Music Talk

[tonaderspeisung]

i've been trending to the avant garde lately

i don't know what's more fascinating - the mechanical processes used to create the pieces or the aural visions that birthed them

love this


and this is downright unsettling and captivating at the same time

[tonaderspeisung]

last week ac/dc made their catalog available on itunes

will technology make full length albums impossible on a major label

good news - bad news

any recent releases worth a whole cd?

i could recommend
artist: stars
album: the north

i can see some of the slow and textural deep cuts getting lost in a download the catchy single world and that would be a shame

[Kätzchen]

Guess what, Martina?

Have you ever heard of LeRoy Bell? He's a musician from the Seattle area and it just so happens that he'll be in concert at The Aladdin, this Friday.

I happened to accidentally come across him one day, a couple of years ago, while listening to random music videos on YouTube. I like his style or brand of music, although I don't know if a person could actually situate his kind of music in a blues genre or indie or Jazz or even modern day pop genre. What I like about him is that he writes his own music and pens his own lyrics.

Since I discovered him on YouTube, I have since found out that he has recorded some of his music with Robert Lang Studios and that he also appears at The Triple Door on a regular basis (both RLS & TTD are in Seattle). I have yet to buy any of his recordings... mostly because I want to hear him in concert first and also because it's hard to know if I will enjoy most all of his music. I don't do iTunes or MP3s of listen to music other than on a Vinyl disc or on a CD - although I prefer to keep vinyl recordings of music, overall. I know that when I hear him in concert this Friday, I'll have a better idea if I want to splurge and buy a previously recorded CD of music or wait until his new CD comes out or wait to see if he will have an Album of recordings on vinyl. I guess he was on X-factor last fall, but I didn't see it because I don't own a tv (which I miss somedays). I know that he seems like a really nice man who cares about not only the music community in Seattle and other PNW artists; but he also collaborates with other musicians, globally (he was in S. AFrica this past summer promoting a young female artist, recently).

Here's a couple of videos I found of songs I like that he sings. I'm kind of excited to go hear him Friday.... Last time I went to a concert was last summer (actually Fall, Labor Day weekend). I saw Ray LaMontange at The Edgefield: it cost me a small fortune to go, but oh my god, that was a great concert! I hope the LeRoy Bell concert is just as wonderful.

[Kätzchen]

Witherow is a band of musicians from the Port Angeles (Wa) whose band members consist of Abby Mae (Wintergrass veteran) and Dillan Witherow (Guitar Master), backed by very talented studio musicians Jason Taylor (bassist) and Adam Bettger (electric guitar).

Having formed as a band in 2012, Witherow's brand of music repertoire is acoustic, Neo Folk Rock. They're going to lay some new tracks down for a future album of music soon, but check out their song from last year: "Falling for Your Heart" -- the intricate crescendos of guitar passages, coupled with soaring vocals by Abby & Dillan, are exceptionally beautiful.



"Crescendo's fall just like a symphony,"
From the song, Falling for Your Heart (Witherow, 2012).

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Martina

The LA Weekly has a list of the "20 Worst Hipster Bands," and Arcade Fire and Bon Iver are both on it. So it's not just me.

Here's the whole list in case anyone is interested. When I saw the list originally, I listened again to a Decemberist record I have. No reconsideration for me. I can see that they think they are clever and that that can grate. But I enjoy them a lot.

20 The Black Keys
19 TV On The Radio
18 Sleigh Bells
17 fun.
16 MGMT
15 Death Cab For Cutie
14 Wavves
13 The Decemberists
12 Pomplamoose
11 Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros
10 White Rabbits
09 Beach House
08 The Airborne Toxic Event
07 Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
06 Beirut
05 Grizzly Bear
04 Bright Eyes
03 Arcade Fire
02 tUnE-yArDs
01 Bon Iver

I like a couple of Death Cab for Cutie's songs and the only other band I know on the list is fun. and I don't like them. I'm out of touch with hipster bands and I'm okay with that.

My tastes run more mainstream and top 40. I like the popular classicals. You know, the ones music teachers force their students to learn first and the ones you are likely to hear while on hold or in the elevator. I suppose pop is my main forte. The more bubblegum, the better, although I'm not as up for cheese as I used to be. Opera has that love it/hate it thing and I'm not in the former group. I prefer crossover country to old school.

What I've recently (let's say in the last 3-4 days) listened to is: Sarah Bareilles, Zedd, Cascada, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Krewella, and Lil Jon to name a few off the top of my head. Some music I basically only listen to during my workouts and some bands/groups/singers/musicians are staples.

[Martina]

Even though I was sleepy, I got caught up in the Grammys. Annie Lennox WOKE me up with an amazing performance of "I Put a Spell on You." It was stunning. I could almost not believe it was happening as I watched.

And then Beck won album of the year for Morning Phase. It won best rock album too. It's a great record and deserved to win. How often does that happen in a major category?

Morning Phase is kind of a follow up to Sea Change, a record Beck made 10 years ago, which is a desert island pick for me. Literally top ten. I have listened to it hundreds of times. Morning Phase will never mean that much to me, but it is a beautiful record. I cannot believe it won. Excellence and integrity rewarded. I am shocked and delighted.

[CherryWine]

You are right, Martina. Annie killed it last night. Here is the video for anyone who missed it and might want to watch.