mind your music

Band of Horses

2008-03-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

I winded through the confusing line outside the Cuban Club. Buy a ticket here. Get your ID checked there. Get your ID checked again around the corner.
Thank God I turned 21.

Behind the cement perimeter was a large open area for the show. A huge blue half pipe stood in the corner, decorated with Red Bull advertisements. A mini-amphitheatre was close by.

Then, a drop of water fell on my uncovered head. I looked up to the sky. Rain was inevitable. It was a little before 8 p.m. Band of Horses was up on stage doing a sound check. With the banjo. At least I could be happy at that.

Then, it really started to rain. Most of the crowd that had developed outside started to shift towards the building; though, I was surprised to see a pretty large group stand their ground by the stage.

Inside, a member of Band of Horses brushed by. Reggae music blared from a band on a small stage. Bam Margera took pictures with blonds and brunettes. I searched for Chloe Sevigny, who I actually got to meet the night before at my job.

The show was a part of the Tampa Pro 2008, so there were all sorts of celebrities and skateboarders about.

Who knows how long we stumbled inside before I heard someone mention that Kimya Dawson from the Moldy Peaches was already playing.

At first, I couldn't tell if she was on stage. She sounded very soft and had already played most of her set by the time I arrived, several songs of which were popular thanks to the movie Juno.

Her set was more like a storytelling. She sang a little, talked a little then sang some more. She even encouraged "interpretive dancing" on stage.

Kimya wore a homemade ninja turtles skirt. She even brought her baby, Panda Delilah (yes, Panda Delilah).

They prolonged the time between sets, which was good because it was just long enough for the rain to finally stop.

Band of Horses emerged at last, playing "The Great Salt Lake," off their 2006 album Everything All the Time. They also played what seemed like nearly every song from their 2007 album, Cease to Begin, including my favorite, "No One's Gonna Love You."

Hailing from Mt. Pleasant, S.C., their music is a very soft, melodic and folksy kind, which is why they are so often compared with My Morning Jacket.

The show ended with a "fake last song," followed by five or six more in the encore. At least they're real.

OH. And did I mention the beards on those guys!?

Yes

2008-03-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

Beardsley: Fighting Strangers in the Alps

2008-03-05T16:39:00.000-08:00

Longtime local band Beardsley released their
first full-length project, Fighting Strangers in the Alps
January 15.

What kind of music do a bunch of lumberjacks make, you ask?

You'll just have to take a listen for yourself.

Each of the 16 songs reflects the members' personas in inventive ways. The album consists of stylistic undertones from several genre's, from folk to Oriental. Although every song is arguably of its own kind, they come together to complete what Beardsley is.

The album also supports other local artists, such as Mark Harman, from Orlando's So Help Me Rifle, and Christopher Costabile, from Palm Harbor.

Beardsley is planning a release party March 15 in Orlando. I'll keep you posted on the details.

Let's not forget to support local music! You can buy the album from their MySpace, or pick it up at Clearwater's Barnes & Noble located on Sunset Point and US 19.

The Oaks CD Release Party

2008-03-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

The Social, Orlando
March 7, 2008
9 p.m.

This month, The Oaks are coming out with a new album, Songs for Waiting to follow up their 2006 release,Our Fathers and the Things They Left Behind.

The songs are stories and reflections from a stay in Afghanistan teaching creative agriculture. The story behind the band is really neat and is definitely reflected in their music.

Check it!

Vanna

2008-02-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

Vanna
Monday, February 18, 2008
Transitions

I remember the last time that Vanna came to Tampa. It was nearly two years ago at with Austrailian hardcore band Parkway Drive. I think there may have been 10 people at the show. Maybe.

There were quite a bit more people this time, since the release of Vanna's newest album, Curses. I still like their old album, The Search Party that Never Came. The lyrics are bloody. The music is hard. Which makes for a happy Kristin.

At first glance, the size of the screamer may fool you. Chris is tiny. His scream is not. I assure you.

Anyway, apparently this was the first show with Vanna's new drummer, Ryan Seaman. According to the band's MySpace blog, old drummer Brandon "packed it up and caught a bus home leaving us to figure out how to finish this tour."

Ouch.

They are planning on finding a new permanent drummer to begin a new album. Hopefully we'll see them again soon.

Radiohead Tour Dates

2008-02-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

Hello Tampa.
In case you haven't heard the Florida tour dates:

Monday, May 5 Cruzan Amphitheatre West Palm Beach
Tuesday, May 6 Ford Amphitheatre Tampa

Tickets go on sale February 14 at W.A.S.T.E. (from the Radiohead site), and February 16 general sale.

I'm sure they'll sell like fire, so heads up.

Kevin Devine

2008-02-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

Dave Elkins of Mae, Kevin Devine with The Jealous Girlfriends
Friday, February 1, 2008
Orpheum

Love. Politics. Kevin Devine.

Acoustics all around, Kevin Devine mastered the stage, playing a lengthy set of songs. He even did some songs "full band" version, with help from The Jealous Girlfriends (a fun, retro band from Brooklyn).

I wasn't expecting Dave Elkins, guitarist and lead singer of Mae to be there, so that was quite a pleasant surprise. I haven't ever gotten to see Mae play, but this was almost better because he sang their most popular songs acoustic style. He mentioned that his band would be coming to St. Pete to play, but their website says they are only playing at the House of Blues in Orlando and at The Culture Room in Ft. Lauderdale.

Well, at least this show was quite the serenade.

All Get Out

2008-02-05T16:55:00.000-08:00

I saw these guys open for Manchester Orchestra and was impressed. I was even more impressed after finding out the band is only 6 months old. I can't wait to hear how they develop.

Music: Folk-inspired indie

Album: Spitting EP

Best song: Water and God

Manchester Orchestra

2008-01-28T22:16:00.000-08:00

Manchester Orchestra with John Ralston, All Get Out
Orpheum; January 26, 2008

Some enjoyed the activities of Gasperilla by decorating themselves in cheap, plastic beads and pirate garb while stumbling through the lively streets of Ybor City. Then there were those who seated themselves in the drizzling weather along the brick perimeter of the Orpheum, anticipating the long-awaited Manchester Orchestra.
Quite a number of people decided to do the latter, making for a sold-out show in the cozy bar.
Opening for Manchester Orchestra was the up-and-coming folk inspired indie band, All Get Out. John Ralston and his band, including a violinist, played second.
Manchester Orchestra’s set then began with singer Andy Hull singing in minor scales alone on stage, a precursor to how moving the show would turn out to be. The music ranged from a softer feel to a more energetic indie rock. Manchester ‘s lyrics were powerful, spiritual connotations and all, invoking an array of passions. Every bit of the set conveyed overwhelming emotion, even to the point of audience members crying. I could have sworn that I saw a tear or two leak from the corner of Hull’s eyes during “Colly Strings.” Or, maybe it was just sweat. Either way, it sure fooled my blurry eyes.
They played music from their 2005 EP, You Brainstorm, But Brilliance Needs A Good Editor, and their 2006 album, I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child. This included “Alice and Interiors,” which Hull described as “two Woody Allen movies fighting.”
It was an interactive concert. The audience sang along with most all the songs, and even finished off Manchester’s lyrics to “Golden Ticket.” The voices of the crowd sounded throughout the bar as nearly everyone’s lips moved to, “Well am I really that old, ignorant or to slow/To realize I have lost my golden ticket back home?”
Manchester finished up the set with “Wolves at Night.” The last noises of the song were the sounds of Hull’s heavy breathing into the microphone and my heartbeat. Deciding openly to skip the whole encore charade, Hull sang one last minor keyed song alone on stage.

Published in REAX Music Magazine Online

Another Radiohead Blog

2008-01-14T21:34:00.000-08:00

Their upcoming show has become quite the buzz.

The question is, if one can actually manage to get their hands on Radiohead tickets, how much will they cost? Being a poor college student, will I be able to afford this?

Since the band is not with a record label, I am hoping for prices to be on the lower end of the money spectrum.

Today, their website sells tickets in Dublin for £46.80. Which, as of Jan. 11, amounts to about $91.59 in the U.S.

Tickets in Glasgow are £38.50, about $75.36.

I stumbled across a blog posted Dec. 7 in Analogue Magazine talking about the high concert prices. Analogue's Karl McDonald interviewed Phil, of Radiohead, on the matter.

Analogue: Tickets for your gig in Dublin in Malahide Castle went on sale this morning and it’s very expensive, it’s €70.70 [$105.11] and there’s been some discussion of how you can justify the fair way of releasing your album and then charge that much for a tour gig?

Phil: Right, and what’s been the general response on that?

Analogue: Well I mean it is the most expensive gig of the tour and there’s been arguements that you’re pricing out some fans, people who may have bought the diskbox, big fans or students who don’t have that much money to come to a gig.

Phil: Right.

Analogue: Do you have any reaction to that?

Phil: Eh, well whenever we’ve looked at ticket prices and set them, we’ve wanted to make them as fair as possible so I would hope that we’ve pitched it right on this one, make it as fair as possible on the price. You know we’ve never really set out to max, as they say, our tour revenue so I think we’ve always put out reasonably priced tickets. That’s as much as I can say really.

A coworker told me that two years ago, tickets to Radiohead ran about $120 in Chicago.

I suppose forking out the money for Radiohead is really not so bad. They need to make their living somehow. And people will, afterall, pay the price.

I mean, come on, people pay upwards of $130 to see the Spice Girls all the time.

Radiohead comes to TAMPA

2008-01-11T14:50:00.000-08:00

Yes. That's right. I'm serious.

Don't ask me where or when they will be playing. But word on the streets says they are indeed coming.

They've released a list of 22 cities to play in the U.S. and Canada, and Tampa is actually one of them!

Atlanta
Boston
Charlotte, NC
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Houston
Indianapolis
Los Angeles
Miami
Montreal
New York
Philadelphia
San Diego
San Francisco
Santa Barbara, CA
Seattle
St. Louis
Tampa
Toronto
Vancouver
Washington, DC

Nothing set in stone has been released yet, but when it does, YOU will be the first to know. After me, of course.

WHAT?!

2008-01-10T20:22:00.000-08:00

So I was at the gym and decided to pick up a copy of the Tampa Bay
Times. I was skimming through it when a headline to a tiny article in
an obscure corner caught my eye:

"Shins keyboardist jailed"

Oh. No.

Apparently, last weekend The Shins keyboardist Marty Crandall got into a scuffle with his gf, Elyse Sewell (America's Next Top Model).

Her blog once had up pictures of bruises he allegedly gave her. And she allegedly bit him in self defense.

Either way, the were both sent to jail Friday after causing a stir at their hotel, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Sewell was released from jail Saturday. Crandall was released on a $25,000 bail Monday, the Chronicle reported.

"Marty Crandall and his ex-girlfriend Elyse Sewell were both arrested over the weekend following an argument at a hotel which resulted in staff calling the police.

"They were both taken into police custody and released over the weekend. There will be no further comment at this time and we would appreciate their privacy being respected," The Shin's record label, Sub Pop, stated.

This just makes me sad.

2007, You Crazy SOB

2008-01-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

Albums that Amazed:
10- The Shins: Wincing the Night Away

9- Kayne West: Graduation

8- Every Time I Die: The Big Dirty

7- Feist: The Reminder

6- Portugal. The Man: Church Mouth

5- Wilco: Sky Blue Sky

4- Dr. Dog: We All Belong

3- Radiohead: In Rainbows

2- As Cities Burn: Come Now Sleep

1- Arcade Fire: Neon Bible

Killer Shows in Tampa:

Brand New
Misery Signals
Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
Pretty Girls Make Graves
From Autumn to Ashes
Thursday
Dr. Dog

The Dissapointing Albums:
Emery: I’m Only a Man

Circa Survive: On Letting Go

Fear Before the March of Flames: A Little Less Teeth EP

Soulsavers Album Review: It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land

2007-12-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

On Oct.16, 2007, the UK's Soulsavers followed up their 2003 release, Tough Guys Don't Dance, with It's Not How Far You Fall, It's the Way You Land in the U.S.

U.S. singer songwriter Mark Lanegan-Queens of the Stone Age, Screaming Trees, The Gutter Twins- sings on eight of the tracks on the album, contributing a deep, raspy voice reminiscent of Johnny Cash.

The name of the band definitely gives hints at subject matter. All throughout the album, the majority of songs have some sort of blatant spiritual tones mixed throughout the lyrics.

The music on this album is influenced predominately by country rock/folk and soul. There's even back-up singers that sound like they came directly from gospel choir practice. The album also has a little hip hopish twist to it, mainly through rhythms.

I know it seems like the album is a strange sort of mix. But rest assured, it works.

If you are still unsure, be at peace knowing that they like the Rolling Stones. Because the last track is a remake of the Stones' "No Expectations."

It's definitely a laid back kind of album. I dig it.

Switches Album Review: We Are Switches EP

2007-12-19T17:45:00.000-08:00

The Switches We Are Switches EP is without a doubt catchy. It's that kind of upbeat music that courses through your brain with no intention of ever stopping.

The lyrics are also catchy. A bit too catchy. Their single, "Lay Down the Law," is a prime example, as the two-line chorus is repeated for a majority of the song. This kind of thing almost gives a feel of some sort of commercial that is trying to get you to remember a brand name or phone number.

Aside from redundancy, it's not bad. The Switches have an indie appeal, even though their music has more of a rock/pop sort of tone, emphasis on the pop.

From London, the Switches released their first full-length album, Heart Tuned to D.E.A.D., in the UK on April 23, 2007. The Switches are not yet available here in the U.S., but should be sometime early in 2008.

There really should be more tours in December

2007-12-17T22:11:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or has December been a total bust for shows?

January seems more promising.
1/15/08 @ The State
HASTE THE DAY
SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS
Drop Dead, Gorgeous
Gwen Stacy

1/22/08 @ The State
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
3 Inches of Blood
Hate Eternal
Decrepit Birth

1/27/08 @ The State
SICK OF IT ALL
MADBALL
Death Before Dishonor
Wisdom In Chains

1/30/08 @ Orpheum
FOXY SHAZAM
Karate Highschool
Peachtree

That's all that I've found so far.
In the meantime, I'll have some album reviews up soon.

Brand New with Thrice, mewithoutYou

2007-11-27T14:28:00.000-08:00

Click here to read my review in REAX Music Magazine

Dance Gavin Dance Loses Lead Singer

2007-11-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, November 25, 2007 Dance Gavin Dance was supposed to be making their way to Ybor with Heavy Heavy Low Low, Foxy Shazam and Tera Melos. I was excited about seeing them play, especially since the release of their newest album, Downtown Battle Mountain.

However, band drama got in the way.

November 9, 2007, the band posted a blog stating that the lead singer, Jonny Mess, was no longer a member.

The original blog is no longer posted on the band's MySpace page, but it went into heated detail about Jonny's drug abuse and argumentative nature:

"Unfortunately, after this much abuse we were unable to continue to let Jonny continue with his usual idiotic ways, and we left him in New Jersey and drove home..."

Because Jonny is no longer with the band, DGD quit the remainder of the tour.

They are, however, looking for a new singer, as stated in their blog.

I can't help but wonder if DGD will ever make it now after their trademark voice is gone.

Either way, my best wishes go out to the boys. I hope things work out for such a talented group.

Love Hate Hero

2007-11-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

Tuesday Nov. 13
Love Hate Hero, So They Say, Tokyo Rose,
Stab the Sky and locals
Orpheum

School has been getting me down. And this night, all I wanted to do was sit in my room and sulk.

But, I had already bought a ticket to go to this show, so I dragged my ass out of bed and trudged down to Ybor.

And boy, it did me some good.

I missed the first two of the local bands, but caught Tampa's own Stab the Sky. I've seen them play several times, and they just get better and better. They've definitely come into their own, so you guys will have to look out for them.

I was most excited about Tokyo Rose. They were a high school favorite of mine. Tokyo Rose played songs off several of their albums, and I couldn't help but dance. I only wish more people would have shown up to appreciate their talent.

So They Say was next. They were pretty good, even if they were tripping balls and the treble was too loud.

Love Hate Hero finished up the night. More of a screamo type band with a hint of metal in their guitar chord progressions, Kevin "Thrasher" shredded some great guitar riffs to compliment the music of the night.

A great show reminiscent of my younger years.

Underoath

2007-11-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Nov. 4 2007
Underoath, Every Time I Die, Poison the Well
with Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
Jannus Landing

“Hey there, girl, I’m a cunt!” we all yelled along as Every Time I Die played “Bored Stiff” to a sold out show of all ages and types. We had been looking forward to it for months.
Maylene opened the night with a dose of southern hardcore music. I was interested to see them play with Underoath because Maylene’s front man, Dallas Taylor, actually used to be a part of Underoath. It’s great to see that the two bands can get along enough to play a tour together.
Poison the Well, originating in Miami, was up next. I am really just not a fan of the newest singer, Jeffrey Moreira. However, I was very pleased to hear them play "Nerdy," one of their oldest, yet best songs. "Nerdy" was dedicated to ETID, who played an amazing set their last night on the tour.
Then was the main attraction, Underoath. When Spencer Chamberlain walked on stage, the crowd went wild.
They played four “old” songs, songs from They’re Only Chasing Safety. The rest of the songs in their hour set were from their newest album, Define the Great Line, which debuted in 2006.
The thing that disappointed me most about Underoath’s show was that they only played music from their two most recent albums (They're Only Chasing Safety and Define the Great Line). I was really hoping they would play something from their best record to date, The Changing of Times (made with Dallas), or maybe even something from Act of Depression or Cries of the Past. But that was only wishful thinking,because Underoath has taken a completely new direction with their newest albums and I doubt we will ever hear much from their beginnings.
It’s funny. They are from here, from Tampa, yet they have no support from us. Is it because they sold out? Is it because they have changed too much? Is it because they haven’t come home to play a show in over two years?
You tell me.
As for me and Underoath shows, this may have been the last one I’m going to go out to. They didn’t play a bad show by any means, but maybe I’ve just grown out of what Underoath has become.

Thrice Album Review: The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II

2007-11-05T21:02:00.000-08:00

On Oct. 16, Thrice released The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II, Fire and Water. This two-disc feature is the initial part of a self-recorded album based on the four elements: fire, water, earth and air.

The first six-song disc of the package, Fire, actually sounds like fire. Chaotic and dramatic, Fire is the more intense of the two discs, with every song mentioning or referencing fire in one way or another. The sound of the album is more traditionally “Thrice;” however, some of the songs are sonically a little harder than those on their previous album, Vheissu. The most epic song on this disc is “The Flame Deluge.” The song plays a haunting melody that peaks and fades out into the successfully smoky aura of music created.

Water, the second six-song disc of the set, achieves a much slower, flowing feel. Thrice recreates the sound of water on this disc, as the listener can hear nighttime waves crashing at the ocean through piano, muted tones, soft rhythms and melodic voices referencing water. The sound is very different from what Thrice has done before, but they do different well in this case. “Digital Sea” particularly impresses me, as the song fades out into digital white noise, giving the impression of an actual digital sea.

Without a doubt, this project is probably one of the best things Thrice has made to date. Well done.

Sunday Drivers Album Review: Archetypes EP

2007-11-05T20:59:00.000-08:00

Think The Cars meets Death From Above 1979. The Sunday Drivers achieve a retro 80s pop rock sound in their EP, Archetypes. The four song album they have created is full of steady beats and rhythms. Lyrically, the songs are just as catchy. Archetypes is easy going, fun and danceable. Danceable as in I just can’t sit still as it plays because I’m too busy wiggling in my chair and tapping my toes thinking about a nighttime party at the beach. With lots of synthesizers. And we all know that you can’t go wrong with that. Being from LA, the band may have first-hand experience in that department. I’m of course referencing their song “Endless Summer.” This three-piece band released the self-made album May 8, 2007. With the help of MySpace, of course. Their third band member was first contacted via the wonderful, cliché internet community that we all love to hate oh-so-much. But apparently that worked out pretty well for them, because after listening to this, I’m definitely going to be watching out for the Sunday Drivers.

Oslo Album Review: The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate

2007-11-05T20:49:00.000-08:00

Oslo’s sophomore album, The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate, has serious and intellectual tones about it. The album picks up on themes such as determination and will power, like in the songs “No Regrets” and “Things Fall Apart.” To be released Nov. 6, Oslo’s new album is full of alternative rock melodies, definitely influenced by the sounds of British bands. Oslo is like a more transparent version of Oasis. However, despite my British band stereotype, Oslo is actually from LA. The singer’s twang is just a plus. The Rise and Fall of Love and Hate had help from Ryan Hewitt, who was a nominated Grammy engineer/mixer, Mickey P and Sam Fogarino of Interpol.

The Academy Is...: Interview with Adam T. Siska

2007-10-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

View my article at USF Oracle

Misery Signals

2007-10-16T22:17:00.002-07:00

Saturday September 22, 2007
The Orpheum
Photo by Tandy Williams

Out of all of the shows I have been to in Tampa, I have never witnessed one like this.
Maybe I’ve been hanging out in the wrong places. Maybe I’ve been going to the wrong shows. Maybe Tampa is alive after all.
I’ve never seen any venue in Tampa or St. Pete this intense before. The whole floor in front of the stage at the Orpheum was moving.
Hardcore dancing. Spin-kicks. Circle pits. Blood. Camaraderie.
I actually witnessed as a guy who had just punched someone in the face get picked up from the floor by that very same person he punched.
Sorry if I’m carrying on, but I’ve never seen Tampa like this before. And I must say that it was refreshing.
The hardcore show consisted of various versions of metal-based music demonstrated in the bands Born of Osiris, Sky Eats Airplane, Emmure, The Agony Scene and Misery Signals.
Ironically, I think the craziest show I have ever been to was one that Misery Signals played up in NYC with Bleeding Through a few years back.
Tonight, I watched the show from the bar, where I was safe enough. Although, I did get a little worried about the 6’ 7” guy behind me who was screaming the words to every song by Misery Signals and throwing his fist in the air.
Misery Signals hasn’t been to the area in nearly a year, but they were brilliant as always. Formed in 2002 from the fall of two of the greatest hardcore bands, 7 Angels 7 Plagues and Compromise, Misery Signals continues to send out a message with brutal force. They create the perfect balance between aggressive hardcore riffs and softer, dark ambient melodies.
They are touring with their newest vocalist and guitarist Karl Schubach. Playing music off their self-titled EP and first full-length album, Of Malice and the Magnum Heart, Schubach did justice to the band’s first works, including the songs “A Victim, A Target” and “Five Years.” Misery Signals also performed newer music from their highly anticipated second full-length album Mirrors, which came out in 2006.
The show was absolutely amazing. Probably one of the best ones I’ve been to all year.