When I'm at school, I don't have a car. Because I don't have a car, I pretty much never listen to the radio. Because I don't listen to the radio, I really don't know who, what or where good music is being played in the greater Pittsburgh area.
I follow the bands I like the most via their website or sites like AbsolutePunk.net to find out when and where their next tour is going to be. I also sometimes pick up a copy of the Pittsburgh City Paper and make a note if I band I like will be coming through the venues advertisements.
There is nothing like live music and in a day and age where downloading is so popular, it's one way to support the bands you love.
So I ask you, my gentle readers, what is your method de jure of finding out about bands playing live?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Dear Hunter - Act 1: The Lake South and the River North
They're are all different types of mediums for telling a story. Obviously the written word and acting stand out, but there this also exists in music as well in the form of a concept album.
After being impressed with their live show last week, I picked up a copy of the debut album from The Dear Hunter. The band plans to set up a six-arc story telling the tale of the "The Dear Hunter" or "The Boy."
Before I picked up this album, the only other band I knew of of that was working a series of albums telling a story was Coheed and Cambria. I am a big fan of Coheed, but don't really know much of the story being told in there songs.
This is different so how. In the first album, Act 1: The Lake South and the River North, The Dear Hunter tells the story of the birth of the boy to his mother, a prostitute named Ms. Terri (Ms. Terri = Mystery. Witty, I know.)
Maybe it's because front man Casey Crescenzo used to be part of one of favorite bands in The Receiving End of Sirens, maybe because I miss that band terribly and The Dear Hunter embodies many of the same sounds as the band, but I'm really digging this band.
I'm looking up lyrics to each song, trying to get a feel for what the story is about this boy known as The Dear Hunter, something I never did for Coheed.
As for the type of music, it's very hard to describe as anything but 'experimental electronic progressive alternative rock.' To give you an example, during the show, the band played with three keyboards, sang one song totally acapella, another with just a banjo and a little drum work with a band of six members playing at once.
This a band that needs to be experienced in order to truly get a notion of just what they are.
Check out one of my favorites off the album - 1878.
Another quality song - The Pimp and the Priest.
If your into new types of music, layered locals, great lyrics, simple, yet smart technical rock, give The Dear Hunter a shot. I promise that you will not be disappointed.
After being impressed with their live show last week, I picked up a copy of the debut album from The Dear Hunter. The band plans to set up a six-arc story telling the tale of the "The Dear Hunter" or "The Boy."
Before I picked up this album, the only other band I knew of of that was working a series of albums telling a story was Coheed and Cambria. I am a big fan of Coheed, but don't really know much of the story being told in there songs.
This is different so how. In the first album, Act 1: The Lake South and the River North, The Dear Hunter tells the story of the birth of the boy to his mother, a prostitute named Ms. Terri (Ms. Terri = Mystery. Witty, I know.)
Maybe it's because front man Casey Crescenzo used to be part of one of favorite bands in The Receiving End of Sirens, maybe because I miss that band terribly and The Dear Hunter embodies many of the same sounds as the band, but I'm really digging this band.
I'm looking up lyrics to each song, trying to get a feel for what the story is about this boy known as The Dear Hunter, something I never did for Coheed.
As for the type of music, it's very hard to describe as anything but 'experimental electronic progressive alternative rock.' To give you an example, during the show, the band played with three keyboards, sang one song totally acapella, another with just a banjo and a little drum work with a band of six members playing at once.
This a band that needs to be experienced in order to truly get a notion of just what they are.
Check out one of my favorites off the album - 1878.
Another quality song - The Pimp and the Priest.
If your into new types of music, layered locals, great lyrics, simple, yet smart technical rock, give The Dear Hunter a shot. I promise that you will not be disappointed.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Thrice 11/15/09 Diesel, Pittsburgh PA
While I can't say that I have a favorite band, if I was forced to choose, I would have to say it would be Thrice. Everything about them, from the deep lyrics with a plethora of literary references, to the head-rocking drums, Thrice is everything I want in a band.
That said, I was as giddy as a schoolgirl last night when I saw them live at Diesel nightclub in the Southside. I was supposed to see Thrice with Circa Survive, another one of my favorite bands, last year, but I had to skip it due to my grandfather's viewing, so needless to say I was pumped.
Since most, if not all, of my friends are rap-heads, I decided to take a Lady Friend along with me. When she showed to my house wearing heels, I knew I was in for a memorable night. Polar Bear Club, the first opener were alright. They were a young band and this tour was probably the biggest thing that has happened to them. Hopefully the guys from Thrice will offer some guidance, because I would like to see them do big things.
The second opener was a band called The Dear Hunter. It's almost impossible to describe their sound but I sum it up as 'electronic experimentation hard rock.' Check out their Myspace for a better example.
I really liked The Dear Hunter and I picked up a copy of their first album so watch out for that review coming later this week.
Then it was time for Thrice. The crowd was moving, but not active, for the first two bands so I thought that my position in the front center of the stage would be safe from a pit when one sprang up.
I was wrong.
With the first cords of "Of Dust and Nations" the once calm sea of people turned into a raging, rip tided filled, ocean of jumping, pushing sweating people. To be fair, I had not given the Lady Friend the proper warning about the pits at these concerts in fear that she would change her mind.
One glance at her during The Push, told me that we needed to get behind the pit sooner rather than later. And I was honestly glad to get out of the pit myself. After a sleepless weekend with the Pitt-Notre Dame game, my body was shot.
The concert itself was plagued with technical difficulties. After almost every song, the band that usually doesn't talk much during shows would stop and say a few words as the roadies worked on one thing or another. The band apologized and thanked the fans on their Twitter account after the show.
Yet I didn't care about the problems. The set list (see below) was filled with new songs off the summer released "Beggars" album. And it was fantastic. A great mix of power and calm, new and old.
As with every Thrice concert I've been too (all ten of them), I left the show with goosebumps and a big grin on my face. If I had any semblance of money, I would love to follow them on a few dates. But alas, I'm broke.
Kudos to Setlist.fm for a copy of this. If you never heard of Setlist.fm and your a music geek, really check it out it's worth it. The name in parenthesizes is the name of the album from which the song appears.
That said, I was as giddy as a schoolgirl last night when I saw them live at Diesel nightclub in the Southside. I was supposed to see Thrice with Circa Survive, another one of my favorite bands, last year, but I had to skip it due to my grandfather's viewing, so needless to say I was pumped.
Since most, if not all, of my friends are rap-heads, I decided to take a Lady Friend along with me. When she showed to my house wearing heels, I knew I was in for a memorable night. Polar Bear Club, the first opener were alright. They were a young band and this tour was probably the biggest thing that has happened to them. Hopefully the guys from Thrice will offer some guidance, because I would like to see them do big things.
The second opener was a band called The Dear Hunter. It's almost impossible to describe their sound but I sum it up as 'electronic experimentation hard rock.' Check out their Myspace for a better example.
I really liked The Dear Hunter and I picked up a copy of their first album so watch out for that review coming later this week.
Then it was time for Thrice. The crowd was moving, but not active, for the first two bands so I thought that my position in the front center of the stage would be safe from a pit when one sprang up.
I was wrong.
With the first cords of "Of Dust and Nations" the once calm sea of people turned into a raging, rip tided filled, ocean of jumping, pushing sweating people. To be fair, I had not given the Lady Friend the proper warning about the pits at these concerts in fear that she would change her mind.
One glance at her during The Push, told me that we needed to get behind the pit sooner rather than later. And I was honestly glad to get out of the pit myself. After a sleepless weekend with the Pitt-Notre Dame game, my body was shot.
The concert itself was plagued with technical difficulties. After almost every song, the band that usually doesn't talk much during shows would stop and say a few words as the roadies worked on one thing or another. The band apologized and thanked the fans on their Twitter account after the show.
Yet I didn't care about the problems. The set list (see below) was filled with new songs off the summer released "Beggars" album. And it was fantastic. A great mix of power and calm, new and old.
As with every Thrice concert I've been too (all ten of them), I left the show with goosebumps and a big grin on my face. If I had any semblance of money, I would love to follow them on a few dates. But alas, I'm broke.
Kudos to Setlist.fm for a copy of this. If you never heard of Setlist.fm and your a music geek, really check it out it's worth it. The name in parenthesizes is the name of the album from which the song appears.
- Of Dust and Nations (Vheissu)
- Silhouette(Artist in the Ambulance)
- All The World Is Mad (Beggars)
- The Weight (Beggars)
- Helter Skelter (Beggars)
- In Exile (Beggars)
- A Song for Milly Michaelson (Reworked Version) (Alchemy Index Volume IV: Air)
- Hold Fast Hope (Vheissu)
- Artist In the Ambulance (Artist in the Ambulance)
- The Melting Point Of Wax (Artist in the Ambulance)
- Deadulus (Alchemy Index Volume IV: Air)
- Like Moths to Flame (Vheissu)
- The Arsonist (Alchemy Index Volume I: Fire)
- Beggars (Beggars)
- The Earth Will Shake (Vheissu)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
R.I.P
I'm pretty sure that my iPod is dying. Granted it is like the second version of the iPod to be released, but it still holds many of my favorite songs that I do not have on my computer.
Anyone know a way to transfer the songs on my iPod to my computer? I heard of Ephpod, but I have a Mac, not a P.C.
Help!
Anyone know a way to transfer the songs on my iPod to my computer? I heard of Ephpod, but I have a Mac, not a P.C.
Help!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Gitty
http://www.circasurvive.com/2009/11/07/final-studio-video/
This just got me all sorts of excited for Circa Survive's new album.
This just got me all sorts of excited for Circa Survive's new album.
Halestorm - Halestorm
Y-100, a local alt-rock radio station in Philly, used to play nothing but local music on Sunday nights before the station switched formats to play nothing but rap.
I remember sitting in my room, listening to new and local music while cursing my way through calculus or history homework. It was during one of these sessions where I first discovered the band Halestorm.
The band consits of siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale with Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith.
While not exactly from Philly, they're from York, Pa, Y-100 played their song "Shadows of my Heart" fairly often as part of their Sunday play list. This being the height of the Limewire/Kazza era, I downloaded some of their songs and threw them onto my iPod.
While I hadn't forgotten about Halestorm over the years, searching for more of their music was not a priority. But when I was bored one day making a play list of female fronted bands, I decided to re-check out Halestorm.
It was a lot different then the band that I had listen to on Sunday nights.
Their self-titled debut album was released in April of 2009 and their lead single is titled 'I Get Off.' It means just what you think. The band that I had listened to all those moons ago had no blanent sexual references.
But I like it a lot.
There are a plethora of male-fronted bands talking about sex, how cool they are and all of the things they do. This is the first female led band that does this. And Lzzy sings over some pretty catchy and 'head-bobbing' guitar rifts and intense drum beats.
Look at one of their songs, "Innocence." Here are some of the lyrics to the song:
I've been here too many times before
And your tears don't mean a thing
I only come
When you scream
I told you
Child don't follow me home
You're just to perfect for my hands to hold
If you choose to stay
You'll throw it all away
And I just want to take
Your innocence
While not exactly 'dirty,' I dig the fact that there is a women out there who is not afraid of singing about things that make some people cringe.
Besides the lyrics, the music itself is fantastic. Lzzy has a phenomenal, almost haunting, voice and the rest of the band are all above competent artists.
Check out these songs for an overall view of the band's talents:
Familiar Taste of Poison
I Get Off
Love/Hate Heartbreak
How do you feel about a women singing overtly sexual songs? Do you think it's progress or a step back for women? A cheap record stunt? Share.
I remember sitting in my room, listening to new and local music while cursing my way through calculus or history homework. It was during one of these sessions where I first discovered the band Halestorm.
The band consits of siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale with Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith.
While not exactly from Philly, they're from York, Pa, Y-100 played their song "Shadows of my Heart" fairly often as part of their Sunday play list. This being the height of the Limewire/Kazza era, I downloaded some of their songs and threw them onto my iPod.
While I hadn't forgotten about Halestorm over the years, searching for more of their music was not a priority. But when I was bored one day making a play list of female fronted bands, I decided to re-check out Halestorm.
It was a lot different then the band that I had listen to on Sunday nights.
Their self-titled debut album was released in April of 2009 and their lead single is titled 'I Get Off.' It means just what you think. The band that I had listened to all those moons ago had no blanent sexual references.
But I like it a lot.
There are a plethora of male-fronted bands talking about sex, how cool they are and all of the things they do. This is the first female led band that does this. And Lzzy sings over some pretty catchy and 'head-bobbing' guitar rifts and intense drum beats.
Look at one of their songs, "Innocence." Here are some of the lyrics to the song:
I've been here too many times before
And your tears don't mean a thing
I only come
When you scream
I told you
Child don't follow me home
You're just to perfect for my hands to hold
If you choose to stay
You'll throw it all away
And I just want to take
Your innocence
While not exactly 'dirty,' I dig the fact that there is a women out there who is not afraid of singing about things that make some people cringe.
Besides the lyrics, the music itself is fantastic. Lzzy has a phenomenal, almost haunting, voice and the rest of the band are all above competent artists.
Check out these songs for an overall view of the band's talents:
Familiar Taste of Poison
I Get Off
Love/Hate Heartbreak
How do you feel about a women singing overtly sexual songs? Do you think it's progress or a step back for women? A cheap record stunt? Share.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Take 2
I had a whole, well thought out, descpritive post all ready to. It had imagery, character development and a whole mythos behind it. I swear.
But apparently Blogger told me to fuck off and deleted it before I could finish. I'm not going to give in to the power of technology and retype it all, so I'll give a shout out to someone else who feels the same.
http://www.rationalresponders.com/Empire_State_of_Mind_Ill_State_of_Mind
Check out both songs. One's by a pro, the other by an underground sensation.
Go Phillies.
But apparently Blogger told me to fuck off and deleted it before I could finish. I'm not going to give in to the power of technology and retype it all, so I'll give a shout out to someone else who feels the same.
http://www.rationalresponders.com/Empire_State_of_Mind_Ill_State_of_Mind
Check out both songs. One's by a pro, the other by an underground sensation.
Go Phillies.
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