This is How Much Fun a Wedding Should Be

Picked this up from another blog (known as Pleasantries). This video made me smile and laugh and appreciate how cool people are.

This is exactly how fun every wedding should be.

The Old Forever New Things

Three minute music video for your viewing pleasure of The Old Forever New Things, by The Most Serene Republic. It's fan-made, but quite good. The album it comes from, ...And the Ever Expanding Universe, isn't due for release until July 14th. Enjoy with caution.

Shot in the Back of the Head - Moby

Today we find ourselves with a lyricless song by electronica artist Moby (you might know him by the famous song Porcelain, or Extreme Ways, the theme to the Bourne movie series) called Shot in the Back of the Head, a preview of his new album Wait for Me (out June 30). I've gotten really into over the past few days. It's got an almost ambient feel to it, but it's much deeper, and frankly a good bit more melancholy and moving. It takes pulsing distortion combined with a few synthesizers and builds over three minutes, eventually reaching a climax, and quickly fading. It's really nice.

Also the music video is sort of weird. A bit trippy.

Heavens to Purgatory

Recently, I posted a review of one of my favorite bands, The Most Serene Republic. Their last album, Population, was released in 2007. As of Monday, TMSR has announced a new album, called ...And the Ever Expanding Universe, due for release on July 14th.

Along with this (at least in my own opinion) joyous news has come a free download of the album's second track, called Heavens to Purgatory. It's a little bit more... organic than their earlier stuff, but still contains the depth that I have come to love from this band. It's actually a bit heavier in the bass range, giving it a more dancy feel, which I think I like. Plus it clocks in at under three minutes, a short little twinkling gem.

Indulge yourself.

Heavens to Purgatory (mp3)

Band Review: The Most Serene Republic

You last heard me talking about a recent favorite band of mine known as Menomena. Today I discuss one of my favorite bands of all-time, the Ontario-based indie rock band known as The Most Serene Republic (TMSR).

TMSR is not your average, everyday indie group. (Although, there's really nowhere near an "average" indie group.) Their instrumentation is particularly unique, featuring violin, EBow, trombone (and other brass), and xylophones in addition to the classic piano/guitar/bass/drum orchestration. They are a quirky, hyper-educated bunch, with song titles such as 'Solipsism Millionaires' and 'The Protagonist Suddenly Realizes What He Must Do in the Middle of Downtown Traffic' towering over their repetoire, sporting lyrics like "This deducer of lives is not a being, but profused meaning" and "Purpose: What a selfish orangutang; progress has now been changed, nature is lost."

What gets me most of all about TMSR, though, is the depth of their sound. With layer upon layer of floating synths, twinkling xylophones, guitars, pianos, and drums, all topped with the vocal tradeoff and duets of lead singers Adrian Jewett and Emma Ditchburn, The Most Serene Republic create full, complete sound that I've rarely, if ever, heard from any other band. As their website puts it: "At the rate they’re going, whether they mean to or not, the Most Serene Republic will alter the way in which people appreciate rock music"

Here are a couple of tracks that I've particularly fallen in love with:

The Men Who Live Upstairs

Fading in from some random distortion, the listener is led in with a calm acoustic guitar, soon overshadowed by an elegant piano riff and a vocal duet, pondering (in complex language), the actions of the "men who live upstairs" and the influence food has on our behavior. It soon explodes into a satisfying chorus of crashing drums, guitar, piano, and a singing violin. A real gem from their album Population.

(Also, video can be found here.)

Present of Future End

Begining with an acoustic prelude to the main theme, this track is fuelled by a driving, up-and-down guitar riff, some crashing drums, and a full brass horn section to back. Its intensity is constantly changes, easing off to allow for some odd lyrical prominence, talking of the futility of emotions and the "solving" of human beings by computers. It continually builds, pulling out all of the musical talents of the band: sparkling piano melodies, rocking guitars, vocal dualism, and energy in a song the likes of which I haven't often heard. It all culminates in a climaxing conclusion that will leave you a bit confused, yet quite satisfied. Bats cleanup on Population.

Anhoi Polloi

A somewhat experimental track from their EP Phages, this song starts with a complex drumbeat and violins with sudden, abrupt eigth notes, Anhoi Polloi suddenly explodes into an energetic guitar riff, easing off for the crooning of the two main singers: "I see real as an aging face, with lines of time put right in place." In many ways, this track reminds me of Present of Future End: A big guitar riff trading with vocals, and ending with some big brass covering the main theme. Still a really nice piece. (This one's in .m4a, off of iTunes.)

Content Was Always My Favorite Colour

The second track off of their debut album Underwater Cinematographer, I fell in love with this track due to its complex structure that seems to be ever-evolving. Jumping right off with the high tenor of Adrian Jewett singing "my world is firmly compressed into the pocket of your front breast" over a buzzing synthesizer, after about a minute, the track devolves into a repetitive vocal cadence over handclaps with some added synth. Suddenly, the track changes direction, completely cutting for a moment before introducing a fast, warm acoustic guitar, soon aided by a crazy xylophone and "la la"'s galore. It continues on that note for a while, eventually devolving into the same buzzing synthesizer and a piano drifting out to the sound of Jewett's pleasing vocals singing "you're what I want".

The Most Serene Republic have released two albums to date: Underwater Cinematographer and Population, in addition to an EP entitled Phages.

An album may be coming up in the future: Stay tuned!

Menomena (No, Sadly, not Sesame Street-related)

Among my current musical preferences at the moment is a band I recently discovered called Menomena. There are two main reasons that I like this band. The first is there name, which evokes vivid memories of a certain Sesame Street skit... Specifically this one: 

In addition, their somewhat unique, indie sound (classified by Wikipedia as "experimental rock") is quite appealing. Overall, what I love about Menomena is the creative aspect to their sound. To record, they use a program called Deeler, which allows each band member to record short riffs on their respective instrument, and turn these into loops onto which they base their songs. In the words of the band's leader Brent Knopf, "Deeler keeps the process democratic, which is the only way we can operate."

As a result, Menomena has produced two well-received albums: I Am the Fun Blame Monster! and Friend and Foe. While the latter is a bit more polished in its sound, I prefer the rawness of the first album. It often builds off of small, simple loops, such as a basic sliding guitar riff on E. is Stable that rises and falls with the intensity of the song, or the chillout guitar on Oahu. On both of these songs the music builds around these simple riffs,

with judicious use of some swirling pianos, a favorite of mine. Still, they don't keep everything too straightforward, pulling out the two-part beauty that is The Late Great Libido, which has two distinct parts, yet still manages to incorporate the main theme into both, with a droning saxophone and xylophone providing some serious novelty.

Their stuff from Friend and Foe seems a little... overdone, in my opinion - it seems to me that most of the songs from there have this enduring dark aspect to the music, and it lacks the charm of an earlier indie attempt. Nonetheless, I am infatuated with the dreamy My My, a floaty synth and guitar composition that makes my world seem to glow, yet brings me back down to earth with the opening line of "What if all my enemies were dead?"

In short, check out Menomena, if you're willing to try an independent band a little out of the ordinary. I would especially recommend I Am the Fun Blame Monster!, if not just for the album title.

E. Is Stable

Oahu

The Late Great Libido

My My

Music Overlooooaaaadddd

My neverending thirst for new music seems to be driving me over the edge. I'm currently searching for new bands, and I'm downloading random things nearly indiscriminately, sometimes without even listening to a preview of a song first. So far, some of my recent pursuits have included...

Mono, Jon Hopkins, The Flaming Lips, Ra Ra Riot, Deerhunter, Monkey, Panda Bear, and probably a few others. On a tip, I'm also considering finding new albums by The Stills (Oceans Will Rise), and the Dandy Warhols, in addition to some funky Australian band called The Grates. No word yet as to whether I'll actually pursue.

Oh, and I haven't listened to any of this stuff except for Jon Hopkins, who is way cool.

Now when am I going to listen to all of this...

Un-Dead

Hold on to your seats, six loyal readers. This could be a long one.

Anyways, as you might know, I recently returned from Canadalaska, exactly a week ago. You may have also noticed that I have, for the most part, neglected to update this blog since then. This is due to several reasons, among them... Jet lag, needed recovery time, dark moods due to missing friends and a relapsing medical condition (I hate my kidneys), busy-ness due to work, and a host of other things, laziness among them. I can say for sure that I will be updating more frequently now, although I really wouldn't count on daily updates. Bit of a stretch, that.

Anyway, a review of my trip is forthcoming - not today, though. Too long to fit into this already crowded post. So, instead, I think I'll treat you guys to a small mix of songs that I've recently discovered. Hope y'all enjoy. For you we have...

Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) by Arcade Fire
I have recently come to love Arcade Fire, a somewhat nontraditional rock band that incorporates some nice orchestral elements. This one has a beautiful, swirling atmosphere, and some nice lyrics as well.

Rebellion (Lies) by Arcade Fire
More Arcade Fire, from the same album (Funeral). This song is just really cool - great lyrics, catchy main riff, and just a great one throughout. Fun to sing along to, as well. (Note the children's chorus.)

Wraith Pinned to the Mist (and Other Games) by Of Montreal
This song is just freakishly catchy. Very upbeat, with a bouncing, bright bassline. Just an overall happy and fun song that I have recently become addicted to. Check out the music video on Youtube as well - very cool.

Marching Bands of Manhatten by Death Cab for Cutie
Opening track to the album Plans. Very good album, by the way. Still, great lyrics, and a gradually building song that eventually explodes into sound, and a witty ending, in musical terms.

Present of Future End by The Most Serene Republic
Musically, a feast for the ears. Very energetic, explosive, and utilizing a lot of band instruments, which is always good to hear. Lyrics are extremely bizarre, which makes it more intriguing. I am currently in love with this song for its fantastic sound. Hope you will too.

Inní mér syngur vitleysingur by Sigur Rós
Before you ask - no, it's not in English. It's by an Icelandic post-rock band called Sigur Rós, and no, it might not be for you. It's all in Icelandic, and roughly translates to "Within me a lunatic sings". It is an extremely catchy and uplifting piece, with an amazing, building riff near the end that explodes into sound. If you're willing to try something new, give it a listen. Trust me. It can't hurt. Seriously.

Hopefully, that's enough to fill the gap. Enjoy!

Death and All His Friends

The latter half of Coldplay's new album title provides the closer for the album, and our featured song for today: Death and All His Friends. Personally, my favorite track.

The song starts very soft, with some gentle chords and a crooning lead singer, a little bubbly guitar here and there... and then basically EXPLODES into this crazy guitar and synth and everything melody, and drives on into this really cool synth part... and then fades away as quickly as it started, into a twinkling end, leaving you (or at least me) wondering what the heck just happened.

There's also a bonus, at the end: A hidden track, called The Escapist. I'll leave y'all to here it for yourselves.

Clicky!

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Remember when I blogged about Coldplay's new album a week ago? At the time, the album had illegitimately been leaked into the interwebz, and I wasn't too willing to share.

As of today, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends has been released to the entire world. As of today, it is also the major frontrunner for my favorite album of the year. That having been said, I know feel that you are all worthy of a free download:

Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends

Standout tracks: 42, Lovers in Japan, Viva la Vida, Strawberry Swing, Death and All His Friends (Though, really, I love them all.) Also look for hidden tracks: Chinese Sleep Chant comes after Yes, and The Escapist closes out the album after DaAHF. Happy listening!

Seriously, though: I encourage you all to go out and buy this if you like it. I did. Stylish art insert if you do, good stuff.

Oh, and I'll also take this time to shout out to a freshman who requested to be codenamed 'M'. Instead, we'll call him/her Mycroft Oxley the Third. Jolly good!

Cello Rock

Well, I play cello. And I love to play cello, which you can tell by going slightly earlier in the posts and finding out that I recently played in Carnegie Hall, which rocked. But, y'know, as far as classical music goes, I can play it, I can appreciate it... but it's just not something I'd listen to on my iPod.

Enter Cellofourte, a cello quartet of epic proportions. A friend of mine at UPitt pointed them out, and from what I've heard, this is crazy stuff. Warning: This may not be for you.

Check it! It's their first music video: Combustion

They don't seem to have any digital releases yet, so I'm looking into getting a hard copy CD... somewhere... But, if I get any of their songs, I'll definitely pass 'em along.

Party Shuffle Sucks

Most people, by now, have an MP3 player. If it's any good, chances are, it has a shuffle function. I don't know about you guys, but when I shuffle through all 1900 of my songs, there's a lot of crap that I have to sort through before I get to something I really want to hear. I listen to full albums, and even if I like the album itself, it doesn't mean I like all the tracks in it.

So... I make playlists. I just spent the better part of an hour yesterday creating three new playlists, so now I have about 10. I'm curious: Is that weird? I don't know how many people like to use playlists to determine what they listen to. Personally, I like shuffle... but I want to shuffle through certain types of songs sometimes. That's why I have playlists.

Maritime - We, the Vehicles

Today brings another indie release by a band known as Maritime called We, the Vehicles. Personally, this is one of my favorites: A mainly guitar-based album with a lighter, brighter sort of feel. There are a lot of catchy guitar riffs and rhythms, but none of the hardcore, intense playing you'll find in a lot of modern alt rock. Serve hot, with a sprig of mint to garnish.

Recommended tracks: Tearing Up the Oxygen, Parade of Punk Rock T-Shirts, German Engineering

We, the Vehicles
Maritime
Tracklisting

Roryx the Chem Stud

Well, congratulations to any and all who read this blog. Since the beginning of the blog, you've managed to vote in the poll a phenomenal 12 times! Wow!

The results say that my cello's name is now Ishmael, by a vote of 6-5-1. However, my own opinions have prevailed, and thus, he shall be known as Roryx the Cello now and forever. I needed to name him, though - I'm playing in CARNEGIE HALL in New York this Monday with the high school orchestra elite, and I am pumped.

On that note... check out this vid:

A friend of mine made it. I knew he was white before, but this confirmed him as the whitest guy in Pennsylvania.

The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

The second of my music posts brings us... The Decemberists' The Crane Wife. It's a little more indie stuff, but of a different vibe than The National: More folky, with a more acoustic-centered focus. Nonetheless, it's good stuff.

Standout tracks: The Crane Wife 3, O Valencia!, The Island (A 12-minute, 3-movement epic), When the War Came

The Crane Wife
The Decemberists
Tracklisting
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IUKH87UL

House and the Social Music Revolution

Last night was the season finale of House. Woah, I mean, seriously, woah. Seriously awesome stuff. I highly recommend watching it if you get the chance. Anywhere. It's a 2-part finale. Probably the best hour of TV I've seen all year. Or nearly.

Also, a cool thing to point out: Last.fm. AKA the Social Music Revolution.

Basically, it's a music site with pages for artists and albums and music videos and whatnot. The cool thing: It tracks global music trends by looking at what its members listening to. Basically, you install software, and Last.fm "scrobbles" your tracks to the site, and records them. It's pretty cool, because it encourages a lot of music discovery and sharing between people. Would definitely recommend it. You can also check out my profile. You might've also noticed some stuff on the right sidebar... that's all provided by Last.fm. Check it out!

The National - Boxer

Every once in a while, I'll be enlightening all of you guys on a (personally) noteworthy album or song or artist of some sort. Today's featured album is called Boxer, and it's by a band called The National. It's indie rock, if you must know, and it's been hailed by some as one of the best albums of 2007, and one of the best kept secrets. Personally, it's one of my favorites. Cheers!
Boxer
The National
Tracklisting
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QKIDNIE0

Oh, and no, I won't be updating this every single day. ;)