Sunday, August 28, 2005
Not Necessary Till Now
What I mean is, I've turned on the word verification option in my blog. The reason is because I found 8 random comments on my last post about Engine Down. The comments are all random advertisements, called unwanted comments in the blogsphere. So, there it is. It'll be alright, though; only humans can feel real emotions....well, until the scientists can make huge leaps in robotics that is. Till then...we'll all be ok.
The Engine That Could...
rock you, make you think and move you all at once. I'm referring to the powerful Engine Down, the "emo-rock-type" band that loves Sunny Day Real Estate, minor harmonic guitar playing, smooth vocals and vibrant drumming. To be fair, though, they developed their own sound over the years. Like SDRE, they are definitely not a whiney emo band that MTV currently loves, with members dressed in tight clothes with straggly hair, sunken eyes and do incredible things onstage like spinkicks and flips to detract the audience from their mediocre musicianship. These 4 gentlemen put on an incredible live show, as I saw firsthand at the Triple Rock Social Club last Friday night.
Arriving around 6:45, I expected to hear the opener Des Ark. Instead, I heard this powerful female voice onstage as I entered. I wondered what band this was, so I asked a crowd member and he said it was Bella Lea. The singer and guitarist was Maura, and her voice was similar to Portishead or even PJ Harvey. The drummer was very fluid, with arms and legs pounding away and making for a thunderous sound that covered the venue in cymbals and kick drums. The guitar and bass work drew from modern rock and jazz structures at times, showing a unique spread of influences. Their set was fun to watch, and one song really gave me goosebumps as Maura's jazzy voice soared in time with a building drum beat that erupted just as the crowd collectively gasped. Too bad it's not on their 3 song EP that I bought for $2 instead of downloading it from their MySpace page. I look forward to their LP.
What was even more amazing was the family connection that Bella Lea and Engine Down had. The 2 guitarists, Keeley and Jonathan, in Engine Down used to play bass and drums in Maura's old band, Denali. And, Keeley is Maura's brother. So, lots of connections there.
Engine Down played for about 75 minutes, with their set split mostly even between songs on their 4 albums. That was great since their last album came out last year and some bands like to promote the hell out of their last album and forget how they used to sound. Not this band, though. Maura even went onstage to sing a song with her brother. I found that wonderful, as I have not seen a lot of brother/sister music collaborations at the shows I go to. Keeley and Jonathan were a two-prong guitar attack, letting their music speak for their lack of showmanship. There wasn't a lot of movement between band members, but their music swung volumes of energy around the crowd. It affected me, as I again swayed and bobbed and rocked out to the whole set, singing along to vocals drowned out by amps. Every song live was extended by 2 or 3 minutes of post-rockish bliss, making me one happy concert-goer. After all, they do thank Explosions In The Sky on their latest self-titled album.
There was no announcement of their last song, just straight-forward instrumentation that made for the perfect ending: Music playing, then the 1st guitarist leaving, then the 2nd one, then the bassist, and finally the drummer fading out the set with a calm but intense array of tension playing. All in all, an amazing show. Sadly, this is Engine Down's last tour, dubbed the appropriate 'Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow' Farewell Tour. I'm sure though, that they'll be involved in other music endeavors. Their merch guy and Maura told me that, so I rest assured. Afterwards, the show put me in a calm-body-but-hyper mind-state, which I expected no-less from this incredible night of loud and quiet art.
Arriving around 6:45, I expected to hear the opener Des Ark. Instead, I heard this powerful female voice onstage as I entered. I wondered what band this was, so I asked a crowd member and he said it was Bella Lea. The singer and guitarist was Maura, and her voice was similar to Portishead or even PJ Harvey. The drummer was very fluid, with arms and legs pounding away and making for a thunderous sound that covered the venue in cymbals and kick drums. The guitar and bass work drew from modern rock and jazz structures at times, showing a unique spread of influences. Their set was fun to watch, and one song really gave me goosebumps as Maura's jazzy voice soared in time with a building drum beat that erupted just as the crowd collectively gasped. Too bad it's not on their 3 song EP that I bought for $2 instead of downloading it from their MySpace page. I look forward to their LP.
What was even more amazing was the family connection that Bella Lea and Engine Down had. The 2 guitarists, Keeley and Jonathan, in Engine Down used to play bass and drums in Maura's old band, Denali. And, Keeley is Maura's brother. So, lots of connections there.
Engine Down played for about 75 minutes, with their set split mostly even between songs on their 4 albums. That was great since their last album came out last year and some bands like to promote the hell out of their last album and forget how they used to sound. Not this band, though. Maura even went onstage to sing a song with her brother. I found that wonderful, as I have not seen a lot of brother/sister music collaborations at the shows I go to. Keeley and Jonathan were a two-prong guitar attack, letting their music speak for their lack of showmanship. There wasn't a lot of movement between band members, but their music swung volumes of energy around the crowd. It affected me, as I again swayed and bobbed and rocked out to the whole set, singing along to vocals drowned out by amps. Every song live was extended by 2 or 3 minutes of post-rockish bliss, making me one happy concert-goer. After all, they do thank Explosions In The Sky on their latest self-titled album.
There was no announcement of their last song, just straight-forward instrumentation that made for the perfect ending: Music playing, then the 1st guitarist leaving, then the 2nd one, then the bassist, and finally the drummer fading out the set with a calm but intense array of tension playing. All in all, an amazing show. Sadly, this is Engine Down's last tour, dubbed the appropriate 'Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow' Farewell Tour. I'm sure though, that they'll be involved in other music endeavors. Their merch guy and Maura told me that, so I rest assured. Afterwards, the show put me in a calm-body-but-hyper mind-state, which I expected no-less from this incredible night of loud and quiet art.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Upon Switching Courses, We Come To a Change of Heart
Damn, I really like that title I came up with, don't you? It sounds like something from post-rock, which is endearing and magnificant to me. This is a digress from politics (about time, huh?). Here's some poetry inspired by a great conversation and walk with a friend around the skirts of downtown St. Paul one fine evening:
'Meaning Aplenty'
the moon reflected off the window,
leading me to easily see my key
as I put it in the lock
and turned the door knob,
anxious to make it up those stairs
where she was there;
my love, who cares when I laugh or sob
over the littlest of affairs
because she knows I attain a passion
from the balance I maintain.
I just got back from a talk
with one of my best friends,
diving deeper than we had been for a while.
Around the city border we took a walk;
though his foot was injured
so we made our trek a slow pace for sure.
We discussed the things that mattered,
the things that made us smile, the things that gave us trouble
and how we've taken some of time for granted.
Indeed, things have changed for all of us
but we still keep in touch
and we do more than that, really,
so what is there to get upset about,
seriously?
Knowing how well we have it
compared to some of the world.
Even in this political climate,
I can harvest strength from these people
who took my view and left it askew
after only a couple of months
before the millenium came through.
To you,
I'll say thanks for everything.
I'll try to reciprocate
and not get lost
in searching for the meaning.
'Meaning Aplenty'
the moon reflected off the window,
leading me to easily see my key
as I put it in the lock
and turned the door knob,
anxious to make it up those stairs
where she was there;
my love, who cares when I laugh or sob
over the littlest of affairs
because she knows I attain a passion
from the balance I maintain.
I just got back from a talk
with one of my best friends,
diving deeper than we had been for a while.
Around the city border we took a walk;
though his foot was injured
so we made our trek a slow pace for sure.
We discussed the things that mattered,
the things that made us smile, the things that gave us trouble
and how we've taken some of time for granted.
Indeed, things have changed for all of us
but we still keep in touch
and we do more than that, really,
so what is there to get upset about,
seriously?
Knowing how well we have it
compared to some of the world.
Even in this political climate,
I can harvest strength from these people
who took my view and left it askew
after only a couple of months
before the millenium came through.
To you,
I'll say thanks for everything.
I'll try to reciprocate
and not get lost
in searching for the meaning.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
What Good Are Words, Anyway???
I mean, language is 95% non-verbal. So much can be said with body language that speaking to someone to communicate your message is almost...pointless.
Well OK, not really! But sometimes you don't need words to describe feeling; you use your senses and then your brain interprets the feelings as such and such...
Like language, there's no need for words in music at times. Some of the most beautiful, moving music is all instrumental (jazz, classical, experimental, post-rock). Just imagine if bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Explosions In The Sky , or Mono actually sung in their monumentous epics; it'd detract from the intensity of their music, and the crescendos would not be as cathardic. Last night, these thoughts were proven by all the noise rock bands I saw at the awesome, historic 7th St. Entry with my great friend of almost 6 years and former roommate, Lee.
Diamonds played first, and it was amazing. The band played off-stage, making it up close and personal. Walls of noise eminated from their amps. The drummer started off slowly, then built into a thunderous rhythm. One of the guys kept rocking back and forth on his heels whilst squatting, acting like he was going to break the fun electronics and knobs that he held. They were quite intense, and a great start to a spellbinding show.
Next was Plastic Crimewave Sound. Hailing from Chicago, this band was not afraid to be even louder than Diamonds. Yeah, there were words, but I couldn't understand the singer, and it didn't matter because the vibrations from the stage were all that was needed to satiate the crowd. They even played 2 unbelievably wild and fucked up songs with Minneapolis legendary Michael Yonkers. He had this guitar that looked as if it had paid a visit to the trash compactor; it was at least loud as one, if not louder! Their last song was so out there, I can't describe it.
After Sound crushed our eardrums (though I had earplugs in, it was still plane-taking-off-the-runway loud), the mighty Kinski took stage. Now I must say, these Northwesterners know how to bring the loud, brash, and psychedelic rock! Each band member was phenomenal to watch, and I danced and swayed my hips and heels for the whole set. They were quite stunning, faster and even louder than the first two bands. There were words on the last song, but it was a perfect groove to end their rocking, intense set of music.
Now to the sweet stuff...Oneida. This trio was defintely the loudest, and I swear their drummer was a machine. Except for the human voice and swagger of his hands flailing around each drum. Every drummer was show-stopping, but Oneida's drummer sang while keeping oddly-timed beats at the same time. He held his voice steady throughout, a feat noteworthy in itself. So that pretty much made me think of him as a machine, and not an amazing, furious and passionated human being who played drums. During the last 2 songs, I kept alternating between fuck! and fuck yeah! as this night of music was jaw-dropping. Four hours of pure noise rock and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
Well OK, not really! But sometimes you don't need words to describe feeling; you use your senses and then your brain interprets the feelings as such and such...
Like language, there's no need for words in music at times. Some of the most beautiful, moving music is all instrumental (jazz, classical, experimental, post-rock). Just imagine if bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Explosions In The Sky , or Mono actually sung in their monumentous epics; it'd detract from the intensity of their music, and the crescendos would not be as cathardic. Last night, these thoughts were proven by all the noise rock bands I saw at the awesome, historic 7th St. Entry with my great friend of almost 6 years and former roommate, Lee.
Diamonds played first, and it was amazing. The band played off-stage, making it up close and personal. Walls of noise eminated from their amps. The drummer started off slowly, then built into a thunderous rhythm. One of the guys kept rocking back and forth on his heels whilst squatting, acting like he was going to break the fun electronics and knobs that he held. They were quite intense, and a great start to a spellbinding show.
Next was Plastic Crimewave Sound. Hailing from Chicago, this band was not afraid to be even louder than Diamonds. Yeah, there were words, but I couldn't understand the singer, and it didn't matter because the vibrations from the stage were all that was needed to satiate the crowd. They even played 2 unbelievably wild and fucked up songs with Minneapolis legendary Michael Yonkers. He had this guitar that looked as if it had paid a visit to the trash compactor; it was at least loud as one, if not louder! Their last song was so out there, I can't describe it.
After Sound crushed our eardrums (though I had earplugs in, it was still plane-taking-off-the-runway loud), the mighty Kinski took stage. Now I must say, these Northwesterners know how to bring the loud, brash, and psychedelic rock! Each band member was phenomenal to watch, and I danced and swayed my hips and heels for the whole set. They were quite stunning, faster and even louder than the first two bands. There were words on the last song, but it was a perfect groove to end their rocking, intense set of music.
Now to the sweet stuff...Oneida. This trio was defintely the loudest, and I swear their drummer was a machine. Except for the human voice and swagger of his hands flailing around each drum. Every drummer was show-stopping, but Oneida's drummer sang while keeping oddly-timed beats at the same time. He held his voice steady throughout, a feat noteworthy in itself. So that pretty much made me think of him as a machine, and not an amazing, furious and passionated human being who played drums. During the last 2 songs, I kept alternating between fuck! and fuck yeah! as this night of music was jaw-dropping. Four hours of pure noise rock and I wouldn't have had it any other way.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Reliving Childhood...
through kick-ass movies and video games. I'm talking Mortal Kombat and He-Man: Masters of the Universe! I had a He-Man two-wheeler when I was a kid. I rode it all the time, though I don't know where it is right now. I never took it off any sweet jumps though...it would real bad if I did! The He-Man DVD is awesome and well-worth the $15 I paid for 10 episodes. Skeletor's voice, though, sounds like a cross between a wizard and a gnome, if you could imagine that...yeah...probably not huh?
Onto video games, the Mortal Kombat I bought is for PS2. The game is rated M, as blood stays on the battle stages. You can even jab your oppponent in the side/ribcage with a sword, dagger, bow, etc. To make it even funnier/more disturbing/disturbier, once the weapon goes in the side, the opponent bleeds its life away slowly, so it doesn't take as long to win. I know I'm gonna get much flack from my friends that I'm not playing Mortal Kombat for Nintendo...but what I have to say is, this game rocks just as hard as the original...just in a more modern way. Just for kicks, I also watched Mortal Kombat the movie last week. It was between that and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles. Now, I'm all for TMNT as I owned all the Turtles, Splinter, Shredder, Brain, Be-Bop and Rock-Steady, etc. ; however, both myself and Tricia could not find our copies of the movie. So we decided on Mortal Kombat. Even though I've watched it twice this year, it still was awesomely cheesy and grand in its scope, keeping close to the video game moves and such. Besides, who wouldn't want to watch Liu Kang fight Shang Tsuang (spelling? sorry if I got it wrong)?
Reliving childhood cannot be complete without sweet playground games such as hopscotch, dodgeball, big base and four square. I played the latter this past friday night with some friends, and it ruled! I made it to the King square more than once, but most of the time I was out after advancing to the second square. To round off an awesome week of video games, cartoons and playground games, I played some extreme frisbee in that I acted like the typical dog who loves to catch a tennis ball when the owner throws it. No, I didn't catch the novelty flying disc with my teeth, if that's what you're thinking...but I did get some wicked grass stains on the shoulders and back of my t-shirts, not to mention forgetting that there was a slight hill when I was running to catch a great throw from Katie and consequently, doing a wild somersault-kinda thing and ending up with a nice bruise just below the patella. The worst part is, I didn't even catch the disc! Oh well, I love running and catching, just like during Little League baseball. Those were the days, indeed.
Onto video games, the Mortal Kombat I bought is for PS2. The game is rated M, as blood stays on the battle stages. You can even jab your oppponent in the side/ribcage with a sword, dagger, bow, etc. To make it even funnier/more disturbing/disturbier, once the weapon goes in the side, the opponent bleeds its life away slowly, so it doesn't take as long to win. I know I'm gonna get much flack from my friends that I'm not playing Mortal Kombat for Nintendo...but what I have to say is, this game rocks just as hard as the original...just in a more modern way. Just for kicks, I also watched Mortal Kombat the movie last week. It was between that and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles. Now, I'm all for TMNT as I owned all the Turtles, Splinter, Shredder, Brain, Be-Bop and Rock-Steady, etc. ; however, both myself and Tricia could not find our copies of the movie. So we decided on Mortal Kombat. Even though I've watched it twice this year, it still was awesomely cheesy and grand in its scope, keeping close to the video game moves and such. Besides, who wouldn't want to watch Liu Kang fight Shang Tsuang (spelling? sorry if I got it wrong)?
Reliving childhood cannot be complete without sweet playground games such as hopscotch, dodgeball, big base and four square. I played the latter this past friday night with some friends, and it ruled! I made it to the King square more than once, but most of the time I was out after advancing to the second square. To round off an awesome week of video games, cartoons and playground games, I played some extreme frisbee in that I acted like the typical dog who loves to catch a tennis ball when the owner throws it. No, I didn't catch the novelty flying disc with my teeth, if that's what you're thinking...but I did get some wicked grass stains on the shoulders and back of my t-shirts, not to mention forgetting that there was a slight hill when I was running to catch a great throw from Katie and consequently, doing a wild somersault-kinda thing and ending up with a nice bruise just below the patella. The worst part is, I didn't even catch the disc! Oh well, I love running and catching, just like during Little League baseball. Those were the days, indeed.
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