While filling up my iPod with some of my favorites, I came across some old $1.99 albums. What better way to bring back From the Bin, even though I've technically only done one installment so far.
Brief Intro: I bought "Before I Speak" because I was heavily into Ryan Cabrera for about five minutes. I thought I should venture out and find something else to obsess over that was very similar to Cabrera, and when I saw this album on sale, I decided to get it. Also what caught my eye about Kyle is that he is on the same label as John Mayer, so I thought I couldn't have gone wrong. Only the best for me.
Brief Bio: He sings... he now apparently acts! Well, more is here on the official bio.
Upon first listen...: I didn't like it. I kept skipping from song to song, hoping that I'd get my fix of some Ryan Cabrera-like stylings, but instead I turned it off. It went on my shelf of a thousand CDs.
Upon second listen...: I didn't give it the chance it deserved. I guess I was looking for some Ryan Cabrera in this guy a little too much, due to their similarities (guitar playing cute guys). Now as I listen to it almost two years later (yes... two years), it has somewhat of an edge on Ryan's first album. Kyle is less pop, but his album sort of builds a bridge between pop and ...jazz (contemporary jazz). There, I said it, even though some might not think so, but I think some of the arrangements have the elements, as well as elements of funk and the blues. It's very interesting, and considering how old he was at the time of the recording (barely out of high school)... dare I say, but it's very "way ahead of its time."
Songs to check out: "What Did I Get Myself Into" (I love this one because it's tinged with the blues), "Carry On"
Final thoughts: A lot of my final thoughts were stated in my "second listen," but now I feel super judgy for not giving Kyle Riabko the chance he deserved. I do like this album, and can't wait to see what he comes out with next.
Worth the $1.99?: Yes, upon a second, careful listen.
(Albums I have, which I revisit in times of need ... or when I'm utterly and completely bored.)
Coming down...
I forgot where I first heard about Jack Johnson, but I don't think it really matters. He's mellow, he's from Hawaii, plays a guitar and has a voice to go with it.
But Brushfire Fairytales, his debut album, has to be one of my favorites. It was the album that introduced him into the mainstream, and it doesn't get any simpler than that. It's pretty much straight forward pop-acoustic tunage that you can listen to on a road trip or while you watch a sunset at the beach. Nothing complicated, and I think that's what sets him apart from the rest. It's good for a rainy day, just like this one.
Songs from "Brushfire Fairytales" that I like a lot: "Inaudible Melodies," "Posters," "Fortunate Fools," "F-Stop Blues"
Jack Johnson will be in San Francisco for the Outside Lands Festival in Golden Gate Park, August 22-24th. Tickets are going for, gasp, $225 bones PLUS fees! Holy crap. But you'd have to expect it, especially since others like Radiohead (!!!), Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Wilco, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Broken Social Scene, and so many others are going to be there. Maybe he'll come back another time, just him ... and cheaper, too.
Visit: 1% For The Planet, an organization Jack Johnson is highly active in.
One of the many reasons that I am looking forward to visiting NY this time around is to shop. Yeah, I don't really seem like the type to be a crazy shopper, but there's something really exciting about browsing and possibly selecting something to purchase. Or heck, I just love impulse buying even though it's usually followed by some serious buyer's guilt. And plus, I feel like I've shopped San Francisco to its limit ... well, shopped all the places I can afford of course.
While perusing the web the past couple of weeks, I have decided on certain places that I must go. There is the undiscovered, meaning all the stuff I didn't see the first time. And then, there is the old, which I have been waiting four years to revisit.
NYC is most definitely a music town, and that excites me, too. From all the record shops (and I don't mean Virgin), music clubs, Broadway, and even the street performers, the musical possibilities are endless. It's like an important destination for anyone who wants to make music, and/or be a part of the scene.
So imagine my dismay to find out that a certain place on Prince St. called Rocks In Your Head closed down last year and moved to Brooklyn! That place was amazing when I saw it back in 2004. It was the one thing I couldn't stop talking about when I came back, and it's one of the things I vividly remember. When first walking in, I was taken aback by the walls being covered fully by record covers, crates on the ground full of records (records galore!), certain shady people perusing through the stacks... it felt like I walked into some hipster mystery movie, and I was ready to be singled out. I thought this place was utterly perfect--- from the decor, to the counter where I purchased a used copy of John Lennon's "Rock n' Roll" album where they manually (!!!) filled out a receipt for me. Yeah, it's not like some "new" technology, but the simplicity of that really threw me. In that moment, my love for the place was born.
And ever since then my vow was to return, but now I return to dust. Seems like everything I take a liking to either closes down or moves away. Oh well. There are other fish in the (record store) sea.
During the recent allegations of super producer Chris Stokes (Immature, B2k) going on Lou Pearlman on his acts, I discovered through Oh No They Didn't that Stokes is one of the driving forces behind a "new" boyband called NLT.
Now, don't judge me, but hot damn ... I LOVE THESE GUYS. I don't know why, but I solely believe that I'm interested in this group because they're a couple of guys who decided to form a boyband-like harmony group who dances. Also known as the next *NSYNC, BSB ... whatever.
NLT (Not Like Them), if you look at them closely, have followed the boyband rules to a T. For example:
- There are at least four guys, so if they stand in a diamond formation, you can see all of them. - Two guys sing lead: one is decent, the other is superb. - There's one blonde guy, who's probably everyone's favorite because he's super cute. - There's a creepy guy who made a bad hair choice of wearing a ponytail (re: Chris Kirkpatrick's braids, Nick Carter's manbangs, Howie D's long hair. Ugh.) - There's a lot of dancing. A lot. - Hand movements are in full use, especially the one where they tap their chest, meaning, "I love you, you're in my heart."
Other things to really mention is that for some reason, they look completely different from the boybands of the past, especially in image. If you see a picture of them, they look like the next coming of Fall Out Boy or Panic! At the Disco. Also, their sound has the typical Timbaland-infused beat, whereas 90s boybands had the Swedish influence of Max Martin and Kristian Lundin. I figure Chris Stokes is going for ... I dunno, NKOTB 08, or even a white B2K? It's official, I guess: Chris Stokes is the new Maurice Starr. None the less, I love it all.
Anyway, I've gone all mad on the whole thing, and I'm even pimping their song on my mySpace. But here's the video to "She Said, I Said," produced by Timbaland (who else?), which reminds me a little bit of the old music videos of yore that had some kind of lame story to it, and some girl who's wearing a cropped shirt for the sole reason of showing her belly. And she seems pathetic, too. They also do a lot of JT-like choreography, which in my book is enough to win me over.
"According to Justin, the whole reason for the breakup of *NSYNC was everyone else's fault? That was crazy! All of us had done nothing but wait around for him to feel he was ready to start work on a new *NSYNC album." - Lance Bass, Out of Sync
A friend of mine picked up Lance Bass' memoir, "Out of Sync" when he was doing a signing at Books Inc. in the Castro. While there, he also managed to pick up an autographed copy for me as well. Naturally, any piece of *NSYNC-related memorabilia means the world to me, and this autographed book joins its brother, an autographed piece of paper that a friend of mine got Joey Fatone to sign in a Walgreens. Now, if only I could find that piece ...
I started to read this book, for certain that I would get to read some of the deepest, darkest *NSYNC secrets imaginable, ala New Kids On the Block's "Behind the Music" episode. I suppose I got a little of that, since Lance mentions their love of the attention, having a little bit of fun, and Lance trying to get some on the DL. But a lot of it, for some reason I don't understand, didn't resonate well with me.
My attention veered off when the book wasn't talking about *NSYNC, and I believe that's really my fault. But then again, a book with a title like "Out of Sync" would definitely cause my mind to go a million miles a minute, as anything that is merely reminiscent of *NSYNC would make my heart pound faster. But, I also forgot that this is a memoir --- Lance's memoir --- so his whole life before being super famous had me wanting the *NSYNC part to come faster. It's a memoir, though ... it is what it is.
I do find a lot of the parts after he joined *NSYNC to be interesting, such as knowing that he was gay, the whole Lou Pearlman saga, Joey realizing he was gay, and also his love life that he constantly struggled to keep quiet at the height of *NSYNC domination. There's something noble about trying to not hurt the image/careers of your friends while you quietly suffer behind the scenes. I think that his memoir does a good job of recalling those conflicts, and it does a great job of showing that it's always best to be who you are and not what others expect you to be.
My biggest regret from reading this book is reading the chapter in which the fall of *NSYNC begins. It's nothing that I would have ever wanted to read, and I wouldn't wish it on any other *NSYNC fan. It's not like a crazy, horrible breakup, but in a way it seems like Lance pins it all on Justin and his solo career. Though Lance recently stated on "The View" that he didn't just blame Justin, he blamed management, members of the group ... basically everyone, even himself. He even states this in the book.
But I am glad to know that Lance feels that there is a brotherhood upon him and the rest of them that can never be broken. He would like to get back together someday, and hell, I'd like that too. But like all good things, nothing lasts forever. You look at some of the greatest bands of all time, and none have had smooth sailing all the time. It's rare that they'd stay together forever, but if they broke up, they'd all still manage to find their way back home.
---
Random *NSYNC thoughts/facts: - *NSYNC's "No Strings Attached" remains the top selling album in one day with over one million, 2.4 million in a week. - *NSYNC isn't some stupid, lame name, but it's also the last letter of each of the guys' names put together. Except Lance, who replaced some dude name Jason. For the same of the name, Lance tried unsuccessfully to go by the nickname Lancesten. Something lame (!) like that. - Speaking of "No Strings Attached," Britney Spears' "Blackout" CD has the same exact look. Seriously. - Though now I'm a huge, huge, HUGE Justin fan (more than I was when he was in *NSYNC), JC was, and always was the best singer. Period. - JC is also my favorite member. Because everyone has one. - Joey Fatone's big thing while in *NSYNC was that he liked Superman. I wonder if that's still true. - Chris had these really, really, really ugly braids when they first got big in the US. And I mean like, FUG. When he cut them off, it was like night and day. - I can't really tell when their last performance as a group was (Lance names a couple in his book), but I believe their performance at the 2003 Grammy Awards during a tribute to the Bee Gees was. I still watch it on YouTube. And I cry. Sad.
---
Videos of note:
In this video, *NSYNC performs their Spanish version of "This I Promise You" - "Yo Te Voy Amar." Also in this video: JC outsings Justin.
Britney Spears and *NSYNC make their respective debuts on the MTV Video Music Awards. Britney appears fresh from the tanning booth, while *NSYNC stomps on desks. Also: JC gets to sing lead while Justin's lead part doesn't even get to see the light of day.
The Grammy Awards, where they pretty much perform for the last time. In this video: JC decides to make me cry by growing his hair out into a greasy mop. Boo on the haircut. Boo on it being the last performance. Ever.
Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche won me over with his music on "Phantom Punch" so much that I was willing to trek to Amoeba earlier this year to watch him live, performing his own classic songs like "On the Tower," as well as "The Tape" and "Airport Taxi Reception." It wasn't until recently that I found out that he is the main (and pretty much only) soundtrack contributor to a film that I would like to see, which is "Dan in Real Life" starring Steve Carell.
Some of the tracks are songs that have appeared on previous albums, such as "Faces Down" but others are remakes of classic Elvis Costello and Pete Townsend songs that are sure to please audiences. His vocals are pretty much universal, basically in a way that he can sing whatever he pleases from jazz ("Duper Sessions") to experimental rock (his latest album).
Other than that ... I love him! I met him, and what a nice guy. I talked about it in a previous blog before, but I think it's worth rehashing for one last time.
If you'd like to see what I saw in March, then watch the video below in which he talks about his first musical memory, meeting Elvis Costello, and making music. It's part performance, part interview, which is cool ... but it would've been even better if they had more of the performance.
SPIN magazine grabbed my attention with their latest issue, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the year punk made its superbad debut (or big splash, for you purists that say it goes farther). My love for punk doesn't date back as far, but it definitely starts with the bands from that era: one I wish I was around to see.
But alas, I was a couple of years too late into it, but appreciation for the more known bands (Sex Pistols, the Ramones) and probably lesser known but still important (Television, one of my faves!) is something I won't apologize for. Heck ... why should I apologize for being born after this era? I shouldn't! That's not punk. Ha.
My greatest punk beginnings? My parents, whom while still young frequented the Mabuhay Gardens, aka the Fab Mab. Filipino restaurant by day, punk club by night! Upon learning this piece of history, after listening to my first Ramones record, I knew this love affair was meant to be. As someone who still thinks she needs to be better versed in the punk world, I picked up this issue pronto. More punk, the better.
Worth checking out is the interview with Johnny Rotten ... with him saying that the Ramones were never punk (among other things), it's a perfect interview. He says things that'll probably make you squirm, but it still makes for a good read.
If you don't want to pick up the issue, you can find that they have everything featured about 1977 on their website.
Last week The White Stripes put a dagger through my heart and canceled the rest of their fall tour ... a week before they were supposed to be at the Greek in Berkeley. It was something I had been looking forward to ever since I did the whole pre-sale thing, and also because I like the Greek Theater as a venue, even though it's seriously up in the cuts of UC Berkeley.
I can't blame The White Stripes. It was said that Meg is suffering from acute anxiety, which I understand can be something that is serious, and I do hope Meg gets well. It's a bummer, but it's something I will have to live with.
I'm just disappointed because The White Stripes have come to be one of my favorite bands, and I was looking forward to this for what seemed like an eternity. Anything I did this past year was knowing that I would be attending this show on September 21st. Thoughts like "Hmm, I should finish this sandwich" or "Hey, better jump through that hoop of fire." Anything to get through the days until September 21st. Okay, so I didn't actually jump through a real hoop of fire, but it's just a figure of speech. Everything I put myself through this year was just so I could be in that crowd, watching them and the Cold War Kids do what they do best.
Instead of being in Berkeley for the day, walking around Telegraph and University, I decided to pick up an extra shift at work, and now I have a blazing headache. But to make myself feel a little better, here are some highlights from their 2005 show in Berkeley, one I was lucky to attend. They were promoting "Get Behind Me Satan" and it was my first WS concert. This is my recollection of the things that happened, and I recall them to the best of my memory.
1. Jack kicks it off with "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" and somehow segues into "Hotel Yorba" - I could be wrong about the segue, but I do remember him playing the chords to "Dead Leaves" and me going crazy along with the crowd. I also sang along like I was at an *NSYNC concert, which non-surprisingly, I have seen a whopping nine times. Don't be shocked.
2. Guy with spike choker almost pokes me - why they let people in with these things, even when they say they are not allowed still puzzles me to this day. Almost. Died.
3. Jack gets pissed at a radio station - So, you know those stupid annoying radio stations that think blowing up a balloon with their station and call letters on it is really super awesome? Well, Jack thought it was stupid and called them out. "I want an apology," he said. Everyone erupted in cheers ... and I suppose somebody was getting fired at the same time. He was in the middle of a song, and all of a sudden someone's stupid balloon comes up on stage. Not cool at all.
3. Jack smells "northern California" - in other words, people were blazing up, noticed, and liked it.
4. Meg sings - She sang! It was the song "Passive Manipulation," a song I don't particularly like all too much, but it was nice to hear something out of her for like ... a minute.
5. Jack does "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)" - It was my favorite song off the album. Everyone got quiet during the part when he gets super quiet in the song. Totally memorable.
Just recalling certain moments from '05 is depressing. Even more depressing is that they actually did two shows in '05, and I only went to one. It's very uncharacteristic of me (example: all those *NSYNC shows), but I suppose I ran out of money during the time. I'd rather have been to see them this year, and I would rather have new memories. Hopefully they'll reschedule.
Watch them perform "Effect and Cause" on Conan. I wanted to hear this one live, but this is as good as it gets:
Buy, buy, buy: Under Blackpool Lights, the White Stripes live in the UK in '04, and a perfect way to see what their shows are really like.
On every visit to Amoeba, I manage to make it to the ever so lovely Clearance section, where they offer CDs from $1.99 to $1.00. With that kind of money, I could definitely buy half of a burrito, but instead I choose to buy obscure CDs that nobody wants anymore. Here is my latest choice.
Pondering the night away...
Brief intro: You probably know who Greg Laswell is, but you probably know his girlfriend, Mandy Moore, even better. I found out about Greg through randomly perusing Wikipedia, that website everybody loves to love, and I read that she no longer dates Zach Braff (hybrid name: Mandach) or Andy Roddick (hybrid name: Mooroddick), but this singer-songwriter bloke from SoCal.
Brief bio: Okay, apparently he's not as obscure as I thought, as a couple of songs have made rounds on the CW drama scene, most notably on "Smallville" and "One Tree Hill," and I'm sure to some montage of fifty people crying. My bio is pretty much bland compared to his self-written one, which I recommend you read since it's much, much better, and I'd rather not have to paraphrase the thing.
Upon first listen...: He actually has a really good voice. There are some great melodies, ready to engulf you at each minute. Forgive me for getting into "Paula Abdul mode" but in his voice you sense a quiet confidence, though the album is pretty melancholy in its sound and in theme (apparently, this is about the divorce is recently went through). His voice has a bit of a Sondre Lerche-kind of purr, which I say, is damn good. And while listening to "Through Toledo," I can definitely see why his song would be featured on the shows they've been featured on.
Songs to check out: "Amazed," "Do What I Can," the seemingly metal-ish "I'm Hit," "Your Melody"
Final Thoughts: I now feel buyer's remorse for this album, due to the fact that I bought a great album in the clearance section. It happens like this sometimes, but I figure I can redeem myself when I pick up his first album. I also predict that I may fall in love with this man if he chooses to release a live album, because those always get me with their stripped down goodness.
Worth the $1.99?: Most definitely, but worth a whole lot more.
Preview some of his songs: Project Playlist Or, if that link doesn't work, check: MySpace (this is all because I can't host mp3's)
the first installment of "ironic YouTube comments" shall commence now!
I'm super addicted to YouTube, and I know you know that. But another addiction I have are the comments people leave. Sometimes you don't know if these people are completely serious or just trying to get some attention. Anyway, I hope to make this a consistent thing, as I am consistently on YouTube, and consistently being entertained by certain people.
After I read this comment, I swear ... it had to be the first one:
"You're right. I don't like this "new" pop-rock shit. It's pop music with electric guitars. It isn't rock. I hate most of the music out today, with the exception of some of the nu metal."**** --- hobag1978; saw it while watching the video for "1979" by the Smashing Pumpkins
Yes. I just called out the user. They deserve all the credit.
(****and I bet you're wondering why I think this is an ironic statement. I'll tell you: nu metal is something that makes me laugh. Not the music, but the sheer fact that it's called nu metal. Sure, I could put those cute two little dots over the top of that "u" but it just makes me want to laugh even more. Also, I suppose the user has a point, saying that "new pop-rock" is just pop music with electric guitars, but at the same time ... what pop music DOESN'T use electric guitars? I suppose if you listen to some early Beatles, when they made those charming movies named after their songs, you won't hear any electric guitars? I think that pop music pretty much uses anything that ISN'T considered to be pop music standard these days, so a statement like this definitely makes me roll my eyes and gag a little. Yeah, sure I hate most of music today, too, but that doesn't mean I can't listen to it and appreciate certain songs. And anyway, if we're upset about pop music using electric guitars, what about pop music using drum kits? It's kind of like, "Oh, that song has lyrics in it." Oh, how dare they!)
I can't believe it. I didn't expect to still be doing this at my age, but there's nothing more exhilarating than being in a crowd of sweaty, sweaty young screaming teenagers. But even more better: going to concerts. It seems so long ago when I went to my first concert back in 1998 (a late bloomer), something called the Jingle Jam. It was a fun experience, but my heart knew that there could be more.
Anyway, fast forward almost ten years later and dozens and dozens of concerts later, and you would have come to last Saturday where it seemed like every concert I've ever been to felt like horseshit compared to the Mika concert I experienced at The Fillmore. Possibly one of my favorite venues ever (well, just because they offer free cold apples and sometimes the trademark concert posters), and probably one I loathe as well due to it being standing room only. You could feel the vibrations on the hardwood floors. And I'm not being overdramatic or poetic or anything; the floor was literally shaking, and this was due to everyone getting restless at some point waiting for the show to begin and waiting for him to come back out for an encore.
Dressed in some update of John Travolta's "Saturday Night Fever" getup, I felt like I was watching some 70s disco star strut his stuff through smoke and lights-- damn, I felt it. I felt every note he sang, and I felt like I was in the presence of a superstar. I couldn't put my finger on it, but for the love of me, Mika is pure magic. He's theatrical, spontaneous, flamboyant ... whatever describes anyone who loves to put on a big show. Every move he made caused me to scream and reach my hand out, hoping that he would reach out for me, too. It was very surreal and off-putting.
The set-list was full of all the songs everyone knows, from "Grace Kelly" to "Erase" ... the ballads gave everyone a moment to take time to rest from all the jumping and such, all of which everyone swayed in unison. I, however, took the time to just stare at him as he clinked away on his piano. Couldn't take my eyes off him during the whole thing, and that scares me a little.
My favorite moments came during the obvious songs. During "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" he grinded up on a well-endowed burlesque dancer, much to the delight of everyone around him. There was even a moment during "Love Today" where he started pounding on a garbage can, literally beating the sh*t out of it. It was loud, but damn, it was good. As he tossed the drumsticks away from me, I frowned. Boo. Hand it to the people in front!
The encore was another thing. I figure that if I was high, I probably would have been freaking out when I saw Mika and the band coming out in animal costumes. The bunny then proceeded to hit all of them with drumsticks (a trend, yes), but before that they danced in a circle. But then they broke out into my favorite song, "Lollipop" and balloons fell from the sky, as well as bubbles and confetti. The crowd went wild. It kind of reminded me of the last scene in "Star Wars: Episode I" when Natalie Portman hands someone a bubble. Don't ask why.
I don't know how to comprehend the show, but if I can reference the album, it was like a cartoon. Life in Cartoon Motion? Yes. But I love, love, LOVED this show. It was surreal, it was magnificent, and damn, it was good.
More pics (from the crap that is my camera phone): More Mika!
Opening act Sara Bareilles. She was awesome. Watch out for this one.
I figure coming from the blog-dead includes me doing something that I hardly do. Okay, so something that I never do, and something that I'll probably never do unless something moves me to do so.
But if you know me behind the bloglines, you know I'm not a reader. Book reader, that is. I hate reading. I've hated it ever since I was a child because I was stuck reading books like "Rascal" and "Harriet the Spy," which I suppose are both children's classics in their own right. However---if you flashback to a young me, you will note the chubbiness in my cheeks and the stubbiness of my legs. I liked watching "Night Court" even though I didn't quite understand what they talked about, and I loved to stay up to watch Arsenio because it satisfied my R&B/Urban Contemporary thirsts. In conclusion, you will see a child in front of you that does not read unless forced. And by forced, it's always those damned summer reading lists. Can we do away with those? (I'm kidding. But I sure as hell wished they would do away with those when I was a wee lass.)
This is the part where I tell you that it's ironic that I hate reading, because I absolutely love to write. Letters, email, snail mail, cards, short stories, screenplays, announcements, letters that scold people without like a righteous ass, whatever. Anything that needs to be written, I'll get it done. I hate going to the bookstore because to get to the magazines, I must pass books. While wandering around North Beach the other day, I actually wandered into (for the first time) City Lights Bookstore, one of the most famous bookstores in the history of the universe. Some guy named Kerouac hung out there (unclutch your heart, dear hipsters: I know who he is). It's just downright famous if you ask me. I went in there and quickly stepped out. I felt like books were going to rain down on me at any moment, as if to know there was an intruder in their presence. Like on "Lost," how the French chick calls the black smoke the security system. I'm sure all bookstores have a reaction when they smell foul.
But lately, this so-called "I don't read" soul has stepped into bookstores and not winced at the sight of thousands of spines and booksleeves that don't interest her. I guess this is due in part to the fact that I've acquired an internship as as music reviewer, and with this, I've had to expand my vocabulary slightly (how many ways can you say "awesome" without saying it with that word?). And I figure since I'm writing about music--- I might as well know about it other than whatever I think I know about music.
So one fateful moment in Borders, I decided to check the music section, and there are tons and tons of music books. Books on rock, books on pop, books on Britney Spears that I laughed at, and so forth. I didn't want to read about rock music for some reason, but I still looked through the standard book on The Beatles or how John Lennon changed music. Yawn. My dad has that stuff.
There were two books that caught my eye. The first being "Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time" by Rob Sheffield, who writes for Rolling Stone. It's more of a true story rather than fiction, but the idea of music fiction/non-fiction is the first thing to intrigue me since I discovered bit torrents (another day, another topic). The second, of course, was this book that caught me off guard:
"Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life" by John Sellers is not what I thought it would be. And the questions of the moment are: what did I think it would be, and why in the world would you pick now to talk about it, let alone recommend it?
Answer: I don't know (and cue the Jim Halpert puzzled look).
But what I do know is that I loved it from the moment I read it. The first words in the book are "I hate Bob Dylan" and for the love of me, I don't know anyone who does. It's one of those crazy things that it seems like everyone and their mom loves. Sellers' dad worships Dylan, and I have to say, my dad worships Dylan, too. I bought my dad one of Dylan's most recent, and while Dylan is good, I can think of a million other things I'd rather listen to in the car than any more wax-poetic tunage from back in the day. (By the way, in the car while with my dad, lately it's been The Beatles' "Love" soundtrack. I enjoy The Beatles, but sometimes, I think a break is due. He's been spreading his wings a bit, and I think he's now obsessed with The Shins and their awesomeness. It started when I lent him the "Garden State" soundtrack.)
Part of the title is "How Indie Rock Saved My Life" and with that title, I figured it had to be good. And seriously ... I think this book is perfect if you've ever obsessed about a band. Sellers fancies Guided By Voices, which I'm sad to say, I've never heard a record by. But reading about his fan-boy devotion just made me want to pick up "Bee Thousand" (almost did; ran out of money) and also--- this is the sign that I'm truly interested in something --- Wikipedia-it or YouTube them. His fandom reminded me a little bit of myself by some of the bands that I've found myself obsessed with at some point in time-- Wham! (when I was like, FIVE), Immature, The White Stripes, Green Day, N.E.R.D. ... and most importantly during my youth, a secret love affair with Hanson. That's right: I said Hanson. And if you don't know, now you know --- "The Walk" hits stores May 22nd in the US. I've previewed some tracks (okay, all) and it's their best album yet. I also YouTubed their Underneath Acoustic tour and put on my favorites Part Two, because it includes two of my faves from "This Time Around," which are "If Only" and "Runaway Run." The last one was arranged quite differently from the original, and I have to say I totally fell back into love. Or obsession, which ever you might think is the right fit for me.
Sellers also mentioned that someone says that you should never meet your heroes. This is a major thing for me when I go to concerts of people I enjoy. At the last Jason Mraz concert I went to, I had some butterflies once he began to play, mainly because I thought that maybe he'd be outside to meet the fans and such. He wasn't, but the thought of him being outside signing, or the thought of him walking down the street to the 7-Eleven made me go crazy. What if I ran into him? What would I say? Would he think I was stupid?
And that's another thing: while I love Mraz with all of my heart and soul, I kind of liked him better when nobody knew who he was. I had heard about him through an ex-blogger, and I remember going to the store to buy "Waiting For My Rocket To Come" out of curiosity. I had yet to start my obsession with singer-songwriters, and Mraz was the ticket into heaven. I began buying everything he recorded that I could get my hands on, and I just thought to myself: job well done. I think the minute he became super popular was the moment that I realized he wasn't technically "mine" anymore. Actually, the moment I realized he wasn't mine anymore was when this chick in front of me sung every single lyric to every one of his songs at his acoustic show at The Fillmore in '05. It was deathly quiet during "Please Don't Tell Her," which sounded beautiful acoustically without all of the hoo-hah production, and all I could hear was HER VOICE. She ruined the experience for me, and I will NEVER FORGET IT. I hope someone ruins something she loves. (That's the worst I can wish on someone without wishing their tragic death.) Other artists I liked a whole lot more when nobody cared: James Blunt, N.E.R.D., Plain White T's,etc.
I recently overcame my fear of meeting my heroes when I went to an in-store at Amoeba, starring Sondre Lerche. Oh, how I loved that show. Is it just me, or does everything sound better stripped down? My favorite track that he played was "On The Tower." It was the first time I heard it, and it's one of those songs that'll get you the first time. Overwhelm you, emotionally or something crazy like that. Whatever. I actually went up to him, met him, mumbled "You played a great set" and he said "Thank you" in his awesome Norwegian accent, and I took a picture with him. I was also sweating very, very badly.
But, what's this really about? Oh yeah. Reading "Perfect From Now On" really just solidified all of the thoughts in the back of my head I never got a chance to say out loud, or think about in full detail. I'm making it my first (and most likely last) recommendation for all you kiddies out there who "love" to read. If you've ever loved music, here's your chance to read about a guy who probably loves music more than you ever could. I've picked up some great tips, both music-wise and just in general about loving your favorite bands. Hopefully I've learned something. Haven't figured out if there was a moral to the story yet. (There probably was. But things go over my head. Not because I'm short, but because I'm slow.)
Last week 
1. Jack kicks it off with "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" and somehow segues into "Hotel Yorba" - I could be wrong about the segue, but I do remember him playing the chords to "Dead Leaves" and me going crazy along with the crowd. I also sang along like I was at an *NSYNC concert, which non-surprisingly, I have seen a whopping nine times. Don't be shocked.
The set-list was full of all the songs everyone knows, from "Grace Kelly" to "Erase" ... the ballads gave everyone a moment to take time to rest from all the jumping and such, all of which everyone swayed in unison. I, however, took the time to just stare at him as he clinked away on his piano. Couldn't take my eyes off him during the whole thing, and that scares me a little.
The encore was another thing. I figure that if I was high, I probably would have been freaking out when I saw Mika and the band coming out in animal costumes. The bunny then proceeded to hit all of them with drumsticks (a trend, yes), but before that they danced in a circle. But then they broke out into my favorite song, "Lollipop" and balloons fell from the sky, as well as bubbles and confetti. The crowd went wild. It kind of reminded me of the last scene in "Star Wars: Episode I" when Natalie Portman hands someone a bubble. Don't ask why.
