—Man And Wife, the Latter (Damaged Goods)
a really great song please listen!
(The Desaparecidos is a side project of Conor Oberst’s, aka Bright Eyes)
(Source: nevernudebeach, via gypsyheart-evileyes-deactivated)
This is my beautiful girlfriend sticking flowers in my ear hole
The two things that ruined my friends were marijuana and straight edge. I’d like to believe that there’s something out there for all of us that we can do instead of fitting in.
I’ve been thinking about doing album reviews for quite sometime here on Tumblr so, here’s my first one. I welcome your opinion, your insight, or anything that you have to say concerning these reviews. I just enjoy listening to music and discussing.
If you have an album suggestion shoot me a tweet at @DanielhasTTG and I’ll post a review here. I absolutely love musical discussion, and I enjoy hearing everyone’s opinion, so feel free to post away. With that being said, let’s jump into my review of Codes and Keys by Death Cab for Cutie.
I have always been a fan and follower of Ben Gibbard since the first time I heard him and Jimmy Tamborello’s project The Postal Service. The music was simplistic and stripped down yet consisted of well thought out, and well placed hooks that gave this album an outstanding re playability feature. Give Up was an album that dealt with love, friendship, and was almost reflective of Ben’s life. After leaning on the ever present blips, clips, and electro noise of this album, I wanted more. I began to research Ben Gibbard and all the other musical endeavors he had his hands in. I learned that he had done his first working by himself in a project entitled, All Time Quarterback and was part of a major indie rock band called Death Cab for Cutie.
Codes and Keys released in 2011 was an album that I had really been wanting to hear. First, because their last album Narrow Stairs and the EP that followed entitled The Open Door left me wanting. However, Narrow Stairs reached #1 in the Billboard 200 Chart in 2008. So, apparently someone out their like it.
But I was really wanting to see what these guys came up with this time. I got a sneak peak at the song You Are a Tourist at work one day from a coworker who is also a DC4C enthusiast. We fell in love with it. The echoing vocals resonating over a groovy beat, garnished with layers upon layers of piano and guitar really make this song one of the best and unfortunately one of the only good songs of this album. Although the lyrics are repetitive, I think DC4C really uses this as an advantage.
This album strikes out on many levels with me. The opening track Home Is a Fire gives the listener a false sense of any resolution. We hear over and over the same melodramatic instrumentation that you would hear as an opening song and yet to no avail..I can’t wrap my head around the idea of having a song continually build and continually.. build but to what? Now, let me clarify, I’m not saying that every opening track that crescendo’s in rhythm, volume, atmosphere sounds, whatever..has to end in a godly amount of screaming guitar’s and droning cymbal crashes. I’m saying that with listening to 4:04 of an opening track that leads straight into a song that I’m pretty sure Meg White and Jack White threw out while writing Get Behind Me Satan is a huge letdown.
Some Boys, the third track on C&K has grown on me. It has enough of that filler track essence that bands need to fill space but yet somehow, somehow they make it work as an actual song on the album, maybe it’s because when compared to an album comprised of mediocrity it stands out as a possible song worth something. Maybe I’m grabbing at straws on that song..but given the circumstances I think it’s a good filler song at best.
The following track, Doors Unlocked and Open really sealed the deal for me. If you haven’t heard this song, then you’re luckier than most of us that has had to sit through it.
I felt as though when I had reached the one song that had brought me to my pre-album excitement we had made it. Maybe the last half of the album isn’t as bad? Maybe it was a slow start? Not the case at all.
Maybe I’m being too harsh since it’s, for the most part a happier album.
I’m not sure if they were aiming to write 1 maybe 2 good radio rock songs or what. Because, mission accomplished. I applaud. I know that the mellow, heart wrenching songs that once filled my head years ago will never be replicated, and that’s perfectly fine with me. I don’t expect another Transantlantacism or another rendition of Plans. I expect bands like this to progress as writers and as musicians and really expand their sound to a degree, I think that they just completely missed the mark on this one. But, it is good to see these guys back.
I give it a 4 out of 10
LOVE
(via fuckyeahmosh)
The Sidewalk Ends Here
Low on money again, It never seems to amaze me how one can blow through money like I do. I can’t keep living this way. Paycheck to paycheck. I’m making a resolution to myself as of today. And yeah, I know..who hasn’t heard this from me a billion times. Oh well, I’ll give it my best. I’m going to save money!
Eating out and unnecessary driving has been my two major problems. I spend a lot of time with my friends out side of work and in a town where drugs are an ever growing trend, your options are limited to what you can do. Most of my nights are spent sitting home and watching Netflix and talking to people online. I love it, it’s a great way to unwind. However, with cabin fever always settling in, I always feel like I have to be doing something at all times. And to do anything, costs money which brings me back to my two problems.
I have a graphic design degree from Marshall University and I rarely put it to use other than the occasional show flyer I’m asked to illustrate. I’ve done design work for Marshall University Theater Dept, Businesses, Pharmaceutical Companies and several other viable sources. Why not do something I love with the time I spend at home and make some money? I really enjoy designing and I’ve been told I’m really good at it..I don’t know about all that but I’m definitely wanting to start doing more of it.
So with that said. Hit me up on here, Facebook or Twitter and let me know if you or someone you know need anything designed and I’ll be in touch with you. Thanks.
Kitties
(via tinydanzig)
It sickens me to see and be in with a music scene that does nothing but feed into apathy, shit talking, stereotypes, and utter ignorance. I started going to shows when I was in high school. Why? It was something to do. I had been musically active since my 6th grade year of middle school all the way through high school. I played in the marching and concert band from 6-12th grade. I love the idea of music, and the process of making and writing it.
The Darling Articles, Watashi Wa, and Fairweather Fan were the first bands I saw while I attended my first show in Hurricane WV at the Boiler Room. Ever sense then I wanted to be in a band. When I saw the band Holden Caulfield the same year, I started seeing what a music scene was all about. Family and friends supporting each other and their musical endeavors. I made a whole new group of friends that year and I am happy to say that those people are some of my best friends even now in 2011.
Over the years, I have played such a wide variety of music; had success with some of the projects, others missed their mark. But, overall it has been a self discovery and learning process of what I want to do and what I feel.
Today, I am in a band called ARCHERS. We are a heavy melodic post hardcore band from Ohio. I am so pleased with our line up. We are all good friends and really enjoy writing together. I’ve always loved heavy music. It’s so much fun to play and to be able to stand up in front of a crowd and them really get into your music really gives you that sense of accomplishment, that sense that you can connect with people and see that somehow you are influencing them.
The fact of the matter is that I have noticed throughout the years of going to shows, and meeting people out of town/state…there has been an abundance of nothing but pure laziness, shit talking, and people just being assholes to fans, booking agents, and venue operators. Bands. Local bands. What I think these bands have failed to realize is that playing music is a gift. Playing music in venues such as bars, rec centers, churches, etc. is a privilege and that not one band is better than the other. Yes, people’s preferences towards music and the musicians affect this opinion, but we are all trying to do this for ourselves and some, for a living. And from what I’ve gathered..we are all trying to make it out of this state. We are all trying to spread what we feel in our lives and our experiences through music…that’s what artists do. I feel a lot of bands and fans alike lose that today. If you don’t have the newest “grind-core” shirt from Hot Topic, or you don’t deal drugs, then you won’t get the respect of “the scene”.
Well, this scene has been around longer than I have. As a 25 year old man, I see that the youth have really stepped up and carried on where a lot of our veteran musicians have left off. There are so many talented kids these days, it’s insane. But, with that said these teens that think they have everything figured out, and think that they just want to go on tour with “TDWP, AA, ABR, etc” and somehow it’s gonna just fall in their lap.. but rely on others for: money, gear, transportation, etc. won’t get anywhere. If you are passionate towards something, you will do anything in your power to make that happen. Whether it be to take out your 1” plugs, cover your tattoos, and walk in and apply for a job, or sell your possessions to have better gear. Being in a band takes up two major things. Time and money.
No, this generation of kids rely on their parents and friends for everything. It’s sad, disheartening, and frustrating. People talk about how this scene is dwindling down to nothing. It is. It is, because no one has any work ethic towards doing anything with it. Something has to change. I can only hope that the bands around here that do make it out *crosses fingers will get out alive, because I’ve been out of state with bands and I’ve seen the other side of the fence. And the way it looks compared to how our WV/OH scene is looking…looks very promising. Given, drama, scene sluts, and fights are in every scene..it just seems worse in this area more than ever…
Let’s keep our head’s up and back each other up, because it takes a lot of work to get where you wanna go. If you’re fine with staying in the Huntington area playing shows in 5 years. More power to you. I know I’m not.
