One of the best new bands to watch and listen to this season is Sleepy Sun, the sextet from San Francisco. The musicians, friends, and lovers have come out with their first album entitled Embrace and have been met with exultations, especially after SXSW. Their psychedelic styled rock and roll tracks pull you in from the start of the album all the way through the finish. Even “White Dove”, a 9:23 minute song, is compatible with the ADHD in all of us.
With an album this high energy, I can’t wait to see what they do live. God, I love the harmonica.
Las Vegas should be proud, the sin city rockers have put together another killer, excuse the pun, record. The album is said to be a continuation of Sam’s Town, “its like looking at Sam’s Town from mars.(Brandon Flowers, vocals)” Day & Age wasjust released on Monday, November 24, 2008. The album hits you with track after track of guaranteed living-room dance floor action, and does not stop. As always, their lyrics are intriguing, their beats are hot, their chorus’ crash and the sound is vicious.
Grab some rhyme filled lyrics, a touch of techno bopping, beat boxing, rock guitar solos, with a splash of neon colors, for good measure, and you have yourself the Bumblebeez. Chris Colonna, the bands captain-n-chief and only permanent member, explains their all encompassing sound is due to the fact that “we’ve never really known who the (insert f-word) we are.”
The story of the Young at Heart Chorus, a group of senior citizens who perform contemporary rock and pop tunes, is done so honestly that I recommend this to anyone, and I mean anyone (grandmas, nephews, uncles, neighbors) as a must see film. Although it appeared in theaters as early as July of 2007, it is not too late. Young At Heart is on the shelves of your local movie rental retailer or, if you would like to add a stupendous movie to your DVD collection, it is available for purchase on the film’s website.
107 minutes in it’s entirety was life changing. I laughed, I cried at separate times and simultaneously throughout the documentary. Bodies dwindle, but the mind doesn’t have to and the members of this awe-inspiring choir are prime illustrations. “When you are singing you can’t be sad,” so sing. Sing your hearts out. Sing your heart into youthfulness.
6,557 miles, two and a half weeks, 600 CDs and one man make Killing Yourself to Live one of the best books about death I have ever read. That might not be saying much, as I have read maybe 5 books about death, but trust me Killing Yourself to Live is good.
Chuck Klosterman takes the reader along as his traveling companion as he embarks on a curious roadtrip about rock-n-roll and death. His mission: to understand why one of the best career moves a rockstar can make is to die. ”Somewhere at some point, somehow, somebody decided that death equals credibility.”
The reader suddenly becomes Chuck’s confidante as he reveals his partying, love life issues, family stories and rock-n-roll legends who have met their demise. Published in 2005, Killing Yourself to Live is, in my opinion, a masterful piece of witty nonfiction, pop-culture literature.
“It’s a fine line between clever and stupid.. Yesterday I was clever. Beautiful notes flotaed from my fingers up towards the heavens. Today I was a wimp. Soft. Limp. Tasteful. Where did I go wrong? What were my crimes?” The Union Hall Basement, home to concerts, readings, magic shows, spelling bees etc, is a small, dark room decorated with random old paintings that makes you feel like you have just walked into a great aunt’s spooky living-room, minus the furniture.
The erie portraits and stale aroma of the joint can set up a book reading better than light dimmers and comfy chairs. I had barely heard of Dean Wareham and his bands Galaxie 5000 and Luna, but I knew just from the cover of the book that it would be an interesting night. I know, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but lets be honest everyone does, a good cover can lure you into reading a book you wouldn’t normally read. And so here I was, standing in a dark, dank basement, squished against a couple dozen strangers, waiting to hear a reading from a guy I knew little to no background about just because of a book cover.
Black Postcards gives the reader an inside scoop into the music industry, Dean’s recollection of growing up listening to rock-n-roll, personal struggles on the road and his family life, and a bands strife to become successful.
One of my friends recommended I check out this band called Minus the Bear, a rock band from Seatle with, apparently, 6 albums under their belt. Upon first listen you think “hmm ok maybe this is something I could be into.” Then the track called “Hey! Is That a Ninja up There?” starts to play. The sound quality of Minus the Bear resembles a CD one could record in their very own basement. Perhaps I’ll give them another listen, perhpas not. Maybe I’m just not that into rock? Nah. You can check them out for yourself as Minus The Bear is on tour this fall. October 25th, Webster Hall, 6pm.
This husband and wife duo rock their tunes loud, hard and they rock ‘em well.
What I loved about the Handsome Furs was the fulfilling sense that absolutely nothing was missing from the duo. Dan Boeckner, vocals and guitar, and Alexei Perry, drum machine, possessed intense stage appeal and moving musicality, so much so that I considered eloping with the guy standing next to me (they make marriage seem like such a good choice.)
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing these guys play, especially since they couldn’t have been more into it (and rightfully so). I strongly recommend checking them out.. and I dare you to try and stop that foot from tapping.
