GZ Expat, Part II

The Winter Sounds

My favorite independent music source, Insomnia Radio, recently passed along a Daily Dose of music about an old favorite band, The Winter Sounds. 

A couple of years ago, when I started exploring deeper and deeper the independent music scene, I was struck with a handful of bands that were under the independent Livewire Recordings label.  One day I decided to order up a handful of CD's and had them delivered to expat daughter and she was able to get me copies of the music (since I can't trust the mail system to deliver CD's to me).  The album I purchased was The Land of No Output, which they later refined and recorded as Porcelain Empire. 

The notice at Insomnia Radio was that the band were working on a new album, but were in need of some cash to get themselves the time to get it done.  In trying to raise some dough, they produced a 3 song EP, Pinebox...available on their website.

We are close to finishing our second album "Church of the Haunted South" To help us finish paying for it we are selling an advance copy of 3 of the new songs. So for the next few weeks for $3.99 you can download the "Pinebox EP" which features the songs: 'Pinebox', and the demo versions of 'Autumn Movement', and 'the Heart is Scarlett'.

The songs were recorded in Austin, TX @ Cacophony Recorders and Super!Alright! and produced by Danny Reisch and Mitch Billeaud (check out their band here: www.myspace.com/thelemurs)

Please spread the word on this.  We're very excited about the songs and can't wait to finish

OK...so why am I plugging these guys?  Well, I went to the sight and plopped down the massive sum of $3.99 for the 3 song download.  I got them on my laptop and turned them up...I liked what I heard and listened again and again.  The next day, I get an email from the band (specifically, Gina Asalon, the keyboardist), thanking me for buying the CD and telling me how cool it was that I was ALL the way in China, and I was still able to keep up with their music.

Stunned.

Think of it...I plunked FOUR BUCKS on an EP of demo music...and they thanked me!  As I told Gina, neither Eric Clapton, Tom Scholz, Mark Knopfler or Phil Collins ever thanked me for the hundreds of $$$ I have spent on their music over the years...and she thanked me for $4. 

Get over there and buy the EP...now. 

Goodbye Jason...and Good Luck (Joes)

In this world of American Idol-created pop acts, corrupted music executives and rehashed 70's bands, Insomnia Radio gave me the opening to a world of independent artists and music that I only dreamed could exist.  Well, Jason has decided to call it quits...

This is an emotional post to write, and as such it’s going to be stripped down to the essence. I have battled this decision for awhile, but I have to say goodbye to my show, and to all of you amazing hardcore indie fans, and move on. Hopefully you all realize there is no RIGHT time to do this, just the NECESSARY time.

It seems as though many bloggers go through these times...times in which the hobby overtakes the life.  Jason's dedication to the music has taken its toll...I only hope he can get rested and come back stronger.

I cannot express the heartfelt thanks to Jason and the network he created for exposing me to some of the best music out there.   

For those that subscribe to IR...keep that subscription, as all the regional shows will continue (IR Chicago, IR SoCal, IR Detroit, etc).

 

Attention Music Industry

After discovering the wonders of online media, I have purchased most music online in the past few years, rather than hassle with heading to the CD store and picking up mountains of CD's.  Although some artists still only sell their music in the hard disc form, there are times in which you need to buy the actual article, most of the time, I can get what I want in mp3 form...without DRM.

Christmas was no different, as I received a handful of CD's for my listening pleasure.  Problem is, it takes so long to actually enjoy the listening, because you cannot get the g*&%#mn cello packaging off the case!!  Oh sure, you could go into the kitchen and find a knife and cut away at the packaging, but my guess is, if you are the average consumer, such as I, you don't bother. 

And, so you sit there and pick and pick at the corners to try and get the tear started...only to end up with a 2mm square piece of cello stuck to the end of your finger.

The next phase is the teeth...gnaw, gnaw, gnaw...snapping your teeth together so your entire head shakes and the 'boom' sound it makes in your head prepares you for the 'listening pleasure.'  Finally, you get a good piece torn up...covered in saliva...you grasp the slippery plastic and begin the process of removal.  The key here is to tear in a spiral pattern, because if you just tear is straight across the case, you will have to start all over again.

Once you have released the case, you then have to deal with the stickers they place on three sides of the case (you get this on DVD's too).  Sort of reminds me of the toilet seat in the hotel...sealed for my protection.  Again...pick, pick, pick...until you can get  a corner of the sticker and then pull...tear.  You now have a 3cm chunk of the label in your hand, with the rest of it still stuck on.  Remember when you purchased an LP and all you needed was a thumbnail to run down the open slot of the album sleeve?  You could even keep the album with the cello around the sleeve for protection.

Ten minutes later, you can now open your new music...all crisp and clean and place it in your computer to listen to.  You slide the disc into the drive and close the drive...nothing.  Your whirring CD drive thinks and thinks...WTF??  All of a sudden your screen drops and you are taken into some sort of PC program the record company has thrown on the CD...complete with its own player so you can listen to the CD.  Uhhhh...I think I have my own player.

Quickly escaping and canceling the 'convenience' of the included programming and player...I quickly bring up my own player...click on Rip...and save the music to the hard drive.  I then remove the CD, place it back in the case, and throw it into my stack of CD's...never to be seen again.

And the recording industry wonders why people don't buy CD's anymore??

This Is Not Us

I am not big into the symbolism of song.  We Are The World was a sappy tune, but it helped raise some dough for a charitable cause.  Just Say No was a pipe dream of a phrase...catchy as it was, drug use rose in the 80's and 90's while people preached this slogan.  Actions speak much louder than words.  But, in the world of global terrorism, it takes some guts to stand in front of a camera and tell those thugs that what they are and what they are doing is wrong.

This song, however, is not intended to raise dough, rather awareness.  Maybe, just maybe, this is a turning point in which the silent voices of moderation stand up and shout down the evil that lurks all around. 

Yeh Hum Naheen...This Is Not Us...

The Closet Pop Fan

I love my rock n roll.  I can't stand Country OR Western.  Rap is not for me...but I don't mind a bit of Hip Hop with R&B roots.  I love jazz...I love the oldies...but it always comes back to good old rock n roll for me.  But on occasion, I like pop. 

I don't mind a decent ballad with a good beat and decent harmony.  So, I sit here listening to Take Thats latest CD, Beautiful World.  There...I admit it...I spent money on this thing and I LIKE it.

I actually bought this CD simply because it was Top of the Pops and Robbie Williams (former member in the boy-band days) had sunk so low with his last release; I was curious.  This album is actually quite good.  Robbie asked the question 'Where is Gary Barlow?'  Well, he is on this album and sounding a hell of a lot better than you, mate!

So, I join those around the globe with their closet pop star CD's.  Me?  It's been all about Lionel Richie (along side The Doors and Jimi Hendrix growing up...go figger) and now this Take That CD. 

Expat Daughter???  Hmmm...I'll let her say what it is. 

Tai-Tai??  Too many to name because her and I have exact opposite interests in music.

What is your closet pop CD that you love to listen to...by yourself...in the dark??

More New Music

I've put my money where my favorite podcasts are...I've purchased some CD's of some of the great stuff I have hear recently on Insomnia Radio and Radio Zoom.  Here is the list...

• Cage 9 - El Motivo
  • Been trying to find this online for a while and finally had to buy the physical CD.  Hollywood Car Crash is just a kick ass rock tune; it will get your butt moving if you like fast paced rock.
• The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
  • The band is from Portland...and nothing good has come out of Portland since Seafood Mama.  Although the sound is good...the politics is solid leftist, which turns me off.  The tired idea of Bush invading Iraq for oil is just that...tired.   Michael Totten always reminds me that there is hope for the liberals of Portland...for he is one that gets it.
• Warm In The Wake - Gold Dust Trail
  • Another more mellow band...but very tight.  I'm liking all the tracks on this short EP.
• The Comfies - Close To Me
  • Very good EP.  My favorite of the bunch.
• Ashton Allen - Dewdrops
  • Jack Johnson...John Mayer...you pick.  Singer/Songwriter music.  Sort of folksy...but in an alternative.indie sort of way.  Very good stuff.
• The Coral Sea - Volcano and Heart
  • Love this.  Upbeat music with great harmony.
• The Rewinds - (self titled)
• Finalists for artist of the year at Spin Magazine...and this CD shows why.  This whole CD is great rock n roll...

I bought all these CD's and had them sent to expat daughter.  With customs here in Chiner, you just never know if you will ever see a shipment of several CD's arrive at your door.  I asked her to rip them on her PC and then send to me by email (is that against DRM...f* 'em if it is...I bought the damn things).  She also threw in some extra's for me of some bands that she has seen or heard recently...

• The Winter Sounds - Land of No Output
  • Expat Daughter received this CD from the band through their MySpace page...sort of dumping some old stuff they had in hand.  Pretty good CD...but you can really tell the growth they have gone through on their newer CD...
• Shelter Belt - Under The World Awhile
  • A band she saw in a coffee shop.  Raw indie rock.  There are some flaws in their sound when you hear them...but this is a part of the appeal.  The CD is like listening to them right in front of you.  The more I listen, the more I like.
• Beyond Velouria - (self titled)
  
  • Another raw local Hawaii indie band...better than Shelter Belt, I think. No other way of describing them...they have that common alternative sound and it all goes together fairly well.  Same as above...the more I listen, the more I like.
• William Tell - You Can Hold Me Down
• Expat daughter likes this singer/songwriter folksy sort of stuff.  Tell is more of that...haven't had a chance to sample much of this...so more to come later.

Give some of this a try, if you are so inclined.  Most of these artists have MySpace pages that have streaming music...and some offer free downloads of selected songs.  These small bands are finding a way to get their music out there...they are the future of the music industry through their ideas of spreading music through technology.  The big corporations still have visions of CD's and vinyl in their heads as the only way to distribute.

Soundtrack to My Movie

Expat Daughter has dropped several posts dedicated to ‘the soundtrack to my movie.’  It’s a good insight into what she is doing/feeling at any given moment.  But, as her life is so far short, the music she chooses for it only spans a short amount of time.  So, what would I do if I had to do the soundtrack?

I would probably just find tunes with themes I like…or that connect personally with.  There are some songs out there that emit a certain memory…some of those songs I can’t even think of.  But, if I hear it, I will immediately be brought back to that place in time.  Many people say it is smells that emit the quickest and clearest memories…but music also does that with me.  There is lots of new stuff…and some older stuff.  There is also stuff that I just don’t have that I wouldn’t mind including…but know I cannot.

Going back in my life, my musical tastes have changed and changed…but there is a constant.  I’ve always fallen back on good rock n roll…blues…music that makes your foot tap.  From high school when I rejected most popular music in favor of jazz (the ‘indie’ scene of the day), through the 80’s pop and the rejection of most music in the 90’s because it just sucked.  My library of music runs from Robbie Williams to Frank Zappa. 

The rise of independent artists/labels through the internet has finally caught my attention.  And, since I am a guy that usually rejects many things big and corporate, I am struck with the ability to find music and listen to what I want to listen to…not what some record company exec says I can or cannot listen to.  Podcasts have opened my mind to a variety of new bands that I am quick to try and go out and get their stuff. 

So, my soundtrack would probably include a load of classics...because the new music doesn’t have an emotional hook for me, yet.  It takes time.

• More Than A Feeling – Boston
• We Didn’t Start The Fire – Billy Joel
• Slide – Goo Goo Dolls
• All About Soul – Billy Joel
• Disappear – Hoobastank
• Love Of My Life – Frank Zappa
• Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
• Amanda – Boston
• Iris – Goo Goo Dolls
• Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who
• Too Much Time On My Hands – Styx
• Take it As it Comes – The Doors
• Lost Horizons – Gin Blossoms
• 1985 – Bowling For Soup
• Freedom Never Cries – Five For Fighting

I saw a man on the TV with a mask and a gun
A man on the TV, he had a 10 yr old son
I saw a man on the TV; his son had a gun
And he says that he’s coming for me.

So, what is your soundtrack??

Brad Delp, RIP

My favorite band of all time has lost its lead singer forever...

Brad Delp, the lead singer of the 1970s and '80s rock band Boston was found dead at his home in southern New Hampshire on Friday, local police said.

I saw Boston in 1988, shortly after my daughter was born.  We made the trek to Seattle from Portland to see them on the last bit of their Third Stage tour.  Although the band would go on to make some other albums (without Delp on lead vocals), they just weren't the quality of their first three.   That show in Seattle was an incredible experience...they played every song from all three albums along with a couple of new items. 

Delp went on to make a couple of albums with friend and former Boston lead guitarist, Barry Goudreau, in a band called RTZ.  Their initial album, Return To Zero was an incredible album that packed the old, original Boston sound.  I've got a cassette tape of this album...but cannot find it on CD or download.

Their last album, Corporate America, was crap.  Delp was on a few tracks...but it was definitely a stab at making some sort of political statement in the album...and it sucked.  Boston was about great rock n roll and ballads...not politically charged nonsense. 

 

I still have my favorite songs...More Than a Feeling is the song to wake up up.  Long Time is the song to leave a job to.  Amanda is the song to remember your little girl to.  Party is the song to party to.  Don't Look Back is just a great, great song. 

RIP...Brad. 

I looked out this morning and the sun was gone
Turned on some music to start my day
I lost myself in a familiar song
I closed my eyes and I slipped away

Online Music

I'm struggling lately to find music online to purchase.  In the past, MSN had a pay per song service that was tied into their media player.  The downloads were fast and reliable...and the music quality was pretty good.  In fact, they had so much stuff online with that store, I ended up buying old radio programs and other stuff too.

Well, when Microsoft switched over to the new version of media player, it nuked the old music service.  The new one?  It doesn't work here, either.  In fact, most online stores I go to give me the, 'sorry, our service is unavailable outside of (insert country of origin here).'  Napster...Rhapsody...HMV.  Walmart works, but their selection of censored tunes just turns me off (besides, I'm a Target sort of guy).

Oh yeah...and I refuse to use iTunes.  I downloaded and used it once.  I can't stand the format (I don't own an iPod) and I was offended by the copy rules they have in place (cannot share...and only 3 ro 4 copies can be made).  I just haven't drank the Apple kool-aid.  Despite compelling designs and high prices, I'm not quite sure what else they can give me.  Granted Microsoft is nothing to smile at either...but the whole cult of Apple turns me off.

So, I found one store in which I can buy music and I gave it a shot this weekend...MusicGiants.  Initially, I was a bit taken back by the prices.  Full albums run about $15.00, which is what I would pay for a full CD with artwork.  But, I decided to give it a go.  I downloaded two albums, Aberdeen City; The Freezing Atlantic and Rooney.  The albums took nearly 24 hrs to download. 

After I received the files, I went into the file manager to check the size of the files...24 meg...EACH!  That's right...one album was about 300meg.  Compare that with your typical mp3 file of 5 meg per song...and we are talking some serious hard drive space.  Apparently the HD they refer to is hard drive, not high definition.  Kidding...the quality of these tracks are superb...but, the cost is a bit high for only the tracks and no additional CD artwork or anything like that.

Any suggestions out there that might work for me in Chiner?

Nike + Running Tunes

The recent post by John about music at Canucks games got me thinking about a favor I did for a friend about a month ago.  He had bought the Nike + contraption to use with his running workouts.  He showed me his initial graphs and they were all over the place.  He said he needed music that could keep him motivated for the entirety of his run.  I put the following together...and he showed me his graphs from his runs and they are flat...consistent.  Give it a try...

• Come Fly With Me; Frank Sinatra
• Run Through The Jungle; CCR
• Gettin' In The Mood; Brian Setzer Orchestra
• Eruption/You Really Got Me; Van Halen
• Jump The Say (Alt Mix); David Bowie
• Splinter; The Exies
• It's Going Down; Mike Shinoda/X-Ecutioners
• See The Light; Jeff Healy
• That's What I Am; Eric Gales
• First Date; Blink 182
• 1985; Bowling For Soup
• Pump It; Black Eyed Peas
• Louie Louie; Iggy Pop
• I Ran (So Far Away); Bowling For Soup
• Break Me, Shake Me; Savage Garden
• Walk of Life; Dire Straits

Now...if only I can adapt to my regiment...err...that is...if I HAD a regiment.  Need to start soon.