Can You See the Sunset

Learning to ride a Unicycle: Part 13 (and other stuff)

Eric — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:49:48 GMT

Unicycles. I’m getting pretty decent at freemounting and can ride away from probably 75% of ‘em. You might be excited about that, but I am. Last Friday I rode at least 700 feet before dismounting (on the one that I actually measured) and most likely more than that and even rode (with a few pauses, of course) down the block and back, probably somewhere over a 1/2 mile total. If any of you are thinking about learning to unicycle, here’s a tip:

Keeping your weight on the pedals might seem like it give you more control and, at first, it might, but once you learn to put most of your weight on the seat, your legs will thank you for it. Now to perfect a figure eight in both directions, learn to idle and hop, and ride off-road and then I’ll be making some progress. Really, I’ve only ridden about an hour over the past 4-5 days (if that) so progress comes slowly but I’ve got other things going on as well.

Wifey’s been having mild contractions all day and for parts of the past few days so she’s currently being checked out at the doc’s office. Me, I’m waiting at home, watching the Cubs, and drinking a little bourbon. If by some wacky happening she doesn’t go into labor before next Tuesday, she’ll be induced then. We’ll see. Until then, I’m waiting…

Vacations - I Was Bikini/But Rain Afraid

Eric — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:34:33 GMT

Vacations is a project formed from 2 members of the Chicago band Chin Up Chin Up (a band that we here at CYSTSFTS liked very much) and Bobby Burg from Make Believe. Their new album/EP collection/7”/whatever I Was Bikini/But Rain Afraid contains 13 songs of rhythmically interesting indie rock that draws something from the breezy and tropical indie-punk of Abe Vigoda or Vampire Weekend but still manages to sound like it could come from nowhere but Chicago. It’s experimental in that your mom might not like it, but it’s certainly not inaccessible. This album is anything but. Of course there are shades of the members’ previous bands (minus the whole Kinsella thing) but this isn’t really comparable to either. For me, I Was Bikini/But Rain Afraid is exactly the sort of fun indie album that is perfect for summer days in Chicago. It sounds like flip flops, Goose Island, hot pavement, and cool Lake Michigan breezes.

MP3 | Vacations – Solar Tongue I Was Bikini…
MP3 | Vacations – Elastic Boards I Was Bikini…

Modern Skirts - All Of Us In Our Night

Eric — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:26:10 GMT

Modern Skirts arrived on my radar with their second full-length All Of Us In Our Night as Mike Mills’ (from R.E.M.) favorite band from Athens, Georgia, so that’s kinda what I expected and that’s kinda what I got. I’m not normally a huge fan of this sort of indie pop and this album isn’t about to change my mind. It’s an eclectic indie-pop rock album that despite incorporating a plethora of disparate sounds and textures is a comfortable and familiar listen. Perhaps it’s because Modern Skirts remind me (in places) of the likes of Brendan Benson, Spoon, Phantom Planet, Stereolab, Ben Folds, Weezer, Pinback, and more. All Of Us In Our Night is well-executed and deftly arranged but never really figures out what it wants to be and suffers from its lack of commonalities. All Of Us In Our Night is a pleasant and melodic album that’s heavy on acoustic guitars and keys, and it’s all fine and well, but not really my thing. That being said, I do like the two songs below.

MP3 | Modern Skirts – Radio Breaks Reviver EP
MP3 | Modern Skirts – Chokehold Reviver EP

The Only Sons - Steel Hearts [1]

Eric — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:14:14 GMT

Formerly known as Ribbonpigeon, Murfreesboro, Tennessee’s The Only Sons have a new album called Steel Hearts that is full of boot-stompin’ roots/alt-country/Americana just like its predecessor, Young Lungs, was. So despite the name change, the band hasn’t switched directions on us, which is a good thing. There are two rippin’ electric guitars, the cry of a lap steel, and twangy fiddles to complement the raspy vocals. Really, it all adds up to a band that fits somewhere in between The Weight and Lucero, and if that doesn’t get your attention, I’m not sure what exactly will. Steel Hearts isn’t complicated, but it does make me want to head down to my brother’s new place in Hillsboro for some whiskey, rock-n-roll, and good times. Almost as great as the album itself is the fact that the band has made it available as a free download on their website. Seriously, this could be the album of the summer and is easily among my favorite of this year so far.

MP3 | The Only Sons – Lay Back Down Steel Hearts
MP3 | The Only Sons – Hadn’t Been That Long Steel Hearts

Abe Vigoda - Reviver EP

Eric — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:48:06 GMT

A few months back I wrote about the L.A. based Abe Vigoda’s full length Skeleton and just how awesome it was. Well, since then the band has also released an EP, Reviver, that is also quite good, but not really the same. The band mostly eschews the mutated indie tropicalia of Skeleton in favor of more swirling guitars and less overtly frantic melodies. It’s the same lo-fi aesthetic except the cassette has been flipped over to the other side and is less Vampire Weekend vs. Black Dice and more JAMC does Boxer. Compared to the joyous squawking and clanking of Skeleton, this seems subdued. The guys also cover Stevie Nicks’ “Wild Heart.” It’s all a bit different, but good.

MP3 | Abe Vigoda – Don’t Lie Reviver EP

Music update

She Wolf Lyrics Shakira	Dirty Diana Lyrics Michael Jackson
The Mess I Made Lyrics Parachute Band	Perfect Stranger Lyrics Leona Lewis
Best I Ever Had Lyrics Drake	They Don’t Care About Us Lyrics Michael Jackson
Bad Boys Lyrics Inner Circle	She Ain’t Got Lyrics Letoya Luckett
Transformers: The Fallen (Remix) Lyrics Cheap Trick	You’re Not My Girl Lyrics Ryan Leslie

Get your own here.