Drinkin' with Bach.

It's a Wednesday. Maybe you're at home, drinking a beer and watching some terrible television. Maybe you're at a bar, watching bad commercials and waiting for some sporting event to come on. But you should really be at the Happy Dog in Cleveland, witnessing what just might be the strangest musical experience I've encountered thus far.


Have you ever heard chamber music in a bar that doubles as a hot dog shoppe? Yeah, I thought you hadn't.


Tonight, we have some members of the world famous Cleveland Orchestra performing chamber pieces while people crack open PBRs.


This. Is. Odd.


Buuuut, it's also aurally stunning. These are top notch musicians. Classically trained and members of what arguably may be the best orchestra in the world. Here they are, wearing t-shirts. I mean, DAMN.


This is the stuff I live for.
And yeah, the vegan hot dog was damned good, too.

Addicted.

I can't stop listening to the Joy Formidable. 

Not a bad thing. At all. 

Here. 

Love this. 

I got it for you. 

AND MY FAVORITE:

Coming Home: Tim Easton's Back, Ohio!

So, there's this beautiful thing that happens when Tim Easton takes a guitar, puts it one and sings. It's organic. It just feels right. It sounds like home. It feels like swinging on a porchswing, a summer's night breeze tracing the contour of your face.


It's magical.


And it's filling my ears. Oh, so goooooooood.


He's got this rasp to his voice. It's just right. Sounds like he came out of the womb smoking Marb reds, and hell, maybe he did. But it's alright.


I dig it.


Tonight's opened with an acoustic set by Tim, dedicated to his family who have gathered at the bar to his left.


Closed with a 'summer love song' that's got some sick harmonica skills. Seriously, whistling and playing? I bow to you, sir.

Next to the stage are the ever-lovely Madison Square Gardeners, fronted by Aaron Lee Tasjan. They're equal parts folk and rock, they're nostalgic with an edge. They're cohesive. This is the kind of music that just... happens. It's born - not manufactured.


It's difficult to make a band work with three or four guitars happening at once, but they do it. Tasjan's vocal prowess amazes. He's got an old soul that belts it out. This man, he wails. (In such a good way)


By the way: ALT on guitar = WIN.

To close, we've got Tim Easton, backed by his brothers from the Madison Square Gardeners. It's awesome to see teacher and student play side by side. These cats are feedin' off each others' energies. It's wild.


You like classic rock? You want to hear what it sounds like when it explodes into something fresh? Check out Tim Easton and The Madison Square Gardeners.
Beyond remarkable.

Holy crap, instant blogging!

Just got done interviewing ALT of the Madison Square Gardeners and now I'm sitting in on soundcheck. Isn't soundcheck supposed to sound like it needs work? This shit is well-balanced. This is beautiful and I'm kind of stoked to hear what can come from Tim Easton's raspy voice. There's a lot of guitar going on! 

Soundcheckin'. Which was followed with some Black Crowes "She Talks to Angels" from ALT. That was beyond awesome because that song's always spoken to me. ("She'll tell you she's an orphan, after you meet her family, for instance...")

Ohai, I'm not dead.

Sorry I've been absent lately. Much to report on my end, most of it musically delicious. Here's what's in store (hopefully VERY soon):
-reviews from so many shows,
-interviews,
-and some exciting news.

DUN DUN DUNNNN.

Stay tuned.

Feeling better today. Maybe I just needed coffee to re-focus? Today's musical noshing is on Local Natives. This sound just makes me want to pack up the car and drive. 





It's indie with a light sprinkling of folk. It's got beats that harken back to the fife and drum sound, but then they switch up. 





Ah. Feels good, doesn't it? 

Back from Extinction: The Dodos Ain't Dead Yet

(review of a performance at the Grog Shop on 6/7/11 featuring The Dodos, Gauntlet Hair & Shoreway)


You know it's summertime- the hipsters are out, waving their non-chalance around, dressed in American Apparel, Ray Bans, and blank stares. Walking into the Grog Shop this evening, they've got the steps outside populated as pigeons in a big city. They perch on the sidewalk ledges, waiting. For what? A handout? Something to believe in? Some good music?


Let's hope it's the latter because tonight boasts some good vibin' music. The kind of stuff that could crack the stone gaze of a hipster.


Opening tonight we have the band Shoreway. The name was something that lead singer Matt and Kevin (Music Saves) came up with when they were in Columbus to see a band. Kevin threw it out & it stuck. This is a fairly new band...Matt released a 7" in January that was just him, and the line-up tonight has only had two rehearsals and this performance. Influences? Television, Galaxie 500, The Feelies & The Beatles, to name a few.


Tonight's line-up is a 4-piece- two guitars, a bass & set. This is the band's third show.


I'll be honest. I'm initially drawn to pay attention since lead singer, Matt, looks like Paul Banks. However, stating that fangirl bit, they've got big shoes to fill because I'll obviously expect an Interpol sound.


Their sound isn't Interpol, however. I'm picking up a Cali feel with these guitar riffs...or maybe that's just the bassist's island shirt that's got me off guard. I like their sound; it's carefree, it's fun...it moves. However- I cannot understand the vocals. I'm sure this is because of the infancy of the band and its lacking experience performing, so I'm hoping next go-round, they're there, articulately.


Harmonies are good. Their set overall, is good. Not a lot of diversity in sound until the second to last song, which boasts a long guitar interlude that's right on the edge of dreamy. It's dredging up that nostalgic feeling for me...


There it is. I hear just the slightest bit of Interpol in this music. The chord progressions, the slight distortion. This is what Paul Banks would be churning out if he turned his brooding down. (Which, in my humble opinion, just wouldn't be Interpol!)


Did I buy the 7"? Nah. Am I interested to see where these guys go as they continue to grow? YES.


***


Next up we have Gauntlet Hair. This is a four piece, two guitars, a bass & set. The set up is towards the front of the stage. There's lots of pre-recorded stuff, pedal usage and distortion. Soundcheck has my attention...but they've kind of got that dirty hipster thing going on. These cats look like they should be thrashing at a metal show,  or at least the bassist does. Seriously, he looks like he was plucked out of a metal band, alien abduction style.


I overhear the guy next to me telling his buddy, "I feel like Journey in 1981..." Yeah, man. I'll back that. This sound is dated. After taking a significantly longer time to soundcheck, the eighties begin to stream from the stage. I think they loosely sound like Painted Palms, but I'm completely checked out on this set. It's something I've heard before. I need something to grab my interest. I mean, come on! Painted Palms at least provided video projections! If you're going to pump out something ethereal, ditch the bullshit.


This sound could also be related to Explosions in the Sky...distantly. Hey, bros, EITS don't have vocals for a reason. Ya dig?


(my apologies for the Haterade...)


***


At 11:10, the crowd starts cheering "DODOS, DODOS" and at 11:11, wish granted. Usually a duo, the band's rounded out to a trio this evening.


This is indie, dream pop goodness. This makes up for the Gauntlet Hair fiasco. This music floats, it wafts. It lifts you out of your mundane existence and begs you to come play. There's a whole world out there if only you'd come outside. It drifts off...into a heavy drumbeat.


It's clever. Dreamy. Ethereal (sans bullshit). It begs you to dance, to move!


Add the Dodos to your summer music, keep them around in the fall and winter when you're feeling blue because with these guys it's impossible to feel bad.

Brain: Out of Order

I can't blog anything worthwhile today. My mind is totally scattered. My apologies, dolls. Tomorrow, armed with coffee, headphones, and my Mac, I swear to churn out some of the blogs you're owed. 


Until then, listen to something that keeps me feeling grounded. I love me some Temper Trap. You will, too.

Fostering Hope for the Scene: Foster the People Bring Summertime Vibe Back

Summer has finally hit Cleveland and not a moment too soon. We were getting restless, itching to peel back the cover off the pool, put the top down on the convertible, throw on some shades and get outside. The question is never what kind of food to cook up for the summer -America's got its burgers and hot dogs down pat. As with every summer, the question is, what to listen to? What will be this year's 'sound'?

This summer's sound is a blend of memorable beats, instrumental parts, and smooth vocals . It's nostalgic and fresh at the same time. It's playful. And it hails from Cleveland.

I know what you're thinking...how could Cleveland, OH, notorious for its tough winters, turn out a warm, whimsical sound? 

Ask Mark Foster, the mastermind behind the catchy tune “Pumped Up Kicks” which is sky-rocketing his band (and brainchild) Foster the People to the top of the charts. It's no wonder the band sold out more than half their US tour dates, including the upcoming Cleveland show on June 13th. 

Last week I had the opportunity to chat with the Cleveland native and talk about how his musical career has changed since his days in the Cleveland Orchestra Choir. (Fun fact: One of Mark's life goals is to write a piece for the Cleveland Orchestra and Children's Choir to perform!) 

AP: So how do you go from Cleveland to LA, from this traditional musical performance to what you're doing now with the band? 

MF: Uh, I was born in California, moved to Cleveland when I was five. I would go back to California in the summers and visit friends in the summer and stuff and I always loved it. When I was 17, and trying to figure out what I'd do with my life, I really had no direction. I liked making music but I didn't really think that was an option. It was my dad, actually, who was like, “Why don't you move to LA or NY and pursue music? You've always loved that and been good at it. If after a year or two if it doesn't work out you'll still be young enough to go to college or you could do something else and you'll be okay.” It was the first thing that made sense to me. So, I graduated high school, packed up my car and two months later, I was in LA. 

AP: How'd you meet the guys from the band?

MF: I met Cubbie... I went to an acting school in LA that Cubbie's roommate went to, and that's how I met Cubbie. We'd always hang out and play poker. I didn't even know he played. For a while he was just a buddy of mine. I met Mark Pontius through a friend of mine as well and we played music off and on together, but he was really invested in another band...eventually when I was thinking about starting a band again, I kind of tapped those guys to come play with me.

AP: Do you remember where your first show was when you guys got together?

MF: Yeah, it was at the Dakota Lounge, it's an old temple bar in Santa Monica. And there were probably 30 people there. I remember feeling totally unprepared,  and we all jump on the stage and everybody just stepped into their element. And I think we walked off the stage, looking at each other saying, “Wow, that felt really trip. That was really fun.” I don't know, there was just something and we could all feel it, I think that's kind of what we do. I think there's something special going on between us.

AP: So who would you say some of your major musical influences are?

MF: Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys is huge. I grew up listening to the Beach Boys. I was six when I heard “I Get Around” for the first time. That's probably the biggest. But then I'd say Aphex Twin, Blur, Bowie...

AP: So, that's probably why your sound has been described as a 'low-fi sixties vibe'. How would you describe it?

MF: I think it's a little bit of everything, there's something nostalgic about it, but there's a modern element to it that the program unit adds. I kind of think that's where the Aphex Twin comes in, the glitchy element. It's quirky pop. Intelligent pop. That's always been my favorite kind of music. 

AP: Is there any equipment you use that helps make your sound unique?

MF: I do a lot of stuff in Logic, it's a recording program. I mix a lot of sounds in there. I know how to use that program pretty well. I'll make my own synthesizers, I'll chop up vocals and certain people's vocals into instruments. You can't really tell what it is. That's definitely when I get to make a true thing, chopping up vocals and chopping up samples, and using them as percussive elements in a song, I tend to do that a lot.  

AP: In regards to the album, “Torches”, how did you go about writing it?

MF: I'm a songwriter, so I kind of constantly write. When we started this band, I had a lot of songs written already, which we started to play with, and a few made the record, but when we started to gel as a group it really gave me a vision...that's when a lot of the songs on the album were written. 

AP: How was the recording process?

MF: The recording process was good, we recorded with four different guys, three in LA, one in London. I'd bring in a demo to express the vision of the song before we recorded it. 

AP: Do you remember where you were when you first heard “Pumped Up Kicks” on the radio and how you felt about that?

MF: We were in rehearsal, getting ready to leave for a regional tour, and we heard it on the biggest rock station in LA, and the DJ talked about it for like 30 seconds afterwards, about how he loved it. It was a pretty good feeling, it was pretty surreal. 

AP: So most of your US tour dates sold out, where are you looking forward to playing most? 

MF: I'd say Cleveland. I haven't played a show in Cleveland for years; my dad's gonna be there, my little brother will be there, it's going to be a really nice little homecoming show.

***

If you haven't heard them yet, turn on your local radio station (might I suggest 92.3), get to a music store and pick up “Torches”, the debut full-length album by Foster the People. Or you could stand outside the Grog Shop on the 13th with your ear to the door. Either way, this band is just what you've been craving this summer....besides that second piece of grandma's pie.

Here's five bands you should try on this summer: 

Now a five person ensemble, The Lighthouse and the Whaler delivers a sound that walks the line between indie and folk. This is the music you need for adventures. This is the music you'd hear lying in a field. This is what happiness sounds like. Amplified. 

Cults. Feels like you're floating. Love it.

I called it before, and I'll say it again: I think "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People is this generation's "Kids". If you like this, look for their album, Torches.

Temper Trap. My go-to band when I need motivated. This is what I listen to on the elliptical. This is what I listen to when I need to move. This is what you'll listen to whenever you need motivated. Or maybe it's just something you'll listen to. (I hope)

Frightened Rabbit will be crossing the pond this summer and even making a stop in Cleveland, OH. If you like them, I suggest you throw down the money on a ticket to their show at the Grog Shop. This Scottish band is rad. 

No Stripes Necessary: Mr. Gnome Paves Own Path

Here's a taste. Your own sample of what my ears drank in last week. Promise a review of the show will be up this week...stay tuned...