Alec and Kyle's Discoveries of the Year

First of all I would like to wish all of our readers (you 4 rock) a Happy New Year, and I hope that you all wear red underwear tonight (for good luck) and eat lots of lentil beans (for getting rich) up through the stroke of midnight. Since it is the end of the calendar year, some prestigious year end awards can be handed out. For this first award Alec and I sit down at the end of every year and ask ourselves....what band did we not know about before this year that kicks serious ass. We rank our top 5 favs with an inverted point system, and the winner gets the high distinction of Alec and Kyle's discovery of the year.

Past winners are:
2003: Armor for Sleep
2004: The Format
2005: Say Anything

This year...as you may have noticed in the title...we have 2. This is the first ever split decision, but I honestly think it's a good decision...because both of these bands shred.

The early favorite to take the award were these guys...Westbound Train. Alec wrote about them earler here, check that out. Westbound creates a fun blend of ska, reggae, soul, and dub which is perfect for almost any chill party. They are incredibly talented musicians, which makes their live show absolutely incredible with the members soloing off of each other and grooving like no other. Alec posted a tune off their old album Five to Two, so I'll give you a couple off of their 2006 release, Transitions.

Westbound Train - Please Forgive Me
Westbound Train - I'm no Different


The second winner is an alt-country band called the Band of Annuals out of Salt Lake City. When you listen to them it feels like they should be from the plains of Oklahoma rather than the mountains of Salt Lake. They manage to write absolutely beautiful songs, some of which incorporate guy/girl harmonies that get your heart beating. Some of the songs are very relaxed with some acoustic and slide guitars or harmonicas, and others throw in a drumset and pick up the tempo a bit. When I listen to the Band of Annuals, I want to grab a rocking chair, some whiskey, a cigar, a good old dog, and a sweet ranch-style home and chill.

The three songs below show some of the various styles that the Band of Annuals really shine at creating. "Lower" is a song that carries you with a soft singing voice, and then lifts you up with some emotional harmonies and poignant lyrics. "Something True" is a song off of their Live EP that was just released, and it also makes use of the harmonies with some slide guitar thrown in there. I don't exactly know why, but this song always makes me pause for a minute every time I hear it. The last selection "Constant Stride" is a short tune that makes one long for the countryside. It drives a little bit more than the other tunes, and definitely keeps the alt-country feel which I love so much.

Band of Annuals - Lower
Band of Annuals - Something True
Band of Annuals - Constant Stride

Enjoy!

-Kyle

A Few Favorites of 2006

As I sit here not able to sleep anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa down the chimney, I decided to give a few gifts of my own. I have put a little list together of nine songs, which were released in 2006, that I immensely enjoyed. None of these bands will win any of my other end of the year awards (Top 5 CD's of 2006 and Alec and Kyle's discovery of the year)....but they all put out some incredible songs, and I definitely didn't want to let some of my favorite songs of the year go unrecognized.

Midlake - Roscoe
This song is actually my song of the year. I don't exactly know what it is that hooked me. Maybe it is the old-school feel, maybe it's the way the guitar line is strummed in the chorus, maybe it's the piano break, or maybe it's the way the lyrics are sung. I swear if this song had come out in the 70's, it would be a chart-topper.

Moneen - If Tragedy's Appealing, Then Disaster's an Addiction
This is a band that you MUST see live once in your life. They will roll all over the stage, dive off of speaker towers, crash into drumsets, and throw their guitars 20 feet in the air....all while rocking out like crazy. Have fun playing air guitar with this one.

Hot Chip - A Glue Too Thick
This song is actually a B-side from their 2006 release The Warning, but I was addicted immediately. I love the eurotrash beat, the electronic feel, and the vocal-synth interplay.

Hotel Lights - A.M. Slow Golden Hit
This is a band fronted by the former drummer of Ben Folds Five. Their self-titled cd is a super mellow collection of tunes that are great for the winter. This one grabbed me with the seemingly contrasting light vocals and pushing beat. The synth is also a nice touch, and definitely not overdone.

The New Amsterdams - Turn Out the Light
These guys are my favorite band. This is one of my favorite NewAms songs. It's too bad that this album ended up being my biggest dissapointment of the year, with only 2 listenable tunes. It makes me sad because their last two albums are absolutely genius. This is a softer tune with a great vocal line, especially in the chorus. Check it out.

Park - Who is Aliandra?
Park is one of my guilty pleasures. Super emo (see song titles "Which Wrist First" and "Your Latest Victim"), fairly technical with their guitar work, and definitely a bit dancey nonetheless. This song is the epitome of guilty pleasure...bad lyrics, real pop-punky, and a catchy-as-hell chorus...I love it.

Ratatat - Wildcat
I still don't quite get Ratatat. I'm not convinced that anybody does. An electronic feel, some spacey guitars, layers upon layers of sound that really play well off of each other, and in this song...a sweet wildcat.

Starlight Mints - Seventeen Devils
I played this song one day, and didn't play it again for two weeks. Then one day I was raiding my computer for this song because it was stuck in my head. That's how quickly this one can get you. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Under the Influence of Giants - Mama's Room
This song was my summer anthem. Play it...roll down the windows...cruise. A sick bass line to start, some disco stylings during the chorus, and falsetto singing about makin love. It doesn't get too much better.


Hopefully all of you enjoy some of these tunes....and if you missed them, some of my other favorites from this year are here and here. Leave some comments...let me know what you liked, what you didn't...you dont have to be registered to leave comments! I hope that all of you are having a great Christmas break, and God bless!

-Kyle

Girl Talk

I was reading some weekly music recommendations from a website the other day and was surprised when 2 of the first 4 people recommended the same band. Then another person stated that they would've recommended the same band but since it had already been done they were going to rec something else. Damn I thought. Must be pretty good. The band? Girl Talk

I must admit that I wanted to pass on this right away when I first saw the name. But thankfully I didn't, because I would've missed something pretty amazing. Girl Talk is the stage name of Pittsburg electronic producer Greg Gillis, who makes his living creating songs that are a mix of parts of many popular songs put together. And by many I mean approximately 10 to 20 which is quite a bit for one song.. The songs sample a wide range of materials, and Gillis combines them somehow into individual songs, often with great results.

I've seen his 2006 release Night Ripper listed on several "Best Of" lists for this year. I don't know if it is really one of the best albums of the year, but it's quite good in its own way. Why am I writing about it? Because it's fun. Really fun. Listening to this album you can't help but be drawn in by the catchy beats...and soon you find yourself saying "hey I know that song" every 30 seconds.

Hell you could even make a game of it. Play the album and see who can write down the most number of songs they recognize. Or not. But you should listen to it, because I can't think of a single person who wouldn't enjoy it. It's not going to revolutionize everything you used to listen to, but it sure will make you enjoy all of your old favorite music in a new way. I mean where else can you hear Notorious B.I.G. rapping over Tiny Dancer and Ying Yang Twins rhyming over Bittersweet Symphony? It's a trip down memory lane.....and some nice beats to go with.

Girl Talk - Once Again

Girl Talk - Bounce That


Merry Christmas to everyone
-Alec

Clarity for the Winter

amazon.com

As I was driving up to Eau Claire today, one of the CD's that I put on in the car was Jimmy Eat World's Clarity. Released in 1998 and considered by most JEW fans to be their best, listening to the CD on the ride made me realize how incredible it is as an entire CD. There are no tracks that can hold the same effect when taken out of the context of Clarity. I honestly think that it is in my top 5 CD's of all time because of how whole it is. It's also a great CD for the winter because it just envelops you from start to finish in all of its musical folds and soundscapes. With Clarity you can just zone out, watch the snow fall, and think about whatever you want.

Clarity holds a truly indie/emo rock feel and takes you from some powerful songs with dual vocal choruses and driving drums such as "Lucky Denver Mint" and "Believe in What You Want" to harmonizing ballads that make you want to stare off into the distance such as "For Me This is Heaven" and "Ten". It is an incredibly beautiful CD, and I would definitely recommend anyone to check it out. And please, please, please if you do check it out....listen to the entire CD through once..trust me, it's worth it. I'm sure that many of you have heard JEW before (The Middle was a huge MTV hit off of their CD Bleed American), but I think you should forget all you know about JEW if it is your first time checking out Clarity. Give it a shot I think you will enjoy it. Two tracks off of JEW's newest CD Futures that have a Clarity-esque feel are posted below...this is because I really think that you should listen to Clarity as a whole CD. Ask me for it if you want it, I'll gladly lend it to you.

Oh, and Meg, you were right about Clarity.

Jimmy Eat World - The World You Love

Jimmy Eat World - Drugs or Me

www.musicstack.com

After reading Kyle's last post I realized there was an easy extension that would combine both his and my last posts - Christmas soul music. Many great soul artists and groups have released Christmas music over the years (not all of it living up to the group's reputation). These songs have been featured on albums and also in many Christmas soul compilations that are available.

I decided to put together a little Christmas soul sampler of some of the better songs. Some of the them are old Christmas standards redone in a soulful way (see The Temptations) and others are original holiday songs (see Clarence Carter, though it barely qualifies as a Christmas song). Please enjoy this little compilation as a way to put a little soul into your Christmas and get your body and soul moving.

1. Otis Redding - Merry Christmas Baby

2. Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa

3. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Jingle Bells

4. Donny Hathaway - This Christmas

5. The Temptations - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

6. James Brown - Funky Christmas

7. Charles Brown - Please Come Home For Christmas

8. Stevie Wonder - What Christmas Means To Me

9. The Temptations - Silver Bells


As always, right click and choose "save link as" to download. And of course these songs are for sampling purposes and will be removed at request.

Sweet Soul Music

Hey everybody...so today was great. I finished the hardest quarter of school in my entire life, and have a month of vacation to look forward to. Because of this, I will try and broaden some music horizons by putting a couple soul tunes up. This music is so happy. This music makes me want to dance around my room in my boxers. This music just has some serious soul. When you think about it, soul music really influenced a lot of the music that is on the radio and in cd players now. Powerful singing, powerful drums, powerful choruses, moving bass-lines...all things that are prevalent in many of todays best songs from hip-hop to pop to R&B to Indie...you name it.

The first song is by the Chairmen of the Board, who are well known for their hit "Give Me Just a Little More Time." They were a 1970's soul band based out of Detroit, and they recorded a decent amount of charted hits. The posted song gets you moving right from the beginning with some punchy guitar and truly convincing singing, and breaks into a horn-mediated chorus with some back up soul harmonies. I loved it the first time I heard it...I hope you do too.

The second song is by a 1970's soul/R&B group called the Fifth Dimension. It begins with some light singing and conga drums before a building drum fill leads into everybody feelin all right. Play this one at a party and watch how many people start to slightly dance when filling their beer, when talking to someone else, or even when sitting in a couch. It's a tune that will get people subconsciously addicted to dance. It's great.

Chairmen of the Board - From the Days of Pigtails

The Fifth Dimension - Feelin' Alright


I hope you enjoy the soul tunes, and I hope that they help get you through exams if you still have them....but more importantly celebrate if you don't.

-Kyle

Winter is here

I really think this blog is a musical good luck charm, because both of the concerts that I have gone to since we started have been amazing. Sunday night at The Slackers show was another great experience. The opening band, Todd Hembrook & The Hemispheres, was a pleasant surprise. As they took the stage looking like the nerdy members of some indy band I thought for sure I knew what we were in for. But the goofy-looking lead singer stood up and said, "Tonight we're gonna play a little soul music for you all", and with that they proceeded to rock the place with some classic soul tunes. The strength of the band was definitely Todd Hembrook, who has a very strong voice that works well with soul music. Musically the rest of the band wasn't anything special, but they were solid enough to put on a good show. These guys are a fun, and while I wouldn't say you need to make any special trips to see them, if you ever have the opportunity, I recommend taking it for a good time.

The Slackers played a great set as well, and their live showed their experience of 10 years on the road, as they really knew how to entertain the crowd with both their music and antics. They had probably the tightest vocal harmonies of any group I've seen, and some great horn solos to go with.

So now that we've got some snow on the ground and it really feels like winter, it's time for a little Christmas music. My recs for Christmas music are two cds that have been staples of my family for as long as I can remember.


The first one is A Charlie Brown Christmas by The Vince Guaraldi Trio. A famous jazz pianist in his own right, Guaraldi lent a hand in the composition of the music for the legendary animated special featuring the one and only Charlie Brown. I highly recommend the Christmas special itself, but also suggest taking a listen to the soundtrack composed by Guaraldi. The album features both famous Charlie Brown tracks that everyone will recognize, but also some great jazz trio renditions of some Christmas classics. Guaraldi is an extremely talented pianist, and his simple arrangements give a nice jazzy touch to the songs.

Vince Guaraldi Trio - O Tannenbaum



My second rec is a little classier and traditional. The Christmas Song, by Nat "King" Cole is a collection of Christmas songs sung with his silky-smooth voice. This album is a classic, and there's nothing too complicated about it, just a chance for Nat to impress you with the shear quality of his singing.

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

Of course there is plenty of other good Christmas music out there (and plenty of terrible music as well). Check out some Christmas releases from classic singers like Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Elvis, and Ella Fitzgerald as well. It's all jolly and all good.

Show announcement: The Slackers @ Abbey Pub

Since Kyle was a bitch and posted twice before I got a chance, I'm going to post right after him to make a show announcement. The Slackers are playing this Sunday night at the Abbey Pub in beautiful Chicago, and I invite all of you to come to the show with us.

Don't know the Slackers? Not a problem. These guys play a very chill style of reggae/ska with blues and jazz influences that anyone can enjoy. This is not a thrash around concert like the last one. This is a sit/stand with a brew in your hand while grooving to some great tunes kind of concert. So here's your notice, let us know if you want to come, it would be great to get a big group of people out to support live music.

And if you're still not convinced, check'em out right here first -

The Slackers - Bin Waiting

The Slackers - Easy

Show starts at 8 pm, price is $14. Come out, it'll be a good time and a nice diversion from studying for finals.

And don't forget to read Kyle's review of the newest Brand New, it's quite good.....the review that is

CD Review: Brand New

wikipedia.org

Where to begin with Brand New. Back in high school I picked up a cd called Your Favorite Weapon by this band that was trying to break into the "scene". Needless to say, I instantly fell in love with the catchy riffs, pop tendencies, sing-a-long choruses, and wry lyrics. I eagerly anticipated what was coming next from the band, and in 2003 picked up their second disc Deja Entendu on the day it came out. I stuck it in my car and tried to rock out and sing along all the way home, felt disappointed when I couldn't, and passed off the disc as terrible. I picked it back up about 2 months after this and listened to it a bit more carefully....and again fell in love with Brand New. The way that they could contrast loud and soft, the way the bared instruments crescendoed into almost epic choruses and breaks, as well as lyrics that made you think...all of it really captured me. Needless to say, this record was a huge underground success and put Brand New on an almost untouchable pedestal in the indie scene. Which brings us to the present.

For seemigly three years Brand New had done pretty much nothing except a few tours. 9 unreleased, unfinished demo tracks were leaked in early 2006, which got people talking, but again no real word from Brand New. Some people passed it off as cockiness, some as pretension, and some as just pure laziness, but Brand New finally broke the silence a few months before the release of their new CD last week, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me. They were back.

Now, I love each Brand New cd for a different reason. I love Your Favorite Weapon because it brings me back to early high school...where I could roll down the windows, shout out the lyrics, and get pumped up for 6pm basketball practices. I love Deja Entendu because I think it is one of the best albums front to back that you can find. Each song has a different feel, each song will bring you down and bring you back up, each song really feels like a piece of the whole.

After saying all of this....I am still coming to terms with Devil and God. I want to really like it, I want it to be the best cd of the year. I first heard "Sowing Season (Yeah)" about a month before the cd release and got really excited for the disc. The song starts out from nothing and suddenly erupts into music that makes you want to jump on your bed, run up the wall, and fall down while playing air guitar bent over backwards on your knees. It was the rollercoaster ride that I had really wanted from Brand New. When I got the cd, I eagerly listened to the whole thing right away. My first impression, which is still what I feel, is that this cd never really kicks me in the pants. It's like getting into the blocks at a track meet, hearing "Ready, Set...." and never hearing "Go!". I just kept waiting for it to finally break through and smack me in the face, but it never really came. There are plenty of great songs from the beautiful and haunting, yet catchy "Jesus Christ" to the loud and in your face "Not the Sun" to the grunge feel of "Millstone". However tunes like "Degausser" add a children's shout to the chorus which seems a bit out of place, "Limosine" seems to drag along for its 7 minutes, and "The Archer's Bows are Broken" drives with its drums but has a generic harmonizing chorus and lacks anything memorable for me. The vocals on the cd don't do it for me either. I feel like the screams in "You Won't Know" lack something intangible, and the scratching voice in the first few minutes of "Handcuffs" leaves me wanting more.

My advice on this cd is give it a listen or 6. I still don't know if I like it. I suppose you and I will find out if it makes my top 5 of 2006. Maybe it will take that long for me to wrap my head around the cd and finally realize its greatness...I don't know. But aside from all of this, it is still a good rock cd, and I truly hope that it continues to grow on me. You can listen to a few tracks from all three of Brand New's cds here.

Here are my favorite tracks from Devil and God and Deja Entendu. Enjoy, and Brand New listeners...post some comments....let me know what YOU think of the cd.

Brand New - Jesus Christ

Brand New - Guernica (off Deja)

-and as always...if you are a band or label and would like these songs removed, please contact me and they will be removed immediately...these songs are for sampling purposes only

Saosin

saosin.com

It's almost time to put up some "Best of" lists for the end of the year....and Saosin is a serious contender to be in my top 5 of 2006. I have been listening to them since their debut in 2003 with the Translating the Name EP, and just this year Saosin released their first full length, Saosin.

Saosin is the creation of talented singer Anthony Green. In 2003, their Translating the Name EP was a huge success in the "scene", and it generated a lot of buzz concerning the future of the band. However, Anthony Green left the band for personal reasons in 2004, and left the rest of the band a bit stranded. Saosin was still interested in making music, and auditioned for a new singer. If you listen to the track that is posted off of the old EP, you can see what kind of trouble replacing Anthony Green could be. He has an incredibly unique singing style reaching ranges that few other male singers can. Not only that, but when he sings in falsetto regions, it is just as powerful as his regular voice.

Saosin decided upon vocalist Cove Reber in the end. Old fans of Saosin backlashed against the band, saying that it would never be the same, yet others gave them a fighting chance. After an EP titled the Saosin EP came out in 2005 against the band's wishes, the critics really started to grow. The EP was unfinished and not really made for the public, however the record label pushed Saosin to release something, since their only real material was 5 songs off of an old EP with an old singer. Not only that, but a full album was scheduled for early 2005, and was constantly pushed back with mounting criticism until it's eventual release in September of 2006.

However, take a listen to what Cove Reber and Saosin managed to put together. It has a different feel from the old EP, however it still has the driving drums, a great singer, and guitar lines that will have you playing some serious air guitar. Saosin is really what I would call a "post-hardcore" band...which means to me that they have hardcore tendencies in their music, however with a rock element, and a lack of screaming. The new cd, Saosin, is a bit more subdued than Translating the Name, however it shows an evolution of style, both of which I enjoy very much. Hopefully this is something new for you guys, and hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do.

From Translating the Name

Saosin - 3rd Measurement in C

From Saosin

Saosin - It's Far Better to Learn

Saosin - Sleepers


Check out some more at Saosin's purevolume page.


A little bonus...Anthony Green did start a new band called Circa Survive....here's a track from their debut cd, Juturna.

Circa Survive - Holding Someone's Hair Back

Jay - Z: Kingdom Come

Monstersandcritics.com

This wouldn't be much of a music blog if we didn't address the newest release by one of rap's greatest living legends - Jay Z. Yes one of the biggest name's in rap came out of his self-imposed "retirement" this week with the release of "Kingdom Come". I put retirement in quotes because I rarely believe that musicians retire. It's not like sports where they reach a point where their bodies can no longer perform. They just decide they want a break from music. Then a few years later they decide their creative fire is burning again and they return. And this thought process brings us to Jay's newest album...

This album has left me on the fence a little. While there are times where I really feel that it's another Jay-Z classic, there's also plenty of times where I find myself unable to be encapsulated by the songs in the way previous releases were capable of. There are several very good tracks, including the album's first single Show Me What You Got, which has the epic sound of old. But there are plenty of tracks that do not seem to be on the same level with some of his previous works. Dig A Hole is one track in particular that sticks out to me. The track simply does not groove, and the beat sounds like something produced by a high schooler. Hardly what I would expect from someone who had a hand in the rise of Kanye West by recognizing the quality of his beats.

If you're wondering whether Jay Z is getting a little too old for the rap game, the answer is no. But it is something he might be getting a little self conscious about. The veteran rapper makes numerous references to his getting on in years, both in a "I'm older and wiser now" way and in a "I'm still a young baller" way. These phrases along with his constant mentioning of returning from "retirement" can wear on the listener over time.

So yes this is not the same old Jay Z, but at the same time that is because he is a victim of his own previous success. The bar is high for him, sky high they might say. I tend to liken this album to Michael Jordan's comeback with the Wizards. Overall he played well, and seemed to be capable of doing many of the things the old Michael could do, but when it was all said and done you just wondered whether it was really necessary.

Here's a track from the new album featuring Beyonce; one that I wouldn't be surprised if it's tapped as the next single -

Jay Z - Hollywood (feat Beyonce)


Since I'm on the subject of hip-hip, I also want to make a quick rec. K'naan is a Somali/American/Canadian rapper. His style is very unique, and will probably never make it mainstream because of it, but that doesn't mean it's not good. A quick visit to his myspace page will show this as his styles are listed as hip-hop, folk, and acoustic. He takes a very artistic, even poetic approach to hip-hop, and the beats he employs are not the typical beats you will hear on the radio.

I can't even really describe why I like him, maybe his wise-beyond-his-years attitude and respect for the way the world works. Most rappers rap about growing up on the rough streets, but K'naan grew up on the streets of Mogadishu. He has seen the real horrors of war first hand, and for that you tend to trust what he says. Give it a listen, I guarantee it'll be the best Somali-influenced rap you've heard in a while. Here's a couple tracks from his 2006 release The Dusty Foot Philosopher -

K'naan - If Rap Gets Jealous

K'naan - I Was Stabbed By Satan

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving
Alec

Cold War Kids: An expose

coldwarkids.com

It's the truth that this blog isn't all about ska, so I think I'm going to break the mold of every post that we have ever done. Here is a band I think you will like: Cold War Kids. This band has been getting a decent amount of hype in the "scene" if you are into that kind of thing. They just put out their debut album Robbers and Cowards about a month ago, which consists of many songs from their previous 3 EP's.

When I first played the songs a while back, I thought "whoa, that singer has a distinct voice and way of singing." Some people may get a little annoyed at the slightly quavering, yet forceful singing, but when it is coupled with the raw and almost bluesy instrumentation..I think it's a really good fit. It is essentially a keyboard, a drumset, a guitar, a bass, and a singer who really envelops you in the stories he is telling through his songs. One really powerful track is Hospital Beds, which talks about men in a general hospital room and how they really have no choice as to their fate at the moment.

This band definitely has an indie feel, with perhaps a little White Stripes or Strokes influence...but I really think that the minimal instrumentation and the emotional, story-telling singing really set this band apart from what is out there already. Here are a few mp3's that you can check out...let me know if you dig em!

Cold War Kids - Hospital Beds

Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up to Dry

These mp3's are for sampling only and will be removed at the copyright holder's request


-Kyle

Concert Review

Friday night concluded Ska Week with a trip down to Urbana-Champaign to see Reel Big Fish, Streetlight Manifesto, Suburban Legends, and Westbound Train at the Canopy Club. Overall the concert was amazing, and might possibly be the best concert I've ever been to.

The show opened with Westbound Train who are steadily rising in my eyes. These guys put on a great set, and the crowd was much more receptive than the last time I saw them, despite not really knowing their work. Their live show is great because they are all such good musicians, and they had great horn solos that you wouldn't expect at a ska show.

Suburban Legends followed and put on another great set, though their style is markedly different from Westbound's. Suburban Legends put on a show that is all about on stage entertainment. They have catchy songs, choreographed dances, and lots of energy. Their set was better than I expected considering they have had a lot of line up changes recently. Their former singer left the band, and one of their horn players died tragically in a motorcycle accident. But they're back on the road and still playing well. Their new singer isn't as talented as their old singer, and they have a smaller horn section now which makes their on stage dancing look less impressive. The crowd loved them nonetheless and they finished strong.

Streetlight Manifesto was the third band, and by far the most energetic. The crowd went nuts for them, and the pit was out of control (an elbow to the jaw will be my lasting memory). They opened with a powerful horn arrangement that then morphed into their opening song. Streetlight was fast and powerful and the crowd was insane for them, just as expected.

Finally Reel Big Fish came on to close the night. These guys have been around for a while now, and their live show was evidence of it. It was very polished, and their transitions were great. Lead singer Aaron and backup singer/trumpet/guitar Scott have great vocals that compliment each other well, and both do fine singing live. Reel Big Fish played for over an hour and a half with encore, and almost outlasted a crowd. I've never been to a concert before where the crowd was exhausted to the point of not hardly even being able to dance or jump around. But the crowd stuck with it, and were rewarded as they closed with one of their best songs, Sell Out.

So if you can't tell already, I had a great time at the show. All the bands played great sets, the crowd was energetic and fun, and even the venue was really nice. I give the Canopy Club a great rating for providing free water for people, something I've never seen before.

After the show we peeled off our soaking wet shirts and hit the road. Despite ringing ears, sore bodies, and a 2+ hour car ride ahead of us, we knew that it had been a great night.

Ska Week: Westbound Train

Epitaph.com

The next feature this week will be that of Westbound Train, a reggae-ska septet hailing from Boston, Massachusetts. As with Streetlight Manifesto, these guys will be playing in Urbana on Friday along with Reel Big Fish and Suburban Legends. Westbound is quite different from the other bands in the show, and their sound is much more traditional.

Westbound's sound is a base of traditional ska with influences of reggae, jazz, modern ska, and even a bit of country. Lead singer Obi Fernandez has a way of entrancing the listener with his soft voice and legato singing, whether singing about love or revolution, in a soulful style reminiscent of Marvin Gaye.

Musically Westbound Train is more talented than most of the ska bands currently out there. The members met as students at Berklee college of music in Boston, so they definitely know what they're doing with the instruments in their hands, and this is evident in both the horn lines and the rhythm section.

I highly recommend these guys, as they have been growing on me more and more lately. Kyle and I got a chance to talk to the drummer for a while at a show over the summer and they seem like really cool guys and they put on a good show.

Here's a track from their 2004 release Five To Two:

Forever
for sampling purposes only, will be removed at copyright holder's request.


And if you like their groove check them out at purevolume.com or just talk to Kyle or me.

Ska Week: Streetlight Manifesto

source: www.victoryrecords.com

Alec briefly mentioned last post that we are going to a big ska show this weekend down in Urbana-Champaign....this is true. Four of my personal favorite ska bands all in one place at one time is always a great thing. One of the bands that will be there is Streetlight Manifesto.

Streetlight is the creation of Tomas Kalnoky of Catch 22 "fame." If you get to know Tomas's music, you'll see that it is fast, brutal, yet somehow incredibly catchy. His bands always seem to weave intricate horn-lines through and around his incredibly fast singing. Tomas formed Catch 22 in 1996 and after recording their first cd, Keasbey Nights, he decided to leave the band. Catch 22 was and is still going strong (even though they just put out a terrible new cd)...but Tomas decided to start up Streetlight Manifesto in 2001. Their first cd, Everything Goes Numb, seems like a perfect sequel to the old Catch 22 album...uptempo, in your face, shouting, wicked bass-lines, and some I would even say "orchestral" melodies threaded in between the mayhem. The songs make me want to throw stuff all over my room and tear everything off of the walls...which is what is going to make the live show so incredible.

So basically, check out Everything Goes Numb. If you like it...check out Catch 22's Keasbey Nights. (Streetlight re-released Keasbey Nights in a much cleaner form...but if you want the true origins, I'd recommend the original with the poorer production and unintelligible lyrics...maybe I'm a bit biased)


Here is Streetlight Manifesto's Pure Volume site that has one track off of Everything Goes Numb. Let me know if you dig it!

getting things started

Since Kyle has posted the intro to the site(see below), I'll take a second to introduce myself as the second author of the blog. Like Kyle I love music, and I love talking about it as well. As Kyle said, the goal of this blog is to make public the daily conversations we have about music so that hopefully more people can enjoy more great music. In general I am a music lover, and there is not a lot of music that I hate, only stuff that I don't enjoy as much as other stuff. My music interests are pretty varied. In high school I played bass for a metal band, trumpet for a ska band, and guitar for a pop punk band, so I think that kind of indicates the breadth of my tastes.

As a quick beginning I want to share that this week I am listening almost exclusively to ska in anticipation for an amazaing concert that we will be attending on friday. So I'll start off by recommending ska in all shapes and forms. Anything with horns really, they add another whole dimension to music.

Here's the Deal.

So Alec and I have been talking about starting up a music blog for a while now, and we are both kind of excited that it is actually happening. My rationale for starting it up has many aspects. I have really liked music for as long as I can remember...from getting a tiny BOOM drumset when I was 8 years old to singing in the shower last night. I love it when people get a kick out of music. I love it when people dance. Music is probably the only thing that can make 50 year old investment bankers shake it, and yet at the same time make Shakira incredibly hot. I love it when people have memories associated with various songs from certain times in their lives. I love it when people rock out to their Ipod while walking down the street. Truly, I really just love how powerful music can be.

The idea for the blog is this. We'll post some recommendations of ours, some thoughts about music genres, scenes, concerts...but we really just want to get some music discussion started. It's always really cool for me to see a person really take to a band, and I hope that we can get you addicted to some of the same things that we have been for years. So here it is. Our music blog.