As a tremendous music fan, it probably goes without saying that the live music experience trumps all else. In fact, using the phrase "it goes without saying" shouldn't be said, because it's redundant and annoying. But it's already happened, so we're moving on. For how amazing the live music experience is, however, there can be times when it's still a little less-than-remarkable. I remember, for example, going to see Cat Power play in Seattle. I've gotten the impression since then that it was during a time when she was struggling with some things, including a little too much drinking, I believe, so I suppose that can account for some of it. Some of it could also be accounted for by the fact that she was playing music from The Greatest, which, incidentally, is not the greatest album of hers, in my opinion. At any rate, it was a disappointing show, and I left after what I assumed was about half of it having been completed.
The other end of the spectrum to me aren't truly amazing shows, though, it's the truly amazing moments. There are indescribable instances of time during live shows which feel like peaking on ecstasy, for anyone who can relate to that. It's this moment where you temporarily forget that you're in your body, when you think maybe you've missed the previous minute or so, when you feel like you're being hoisted up by your armpits, and when the cliched hair stands up a little on your cliched neck. It's usually an eruption or an explosion of some kind, a moment when you finally feel absolutely present, and it's the sort of thing that solidified for me the need to never do drugs ever again. It happened whenever I saw the Dismemberment Plan play, and they played the song "The City". The music builds at the end of the first verse, and then goes into a repeated guitar jangle as the synthesizer sustains and hums in the background, the drums temporarily cease, and Travis holds onto the word "gone"... and then it crashes back in, all at once, and it feels like letting your breath out again, and I remember that the lights would flash at that moment (if they had lights at the show), and everyone would kind of let loose at the same time, and you could almost feel the floor give a little (when they played at the Southgate House). There was a comparable moment during "What Do You Want Me To Say", but for me, the night always cracked open with "The City". I'd usually even tear up a little bit, because that sort of musical moment does that to me.
Something similar happened when I saw Los Campesinos play, and they'd perform "You, Me, Dancing". Like "The City", it's probably one of their better-known songs, and one almost everyone anticipates hearing before the night is over, and the band usually slots it into the evening accordingly. And I think that mass anticipation has a lot to do with the energy that persists throughout the crowd, and that always touches me. Also like "The City", the moment of that song comes from a lot of build-up. For being a little over 6 minutes long (on album), a little over the first minute is just all instrumental build-up. Live, it feels even more infuriating, and I'm sure that they ad-lib to draw it out even more. Almost a minute is just a steady guitar strum, gradually building in amplitude, and then some other eager noise, and then finally, like the release of a sneeze or an orgasm, the kick drum signifies that the song has really begun. Incidentally, that's the moment that got me the most, but in all actuality, there's another summit to the build-up just a little while later when the xylophone (yes, xylophone - trust me, it works) and violin kick in, and then you really feel like something has washed over you.
I know that I've experienced that sort of euphoria on other occasions, usually when seeing some band that I never held in any sort of remarkable esteem, and who then really knock me for a loop by playing some song that I never realized I wanted to hear so much, or performing in a way that I never really expected. I think of Pulp, starting off with "Do You Remember the First Time?", or Cursive actually playing "The Radiator Hums", or when Sunny Day Real Estate played "48" and I literally wept a little bit.
This idea extends beyond the live experience, however, even though it certainly has its pinnacle there. There are songs and moments within songs that give me the shivers or cause a visceral reaction that I'm also somewhat addicted to. For example, at the beginning of "Tired of Sex", by Weezer, on Pinkerton, just before the song really takes off, Rivers Cuomo sing/screams "woo" in this strangled, hurt kind of way, and that really just sets the tone for the rest of the album for me. I have a pretty low-quality version of At the Drive-in's Relationship of Command, which is a result of my cd being pretty beat up before I ripped it to my computer. And it's really a shame, because the only song that I really notice it on has one of those moments as well - the song "Cosmonaut". It's about 30 seconds from the end, and it sounds like Cedric has some sort of moment where he loses all ability to contain his manic frustration or something. It's some sort of extemporaneous yelping that just always gives me chills, because I can almost picture him just bouncing around, in some sort of combination of glee and rage and confusion and sadness.
And I'm not sure what came first - noticing that instance in that song, and becoming obsessed with seeing At the Drive-in play live, or being obsessed with ATDI, and being more attuned to their music, and picking up on that moment as a result. Either way, I was ready to see them play at Bogart's, in Cincinnati, in April 2001. They were coming back from Australia and Europe, and had a huge tour planned that for some reason was going to take them through Cincinnati. And then, they ended. And, like the Smiths, I'd surmised enough about their break-up and the people involved to assume that I would never have a chance to see them play live ever again. I watched grainy, lo-fi videos on YouTube. I played their songs on Guitar Hero. I almost talked myself into seeing the Mars Volta one time. I told somebody they were an idiot when they said that Sparta was even better than ATDI. I coped, and found other nice things, like Los Campesinos. But then the word came out. They're back. And for now, it's just twitter traffic, and passive pleasantries, but I feel way too good about this, and I have some twisted notion that 11 years later, I'm going to be able to go see them play and rock out the same way I would have back in 2001. If only.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
In Somebody's Place
I come not to praise Coldplay, but to bury my head in the sand about them.
I listened to that free cd that I picked up, and I have to say that I'm not sure if I'm in a different frame of mind from any sort of critical standpoint, but it definitely gave me a lot to think about from an intellectual standpoint.
I think that the reason that I've always seemingly disliked Coldplay and bands like them has grown more out of a sense of mistrust of them. What I mean is that they attempt to straddle a line between being hip and being popular, and in my backwards, teenagerish way, I feel like those two aspirations have to be contradictory in some manner. The underlying problem, however, is that bands like Coldplay see what someone like U2 has achieved, and they feel like that combination of hipness and popularity is not only possible, but pretty much assured.
However, I feel like U2's place in that regard was earned. In other words, they started out as the scrappy underdog, and gradually transformed themselves into the stadium rock darlings, while maintaining at least some of their credibility, and demonstrating more that they had always written those kinds of songs, but that now they were actually marketing them that way as well. Whereas Coldplay just started off as Achtung Baby-era and never let up.
It probably doesn't help that for some, the parallel for Coldplay has always run closer to Radiohead, and that band has had an even more uncharacteristic arc. They started off as the epitome of mainstream/stadium rock, strengthened that somewhat, and then regressed to a stage where they have almost peaked in hipness and popularity, but not for any music that they actually make anymore. What I mean is that everyone knows who Radiohead is, so they have the popularity, but no one actually listens to Radiohead's current music. Additionally, they have all of the credibility of a hip band, but I don't think anyone finds their music to be all that challenging anymore. (To be fair, I'm interjecting my own opinions as if they were globally shared, but I don't think I'm going too far, either)
So where does it stop? I saw that WU LYF was on Letterman the other night. Does that say anything about their hip/pop quotient (which I just made up)? Is this even a discussion that a reasonably developed man in his 30's should be having anymore? Of course it is, because it smooths out that man's identity, and I haven't even really made my point through all of this.
The Coldplay cd was ok, but the impression that I kept getting was that they were trying, and I don't want to hear that in my music. I don't want to hear you reaching for either aspect of the quotient, I just want it to happen. The lead track is over 5 minutes long, and should have ended after a little over 3 minutes. Beyond that, it's a little self-indulgent, and then I discovered in the liner notes that it's intended to be a call to arms over the issue of fair trade. Then comes a cluster of the actual "singles", and then comes a run of slow-building songs that also go on a little too long. Only a band trying too hard would track an album like that, and it drives me crazy. Space out the rockers and the ballads, front-load the album like anyone halfway sensible, and bury your little pet causes towards the end of the album.
Don't make me hate you instead of just mistrust you, Chris Martin. You seem like a decent enough chap from the time that I saw you on Colbert.
I listened to that free cd that I picked up, and I have to say that I'm not sure if I'm in a different frame of mind from any sort of critical standpoint, but it definitely gave me a lot to think about from an intellectual standpoint.
I think that the reason that I've always seemingly disliked Coldplay and bands like them has grown more out of a sense of mistrust of them. What I mean is that they attempt to straddle a line between being hip and being popular, and in my backwards, teenagerish way, I feel like those two aspirations have to be contradictory in some manner. The underlying problem, however, is that bands like Coldplay see what someone like U2 has achieved, and they feel like that combination of hipness and popularity is not only possible, but pretty much assured.
However, I feel like U2's place in that regard was earned. In other words, they started out as the scrappy underdog, and gradually transformed themselves into the stadium rock darlings, while maintaining at least some of their credibility, and demonstrating more that they had always written those kinds of songs, but that now they were actually marketing them that way as well. Whereas Coldplay just started off as Achtung Baby-era and never let up.
It probably doesn't help that for some, the parallel for Coldplay has always run closer to Radiohead, and that band has had an even more uncharacteristic arc. They started off as the epitome of mainstream/stadium rock, strengthened that somewhat, and then regressed to a stage where they have almost peaked in hipness and popularity, but not for any music that they actually make anymore. What I mean is that everyone knows who Radiohead is, so they have the popularity, but no one actually listens to Radiohead's current music. Additionally, they have all of the credibility of a hip band, but I don't think anyone finds their music to be all that challenging anymore. (To be fair, I'm interjecting my own opinions as if they were globally shared, but I don't think I'm going too far, either)
So where does it stop? I saw that WU LYF was on Letterman the other night. Does that say anything about their hip/pop quotient (which I just made up)? Is this even a discussion that a reasonably developed man in his 30's should be having anymore? Of course it is, because it smooths out that man's identity, and I haven't even really made my point through all of this.
The Coldplay cd was ok, but the impression that I kept getting was that they were trying, and I don't want to hear that in my music. I don't want to hear you reaching for either aspect of the quotient, I just want it to happen. The lead track is over 5 minutes long, and should have ended after a little over 3 minutes. Beyond that, it's a little self-indulgent, and then I discovered in the liner notes that it's intended to be a call to arms over the issue of fair trade. Then comes a cluster of the actual "singles", and then comes a run of slow-building songs that also go on a little too long. Only a band trying too hard would track an album like that, and it drives me crazy. Space out the rockers and the ballads, front-load the album like anyone halfway sensible, and bury your little pet causes towards the end of the album.
Don't make me hate you instead of just mistrust you, Chris Martin. You seem like a decent enough chap from the time that I saw you on Colbert.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Peak of Freshness
Busy, busy day of tutoring, from 1-9pm. Could not seem to drag myself out of bed this morning, either. It reminded me of when I used to be super-depressed, but I must say that is not at all the case anymore, so I'll just chalk it up to my bed being ridiculously comfortable, and me being on the far side of lazy.
Everything's been overwhelmingly great lately, and I attribute almost all of that to having started this tutoring gig. I remember when my mom first suggested it to me, I was skeptical that it would lead to much, but it's been a really steady source of money, and probably the most rewarding work I've ever done in my life. In a larger sense, it's cemented my intentions to be a teacher, because it's re-introduced that feeling of making a difference in someone's understanding of a subject that comes so easily to me. I mean, after taking that course online a while back, I know that there's more to teaching than that, and I'm looking forward to all of the rest of it, too, but for the time being, tutoring has brought me a lot of what I enjoy about the endeavor.
I'll have a decent amount tomorrow, too, but not as much, and I'm anticipating getting to spend a little bit of time with the love of my life before I have to be anywhere. I'm also looking forward to running out to McDonald's for lunch, as crazy as that sounds. German fast food blows everything else out of the water, and that goes for the Golden Arches as well. They have a revolving menu of special sandwiches, and I can't wait to try the new one that I saw the other day - a hamburger with three sausages and sauerkraut and chili ketchup on top. And I'll probably get something for Mikaela, too, I guess, but I'm pretty selfish on this one. Probably need to straighten up the kitchen at some point as well, so I can fix dinner tomorrow night.
Getting through the Pearl Jam 20 book, which is pretty massive, but I doubt I'll get that far through it, in much the same way that I dropped out of listening to their music after a while. I never started disliking them or anything, but I just got to a point where my music collection was much more focused on indie rock, and I guess Pearl Jam just didn't fit that as much anymore. Oh well. After that is a book on Atlantis and then I'll try to get into the large number of paperbacks that we've collected since we've lived here.
I never know how to properly end these things.
Everything's been overwhelmingly great lately, and I attribute almost all of that to having started this tutoring gig. I remember when my mom first suggested it to me, I was skeptical that it would lead to much, but it's been a really steady source of money, and probably the most rewarding work I've ever done in my life. In a larger sense, it's cemented my intentions to be a teacher, because it's re-introduced that feeling of making a difference in someone's understanding of a subject that comes so easily to me. I mean, after taking that course online a while back, I know that there's more to teaching than that, and I'm looking forward to all of the rest of it, too, but for the time being, tutoring has brought me a lot of what I enjoy about the endeavor.
I'll have a decent amount tomorrow, too, but not as much, and I'm anticipating getting to spend a little bit of time with the love of my life before I have to be anywhere. I'm also looking forward to running out to McDonald's for lunch, as crazy as that sounds. German fast food blows everything else out of the water, and that goes for the Golden Arches as well. They have a revolving menu of special sandwiches, and I can't wait to try the new one that I saw the other day - a hamburger with three sausages and sauerkraut and chili ketchup on top. And I'll probably get something for Mikaela, too, I guess, but I'm pretty selfish on this one. Probably need to straighten up the kitchen at some point as well, so I can fix dinner tomorrow night.
Getting through the Pearl Jam 20 book, which is pretty massive, but I doubt I'll get that far through it, in much the same way that I dropped out of listening to their music after a while. I never started disliking them or anything, but I just got to a point where my music collection was much more focused on indie rock, and I guess Pearl Jam just didn't fit that as much anymore. Oh well. After that is a book on Atlantis and then I'll try to get into the large number of paperbacks that we've collected since we've lived here.
I never know how to properly end these things.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Finding out
I wanted the inception to be something grand - I wanted to make a statement of purpose, and really put on the bells and whistles. But then that adds so much pressure, and really sets a tone that I'm not sure if I want to exist yet. So I've reconsidered, and decided to go with simple, almost in medias res, and see how everything shakes out from there.
Went to Saarbrucken yesterday with Mikaela, and had a pretty nice time shopping for clothes. Found some good stuff, and along with another pair of jeans that I bought today, and one or two pairs of shoes that I hope to buy later in the week, I think I'll be caught up on clothes again for another 2-3 years. It was different back in the days when I would scavenge and raid thrift stores weekly, and I found some sensational things back then. But, like with so many other instances I find in my daily life anymore, there's a point where I have to be a little bit more adult, and that means buying new clothes, from reputable stores, in shopping malls. Maybe one day I'll return to a wardrobe of band t-shirts and second-hand Dickies. Maybe I'll be able to survive a night of more than 6 drinks some day again, too, but after New Year's, I have to wonder if that boat has sailed as well.
Finished a pretty sensational book in less than a day, The Psychopath Test, by Jon Ronson. I have a theory that the best non-fiction books are written by journalists, and that theory is certainly strengthened by this latest book. Unfortunately, on finishing it, I realized that I was now well underway on that particular new year's resolution, but seriously negligent on my other, which led me here. I started a post the other night, but it was bloated and ridiculous two sentences in. Like I said earlier, maybe I'll come back to some more grandiose thoughts, but for now it just feels much more comfortable to chatter away about books and shopping.
Regarding this somewhat as a record of my life, I guess I'll include a few other details so that I can reminisce when I revisit this at a later date. I'm making Shake n' Bake chicken tonight, for the first time in quite a while, actually. I used to make it a lot when we lived in Kentucky, and then got out of the habit, and for good reason, since it's just a bunch of packaged sodium, really. But, it's convenient, and I won't make it a habit or anything. Been listening to a burned cd of Phoenix in the car, and I'm already getting bored and ready for something new. Picked up a Coldplay cd for free at the library, and I might check it out, even though I feel like I'm just keeping it from someone else who may really love Coldplay, whereas I grabbed it more to either confirm whatever negative impression I have of them or only slightly challenge it before it slips away into ignorance again. Still need to dismantle the holidays around here, and do some more in-depth cleaning, but I've been feeling kind of lazy lately, and I'm sure the busy nature of tutoring is going to soon again rear its ugly head, and then I'll regret not doing more sooner.
Guh, this is more like a diary than a blog. Or is that what a blog really is supposed to be? Maybe since I'm not including anything else of any real substance, that's all it's going to be. Ok, check out the book that I mentioned, and the new episode of Sherlock that just aired on BBC - it won't air in the US for god knows how long, and marvel at how inferior American tv is, like I do. I woke up this morning with a song by Caveman in my head, but I was really getting into The Fawn by the Sea and Cake the other day as well.
Ok, that's all.
Went to Saarbrucken yesterday with Mikaela, and had a pretty nice time shopping for clothes. Found some good stuff, and along with another pair of jeans that I bought today, and one or two pairs of shoes that I hope to buy later in the week, I think I'll be caught up on clothes again for another 2-3 years. It was different back in the days when I would scavenge and raid thrift stores weekly, and I found some sensational things back then. But, like with so many other instances I find in my daily life anymore, there's a point where I have to be a little bit more adult, and that means buying new clothes, from reputable stores, in shopping malls. Maybe one day I'll return to a wardrobe of band t-shirts and second-hand Dickies. Maybe I'll be able to survive a night of more than 6 drinks some day again, too, but after New Year's, I have to wonder if that boat has sailed as well.
Finished a pretty sensational book in less than a day, The Psychopath Test, by Jon Ronson. I have a theory that the best non-fiction books are written by journalists, and that theory is certainly strengthened by this latest book. Unfortunately, on finishing it, I realized that I was now well underway on that particular new year's resolution, but seriously negligent on my other, which led me here. I started a post the other night, but it was bloated and ridiculous two sentences in. Like I said earlier, maybe I'll come back to some more grandiose thoughts, but for now it just feels much more comfortable to chatter away about books and shopping.
Regarding this somewhat as a record of my life, I guess I'll include a few other details so that I can reminisce when I revisit this at a later date. I'm making Shake n' Bake chicken tonight, for the first time in quite a while, actually. I used to make it a lot when we lived in Kentucky, and then got out of the habit, and for good reason, since it's just a bunch of packaged sodium, really. But, it's convenient, and I won't make it a habit or anything. Been listening to a burned cd of Phoenix in the car, and I'm already getting bored and ready for something new. Picked up a Coldplay cd for free at the library, and I might check it out, even though I feel like I'm just keeping it from someone else who may really love Coldplay, whereas I grabbed it more to either confirm whatever negative impression I have of them or only slightly challenge it before it slips away into ignorance again. Still need to dismantle the holidays around here, and do some more in-depth cleaning, but I've been feeling kind of lazy lately, and I'm sure the busy nature of tutoring is going to soon again rear its ugly head, and then I'll regret not doing more sooner.
Guh, this is more like a diary than a blog. Or is that what a blog really is supposed to be? Maybe since I'm not including anything else of any real substance, that's all it's going to be. Ok, check out the book that I mentioned, and the new episode of Sherlock that just aired on BBC - it won't air in the US for god knows how long, and marvel at how inferior American tv is, like I do. I woke up this morning with a song by Caveman in my head, but I was really getting into The Fawn by the Sea and Cake the other day as well.
Ok, that's all.
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