My Personal Hipster Victories

I have apparently been getting my name out in the world of hipster things.
I'm cool like that.
and of course, i listed them...
#9-I have the top comment on a youtube video of a high school a cappella choir covering The Dirty Projectors' "Cannibal Resource."
#8-Whenever Anthony Fantano answers the stupid stuff I post on his wall (ex: Me- "Is there a count for how many times a Fugazi album has been in the background of your reviews this year?" Him- "Nobody is counting that.")
#7-I talked on the phone at work with a guy from Eau Claire, WI. He was friends w/ Justin Vernon's mom. His kids went to high school w/ Justin Vernon.
#6-I had an email interview with the man who does official college radio promoting for tons of indie bands. To name a few: M83, Destroyer, Wilco... this guy was friends with Jeff Tweedy
#5-Just weeks before Lou Reed passed away, I had the top comment on a youtube video for The Velvet Underground & Nico full album.
#4-Whoever works the LCD Soundsystem Facebook page commented on something I posted on their wall last week (They said "why thank you!" ...If this Facebook page is ran by James Murphy, this might move up to #1.)
#3-I stood next to the lead singer of Swearin' (Allison Crutchfield) at a Japandroids show. Told her she did a great job, gave her a high 5 and we rocked out.
#2-I have the top comment on youtube for the official video of Grizzly Bear's "While You Wait for the Others."
#1-The lead singer for Japandroids (Brian King) walked by me before the show (with his girlfriend), noticed my Vancouver Canucks jersey and stopped to say, "Hey dude, nice shirt!" Thanks.

"Cannibal Resource" a capella cover

"While You Wait for the Others" official

Whole album.

Funerals

There are 3 ways I talk about the classic album Funeral. 1- Musically/critically speaking. 2-My personal connection with it. 3- The message of the album. This is a blog about that 3rd one.
I never fully understood Arcade Fire's Funeral until this summer, my first summer in a few years without any clinical stress disorder issues. I don't want to talk about who the band is now or who they've been for the last few years, but I'd like to talk about people dying.
The band recorded the album after a series of recent deaths of their family members. Making music is hard to do in a time of mourning, but perhaps it's easier when your music mourns with you.
Funeral covers all post-traumatic emotion, the fear and the comfort that follows it.
The first song starts with an organ that sounds like it had already been playing, and we just started listening in abruptly. The first word of the album is "and." It's as if Win Butler has already gotten a lot off his chest, but he and his band can go on for another 45 minutes.
The album has a lot of themes:  Family, death, youth, lies, neighborhoods, love, babies, sleeping, light, shadows... as familiar as these themes seem, you never know when they're going to bring up which topic.
The album kicks off at the end of tears and the beginning of a comforting revelatory experience. You can always just "dig a tunnel" if things go wrong. There's even a moment or two of fear in Win's voice, but everything turns out okay in the end. Track 2 is a harsh return to reality and full of panic, realizing the world is still a scary place and the past is real. Track 3 is some much-needed comfort food, mostly slow, but turning into something energetic by the end. Track 4 doesn't stop the energy at all, just turns it into something dark. The blood just started pumping in track 3, and it was a joyful experience. In track 4, the power goes out ("in the heart of man"). It's an anxious run through the neighborhood trying to find the light again. Track 5 is very slow, very quiet, and even includes the household familiar sound of a boiling kettle. The character figures out what he wants with his life, if only for a few minutes.
Track 6 keeps the same slow pace, but the volume builds up and the original patience eventually crashes into a something that reminds me of tantrums I used to have as a toddler. The sprint apparently ends at a mountain top where track 7 takes place. A banner is waving from above reminding us to never grow up and staying young is the only way to hold on to good feelings through sucky adulthood. Track 8 is a dreamy tack with samples that sound like a stream you'd find in meadow. It's refreshing, but it doesn't make any sense. Track 9 has a throbbing beat throughout, while the band ponders if everything in this world is "just a lie." The original chord progression is a major key that's uplifting, but there's an unexpected minor chord progression that throws you off-guard. The beat doesn't stop, but what started out as inspiring ends on a dark note. Track 10 is the finale. Very slow. It's the lonely ride home at 1 a.m. Classic theatrical build (soft/loud/not as soft/very loud/prolonged diminuendo). It ends so softly, I'm still not sure what the final note is. Perhaps it ends right where it began.
I'm sure that the depressive feeling of thinking nobody cares about you comes after a loved one loses a life. Considering these guys were just some random people making a debut album in Canadian city with little rock history, I'm sure Arcade Fire felt this way commercially as well. But they worked their butts off on it anyway.
Despite the darkness and fear that comes with Funeral, it's a reminder that you have something to live for. You may be thinking negative thoughts and feel confused everyday, but somebody's hearing you. You can pray. You can talk to a friend. You can talk to a stranger. You can record it in a studio so millions of strangers can hear you.
And of course, you can always dig a tunnel.
You shouldn't have to feel alone at a funeral.

thoughts on Arcade Fire's REFLEKTOR (after 2 listens)

Who is Arcade Fire?
A very brief history: *From some humble beginnings, their 2004 kickoff LP Funeral has been hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time. It was meta-critically ranked as the 2nd most acclaimed album of the 2000s. Since then, they come up with a concept album every 3 years. They've all been great thus far and have accelerated the band's commercial success. Still with little-to-none radio-airplay in the U.S., they've somehow become the biggest band in the world.*
This success is pure happenstance, in my opinion. Funeral set the stage for indie bands in the next 10 years, but that was on mistake. The band's follow up albums have increasingly strayed from that original sound. Reflektor does anything but reflect the sound of Funeral, their popularity is also foreign to what it was 9 years ago. It's a move that big rock bands have done in the past- U2's Achtung Baby was U2's abandoning the sounds that made them popular in the first place and showing off a rock-star persona that's both really goofy and really scary. Reflektor doubles as both AF's Achtung Baby AND their Magical Mystery Tour, toying with crazy studio production tricks with help from indie-music production hero James Murphy.
The title track is the band's first song to actually reach the U.S. Hot 100 (peak at #99), but I feel like no matter what the lead single was, this was going to happen anyway, because of where they are. But for the record, it's a GREAT track. It's a powerful album opener, the lyrics are open to interpretation, it's catchy, it's danceable, it's dark, the production is top-notch. Too many good things to say about this track. The rest of the album is not as instantly loveable. Like... at all.
No matter what you say about the music, Mr. Murphy definitely worked his butt off on this thing. "Normal Person," despite it's lyrical stupidity, packs a lot of glam rock energy and comes off a very enjoyable, Bowie-esque standout track. "Joan of Arc," my indefinite least favorite track, comes off overly cheesy and I'm 75% sure it's just about love. Murphy's handiwork saves this track from hopelessness with epic overdubs in the chorus and a cool-enough Gary Glitter beat. (Gosh, this song bugs me though.) Also, I feel like in scattered parts of the album, Win Butler's lyrics aren't as strong as they've been in the past, especially after the very much "songwriter" album The Suburbs.
I've never taken drugs before. But this album would sound GLORIOUS if I was high.
"We Exist" > "Flashbulb Eyes" > "Here Comes the Night Time" make for a great coked-out trio of songs. The beat on "Exist" is worthy of a disco ball. "Eyes" has freaky production tricks chopped up  throughout. "Night Time's" lyrics creep me out behind its dark yet joyful rhythms that speed up and slow down unexpectedly. Disc 2's closer "Supersymmetry" would fit in nicely on the recent LPs from Destroyer or M83; it's hazy, dreamy, there's a nice use of strings to keep it interesting.
This album tells a story, but I'm not sure what. Unlike the friendly, relatable tales of childhood that Suburbs tell, Reflektor talks about death and makes senseless statements throughout. ("We exist!" "Love is real, like a disease." "If you're looking for Hell, just try looking inside.") Despite Butler's elaborate lyrics in the past, I love this. It fits the band's new personality. "Afterlife" is an emotional highlight on the album with a sprinting rhythm, while Win cries out his fear of death and anything afterwards. It's a great track placed perfectly, saving disc 2 from being too quiet or too boring.
There's supposed to be a personal intermission between disc 1 and 2. The album is a lot more enjoyable this way. Like most musical theater productions, the first half is fast, loud and interesting, and the second half is for those who've been following the real plot, testing the audience to see if they can stay awake. It's a neat idea. Considering the strenuous length of the album, the 5 minute fade following "Supersymmetry" is a good way to exit the theater.
The sound samples of introducing the band and people cheering on disc 1 weren't necessary. I suppose it made me smile at 1 in the morning. "Awful Sound" is a beautiful, uncomfortably emotional track. "Porno" has some awkward lyrical content that I approve. Actually, a lot of this of this album is awkward, and I do quite enjoy it.
How does Reflektor compare with other AF albums? How does it compare with other 2013 albums? It hurts me to think about this, so I'll leave that up to you. But fact is, Arcade Fire passed the test of tortured artists disguised as senseless rock stars. It's definitely not a perfect album, but it fits the criteria for a "beautiful dark twisted fantasy." AF and Murphy worked hard on this, but arguably harder than they needed to. Hmmm...
I usually don't score albums, but what the hey: 8.5, maybe 9 out of 10...

4 songs from 2013 I HAD to write a blog about

Before I go into this, here are a few songs I considered writing about:
* 'Get Lucky' (Daft Punk) * 'White Noise' (Disclosure) * 'God Made the World' (Cold Cave) * 'Wakin' on a Pretty Day' (Kurt Vile) * 'Ya Hey' (Vampire Weekend) * 'Retrograde' (James Blake) * 'Hang on to Life' (Ariel Pink) * other stuff *
Okay. 2013 isn't over yet. Not even close. There are plenty of releases coming up that I predict to be really really good. But when it comes to songs, it's hard to follow. I myself don't consider critic's lists for songs at the end of the year to be all that accurate. It's hard to tell which songs are going to last a long time. But here are 4 songs (in no particular order) that I have totally loved all year.

DOIN' IT RIGHT -Daft Punk (ft Panda Bear)
"This Daft Punk album would probably be really good to take drugs and listen to on a rainy bridge across the Gulf of Mexico." -Diplo. I have never never done drugs or visited the Gulf of Mexico. But I think this song captures that feeling more than any other. I'm specifically referring to the short, basic keyboard solo in the middle of the song. Panda Bear's voice in this song is basically the sound of magic, echo, overdub and all. There are only a few lyrics to the song. You hear robots saying the same 4 lines over and over again. This is like the song you've heard a million times before you've even heard it once. In an attempt to make an album that sounds like it could've been made 30 years ago, Daft Punk gave us something that just might last 30 years and beyond.

MUTE -Youth Lagoon
I feel stupid trying to explain how Youth Lagoon sounds. I always conclude that it's like MGMT & Mercury Rev covering AC's Merriweather Post Pavilion. And then I actually listen to them and I'm like- nah. Trevor Powers (aka Youth Lagoon) comes from Boise, ID, and I'm glad I can enjoy an artist that lives so close to my hometown. He music has been defined as lo-fi, psychedelic, dream pop. The lyrics on his Wondrous Bughouse album are mostly about death, ghosts, sleep. One of my favorite critics Anthony Fantano, didn't even review the album. He makes a case for artists who make plain melodies behind unnecessary noise. I guess Youth Lagoon goes under that category. If you're lame. This is probably my favorite album opener of the year. Great guitar riff, great playful, mysterious noises in the background. It's the beginning of something weird and epic.

BLURRED LINES -Robin Thicke (ft Pharrell Willians & T.I)
Am I sell-out? I sold out from the very first time I heard this song. IT'S STUPID. There are only a few notes here. It's not exactly the most harmonic thing in the world. The song is about sex. Zero poetic value ("Baby, can you breath? I got this from Jamaica!" ...I don't know what that means) .Anyway, what I love about this song is that Thicke & his crew didn't try too hard. Spoon's Kill the Moonlight has been praised for it's sounding like the perfect "bare bones" rock record. This is the bare bones of generic pop/r&b. We have the lead guy who's only made 1 good song his entire life, we have the sexy black dude, and we have a rap verse in the middle. What more do you need, what more do you want?  Each line should be classic, doesn't have to make sense or be intelligent, just has to be quotable (see Janelle Monae's "Tightrope" or Outkast's "Hey Ya!" for further instructions on that one). You want more cowbell, we got plenty of cowbell. Can there be a 100% guaranteed "feel good hit of the summer"? Let's just make this the #1 song in America from June 22-September 7. This song shouldn't be so controversial to the public- it's the perfect example of every generic pop hit from the last 20 years. Get over it.

STEP -Vampire Weekend
I said these songs were in no particular order. The other 3 aren't. This is my favorite. And for the record, Vampire's Weekend album has been my favorite album of the year thus far (it might get beat!), but this song is a golden child. Webster's dictionary defines nostalgia as "a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition." Aren't songs about ex-girlfriends and growing old supposed to be depressing? Ezra Koenig turns these topics into something "wistful." It's both cheeky and tongue-and-cheek. Think Paul Simon's "Kodachrome" or "You Can Call Me Al"... only with church organs, synthesized choirs, a cool harpsichord part, tons of cultural references and hints of hip-hop. It's hard, I know, but think about it. Koenig delivers line-after-line on this song more than any other VW tracks. I have not studied what every single line is about, but if you really want to, there's this: http://rock.rapgenius.com/Vampire-weekend-step-lyrics#note-1593862. For a song about personal memories, it doubles as university-class library of history. Now just because a song has a bunch of personal pronouns in its lyrics, that doesn't make it better than everything else (then again, the Barenaked Ladies were launched to popularity with "One Week" and "If I Had $1,000,000"). But I think the music captures the lyrical concept and turns it into something joyful- and as far as pop music goes- spiritual. Here's a crisp, delicate wine-glass toast to everything stupid you've done in your youth, and everything you've learned as well.

A Few Words On 'In Utero'

Nirvana.
Yeah, I may or may not have heard of them. I may or not have been alive for the last 22 years.
Anyway, in a week or so, the folks at Universal are re-releasing Nirvana's 1993 album In Utero.
I was like, 2 years old when this album was released. And it isn't even Nevermind, the Nirvana album that changed rock 'n' roll forever and all that shtuff. So why do I give a crap?
I freaking love In Utero.
I haven't always been a Nirvana fan. For most of my life, I just thought they were over-rated. And maybe they are... I just love them for different reasons than most folks.
I often wonder if as many people would think Kurt Cobain a legend if he didn't commit suicide. He was a very personal songwriter with pop instincts he fought hard not to use. Some people think him to be a poetic God. To me, he's like the dude I wish I had living in my garage my whole life. (We'd probably get along. I'd probably also help him avoid cocaine abuse.)
Nirvana didn't invent "grunge" music. But they were arguably the best at it. Kurt Cobain isn't worth worshiping. But he's worth your time. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" isn't my pick for the best song of the 90s (ooh, I should list that some day!). But it's pretty darn close.
In Buddhism, the term "Nirvana" is used to define a state of "external reality to pain or care." (Thank you, LDS's Preach My Gospel.) Nirvana was a band true to their name. Total numbness in lyric and music I would like to go into a music history lesson, but I'd rather talk about my personal connections with the album.
I bought In Utero for 99 cents at a Hasting's.
My favorite Nirvana song through-and-through is "All Apologies."
I think the riffs are better on this album than on Nevermind.
Kurt Cobain's mumbling is super legit, to me.
Some of Cobain's influences: Dinosaur Jr, The Pixies, Neil Young, Daniel freaking Johnston.
Steve Albini is a boss on production.
Kris Novoselic is a boss on bass.
Dave Grohl is a boss at life.
"I tried hard to have a father, but instead I had a dad." No personal relation to this. In all honesty, I don't know what it means. But it's sounds nonsensical and I like it.

Consider yourselves cultured. 

ONE DAY

I just wanted to remind everyone that today is September 11. On this day in 2001, I was in the 5th grade & was very unemotional about the event. I was a dumb kid and didn't take it seriously. I guess I don't have much to say about 9/11/01 that nobody else can say. But I do know that this ONE DAY has impacted the nation ever since. There have been wars, conspiracy theories, economic issues, unjust angst & justified angst alike... But in ONE DAY, over 2750 people died on US soil. That's about 25% of my hometown, Jerome. No matter what happened, we KNOW that THAT happened.
(Side note: For the last 2 weeks, my Facebook cover photo was a picture of the Marina City towers in Chicago. It may have looked like the World Trade Center buildings, but it wasn't...)
Is the United States of America the greatest country in the world? If you're from the US, the answer is yes. Is it a perfect country? It never has been. So I'd just like to see ONE DAY on internet where we don't have to see any stupid posts about how "OBAMA IS PURPOSELY MESSING UP OUR COUNTRY," or about how "GEORGE BUSH WAS A TYRANT," and especially nothing like "THOSE RAG-HEADS IN THE MIDDLE-EAST ARE TRYING TO BLOW US UP." At the end of the day, our political biases amount to crap, especially on a day like today. You can definitely give it a rest for ONE DAY.
Please at least remember the fact that September 11, 2001, was a somber, transformative moment in the history of a country that has done everything in it's power for the last 250 years to keep people alive and well. If you care to disagree with that statement, unfriend me.
God Bless America.

Complaint Box, Vol. 1

After a 3 day weekend of basically zero worries, I'm back in school and have come to a cold realization:
Oh. Wait. I'm a journalism major.
This means I have to do something on a daily basis that I often avoid:
Actually follow the news.
Anyways, I have not been following the news and I have an assignment or 2 due this week that tells me I should have been doing that for the last week. I also realize that I kinda suck at writing news, but I guess I'll get better at that. As for staying up to date with current events, it will be quite hard for me to give a crap. So I just consider this a humbling experience. A humbling experience that I really really really don't like.
Not like I don't find the news interesting, but I'm just too self-conscious to dedicate time to it.
And my feisty comment of the day: Most people reading this don't follow the news, either. Some people out there think they do, and they act like smart-@$$es about it.
Shout outs go to my brother Keith, Hyrum Hemingway, Patrick Harberd, Mr Brown, Ross Irwin + many others I can't think of right now. You guys follow the news and don't focus on 1 story all week.
It took me about 10 minutes to write this. I will now be pulling news stories from the past week from my butt and spilling them onto the class's discussion board.
"Fight the powers that be." -Public Enemy