Keep Indie Alive: Say no to vampires!

One of the many bizarre things I got sucked into while through the respiratory illness looking glass was bad T.V.  I’ll spare you the gory details as a lot of it is super-embarrassing, but one show I became particularly obsessed with is called “The Vampire Diaries”

Yeah, it is as bad as it sounds.

It basically takes all of the crappiest and soppiest elements of True Blood and Twilight and assembles them into this vapid, pulpy, bloody mess. It’s written badly, the actors aren’t great and generally you just feel like you don’t deserve to procreate while watching it. However, most alarmingly perhaps, it’s got this crazy obscure soundtrack.

Allow me to illustrate: So I’m watching the show. It’s come to one of those typical cliché moments when the vampire sexyman love-interest is conflicted in whether he should tell the beautiful brunette protagonist about his “true nature”. He’s being brooding and mysterious (no, not like the normal brooding and mysterious, like, intensely brooding… like, Tolstoy and opium man) and she’s standing there looking pretty and confused and they’re standing on some bridge which, for no apparent reason, has  twinkly white Christmas lights all over it. They go through the pedestrian dialogue, the sighing and the “discrete” glances, and then, all of a sudden WA-BAM, Glass by Bats for Lashes starts playing.

At this point I’m totally confused. It would be one thing if this was some quirky indie vampire show (that’s fun to imagine), but this show airs on a sister channel of Fox… IN AMERICA.

At first I thought it was a fluke, some show intern’s little victory. I could just imagine her, the little waif from NYU with her horn-rimmed glasses, inwardly beaming at having incorporated an obscure British dream-pop ballad into a cookie-cutter teen drama. But then the frequency of these songs abolished all pretence of coincidence from my mind. For example, at one point in the show the mayor’s unsatisfied and lovably cougar-ish wife is slumming it at the local bar. I’m not really sure why because trying to figure out why things happen in this show is kind of like trying to defeat a ninja, it’s pointless and ultimately painful. ANYway she’s sitting there, and then the “bad” vampire (because now all of a sudden predatory beings that drain you of blood and are meant to be hella scary can be something other than bad) comes in and seduces her. As the director of this show, I would want the music to reflect the sense of dark foreboding to foreshadow the violence of the impending scenes. Although derivative, I’d probably opt for some creepy classical music or just some dissonant strings. But that’s not Vampire Diaries’ style. No way man, that’s too obvious. They’re the hip cool vampire show. So in a scene that basically sets up for the murder and brutal exsanguination of a well-meaning middle-aged woman, the backing track is MGMT’s Kids.

Suffice it to say I was shocked.

I could go on about other instances in the show where the obscure music selection was inappropriate and downright weird, but unfortunately these few instances I’ve mentioned in relation to the Vampire Diaries are just small satellites orbiting a bigger problem. Vampires are infiltrating music. That’s right, you read it, they’re infiltrating it and it’s flipping sick. Just take a look at the track list for the recent Twilight: New Moon movie soundtrack:

1. Meet Me On The Equinox    - Death Cab For Cutie
2. Friends – Band Of Skulls
3. Hearing Damage – Thom Yorke
4. Possibility – Lykke Li
5. A White Demon Love Song – The Killers
6. Satellite Heart – Anya Marina
7. I Belong To You [New Moon Remix]  – Muse
8. Rosyln – Bon Iver & St. Vincent
9. Done All Wrong – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
10. Monsters – Hurricane Bells
11. The Violet Hour – Sea Wolf
12. Shooting The Moon – Ok Go
13. Slow Life [with Victoria Legrand]- Grizzly Bear
14. No Sound But The Wind – Editors
15. New Moon [The Meadow] – Alexandre Desplat

I suspect the vamps have had these guys for a while: note the pseudo-victorian apparel, guyliner and effeminate posturing

And the great thing is, these are all original songs. That’s right, if you want to get these songs you have to buy the New Moon soundtrack. This means that Thom Yorke sat in his sound proof biosphere (for some reason that’s where I imagine him working), put on his smoking jacket and thought to himself, “What kind of song should I, a literal rock LEGEND write for this silly teenage vampire drama? I who wrote the album that single handedly changed the face of alternative rock… Hmmmm…”

It’s hard to imagine that the same person I loved for coldly refusing to meet Miley Cyrus at the Grammies could pull something like this. I mean it’s not like he needs the money, or cares for that matter. This is the man from the band who allowed their fans to choose their own price for his record.

So what do you do when you feel like one of your favorite musical heroes has seriously challenged his own credibility? You go into denial. I don’t choose to believe that Thom Yorke did this of his own volition, I believe that the vampire overlords have impressed him into their infernal service to help them in their quest for world domination. You may think it extreme, but with this kind of stuff being sold to children, I think there’ve been crazier beliefs.

P.S. Thom, I will save you… on the condition that you let me hang out at your biosphere sometimes.

More proof:
Vampire Hands – Paradise Knife Fights

New Year! Get with it!

I hope everyone had fulfilling and memorable last moments of 2009. I know I did! In between dodging maverick fireworks and sharing resolutions with family I managed to have a pretty good time, considering.

So resolutions… I’m sure most of you have at least one. I have six! I won’t bore you by posting them all here, but I would like to share one of the better ones with you: buying a new pair of shoes.

Ahhh, I can hear your incredulous gasp already. “What?” you scoff, “What kind of stupid resolution is that?”

Hush you! It’s a damn good resolution and I’ll tell you why. You see, I don’t want just any shoes, I want some Toms.

These babies aren’t just cool because they’re cute and comfy, they’re also philanthropic. I kinda like to think of Toms as Keds with a conscience, because for every pair you buy, a pair goes to a underpriviledged child. This is awesome because, although we in the 1st world often take them for granted, shoes are important. Many kids in developing countries’ only mode of transportation in walking, barefoot. The primary cause of death in many LEDCs is soil transmitted parasites or infections caused by lack of proper foot protection. By giving them shoes, we’re allowing them to travel, play and live easier with diminished risk of the amputation, illness or death associated with foot-related injuries.

And it’s all legit. Toms works through legally recognized NGO’s and organized shoe drop tours to make sure that their “one for one” policy is upheld.

But all that “good will” and helping crap aside, the shoes are just cool. In addition to slip ons, Toms have great men and women’s collection and offerings of Oxford and Keds style lace-ups and boots. They also have an excellent selection of vegan footwear if you’re feeling kind and well as philanthropic.

I’m ordering mine today and seriously, you should too. I can’t wait to wear these out in summer, happy in the knowledge that a kid somewhere out there is enjoying their Toms too.

Cool huh?

And so we’ve reached the end…

Well here we are again, at that wonderful time of year that has us all family oriented and warm and reminiscent. As I sit here in my bed with quilts up to my ears and a warm cup of cocoa on my side table, I can’t help but feel optimistic for the coming days. This year was both trying and rewarding for me, through the microcosm of this blog and in my personal life. One of the most trying tasks I’ve undertaken thus far was narrowing down by “best of” list for this year. The sheer volume of music that I’ve been exposed to has made this hard enough, but then there’s the fact that most of it, amazingly, was brilliant.

In any case, I won’t bore you with the details of scouring my iTunes library and re-visiting albums from earlier in the year. Instead I’ll just commence with the list! Happy holidays!

10. Rewild – Amazing Baby

To be honest, I feel a bit bad putting this album last. It really was, in my opinion, a great record. The production was flawless with its intricate string arrangements and layered synths. I found something new and interesting after each listen. My only real problem with this album was not with its execution, but with its scope. I feel that since there’s been a sort of neo-psychedelic revival, these guys needed to really reach and “push the envelope” of their sound. This isn’t to say that the album is uninteresting, I believe it is quite the contrary. However, I couldn’t help but feel like there were missed musical opportunities.

Roverfrenz – Amazing Baby

9. Two Suns – Bat For Lashes

If I lived in a fairy commune with a unicorn overlord, I think Natasha Khan would be, like, the queen. She just oozes this creative self-assurance and transcendental understanding and that definitely informs her music. It leaves nothing to be desired, exploring all sonic possibility and weaving vast dreamscapes to lose yourself in. Two Suns is a much more cohesive effort than Fur and Gold, although it lacks the kind of tongue-in-cheek humor that made songs like What’s A Girl To Do soar (remember that verse in the chorus: “When your dreams are on/A train to train wreck town”?). Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful, ethereal listen.

Siren Song – Bat For Lashes

8. True Romance – Golden Silvers

From the minute I laid eyes upon the swirly intricate purple and gold album artwork of True Romance, I knew it was going to be one of my favorites for this year. I mean, how could anyone in their right mind resist Golden Silvers’ witty mix of nostalgic doo-wop and 80’s pop? True Romance was my go-to song this summer, and for good reason. Golden Silvers are fun and smart, two things everything (people, music, cake etc.) should aspire to be.

Arrows of Eros – Golden Silvers

7. Fever Ray – Fever Ray

This album, Karin Andersson’s (you know, the female half of The Knife) crazy side-project, was one of the best musical WTF moments of the year. When I chanced upon the music video for When I Grow Up earlier this year, I was utterly confused. “What is this?” I wondered, totally bewildered by what I had just seen, “Is this electronica, or pop?” I questioned, “Why is that girl dancing over a pool?” I still don’t really know the answers to those questions, but there’s no denying that Fever Ray is different, lively, and crazily danceable at some points. With its quirky sampling and cryptic lyrics, Fever Ray is sure to be an album you need to/enjoy revisiting.

Triangle Walks – Fever Ray

6. Logos – Atlas Sound

Shelia is just, just one of those songs that grabs hold of your imagination and won’t let go. You find yourself singing it absent-mindedly to yourself and making it your internal life-soundtrack when traversing snowy streets. In a lot of ways, Logos, as a cohesive effort is the same. It’s pop music, but not quite. It’s dreamy and airy and childish all at the same time. At some moments though, My Halo for example, it’s dark and brooding. However, it never leaves you in that scary place for too long. I may be a bit biased since I kind of love anything Bradford Cox lays his hands on, but there’s something undeniably endearing about his brand of screwed up transcendentally melodic pseudo-pop.

Shelia – Atlas Sound

5. Album – Girls

I was fortunate enough to be tipped off about this crazy San Francisco duo by Gerlin, and seriously, thank you Gerlin because this album is like, wow. On a theater trip in London earlier this year, Lust For Life became our theme song, blaring as loud as we could possibly make it from our home-made cup speakers. Album is pretty much the crowning jewel on the lo-fi crown for this year, epitomizing that carefree, slightly-crappy but loveable sound that seems to be coming exclusively from southern California.

Laura – Girls

4. Merriweather Post Pavillion – Animal Collective

Now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m not about to prostrate myself before a shrine to Noah Lennox and sacrifice a baby with Brother Sport playing in the background. No sir, not that crazy yet. What I will say is this album was, categorically, awesome. It’s like synthy, loopable gold flowing all through your head and making you wanna dance like a lunatic. It’s also amazing from start to finish. No half-assed attempts or fillers here. It’s just 54 minutes and 42 seconds of masterfully crafted electronic bliss. If your friends are anything like mine, you will have had constant arguments about which song is best, but in the end it really doesn’t make a different because they’re all so fucking amazing.

But for the record guys (you know who you are), My Girls = WIN

My Girls – Animal Collective

3. Bitte Orca – Dirty Projectors

I will express my love for this album in the form of haiku:

Dirty Projectors,
Solange Knowles covered your tune?
Massive respect dudes.

But seriously, this album deserves some major kudos. Not only is this Dirty Projector’s most accesible album to date, it might just be their flat out best. Longstreth’s guitar acrobatics along with his girl’s warbling, ghetto-songbird-esque vocals leave you with cool tunes that are as suited to your local indie club as they are to a chilled our party at your friend’s house.

Useful Chamber – Dirty Projectors

2. Here We Go Magic  – Here We Go Magic

I think that this was the album that I was most anticipating this year. From the minute I heard Fangela, I was hooked. The crazy soundscapes that Luke Temple manages, almost single-handedly, to create are all-encompassing and deeply engrossing. The lo-fi edge of the record almost serves a foil to the intricacy of the melodies and arrangements, while simultaneously giving the record a homey, accessible feel; like the record was a demo from a ridiculously talented friend working out of his basement. I absolutely LOVE this record, and know that I will be immersing myself in its wonderful melodies for years to come.

Tunnelvision – Here We Go Magic

1. Fits – White Denim

Call it bias, call it lack of musical taste, but I am totally committed to spreading the gospel of Fits. Not only do you get 24 tracks for $10 on the extended American release, but basically every song is this amazing, in-your-face psychedelic rock explosion that will leave you breathless and energized. In a scene where a lot of music is over thought and overproduced, White Denim are wonderful glowing monsters ready to shake things up and present something awesome.

Regina Holding Hands – White Denim

Most Promising EPs (in no particular order):

1. Mystery – BLK JKS

2. Rainwater Cassette Exchange – Deerhunter

3. Life of Leisure – Washed Out

Have a kick-ass new year everybody!

Wavves! Wavves! Wavves!

Here is yet another lovely contribution from our dearest KG. Maybe one day, I will be as cool as her…
I have been to my fair share of concerts. Some serious ones, some funny ones, some shitty ones. But the thing they all had in common was that in each, the band actually cared in some shape or form about the quality of the music they were producing.

I thought that for the rest of my life, I would attend concerts like this… Until today, because today I saw Wavves.

Babalu is a tiny club smack in the middle of Munich’s University Scene. About twice the size of my bedroom it can barely hold about 50 people. The inside of it whilst quite warn, does not give off a shabby impression but simply one of being really well loved over its long history.  Inside you are met with a comfortably claustrophobic space in which some one seemed to have erected a stage that appeared to consist only of brown crates with a carpet thrown over it and a dull red curtain hung behind it.

As I arrived inside there was already a crowd of 25 people assembled. The opening Band “Dudeman” were rocking out on stage. I am sad to say that the audience was not very accepting of their deafening, barely understandable grunge rock. From what I could hear it was dirty, messy and consisted only of a lead singer with Guitar and a drummer. To them the idea of a show seemed to consist more of having an on-going joke with some one located behind stage, than of actually making music. By the end of their set I had narrowed it down to three possibilities as to why the band behaved in the way they did.

A) They had taken some thing, drank it, smoked it, snorted it, injected it. In some way or form they had altered their states of mind through external substances.
B) They were just weird as hell.
C) They were clinically insane.

To further prove my point: One of their songs was called “King Kong Went to Hong Kong to Play Ping Pong with His Ding Dong”. Towards the end of the show a head popped up right of the stage, with a marker screaming

“Pinhead” and proceed to scribble randomly all over his face. Because I am just as weird and twisted, this scenario was hilarious to me, however the rest of the crowd seemed rather unimpressed and annoyed.

The facial expression on that some what irritated crowd’s faces did not flinch as crazy marker man proceed to plop himself behind the drum kit and start gibbering away in English to the still annoyed  and now confused looking German crowd. Second later he was joined by a topless man with the words Beach Goth written in lipstick on his chest, followed by unreadable scribbles and a gigantic arrow.

By now the confused audience had gradually warmed up to the sight of these two peculiar men and had begun to accept their slightly awkward appearances.

(I feel I must warn you now, because I am in love with this next man.)
Following closely was  none of other than Wavves himself Mr. Nathan Williams. I was surprised to see that he was only a head or so taller than me and far skinnier than he appeared on photos. I am not sure if he is naturally this way, but by god this man was tiny. This did not stop him from looking amazing in his black jeans, faded black sweater, light blue jeans jacket and rotten white sneakers. He appeared on stage with his baby blue fender guitar with the only request of beer and began tuning and adjusting his Guitar.  As the three man ensemble concluded their set up we learned that the lipstick scribbles on the bassists chest were in fact that failed attempt at a set list, but unfortunately after Beach Goth the lipstick had gone funny and they gave up, Nathan proceed to tell us that it didn’t really matter any way because they only knew 11 songs. He explained that his original drummer had broken his hand so he had flown in these two guys from California and they hadn’t had time to practice and learn more than 11 songs. At this point all I  really wanted to do was raise my hand, as if I were in school and ask the obvious question. “How did he break his hand?” and “ Why did you have to get a new drummer and bass player, if only the drummer broke his hand?” But my questions went unanswered. After Beach Goth concluded Nathan announced, “Some one fucked that up, was it me? Did I fuck that up?” he turned to the crowd and said “Yeah I fucked that up, should my guitar be louder?”

I wish I could give you an exact documentation of all the hilarious things these three men said on stage, even I as a native English speaker had no clue half the time what the drummer was saying (He did threaten to send people angry e-mails if one of us put mention of his lame Facebook joke online, well this is me mentioning it so we’ll see if I get the email).

Nathan scolded them when they insulted Germans and their food preferences announcing he does not condone such behavior. After joking around a bit saying that anyone who thought the show was shit could get a refund at the door Nathan simply said “Everyone knew coming here this was going to be a shit show”. In it’s own beautiful and magical way it was complete and utter shit and I loved every moment of it.

Aha, you think this is the end of it.

After the concert I just could not resist. I knew I had to go to these three men and show them my love for their insanity and ability to  make such a chaotic and obscure show amazingly fun to experiences both visually and sonically.
At first the Bassists who I ambushed at the Bar did not want to hug me because he was covered in lipstick but I insisted, so now I have Wavves’  messy set list smeared  all over my shirt. I journeyed back to the stage were a sweaty drummer was still propped up behind the kit and I motioned for him to get up which he did and he embraced me in such a huge bear hug he lifted my feet off the ground and I was afraid my head would hit the stage lights.
And then the magical moment….. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a skinny frame moving swiftly onto the stage. It was Nathan. I nervously interrupted his movement across stage and pleaded for a hug, which he gave to me with a smile and a “Sure”. I thought  I was going to die. I am not one to get all swoony around Musicians and usually I manage to keep a straight head, but he made any logical or intelligent thought just leave my head instantly. He continued talking to me. The content of this very brief conversation, I will not reveal because of it embarrassing nature on my part.
My conclusion? If you have the chance to see Wavves it is an experience. Do not expect a show that will make sense, be pleasant to the ear or even have some sort of structure, but you can expect a lot of content. And if by some weird bizarre twist of Fate Nathan Williams ever reads this! When you come back to Munich ever, call me ;D

So Bored – Wavves

Mixcast #2: Northern Lights

This month’s mixcast is kind of like my attempt at an indie holiday album. Although alot of the songs aren’t overtly thematic in that respect, I think the Sleighbells on Airbag and the gentle melodies of Fleet Foxes will have you feeling nostalgic and ready to curl up with a lovely cup of hot cocoa.

(right click)

Track List:

1. White Winter Hymnal//Fleet Foxes

2. Whiteout//Lotus Plaza

3. Winter Wonder Land//Animal Collective

4. Used To Be//Beach House

5. It Grew On You//Foreign Born

6. Airbag//Radiohead

7. Russia//Ramona Falls

8. To The End//Blur

9. This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)//Talking Heads

A Place To Bury Strangers

Seeing an A Place to Bury Strangers gig is a bit like watching a car crash or witnessing a natural disaster; it forces you remember exactly where you were, how you felt and how it affected you. It stays with you, whether you want it to or not. You may think I’m exaggerating, but I can honestly say that the only difference between a hurricane and A Place to Bury Strangers live is the destructive aspect. The noise, the volume, the intensity and the sheer scale of it is on par with any kind of meteorological phenomenon.

I first saw these guys November of last year when they opened for MGMT. Nothing could really prepare me for the sonic onslaught that was their music. Saying it was loud would be a bit like saying getting shot in the face stings a bit. It was violent, unrelenting and literally painful. I remember watching in awe as the drummer, Jay Space, downed an entire bottle of Jack while maintaining these ridiculously frantic beats and thinking, “These guys are legit crazies.” However, in spite of all the dissonance and feedback, I really liked what I had heard.

When I found out they were coming back to Munich, this time as headliners, I was really psyched. KG and I arrived a bit late to the club due to some train delays but luckily we caught the tail end of Dag för Dag’s (the opening band) set. I’m happy we did. Although nothing too original, this brother sister duo clearly loved what they were doing. Clad in glittering clothing, Sarah Snavely with her throaty yet melodic vocals made for extremely enjoyable listening. The real highlight of their set was a song called Hand and Knees which I could have sworn was a cover of an old Blondie song. After proclaiming their love for the Munich crowd they ended their set with I Am the Assassin which had a surprising number of the stoic crowd bobbing their heads and clapping along. After jumping off of the drum kit and falling heavily to the floor, Jacob Snavely & Co. left the stage.

Then the fog began.

Once the two small fog machines were activated by curiously charismatic frontman Oliver Ackermann the stage began to fill with thick white mist. The lights went down and a strange sort of projection show began. Through the fog circular beams of light revealed grids and blurry images on the back wall of the stage. This went on for about three minutes and after this rather disconcerting display, the band took the stage.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid for my hearing. I’ve been to very loud concerts before, but I’ve never been to a concert where they’ve provided free earplugs at the Garderobe. As I voiced my concerns to KG she simply said, “Earplugs are for pussies!” We decided to take our chances.

The show began with very little light with the drummer completely obscured by the thick smoke. The first few songs of the set were surprisingly melodic, even danceable. The intensity was still there, but it seemed as if the band was just warming up. However, with the first few opening chords of I Know I’ll See You, everything changed. The volume, miraculously increased and the crowd became even more riotous with a small mosh pit forming near where we were standing. In an extended interlude in the middle of the song Ackerman began to throw himself across the stage, as if possessed, frantically playing chords I don’t even think are meant to exist.

Next was Ocean, my personal favorite on the album. Although more a bit more subdued than the previous number, the song was much more intense here than on the album with a much more groovy and prominent bass part.

I’m not really sure how to describe what happened next, but I’ll try. So, Ocean never really ended, the band just kept on playing. The stage went completely black with the noise still blasting at full force and then, out of nowhere, the bassist turns on these strobe lights. I’ve never been so happy not to be epileptic in my life.

The only thing that made sense about this “jam”, if you can even call it that, was the steady heartbeat made by the drummer. Everything else was glorious chaos. People either stood completely still, transfixed by what was going onstage, or were in perpetual motion, lost in some void of sound. Ackerman reprised his demented lunging dance, wantonly playing dissonant chords and holding his guitar right next to the amp to create piercing feedback. Eventually he just threw his guitar on the ground, snapping all of its strings save for one which he desperately strummed, trying to wring out the dregs of lost sound. Eventually though, defeated, he sat prostrated over the broken instrument, as if praying while his band mates played on. It seemed like it could go on like that forever, with all of us watching as these men created something painful and intense and amazing and them just playing or exorcising demons or whatever you want to call what they were doing. Eventually though, Ackerman rose to retrieve an equally battered spare guitar and finished the show with In Your Heart off of the new EP.

They left just as they came, without a word and in the dark.

If I was forced to describe ’s sound in just a few words, I’d say it was melodious anarchy because, underneath all of the reverb and static and angst there is solid songwriting. If you can see these guys live, do it. It’s loud, and you will lose the ability to hear properly for a few days afterwards, but it is so worth it. As esoteric as this music is, it’s really truly music; totally expressionistic and emotive. You watch these guys play, and you feel the music in your stomach and you see how completely done they are at the end of it, and you’ll know what I mean.

I’m not really sure how they’ve managed to make 45 minutes of ear-splitting noise enjoyable, but somehow they do it. It’s beautiful.

In Your Heart – A Place to Bury Strangers

Want a taste? Watch this. Credit to KG for the filming/photo taking skillz.

Mixcast #1: Oasis of Horror

Hello meine Wünderkind! Today is a very exciting day! Do you know why it is an exciting day? Because I’m posting the first of what will (hopefully) be monthly Mixcasts! I have shamelessly stolen this idea from this guy, but I hope you will enjoy this nonetheless.

(right-click the picture)

Track List:

1. No Hope Kids//Wavves

2. Let’s Go Surfing (Knight School Version)//The Drums

3. Laura//Girls

4. Shelia//Atlas Sound

5. Overnight Religion//Kurt Vile

6. Edge of Our Lives//Holiday Shores

7. Deadbeat Summer//Neon Indian

8. New Theory//Washed out

White Lies Concert Review

While I was at home, coughing like an 83 year old chain smoker, my friend KG attended a White Lies gig. Although the concert didn’t go exactly as planned, her night of music certainly won out over my night of respiratory illness…

He said to lose my life or lose my love: melancholic words like that just sound so much better when they are not spoken lazily by a tired looking IB student sitting in front of a laptop. Instead, close your eyes and imagine that you are sandwiched in a very mismatched crowd of people and from onstage these words are sung in a deep, yet soft voice with a heavy drum beat and slow growl of a guitar accompanying it in the background. Yes! Let’s do grow old together and die at the same time… Thankfully I am not old (Editors Note: This is highly debateable), so my time has not come just yet. However the time has come to spend another Monday night not at home being a good girl attending to her studies, but at a White Lies Gig in Munich at the Backstage Werk venue.

When Martin and I arrived shortly after 8pm, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of people that were already waiting outside. It had never occurred to me that White Lies would be so well known here in Munich where Lady Gaga and Flo Rider reign supreme. No one was of the same age group. Well not entirely. Some looked my parent’s ages, some were college students and a fair amount ( mainly girls) barely seemed to be 16.

The opening band Darker My Love were good in their own right. Funnily enough, I thought they were British at first judging by their accents, which was only slightly embarrassing when the lead singer announced they were from California….whoops.  I didn’t find too much to complain about, only that the lead singers microphone was slightly too quiet and his voice just sounded a tiny bit whiney after two songs and I had the urge to plug my ears.

Eventually, White Lies trudged onstage after a painful 30 minute wait in which the crowd grew more and more impatient. Finally, there was an explosion of sound as the band launched into their first song “Farewell to the Fairground”.

Already, even at this early point, one could tell that Harry was having problems singing. At first I thought it was simply because he had just begun and wasn’t warmed up yet, but with each passing song it became apparent that some thing was not right.  By song four which was “To Lose My Life” his voice had become very scratchy and you could tell from the pained look on his face, singing was hurting him. As the song came to a conclusion, he quietly whispered some thing to his band mates then addressed the audience to say, “Sorry guys, but I feel like shit. I love Munich, but I simply can not sing on, I apologize” and with that he and the band walked off stage.

An official looking woman came on stage a few minutes later confirming that which we had already been told, the concert would not go on. However she promised they would be back in either February or March and we were too keep our tickets as they would be valid for the next gig. Still, no matter how sick Harry was, he sounded great. Any band that is as obsessed with death as I am and can sound that amazing despite a sick lead singer is definitely worth seeing.

Just  make sure to remember that White Lies will not leave you with a upbeat and optimistic feeling in the pit of your stomach but  rather a feeling of that fear getting on hold you!

It’s always a bummer when a band has to stop halfway through their set, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a bit excited at the fact that they’re coming back to Munich at the beginning of next year. For all of you Müncheners who, like me, were not able to catch White Lies this first time, they will be returning Sunday the 21st of February with Enter Shikari at Backstage Werk. See you there!

Death – White Lies

…Fancy meeting you here?

Goodness gracious!

Well hello there! It’s been a really, really long time hasn’t it. Have you gotten thinner? I swear you’ve done something with your hair! Anyway, you look great, I mean that, really great…

Look, I know I didn’t call or text and you probably feel used. I just kind of left you there to make the proverbial walk of shame alone. But you know what? What we have is special, and nothing can change that. OK? We’re GOLDEN.

Whew, I’m glad we’re past that.

So yeah, I’ve been gone for a REALLY long time. If that seriously affected any of your internet reading habits, I am well and truly sorry. To make a long story short, some crazy shizz has been going down on my end like you wouldn’t believe. That shizz includes, but is not limited to H1N1, stomach flus, viral bronchitis, train delays, crazy university admission crap, Shakespeare, Wii Sports, and communism. I wish I was joking, but I’m not. If you want the full story of why I’ve been AWOL, email me and I can write you a fucking novel. Otherwise just humor me and get ready for the awesomeness to come.

But before that, one factor contributing to my extended absence that I will elaborate on is my affliction with a variety of respiratory illnesses. I know truly understand the nature of the phrase “bed-ridden”. I was so sick that at one point I couldn’t even be asked to turn the light off in my room when I was ready to sleep. Indeed, my brothers, those were dark times (ha. see the pun?).

The only plus side was that I got to troll the internetz like no other, with, wait for it, A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE. It was crazy! Then again it was the only thing I was physically capable of doing other than drinking orange juice out of a silly straw and complaining. Even so, it was liberating to relinquish all responsibility in the name of convalescence.

As such, I had a lot of time to watch movies, find music and just generally get back in touch with the world. I’ve renewed my love of Audrey Tatou and Stanley Kubrick and strange documentaries (future reference: hallucinogenic antibiotics and specials on cannibalistic serial killers do not mix) so I’m rearing to get this show back on the road.

I’ve been really, REALLY into more lo-fi chillwave type stuff lately. It probably has to do with the fact that I’ve been either over-medicated or delirious for the past couple of days, but even after having come through the fever-dream haze, I’m still digging this schtuff.

One artist that has been on non-stop repeat in my iTunes is Washed out. He’s just one dude from Georgia (Iwasbornthere), Ernest Greene, and he is awesome. His LastFM page describes his music as “bedroom synthpop that sounds blurred and woozily evocative, like someone smeared Vaseline all over an early OMD demo tape, then stayed up all night trying to recreate what they heard“. I’d be lying if I pretended like I knew exactly what that means, but I can vouch for his sound being dreamy and evocative.

If you’re one of those who likes shallow band comparisons, think Neon Indian with better vocals and more chill than wave. It’s layered and it’s thick without being “busy” and it kind of makes me feel like I’m lying on an air mattress in the middle of a glittering ocean, floating along aimlessly and completely at ease.

I bought the Life of Leisure – EP after only having heard Feel It All Around. I was not disappointed. The 17 minute disc is exactly what an EP should be. It’s good enough to stand-alone, but it makes me crave the full length album. Feel It All Around is, for me, the stand out track with its plaintive, dreamy vocals and the drum machine pulsing just under the surface like a palpitating heart; but tracks like Get Up display a more groove-worthy quality which could for shadow some downright danceable numbers on his debut.

Although some of the tracks are more like elaborately fleshed out demos than actual songs, this EP makes me really excited to hear Greene’s debut. If you like your lo-fi thick and icy, then be sure to download these tracks, as they will not disappoint.

In the meantime, forgive my absence and the crazy random nature of this post. I need to get back into the swing of this whole blogging thing, and it will take time. In any case, be sure to keep an eye out for new posts as I really have got some interesting things to share.

Thanks for not abandoning me.

Feel It All Around – Washed out

Get Up – Washed out

Assalam Alaikum Tinariwen

I really hate the term “world music”. I mean not only is it terribly vague in its actual utility as a description of a distinct musical style, it’s also just reductive and condescending. It’s as if we in the West (and I’m assuming you’re Western here, if that is not the case then just ignore what I’m about to write) have taken the time to identify our music in terms of musical similarity and then just thrown everything else in a globby badly assembled amalgamated heap. It kind of reminds me of when I first moved here to Germany and was surprised/amused at the fact that there was a clearly demarcated “black” music section in my local music store… people had grouped music together on a purely non-musical basis, which is, in my opinion, utterly pointless and completely stupid.

This is why I yell at my computer.

When I recently purchased Tinariwen’s newest album, Imidiwan:Companions, I was appalled to see it listed under the genre “world music”. It’s comparable to buying a James Brown record and then seeing it listed under “earth sounds”; it’s a throwaway term and does nothing in the way of actually describing the music. There’s also the fact that if anything, Tinariwen’s brand of Tuareg desert-rock should be described as, forgive my corniness, “out-of-this-world music”… but I’m getting a bit ahead of myself.

You see Tinariwen, in Tamashek, means desert boys. As tempting as it is, I’m not going to try and romanticize the story of these desert boys with their guns, violence, rebellion, and amazing music. I’m also not going to give you a history lesson about the Tuareg region of Mali (although it’s actually really interesting and has everything to do with who Tinariwen are and the music they make). What I will say is that Imidiwan is not just a record. I know it’s cliché to say so, but this time I really mean it. Tinariwen aren’t making music to get girls, or to make money, or to be able to afford new Bentley, they’re doing it because it is what they do, it is the embodiment of their entire being. Their songs of political awakening, nomadic life, and desert nights, despite their delivery in traditional Tamashek, will resonate in the truest part of your soul. When I first heard Lulla with its souring chorus and uplifting, sparkling guitar, it was like a revelation, an appeal to the joy in my heart.The best part is that, althought Imidiwan is informed by the rythyms and melodies of traditional Tuareg music, you can still hear traces of Led Zepellin, or Jimi Hendrix or even Bob Marley. It’s an eclectic musical mix in the best sense of the word.

I really feel like it’s pointless for me to write more about how much I love this band (although it seems a pit paltry to call them that), and this music. Instead I’ll end with a bit written by Andy Morgan about the origins of Imidiwan:

“‘Imidiwan’ is one of those big Tamashek words, to which no single English word can ever do justice. Just like ‘Assouf’, the name which the Touareg themselves often give Tinariwen’s guitar style. ‘Assouf’ means the blues, loneliness, heartache, longing, homesickness, the darkness beyond the campfire. ‘Imidiwan’ means friends, companions, soul-brothers, fellow travellers.”

When you listen to this record, you feel as if you have been inducted into this Imidiwan along with the entire human race. You can only smile in the warm light of your communal campfire.

Lulla – Tinariwen

Ahimana – Tinariwen