute there, I was really interested in pushing the envelope in terms of chaos. I like the shows to kind of fall in and implode on themselves without anyone actually being hurt or problems like that. I just like the nature of just insanity and whether people could keep up with it or whether I could keep up with it or not. But it kind of reached a point where the shows got big enough and the crowds got tight enough that I just couldn't do it. It actually was reaching a point where most shows were ending prematurely. It was just too much. So we kind of fine-tuned it for a little bit there, and with people on stage now, you know, I like it. For me, it's a nice visual element for the crowd. I like to perform and get out there in the audience and stand and scream and do things like that, but technically I have to be clicking the mouse every few seconds to keep the show going. So, it's a nice visual for people who don't necessarily want to be up there, for people who just want to watch the show. On top of that, it's a lot more exciting for me to be able to dance and party with people. They are my response. How they are going helps govern the show. If they're excited about something or quiet about something it definitely impacts me in the moment. You kind of just have to reach somewhere in between where it can be completely insane and crazy and people are just jumping up there, but to some degree you have to control it or else everything will fall apart, I won't be able to move or things like that. I've played in some pretty intense situations at this point, you know, right in the middle of crowds or on the floor at larger venues and things like that. I feel well-schooled in being able to keep it together myself and I feel like I like to give the audience some degree of…I give them room to…the audience can completely destroy the show if they want to. Anyone can just smash my computer, unplug it, or fall into me or push me over. So I like to give them that freedom. I feel like it's a level of responsibility. A lot of times people are drunk and wasted and just trying to have a good time but oftentimes it's almost like we have to work together to make sure the show doesn't fall apart and I do like that kind of community feel to it.

KH: Have you ever been stuck at a venue where they were unhappy about letting people on stage? Have you ever had to fight for that?
GG: Yeah, that was another thing too with the learning curve of this. There was a period of about a few months whenever the popularity of this project started taking off a bit where not every show people got on stage. There was a big period where I'd show up at a venue and say you know, "people may get on stage, they've been doing it before, it's not every show, I really don't know." And then slowly it got to the point where it was like "oh wow, well, the past ten shows have all had people on stage," so it got to the point where I had to start telling them and informing them. I feel like we've just gotten better about that. Before, I never even used to talk to security and again I never had a tour manager or anything like that, but now it's something we try to advance. But there was a brief period where I didn't really tell them. I just wasn't sure what it was going to be like. I've had shows ended early, people freaking out, some university shows, a university stopping a show because they think it's out of control or forcing everyone offstage, or things like that. I've experienced all of that, you know, stages almost collapsing, things like that. But now I feel like it's at point where we've made a science out of making it happen. We control it to the point where it's not going to completely fall apart.

KH: You've proven through all of the festivals you've played and other shows that you've been on that you can fit in with a diverse bill of pretty much any kind of music. Is there any act that you'd love to share a stage with?
GG: I'm very excited, in the near future at a show at James Madison University I'm playing with Three Six Mafia, who are some people I've always listened to and some musical heroes of mine, so I'm really looking forward to that. Outside of that, you know, I'm down with whoever, I mean, at this point, including the festivals and stuff, I've had a chance to play Neil Young and The Police and Bone Thugs and Harmony and Wu Tang Clan. Yeah, it's really been an honor to do all of that, and at this point, you know, I really couldn't isolate anyone that I'd love to play with. I'd love to be on the same stage as Justin Timberlake some day.

KH: Are there any new acts that you'd really like to see succeed?
GG: Out of Pittsburgh, there are people I tour with, these are personal friends of mine, people really into their music: Grand Buffet is a hip-hop group from Pittsburgh I tour around with a lot, band called Hearts of Darknesses who I've toured with a lot over the years has a new record coming out, CX Kidtronik, I just had a tour with recently, I'd like to see take off, The Death Set, these are all kind of people I've shared stages with recently. Trying to think about any other bands I've seen recently, you know, those four kind of stand out in my mind, as just people I've had a chance to tour with I think they're very down to earth and know what's going on and have a pretty excellent musical project going on right now.

KH: Nice! You've been traveling around a ton. Is there any place you haven't been that you'd like to get to?
GG: I haven't really done Eastern Europe much, which would be exciting. The thing is, I went to Japan about four years ago before I really had a following, and I was playing more do it yourself style shows, very small shows. So I'd like to get back over there and I haven't done that in a long time. I basically haven't done that since Night Ripper came out. I'd be interested to go to Asia in general, it's a place I haven't really been over to too much, so I'm trying to make that happen for late summer this year.

KH: So, no day jobs since your engineering days?
GG: No, I quit about a year and a half ago. I tried to hold onto it as long as possible but these days I seem to be traveling like 150-200 days a year so it's hard to hold on to any job.

KH: If you have an iPod, how much music is on it? Otherwise your music collection, how much volume are we talking?
GG: I do have an iPod but I don't use it. My parents would be bummed out to hear that because they got it for me for Christmas a few years ago. But I don't really actively use an iPod. I also don't collect digital music really. I have lots of loops. I have thousands of loops and samples and things like that on my computer. But actual MP3s, I maybe have like 50 on there right now. I primarily buy CDs, what I've been buying since fifth grade. I don't have a number. I moved into a new place in Pittsburgh a few months ago and they're all still sitting in one room in a giant towel and I've been meaning to alphabetize them any time I get some time off but I never do it. But I am an active CD buyer. I'd have to say I probably bought more CDs this year than I have in my entire life. I like to buy full albums, I like to check out the artwork and do it the old-fashioned way. I'm excited about that and I hope to continue collecting CDs until I die. I have no idea how many I have. I wish I had a complete collection because half of them are like missing cases or just beat up or I can't find the CDs and things like that. But yeah, I actively buy compact discs and have been doing so for a long time.

KH: Speaking of CDs, are there any plans in the works for a new album or live album or anything like that?
GG: I don't know, you know. Right now I average about doing one album every two years. So that would mean this would be an off year for me since I put one out in 2008. I'm not sure, you know. I'm constantly working on music. I kind of am interested in the idea of potentially doing maybe a live release or giving away a live album because I know certain people bootleg sets and people get into them. I know certain bootlegs of mine people will enjoy more than the albums and with the live shows I like to do reinterpretations of album material so it's things that would never see the light of day unless it was released in a live form. So that's something I've been considering. Yeah, I don't know, I'm kind of constantly working and I have no real plans. I mean I usually decide on making something kind of spur of the moment-just do it.

KH: I think that what you're doing would really benefit from that live CD/DVD package that so many groups have been putting out.
GG: I love buying music DVDs, I just can't tell when people do that if consumers think, "oh they're just trying to bank in on this," or it's almost like buying time so they don't have to make a CD. I don't want it to come across like that at all. I do think it's cool, I think the live show's become it's own beast. I've toured so much and it's become such a staple project it's almost like a whole other world apart from the album. So yeah, I'm definitely kind of considering it.

KH: That sounds great. Well, we're all looking forward to seeing you in April.
GG: Cool, cool.
KH: Thank you so much for talking to me today.
GG: Cool, have a good one.

Drum circles bring people together, relieve stress

2009-04-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

All semester long, innumerable stresses plague students. Whether they are school or social life-related, they are unavoidable. Luckily, two recent clinicians at SUNY Potsdam have a simple answer to your stress-filled days. Their answer is to make music. Even if you never studied an instrument in school, you-yes you-can still make amazing music in the company of friends. This is possible through group drum circles. They are easy to organize, and you don't even necessarily need drums: just your hands to clap or fingers to snap.

In a drum circle, everyone is equally important to the process and overall sound. Drums are instantly playable to those with no musical training. Aside from being fun, drumming helps develop teamwork and leadership skills.

Earlier this week, alumnus Matt Savage returned to facilitate several drum circles, lead percussion masterclasses and speak to several music business classes. The clinic, part of the Dean Alan Solomon music and wellness series, even attracted the dean himself. The biggest drum circle, held in the Crane Commons, drew approximately 50 students. Participants got to do four important things: "move together, think together, work together and play together," said Savage. He led the group through activities (some from an educator's perspective to benefit the many music education majors present) that tested the group's concentration and ability to work together. The climax of the session was organized chaos: everyone was given a steady beat and got to create their own rhythms. Savage sculpted the sound by having only certain groups play at certain times. The environment he created was nurturing and exciting. Everyone left the drum circle with a smile.

In February, SUNY Potsdam hosted Ghanaian-born master musician Kwasi Dunyo. Over the course of two days, the drum master taught many students the finer points of traditional music making in Ghana. In Ghana, music consists of singing, drumming and dancing and cannot exist if one element is absent. This comprehensive approach to music allows people to get involved on many levels. Dunyo's anecdotes about success and failure and always trying to move forward were inspirational and amusing to all who attended.

Although drum circles are periodically held on campus and around town, never have they been as organized and well publicized as these sessions were. Hopefully these two clinicians have inspired workshop attendees to recreate similar situations. There's no better way to release stress than by beating on a drum. Sometimes, you just need to make noise.

Neko Case gets complex

2009-04-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

You may recognize Neko Case's voice from the Canadian indie-pop band The New Pornographers, but this isn't run-of-the-mill indie-pop. Middle Cyclone is filled with intellectual, complex and engaging alternative pop music. Each listen allows you to peel back another layer.

With a tinge of alt-country and a heaping spoonful of Memphis soul (think Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins' Rabbit Fur Coat or Cat Power's The Greatest), this is a crowd-pleaser from beginning to end. Her voice is strong, flexible and mature. Case could never be a pop star, but she has the pipes of a true professional.

Middle Cyclone is jangly enough to be pleasant without being too sweet. The highlight of the album is the multi-layered instrumentation. Case incorporates everything from acoustic instruments (guitar, banjo, cello) to synths and a toy music box. The variety allows her to create a truly diverse yet coherent collection of songs. The range of different sounds allow for each song to have its own vibe. Ubiquitous vocal harmonies on the album make it warm and inviting. Thoughtful lyrics take this album from just good musically to great overall.

The album takes the listener on an auditory ride. It takes some unexpected turns. The mood sometimes changes quickly, from lighthearted ("I'm an Animal") to weighty ("Prison Girls") and satirical ("People Got A Lotta Nerve") to melancholy ("Polar Nettles"). Each track could find itself nestled into very different mix CDs.

Most of the songs are short and always leave the listener in want of more. The best tracks are the opener, "This Tornado Loves You," a driving non-traditional love song; "Magpie to the Morning," a cautionary, sultry summer song and "I'm an Animal" with its prominent percussion and simplicity. The album closes with a thirty-minute field recording of crickets, peepers and other natural sounds. Such sounds are often associated with the coming of spring and summer. Although it seems frivolous to use so much time on the track, perhaps Neko Case is conveying the message that this long winter has come to an end. Fittingly, Middle Cyclone is the perfect soundtrack for the end of Potsdam's winter hibernation.

Ear Wax: an argument for vinyl

2009-03-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

There's something special about music on vinyl. It's almost magical to hear a new record. Even on the lousiest compact speakers, something about records just sounds so present. It's like hearing music in 3D.

My musical journey did not start with vinyl. While still in high school, the arrival of most Thursdays meant a trip to Tower Records. I would flip through hundreds of CDs and spend a lot of time at the listening stations. I loved the employees' recommendations. I'd take a peek at what others were purchasing. Once in the car, I would rip the plastic wrap off of each one of my purchases and insist on playing a new CD through the car stereo. But, by the time Tower Records tanked, I had lost all interest in CDs as viable media.

At about the same time, I discovered my step-dad's record collection. I flipped through the albums, full of curiosity. He hooked up his old turntable to our surround sound speakers, and although it didn't result in the best sound (old isn't always compatible with new), I still loitered around the basement to listen to many albums. I felt something magical about those old platters, and still do. They had stood the test of time, and many of them still sounded crystal clear and new.

I started to collect albums myself, but only those to which I felt a strong connection. I looked for a used record shop in every city I visited. First came Phil Ochs, then The Who's Quadrophenia, The Beatles and Cat Stevens. The list goes on. Then I discovered that new artists were pressing vinyl. The internet, and later John at Strawberry Fields Music, helped with that. Suddenly my collection that started at five or so records was pushing 50.

You are probably asking yourself, "why vinyl?" For me, vinyl is the full experience of music. You hear music as it was meant to be heard. Once music is processed digitally and changes from pure sound to "ones and zeros," it can never recapture its original quality. No matter how high the bit rate, it is never quite the same. I am also wary of classics re-pressed on vinyl for that same reason.

The visual aspect of records is also undeniable. There is much more space and freedom for the artwork, which oftentimes adds another layer to the music and the story it tells (for example, The Who's Quadrophenia came with an entire book of photographs; The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America came with a comic book). Album art often stands as art on its own; CD media always sort of swept art under the carpet.

Lastly, there is the tactile aspect of vinyl records. You peel back the huge sheet of shrink-wrap, shake the inner, paper sleeve out and there is that huge onyx-black platter. Everything is a delicate process (scratches are not your friend). You can see the needle physically skim around the record. There's also that fresh yet acrid smell.

The main reasons that people avoid vinyl are obvious: new records can get pricey, and the price you pay doesn't buy something that you can carry around in your iPod. I admit that, in a pinch, I'd probably sacrifice my vinyl collection to keep my iPod. Luckily, most newly pressed albums come with a code for a free MP3 download. Artists respect the vinyl medium but also see the need for portability. Used vinyl is also a great option. For only a few dollars, a complete work of music can be yours to take home, listen to, and judge.

Call me a music snob or call me old-fashioned, but I still think that vinyl is the best quality music around. With the resurgence of vinyl in the past few years, hopefully it is here to stay.

New groups bring musical diversity to Potsdam

2009-02-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

Something exciting is happening in Potsdam. People are getting stoked on playing music the way they want to (not the way their school wants them to) and sharing their music at big gigs. Others are coming out in droves to check out this new music. The latest additions to the growing list of engaging, talented groups are The Max Howard Band and Third Rail. Playing jazz and funk respectively, the bands have all but given the boot to Potsdam's infamous singer-songwriter/adult contemporary cover band set. The most important thing about these groups is that they are not afraid to play out and they are making music fun again. Both groups played at Hurley's on February 6 to over 100 people through the night.

Intimate lighting by floor lamps scattered across the stage drew the listening audience into the Max Howard Band's performance. The group, consisting of six musicians, played music that ranged from introspective to grooving, from soft to loud and gnarly. The crowd shouted with approval during a particularly rousing solo from trombonist Max Scholl.

A quick intermission set apart the two groups. Although attendees may have been uncertain as to why such a nuanced jazz show would be standing room only, they found out when Third Rail took the stage. Third Rail, a newly established funk band, completely turned the atmosphere of Hurley's around. Wailing out a hit parade of familiar funk tunes, the group's undeniable stage presence and musicianship had everyone in the room dancing. The group's leader, Drew Coles, sang and shouted into the mic and also played keys on some charts. Songs like "Brick House," "The Chicken" and "Groove Oriented," an original tune by saxophonist Nick Natalie, provided an unflagging powerhouse of music worth dancing to. Battling solos between trombonist Alex Slomka and saxophonist Taylor Clay astonished the crowd. The band's entire set was punctuated by shouts of disbelief from listeners. All bets were off musicians from the Max Howard Band came up to join in and members of Third Rail brought their instruments down off stage, playing and dancing their way through the crowd. This unique interaction broke down the invisible barrier between the stage and the audience.

The huge turnout for this show, unlike the medium turnout for the prior weekend's Left Ear Trio, proved that nothing packs the house like student musicians. In a small room where it's difficult to accommodate groups like the Crane Jazz Ensemble, there is no better solution than to invite in these smaller collectives.

Celebration of Keith Gates's Music and Interview with Julie Miller

2009-02-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

When a recital or concert becomes a perspective-altering experience, it is set apart from all others. A concert of the late Keith Gates's music, presented in Snell Theater on Sunday, February 1, fit that description. The amount of passion, both in the composition and performance of the three works, was truly moving.

The Crane School of Music piano instructor and staff accompanist, Julie Miller, organized the concert. She met Keith Gates when they were colleagues at McNeese State University in Louisiana. They played four-hand piano music and gave recitals together. "When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August 2006, we realized his remaining time was short, and were horrified to think that his music might be lost to the world," said Miller about why she is so adamant about spreading the music of Keith Gates. Julie Miller and her husband, Lane, have been instrumental in the process of having Gates's scores typeset and published.

The diverse program demonstrated the scope of Keith Gates's compositions. His works range from vocal, choral and small instrumental groups to wind ensemble pieces and opera. His works prove that 20th century music can be both innovative and tonal. Julie Miller played piano on each of the selections.

"Sonata for Flute and Piano" (notable for the large role that the piano plays in addition to the solo flute) was a nice warm up for what the audience had in store. Professor Kenneth Andrews's playing was elegant, especially during an arpeggiated cadenza. Andrews listened reverentially to the chorale-like piano chords of the second movement.

The second piece on the program was easily the most engaging. Professors Raphael Sanders (clari and John Ellis (trumpet) joined Miller and sophomore Zachary Browning to form an unstoppable quartet. The blend between the trumpet and clarinet was, at times, so precise that the individual instruments were no longer distinguishable and took on a wholly unique timbre. Browning was circled by almost every percussion instrument found in Western music that you could name, and made his rounds quickly and precisely. That he was able to play such an involved piece with a group of professors was admirable.

The final composition, "Three Pieces in the Landscape of a Soul," was heart wrenching and contemplative. In the exploration of the human condition through three backdrops: "The Prison," The Battlefield," and "The Garden," tenor professor Donald George gave an emotional and powerful performance backed by a choir of 20 voices. Piano, cello and different permutations of the human voice (such as humming) were versatile enough to characterize each of the three movements exceptionally.

A true collaboration of faculty, students and alumni, the production was heartfelt from beginning to end. The concert was webcast so that those too far away to travel to Potsdam could enjoy the performance. Even the program notes were put together with care, featuring descriptions of each piece, lyrics and notes from those who knew Gates. Students and visitors to Crane are lucky to be exposed to such wonderful music by those who care about it so deeply. "I can feel his presence in every measure, joy as well as sorrow, because he experienced a lot of each, and was able to express them so poignantly," said Miller in summation. Those emotions and many more were well communicated by Sunday's performers.

For more information about Keith Gates's life and work, visit: www.keithgates.com.

Kimberly Harrison: How did you meet Keith Gates? What were your interactions with him?
Julie Miller: I met him in 1991, when I accepted a job at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA, where Keith taught music theory and composition. He had an enormous zest for piano four-hand music, so at some point we began playing duets, and gave several recitals together. Keith and my husband, Lane, were stand partners in the cello section of the school orchestra, as well. When Keith asked Lane to play in the pit orchestra for his opera _Evangeline _in 1995, that was the beginning of Lane's realization that Keith's music was something special. At one point I was Keith's successor as a church organist/choir director, and I found that to be very humbling, because of his improvisational gifts, and his powerful and personal interpretation of hymns, which often moved people to tears.

KH: Did you play his compositions before he passed away?
JM: He was such a phenomenal pianist that he played most pieces himself. Reading the hand-written manuscripts would have been difficult for me, and he already had everything memorized. I used to be so amused turning pages for him, because it seemed as though he never looked at the music. For some reason, I was the pianist for 2 student performances, a song, "Life" with text by Helen Lourie Marsh, and the 1st movement of the flute sonatina, and I was very impressed by their beauty and style. I had asked him about his piano works, but in his usual modest way, he mentioned only a work that had been lost. Years later, when Keith allowed Lane to scan all of his scores for the purpose of self-publishing them, I began to read them, and I felt as though I were becoming acquainted with a hundred of Keith's dearest friends, his creations. I can feel his presence in every measure, joy as well as sorrow, because he experienced a lot of each, and was able to express them so poignantly

KH: Why are you so adamant about getting his compositions performed?
JM: When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in August 2006, we realized his remaining time was short, and were horrified to think that his music might be lost to the world. At that point most of it was in manuscript, sitting in his file cabinet. He was certainly admired, and even revered, in Lake Charles and in Louisiana, but that was too small a group of admirers to ensure that his music would reach another generation. Crane, being a large music school, is the perfect starting place to launch this music. To date, 15 faculty have been kind enough to perform Gates, and a whopping 31 Crane students have performed his music. They are Keith's future - they are at the beginning of their careers, and we hope that they will continue to perform and teach their students about the music of Keith Gates. That so many people, even those who never knew Keith, have been touched by the power of his music, gives strength to our belief that his works are significant and deserve a wider audience. We feel so strongly about it that we try to tell every guest artist who visits Crane about the music. This has been gratifying as well, leading to performances and a possible recording project.

KH: To what lengths have you gone to get his compositions performed?
JM: We have invested considerably in typesetting the works to make beautiful editions of his music. We began with vocal, choral and instrumental works, and are now moving into some wind ensemble pieces and operas. Sometimes we receive an order for a work that isn't even begun yet, so we have to scramble. There is much proofreading and tweaking to be done, plus the more difficult task of making decisions when faced with discrepancies - things only Keith could have answered. We have also begun making orchestral reductions so that some of the greatest works, like the flute concertino with wind ensemble, can be performed with piano. I have made several successful transcriptions as well, because he had begun doing this when he realized he wouldn't have time to write many more compositions. We have a growing body of customers, most of whom are strangers to us, who have performed Gates in at least 10 states. An orchestra from California took the violin concerto on a European tour.

KH: If someone wants to find more out about Keith Gates, his music and his JM: legacy, where would you point them?
JM: Our website, www.keithgates.com, is a good starting place to learn about him; it has a biography, recordings, list of works, reviews and photos. The most intimate section is the guestbook. It begins with old friends from North Carolina School of the Arts and Juilliard lamenting his illness, and goes through decades of adoring students telling how he changed their lives. There are comments from friends from church and synagogue, thanking him for ministering with his words and music. There are poems written by, and for Keith, including two by his oldest daughter. There are many expressions of sympathy during the time of his death on May 22, 2007, but people still write - there were two new entries last week. Our webcasts are available at www.mogulus.com/keithgates and www.mogulus.com/keithgates2. Since Lane and I are the caretakers of his musical works, we are the most accessible sources of information at this time. It would be great if one of his four children would write a book someday, but for now they are still adjusting to their loss. We were so pleased that Keith's widow and youngest daughter were able to watch our webcast on February 1st. It has been understandably difficult for them to listen to his music since his death, and we hope that, in time, it will be as great a comfort to them as it is to us.

Andrew Bird Balances Complexity and Simplicity on latest CD

2009-02-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

In a time when electronics are the preferred medium for most popular music (and a good part of indie music), Andrew Bird's crisp violin solos over instrumental harmonies are extremely refreshing. On Noble Beast, each song ebbs and flows naturally, each one a self-contained soundscape that allows the listener to step out of his or herself for a few minutes. He manipulates each song to a great extent: songs have long introductions, surprising changes mid-way through and extended ambient outros. Instrumental interludes bridge several songs together creating cohesion on the album.

Bird's unique style as a musician makes him stand out when compared to his contemporaries. He builds his songs from the ground up using a loop station; he builds off of his own pizzicato violin playing, bowed phrases, whistling and voice. He brings new depth and a breath of life to otherwise stale notions. He uses his violin in fresh and innovative ways on the album, both as an accompanying and melody instrument.

Andrew Bird has also surpassed many of his contemporaries lyrically. In an interview with Drowned in Sound, Bird said, "Language is dead. Long live language. I'm not sure if this is mourning or celebrating the dilution of words." Much like The Decemberists and The Hold Steady, known for their verbose approach to lyrics, Andrew Bird explores a vast vocabulary while still fitting words in rhythmically to compliment his music.

Melody-driven songs like "Privateers" and "Fitz and the Dizzyspells." They have choruses that you will find yourself humming, or much like Bird, whistling. Songs like "Anonanimal" and "Not a Robot, but a Ghost" are allowed to change and grow with the passage of time. Harmonies with female vocals on the track "Effigy" are elegant-just enough to make the track stand out.

"Anonanimal" is by far the most engaging track on Noble Beast. The rhythmic interest holds through the whole song, exposing the ears to unexpected but brilliant variations. A brief interlude during the song is the most mind-blowing part of the album. The lyrical content of the song is thought provoking—when and how will humans evolve? Indeed, many songs on the album reference back to the idea of the natural world and the role that different creatures (especially humans) play.

The album is very warm and comforting. It is something that I could easily come back to month after month and still find satisfying. And, with each listen, I expect to hear new elements to this complex music. I am sure that as I mature, the album, too, will grow with me.

Noble Beast was released in several formats: CD, deluxe edition CD (with a bonus disc of instrumental works entitled Useless Creatures) and double vinyl LP. For an in-depth look at the album, track-by-track, with the artist himself, check out http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4136162. For more information about Andrew Bird, visit his website at www.andrewbird.net. The Chicago-based musician will visit Montreal, QC and South Burlington, VT in the spring on his upcoming tour.

La Casbah culminates second-floor construction

2009-01-28T04:38:00.000-08:00

To be published in The Racquette on January 30, 2009.

Downtown Potsdam’s unique Moroccan restaurant, La Casbah, will open its spacious second floor as soon as Valentine’s Day—exactly a year after the restaurant first opened its doors. Renovations to the former Masonic temple—turned dance studio—will transform the versatile space into a catering hall and club. The opening will also spark the presentation of some non-alcoholic all age events and open mic nights.

Partners Hassan Hmyene, Alex Bennani and Rida Bourhouat brought La Casbah to Potsdam in 2008 after several successful restaurant ventures elsewhere. The restaurant has not only grown in popularity because of its flavorful foods, but because of the live music that it hosts all weekend long. The co-owners’ passion about fostering live local music is clear. “I am going to bring [live] music back to this community no matter what it takes,” said Bennani. The room will be furnished with the proper sound equipment for all sorts of live music, and will be able to facilitate rehearsals, jam sessions and live shows.

“When I came to Potsdam and found this young generation and this talent on these campuses I said, ‘this is what I want to promote,’” revealed Bennani, “I love it, I really love it.” “The owners there [at La Casbah] are very appreciative of us and they are always trying to find ways to accommodate us,” said senior music education major Benton Sillick, who plays in several groups that perform at La Casbah. Opportunities for young musicians are endless at La Casbah. Sophomore music majors Max Howard and Nick Natalie sometimes perform jazz selections during dinner hours. “It is very refreshing for musicians to know the Casbah is so open to all different kinds of live music,” said saxophonist Natalie. Both musicians cited the fun atmosphere and great music as things that keep them coming back to La Casbah.

La Casbah began upstairs renovations in the summer of 2008 with KMA Construction. The plan for the spacious room consists of a stage, a large bar, and a mezzanine with a great view of the full room. The need for space is evidenced by the sheer number of local college students who “come and they practice and they have a good time and they bring the crowd and everybody has a good time,” asserted Bennani.

The focal point of the new room is a beautiful red-stained hardwood bar with copper accents. It is easily twice the size of its downstairs counterpart. The room will potentially have a capacity of over 200 persons—a number that will not be definite until Potsdam Village code enforcement officer, John Hill, inspects the finalized space. The Village of Potsdam has been instrumental in helping La Casbah carry out its expansion.

While the majority of events held at La Casbah will remain 21+, a select few will be open to a younger crowd. On those occasions, for the safety of the attendees and the restaurant’s credibility, the bar will be closed, and non-alcoholic refreshments will be served. “When there is an event where a good band is playing and underage (persons) want to come, we will definitely have a solution for it by… [either] separating or bracelets,” said co-owner Alex Bennani, “we would be able to control it, but we have got to be very organized for it and be sure that there is no way that underage (persons) will drink at La Casbah.”

The exciting new addition to La Casbah should be open to the public on or around February 14, 2009. Musicians and music lovers of all ages will benefit from the new space.

Dance Music for people who Hate Dance Music

2009-01-27T05:34:00.000-08:00

To be published in The Racquette on 1/30/2009.

Foot stomps, hand claps, synths and singalong choruses make up the signature sound that Matt and Kim have defined for themselves. Grand, named for a street in their hometown, Brooklyn, is no departure from this formula. They have created yet another CD of dance music for people who don’t like dance music. Matt Johnson (keyboards) and Kim Schifino (drums) share the vocals, but Matt’s unique voice almost always takes the lead. If the band has grown at all since their first album, it is through layering more things, such as acoustic piano and synthesized strings, which make the album much more full-bodied and satisfying.

The music is built on simple principles: driving backbeat and arpeggio-drenched keyboards. This simplicity makes it hard to dislike them, as they don’t ever do anything offensive. Still, they manage to mar the uncomplicated formula by taking some songs a bit too fast, leaving the listener gasping for air.

The opening track, “Daylight,” is a showstopper. The song is so catchy and easily relatable that they see fit to reprise it as the last track as well. By bookending the album in this way, they almost cancel out the utterly forgettable moments in the middle of the album. But, even on the less memorable tracks, there are still catchy melodies that will have you humming or singing along.

This is a great album to dance or work out to. You can download the single, “Daylight,” for free at http://www.greenlabelsound.com/mattandkim. The album doesn’t promise to stand up to multiple listens, but it is definitely something fun to turn on when your mood needs a boost.

Writing Songs

2009-01-11T15:41:00.001-08:00

I'm curious. If you happen to stumble across this blog and you are a songwriter, where do you get inspiration, and how do you pull yourself out of a slump??

didn't quite make it to 50 books this year

2009-01-01T17:16:00.000-08:00

another year and i've fallen a bit short of my goal. still better than last year! i can think of a few books on this list that were a waste though...

1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
2. Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut
3. Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
4. The Witches by Roald Dahl
5. Mix Tape by Thurston Moore
6. Black Hole by Charles Burns
7. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
8. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
9. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
10. The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda
11. Papillon by Henri Charrière
12. The Collected Cloth by Jack Terricloth
13. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
14. Banco by Henri Charrière
15. New Brunswick, New Jersey, Goodbye by Ronen Kauffman
16. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
17. The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green
18. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
19. How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers
20. You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers
21. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
22. Naked by David Sedaris
23. Diary by Chuck Palahniuk
24. The Best American Nonrequired Reading [2007] edited by Dave Eggers
25. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
26. The Film Club by David Gilmour
27. The Best American Nonrequired Reading [2002] edited by Dave Eggers
28. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
29. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
30. Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
31. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
32. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
33. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
34. Flash Fiction Forward anthology
35. The Best American Nonrequired Reading [2008] edited by Dave Eggers
36. The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett
37. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Changing Ukulele Strings...for dummies

2008-12-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

Hey all.

As some of you know, playing the ukulele is both a hobby and passion of mine. As with all stringed instruments, putting on new strings is one of the cheapest/easiest things you can do to improve the sound of your instrument. My new uke, an Oscar Schmidt OU-5, had mediocre strings on it. I changed them for Martin strings recently. Here are some pieces of advice that might help you next time you go to change your strings...

-Watch this video on youtube a bunch of times: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU42wHlS-NY
-Remember to only change one string at a time. The other three strings will keep the tension on the neck and prevent damage to your instrument. They also allow you to have a reference point when making your knot.
-The knot will tighten as you wind the string on—be sure to leave slack at the bottom. The slack will also help you hold the string better as your fingers will probably get sweaty/slippery.
-Leave plenty of slack at the top, too. Chances are that the strings are much longer than you need them. You can always trim them after.
-When winding the string on, make sure one round goes above the hole, and the rest go below the hole.
-Use a string winder—no need to get carpal tunnel...

Is that helpful? Good luck!

Battle of the Bands round two sets high bar for finals

2008-12-05T07:12:00.000-08:00

Backstreets was filled with anxious music fans on Saturday, November 22. The competition was tight but the fans spoke: The Moistmakers and Morphium Theory will be moving on to the finals.

Four full bands performed during the second round of Madstop's annual Battle of the Bands.

Newcomers Goodnight Moon opened the show, playing to an intimate crowd. The trio, made up of Crane students, had a solid rock sound with a nice keyboard layer on top. The guys looked a little nervous at first, but their demeanor and playing settled in very quickly. One song had the vibe of Sonic Youth, but accessible. This band definitely has a lot of promise. Hopefully they will be more comfortable and smile more next time they perform, and maybe play a few more tunes people can dance to.

Out-of-town metal band Necrosis followed the local Goodnight Moon. They came from Clifton Park, NY and clearly brought a bit of a fanbase with them. While the musicians showed great technique on their instruments (especially the lead guitarist), one has to wonder where to draw the line between noise and music. Some people were extremely into Necrosis's gritty wall of sound, dancing and moshing in the front of the room. Others stood back, either in awe or pain. With so much great musical talent in the Potsdam area, it is unclear why Madstop felt the need to bring in an out-of-town act. Perhaps they ultimately found that there were not enough local bands who could commit to the performance dates, but Madstop could have found a band with a better sound.

The last two groups to perform were the winners. They had the benefit of the large crowd that had grown throughout the night. The Moistmakers have proven themselves as a fan favorite funk/party band, performing at several venues and parties around Potsdam. The group got many audience members up and dancing. The group's eclectic line-up of all Crane musicians allows them to explore all sorts of styles and timbres. The small horn section and two percussionists heated up the room. Out of all of the groups, The Moistmakers smiled and had the most fun on stage.

The last group, Morphium Theory, has also established a local fanbase. This melodic hardcore group provided accessibility and featured a nice mix of vocal styles. Their great sound secured their spot in the finals.

It was a close call for the winning bands, which will be moving on to play in the final battle. The final four contestants are The Moistmakers, Morphium Theory, Doug Campbell and Steve Muciolo. Due to a scheduling conflict with the venue, the date of the Battle of the Bands-Final Battle has been moved to Tuesday, December 9. The event will still be held at Backstreets Night Club from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Admittance is 18+ with a charge of $4. You must be 21 to drink.

Madstop concert production executive, junior music business major Sarah Hope asserted that the change is for the best.?"It will work because academic prep days give time to prep and to rehabilitate before finals hit, so it will be a nice chance to have fun amidst studying," said Hope.

Minor Swing plays unique gypsy jazz at La Casbah

2008-12-05T07:10:00.000-08:00

Imagine yourself in a smoky Parisian café. The year is 1933 or 1934 and strains of gypsy jazz music softly support the din of conversation and revelry. Potsdam's own Minor Swing recreated this aural image and atmosphere during a performance at La Casbah on Thursday, November 20.

Minor Swing is composed of four permanent members. Founding members Christopher Brown and Victor Caamaño play acoustic and electric guitar respectively, with Caamaño contributing on tastefully incorporated vocals. Lorie Gruneisen plays violin and David Katz provides a solid foundation on upright bass. At this particular performance, Beth Robinson joined on the cello. Occasionally, Matt Bullwinkel also joins in on accordion. The group has been together for about five years, adding members through the years. "It's a great pleasure to share our music. We get excited about it and hope others do too. I get a great charge out of performing for an audience," said Caamaño.

The musical genre of gypsy jazz has seen somewhat of a revival in the past few years with indie-folk musician Andrew Bird and the film The Triplets of Belleville. Gypsy jazz is characterized by its simple melodies, syncopation, emphasis on the second and fourth beat of each bar and chromaticism.

The group performed an eclectic mix of jazz standards and gypsy tunes popularized by gypsy jazz forbearer Django Reinhardt and contemporary artists such as Biréli Lagrène and Dorado Schmitt. The namesake of the group is actually a song by Django Reinhardt, "Minor Swing," which the group performs. They cite other influences as Le Quartet du Hot Club de France (Django's group), Robin Nolan, and Pearl Django. During the performance, each musician got a chance to improvise. The musicians worked extremely well together, creating vivid vignettes within each song. The music was sometimes upbeat and sometimes mellow, but always enjoyable. The only thing that seemed to be missing was the sultry sound of a small drum kit played with brushes.

La Casbah has clearly established itself as a viable music venue in Potsdam, and this was yet another successful show. Music lovers enjoy the atmosphere and extensive bar. The large room has the versatility to accommodate intimate sit-down gatherings like this one and bigger events with lots of loud music and dancing.

Several attendees were there solely for the music, but most just let the music compliment and improve their otherwise ordinary Thursday night out. Nigh midnight, the older crowd had filtered out and those who remained were rowdy and disrespectful students, clearly there for the drinks.

Minor Swing is in the midst of recording their first CD. The group performs quite often in the Potsdam area. They have another engagement at La Casbah on December 19, at which they will also perform some Christmas music.

Songswithoutwords' top 5 albums of 2008

2008-12-05T07:06:00.001-08:00

There are only 5 because that's all the room the Racquette could afford!

Emilyn Brodsky – Greatest Tits
Eclectic New York City songwriter and self-proclaimed cupcake punk Emilyn Brodsky won my heart this year with her first official CD release, Greatest *its. Written over a long period of time, she finally transformed her quiet ukulele tunes into rambunctious, fully fleshed out songs. The lyrics are poignant, sassy and cute. Her backup band is a sort of “who’s who” of the New York indie music scene, and talent abounds.

Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
Perhaps the most appealing thing to me about this album is how clearly it hearkens back to Paul Simon’s Graceland (1986). It’s got the catchiest hooks of the year; almost every song is infectuous. Part of the interest evoked from the album is in its diverse instrumentation, including ethnic drums, clean electric guitar sound, and a ubiquitous mellow keyboard sound.

Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
Although Greg Gillis simply borrows samples and mashes them together to make something new, this is one of the most original albums of the year. In the all-inclusive dance party that is Feed the Animals you can get your groove on to everything from T.I. to Twisted Sister, from Radiohead to Jay-z. It’s the perfect party album.

Dr. Dog – Fate
I was introduced to this album late in the year, but was instantly won over by the Beach Boys-esque harmonies and Beatles-esque hooks. Throw in the occasional grooving beat and you’ve got something worth 100 listens. This band uses timeless formulas that work.

The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
It would be out of character for me to leave my favorite rock ‘n’ roll band off of my top albums list. The band makes their intentions clear from the get-go with “Constructive Summer,” a song about making things happen, that defined my summer and beyond. With riff after riff and more of Craig Finn’s almost-indulgent storytelling, Stay Positive is a 2008 standout. This album has yet to leave my car stereo.

Albums I had to reluctantly cut: Fleet Foxes, O'Death, The Last Shadow Puppets, The So So Glos, The Spinto Band, Super XX Man, Noah and the Whale, Okkervil River, The Mountain Goats, The Miniature Tigers, Blitzen Trapper.

Week in Review

2008-11-28T13:51:00.001-08:00

Here's a new feature I thought of while stuck in traffic today and listening to Sound Opinions. Since one of the only things I can figure on talking about is myself, I'm going to write a blurb about what I'm listening to and thinking about music-wise each week. This might be a good idea since writing about concerts is an opportunity that only comes along every once in a while. Now that I have a last.fm again, I find myself thinking about trends in my listening.

Despite how much I love punk and rock bands, I've found myself seriously drawn to singer-songwriters lately. Paul Simon and Cat Stevens are the most important to me, for some reason. Paul Simon's Graceland resonated with me for a while, and I just recently began exploring the remainder of his back-catalogue. Even the songs that don't stand out on each album are better than anything I could write. Cat Stevens' music is all charming. Venturing beyond the songs featured on the cult dark comedy Harold & Maude soundtrack, Stevens has these folk rock songs that are not only catchy but powerful.

I listened to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" about 10 times straight today, to learn the guy part, and boy, what a saucy song.

I reached the epitome of my respect for composer Percy Grainger this week when I had to conduct "Horkstow Grange," a movement from Lincolnshire Posy on Monday. He has a unique compositional style the breaks conventions but is still seriously listenable. This could be a true tool for breaking down barriers for students and stubborn adults into listening to art music.

OK readers, be honest. Did this post make me sound like a pretentious ass?

The World/Inferno Out-of-Town Friendship Society

2008-11-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

Saxophonist Peter Hess and singer Jack Terricloth, both bearing with maniacal grins, stepped to the front of the stage to greet the undulating crowd. With three drum sticks between them, they joined drummer Brian Viglione in pounding out the opening beat to "Tattoos Fade"—The World/Inferno Friendship Society's call-to-arms—on a well-worn tom tom. Snarlingly reminding the audience that they'd "do better living more and commemorating less," Jack Terricloth inspired spontaneity in the pit.

The World/Inferno Friendship Society arrived at South Burlington's well known Higher Ground nightclub on Nov. 6, 2008. To this writer's surprise, the crowd gathered long before doors opened, and the second admittance was allowed, the line to show tickets and IDs stretched through the lobby. Opening band, The Dig, provided an upbeat set of indie rock with a twist. Some attendees, anxious to see the main attraction, danced and goofed off in the room. When singer Jack Terricloth and bassist Sandra Malak appeared in the V.I.P. balcony, stars-struck fans waved enthusiastically. The musicians looked adoringly at their fans, toasted their wine glasses, and waved graciously.

When you've only seen a band or musician in their hometown (which for this band encompasses all of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Jersey), it's a revealing experience to witness an out-of-town gig. Thursday night was no exception. The band played a relentless set of songs both new and old, touching upon "M is for Morphine," "I Remember the Weimar," "Everybody Comes to Rick's," Thumb Cinema," "Addicted to Bad Ideas," all from the 2007 release Addicted to Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre's Twentieth Century. Older favorites were also played, including greatly received "Just the Best Party," "My Ancestral Homeland, New Jersey," "Jeffrey Lee," "Paul Robeson," and "Brother of the Mayor of Bridgewater" were just a few of those older favorites. While most of the fans knew the words to those songs, many of them were stumped when it came to the VERY old stuff..."All the World is a Stage(dive)" didn't garner any audience stage dives (for fear of getting kicked out), but Terricloth did throw himself onto the stage mid-song. The highlight of the show for me, personally, was "Cats are Not Lucky Creatures," a song about resiliency and independence as represented by the demeanor of cats. Although many of the kids didn't seem to know the classic, they shockingly screamed the lyrics of other songs along for most of the night.

The night saw more fancy stick-work from Hess and Terricloth, who synchronized a sort of drum hit-stick hit (like checking swords) in time to the intro of "M is for Morphine." The band was clearly more involved than they can be at hometown shows, which is ironic. Jack Terricloth's usually profound between-song banter was unfortunately watered-down by his inebriated state. Although missing the familiar handlebar mustache of Franz Nicolay, the group sufficiently compensated with newcomer Matt Landis, a menace at the keyboard. The Dresden Dolls' Brian Viglione powerfully filled the role of drummer and brought a whole new level of celebrity to the band.

The final question that arises from this experience you might ask would be, "Miss Harrison, was it worth it to drive three stinking hours each way to see a band you've already seen five times before?" And I would answer as such. "How anyone could turn down an opportunity to have the religious experience that is a World/Inferno show is beyond me. It's more than a band, it's a way of life. Sign the f*ck up."

Fourteen ways to live your life more like a pirate

2008-11-09T20:34:00.001-08:00

As published in the 11/7 issue of The Racquette.

If you've ever dreamed of a life as a bootlegger, pirate, Eastern European vagrant, railroad worker, or revolutionary, O'Death's latest release, Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin just might be the album for you. The album's title immediately gives you an idea of the morbidity and sensibilities of the band. From the opening violin pizzicato, this album will pull you right in. Each of the fourteen unique tracks give the listener an excuse to role-play in any strange situation they'd like.

The band explores lots of different bluegrass instruments, from banjo to fiddle, in addition to their traditional rock band line-up. Other instruments that sometimes appear on their recordings are ukulele, piano, trombone, and euphonium. The textures they are able to produce through this juxtaposition of styles are incomparable to most other punk fusion bands.

Their influences lie in the songs of Appalachia, gospel music and punk vivacity. Their "olde tyme" poster art and aesthetic adds to their appeal and individuality, while their snarling stage presence defines their image. It is refreshing to find a band that has established its own new aesthetic based on traditional sources.

Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin truly takes the listener into a different time and different mindset. The feel of Appalachian folk music underlying their original songs is not only anachronistic to most listeners, but haunting by nature.

Growing in prominence in several punk and alternative circles, O'Death has shared stages with Beat Circus, Death Vessel, Humanwine, Hoots & Hellmouth and Takka Takka. They recently embarked on a 34-date tour in support of Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin.

If you are in the mood for something frantic, something passionate, something unusual and disturbing, or something that compels you on a gut level to get up, dance, and break things, you should listen to O'Death. There is not a single weak track on this album. Listen for it on SUNY Potsdam's radio station, WAIH "The Way" 90.3FM in the coming weeks.

"Non-required" anthology provides reading solution for overworked college students

2008-11-09T20:31:00.000-08:00

As printed in the 11/7 issue of The Racquette.

With ever-increasing course-loads and time dedicated to busy social calendars, the last thing a college student has time to do is read for fun. College culture is limited to short snippets-Youtube videos, RSS feeds, and blogs are often chosen for their amusement factor and brevity. For those who love literature but often find themselves distracted and pressed for time, The Best American Non-required Reading 2008 offers an apt solution.

The latest installment in a series that has run since 2002, BANR is compiled by author Dave Eggers and high schoolers of the San Francisco Bay Area. They spend each year reading through respected literary journals, quarterlies and magazines, ultimately deciding on the best stories-a pile of hundreds that gets whittled down into the final published anthology.

BANR 2008 features an introduction by Judy Blume, a retrospective on Kurt Vonnegut's lifetime of writing, a piece about Bill Clinton's post-presidential life as an activist, a story on how one of the world's most renowned violinist performed unnoticed in a D.C. metro station, and several particularly jarring stories about the search for one's origins and identity.

Short fiction and short creative non-fiction, the two genres presented in this anthology, are by far the most accessible genre to college-aged students. Each story is engaging and insightful, yet still delivered in a size that hard-working college students can easily swallow. Short writing does not require a huge emotional and time commitment, but is still satisfying and amusing.

This anthology moves along at a fairly rapid pace, with very few lengthy pieces. If one piece in particular isn't appealing, it is simple to skip ahead to something more exciting. Any of the stories in it that seemed slow-moving at first eventually picked up and gained depth, eventually becoming enjoyable reads. Like previous BANR anthologies, this one has a little something for everyone.

One of the aims of the committee that chooses the pieces which get published is to increase exposure for up-and-coming writers. Although familiar names such as Stephen King are represented this year, most of the contributing writers in this anthology are newcomers to the field. Past contributors include Chuck Klosterman, David Sedaris and Huruki Murakami. For those who have more time to explore the sources (journals) and authors from the anthology, it is a good chance to see who is currently shaping the field of short fiction and non-fiction. Perhaps you'll discover a new favorite author, or at least one of note whom you may hear from in the future.

The editor of the series, Dave Eggers, was once a newcomer not unlike many of the featured authors. Through inclusion in literary journals he gained popularity and has since published successful books such as A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and What is the What.

The number one thing that assures me that most college students will be able to appreciate this is that the pieces are chosen by high schoolers. If they can find modern literature and creative non-fiction appealing, I am confident that college students also can.

If you have a free half hour between classes, or even just a few minutes before you drift off to sleep, pick up The Best American Non-required Reading 2008. Who knows; you may find a new favorite author or rekindle your love for reading.

Preview of a Show that Happened 2 Months Ago

2008-11-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

Just for people who like to read my writing...just for posterity...just because I've been lazy for the bulk of the semester...

On Saturday, September 20, Hurley's is hosting a triple bill of extremely talented musicians from New York City. Franz Nicolay, Emilyn Brodsky, and Emily Hope Price will take the stage in Hurley's for several hours of diverse entertainment. The show is sure to appeal to both those interested in indie songwriters as well as those who currently study music and are curious to see what versatile results a music degree can inspire.

Franz Nicolay is currently the keyboardist for The Hold Steady, a critically acclaimed rock band that has recently performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Late Show with David Letterman, and The Late Late Show. The multi-instrumentalist tours year-round with The Hold Steady-playing over 200 shows annually-but still finds time to dedicate to performing his solo material. His set on Saturday will consist of original songs performed both on guitar and accordion, part of his trademark style. He trained in New York University's jazz composition program and brings his own twist to both traditional and avant-garde songwriting.

Emilyn Brodsky is a sharp-tongued ukulele-playing cupcake punk. Her songs are smart and witty, filled with complex emotions, and, depending on the personnel, tight vocal harmonies. As a "cupcake punk" she is a strong believer in the Do It Yourself (DIY) ethic, and brought that consciousness to her new album, which features the combined efforts of her musician friends, producers and artwork designers. Emilyn Brodsky's Greatest *its boasts full band arrangements of many of the catchy, fun, and emotionally tumultuous songs she will perform in Hurley's. When she isn't playing originals, her repertoire of covers includes songs by The Mountain Goats, The Long Winters, The Magnetic Fields, and 60s girl groups.

Emily Hope Price is an extremely versatile musician, popular in the Anti-Folk scene in New York City. Although she received a master's degree in classical cello performance from Carnegie Mellon University, her true interests lie in improvisation and composing. She brings new depth to cello performance by adding many effects such as looping, distortion, sampling, and improvising on the spot.

Hurley's is clearly branching out into booking more diverse and talented musicians this semester. This show will appeal to even the most critical listeners. Check it out if you enjoy: The Hold Steady, Billy Bragg, Mirah, Joanna Newsom, Regina Spektor, or Belle & Sebastian.

Just a few notes about my life in music, recently

2008-08-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

The main place that I listen to music is while I'm on the computer and, well, my sound driver is busted. Something's wrong with the inner workings that makes everything sound like crap, and skip, and slow down. So, unfortunately, I've listened to less new music than I wanted to this summer.

Luckily, for my birthday last week I received a brand new pair of Sennheiser over ear headphones, which make music sound absolutely glorious. Needless to say, I've been catching up on summer releases in a proper manner, starting with Stay Positive, of course.

So, despite all of these occurrences, I think that I owe my blog a few decent posts, and I'll certainly be getting to them when I get back to school. WAIH has a stack of just about 300 CDs waiting for my anxious ears. Expect posts in the coming weeks of a least first impressions of the recent releases from The Hold Steady, Emilyn Brodsky, Conor Oberst, The Walkmen, Randy Newman, Tilly and the Wall, The Ting Tings, and Fleet Foxes. And those are just the ones I'd really like to review. So, make sure I keep my word on this one. There's a whole list of CDs I'd like to get around to listening to thoroughly and writing about, but we'll see.

I should also write about the shows I've gone to in the past two weeks. Perhaps I'll sit here and blog deep into the night on the eve before moving back to college.

Once I'm back, you'll be able to catch my radio show, Ginger Ale & Apathy THREE times a week. Mondays 2-3pm, Wednesdays & Fridays 6-7pm. www.theway903.com / 90.3FM ... I'm looking at setting up some in-studio interviews and guest DJs both in real life and via Skype! It'll be a fun semester. I'll also be writing for The Racquette again, and as usual I'll post any of my articles directly on this blog.

Stay tuned!

The Way 90.3FM
http://www.theway903.com
The Racquette
http://www.theracquette.com

We're Gonna Build Something This Summer

2008-07-09T17:15:00.001-07:00

On June 29, 2008, boys and girls from all over America (quite literally) came together to see the exuberant Hold Steady in their hometown and the open air.

The McCarren Park Pool venue is a unique one, to be certain. The once-pool has been out of use for quite some time, and some promoters over at JellyNYC thought it would be a fitting place to set up a stage and invite a couple of thousand people out to play and hear great music. The show was free, as are most of the Pool Parties, and concertgoers were discouraged by neither heavy showers, lightning, nor thunder. Apparently there is absolutely nothing that can get The Hold Steady's fans down--especially not when they know they are just moments away from seeing their favorite band.

The Hold Steady has enjoyed a constant ascent to the top of the indie rock scene over the past several years, recording four albums along the way. Each album has its own characters and stories, but the messages remain the same. Guys go for looks, girls go for status. You can make him like you. Certain songs get scratched right in your soul. Ya gotta stay positive. It is those simple truths that have garnered the band a huge following. Maybe not huge in size compared to say, Radiohead's fan base, but huge in spirit, comraderie, and passion. The Unified Scene travels from all over to meet up at shows, with matching shirts that certain scene members front the money for, to have a couple of drinks or talk music with each other - everyone with the same thing in common - love for a band that has truly impacted their lives. At any Hold Steady show you can bet that you will see a bunch of nerds in matching shirts, forced forward into the stage or barrier, shouting lyrics and getting a glimmer in their eyes at the beginning of each song. The Unified Scene certainly made a strong showing at June 29th's Brooklyn show.

When the band took the stage, it was like coming home again. There is comfort in finding a band -and a scene- that makes you feel like you are home at last. The cheers were overwhelming. The setlist was absolutely conflagerant. Almost every track from the forthcoming CD, Stay Positive, and plenty of crowd pleasing back catalogue songs. With the sun just coming out after a rough day in torrential rain, there was a certain something in the air that infected everyone present-in a positive way of course. Screaming lyrics up to the stage with arms outstretched to embrace and be a part of something bigger, The Hold Steady's biggest fans exuded energy that enchanted press photographers, who took as many photos of the fans as they did of the band.

The entire band was on. Every song was performed to its fullest, with each band member feeding off of the crowd's energy in his own way. Close your eyes and imagine if you will: Craig Finn: spitting and ranting and singing, moving around the stage to have little dialogues in pantomime with the crowd. Tad Kubler: humbly accepting birthday wishes, rock solid soloing, facile fingers and a double-necked guitar. Galen Polivka: slumped and sweating, pounding out basslines with precision and animation, adding something new to each song. Franz Nicolay: shouting, grimacing, smiling, stomping, spinning, dancing, and making eye contact and singing with the fans. Bobby Drake: an anchor to the entire band, creating the entire texture of every song from the bottom up, blindingly precise beats. Seriously serious musicians. Friends and colleagues. It is pretty clear that not only do each of these men know exactly what they are doing, but they do it damn well together. The chemistry is incomparable.

In an interview just yesterday, The Hold Steady's frontman and lyricist, Craig Finn, said this, "Do I believe in the redemptive power of rock'n'roll? Absolutely. At its peak, played with the best intentions, it can be transcendent." Inadvertantly, Finn described the experience that the Unified Scene undergoes at every show, every venue, in every city, state, and country. As they start a huge tour again (after 200 shows last year), hitting Europe and the states, I once again encourage you not to miss it. It is truly one of the most euphoric things that a music lover can experience.

These songs, they get so scratched into our souls

2008-06-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Another music ramble. Bear with me for some true content coming soon...

Summer memories always seem to be the most saturated with music. I can remember the exact order of tracks on a mix CD I used to listen going back and forth to summer camp; bands who played shows in our small venues; and songs I listened to in the solitude of my air conditioned bedroom. For some reason my brain is like a sponge during the summer, and each song takes on twice as much meaning. When I was going into 11th grade, an English teacher who I was close with loaned me a cassette of The Smiths' Greatest Hits, and I can't listen to that band without thinking of that summer. I hope that this summer can be equally steeped in musical memories..

Pop Culture Informs Itself - Ramblings about the interconnectedness of all popular culture in the 21st century

2008-06-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a recent NPR podcast of the show "All Songs Considered" with Bob Boilen in which a panel of Generation X and Y-ers talked about how music-and what specific music-defined their respective, and the current, generations (The Sound of a Generation). They ended the show with a song by Okkervil River called "Plus One," which name drops a good number of popular song lyric references. This got me thinking about other similar songs, such as Jimmy Eat World's "A Praise Chorus," and the WFUV's radio show, Mixed Bag, which occasionally themes entire shows after songs that name drop pop culture and otherwise. And to be quite honest, this happens very often. Sometimes it's a stolen riff, a beat, or just straight out referencing your predecessors or contemporaries.

The point I'm trying to get at is that pop culture informs itself. Pop culture is one meta-idea encompassing all music (yes, all music), films, reality TV, comic books, mass market paperbacks, literature, all of it. And none of it would exist without the rest of it. Everything is symbiotic and interwoven. Weezer jabs fun at the youtube "culture" as it were with a music video referencing America's favorite web-video-follies. Pop-writers like Nick Hornby write books such as High Fidelity, which truly only exists because of the music that makes up its heart, which feeds into the film industry, which then makes the music more popular through its soundtrack and so on. Even the TV show "American Idol," which I refuse to watch and abhor for its superficial harvesting of "talent"--that show feeds into this idea too. If little miss pop-star covers a Simon & Garfunkel hit on her segment, maybe downloads and sales will spike a bit that week. The same goes for any artist subjected to a very strong spotlight in an unusual venue. Largehearted Boy, a music blog favorite of mine, has a regular feature entitled Book Notes, in which authors discuss music that was important to them while writing their latest work.

As a musician and also a writer, I find this meta-culture truly intriguing. I suppose it calls the ago old question of "What is Art" into play. Everything is granted an equal playing field when it is in the present moment. Record albums pressed on weighty 180g vinyl are consumed parallel to ringtones bought off of iTunes; books are sold in pulp and digital form. It's hard to exist and thrive in such a multi-faceted arena. There are just so many options that it becomes overwhelming. With the realization of the internet as a truly level playing field for all creative artists, it becomes more a matter of the discretion of the consumer to decide what is quality. I think that this puts us in a very different place than music lovers or bookworms of our parents' generation (spoonfed only by Rolling Stone magazine and the NYT Book Review).

This was just rambling of a bunch of ideas that the "All Songs Considered" show put into my head that I wanted to get down, no matter how many times and ways they've been said before. I recently picked up a retrospective of Lester Bangs' work (who, by the way, I didn't know was a real person until 2 years after seeing Almost Famous for the first time) and felt the need to get some words down. Even music journalism has been brought down to a level playing field, because I can just easily buy a copy of Paste magazine as I can pull up Pitchfork Media in my web browser (or someone could pull up MY blog for that matter). If anyone does happen to read this, chime in and give me some specific talking points. This whole idea of the interconnectedness of pop culture is just too large of an idea to take on at once.

Guignol: Tour de Force Ethnopunk

2008-05-23T23:33:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn-based Guignol (pronounced Geen-yol) weaves together sounds familiar to many cultures to synthesize something totally fresh. The four-piece group consists of clarinetist Peter Hess, accordionist Franz Nicolay, tubaist George Rush, and drummer John Bollinger. Tonight's two-set show at Zebulon in Williamsburg featured guest guitarist Jeremiah Lockwood (of Balkan Beat Box and Sway Machinery) at the helm in Nicolay's place. Each musician is not only able when it comes to their specialty instrument, but goes above and beyond the normal expectations. The clarinet wails up and down gypsy scales and dips pitch seamlessly. The guitarist's stony visage, contrasted by his resonance with the music and ease of playing, through changes and solos, adds depth to the group. The tuba holds up the entire group, freeing Bollinger to fool around with off-beats and mixed meters. Anyone trying to follow his every motion would have surely been baffled and amazed.

The group plays so tightly in even the most obscure harmonic-minor and modal scales, and mixed and changing meters and tempos. This isn't your every day quartet. It is self-proclaimed "ethnic music for a country that doesn't exist." A mix of all their tastes, from traditional to gypsy to 20th century, this music truly embodies individuality while keeping the familiar flavors of Balkan music close at hand.

The first set consisted of a mix of songs from the band's self-titled album as well as new cuts. The musicians burned through the hour-long set, a non-stop tour-de-force. During the interim of the two sets, the younger crowd filtered out. When it was time for the second set, most of the crowd a few more drinks deep, got to the front of the now-less-crowded room and began to dance. This crowd obviously enjoyed themselves even more, resonating in time (and sometimes not in time at all) with the aforementioned obscure rhythmical music.

For someone who's never seen Guignol before, Friday night's gig at Zebulon was quite a treat. Although missing their signature mustachioed accordionist, the group played just about every song they know. That's not something that happens every show.

Sometimes frantic, sometimes tense, sometimes held back, this music always throws you a curveball. Many people believe that music's most important impetus is the ability to control and vary levels of tension throughout a piece. Let's just say that these guy's have got a grip on that. The next time these four get on stage, you'd be foolish to miss it.

According to their website, Guignol is scheduled to play a show on June 30 with The Zydepunks.
http://www.myspace.com/guignol

Reel Big Fish concert kicks off Springfest

2008-05-01T16:37:00.001-07:00

Published in the 5/2 issue of The Racquette.

Springfest started with a bang on Saturday, April 26, when well-known ska-punk band Reel Big Fish took over Maxcy Hall Gymnasium. Many fans got their tickets in advance, and several just showed up at the venue.

The opener, Brad Byrd, an acoustic singer-songwriter, did not fit the bill at all. Some audience members said he was trying too hard to sound like Bob Dylan, and thought that alt-country didn’t belong on a bill with an upbeat ska band. People in the audience rudely booed and chanted “folk sucks.” Singer Brad Byrd has played at SUNY Potsdam before to a better reception from the crowd, but most concertgoers agreed that this opener was simply the wrong feel for the show.

Reel Big Fish stormed the stage to chants of their name. They opened with their big hit, “Sell Out,” off of their most popular album, Turn the Radio Off. The crowd was dancing immediately, though clearly not as hard as they would have liked, with moshing not allowed at the event. Charismatic singer Aaron Barrett, with his signature California style, sang right to audience members to approving screams. Other tracks they played spanned their discography, from Cheer Up! to their new album Monkeys for Nuthin’ and the Chimps for Free. Towards the end of the set, they played more favorites, such as “Beer” and “She Has a Girlfriend Now,” which, by the way, is based on a true story. Several concertgoers attempted to crowd surf, and security guards at the front of the stage promptly removed them from the top of the crowd. Although it was previously stated that crowd surfing was not allowed, these audience members were not penalized, and were allowed to stay in the show.

During a laid-back pre-show interview, the band attributed their success over the years to their dedicated fans. Through the years, the band has gone through a myriad of line-up changes, but the reason they keep making music is that they “don’t want to do anything else,” said lead singer, Aaron Barrett. “Most of the time bands break up because the fans stop coming, but the fans keep coming.” “It’s better to say, ‘hey, let’s get a new [musician]’ than…let’s quit,” Barrett pointed out. The band has no venue preference: they said that they like to play anywhere there are people.

Making fun of themselves on stage also wins over fans, they say. It is that high energy, fun-loving attitude that gets the audience involved. They danced and kicked across the stage, often making crazy faces and dressed in slightly mis-matched garb.

Ska might not be as popular of a genre now as it was in the early 90s, but Barrett liked it because of “the funness of it, and the exoticness of it, and the danciness of it, and the island rhythms…I was always a fan of lots of kinds of music…[in Reel Big Fish] we can take all these types of music and mix them together.” When the band got together in the early 90s, “all the local bands were playing ska.” No Doubt and Sublime were just getting big and contributed to the success of the genre.

After touring for so many years, it’s to be expected that some line-ups and shows played will have been a bit strange. Reel Big Fish played only the night before with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and have played in the past with rapper 50 Cent. They said one of the best line-ups they’ve ever played was their tour last summer with Less Than Jake.

Although members of the band said that they do keep up with current music, they haven’t found anything exciting coming out. On the bus, the band listens to music such as Frank Zappa, Destroyer, Elvis Costello, Rasputin’s Stash, Fugazi, and The Frogs. They cite the ipod as the “best thing that ever happened,” saving them from bringing huge cases full of CDs on tour. Aaron Barrett calls American Idol a “travesty…the most horrible thing to happen to music ever,” with the soprano saxophone as a close second. Other ways of passing the time on the bus include playing Call of Duty, Brain Age, and Scrabble (although they aren’t too good at it.)

Those who simply arrived at the concert when doors opened would have no way of knowing how much preparation and hard work it took the members of Student Entertainment Services and the crew to make the show happen. Load-in and set-up started at 8am, and members of the organization worked non-stop all day to make the event a success.

Reel Big Fish’s latest album, Monkeys for Nuthin’ and the Chimps for Free is available now. They will be touring on the Vans Warped Tour all summer. To hear Reel Big Fish, visit their website at http://www.reel-big-fish.com or their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/reelbigfish.

Photos credited to Ben O’Brien Smith.

Cities Over Seas celebrate the release of National Phantom

2008-05-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

Published in the 5/2 issue of The Racquette.

On Friday night, April 25, Cities Over Seas hosted a house show to celebrate the release of their new CD, National Phantom. Opening band The Assless Chaps played a variety of covers that got the audience dancing, such as three of Reel Big Fish’s greatest hits, poking fun at the concert that would happen the next day. They also played party hits like “Shout,” and “We Like to Party.” Although the group was humorous and fun, it wasn’t what the show-goers had come to see.

When Cities Over Seas finally made their way to the front to play, the audience was wholly riled up and ready to hear tracks from the CD. The room was very small and the mix made it hard-to-impossible to hear the vocals and electronics. Regardless, the band used eye contact and cued each other in at the correct spots, guaranteeing that when they got lost they could find each other again. Many people in the crowd didn’t even notice the off-synchronization that happened at times, and were too busy dancing with friends. Clearly, a large percentage of the audience had heard some of the tracks either on the CD or on Myspace, and clapped along excitedly, despite the technical difficulties.

Madstop Records released National Phantom after several months of hard work from the members of Cities Over Seas and the record label. They are primarily an indie/electronic band, with influences such as Radiohead and The Postal Service. The CD is a mix of upbeat songs great for dancing, and darker, more introspective songs and lyrics. The band is already in the process of planning out the next album in their heads, but for now they are focusing on publicizing National Phantom and getting out there to perform.

National Phantom is available now at the College Bookstore. Hear tracks by Cities Over Seas on their myspace, http://www.myspace.com/citiesoverseas.

Photo credit: Amanda Stockwell

The Tryloves Bring Audience-Pleasing Rock To Campus

2008-05-01T16:33:00.001-07:00

Published in the 5/2 issue of The Racquette.

One of Potsdam’s newest bands, The Tryloves, has several upcoming on-campus shows. They boast variety of music presented and a high-energy performance. Paul Tryon, singer and pianist, describes the band as “party rock” and then some, exploring many different genres through their music.

The band consists of a whopping seven members: Shane Loverro (guitar), Dan Havranek (bass), Chris Fleury (drums/percussion), Katie Cotterell (singer), Robby Castro (singer), Delia Wohlleben (singer), and Paul Tryon (piano/keyboards/vocals). The singers all contribute to the music; when one has a solo, the others harmonize to fill out the sound.

The Tryloves play an array of songs, from originals written by the band to familiar covers of artists such as Elvis and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This promises to include the audience in a way that bands performing all originals cannot.

Some music fans may be familiar with previous projects of members of this band, such as Northern Lights and Grove Shore. Tryon says that The Tryloves differ in that they are dedicated to bringing the audience a consistently high-caliber performance while still having fun.

The Tryloves’ goal in making this music is to get people in a good mood, dancing, and even singing along. “If the audience hasn't had fun, we haven't had done our job,” says Tryon. Audiences can surely expect a fun, high quality performance from The Tryloves, a promising up-and-coming Potsdam band.

The Tryloves will perform on May 1^st at Hurley’s and on May 3^rd in the Lehman Quad for Bearstock. Check out their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/thetryloves.

Susquehanna String Band

2008-05-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

Published in the 5/2 issue of The Racquette.

On Friday evening, April 24, quite a crowd filled Hosmer Hall to hear the bluegrass, folk, and traditional music of the Susquehanna String Band. The crowd was composed predominantly of community members and families, though some students were present. The Susquehanna String Band consists of three members, John Kirk, Dan Duggan, and Rick Bunting, who constantly switch instruments. Instruments on the stage included piano, guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, pennywhistle, and hammered dulcimer. This concert was the annual benefit concert for the Community Performance Series, and though admission was free, donations were encouraged. The Susquehanna String Band is no stranger to the North Country, and was greeted enthusiastically by the crowd.

The songs that the group played ranged from American folk songs to traditional music of the British Isles. During some of the more rousing songs, the group taught the audience lyrics ahead of time and encouraged everyone to sing along. Other songs were peaceful, lyric ballads. One of the slower songs was even prefaced by the recitation of a poem by William Butler Yeats. The set was sprinkled with funny and reminiscent anecdotes, ranging in subject from Helen Hosmer of the Crane School of Music to fishing trips.

Crane Students Amanda Hayden, Jackie Cypress, Sarah Bleichfeld, and Meghan Smart joined the String Band as a string quartet, performing a beautiful song called “Trillium Lane.” Hayden played fiddle on several more songs, and the quartet joined the group again later in the program for more playing along. Members of the audience, which included current Crane Students, alumni, and community members, were proud to see some of their own up on stage with such renowned musicians.

The event was very family friendly. It was at times fun, and at other times, poignant and touching. The last song before the encore, “Auld Lang Syne,” caused members of the audience to raise their voices together in song, and even shed a tear or two. Seeing a group such as the Susquehanna String Band perform is a truly unique experience, exposing people of all ages to traditional songs and instruments that they may never have heard or seen before. The audience was enthralled, and gave the group several standing ovations.

Potsdam Says Goodbye to The Cherubs and Welcomes Cities Over Seas

2008-04-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

Published in the 4/18/08 issue of The Racquette.

For a show only advertised on Facebook, by word of mouth, and with conspicuous but information-void posters, Saturday night’s house show featuring The Cherubs, Cities Over Seas, and Electrical Bananas, was brimming with people. Over 100 people filtered through the few small rooms before the music even started. Electrical Bananas, a Vegan Straight Edge punk band played first. The band was heartfelt, with some great melodic guitar lines and vocals. They didn’t quite fit into the same niche as the others on the bill, but still added to the appeal of the show.

Next up were Cities Over Seas, playing their second show ever. They easily brought their live show to the next level between those two shows alone. The room was tight and intimate, and due to Cities’ burgeoning fame, the crowd was completely engrossed. Fans danced and knew the right moments to clap during the upbeat electronic breakdowns. It was truly a stellar performance from a band that is the next big thing in the Potsdam music scene.

Finally, The Cherubs’ set was filled with familiar songs from their debut EP and CD as well as a few new songs. The night was full of surprises, including dancing contests and free toothbrushes. The attendees danced enthusiastically and bounced off of one another in a mosh pit in one of the smallest living rooms to ever hold a show of such magnitude. The room was overheated and full of sweaty people having a good time. The performance was over the top as usual, but nevertheless extremely fun to participate in. Shows this diverse and unique are hard to come by.

This show truly ushered out the old, with the Cherubs ending their stint in Northern New York, and brought in the new, with Cities Over Seas about to take Potsdam by storm. Cities Over Seas’ CD, National Phantom, was released this week, and will be available at the College Bookstore and any Madstop events.

Check out the bands:

Electrical Bananas: http://www.myspace.com/electricalbananasx

Cities Over Seas: http://www.myspace.com/citiesoverseas

The Cherubs: http://www.myspace.com/dancemfdance

Potsdam Rock Orchestra to perform rock and pop favorites

2008-04-29T16:03:00.000-07:00

Published in the 4/18/08 issue of The Racquette.

The Potsdam Rock Orchestra is thrilled to present a program of all newly arranged but familiar rock tunes on Friday, May 9^th at 7:30PM in the Knowles MPR. The group consists of 17 members, playing everything from standard rock band instruments to woodwinds and strings. The musical selection will be quite diverse, ranging from Carmina Burana to Bon Jovi to Phantom of the Opera. “It’s going to be all stuff you know, but with a different twist to it,” claims bass player Zakk Eastman. Ron Cuevas, guitarist, calls the group “rock meets classical.”

The show promises to be exciting and unique. “It’s something that concertgoers probably never experienced if they’ve never seen us,” says Cheryl Paine, clarinet player and vocalist. Zakk Eastman values this because “it’s a different genre that Crane doesn’t really expose you to.” It will surely be something different than Potsdam students usually see, but still very high quality. “You’re going to come in and hear intellectual music,” promises Ron Cuevas.

The Potsdam Rock Orchestra originated from Ron Cuevas’s vision to lead a rock band with a full orchestra behind it. The vision came into reality last September when he got together fellow musicians and friends from the Crane School of Music, and prepared a Christmas program based off of Trans-Siberian Orchestra covers. The program was performed in Potsdam and Utica. Since their last performance, the group has expanded significantly, adding more members and more varied songs.

Tickets for May 9^th will be available for advance purchase at the SGA Office, where Bear Express is accepted. Advance tickets are $4; tickets will be $5 at the door.

For more information about the Potsdam Rock Orchestra and booking, contact info@potsdamrockorchestra.com. Be sure to check out their website at http://www.potsdamrockorchestra.com.

Latin Ensemble Performance Spices Up Crane

2008-04-22T22:12:00.000-07:00

Here's the next piece that I wrote for the Racquette. More will be coming soon! This was published in last week's paper.

The Crane Latin Ensemble, under the direction of Marsha Baxter, had excited audience members dancing in the aisles of Hosmer Hall during their performance on Thursday, April 10^th. The group is comprised of the finest and most versatile musicians in Crane. They played a variety of Latin songs, focusing in on those made famous by familiar performers such as Carlos Santana and Gloria Estefan. Some songs, such as “Para los rumberos” and “Everybody’s everything” were performed by the full ensemble, which consists of vocalists, trumpets, saxophones, flute, violin, a percussion section, and other rhythm instruments. Other charts, including “Terriaki,” were played by smaller, more intimate, groups of instruments from the ensemble. The energy of the group was overwhelming, and perhaps the loud amplification of the instruments was unnecessary. Nevertheless, the blend of the group and the excitement they induced from the nearly 100 audience members was surely a change of pace from most Crane events.

The stage was flanked with tables and chairs to evoke a café setting, and brightly clad Phoenix Club singers sat in the chairs and at the edge of the stage. Half way through the Latin Ensemble’s set, they welcomed the ladies of Phoenix Club (a Crane choral group) to center stage to sing an a capella number. Although it was performed enthusiastically, it did not match the feel of the rest of the performance. The singers did help lighten the mood with their brightly colored shirts and dancing at the sides of the stage and in the aisles.

Thanks to the encouragement of the ensemble members and those dancing on stage, many audience members got out of their seats to try out new dance moves in the aisles. This is a sight rarely witnessed in Crane, where most programs are classical and audience is expected to behave in a more refined manner. At one point, a conga line even started to dance around the floor of the Hall, picking up more and more enlightened concertgoers as it went.

Seeing the Crane Latin Ensemble perform each semester is a new experience, as the group is constantly changing. Instead of having the ensemble conform to set instrumentation standards, the group adapts to fit which musicians are eligible and compatible with the group. This year has brought flute and violin into the group, as well as more vocalists and even an accordionist.

Cities Over Seas Brings Unique Sound to Potsdam Music Scene

2008-04-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

So, as a bit of a preface to this...I'm writing for my college's newspaper now, The Racquette. It's pretty exciting, and is getting me writing again, and on a more regular basis! Here is my first published article, about a new band I saw in Potsdam last weekend.

Hurley’s was unusually crowded on Saturday night, April 5^th, for the long-anticipated debut of local band Cities Over Seas. At 10 minutes past 8pm, just as the crowd was getting anxious for music, warm-up act Meredith Atkinson took the stage. Atkinson, the titular “Mouse” of Mouse and the Love and Light Orkestra, played a solo set, accompanied only by her acoustic guitar. Her cloyingly sweet voice belted out academic, polysyllabic lyrics, reminiscent of literature-loving romantics, The Decemberists. She sang songs of love and loss, and yet she kept an ingratiating smile on her face, regardless of the gravity of some of the lyrics.

Cities Over Seas came onstage and were greeted by their enthusiastic, already established fan base. The audience was mesmerized by the familiar sound of Doug Campbell’s ethereal, mellow vocals in a new context: one of ambient guitar, bass lines, and beats. Campbell rose to the occasion, delivering the vocals with as much emotion as a solo show, with Matt Durkin’s harmonies supporting them even more. The song “Sand Sculptures” washed over the audience and filled the entire room with sound, enhanced even further by the pre-programmed material that was recorded for the album and played simultaneously. The album title track, “National Phantom,” was appropriately characterized by a haunting piano line and languid, slide guitar. After the somber title track, the band plowed into an energetic pair of songs to end the set: “Time Bombs” and “The Kitchen Party” (to which an enthusiastic concert attendee shouted, “I love this song!” after presumably hearing it on their website). Newcomers Cities Over Seas proved that they have the flexibility to be diverse and the ability to transcend genre stereotypes. One of the most refreshing things about this band was that they clearly were enjoying making music. The musicians of Cities Over Seas smiled and interacted with each other and the audience.

The most obvious benefit of seeing this band live, as opposed to recorded, is the fact that the pre-programmed musical material only colors the live show: it doesn’t define it. On some of the recordings, the electronics and synthesizers are almost overdone, and the real musicianship gets buried. Chelsea Wischerth, Freshman Geology major, thought “the electronic tracks definitely gave them their unique sound, but more importantly made it more pleasing to the ear and made it more fun to dance to.” Adam Conforti, Junior Music Education major, agreed, “they were a fun band with great energy.” A crowd of 88 definitely spoke volumes to the benefit of using the internet and word of mouth to advertise.

Wired after an intense first set, Alex Butler, bassist for Cities Over Seas, cited the chemistry of the band members as the key to their success. Alex Butler, along with Craig Marrer and Matt Durkin had all played together previously in the now defunct band Slow Release. “We wanted to still play together…and I’d always wanted to play with Doug [Campbell],” said Butler, so it was only natural for the group to click. Joe Parker, drummer, was added into the mix, and the vision was realized. Bulter and Marrer credited Radiohead, The Postal Service, Ratatat, and jokingly, Rush, as influences on their music.

Madstop Records A&R Executive, Jared Brickman, is extremely excited to welcome Cities Over Seas to the label. “This band comes at a great time,” said Brickman, noting the increasing influence of electronics in indie music. Cities Over Seas is “an awesome step in the direction the label wants to go,” and is going to target the market that Madstop has always been interested in reaching. When asked what has made this project such a success, Brickman stated, “This is music that we [Madstop Records] really truly believe in.”

Cities Over Seas’ debut album, “National Phantom,” is slated for release during the week of April 20^th. It will be available for purchase at the College Bookstore, as well as Northern Music in downtown Potsdam. You can listen to tracks from the album at the band’s myspace, http://www.myspace.com/citiesoverseas

We are not critical listeners.

2007-11-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

During Symphonic Band rehearsal today, whilst watching student conductors (attempt to) strut their stuff at the podium, this thought struck me: "we are not critical listeners." Upon further contemplation, I realized that this would be a great topic to explore on this delightful yet oft forgotten blog. Until now, I have only written concert reviews, but as I am in a music school and encounter music from all different angles daily, there's no reason for me to continue to limit myself.

When I say that "we are not critical listeners," I am referring to everyone I encounter on a daily basis: musicians and non-musicians alike. This is something that we all need to take into account if we are truly serious about music.

So, first of all, what do I mean by "critical listening?" To me, critical listening is essential, yet, like this blog, often overlooked. The thought came to me for two reasons. The first reason was that during a close listen to The World/Inferno Friendship Society's "True Story of the Bridgewater Astral League" album, I picked up on things I'd never heard before. Voices, sound effects, instruments, that may as well have not existed before. Of course those sounds have always been there, I just haven't been perceptive enough to accept them into my preconceived aural notion of the music. This tells me, personally, that I haven't been listening critically enough.

The other thing that perpetuated my thoughts on critical listening was that the student conductors of my band could easily conduct, keep a beat, and attempt to get what they wanted from the ensemble, but they couldn't act in real time and adapt their actions to the response they were getting from the musicians. From personal experience, I'd say that this is close to impossible for me to do. I understand that this real-time correction requires great experience, familiarity with the music, and flexibility. But, let me pose this question: When a conductor gets on the podium, is he or she truly listening to and being affected by the sound the musicians produce, or is he or she just accepting what they hear and assuming that it matches the sound in their head?

One final example of when the inferiority of our listening skills is highly evident is when my Aural Skills class takes dictation from the piano. We are handed the information on a silver platter--key signature, time signature, starting pitch and number of measures--yet somehow we all get tongue-tied every time, simply can't follow the pitches and patterns of the piano. If we had been listening critically for our entire lives, this activity would be a cinch.

For musicians as well as music lovers, this lack of critical, and creative listening, can be crippling when it comes to understanding and appreciation. So, how then, can we hone in on our listening skills and fix them?

The easiest and most practical solution is, as teachers and parents, to begin incorporating critical listening from an early age. This is an essential part of the Suzuki method, in which students are constantly exposed to music and then asked simple questions, such as those regarding instruments and dynamics. To get children's minds to think like this from such a young age will incorporate it into their thought process much sooner. I didn't even think about the instrumentation on pop and rock records until I was in high school. Imagine listening to music for 14 years without consciously realizing that yes, there is a bass guitar, yes, there is a drum set keeping that beat steady. At a higher level even, we do close listening to period-exemplifying pieces, paying close attention to sound, harmony, melody, rhythm, and growth.

Of course, for most everyone reading this, it is impossible to go back in time and readjust how you were introduced to music. So, I present to you some simple listening exercises that can help you become a more active and critical listener. The first thing that you can do is take a piece of music that you are sure you know inside and out, and listen to it closely, challenging yourself to find something new about it. With each new thing you discover, you'll find that you have deeper understanding of the music. Another way to understand the music more deeply is to pause it mid-song and see if you can continue to sing the prominent line. If it's a piece you know well, you can continue to sing it as you know it, but if it's something that you aren't familiar with, just try to see if you can imagine where the thread of the melody is going. This will give you a better understanding of functional harmony, melody line, and the tonic.

To be quite honest, I just thought up those two exercises on the spot, as I have to be at my next class in just a few minutes, but they are things I am anxious to try myself. I hope this was at least a little bit insightful...happy listening!

That was Whack

2007-06-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

Oftentimes I leave shows with a headache. Maybe someone's amp was way too loud or the singer couldn't carry a tune. Tonight, I drove home with a headache because during Whack's set, the mosh was so sick that my brain literally rattled around in it's cage.

Tonight the WESPAC in White Plains hosted an array of bands, but the stand out act was clearly Ardsely, NY's Whack. Their driving, original instrumentals kept the entire room dancing-not to mention drenched in sweat. The space is small and personal, and boy did we all get up close and personal. Moshing turned to dancing turned to skipping in a circle for no reason at all, and then back to mosh again. What a crowd.

The six-piece group is celebrating the release of their new CD, Angel Hong and the Diner Punks (Tapeworm), and commemorated the release by playing the album in its entirety. The night was full of fun surprises, not limited to: Will McAndrew stagediving off an amp (while wearing a dress), pinatas filled with candy and musical instrument treats, and a moment of calm for Max Gordon's organ interlude. The Wall of Death at the end of the show was definitely a highlight, and I'm glad that Drew Mollo was on my side. I, for one, can say that I have never danced so much in my life. This show reminded me what it is to love and support a thriving local punk scene, and realize that I'm not too old for it yet.

Silly me, I've gotten this far and hardly said a thing about the music. The band boasts a classic line-up (guitar, bass, set, keys) and some less traditional, but indispensable additions, saxophone, accordion, and sometimes xylophone. Every song is a tour-de-force wall of sound, the accordion adding infinite depth to the mix. Their song titles are clever ("I've Got Miles of Davis," "Cosine Me Up") and their sound is unique. I'm actually having a really hard time with this. I don't usually include my inner monologue in my posts but I need to explain what I'm going to do. I'm going to make a list of all of the things that meld together to make this band what it is. Ready? Go. Punk, ethnic influence, minor keys, organ, breakdowns, fun, circuses, coffee & cigarettes, spontaneous combustion, bass amp stage dives, danceability (yes, I made up a word), and pure passion. Tell me guys, do you think I got it right? You'll all have to hear for yourselves.

Angel Hong and the Diner Punks, Whack's full-length, is out now on the wonderful Tapeworm DIY label. Those boys do such a nice job, don't they? Actually as far as I know this is only Tapeworm's second release, the first being Men Who Lunch's Discography (confirm/deny). Please go to their myspace, come out to a show, and keep this wonderful scene going.

Whack's Myspace
Upcoming show schedule:
6/15 - St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church - White Plains, NY
6/23 - SNRF Benefit - Liberty Park - White Plains, NY
8/3 - Wespac - White Plains, NY
8/10 - The Backdoor - Nyack, NY

Wind Ensemble Emotes and Delivers

2007-04-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight's Crane Wind Ensemble concert was nothing short of extraordinary. Although a classically trained clarinetist, I've never found refuge in art music like I have in rock and roll. Tonight has blown that norm out of the water.

The highlight of the night was easily Roshanne Etezady's "Anahita," an explosive, programmatic, three-movement piece. It encapsulated her reactions to a mural that has since been destroyed, but used to adorn the ceiling of a prominent Albany building. Based on mythology, it features vivid images of the "terrifyingly beautiful" goddess Anahita and the horses, or "Night Mares," as they are so aptly titled. The piece was frantic at times, simply explosive at others. The amount of energy in the piece was phenomenal, and it was absolutely humbling to have the composer present. The final movement was so very delicate and serene. It featured four cornet players scattered through Hosmer Hall, representing the last hearkening of angels.

Conductor Brian Doyle was certainly on his toes, especially for his first concert since his emergency room trip. The amount of passion and effort he puts into the ensembles he works with is nothing short of admirable. It is refreshing to see a conductor and teacher who cares so much about the quality of the group's performance as a whole as well as the needs of his students.

The other new piece, "Interior," by Kristin Kuster (also present at the performance), was less accessible as far as expressionist art music of the 21st century is concerned, but when paired with the composer's notes, could begin to paint pictures in one's mind, of the very unique things that happen within the walled confines of where we live and work. The piece tackled human interaction and emotion very well.

The ensemble as a whole had a way of blending--passing solos from one woodwind to another--that is hard to come by. The horn section ripped out some heart wrenching chords. The two tuba players and string bass held the entire ensemble up on their shoulders. The percussion section, as always, held the group together with its intensity and determination.

Everything about tonight's performance--the refreshing 21st century pieces blended with more traditional literature, the intensity and extreme focus of the performers, the conductor's passion, and how it all came together--absolutely blew me away. Bravo.

In case you missed the joy

2007-04-09T08:40:00.001-07:00

Or you want to watch it again.

Bruce Springsteen and Friends performing "Rosalita"

My First Inferno Show

2007-04-08T07:34:00.001-07:00

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get to writing about seeing The World/Inferno Friendship Society. They played at Fastlane (next door to Asbury Lanes) in Asbury Park, NJ on March 25. Since then, I’ve just been letting it sink it. Seeing this band live was a long time coming, but absolutely worth it.

Pre-show consisted of waiting outside with a ton of kids and I just stood and absorbed. People from all walks of life: self proclaimed “punks” with piercings and back patches, men in full suits with ladies in dresses, kids wrapped two to a sweatshirt to battle the wicked shore winds, hats and hairstyles.

The venue itself was perfect for this show. It was big. All of the Infernites could mill about and socialize at the back half of the room. Everyone knew each other. I had no idea that the scene was this close-knit until I got to this show. I spent most of the time that the opening bands played meeting people and socializing with people who I’d just met. We went up front to hear The Ergs! The Ergs! are an incredibly tight punk rock trio out of New Brunswick, NJ. The last time I heard them was two summers ago, so it was overdue. The Ratchets and Hunchback also played. Hunchback had an interesting stage show, and I situated myself for Inferno. After a lot of um…drama…played out, the full band finally came out.

From the first bass drum kicks of “Tattoos Fade” I was transported. The band was absolutely enthralling. They have enough stage presence to knock all of Broadway off its feet. Jack sang right to the crowd. The crowd knew every single word. It was amazing to watch Jack, Sandra (their absolutely stunning bassist) and the saxophone section from the very front. It was interesting to see Franz’s intensity playing the accordion and keys; he was so into the show, never missed a beat (does he ever?) and had a whole new level of electricity to him than when I saw him with The Steady (not to downplay what a terrific performance that was as well). “Tattoos” is played at every show, but it felt special to know that it was my first time hearing it live. Semra, Jack, and the drummer (who’s the drummer now?) all playing made it triply intense. The set was a great mix of songs from Just the Best Party (my first Inferno album), Red-Eyed Soul (brilliant), and the Peter Lorre song cycle. I didn’t know the Lorre songs at all and didn’t hear the demos and bootlegs until after the show. “Fiend in Wein” was definitely phenomenal to hear live. “Heart Attack Waltz” was incredible as well. I wish I’d had the guts to dance with someone…well, there’s always next time. “Only Anarchists are Pretty” was a terrific encore. And if there's any song I love that they didn't play that night (mostly "Your Younger Man"), I rest assured in the fact that I'll hear it sooner or later.

After the show my eyes must have been bugging out of my head. The band blew me away. It was great to see all of the ladies and gents of Inferno come out and mingle with the fans. I finally got to meet Franz formally, and we had a chat about his groups, and some upcoming shows, as well as his Moondog piece that has clarinet (that I want to play sometime). Rich and I jetted after that, as he had classes the next day. I did hear that a bunch of kids took a dip in the ocean afterwards.

Possibly the best thing to come out of all of this was the great people I met, and the warm welcome I received from the scene. In hanging out around the Inferno board for the past week or so, it’s been nice to interact with these people who I’ll hopefully be seeing again soon. The Inferno bug did bite for a few days when I lost sleep over researching the Bridgewater Astral League and The Master and Margarita. Thankfully that died down a little, but here’s to more fun in the future.

The World/Inferno Friendship Society's latest full length, Red-Eyed Soul on Chunkasaah Records is available at a record store near you. Don't be a bum, go pick it up and support the cause.

World Inferno's Official Website
Inferno Myspace
Pictures taken by Brainy

Lost in Fog and Love and Faithless Fear

2007-03-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Last night, The Hold Steady burned a hole in the stage with their ROCK at Syracuse University. From the opening ("Stuck Between Stations") to the phenomenal encore ("Citrus," "Killer Parties"), the entire room was electrified. Craig Finn-sporting a new beard-twitched, spazzed, spit, shouted, and testified his lyrics to the sold out room. Franz Nicolay, my true hero, dressed in a vintage tux and combat boots, had just as much character, shouting and dancing around-doing jumping jacks, even-while playing everything note and cue without missing a beat. The band was extremely personable, making eye contact with all of us often and going as far as blowing kisses (at Meredith) and throwing dollar bills ("I don't really need these..."). There's chemistry between the Hold Steady and their audience that is unmatchable. Despite the tomfoolery of the security staff before and after the show, it was a truly explosive experience from beginning to end.

"Rock and Roll means well, but it can’t help tellin’ young boys lies." Craig Finn's lyrics don't do anything but capture this vivid, exciting, and sometimes crushing teenage/twentysomething life. Sounds pretty true to me.

On Wednesday, the Hold Steady released the music video for their next single, "Stuck Between Stations." They also announced the limited release of a live, acoustic EP on April 17th on Vagrant Records. The recording is from an in-store appearance at L.A.'s Fingerprints record store. The EP will only be carried by independent distributors listed here. I've embedded the new video below. Enjoy!

STUCK BETWEEN STATIONS - The Hold Steady

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we had some massive nights...

2006-11-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

I vividly remember the first time I heard Craig Finn wail out a line off of The Hold Steady's second album, Separation Sunday. I was in the back seat of a rental car, driving through the Arizona wilderness right after sunset with no cell phone service for miles. I'd had enough with family vacations--I don't know how I ended up there -- but this NPR feature was my first connection with the outside world. The Hold Steady are the first new escape I've had in years.

The release of Boys and Girls in America was something I've been anticipating, but I never would have guessed that it would get so much attention. The amount of buzz that's been surrounding this album -- since weeks before its release -- has been wild. As a follow up to the absolutely phenomenal Separation Sunday, this album doesn't disappoint. The new depth in the music is what serves as the surprise on an album from a band that could be mistaken for a Wednesday-night regular at some seedy dive.

The title comes straight out of Kerouac. Mineapolis native Finn was out to tackle the entire country this time around, and encapsulated it with piss, vinegar, and eloquence. The hang-outs may be different, but the parties and the lost loves are always the same. There are strong roots in Springsteen and arena rock, and appropriately so. I think this sound is something that the band's fans approve of. The lyrics, as in the two preceeding albums, are something you have to hear to believe. The massive nights are vivid as hell when you spin this album. For once, I can say I've been there-- Finn knows exactly what he's talking about.

I didn't set out to write this article about The Hold Steady, but their recent celebrity (including a whopping 9.4 on Pitchfork's unmerciful review scale) seemed like a good segue into the recognition of their unrelenting keyboard player. On to the feature.

Franz Nicolay just might be the hardest working man in music. The keyboardist, accordianist, and composer has been recieving so much (yet so little) exposure. His composition/chamber music collective, Anti-Social Music, started as a small project of friends who liked to make music and turned into something much more--a known name with original compositions performed live and released on CD. Nicolay's performance with the circus punk outfit The World/Inferno Friendship Society can't be described as anything less than frantic. Just listen to the opening notes of "Tattoos Fade;" Franz's fingers strike the keyboard's keys faster than your mind can even register--the next thing you know, he's moved on to his accordian.....and without missing a beat--back to the keyboard. He put in time with the gypsy punk band Guignol and he's recorded for countless others such as hardcore favorites Leftover Crack. With The Hold Steady touring extensively around the nation that it's come to love, it seems that Nicolay isn't planning on taking a break any time soon. Keep your eye on this mysterious moustachioed man. I think that we should be expecting (more) great things from him.

The Hold Steady
Franz Nicolay
Anti-Social Music
World/Inferno Friendship Society

The Day the Music Died? Tower Records to be Liquidated

2006-10-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

The LA-based Tower Records chain record store was sold at auction to the Great American Group and locations will begin clearance immediately. Of 89 stores located in 20 states, at least 24 will close. It was quite evident that these changes were to take place immediately when I pulled into the parking lot of the Ramsey, NJ location to be bombarded by "Going Out of Business" signs. The mecca of my high school music connoisseur-ing is closing for good. We mourned by stocking up on 10% off DVDs and CDs. A full-length review of the Hold Steady's "Boys and Girls in America" will follow...

I'd like to amend this post by telling you all what we actually got!
I got The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America, along with the films Taxi Driver, Midnight Cowboy, and Thank You For Smoking.
My stepdad got Barry White's Greatest Hits, Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti and Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy.

AND, My sources tell me that I beat Andrew Lowden to this, who always beats Stereogum to everything. Andrew reported that the Nanuet, NY location is also slated to close by December.

The Cherubs

2006-09-30T22:51:00.001-07:00

A good place to resume this blog would be to reveal a new favorite band every once in a while that I get around to updating. So, of course, keeping with my style, here's a pretty cool local band (Potsdam, NY local) that you will all enjoy. They are the Cherubs, and they come from up above. And if you don't dance to their music, believe me, they'll be two sad boys. Here's the deal. Eric gets out his laptop and mixes crazy beats and synth shenanigans with Fruity Loops. He and Nick lay down guitar and bass (respectively) over it, and Eric lays down the vox. The product is incomparable dance powerpop house music, basically. There really aren't even words to contain their sound. Check them out, and DANCE.

The Cherubs

That all being said, imagine this. Eric leading the entire small, crowded, smoky room in a group chant. Just long, peaceful tones with a beat in the background. The beat stops, and the next song starts--one that everyone knows--so everyone claps along in just the right rhythms. The room is engulfed in smoke and chatter, but all eyes are up front. Nick stands statue-still rocking out amazing basslines, while Eric moves back and forth, sort of like that chick from No Fi Soul Rebellion. But, the more he gets into it, the more he rocks out, dancing around the stage. The set goes on, a few guys and girls in the back (who the band probably couldn't even see) were dancing crazy. The band was surrounded by friends. Everyone knew the beats, the words, the changes. Eric taught the crowd an entire song (even though enough people already knew it from recording it with him), everyone shouted the gang vox right with him. The room was one crazy, jumping, mass of humanity that just wanted more beats. It was such an intimate show, everyone left with a great vibe. Right on.

Daytrotter and Harry & the Potters

2006-08-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

Daytrotter
Daytrotter: The Ultimate Way to Meet Your New Favorite Band

Daytrotter is one blog that knows how to deliver on its promises. With a new band featured every week, you can rest assured that your ears will stay amused. Weekly features consist of in-depth, opinionated writing about the band as well as interviews, photographs, and 4 live-in-studio tracks available for free download. That's a pretty big bang for the buck...that you never even have to drop.

Harry & the Potters; Daytrotter Sessions

At the end of May, Daytrotter offered up four tracks by the indie rock duo, Harry & the Potters. I'll be completely honest with you. This music won't mean a whole lot if you didn't get the endless references to the multi-million dollar grossing Harry Potter franchise. Then again, the phrase "tonsil hockey" is amusing in any context. The songs are definately listenable. The music is fairly minimal, but they make due with a synth and other assorted instruments. The singer initially sounds like Conor Oberst, but these are no mentally imbalanced pseudo love ballads. Well, they're pretty mentally imbalanced, and...I suppose, since they follow the story...they're ballads. BUT THEY ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! Actually, since "The Human Horsepipe" is from Harry's POV, I'd say he's about 800x more conflicted and imbalanced than Conor. Just to clear that up. So, yes, Harry & the Potters sing in the first person about fictional characters who are more effed up than Conor Oberst could ever be. Bottom line: download it.

Best lyric: "Maybe you shouldn't have brought up Cedric Diggory because I'd rather not talk about your dead ex-boyfriend over coffee."

official Harry and the Potters website.