Album of the Month: June 2009
Isis
Wavering RadiantI haven't always loved Isis. I was introduced to them with "Oceanic", and I feel that's a bit of a flawed album. Its pacing is far too relaxed, it's production does the music no favours, and it just isn't engaging as a complete experience ( Read more... )

I had a "new album" ritual. Put simply, I'd sit in my parents' family room, turn on the album on the awesome stereo, turn it up, and sit back and listen to the whole thing. No phones, no laptops, no distractions. It would be like watching a movie ( Read more... )

Album of the Month: April 2009
Mastodon
Crack the Skye

What has always kept Mastodon exciting is that while they have many characteristic eccentricities, each of their albums weave those elements into something unique. I had no idea what to expect from a band whose defining characteristic was innovation.

Crack the Skye delivered all it ( Read more... )

I obtain the album.
I position myself between two stereo speakers.
I press play.
I close my eyes.
I listen.

This used to be my way to first experience many of my new albums. Though it was on the third spin, I'm glad to have made the time to do this for Crack the Skye.

Album of the Month: March 2009
Neko Case
Middle CycloneThere is something intoxicating about Neko Case's voice. It's a powerful voice, with every inflection dense with expression. She wields it bluntly when she sings in The New Pornographers, since power pop is not built for subtlety. With her previous album, the masterpiece "Fox Confessor ( Read more... )

Yikes.

Just went on a huge rant on the message board.

I guess I'm sensitive to people suggesting new music isn't good anymore since I think new music is awesome and one of the more exciting parts of life.

Too often you see frustration from lovers of old music with people who only listen to music - there's this concept of a lack of respect for ( Read more... )

...I actually didn't play any games yesterday.

I used my Korg DS-10 to write music, but I didn't actually play a game. I tried, but Quake Live was down.

Weird.My approach to composition on guitar has usually been to noodle around with it with a vague idea of a theme, and then come up with something. I decided to finally learn how to play ( Read more... )

So after spending the day pissed off that I hadn't got any good music listening at home in a while, I went to the basement, found an album on my hard drive (Mastodon - Remission), fired it up along with Quake Live ( Read more... )

Bullshit:

• I can't play my electric guitar ever (or even have the amp plugged in due to flooding basement) due to not being able to be noisy at the hours I actually have time to or at the times I actually need it. Hell, even when I can be a bit noisy, I can't be noisy enough - the electric guitar is an amplified instrument, and much of the benefit ( Read more... )

So I'm doing a concert review of a show tomorrow night.

For some reason I'm really nervous about it now!...which is absurd because almost every tune I hear enters my brain through an automatic process of dissection and evaluation.