Irony Irony Irony
Like with Down Payment Assistance or even trying to apply to live at the Schmidt Lofts years ago,
My wife and I earn TOO MUCH money to qualify to put an offer and buy clearly the BEST HOME we have seen so far (we've seen something like 12).
I just think it's kind of unfair.
This home we loved the other night has certain financing restrictions and as it turns out, is a HUD home.
Vague details:
Per Zillow (which isn't necessarily fully factual), it sold in 2003 for $900K.
Then was bought for $35K in 2008 by a Non-Profit.
The last decade and change it was refurnished, updated, and looks really LIVE-ABLE.
Exactly what we would want and then some.
A 4 fucking CAR GARAGE, lol. And 2 FULL BATHROOMS (+1 other).
The listing is in my wife and I's budget.
But nope, our income is too high and it doesn't matter that we are 1st Time Home Buyers.
Too Good to be True of course.
My question being, whoever does qualify to buy it, if their income is so low, how in the world can they afford a $1000+ per month MORTAGE??? Maybe I'm totally naive, but it's puzzling.
That to go along with the health of our nearly 13 year old dog Coco, things have been better I guess.
Thursday, March 28, 2019
East of the Wall - NP-Complete (2018-2019)
3/28/19
Whole Album Streaming on Metalsucks
haven't heard it yet, but I'm debating not listening to all of the Twins Opening Day for this.
Album of the Year (or at least Top 10) SLEEPER????
3/15/19
"Non-Functional Harmony"
edit: the last 3 minutes are godly. Like The Apologist-amazing. Probably the best track heard so far. This album is seeming better and better.
3/1/19
"Somn 6"
Yep, another banger. This album is sounding better and better with each new tune.
2/15/19
Story with VIDEO for "Clapping on the Ones and Threes"
great tune! and very cool Short animated Film/Video, etc.
I wonder if the older guy ends up killing in-effect a younger version of himself? I dunno, I'll have to watch it again and read through the lyrics. The Film/Video has a bit of Tool vibe to it.
But very progressive, dynamic, melodic. I don't mind the vocals being all-clean.
The article mentions I recall the band being a 3-piece now, and it appears they are in the film/video. I didn't realize that 1 of the members left.
But regardless, this adds to my interest for sure. If this album is even close to The Apologist I may get addicted to it.
1/24/19
Preorder RELEASE DATE MARCH 29TH, 2019.
Silly song title, but once I get a chance to hear this tomorrow, that may not matter.
In short, I LOVE The Apologist from 2011 and Farmer's Almanac is another favorite. Their last album Redaction Artifacts from 2013. I honestly don't recall all that much about.
I also dug their Nick Drake cover of "River Man" quite a lot a few years ago (picking up the 7" vinyl in fact).
article
article
Whole Album Streaming on Metalsucks
haven't heard it yet, but I'm debating not listening to all of the Twins Opening Day for this.
Album of the Year (or at least Top 10) SLEEPER????
3/15/19
"Non-Functional Harmony"
edit: the last 3 minutes are godly. Like The Apologist-amazing. Probably the best track heard so far. This album is seeming better and better.
3/1/19
"Somn 6"
Yep, another banger. This album is sounding better and better with each new tune.
2/15/19
Story with VIDEO for "Clapping on the Ones and Threes"
great tune! and very cool Short animated Film/Video, etc.
I wonder if the older guy ends up killing in-effect a younger version of himself? I dunno, I'll have to watch it again and read through the lyrics. The Film/Video has a bit of Tool vibe to it.
But very progressive, dynamic, melodic. I don't mind the vocals being all-clean.
The article mentions I recall the band being a 3-piece now, and it appears they are in the film/video. I didn't realize that 1 of the members left.
But regardless, this adds to my interest for sure. If this album is even close to The Apologist I may get addicted to it.
1/24/19
Preorder RELEASE DATE MARCH 29TH, 2019.
Silly song title, but once I get a chance to hear this tomorrow, that may not matter.
In short, I LOVE The Apologist from 2011 and Farmer's Almanac is another favorite. Their last album Redaction Artifacts from 2013. I honestly don't recall all that much about.
I also dug their Nick Drake cover of "River Man" quite a lot a few years ago (picking up the 7" vinyl in fact).
article
article
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Taby Pilgrim - The Dear Hunter Medley
Pretty well made (what seems like mostly) A capella medley of a lot of songs from The Dear Hunter, done by a German female musician Taby Pilgrim.
I will say, she often chooses just the part of a verse and the known chorus or melody/theme of each tune. And she sings them mostly if not all in the same key in that, if you heard 5 of them with lyrics, you might think they came from the same song, which the originals are not sang that way.
But part of that could be she seems to have triple/trio tracked them, so they don't stand out as much.
Of course, and I noted below, the extra songs/parts layered into some of the others.
And also I have to go back to/mention the greatest Tribute medley ever in my mind, Shadow Gallery's "Floydian Memories." I still adore that piece, and would love to hear another band do something on that kind of epic scale for another band (which might exist, done live, or just on YouTube like Taby Pilgrim's TDH medley here).
Son
At the End of the Earth + The Love (duo)
Life and Death
The Church and the Dime
Bitter Suite VI: Abandon + This Beautiful Life (duo)
The Pimp and the Priest
The Old Haunt
The March + The Oracles on the Delphi Express (duo)
Too Late
Mr. Malum + Evicted (duo)
The Bitter Suite IV and V: The Congregation and the Sermon in the Silt + Black Sandy Beaches (Solo)
Writing on a Wall
The Poison Woman + The Bitter Suite I and II (solo+duo)
Mr. Usher (On His Way to Town)
Mustard Gas + Mr. Usher (On His Way to Town-duo)
Dig Your Own Grave
Cascade
Ouroboros + Waves (solo)
The Moon / Awake + The Bitter Suite I and II (solo) His Hands Matched His Tongue (solo)
Shame
Gloria
The Squeaky Wheel
A Night on the Town
Blood of the Rose
Wait (solo) + Lilian (solo) + Blood of the Rose (solo)
Lilian
Misplaced Devotion
I will say, she often chooses just the part of a verse and the known chorus or melody/theme of each tune. And she sings them mostly if not all in the same key in that, if you heard 5 of them with lyrics, you might think they came from the same song, which the originals are not sang that way.
But part of that could be she seems to have triple/trio tracked them, so they don't stand out as much.
Of course, and I noted below, the extra songs/parts layered into some of the others.
And also I have to go back to/mention the greatest Tribute medley ever in my mind, Shadow Gallery's "Floydian Memories." I still adore that piece, and would love to hear another band do something on that kind of epic scale for another band (which might exist, done live, or just on YouTube like Taby Pilgrim's TDH medley here).
Son
At the End of the Earth + The Love (duo)
Life and Death
The Church and the Dime
Bitter Suite VI: Abandon + This Beautiful Life (duo)
The Pimp and the Priest
The Old Haunt
The March + The Oracles on the Delphi Express (duo)
Too Late
Mr. Malum + Evicted (duo)
The Bitter Suite IV and V: The Congregation and the Sermon in the Silt + Black Sandy Beaches (Solo)
Writing on a Wall
The Poison Woman + The Bitter Suite I and II (solo+duo)
Mr. Usher (On His Way to Town)
Mustard Gas + Mr. Usher (On His Way to Town-duo)
Dig Your Own Grave
Cascade
Ouroboros + Waves (solo)
The Moon / Awake + The Bitter Suite I and II (solo) His Hands Matched His Tongue (solo)
Shame
Gloria
The Squeaky Wheel
A Night on the Town
Blood of the Rose
Wait (solo) + Lilian (solo) + Blood of the Rose (solo)
Lilian
Misplaced Devotion
Monday, March 18, 2019
Ours - Pretty Pain (remix)
sounds more layered and the arrangement is a bit different.
Yeah, I am very curious about the rest of the remixed Ballet the Boxer tunes now.
👍👍👍👍
Yeah, I am very curious about the rest of the remixed Ballet the Boxer tunes now.
👍👍👍👍
New Videos: 1 Million Hits, Fates Warning, Monkees
A bunch of shorter videos I made recently. Nothing exceptional although it just struck me how I forgot to show the Set List I got at the Fates Warning show. O well, maybe in another video.
Million Hits:
Fates Warning and Queensryche, brief review
The Monkees and Jimmy Gnecco along with brief comments about the new Foals and Amanda Palmer albums.
Million Hits:
Fates Warning and Queensryche, brief review
The Monkees and Jimmy Gnecco along with brief comments about the new Foals and Amanda Palmer albums.
Pepe Deluxe - The Surrealist Woman [1B] (2019)
3/18/19
official video
3/15/19
Main link to Stream, Download and Vinyl?
3/5/19
Coming on Friday March 15th. No Preorders
7" single with a 200 pages of Artwork?
Facebook
Pepe Deluxé "The Surrealist Woman" - out on 15TH MARCH
Q: What's the opposite of "Minimalism"?
A: That's "Pepe Deluxé"
Here's the outside & inside cover art of The Surrealist Woman gatefold 7". The barmy "more is more" design of Monsieur Vilunki 3000 meets Manuela Pertega's over 200 pages of "Giraffes on Horseback Salad" graphic novel art. Vilunki kept adding details - even after the artwork had officially been accepted. That's very similar to the way we make music. I'm notorious for tweaking the mixes - sometimes even after they've been mastered - sorry about that Henkka!
The 7" is NOT pressed vinyl; instead each and every record is hand cut, and they all sound slightly different. They are also signed and numbered. Even the sleeves are hand made. This is indeed quite a special release.
We also managed to solve the "little" copyright problem we ran intro, and FINALLY got a release date from Catskills Records: 15th March! To be precise: that's when the digi comes out and we have the first run of vinyl at the (hopefully ready) Catskills webshop. The second run of vinyl comes out a week later.
I also asked if there's gonna be a preorder link, but unfortunately the answer is no. Sorry about that!
2/28/19
Hell to the fuck yeah!
will bump of course once the track is up, available, etc.
Any new Pepe Deluxe is something to plan for!
Facebook
official video
3/15/19
Main link to Stream, Download and Vinyl?
. @Pepe_Deluxe new banger tune "The Surrealist Woman"..love the swing!. I hear a little Archandroid-period @JanelleMonae https://t.co/xr5jjHBVxJ— AllMediaReviews (@AllMediaReviews) March 15, 2019
3/5/19
Coming on Friday March 15th. No Preorders
7" single with a 200 pages of Artwork?
Pepe Deluxé "The Surrealist Woman" - out on 15TH MARCH
Q: What's the opposite of "Minimalism"?
A: That's "Pepe Deluxé"
Here's the outside & inside cover art of The Surrealist Woman gatefold 7". The barmy "more is more" design of Monsieur Vilunki 3000 meets Manuela Pertega's over 200 pages of "Giraffes on Horseback Salad" graphic novel art. Vilunki kept adding details - even after the artwork had officially been accepted. That's very similar to the way we make music. I'm notorious for tweaking the mixes - sometimes even after they've been mastered - sorry about that Henkka!
The 7" is NOT pressed vinyl; instead each and every record is hand cut, and they all sound slightly different. They are also signed and numbered. Even the sleeves are hand made. This is indeed quite a special release.
We also managed to solve the "little" copyright problem we ran intro, and FINALLY got a release date from Catskills Records: 15th March! To be precise: that's when the digi comes out and we have the first run of vinyl at the (hopefully ready) Catskills webshop. The second run of vinyl comes out a week later.
I also asked if there's gonna be a preorder link, but unfortunately the answer is no. Sorry about that!
2/28/19
Hell to the fuck yeah!
will bump of course once the track is up, available, etc.
Any new Pepe Deluxe is something to plan for!
Pepe Deluxé presents: The Surrealist Woman
The Theme from Salvador Dalí's "Giraffes on Horseback Salad" starring The Marx Brothers!
Here's the single's front cover art by maestro Vilunki 3000. I'll post the rest of the art next week.
I also have a release date... but I was asked by Catskills not to reveal it yet as there's a tiny bit of a problem. During all those years when we sampled everything and made music using other people's music, we never had any last minute issues with rights. We did clear a LOT of samples, but we also "remade" plenty of samples - including the "Before You Leave" vocals. Well, with that one there was really no choice as EMI was asking £ 250 000 for the Nina Simone sample: "I beg your pardon? You said HOW much?!"
:)
Anyways, this time we do have a "last minute rights thingy" (that's a professional term you know) and we need to quickly replace a few vocal details in the The Surrealist Woman. Feels almost like the good old days!
The Theme from Salvador Dalí's "Giraffes on Horseback Salad" starring The Marx Brothers!
Here's the single's front cover art by maestro Vilunki 3000. I'll post the rest of the art next week.
I also have a release date... but I was asked by Catskills not to reveal it yet as there's a tiny bit of a problem. During all those years when we sampled everything and made music using other people's music, we never had any last minute issues with rights. We did clear a LOT of samples, but we also "remade" plenty of samples - including the "Before You Leave" vocals. Well, with that one there was really no choice as EMI was asking £ 250 000 for the Nina Simone sample: "I beg your pardon? You said HOW much?!"
:)Anyways, this time we do have a "last minute rights thingy" (that's a professional term you know) and we need to quickly replace a few vocal details in the The Surrealist Woman. Feels almost like the good old days!
Meaningful Songs: Queensryche - Lady Jane
Queensryche - Lady Jane
I love this tune, and I noticed someone in the comments mention it to be the greatest 'Ryche track ever, and I don't know if I can argue with it.
It has this wonderful, gorgeous, dark beauty to it.
melancholy, etc.
The piano arrangement, crescendo, etc... it's so good.
And certainly, like Silent Lucidity (another song I really enjoy, maybe in some ways my favorite, despite how overplayed it got, I still get goosebumps in it's running away/escape therapy tone), it stands out to being very different from most of their other songs.
But I think I enjoy it more for that reason too.
I love this tune, and I noticed someone in the comments mention it to be the greatest 'Ryche track ever, and I don't know if I can argue with it.
It has this wonderful, gorgeous, dark beauty to it.
melancholy, etc.
The piano arrangement, crescendo, etc... it's so good.
And certainly, like Silent Lucidity (another song I really enjoy, maybe in some ways my favorite, despite how overplayed it got, I still get goosebumps in it's running away/escape therapy tone), it stands out to being very different from most of their other songs.
But I think I enjoy it more for that reason too.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Picking ALBUM OF THE YEAR w Fav Bands (Fates Warning v Cloud Cult, 2016)
In thinking more about Theories of Flight from Fates Warning and how great an album it is, and it is just that, a really great album. I recalled what happened in 2016 and how it ended up my #1 album.
Cloud Cult very early in the year had released The Seeker, an album that still to this day brings me to tears in multiple spots. I really love The Seeker as well. And it was my #1 album for a large portion of the year.
But I guess for me, and I'm sure other people who make the annual Albums of the Year lists and ranking them, and in deciding on the #1 album. Sometimes/some years, I make that decision based on how much I LOVE that band, have long history, and feel very much akin to loving them and their new album. Wanting to love their new album, etc. Feeling that they are MY BAND and their new album IS BETTER than others.
So while I am a very big fan of Cloud Cult and do love The Seeker maybe in some ways more than any other CC album, Fates Warning ended up #1 because they carry that extra FAVORITE BAND element, when making a tie-breaker, it is factored.
Also like in 2009 with Soundscape's Grave New World, an album I longed for, for so many years, and really loved and played an extensive amount of time. But Kevin Gilbert's estate released those compilations that because it is new music from Kevin Gilbert, ultimately won out.
I suppose looking back on it, Soundscape should have been #1 given after all, the KG stuff were just compilations, and a lot of the stuff I knew/had heard, mind you, in much lower quality. But I sort of made an exception that year.
But I think that is an extra factor in deciding my #1 album/ actual ALBUM OF THE YEAR; if the artist is an all-time favorite, I can get won over so much, that I go with my heart with them being my favorite. Even when maybe comparing 2 albums being pretty damn close. There is something about hearing a great new album from a long-time/all-time favorite that means even more to me and many others.
Or there is the idea and occasional option just to choose co-#1's I guess, which I could and maybe will do if faced with this situation again.
But Theories of Flight and Marillion maybe with Marbles and even FEAR, kind of have 1-uped both Rush and Yes in that they made records that are among their 5 or at least 10 best, 20 or or even 30 or more years into their career.
Which also thinking about Fates and ToF, I may try and make a Top 10-20 Fates Warning songs soon given I don't think I have and maybe it's a little overdue.
Cloud Cult very early in the year had released The Seeker, an album that still to this day brings me to tears in multiple spots. I really love The Seeker as well. And it was my #1 album for a large portion of the year.
But I guess for me, and I'm sure other people who make the annual Albums of the Year lists and ranking them, and in deciding on the #1 album. Sometimes/some years, I make that decision based on how much I LOVE that band, have long history, and feel very much akin to loving them and their new album. Wanting to love their new album, etc. Feeling that they are MY BAND and their new album IS BETTER than others.
So while I am a very big fan of Cloud Cult and do love The Seeker maybe in some ways more than any other CC album, Fates Warning ended up #1 because they carry that extra FAVORITE BAND element, when making a tie-breaker, it is factored.
Also like in 2009 with Soundscape's Grave New World, an album I longed for, for so many years, and really loved and played an extensive amount of time. But Kevin Gilbert's estate released those compilations that because it is new music from Kevin Gilbert, ultimately won out.
I suppose looking back on it, Soundscape should have been #1 given after all, the KG stuff were just compilations, and a lot of the stuff I knew/had heard, mind you, in much lower quality. But I sort of made an exception that year.
But I think that is an extra factor in deciding my #1 album/ actual ALBUM OF THE YEAR; if the artist is an all-time favorite, I can get won over so much, that I go with my heart with them being my favorite. Even when maybe comparing 2 albums being pretty damn close. There is something about hearing a great new album from a long-time/all-time favorite that means even more to me and many others.
Or there is the idea and occasional option just to choose co-#1's I guess, which I could and maybe will do if faced with this situation again.
But Theories of Flight and Marillion maybe with Marbles and even FEAR, kind of have 1-uped both Rush and Yes in that they made records that are among their 5 or at least 10 best, 20 or or even 30 or more years into their career.
Which also thinking about Fates and ToF, I may try and make a Top 10-20 Fates Warning songs soon given I don't think I have and maybe it's a little overdue.
Fates Warning + Queensryche @ Medina Entertainment 3/16/19
So this was a very big deal to me just as the post I put on FB yesterday:
Only my 3rd time seeing a band I consider incredibly important to me. Really in my 5 favorite bands ever. And I've been a huge fan of for 23+ years. I might trade 3 or 4 of those Dream Theater, Fair to Midland, The Dear Hunter shows for just 1 Headlining show in Minnesota. But that's all just hypothetical, lol.
And even if they were again opening, they played for nearly an hour.
1 of the biggest takeaways is the fact Joe DiBiase joined them on stage for The Eleventh Hour was very cool to see. Joe +Joey Vera of course.
Mike Abdow I have no issue with, even though I love Frank Aresti. He more or less pulled off all Frank's, and in some case, Jim parts.
The new tunes "From the Rooftops" "Seven Stars," and "The Light and Shade of Things" in some ways surpassed the incredible studio versions. I was energized and getting goosebumps at points.
"One" and especially "Pieces of Me" I got really into, as I love Disconnected almost as much as APSOG.
Part 3 of APSOG? while I like it, and of course that album really largely 1 song meant to be heard all-at-once. But Parts V or VI would be great as well. I dunno, I'd be curious if someone might ask Jim and Ray how they choose the set list and what parts of APSOG they pick? I mean they chose Part IX on Live Over Europe, but that 1 is the acoustic ballad "Stayed Up Late Last Night" which may have fit with the flow/tone of that part of the set.
They also did play Firefly, although among the tunes from Darkness in a Different Light, that I recall was one-of the most memorable. But it's been many years since I listened to that. I thought though on the Theories of Flight version I got, it included a live or different version. Plus it likely was on the new double live album Live Over Europe, but I'd have to check. Maybe I never got around to listening to that track on the album.
At any case, I was lucky enough to grab a set list after the show and it did not include "Firefly" but "Falling" which is another Darkness track that I can't claim to be all that familiar with. But in listening to it and Firefly, I'm pretty sure they only did Firefly and not Falling. So maybe they changed the set list after it was written out?
But the show was a joy. I picked up some merch of course and will try and show that in a video soon. I was thinking also about how like The Monkees, who knows if/when Fates Warning will ever be back. I held off buying anything at The Monkees show the other night because of that.
Fates Warning's set list
From the Rooftops
Life in Still Water
One
A Pleasant Shade of Gray Part III
Seven Stars
Pieces of Me
The Light and Shade of Things
Firefly (my set list sheet says "Falling" and not Firefly)
The Eleventh Hour (with Joe DiBiase on bass)
Point of View
Queensryche: with low expectations, I enjoyed moments of their set from the 2/3 of the songs I knew. "Light Years" being the 1 new track I had heard and like.
The MIX though I found to be clearly LOUDER with Queensryche, which was not a good thing. I actually came home with a bit of ringing in my ears, although it's not like I am dealing with the impact much now some 12 hours later.
Why they didn't play Another Rainy Night (Without You)? maybe they don't per it's a Geoff Tate tune?
This was my 1st Queensryche concert since the Target Center Hear in the Now Frontier show I saw in 1997. Which had the original lineup, now I feel fortunate to have seen, including of course Chris DeGarmo. But jeez, 22 years? I guess I
The crowd and the venue: I liked, although having seats right in front of the stage was odd to say the least. But overall, at least they have a lot of seating. Assigned mind you.
The crowd was a lot of Suburban and Rural middle-aged Metal fans mostly Caucasian, not surprisingly. And mostly Queensryche fans of course, although it did feel odd how many of them had never even heard a single Fates Warning album or even songs. But that is something that happens regularly for me (I'm there for the opener and most of the crowd not only came mostly for the headliner, but had barely even heard the band I came for's music).
Queensryche
Blood of the Levant
I Am I
NM 156
Man the Machine
Condition Hüman
Queen of the Reich
Silent Lucidity
Open Road
Selfish Lives
Light-years
Screaming in Digital
Take Hold of the Flame
Eyes of a Stranger
(with Anarchy-X outro)
Encore:
Jet City Woman
Empire
Only my 3rd time seeing a band I consider incredibly important to me. Really in my 5 favorite bands ever. And I've been a huge fan of for 23+ years. I might trade 3 or 4 of those Dream Theater, Fair to Midland, The Dear Hunter shows for just 1 Headlining show in Minnesota. But that's all just hypothetical, lol.
And even if they were again opening, they played for nearly an hour.
1 of the biggest takeaways is the fact Joe DiBiase joined them on stage for The Eleventh Hour was very cool to see. Joe +Joey Vera of course.
Mike Abdow I have no issue with, even though I love Frank Aresti. He more or less pulled off all Frank's, and in some case, Jim parts.
The new tunes "From the Rooftops" "Seven Stars," and "The Light and Shade of Things" in some ways surpassed the incredible studio versions. I was energized and getting goosebumps at points.
"One" and especially "Pieces of Me" I got really into, as I love Disconnected almost as much as APSOG.
Part 3 of APSOG? while I like it, and of course that album really largely 1 song meant to be heard all-at-once. But Parts V or VI would be great as well. I dunno, I'd be curious if someone might ask Jim and Ray how they choose the set list and what parts of APSOG they pick? I mean they chose Part IX on Live Over Europe, but that 1 is the acoustic ballad "Stayed Up Late Last Night" which may have fit with the flow/tone of that part of the set.
They also did play Firefly, although among the tunes from Darkness in a Different Light, that I recall was one-of the most memorable. But it's been many years since I listened to that. I thought though on the Theories of Flight version I got, it included a live or different version. Plus it likely was on the new double live album Live Over Europe, but I'd have to check. Maybe I never got around to listening to that track on the album.
At any case, I was lucky enough to grab a set list after the show and it did not include "Firefly" but "Falling" which is another Darkness track that I can't claim to be all that familiar with. But in listening to it and Firefly, I'm pretty sure they only did Firefly and not Falling. So maybe they changed the set list after it was written out?
But the show was a joy. I picked up some merch of course and will try and show that in a video soon. I was thinking also about how like The Monkees, who knows if/when Fates Warning will ever be back. I held off buying anything at The Monkees show the other night because of that.
Fates Warning's set list
From the Rooftops
Life in Still Water
One
A Pleasant Shade of Gray Part III
Seven Stars
Pieces of Me
The Light and Shade of Things
Firefly (my set list sheet says "Falling" and not Firefly)
The Eleventh Hour (with Joe DiBiase on bass)
Point of View
Queensryche: with low expectations, I enjoyed moments of their set from the 2/3 of the songs I knew. "Light Years" being the 1 new track I had heard and like.
The MIX though I found to be clearly LOUDER with Queensryche, which was not a good thing. I actually came home with a bit of ringing in my ears, although it's not like I am dealing with the impact much now some 12 hours later.
Why they didn't play Another Rainy Night (Without You)? maybe they don't per it's a Geoff Tate tune?
This was my 1st Queensryche concert since the Target Center Hear in the Now Frontier show I saw in 1997. Which had the original lineup, now I feel fortunate to have seen, including of course Chris DeGarmo. But jeez, 22 years? I guess I
The crowd and the venue: I liked, although having seats right in front of the stage was odd to say the least. But overall, at least they have a lot of seating. Assigned mind you.
The crowd was a lot of Suburban and Rural middle-aged Metal fans mostly Caucasian, not surprisingly. And mostly Queensryche fans of course, although it did feel odd how many of them had never even heard a single Fates Warning album or even songs. But that is something that happens regularly for me (I'm there for the opener and most of the crowd not only came mostly for the headliner, but had barely even heard the band I came for's music).
Blood of the Levant
I Am I
NM 156
Man the Machine
Condition Hüman
Queen of the Reich
Silent Lucidity
Open Road
Selfish Lives
Light-years
Screaming in Digital
Take Hold of the Flame
Eyes of a Stranger
(with Anarchy-X outro)
Encore:
Jet City Woman
Empire
Queensryche: Another Rainy Night (Without You)
I just saw Queensryche last night and also this past week checked out the Prog Report's Top 5 Queensryche songs with Eddie Trunk podcast which went on for 1 hour and 42 minutes.
And both that podcast along with the show last night, this stellar poppy hard rock tune was NO WHERE TO BE FOUND???
I know when I got into Queensryche in the mid 90's and got the VHS video they released with all their official videos came out, this definitely was one that STOOD OUT.
I mean beyond "Silent Lucidity," this to me seemed the obvious, radio-hit. And I thought it was, but even checking Wiki, it didn't chart as "Jet City Woman" which I have always preferred this to. I still like JCW (although the video they showed last night, I wonder why the woman isn't wearing like a Green or Green+Yellow dress since Seattle not only is the "Jet City" but the "Emerald City" .. the timing would have been good too per the fact it's St.Patrick's day weekend).
Anyway, I dunno if the band and the fan base never were as into this tune as much as JCW or the title track to Empire, but I certainly am. Not that it's my favorite 'Ryche or even off Empire, but it's a very memorable, catchy track that I would think would be more appreciated than it appears now.
edit: Wiki for the Single
The fact Geoff Tate wrote it may have something to do with why they didn't (don't?) play it. But I would assume there are many other songs they do play live still, that he wrote, I dunno. I'd have to see the songwriting credits.
And both that podcast along with the show last night, this stellar poppy hard rock tune was NO WHERE TO BE FOUND???
I know when I got into Queensryche in the mid 90's and got the VHS video they released with all their official videos came out, this definitely was one that STOOD OUT.
I mean beyond "Silent Lucidity," this to me seemed the obvious, radio-hit. And I thought it was, but even checking Wiki, it didn't chart as "Jet City Woman" which I have always preferred this to. I still like JCW (although the video they showed last night, I wonder why the woman isn't wearing like a Green or Green+Yellow dress since Seattle not only is the "Jet City" but the "Emerald City" .. the timing would have been good too per the fact it's St.Patrick's day weekend).
Anyway, I dunno if the band and the fan base never were as into this tune as much as JCW or the title track to Empire, but I certainly am. Not that it's my favorite 'Ryche or even off Empire, but it's a very memorable, catchy track that I would think would be more appreciated than it appears now.
edit: Wiki for the Single
The fact Geoff Tate wrote it may have something to do with why they didn't (don't?) play it. But I would assume there are many other songs they do play live still, that he wrote, I dunno. I'd have to see the songwriting credits.
Friday, March 15, 2019
Meaningful Songs: Spiral Architect - Insect
Spiral Architect - Insect
From listening to Radical Research's latest podcast about A Skeptic's Universe, I was reminded about how great this band and album was. And "Insect" specifically.
It has this fascinating blend of being jazzy and extremely busy, while giving each instrument space to breath. The bass work especially is almost Jaco-like.
Almost taking like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Cynic and using a singer like John Arch, with pristine production and I'm sure a ton of time and thought into the production alone.
Oddly how I'm seeing Fates Warning tomorrow night, and the podcast they even included SA's cover of "Prelude to Ruin" at the end of the show.
From listening to Radical Research's latest podcast about A Skeptic's Universe, I was reminded about how great this band and album was. And "Insect" specifically.
It has this fascinating blend of being jazzy and extremely busy, while giving each instrument space to breath. The bass work especially is almost Jaco-like.
Almost taking like Mahavishnu Orchestra and Cynic and using a singer like John Arch, with pristine production and I'm sure a ton of time and thought into the production alone.
Oddly how I'm seeing Fates Warning tomorrow night, and the podcast they even included SA's cover of "Prelude to Ruin" at the end of the show.
The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show @ Mystic Lake Casino 3/14/19
RUSHED REVIEW (PER LACK OF TIME OF COURSE).
Great show, and very sad knowing it likely is the last time a Monkees show of some kind will happen here. Micky likely will be back, but Mike? kind of doubt it per his health/age. He may just go on and do occasional First National Band shows, and maybe only in CA or the West Coast.
The wife is coming to terms with it too. Some 31 years after being a fan, this might have been it.
The show itself was very good. Definitely better than the show last Summer in Chicago.
They had a guy (Probyn Gregory) playing multiple instruments including Trumpet which ADDED FRANKLY A LOT.
More details to add later perhaps (maybe how it reminded me of the final 2015 Rush show I saw, etc).
edit:
just add some more comments, it was an epic show, much like the show last Summer in Chicago. 2+ Hours. But it didn't seem so long
The Peter tribute was nice. They didn't play Can You Dig It? but while Micky sings lead on that one, it is so much Peter. At some point, it would be nice to have someone do a tribute/cover to Peter with it live.
Shades of Gray maybe as well.
The acoustic section was great. Nez and Christian both played 12-strings.
This was the 5th Monkees and 11th Monkees-related concert I've seen in a little less than 8 years for me (also I could include the 1 Davy Jones show at the Taste of Minnesota in 2006, which my wife was at as well, little did I know at the time, lol).
Which that is quite a lot, but it pales in comparison to my wife's Monkees concert attendance history. I would guess she's probably doubled that number or more, although at least the Nesmith shows, I saw all with her (and told her after she was convinced she'd never see him, that with that mentality, she probably won't, but if she just hoped for it to happen, it might. And it did. She and I saw him 8 times since that 1st time in November 2012.
But it is odd in that this show feels like the end of an era for her and myself by extension.
The Rush show I saw at XCel Energy Center in St.Paul in 2015 (the "R40 Tour") I kind of knew was the last time. I saw Rush 5 or 6 times previously, and was okay with it, per when I 1st became a fan in 1991/1992, I was kind of down about their age and time left, much like Led Zeppelin or even now Kevin Gilbert. Seeing them live may not last.
And my wife felt similarly, and sadly, never got to see all 4 together. The 1996 Justus tour was her best shot, but Mike didn't stick with them on the US leg.
And other than the Euro leg of that 1996 tour, along with a few reunion shows in the 80's only in LA, the 4 Monkees did not play together live other than the initial tours in the 60's.
It's too bad, but that is kind in the past and known, just like how Kevin Gilbert and Jeff Buckley both played in Minnesota among others, and I wasn't a fan at the time, etc.
Some other things to remember: I saw Christian and Circe both before the show walking out the Buffet we were entering for dinner. That made my night at least. I mentioned to Christian it must have been cool to meet MSNBC's Brian Williams recently, and also we found out Christian and Michael Sherwood are working on a follow-up to Groovy Lemon Pie which having recently discovered liking a lot of.
That and seeing some of the regular faces and meeting up with my wife's longtime Monkees-fan friend from Wisconsin, maybe for the final time at a Monkees show was both nice but felt quite sad and end-of-an-era as she felt.
We probably will see him again, whether he comes in, or we end up in Oshkosh, WI where he is from (or in Chicago like last Summer). He doesn't drive, so he has limits, but if the Monkees/Monkees related shows dry up after this tour, and then at some point Nez does a show at The Troubadour again, maybe that will motivate us and him to make the trek.
I mean for many of the casual fans there, this was kind of just another show, but for my wife and some her Monkees lifers, this will not be forgotten for a long time. And maybe the same will happen with some others for myself and her with artists retiring (or they sadly die). But for her, this is HER band, music and FAMILY in a way.
And like the Rush show in 2015, this show was quite good, and 1 to like how it ended.
It also is odd how a friend of hers who she worked with at Barnes and Noble many years back, passed away yesterday. Eerie with her friend/former co-worker from the 2000's dies and the last Monkees show happens on the same day. And it was Pie/Pye Day, lol.
I guess 3/14/2019 will be one of the memorable days to think back on about.
Also:
Chris Riemenschneider's review from the Strib
The 1st line of the review:
The last time the surviving Monkees came to Minnesota in 2012, they arrived just eight months past the death of one of their own, Davy Jones.
Yeah, I probably know more about the Monkees history than him, lol.
I mean just in the fact he claims the last time they came here was 2012, even though I'm pretty sure he or Bream reviewed the 2014 Minnesota Zoo show. Nice fucking research, lol.
So was he meaning the last time IMMEDIATELY AFTER a MEMBER OF THE MONKEES DIED, a Monkees concert was held? if so, he at least could have worded it better, lol.
And if he was trying to say the last time a Monkees concert happened in Minnesota (regardless of how long after a member died, and regardless of right-after/the 1st show following a Death), then he is SPOT ON WRONG and didn't do his research.
I mean look at this photo of me and The Wife at the Fucking Minnesota Zoo in 2014 (not 2012 or 2011), LOL
Set 1
Good Clean Fun
Last Train to Clarksville
Sunny Girlfriend
Mary, Mary
You Told Me
For Pete's Sake
The Door Into Summer
You Just May Be the One
A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You
The Girl I Knew Somewhere
Birth of an Accidental Hipster
St. Matthew
The Porpoise Song
Circle Sky
Pleasant Valley Sunday (Carole King cover)
Till Then
(Peter Tork)
Set 2
Great show, and very sad knowing it likely is the last time a Monkees show of some kind will happen here. Micky likely will be back, but Mike? kind of doubt it per his health/age. He may just go on and do occasional First National Band shows, and maybe only in CA or the West Coast.
The wife is coming to terms with it too. Some 31 years after being a fan, this might have been it.
The show itself was very good. Definitely better than the show last Summer in Chicago.
They had a guy (Probyn Gregory) playing multiple instruments including Trumpet which ADDED FRANKLY A LOT.
More details to add later perhaps (maybe how it reminded me of the final 2015 Rush show I saw, etc).
edit:
just add some more comments, it was an epic show, much like the show last Summer in Chicago. 2+ Hours. But it didn't seem so long
The Peter tribute was nice. They didn't play Can You Dig It? but while Micky sings lead on that one, it is so much Peter. At some point, it would be nice to have someone do a tribute/cover to Peter with it live.
Shades of Gray maybe as well.
The acoustic section was great. Nez and Christian both played 12-strings.
This was the 5th Monkees and 11th Monkees-related concert I've seen in a little less than 8 years for me (also I could include the 1 Davy Jones show at the Taste of Minnesota in 2006, which my wife was at as well, little did I know at the time, lol).
Which that is quite a lot, but it pales in comparison to my wife's Monkees concert attendance history. I would guess she's probably doubled that number or more, although at least the Nesmith shows, I saw all with her (and told her after she was convinced she'd never see him, that with that mentality, she probably won't, but if she just hoped for it to happen, it might. And it did. She and I saw him 8 times since that 1st time in November 2012.
But it is odd in that this show feels like the end of an era for her and myself by extension.
The Rush show I saw at XCel Energy Center in St.Paul in 2015 (the "R40 Tour") I kind of knew was the last time. I saw Rush 5 or 6 times previously, and was okay with it, per when I 1st became a fan in 1991/1992, I was kind of down about their age and time left, much like Led Zeppelin or even now Kevin Gilbert. Seeing them live may not last.
And my wife felt similarly, and sadly, never got to see all 4 together. The 1996 Justus tour was her best shot, but Mike didn't stick with them on the US leg.
And other than the Euro leg of that 1996 tour, along with a few reunion shows in the 80's only in LA, the 4 Monkees did not play together live other than the initial tours in the 60's.
It's too bad, but that is kind in the past and known, just like how Kevin Gilbert and Jeff Buckley both played in Minnesota among others, and I wasn't a fan at the time, etc.
Some other things to remember: I saw Christian and Circe both before the show walking out the Buffet we were entering for dinner. That made my night at least. I mentioned to Christian it must have been cool to meet MSNBC's Brian Williams recently, and also we found out Christian and Michael Sherwood are working on a follow-up to Groovy Lemon Pie which having recently discovered liking a lot of.
That and seeing some of the regular faces and meeting up with my wife's longtime Monkees-fan friend from Wisconsin, maybe for the final time at a Monkees show was both nice but felt quite sad and end-of-an-era as she felt.
We probably will see him again, whether he comes in, or we end up in Oshkosh, WI where he is from (or in Chicago like last Summer). He doesn't drive, so he has limits, but if the Monkees/Monkees related shows dry up after this tour, and then at some point Nez does a show at The Troubadour again, maybe that will motivate us and him to make the trek.
I mean for many of the casual fans there, this was kind of just another show, but for my wife and some her Monkees lifers, this will not be forgotten for a long time. And maybe the same will happen with some others for myself and her with artists retiring (or they sadly die). But for her, this is HER band, music and FAMILY in a way.
And like the Rush show in 2015, this show was quite good, and 1 to like how it ended.
It also is odd how a friend of hers who she worked with at Barnes and Noble many years back, passed away yesterday. Eerie with her friend/former co-worker from the 2000's dies and the last Monkees show happens on the same day. And it was Pie/Pye Day, lol.
I guess 3/14/2019 will be one of the memorable days to think back on about.
Also:
Chris Riemenschneider's review from the Strib
The 1st line of the review:
The last time the surviving Monkees came to Minnesota in 2012, they arrived just eight months past the death of one of their own, Davy Jones.
Yeah, I probably know more about the Monkees history than him, lol.
I mean just in the fact he claims the last time they came here was 2012, even though I'm pretty sure he or Bream reviewed the 2014 Minnesota Zoo show. Nice fucking research, lol.
So was he meaning the last time IMMEDIATELY AFTER a MEMBER OF THE MONKEES DIED, a Monkees concert was held? if so, he at least could have worded it better, lol.
And if he was trying to say the last time a Monkees concert happened in Minnesota (regardless of how long after a member died, and regardless of right-after/the 1st show following a Death), then he is SPOT ON WRONG and didn't do his research.
I mean look at this photo of me and The Wife at the Fucking Minnesota Zoo in 2014 (not 2012 or 2011), LOL
Set 1
Good Clean Fun
Last Train to Clarksville
Sunny Girlfriend
Mary, Mary
You Told Me
For Pete's Sake
The Door Into Summer
You Just May Be the One
A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You
The Girl I Knew Somewhere
Birth of an Accidental Hipster
St. Matthew
The Porpoise Song
Circle Sky
Pleasant Valley Sunday (Carole King cover)
Till Then
(Peter Tork)
Set 2
-
(acoustic)
-
(acoustic)
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
(Paul Revere and The Raiders cover)
-
(John Stewart cover)
-
(Michael Martin Murphey cover)
- Encore
-
-
(Neil Diamond cover)
The Dear Hunter - "The Acts" (Box Set)
3/15/19
Act VI will be a Movie. A screenplay was written. When may it come? it sounds up in the air, per it may be 10 or more years from now, per it would need to be made in Casey's vision, which I totally follow.
A little like Porcupine Tree's Deadwing? (remember the SCREENPLAY SW and a friend wrote for it..some 15+ years ago. I would still love for that to be made someday).
Video on Facebook
Video on Instragram 3/15/19
therealtdh
I think enough time has passed while trying to do this thing in secret that it’s probably okay to admit to its creatively induced coma.
There’s a space in the box set for a record Id really love to make, but it’s possible that I won’t get that opportunity—and I’d rather close the book than finish something the wrong way.
All things considered, you may have the only piece of art that will be released from Act VI... I dunno. Kinda cool? Maybe. Like I said, I dunno.
3/12/19
The whole Acts series in a Box Set (Boxed Set) and then "The Fox and the Hunt"
I own all the albums in multiple formats, in some cases, multiples. I don't know if my house-hunting budget allows me to afford the $180, but I wish it did. And I'm sure other fans will need it.
The other part is the write-up about it below, almost feels like it is the end of "The Acts" for The Dear Hunter.
But Act VI? the plan was since I got into them, for them to make 6 Acts to tell the story.
And awhile back I remember Casey saying stuff about Act VI when asked, that (I'm paraphrasing)
"it has a chance to be something unique/special/different"
I can't find the quote, but I did find another interview here
Have you had an opportunity to look beyond Act VI and consider what might be on the horizon for the Dear Hunter?
I actually do have an idea for a record that I’ve already been kicking around. Whether or not it comes around before whatever Act VI is going to be, I’m not entirely sure, but I will say that I know what album I’m going to be making next and already started kicking around some songs for it. There are future releases in the pipeline that are not very far off at all—like next year, hopefully early next year. I think I’m okay with finally stepping away from the traditional record cycle, and having the studio and the team that I trust, why would I allow the years to just roll on without doing the thing that I love doing?
Film, Play, Interactive Website, Orchestral versions of many of the tunes?
Or a big massive Graphic Novel?..maybe to come after all the 5 Acts Graphic Novels have come out? (which will likely take some time..like YEARS).
So I imagine more information could be coming around or after the Box Set is released. Even just about those other albums (Indigo-themed record? and there was another concept or type of album or someone I thought Casey mentioning wanting work with (beyond Kimbra and even say Jessy Ribordy again).
Facebook video
THE DEAR HUNTER PRESENTS THE ACTS (www.thedearhunter.com)
It’s difficult to pick which detail I should divulge first, but I will begin by announcing “The Acts”, a comprehensive collection of my band, The Dear Hunter’s record series of the same name.
I’ve wanted to compile these records into a single collection since the release of Act V, but there was one missing link, which leads to the next part of the puzzle.
At the time of recording Acts IV and V, I had the privilege to work with Conductor David Möeshler and his Awesöme Orchestra. Prior to our initial recording, I was introduced to the work of the composer Brian Adam McCune, who also works with David as an orchestrator and arranger for the various collaborations and musical experiments of AÖ.
Brian and I developed an immediate musical kinship, and in discussing the forthcoming recordings, I told him the hope I had of focusing the orchestration/arrangement on a dual purpose—both as a featured element of our albums, and as an isolated listening experience.
This meant writing and arrangement elements that would not be used at the time of Act IV/V’s release—the result of which is “The Fox & the Hunt”.
At roughly 57 minutes long, “The Fox & the Hunt” holds a strong tether to its parent pieces, but is meant to be experienced on its own, and we are so excited to share it with you as part of this comprehensive collection.
While “The Fox & the Hunt” is meant to serve a dual purpose, it was vital that we made this collection feel cohesive- and I am so excited to say we have enlisted the incredible artistry of Nicky Barkla, who painted the covers of Acts IV and V.
While the visual side of this musical story has always been a top priority, Nicky’s work represents a different level of inspired creation that was vital to incorporate in the albums which predates her involvement, and so, she has created 3 new covers for Acts I-III, building upon the inspired intrigue and beauty she brought to Acts IV and V.
With that, the collection finally feels complete, and of a singular identity. I look back on these 5 albums in disbelief of the journey I have taken- and it has been due, in no small part, to the loving ear you have all lent to this music, and the endless support and belief you have shown me, and my band.
Thank you all. I hope you enjoy.
Preorder Link
Act VI will be a Movie. A screenplay was written. When may it come? it sounds up in the air, per it may be 10 or more years from now, per it would need to be made in Casey's vision, which I totally follow.
A little like Porcupine Tree's Deadwing? (remember the SCREENPLAY SW and a friend wrote for it..some 15+ years ago. I would still love for that to be made someday).
Video on Facebook
Video on Instragram 3/15/19
therealtdh
I think enough time has passed while trying to do this thing in secret that it’s probably okay to admit to its creatively induced coma.
There’s a space in the box set for a record Id really love to make, but it’s possible that I won’t get that opportunity—and I’d rather close the book than finish something the wrong way.
All things considered, you may have the only piece of art that will be released from Act VI... I dunno. Kinda cool? Maybe. Like I said, I dunno.
3/12/19
The whole Acts series in a Box Set (Boxed Set) and then "The Fox and the Hunt"
I own all the albums in multiple formats, in some cases, multiples. I don't know if my house-hunting budget allows me to afford the $180, but I wish it did. And I'm sure other fans will need it.
The other part is the write-up about it below, almost feels like it is the end of "The Acts" for The Dear Hunter.
But Act VI? the plan was since I got into them, for them to make 6 Acts to tell the story.
And awhile back I remember Casey saying stuff about Act VI when asked, that (I'm paraphrasing)
"it has a chance to be something unique/special/different"
I can't find the quote, but I did find another interview here
Have you had an opportunity to look beyond Act VI and consider what might be on the horizon for the Dear Hunter?
I actually do have an idea for a record that I’ve already been kicking around. Whether or not it comes around before whatever Act VI is going to be, I’m not entirely sure, but I will say that I know what album I’m going to be making next and already started kicking around some songs for it. There are future releases in the pipeline that are not very far off at all—like next year, hopefully early next year. I think I’m okay with finally stepping away from the traditional record cycle, and having the studio and the team that I trust, why would I allow the years to just roll on without doing the thing that I love doing?
Film, Play, Interactive Website, Orchestral versions of many of the tunes?
Or a big massive Graphic Novel?..maybe to come after all the 5 Acts Graphic Novels have come out? (which will likely take some time..like YEARS).
So I imagine more information could be coming around or after the Box Set is released. Even just about those other albums (Indigo-themed record? and there was another concept or type of album or someone I thought Casey mentioning wanting work with (beyond Kimbra and even say Jessy Ribordy again).
Facebook video
THE DEAR HUNTER PRESENTS THE ACTS (www.thedearhunter.com)
It’s difficult to pick which detail I should divulge first, but I will begin by announcing “The Acts”, a comprehensive collection of my band, The Dear Hunter’s record series of the same name.
I’ve wanted to compile these records into a single collection since the release of Act V, but there was one missing link, which leads to the next part of the puzzle.
At the time of recording Acts IV and V, I had the privilege to work with Conductor David Möeshler and his Awesöme Orchestra. Prior to our initial recording, I was introduced to the work of the composer Brian Adam McCune, who also works with David as an orchestrator and arranger for the various collaborations and musical experiments of AÖ.
Brian and I developed an immediate musical kinship, and in discussing the forthcoming recordings, I told him the hope I had of focusing the orchestration/arrangement on a dual purpose—both as a featured element of our albums, and as an isolated listening experience.
This meant writing and arrangement elements that would not be used at the time of Act IV/V’s release—the result of which is “The Fox & the Hunt”.
At roughly 57 minutes long, “The Fox & the Hunt” holds a strong tether to its parent pieces, but is meant to be experienced on its own, and we are so excited to share it with you as part of this comprehensive collection.
While “The Fox & the Hunt” is meant to serve a dual purpose, it was vital that we made this collection feel cohesive- and I am so excited to say we have enlisted the incredible artistry of Nicky Barkla, who painted the covers of Acts IV and V.
While the visual side of this musical story has always been a top priority, Nicky’s work represents a different level of inspired creation that was vital to incorporate in the albums which predates her involvement, and so, she has created 3 new covers for Acts I-III, building upon the inspired intrigue and beauty she brought to Acts IV and V.
With that, the collection finally feels complete, and of a singular identity. I look back on these 5 albums in disbelief of the journey I have taken- and it has been due, in no small part, to the loving ear you have all lent to this music, and the endless support and belief you have shown me, and my band.
Thank you all. I hope you enjoy.
Preorder Link
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Foals - Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Part 2 (2018-2019)
Just posting this along with some more stuff about Part 1.
I don't have my vinyl copy yet of ENSWBLP Part 1, but given payday is Friday, I will try and find a copy in retail (Cheapo, or maybe Barely Bros?). But I guess inside it shows that cover art for ENSWBLP Part 2 and says it's coming in September.
There's some confirmed tracks included on the Wiki page linked below.
Enemy
Wiki
To follow-up, I finally got to hear all of Part 1 yesterday and here's a comment I left on rym:
last 2 mins of Syrups is gold.
These guys are incredibly consistent. Almost unmatched within the last decade.
New stripped down/raw video for "White Onions"..but yeah these guys keep doing their thing and their thing really works well. I'm not sure if/when that will not happen, but I am a happy Foals fan still with this 1st new album, and the 2nd one coming in September I am naturally just as excited for. Perhaps they can buck the trend of bands releasing 2 or double albums in 1 year and both not working. Although Ours also may buck that trend later this year as well.
And I can probably give Foals and Ours the top spots on my AOTY race already.
I don't have my vinyl copy yet of ENSWBLP Part 1, but given payday is Friday, I will try and find a copy in retail (Cheapo, or maybe Barely Bros?). But I guess inside it shows that cover art for ENSWBLP Part 2 and says it's coming in September.
There's some confirmed tracks included on the Wiki page linked below.
Enemy
Wiki
To follow-up, I finally got to hear all of Part 1 yesterday and here's a comment I left on rym:
last 2 mins of Syrups is gold.
These guys are incredibly consistent. Almost unmatched within the last decade.
New stripped down/raw video for "White Onions"..but yeah these guys keep doing their thing and their thing really works well. I'm not sure if/when that will not happen, but I am a happy Foals fan still with this 1st new album, and the 2nd one coming in September I am naturally just as excited for. Perhaps they can buck the trend of bands releasing 2 or double albums in 1 year and both not working. Although Ours also may buck that trend later this year as well.
And I can probably give Foals and Ours the top spots on my AOTY race already.
Monday, March 11, 2019
Kevin Gilbert - Big Heart
I've loved this tune ever since it was included in the Deluxe edition of Thud back in 2015.
Nice video, which I take it is from a Silent Film of some kind.
I honestly wonder how some clips of (from) the Tin Man would work with this track.
Regardless, very well done.
Also to note, this tune was written by Kevin's Giraffe band-mate Robert Ferris.
And I know you're gonna tear my great big heart apart.
Nice video, which I take it is from a Silent Film of some kind.
I honestly wonder how some clips of (from) the Tin Man would work with this track.
Regardless, very well done.
Also to note, this tune was written by Kevin's Giraffe band-mate Robert Ferris.
And I know you're gonna tear my great big heart apart.
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Local Natives - Violet Street (2018-2019)
So this was announced on Friday and I never got around to sharing the details of the 4th proper record from Local Natives, Violet Street, coming out on April 26th.
The 1st single "Cafe Amarillo" I shared a little while ago, and the 2nd single/video "When am I Gonna Lose You" is below.
I'm kind of indifferent to both of those tunes. Not bad, a little more funky/groove-oriented. Some nice vocal parts, but I'm not fully attached.
But these guys have yet to release an album I was disappointed with, so I'm not assuming anything based on those 1st 2 tracks. Sunlit Youth, Hummingbird, Gorilla Manor are all among the best record over the last decade.
https://www.thelocalnatives.com/
1. Vogue
2. When am I Gonna Lose You
3. Cafe Amarillo
4. Munich II
5. Megaton Mile
6. Someday Now
7. Shy
8. Garden of Elysian
9. Gulf Shores
10. Tap Dancer
The 1st single "Cafe Amarillo" I shared a little while ago, and the 2nd single/video "When am I Gonna Lose You" is below.
I'm kind of indifferent to both of those tunes. Not bad, a little more funky/groove-oriented. Some nice vocal parts, but I'm not fully attached.
But these guys have yet to release an album I was disappointed with, so I'm not assuming anything based on those 1st 2 tracks. Sunlit Youth, Hummingbird, Gorilla Manor are all among the best record over the last decade.
https://www.thelocalnatives.com/
1. Vogue
2. When am I Gonna Lose You
3. Cafe Amarillo
4. Munich II
5. Megaton Mile
6. Someday Now
7. Shy
8. Garden of Elysian
9. Gulf Shores
10. Tap Dancer
Meaningful Songs: Amanda Palmer - Want it Back
Amanda Palmer - Want it Back
In thinking about Amanda with her new album, I was reading back about her 2 other records I enjoyed so much, and among a large handful of tunes, this one is one of the standouts.
It's just so bloody catchy and the energy is infectious.
She gets wordy or rather sings a lot of words quickly, which can often be difficult to master, but it somehow fits in-time, on this tune.
And the little floating/dreamy synths part I forgot how that part is such a goose-bump-worthy little bit.
Her new album I don't find has anything like this in that way, which is fine, but I can't help but yearn for more tunes like this again from Amanda.
In thinking about Amanda with her new album, I was reading back about her 2 other records I enjoyed so much, and among a large handful of tunes, this one is one of the standouts.
It's just so bloody catchy and the energy is infectious.
She gets wordy or rather sings a lot of words quickly, which can often be difficult to master, but it somehow fits in-time, on this tune.
And the little floating/dreamy synths part I forgot how that part is such a goose-bump-worthy little bit.
Her new album I don't find has anything like this in that way, which is fine, but I can't help but yearn for more tunes like this again from Amanda.
Friday, March 8, 2019
Jimmy Gnecco w/ Royston Langdon @ 7th Street Entry 3/7/19
This is I count the 8th time I've seen Jimmy Gnecco live, and only the 2nd Solo. The 1st Solo as a quasi-Headliner in the "Someone to Die For" tour.
The other being when he opened for Greg Laswell which oddly, I believe was the last time I saw him, at The 7th Street Entry as well in 2013? I think it was.
Just Jimmy and April Bauer, no full-band. Jimmy on Acoustic guitar and April played on a number of tunes, adding synths (mellotron patches?).
Royston aka Leeds joined Jimmy for a couple of David Bowie tunes which were fun, although I would have enjoyed Jimmy singing some on Life on Mars?
But it was pretty epic, and the set list and length was not planned.
A lot of crowd interaction and storytelling, some maybe I might try to edit-in that I don't have time right now for.
the New Age Heroine stuff was great, Fly even more stripped down, was still the epic piece that it is. And the title track.
Even Made to Love, which is 1 of the tunes I'm only luke warm about on the record, was quite moving live.
The song on setlist.fm that is "Unknown" I think I know, but am not certain if it's unreleased or a song off 1 of the versions of The Heart (The Bells?)..The Bells is 1 of my favorites and has this cool busy guitar outro, which Jimmy played on the tune that I believe is marked "Unknown."
Anyway, time is not on my side, but yeah, another epic show from Jimmy.
There's some stuff he mentioned about Spectacular Sight and other anecdotes that would be worth sharing soon, hopefully in due time.
Also a shout-out to Rachel and Beth, 2 other Ours fans who remembered me from many shows I attended in the past. Local-Ours fanatics like myself.
Red Colored Stars (Ours song)
Here Is the Light (Ours song)
I'm a Monster (Ours song)
Mystery
Fly
Bleed (Ours song)
Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie cover) (with Royston Langdon)
Life on Mars? (David Bowie cover) (with Royston Langdon)
(Unknown, The Bells?)
The Heart
Made to Love
Sometimes (Ours song)
Medication (Ours song) (Partial; straight into next song)
Dizzy (Ours song)
I Heard You Singing
Across the Clouds
New Age Heroine
The Worst Things Beautiful (Ours song)
Places (Ours song)
The other being when he opened for Greg Laswell which oddly, I believe was the last time I saw him, at The 7th Street Entry as well in 2013? I think it was.
Just Jimmy and April Bauer, no full-band. Jimmy on Acoustic guitar and April played on a number of tunes, adding synths (mellotron patches?).
Royston aka Leeds joined Jimmy for a couple of David Bowie tunes which were fun, although I would have enjoyed Jimmy singing some on Life on Mars?
But it was pretty epic, and the set list and length was not planned.
A lot of crowd interaction and storytelling, some maybe I might try to edit-in that I don't have time right now for.
the New Age Heroine stuff was great, Fly even more stripped down, was still the epic piece that it is. And the title track.
Even Made to Love, which is 1 of the tunes I'm only luke warm about on the record, was quite moving live.
The song on setlist.fm that is "Unknown" I think I know, but am not certain if it's unreleased or a song off 1 of the versions of The Heart (The Bells?)..The Bells is 1 of my favorites and has this cool busy guitar outro, which Jimmy played on the tune that I believe is marked "Unknown."
Anyway, time is not on my side, but yeah, another epic show from Jimmy.
There's some stuff he mentioned about Spectacular Sight and other anecdotes that would be worth sharing soon, hopefully in due time.
Also a shout-out to Rachel and Beth, 2 other Ours fans who remembered me from many shows I attended in the past. Local-Ours fanatics like myself.
Red Colored Stars (Ours song)
Here Is the Light (Ours song)
I'm a Monster (Ours song)
Mystery
Fly
Bleed (Ours song)
Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie cover) (with Royston Langdon)
Life on Mars? (David Bowie cover) (with Royston Langdon)
(Unknown, The Bells?)
The Heart
Made to Love
Sometimes (Ours song)
Medication (Ours song) (Partial; straight into next song)
Dizzy (Ours song)
I Heard You Singing
Across the Clouds
New Age Heroine
The Worst Things Beautiful (Ours song)
Places (Ours song)
Native Construct: Indefinite Hiatus
I really liked their debut album from 2015, Quiet World. But this does not exactly come as a shock given the slowness of their 2nd album.
Facebook
Hey folks,
It's finally time for us to give a definitive update on the status of Native Construct. *tl;dr at the end*
First, I want to acknowledge how long it's taken us to do this. Our intention was to make sure everything was 100% certain and worked out behind the scenes before making any official statements, and the timeline on that got way out of hand. You were all left hanging and wondering and speculating for far too long, and I honestly feel awful about that. Maybe we should have been more open about what was going on with us in real time. It's still hard to know what the optimal approach would have been, but this has definitely been a learning experience.
Anyway, I'm telling you today that the rumors are true: Native Construct is on an indefinite hiatus.
I know this isn't the news many of you wanted to hear, and I know this may be surprising considering all the teasing we had been doing for the second album. For whomever may be interested, I'll try to explain as clearly as possible how we arrived here.
We made the first Native Construct album while we were in college, when life was much simpler. Since then, we graduated and entered the real world. We started the second album during a time of great uncertainty in all our lives. We originally intended to dedicate most of our time and energy to NC #2, but it turns out that was pretty naive. To put it lightly, Native Construct was never a cash-cow for us. As recent college graduates, we were facing the realities of needing to pay the bills, start developing reliable careers, build savings, etc. As Native Construct got pushed lower and lower on the list of priorities, we gradually came to the realization that dedicating our lives to this band was a bad move, nor was it what we wanted.
We changed a lot as people and as musicians during these transitional years, and to be honest, most of us became less interested in metal music. The material we were working on for the second album is completely different from Quiet World. It sounds like a different band. So, another factor in the decision to put NC to bed was the realization that we were trying to fit a square peg into a round hole by pulling such a dramatic left turn with the musical direction of this project.
The good news is that we've all found other things to focus on for the time being, and are doing well! In case anyone's interested, I'll give a brief description of what all the band members are up to:
-Poh Hock is teaching guitar, and has a killer solo album coming out TOMORROW (March 8 ). You can also hear more of his shredz with a band called Replacire.
-Max is working in the game industry as a sound designer.
-Rob is also pursuing a career in sound design, along with private vocal instruction. You can keep up with him on his (WIP) website here: rwedens.wixsite.com/website
-Jake was drumming all over the world on a cruise ship, and just recently moved to LA to continue his career as a drummer, playing with various artists. @jakedickdrums on Instagram if you wanna keep up with him.
-I, Myles, am focusing on teaching music theory/composition in private lessons and as a YouTuber: MusicWithMyles.com. I'll be putting out original music in the future, too (some of this unreleased NC #2 stuff may even see the light of day in some form).
-Max is working in the game industry as a sound designer.
-Rob is also pursuing a career in sound design, along with private vocal instruction. You can keep up with him on his (WIP) website here: rwedens.wixsite.com/website
-Jake was drumming all over the world on a cruise ship, and just recently moved to LA to continue his career as a drummer, playing with various artists. @jakedickdrums on Instagram if you wanna keep up with him.
-I, Myles, am focusing on teaching music theory/composition in private lessons and as a YouTuber: MusicWithMyles.com. I'll be putting out original music in the future, too (some of this unreleased NC #2 stuff may even see the light of day in some form).
Anywhoosles...I just want to talk for a sec about how wild of a ride this has been for us. It would have been completely crazy for anyone to expect the amount of love we were to receive after putting out one little album recorded in my bedroom. The whole Native Construct phenomenon has been just astonishing. Truly. We've gotten to meet and work with some awesome people, tour with some of our favorite bands, and see tons of cities across North America. And most importantly, we've gotten to hear from countless strangers who have found some genuine joy in our music. It's an incredible thing. We'll never forget all the love you nerds have given us. To anyone who has ever listened to one of our tunes, worked with us, or supported us in any way: we love you, and we thank you.
ttfn
-NC
-NC
tl;dr: the band's dead, everything is fine, thx 4 the memories 
Thursday, March 7, 2019
The Pneumatic Transit - Chordae Tendineae (2018-2019)
So Jeff Zampillo of the instrumental jazz-rock/fusion/prog band The Pneumatic Transit got in touch with me on Facebook the other day and told me about the 2nd TPT album coming out soon.
And in order to create buzz (however I can), he sent me the information about access to hear this 2nd LP Chordae Tendineae which is looking to come out sometime this Spring (May/June).
Concerto for Double Moon was one of my favorite records when it came out in 2015 and one of the better instrumental albums of the 2010's. Although I'll confess to not listened to it all that much since that year, but I really enjoyed back then and should revisit it soon, especially after hearing this new/follow up album.
I can say this, all 4 pieces have moments to enjoy, I think largely the 1st half-2/3 of each track.
The 1st track "Atriums" early on here, I probably found myself lost in the 2nd half where a lot of it sounds quite improvised. The Sax solo specifically; which almost sounds more Free-Jazz in a way.
"Casino Mouse" is quite good, energetic and catchy at points. Could the title could be taken from Al Di Meola + Chick/RTF? (Casino is a Di Meola record, and "Senor Mouse" from Chick). The trumpet work stands out on this one certainly.
"Residual Sentience" I think worked the best among all of these tracks start-to-finish
"The Fountain and the Feather" has some sections that remind me of The Mars Volta, from the Frances the Mute period. The groove works really well and the math-rock phrases really make parts of it.
This album has some different instrumentation to Concerto for Double Moon; saxophone, trumpet among some others,.
the cover art is intentionally blurry by the way.
1. Atriums 12:55
2. Casino Mouse 13:08
3. Residual Sentience 9:46
4. The Fountains and the Feather 12:44
And in order to create buzz (however I can), he sent me the information about access to hear this 2nd LP Chordae Tendineae which is looking to come out sometime this Spring (May/June).
Concerto for Double Moon was one of my favorite records when it came out in 2015 and one of the better instrumental albums of the 2010's. Although I'll confess to not listened to it all that much since that year, but I really enjoyed back then and should revisit it soon, especially after hearing this new/follow up album.
I can say this, all 4 pieces have moments to enjoy, I think largely the 1st half-2/3 of each track.
The 1st track "Atriums" early on here, I probably found myself lost in the 2nd half where a lot of it sounds quite improvised. The Sax solo specifically; which almost sounds more Free-Jazz in a way.
"Casino Mouse" is quite good, energetic and catchy at points. Could the title could be taken from Al Di Meola + Chick/RTF? (Casino is a Di Meola record, and "Senor Mouse" from Chick). The trumpet work stands out on this one certainly.
"Residual Sentience" I think worked the best among all of these tracks start-to-finish
"The Fountain and the Feather" has some sections that remind me of The Mars Volta, from the Frances the Mute period. The groove works really well and the math-rock phrases really make parts of it.
This album has some different instrumentation to Concerto for Double Moon; saxophone, trumpet among some others,.
the cover art is intentionally blurry by the way.
1. Atriums 12:55
2. Casino Mouse 13:08
3. Residual Sentience 9:46
4. The Fountains and the Feather 12:44
Local Natives - Cafe Amarillo [1B] (2019)
new video and Tune for Local Natives.
Will listen/watch soon, but I was without wifi last night at 'rents doing laundry (out of town, no wifi).
Guess it's kind of funky from some comments.
They're upcoming tour is titled the "Spiral Choir Tour" which suggests the new album could be titled "Spiral Choir" but I haven't seen anything that confirms that at this point.
Evan Konrad (Bed of Stars) - Long Way Out [1B] (2019)
New song from Evan Konrad released under his own name. I'm not sure what it means for "Bed of Stars" but Evan Konrad signed with Lava Records recently.
Musically? this sounds more dense and almost electronic sounding, compared to the Bed of Stars stuff.
of course Daniel Victor I would say would be 1 of if not THEE one who sort of "discovered" him. And Evan appears on 2 songs on the last Neverending White Lights album from 2012.
Anyway, when more comes up, I'll have to add more or post something new about it. Good for Evan!
Sunday, March 3, 2019
The Claypool Lennon Delirium - South of Reality (2018-2019)
So the other day some discussion about early year favorite albums for the year on the dreamtheaterforums, this album was recommended to me.
It was released just a few weeks ago on February 22, 2019.
I remember hearing about this band a few years ago prior to even their 1st EP came out. And South of Reality is their 2nd proper full length album.
I can't claim to have heard any of their actual music before checking this out the other day, but my thoughts previously was assuming it would resemble much of Les Claypool's other work; Primus and the bass-driven comedic/goofy/quirky very Zappa-inspired, especially the vocals.
And Sean Lennon? well I like some of Julian's work.
Anyway, this album and I am presuming some of their previous/debut record is not exactly like that.
Some of it is there, but more I would compare to a few groups.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and even Pepe Deluxe.
Sort of Channeling the classic Psych-Rock style/period of the late 60's and 70's, but still having modern production.
Plus the latter Psychadelic-Beatles.
Some of it is proggy (the analog synths remind me of Yes or many other groups).
It's more melodic, having enough guitar and vocal use, while still being creative. Some of it is almost space-rock in a way, maybe in a Gong-sort of way.
I'm going to have to spend some more time with this of course, but I will have to check out Monolith of Phobos, TCLD debut record from 2016.
1. Little Fishes 6:06
2. Blood and Rockets: Movement I/Saga of Jack Parsons/Movement II/Too the Moon 6:29
3. South of Reality 3:27
4. Boriska 5:25
5. Easily Charmed By Fools 5:10
6. Amethyst Realm 7:47
7. Toady Man's Hour 3:12
8. Cricket Chronicles Revisited: Pt. 1, Ask Your Doctor/Pt. 2, Psyde Effects 6:23
9. Like Fleas 3:31
It was released just a few weeks ago on February 22, 2019.
I remember hearing about this band a few years ago prior to even their 1st EP came out. And South of Reality is their 2nd proper full length album.
I can't claim to have heard any of their actual music before checking this out the other day, but my thoughts previously was assuming it would resemble much of Les Claypool's other work; Primus and the bass-driven comedic/goofy/quirky very Zappa-inspired, especially the vocals.
And Sean Lennon? well I like some of Julian's work.
Anyway, this album and I am presuming some of their previous/debut record is not exactly like that.
Some of it is there, but more I would compare to a few groups.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and even Pepe Deluxe.
Sort of Channeling the classic Psych-Rock style/period of the late 60's and 70's, but still having modern production.
Plus the latter Psychadelic-Beatles.
Some of it is proggy (the analog synths remind me of Yes or many other groups).
It's more melodic, having enough guitar and vocal use, while still being creative. Some of it is almost space-rock in a way, maybe in a Gong-sort of way.
I'm going to have to spend some more time with this of course, but I will have to check out Monolith of Phobos, TCLD debut record from 2016.
1. Little Fishes 6:06
2. Blood and Rockets: Movement I/Saga of Jack Parsons/Movement II/Too the Moon 6:29
3. South of Reality 3:27
4. Boriska 5:25
5. Easily Charmed By Fools 5:10
6. Amethyst Realm 7:47
7. Toady Man's Hour 3:12
8. Cricket Chronicles Revisited: Pt. 1, Ask Your Doctor/Pt. 2, Psyde Effects 6:23
9. Like Fleas 3:31
Amanda Palmer - There Will Be No Intermission (2018-2019)
3/3/19
Release date is this coming friday, but the whole thing is already streaming:
NPR's Stream Link
I'll have to give it a go tomorrow at work (assuming I have time, I have 2 meetings scheduled).
Or I may have to pull my flash drive out of my car and try and check it out there and/or at home tonight if time allows.
I still think this may be a sleeper, although I hope I don't get the feeling I and others got after big hopes for the Typhoon album Offerings from last year.
12/13/18
This thing is being released on March 8, 2019.
Her email from the email list was a novel, but that's par for the course for Amanda.
I could quote some of it; maybe later.
I will just say, it sounds like a very well-thought-out, reworked, played live, demo-ed, etc labored-over record.
her most emotional yet of course.
AMBITION may be the key work with it.
Theatre is Evil was awesome and Who Killed Amanda Palmer had many songs I loved.
This sucker may be as great as she talked about in that email.
20 tracks, 10 instrumentals, and 77 minutes. A concept album I imagine?
As I posted in the 2018-2019 preview..a bit of another sleeper...that is until now, since I know about and have large hopes for it now.
1. All the Things 1:23
2. The Ride 10:13
3. Congratulations 0:37
4. Drowning in the Sound 5:45
5. Hold on Tight, Darling 0:40
6. The Thing About Things 5:35
7. Life's Such a Bitch Isn't It 0:33
8. Judy Blume 6:45
9. Feeding the Dark 0:20
10. Bigger on the Inside 8:29
11. There Will Be No Intermission 1:01
12. Machete 6:09
13. You Know the Statistics 0:38
14. Voicemail for Jill 5:34
15. You'd Think I'd Shot Their Chicken 1:43
16. A Mother's Confession 10:37
17. They're Saying Not to Panic 0:27
18. Look Mummy, No Hands 5:30
19. Intermission Is Relative 0:54
20. Death Thing 5:00
Release date is this coming friday, but the whole thing is already streaming:
NPR's Stream Link
I'll have to give it a go tomorrow at work (assuming I have time, I have 2 meetings scheduled).
Or I may have to pull my flash drive out of my car and try and check it out there and/or at home tonight if time allows.
I still think this may be a sleeper, although I hope I don't get the feeling I and others got after big hopes for the Typhoon album Offerings from last year.
12/13/18
This thing is being released on March 8, 2019.
Her email from the email list was a novel, but that's par for the course for Amanda.
I could quote some of it; maybe later.
I will just say, it sounds like a very well-thought-out, reworked, played live, demo-ed, etc labored-over record.
her most emotional yet of course.
AMBITION may be the key work with it.
Theatre is Evil was awesome and Who Killed Amanda Palmer had many songs I loved.
This sucker may be as great as she talked about in that email.
20 tracks, 10 instrumentals, and 77 minutes. A concept album I imagine?
As I posted in the 2018-2019 preview..a bit of another sleeper...that is until now, since I know about and have large hopes for it now.
1. All the Things 1:23
2. The Ride 10:13
3. Congratulations 0:37
4. Drowning in the Sound 5:45
5. Hold on Tight, Darling 0:40
6. The Thing About Things 5:35
7. Life's Such a Bitch Isn't It 0:33
8. Judy Blume 6:45
9. Feeding the Dark 0:20
10. Bigger on the Inside 8:29
11. There Will Be No Intermission 1:01
12. Machete 6:09
13. You Know the Statistics 0:38
14. Voicemail for Jill 5:34
15. You'd Think I'd Shot Their Chicken 1:43
16. A Mother's Confession 10:37
17. They're Saying Not to Panic 0:27
18. Look Mummy, No Hands 5:30
19. Intermission Is Relative 0:54
20. Death Thing 5:00
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Meaningful Songs: Genesis - Back in N.Y.C. (+ 2 Covers)
Genesis - Back in N.Y.C.
Ever since getting into Genesis and not long after, Kevin Gilbert, I've loved this tune. I don't put it #1 among the Genesis song list, but it's damn close (top 5 for sure).
The dynamics and crying out vocal performance is off the charts. Some of Gabriel's best vocal lines and lyrics (despite the subject matter..the metaphors are kind of genius).
But then hearing Kevin Gilbert do his own, magical interpretation, it went up there into the stratosphere as a Goose-bump staple tune.
The metaphor of masturbation "cuddling the porcupine" just in terms of the build and crescendo and *climax* just fits/works. Even though I don't necessarily think about that from this tune, I can totally follow how it came to be.
It just works and fits that feeling perfectly.
And this latest interpretation I just came across tonight from District 97 and Leslie Hunt live at ROS Fest a few years ago, brought another wonderful rendition to this. Another take, yet still maintaining the brilliance of this song. The comment about Joan Jett I can sort of follow, but Leslie really came up with something on it.
No time for romantic escapes..fluffy heart is ready for...
Kevin Gilbert's studio version
District 97's live cover at ROSFest a few years back. Featuring of course vocalist Leslie Hunt.
Ever since getting into Genesis and not long after, Kevin Gilbert, I've loved this tune. I don't put it #1 among the Genesis song list, but it's damn close (top 5 for sure).
The dynamics and crying out vocal performance is off the charts. Some of Gabriel's best vocal lines and lyrics (despite the subject matter..the metaphors are kind of genius).
But then hearing Kevin Gilbert do his own, magical interpretation, it went up there into the stratosphere as a Goose-bump staple tune.
The metaphor of masturbation "cuddling the porcupine" just in terms of the build and crescendo and *climax* just fits/works. Even though I don't necessarily think about that from this tune, I can totally follow how it came to be.
It just works and fits that feeling perfectly.
And this latest interpretation I just came across tonight from District 97 and Leslie Hunt live at ROS Fest a few years ago, brought another wonderful rendition to this. Another take, yet still maintaining the brilliance of this song. The comment about Joan Jett I can sort of follow, but Leslie really came up with something on it.
No time for romantic escapes..fluffy heart is ready for...
Kevin Gilbert's studio version
District 97's live cover at ROSFest a few years back. Featuring of course vocalist Leslie Hunt.
1 MILLION HITS
Per my time right now (I gotta go to work this morning), the long-winded, hyperbolic, self-indulgent, self-congratulatory entry that talks about history, bottled-up frustration and commentary, along with future plans in here will be delayed at least until the end of this weekend,
But given THEE or *THAT* Milestone has been found (regardless of however it was), early this morning (2 or 3AM? I stayed up but eventually dozed off with 37 hits left to find).
But in the short term, Congratu-fucking-lations to me, the non-professional/amateur obscure progressive rock internet pro-bono journalist/editorial-ist/opinion-ist.
I'd like to see someone else get 1 million fucking hits doing this as a hobby, even if it takes 12 years and 3 months.
But given THEE or *THAT* Milestone has been found (regardless of however it was), early this morning (2 or 3AM? I stayed up but eventually dozed off with 37 hits left to find).
But in the short term, Congratu-fucking-lations to me, the non-professional/amateur obscure progressive rock internet pro-bono journalist/editorial-ist/opinion-ist.
I'd like to see someone else get 1 million fucking hits doing this as a hobby, even if it takes 12 years and 3 months.
Friday, March 1, 2019
Meaningful Songs: Savatage - Chance (+Circle II Circle Acoustic)
Savatage - Chance
So I recently saw a live Acoustic version shared on Social Media the other day, and I've decided to share it in here.
Chance has been and probably always will be my favorite track from Savatage (who have many, probably many others could find the "Meaningful Songs" category).
It's a masterwork in studio tracking multi-layered vocals. And Zak Stevens along with hired-gun Alex Skolnick create some of the most perfected kind of progressive metal.
Or think like Queen doing prog metal in some ways.
The dynamics are so well crafted. The emotion just cries out throughout.
I know some if not purely the inspiration came from the loss of the great Criss Oliva, and I know the Handful of Rain album did and was kind of Savatage at their darkest or bleakest point.
But of course with sadness can come some of the greatest art work.
I really can't say enough things about this piece, which has totally stood the test of time some nearly 25 years later.
If you have never heard it or Savatage, it may well be totally worth your time.
So I recently saw a live Acoustic version shared on Social Media the other day, and I've decided to share it in here.
Chance has been and probably always will be my favorite track from Savatage (who have many, probably many others could find the "Meaningful Songs" category).
It's a masterwork in studio tracking multi-layered vocals. And Zak Stevens along with hired-gun Alex Skolnick create some of the most perfected kind of progressive metal.
Or think like Queen doing prog metal in some ways.
The dynamics are so well crafted. The emotion just cries out throughout.
I know some if not purely the inspiration came from the loss of the great Criss Oliva, and I know the Handful of Rain album did and was kind of Savatage at their darkest or bleakest point.
But of course with sadness can come some of the greatest art work.
I really can't say enough things about this piece, which has totally stood the test of time some nearly 25 years later.
If you have never heard it or Savatage, it may well be totally worth your time.