Category Archives: Music and Reviews

God Is An Astronaut

Posted on by
2

As much effort as I’ve put into attempted writing, I’m coming up short. I’m still tired and in recovery mode, so for the next few days I’ll share simple things – quotes, pictures, songs, or possibly a list of the many books I’ve acquired over the past week.

For today, a new song. My younger brother is really into new music, so for my birthday he gave me a huge playlist of songs he thought I would like. One of the many new bands he introduced me to is God Is An Astronaut, an instrumental/post-rock band from Ireland. I think they are incredible. This song is called In The Distance Fading. Enjoy!

In the Sun

Posted on by
1

A chaotic week means less time for writing; however, that also means more time spent in the car with my music. I’ve always preferred profound and deeply affective music, but the emotional pungent lyrics and instrumentals seem even more powerful when you’re looking for spark of inspiration, e.g. while writing a novel.

Good books fall into two categories for me – either they have an original and coherent plot or are emotionally honest and relatable. In my novel, I’m focusing more on the latter. Compelling music is my muse. One of my songs I’ve had on repeat the past few days is “In the Sun” by Joseph Arthur. I’m not sure exactly what it’s about, but I love it.

“I know I would apologize if I could see your eyes,
’cause when you showed me myself, you know, I became someone else.
But I was caught in between all you wish for and all you need.
I picture you fast asleep; a nightmare comes, you can’t keep awake.” 



Gold in the Shadow

Posted on by
7

A few months ago I shared music from one of my favorite albums, The Sparrow and the Crow by William Fitzsimmons. A few weeks ago, I received an email that said he would be touring the US, including Phoenix, promoting his latest album, Gold in the Shadow. Giddy with excitement, I bought my ticket for the March show right away and the anticipation is already building. Maybe in the next four months I can find someone to drag along with me.

Although, I’m trying to save up all the money I can, $7 for a used book or $15 for a small concert are little luxuries that I think I can afford. Countless studies in psychology have shown that experiences contribute more to happiness than material things and I believe that wholeheartedly. Outside of things I use on a regular basis, I couldn’t tell you what I’ve owned, I couldn’t assign it any level of importance. However, I vividly remember my first movie theater experience (Beauty and the Beast), every concert and exhibit I’ve been to, and even the experience of reading of my favorite books.

I’m continually working to build up my repertoire of fond memories and inspirational experiences. For me music, good books, museums and galleries, travel, and deeply thoughtful conversations are the most potent and pleasurable memories. Although I love writing, it’s not an “experience” in the same sense, but rather a release, a reliving, and a means of understanding those inspirational experiences.

What things make you feel alive and inspired? What types of memories stick with you? 

M83 and Active Child

Posted on by
1

Several months ago, I heard that the bands M83 and Active Child were coming to town and immediately saved the date on my calendar. Unfortunately the show sold out before I had the chance to buy tickets. I deleted the event from my calendar and forgot about it. That is until a few hours before the concert began when a friend informed me that he had an extra ticket. The originally $15 tickets were going for over $100 on Craigslist. ”Of course I’d like to go!”

The Crescent Ballroom is a brand new venue in Phoenix and this was my first visit. I was thoroughly impressed. The front room is a bar and lounge with plenty of seating and a small stage for DJs to perform. The back room is much larger with a restaurant in addition to the large stage. There’s wooden bench seating along the back wall and a standing room only area closer to the stage. The sound system is incredible, the light show capacity is great, and the venue is the perfect size for an intimate yet high-energy show (540-capacity).

First to take the stage was Active Child, a trio consisting of the Pat Grossi’s haunting falsetto filtered through a vocoder, a harp, a drum kit, and keyboards. The combination of haunting ethereal vocals, the sharp vibrations of the harp, and sync indie-pop feel made for an engaging and memorable set. The band effortlessly set the mood and built the atmosphere for the rest of the night.

As the stage was set for M83, the room quickly filled with anxious and enthusiastic fans. The band, led by Frenchman Anthony Gonzales, is a compelling hybrid of haunting vocals, powerful crescendos, electronic tones, and layers upon layers of sound. The show was epic, with an outstanding light show for such a small venue, and phenomenal resonance and reverberation. It’s the type of music that simply engulfs you, music that’s so emotional powerful that you can’t help but get lost in it.

Being able to attend this show was a pleasant surprise and in return for the ticket, I’ve been instructed to “just pay it forward.” Hopefully I’ll have a nice story about that in the near future. If anyone has suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and The Walkmen

Posted on by
6

“You are at a musical concert. Congratulations.” read the screen at Comerica Theater. After fighting through an hour of rush hour traffic where my average speed was literally 3.3 miles per hour, I finally made it to the venue and met up with my friend. As many of you may know by now, I suffer from directional dyslexia and neither I nor my GPS are fans of downtown Phoenix, however we made it to our destination with minimal detouring, one of those detours being the overpriced t-shirt stand.

I’ve been to several concerts over the past few years and this was easily one of the best performances I’ve seen. Although I was a fan of both Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes before the concert, neither were in my top ten; over the course of the four-hour event, I think that may have changed.

The Walkmen, a Washington DC-based indie-rock band opened. The venue was less than half full when the “early bird special” took the stage, but everyone there seemed to enjoy the 30-minute set. I was still recovering from my traffic-indused anxiety, so I wasn’t able to enjoy the band to their fullest. Although previously unfamiliar with the band, I did enjoyed their performance and will definitely be looking into their music.

Fleet Foxes, a folk group from Seattle took the stage next, performing a phenomenal 75-minute set. With seven well-coordinated, multi-instrument performers, the music was expansive and the performance impressive. Along with strong lead vocals, the harmonies were unbelievable; paired with the powerful percussion and the gentler sounds of the flute, mandolin, and violin, the music was both penetrating and overpowering. In addition to high quality sound, the band also had neat visuals projected on the back screen – a combination of animated geometric shapes and nature simulations. As the stage was being cleared, I told my friend, “If the show ended right now, I would be perfectly content.” I had no idea what was in still in store.

Bon Iver, a nine-member group led by Justin Vernon’s distinct falsetto, took the stage for another 75 minutes. The performance can only be described as an overwhelming of the senses; between the resounding euphony and ambient light show, it was impossible not to be deluged by the experience. Listening to their CDs, Bon Iver’s music sounds very cohesive and simple, so I was blown by the number of instruments involved (I’m guessing around 25) and how intricate the dynamic between the musicians was. I was also surprised, but not at all disappointed, to see the entire group rock out to their synth folk rock ballads. With some bands you’re bored and distracted, with some you’re entertained and maybe even singing along, and with a very select few you get lost in the music; Bon Iver falls in the later category.

This was an amazing show and I would highly recommend looking into any of these artists, especially if you’re interested in folk-rock or indie music. If you ever have the opportunity to see any of these artists live, it would be well worth your time and money.

Forever If Ever

Posted on by
5

I first discovered Jon McLaughlin in 2006 through Pandora radio and fell in love with his music. I went to great lengths in 2007 to special-order his elusive first release, Indiana, which I still love, and then met him in concert later that year. His next album, OK Now, was released in 2008; it was more mainstream-pop than I would have liked, but it was still a strong effort.

I was excited to learn three years later, that he is finally releasing a new album. I pre-ordered Forever If Ever as soon as I was able, hoping that it would be of the the same caliber as Indiana. Although his debut album is still my favorite, Forever If Ever was a impressive piece of work.

Since his first album, McLaughlin seems to have shifted to a more diverse and mainstream music approach, yet he’s still managed to maintain his own unique style. I love his voice and I love that he incorporates the piano into nearly all of his songs. His songs are all sweet and romantic. (When I saw him perform, he said that his wife was the first and only girl he ever went out with.) Although I’m not as big of a fan as I once was, I still think he’s very talented and worth checking out.

The Sparrow And The Crow

Posted on by
5

Usually if I talk about music, its newly released albums or a concert I attended, so I’m going to diverge from tradition and introduce you to one of my all-time favorite albums.

The Sparrow and the Crow was released by folk artist William Fitzsimmons in 2008 and is still a favorite. Most albums remain on my most played list for a few weeks, so it says something when I’m still listening to this one on a weekly basis three years after its release.

The music is calm, pure, deep, personal, reflective, and melodic; Fitzsimmons’ voice is soft, peaceful, and comforting. The album is easy to listen to and always put me in a good mood, even though many of the tracks are melancholy accounts of a bad divorce. His tone is one of acceptance, love, and serenity. I would suggest that anyone interested in the folk/singer-songwriter genre or looking for some new music check it out.

Andrew Belle and The Milk Carton Kids

Posted on by
7

One of my favorite bands, The Decemberists, is in town tonight. However, I couldn’t justify the cost of ticket. And, unfortunately, the band is taking a three year hiatus after this tour to work on other projects, so they won’t be back anytime soon. I’m slightly disappointed about that, but I suppose that’s why bands release their music. If you’re not familiar with the Decemberists, they’re worth checking out.

Coincidently, another favorite artist was in town last night. Although I would have loved to see both shows, Andrew Belle was the perfect consolation prize.The Chicago-based singer-songwriter has been a favorite for quite some time, so I was excited to learn he would be coming to the valley.

The concert was held at the Rhythm Room, an intimate venue in Phoenix with a fun atmospere. Andrew Belle was alone on stage with his guitar and put on an amazing show. He was followed by The Milk Carton Kids, an impressive duo with whom I was previously unfamiliar.

What I’m Listening To

Posted on by
6

Several years ago, I discovered Pandora.com, an online radio station that is customized based on your ratings. I haven’t used the service in four years, but within the last year my brother introduced me to another customized online music service, Last.fm. The free web service connects to your iTunes account and “scrobbles,” allowing the software to track which artist and tracks are listened to most frequently. There are 10,290 tracks on my iPod, by 1,551 artists, with a total of 15,926 plays. Although entirely superfluous, I still think it’s a fascinating and pretty neat service.

According to my Last.fm profile, I’m into indie, folk, singer-songwriter, acoustic and rock, including: Peter Bradley Adams, Dave Barnes, Andrew Belle, Green River Ordinance, Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, Taylor Swift, Matt Wertz, Athlete, Embrace, William Fitzsimmons, Foo Fighters, Mumford & Sons, Joshua James, Coldplay, Civalias, The Perishers, The Decemberists, Maria Mena, Rocky Votolato, Augustana, Ben Rector, Stars Go Dim, Joshua Radin, Yeasayer, NeedToBreathe, Jon McLaughlin, Oh Land, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Sleeperstar, Fleet Foxes, Gabe Dixon Band, Eastmountainsouth, Bon Iver, Rosie Thomas, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sam Adams, Jon Schmidt, Iron & Wine, Will Hoge, Bliss N Eso, The Sounds, City and Colour, Bryan Adams, Amy Stroup, Andrew Bird, Lenka, Javier Dunn, The Airborne Toxic Event, and Joseph Arthur.

It’s a really interesting way to track and analyze what you’re listening to and how your listening habits shift over time (you can break down top artists and tops tracks by last 7 days, last 3 months, last 6 months, last 12 months, and overall). The site also provides recommends new artists, alerts you to concerts in your area, allows you to connect to others online, and lets you listen to your music collection online.

What are you listening to? Do you have a favorite artist, track, or genre?

Bon Iver/Fleet Foxes

Posted on by
8

Several months ago I received a Ticketmaster gift card and have been waiting for something to catch my eye. A few weeks ago I noticed that two artists I really like are coming to town together soon – Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. One of my best friends is also a fan of these bands, so she agreed to go with me. It’s two months away and I can’t wait! If you haven’t heard their music, I’d like to share a favorite song by each. I look forward to sharing my review of the concert in the near future.

Bon Iver – Blood Bank

Fleet Foxes – Blue Spotted Tail