16 posts tagged “music”

somehow, my TV ended up tuned to FOX last night when i turned it on, and i caught the last two performances and the recaps for the night on American Idol.  i haven't watched all season, i haven't even really paid attention to it in the news or on blogs or the radio, or anywhere.

so, who are these 'david' guys, and what's the story on them?

i think the blond/red-ish guy should win, because he not only sang his songs fantastically, heplayed guitar on all of his songs, he plays it left-handed, which in this right-hand dominated world is a feat unto itself.  he's much more marketable and seems like he could be a viable act outside the Idol craze.

the dark haired guy - or should i say boy - looked to be about 15 and a wuss.  however, i do admit, he sang beautifully.  i could see him do well on broadway, or on the multitude of American Idol tour/reunion/likely catfights that traipse around the country.

either way, at the announcement of "and here's ruben studdard!," i honestly thought, "who?"  i forgot, he won this years ago.  does he have a career?

**
perhaps this shows my disconnect with the pop-culture of today.  not that i was ever really connected to pop-culture at any age - i cannot name a New Kid on the Block, let alone sing one of their songs, nor have i seen more than one episode of Sex in the City.  

but then again, blogging could now be considered pop-culture, and i've been doing that since '99, since before there was a term [or a company] called 'blogger.'

does that make me a revolutionary instead?

i've never liked valentine's day.  if you want to tell someone you love them, you do it . . . not because hallmark said so.  and if you do want to do something special, be creative.  i once got valentine's cactuses.  one of them is still alive (thanks to my mother) after these five years.  the relationship . . . not so much.

anyways, i couldn't be with aaron yesterday because of work, so i opted for a fun and fantastic way to spend the evening - out with two of my roommates and my brother at the iota club in clarendon.  this wasn't just any old band night there.  we went with a purpose, to see one of our new favorite bands, mad tea party.

who?

these guys!

day029 :: year two

this band hails from north carolina, and although has been a three-piece before, is currently touring as a duo.  their music blends traditional rockabilly (ukabilly?) with retro-pop in classic oldies from the 50's and such, and even resonates through their originals.   through most of the set, ami (left) plays her ukulele, although she did play on guitar for the few songs jason played fiddle.

as pulled from their website:

The All Music Guide describes Mad Tea Party as “Americana for the modern generation. Shreds of ragtime, tatters of R&B, touches of blues, bursts of rockabilly, slivers of C&W, tinges of hillbilly hoe-downs, lashes of pop, snippets of rock, a feathering of folk, and even…the hurdy-gurdy sound of the circus."

don't believe this kind of band could exist today?  check out these little clips i took from last night.  so fun!  i wanted to get up and dance all night long . . . well, more than we did while we were there.  check this band out if they're in a town near you.  i guarantee you'll have a great time!

there's an old saying that guitars chose their owners.

i admit, i love to go to the music store and play all the fancy, expensive guitars that i can't ever afford.  there's something incredible about being able to play a well made, hand-crafted instrument.  every one has their own personality, their own tonal balance.  guitars are individuals, just as people.

and just as people are drawn together, guitars and people are drawn together.  anyone can play any instrument.  but when a guitar finds its match, a new sound is produced.  love makes the notes sweeter, stronger, and blended to the point where player and instrument become one.

cheyenne_4498

she struck me from the moment i walked into the climate-controlled room.  something about her color, her size, just looked like a style i would enjoy yet could very well be way out of my league.  not sure why i didn't pick her up off the wall to start, but i didn't.  although i played at least three other guitars in my session, my eyes kept being drawn back.  once i had her in my arms, i knew we were ment to make incredible music together.  we fell in love, and fell fast.  

a little fact about my girl - her list price was $2770.  yes, that is not a typo.  my old co-worker and friend [i used to work at the music store, then Victor's House of Music, now a Guitar Center - but we don't want to talk about that] told me her regular retail price would have been around $1950.  i'm not going to reveal how much she came home with me for, but i'll leave it that she was "at cost."  she was old Victor's inventory, and Guitar Center wanted her out.

i never thought i would be walking out of the store with a guitar in tow.  but here she is, Cheyenne, in all her glory!

and here we are, in our first photo together.  we're going to make some incredible music.

cheyenne_4525

1 comment

for those interested in her technical specs, she's a Gibson LC-1 Cascade in Vintage Sunburst.  according to the paper inside her case, her birthday is 06/12/06.

Jen posted a fantastic "Grey's Anatomy" themed version video featuring one of my new [guilty pleasure] pop songs, Apologize by OneRepublic [featuring Timbaland, of course].  from there, i went searching to find out more about the song, if there was an official video or website or something, because i'm absolutely loving the lead guy's vocals.  (apparently, they're a "full-on rock band" . . .  i need to go searching for more by them.)

friends, in this video, you will see the most beautiful man i've ever seen.  and heard.

(seriously. if there is a greater being up there, a man like that for me, please.  not just for the physical, but for the talent lying behind it.  my oh my.  am i blushing yet?)

a treat for my friends, neighbors, and fellow voxers . . .

while practicing today, i decided i needed to take a photo of myself with my guitar for my prject365.  after i got the shot, i realized that i could record a movie from that same location, and it'd look like a little mini-concert - a perfect gift for my slightly neglected blog.

[i tried to record an introduction, too, but it's infinitely harder to speak into the camera than it is to play.]

so, without further adieu -

i don't remember the last time i bought a new CD, a physical entity, especially one by a new [to me] artist.  today, i set out on a mission: find new music.

i admit, i had a little list of bands that i wanted to try.  i've been making lists like that since i worked for exhale and listened to hours on hours of internet radio.  did i ever buy albums from those artists?  actually, yea.  but not very often.

so today, i set out to borders [against my desire to go to a locally owned business] to aquire some new tunes to keep me company during my commute on my risen-from-the-dead ipod.  knowing exactly which bands to search for, i headed right to the sale rack.  [yes, that's a joke. i'm out of practice, leave me alone.] every time i go looking for new music, i end up grabbing all sorts of CDs i think i want, and then i walk around the store seeing better things [or the things i was looking for originally] and leaving a trail of mis-placed albums.

today's bounty?

an eclectic mix of new on-the-list bands, like JEM, Snow Patrol and Boys Like Girls, and new albums from two of my favorite artists, Mae and Matt Nathanson.

i highly recommend all of these . . .  but you're probably wondering what my title means.

i've been listening to Matt Nathanson croon for years.  i know his songs inside out and backwards, and have seen him more times that i can count.  his words have saved me from miserable moments, and have inspired me to continue my own efforts in songwriting.  his voice has sung me home from many a long drive, and his guitar sings melodies all on its own, subtle and warm.

today, listening to the first track on this newly released work, i got goosebumps. 
yes, those goosebumps that every musician hopes their listener will feel.

the ones that tell you you're listening to something special, something moving, something that means more than the usual pop on the radio.  something timeless, something oozing with the essence of what music is all about.

something to inspire you for millions of miles and hundreds of days in need of inspiration.

do you feel it, too?

01 Car Crash

Matt Nathanson

Some Mad Hope

Matt Nathanson

Finally Woken

Jem

Singularity

Mae

Final Straw

Snow Patrol

Boys Like Girls

i hope you all find this as hilarious as we did tonight . . .  i had to make a YouTube account just to upload it!

i do apologize for the shakes . . . it's hard to hold the camera steady when you're crying from trying *not* to shake while laughing hysterically.  and yea, in technical terms, these guys sang it better than us girls.

What was the last concert you attended?
the saw doctors @ the birchmere

How many people were there?
not sure . . .  more than 100, less than 200 probably.

What bands have you seen in concert the most, and how many times?
more times than i can count: guster, granian, twin-a, ari hest

Do you have any set lists? From what bands?
physical? naw.  but i've got pictures of them from granian and twin-a, probably ari, too.

Are there any CDs in close proximity to you? Which ones?
only work-related CD's

What band are you in the mood to see live right this second?
kill the alarm (formerly granian) . . .  they're coming to town tomorrow!

Have you ever been on a tour bus?
surprisingly, no . . .  but i've hung out right outside a few.

Have you ever partied with a band?
many, many times.  the most fun after-party had to be Pat McGee Band and Vertical Horizon at Shades, right across the street from Irving Plaza.

How many states/provinces have you been to concerts in?
new york.  pennsylvania.  maryland.  DC.  virginia.  new jersey.  massachussetts.  connecticut.  illinois.  maine.  delaware (i think.)

What bands did you see live the month of May?
i feel like i saw someone right before i left jersey . . .  but i can't remember.

What CD are you addicted to at the moment?
anberlin's new one - cities

Have you ever been on anyone's guest list? Whose?
goodness, yes.  granian, twin-a, ari hest, guster (i think) . . .  best was the night i had to have one of the band members come out and prove that i really was "erin carly" even though my license said "erin schwartz."  one downfall of the stage name.

Last band person that you got a picture with?
hmm . . .  i don't remember.  i'm usually not in the pictures, i'm the one taking them.

Do you consider yourself a groupie?
although i'm sure people would contest this, totally not.

If you were to name a boy and a girl after any band....what would it be?
i'm not sure.  let me think about that . . .

What bands haven't you seen yet that you want to see?
Genesis!

What band do you own the most merch of?
if you count CD's as being 'merch', it's totally Tori Amos

What song is on your myspace right now?
myself!

Have you ever met that band?
bhahahaha, i swear, i didn't read this question until after i wrote my answer to the above.

Do you ever do anything crazy at shows?
naw, i'm a chill kinda kid.  although i will be known to drift through the crowd to photograph from different angles.

What are your favorite venues to go to shows at?
lion's den, hands down.  also irving plaza, the recher theatre (in towson), cafe eclectic.  haven't found a DC / VA favorite yet.

What band do you have the most performance pictures of?
granian, with twin-a in a close second.

Would you ever get a tattoo representing a band?
no.  i don't like tattoo's anyway.

How many concerts do you average a year?
now?  probably 4 or so.  a few summers ago?  a few a week!

Upcoming shows?
kill the alarm tomorrow.  genesis september 23rd.  between then?  not sure yet.

List every band you've EVER seen live, no matter how obscure.

(not sure if i'm forgetting anyone, but here goes!  also, remember - i've seen many of these bands many, many times.)

01. guster

02. granian

03. twin-a

04. ari hest

05. robert matarazzo

06. bleu

07. adam richman

08. howie day

09. mercy creek

10. ryan adcock

11. carbon leaf (a million years ago)

12. anberlin

13. dashboard confessional

14. some band that opened for anberlin that i can't remember the name of

15. some band that opened for dashboard that i can't remember the name of

16. huey lewis and the news

17. billy joel

18. matt nathanson

19. robert randolph and the family band

20. chauncey

21. the saw doctors

22. black 47

23. shileleigh law

24. the rest of the irish festival

25. gonzo's nose (a dc cover band)

26. dispatch

27. oval opus

28. pete francis

29. state radio

30. stephen kellogg and the sixers

31. maroon5 (before they were anyone!)

32. john lardieri (solo)

33. pat mcgee band

34. vertical horizon

35. foo fighters

36. weezer

37. everclear (unfortunately.)

38. soulive

39. dr. didg

40. huma

41. tina vero

42. josh rifkin

43. josh sallo

44. stephen thomas (yea, people on wheels!)

45. gary frank

46. jeff gaynor

47. jay legaspi

48. the rest of my nj singer songwriters

49. the leevees

50. susan cagle

51. sam roberts band (yea!)

52. dylan nirvana

53. gretchen witt

yea, i'm sure there's more.  and a bunch of these are people i know and used to play songwriter circles with in jersey.

if i think of anyone i forgot, i'll be sure to update the list!

Audio: If you could sing like anyone, living or dead, who would you choose to sound like?  Share a song of theirs.
Submitted by aa.

hmm.  being a singer, i like this question quite a bit.  kinda gives you an insight into my inspirations to learn to sing  better every day.  here's a few of the artists i consider "a voice quality i'd work my ass off to achieve."

• christina aguilera :  don't knock her because she ran around with miss britney and mister justin in her early years.  this tiny girl's got a set of pipes to blow you away.  from powerful to sultry to sensitive, she's managed to cover every emotion through her music.  since she's top of my list, she gets two song entries, "Infatuation" and "The Voice Within."

• lea salonga : if i were Broadway bound (which, hey, you never know!) lea's tone and clarity would be my ultimate goal.  i originally learned to sing from listening to the London cast of Les Miserablés, imitating every tone i heard on the discs.  once my Broadway taste broadened, Miss Saigon was at the top of my list, with lea being one of my biggest inspirations.  i performed "i still believe" as part of a 'review' performance with my HS/college summer theatre program, and used it as an audition piece for quite a while.

I Still Believe

Lea Salonga & Claire Moore

• michelle branch : she's got not only the voice, but the 'discovery' i could only dream about.  starting out as just a little singer / songwriter playing coffee shops, her career now includes grammy awards, platinum albums, two bands (her own, and now "The Wreckers,") and working with some of the top musicians in the business, including Santana and Sheryl Crow.  yeah.  i want to be like her.

Breathe

Michelle Branch

*****
while we're on the subject of crazy-talented people, if i were a guy (which i'm happily not), i'd want to sing like these guys:

• stephen christian, anberlin

("The Symphony of Blase" and "A Day Late")

• josh groban

When You Say You Love Me

Josh Groban

1 comment

(not the greatest photo, i'll see if i can find another one. 
paul durham's the blond, and not quite so anorexic looking now.)

• paul durham, black lab

Ecstasy

Black Lab