Have you ever listened to a song, band, or album that takes you back to a specific time period? Perhaps it brings back memories to what you were doing, or who you were hanging out with in the past when you hear that particular music? Well my wife asked me a similar question one day to which I shrugged off with a simple answer of "no". But I've later realized that it happens to me all of the time. Not neccessarily all music, but quite a bit will take me back to a certain time period when that music was like my soundtrack.
This brings us to this entry. In a few years, what albums will remind me of RIGHT now? I listen to a lot of records almost daily, but right now, there are a few that define these past couple, and present months in my life.
I'm going to share what has been striking my auditory senses recently.
1. Tom Waits - Glitter and Doom Live
I remember the first time I heard Tom Waits. The dark hideaway-bar sounding piano and guitar and the vocals of an old man that I figured had drank way too much whiskey and smoked way too many cigarettes. I loved his ballads of broken hearts and tales of transients and oddballs and his obvious appreciation for jazz and blues. Waits doesn't tour often, so tickets for the Glitter and Doom tour were a hot commodity for all fans. For a fan that couldn't make it out to one of the shows I'm lucky enough to be treated with this live cd. Backed by a band that compliments his vocals well, we get a nice insight as to what a night with the legend is like. Armed with a second disc full of stories and banter, it's a treasure for any Tom Waits fan. I've been spinning the cd in the car, and at home a lot since it came out a couple weeks ago.
2. Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St.
What can I possibly say about this record that hasn't already been said? I was always a huge Beatles fan, and only really knew the Stones' hits. I got a good deal on an old LP at work, so I picked it up. I remember hearing great things about this album from many people, and now I wonder why it took so long for me to pick it up!
3. Gogol Bordello - Live From Axis Mundi
This band is so energetic, raw, fun, and everyone should run to the record store and buy one of their albums. The band is led by Eugene Hutz, a Ukranian/Romanian songwriter who is so charasmatic and talented. The rest of the band is full of people from damn near every continent. The music is usually classified as "gypsy-punk" and is punk rock music with a hint of eastern European gypsy feel to it. The accordian and violin accent the music in a magnificent way. This release comes with a cd of different studio recordings, but shines with the live dvd of their songs.
4. Rushmore Beekeepers - Throwing Mud At Your Streetlight
I have had the pleasure of playing with Zach Fountain who plays under the band name Rushmore Beekeepers a couple of times, and will be again in a couple of weeks. Zach is a talented multi-instrumentalist that plays heartfelt folk songs full of stories. I bought this cd at his cd release show, and it is a nice collection of songs. Check him out at http://myspace.com/rushmorebeekeepers
5. Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain
Like the Rolling Stones album mentioned earlier, I picked this LP up on a whim. I own Bitches Brew, but to listen to it, I have to be in the right mood. It's a busy record. Sketches of Spain however is so relaxing and beautiful that I can't get enough of it. I don't know much about Jazz yet, but I'm starting to become a big fan. I've been picking up as many jazz records as I can afford.
Well, I think that's good for tonight. I've gotta be at work early in the morning!
-Joseph
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
United Football League - Premiere Season 2009
Have you ever heard of the new pro football league the UFL? If not, that's okay, a lot of people haven't. The United Football League is a new start-up league that had it's "Premiere" first season this year. It was a short season with a small amount of teams, and very little marketing. The UFL commissioner likened this season to a dress-rehearsal before the full launch next season.
There were four teams playing a 6 game schedule each for the premiere season. The teams being: Florida Tuskers (mainly stationed in Orlando), New York Sentinels (who played in NY and a game in Hartford), California Redwoods (San Francisco, San Jose), and the Las Vegas Locomotives.
Being a football fan in Las Vegas, I'll take any professional football I can get. I'll admit that at first, the team name Locomotives or "Locos" for short, striked me as pretty lame. But the name has grown on me a lot. The UFL got big name coaches, and a lot of players with NFL experience. Jim Fassell (ex-NY Giants head coach) was named the coach for the Vegas team. JP Losman (ex-Buffalo Bill) was named the Locomotives starting quarterback. The other teams had some familiar names and faces too.After finding out about the league a few weeks before the inaugural game, I decided I'd follow the games and see how I liked them. The first game was the California Redwoods playing at Las Vegas. The game was fun to watch, and the Locomotives won the game 30-17.
Over the course of the short season, I became a fan of the local team and of the league in general. A friend from work, and I went to a Locos game against the NY Sentinels at Sam Boyd Stadium (which is the UNLV Rebels' stadium, but the Locos play there too). We were offered a VIP treatment from the league, and there were a lot of perks. We got to hangout on-field pre-game, they gave us concession vouchers, and we both got two free shirts and hats. Not to mention that we creamed the Sentinels 41-7.
At the end of the 6 game season, the top two teams met at the Championship at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The final standings were as follows: NY Sentinels 0-6, CA Redwoods 2-4, LV Locomotives 4-2, FL Tuskers 6-0.
Florida had beat Vegas twice during the season, but they barely won the second game. That score was 27-24. A lot of people thought Florida was gonna sweep the perfect season at the championship game, set for the Friday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27th.
My brother-in-law and I went to the championship game, and we had a ton of fun. The first 3 quarters were mostly a battle of defenses. But the 4th quarter was intense. And by the end of regulation, the score was 17-17. Overtime! Unfortunately, I had to be at work right after the game, so we were forced to leave before overtime for me to make it to work on time. Overtime in the UFL is different than the NFL due to the rule that both teams get a possession. A couple plays into Floridas first OT possession, their QB Brooks Bollinger threw an interception that set up Loco Graham Gano's Championship winning field goal. Las Vegas, with the home crowd behind them, pulled off the upset.
Now that the season is over, we wait for year two. The good news, is that year two is already guaranteed unlike the XFL, which folded days after their championship game. Two expansion teams will be added for season 2. New York might relocate to Hartford due to poor attendance. The UFL is trying to stay away from markets with an NFL team. Places high on the expansion list are Portland, San Antonio or Austin, Salt Lake City, and Omaha. We also get to look forward to color/uniform changes (each team used the same style uni and color palette), and local presence (which was lacking in season 1 due to LV/CA practicing in Arizona and NY/FL practicing in Florida). The league made it through the first year by not spending too many millions that were unnecessary. But the marketing should get better in year two, as well as team individuality.
Whatever happens, you can count on me being in the stands cheering the Locos on!
-Joseph
Monday, October 19, 2009
Tattoos
As promised, this entry will detail my personal tattoos! Growing up, I always thought of tattoos as pretty taboo, and never thought I would get one. But as I entered my late teens, I took more of an interest in body art. Eventually, that led to me making an appointment and getting my first tattoo. The second I left the shop, I wanted my next one. Too bad they're expensive (at least the good ones). Enough rambling I suppose, on with the ink!
Here is the first tattoo I got. It was inspired by a rose that the band AFI used on their fan club website. Anyway, I took the picture to the artist, and he totally changed it up and added his own style. The only real similarity to the original is the skull inside the bud. It is unique, original, and no doubt the most personalized tattoo I have.
This heart was the second tattoo I got. It is inspired by a heart that one of my favorite artists (Elliott Smith) drew. The black and red lines are taken from the Sound Solutions wall in Los Angeles that are on the cover of Elliott Smith's album Figure Eight. The tattoo was done at a lower grade shop, and is definitely obvious when compared to my others. Honestly though, I like the simplicity and little flaws in it. It captures what I love about Elliott Smith. Unlike the first tattoo, this one is not an original, but it's a nice tribute.
This is my newest and most ambitious tattoo to date. It features two personified hot air balloons. Yes, it's pretty weird, but the detail and precision is amazing. It was inspired by a concert poster for another favorite band of mine, Rilo Kiley. This tattoo garners a lot of attention almost daily by people I meet at work, etc.
Well, those are the tattoos I have so far. Hopefully there will be more to come. People always talk about regretting tattoos later on, but I love mine and see them as a part of me. All three of my tattoos so far are semi-music related, but that won't neccessarily be a continuing trend. I have some ideas for what's next, but you'll have to wait, just like me!
-Joseph
Here is the first tattoo I got. It was inspired by a rose that the band AFI used on their fan club website. Anyway, I took the picture to the artist, and he totally changed it up and added his own style. The only real similarity to the original is the skull inside the bud. It is unique, original, and no doubt the most personalized tattoo I have.
This heart was the second tattoo I got. It is inspired by a heart that one of my favorite artists (Elliott Smith) drew. The black and red lines are taken from the Sound Solutions wall in Los Angeles that are on the cover of Elliott Smith's album Figure Eight. The tattoo was done at a lower grade shop, and is definitely obvious when compared to my others. Honestly though, I like the simplicity and little flaws in it. It captures what I love about Elliott Smith. Unlike the first tattoo, this one is not an original, but it's a nice tribute.
This is my newest and most ambitious tattoo to date. It features two personified hot air balloons. Yes, it's pretty weird, but the detail and precision is amazing. It was inspired by a concert poster for another favorite band of mine, Rilo Kiley. This tattoo garners a lot of attention almost daily by people I meet at work, etc.
Well, those are the tattoos I have so far. Hopefully there will be more to come. People always talk about regretting tattoos later on, but I love mine and see them as a part of me. All three of my tattoos so far are semi-music related, but that won't neccessarily be a continuing trend. I have some ideas for what's next, but you'll have to wait, just like me!
-Joseph
Friday, September 18, 2009
Upcoming Releases Redux & The Future
This blog will focus on a couple of things. Those things being mini-reviews, and what to expect of future blog entries.
In my previous entry I mentioned some of the upcoming music releases I was looking forward to. I'd like to follow-up on some of my opinions about what I've heard of those releases. The Beatles re-issues came out on September 9th, and I was fortunate enough to scramble up enough cash to buy one of the cds. It would have been nice to have been able to buy the box-sets, but alas, I cannot afford such luxuries. I ended up purchasing Abbey Road, the final album, and my personal favorite recorded by the Fab Four (yes, Fab Four deserves to be capitalized). After I bought the cd, I rushed to the car to put it in. When "Come Together" started, I turned it up as much as possible and just started listening for quality differences from the 1987 cd releases. It sounded so much more clear, and put together. By the time I got to "Oh! Darling" I was singing with it at the top of my lungs. This continued until the amazing climax in "The End" when they say, "And in the end, the love you take is equal too... The love... You make." I can't wait to get some more of these remasters.
A few of the new AFI tracks from Crash Love have leaked online. The single "Medicate" isn't amazing, but it's okay. The first song on the record "Torch Song" is such an evolution from the past, and sets the tone for the rest of the record. "Beautiful Thieves" was also leaked and is very catchy and loveable. Another leaked track was "End Transmission" and it's my favorite so far. It seems so familiar and gives me chills. The last leaked song is called "Darling, I Want To Destroy You". It's got a great chorus, but reminds me of another song by a different band at the start. It's probably my least favorite of the newly leaked songs, but is still obviously the catchy AFI I love.
Now that I have gotten those mini-reviews out of the way, I'd like to move onto the topic of the next blog... TATTOOS! I have three tattoos, the most recent is brand new. I'm gonna post pictures and meanings behind all of my tattoos when the new one heals. I got my first one 4 years ago, and I still don't regret it... even though the naysayers always say that people end up regretting their tattoos. Life is too short!
That's all for tonight. My goal is to update this blog more often. We'll see how that goes!
-Joseph
In my previous entry I mentioned some of the upcoming music releases I was looking forward to. I'd like to follow-up on some of my opinions about what I've heard of those releases. The Beatles re-issues came out on September 9th, and I was fortunate enough to scramble up enough cash to buy one of the cds. It would have been nice to have been able to buy the box-sets, but alas, I cannot afford such luxuries. I ended up purchasing Abbey Road, the final album, and my personal favorite recorded by the Fab Four (yes, Fab Four deserves to be capitalized). After I bought the cd, I rushed to the car to put it in. When "Come Together" started, I turned it up as much as possible and just started listening for quality differences from the 1987 cd releases. It sounded so much more clear, and put together. By the time I got to "Oh! Darling" I was singing with it at the top of my lungs. This continued until the amazing climax in "The End" when they say, "And in the end, the love you take is equal too... The love... You make." I can't wait to get some more of these remasters.
A few of the new AFI tracks from Crash Love have leaked online. The single "Medicate" isn't amazing, but it's okay. The first song on the record "Torch Song" is such an evolution from the past, and sets the tone for the rest of the record. "Beautiful Thieves" was also leaked and is very catchy and loveable. Another leaked track was "End Transmission" and it's my favorite so far. It seems so familiar and gives me chills. The last leaked song is called "Darling, I Want To Destroy You". It's got a great chorus, but reminds me of another song by a different band at the start. It's probably my least favorite of the newly leaked songs, but is still obviously the catchy AFI I love.
Now that I have gotten those mini-reviews out of the way, I'd like to move onto the topic of the next blog... TATTOOS! I have three tattoos, the most recent is brand new. I'm gonna post pictures and meanings behind all of my tattoos when the new one heals. I got my first one 4 years ago, and I still don't regret it... even though the naysayers always say that people end up regretting their tattoos. Life is too short!
That's all for tonight. My goal is to update this blog more often. We'll see how that goes!
-Joseph
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Upcoming Releases - Summer/Fall 2009
Here are seven upcoming music releases I'm looking forward to in the next few months. There's a pretty big range in music here, and something everyone can enjoy! I'm gonna throw in some cool videos for each of the artists.
7. Flaming Lips - "Embryonic" Sept. 29
I'm looking forward to the Lips' new double album "Embryonic" because I can't wait to see what they come up with next. Being one of the most original and unique bands of the past 25 years, they're known for psychadelic sounds and bizzare lyrics. Check out this video of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots below. Doesn't that giant bubble look so cool?!
6. Between The Buried And Me - "The Great Misdirect" Oct. 27
Between The Buried And Me are one of the most progressive bands I can think of. The only band that can go from thrash in one second to death growls to indie, new wave, grunge, salsa, jazz, bossa nova, and more styles and make it all sound amazing. I got the chance to see them a few years ago and they were just as clean live as they were on cd. I'm sure the new record won't disappoint. Check out the song Mordecai below. Watch how mellow it gets a couple minutes in, and how melodic the guitar is towards the end. Beautiful.
5. Monsters Of Folk - "Monsters Of Folk" Sept. 22
Monsters Of Folk is a supergroup of sorts comprising some great singer-songwriters: Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes fame), M. Ward, and Jim James (from the band My Morning Jacket). Rounding out the band is Mike Mogis who is a multi-instrumentalist and also a producer and engineer. He is a member of Bright Eyes too. It will be interesting to see how these prominent songwriters will compromise their individual styles' together into a cohesive album. Here's a video of Conor Oberst performing "Get Well Cards" in some little record store. Looks fun!
4. Tegan and Sara - "Sainthood" Oct. 27
Tegan and Sara Quin are sisters that write and sing catchy indie pop. In the past, they've written their own songs individually but on this new record will be writing together. "Sainthood" will be the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2007 release "The Con." I really enjoyed "The Con" and their live performance when I saw them open up for Death Cab For Cutie last year. This song is called "Call It Off" and was performed on Letterman.
3. Devendra Banhart - "What Will We Be" Sometime in October
Devendra is one of my favorite song-writers. Some people describe his style as "freak-folk" but most of his stuff is low-fi acoustic songs. A couple of his newer records have some more rock moments thrown in there though. He has a cameo in the film Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist, and he got lucky enough to date Natalie Portman haha. I took the name of my music project from one of his songs. In fact, it's from this song "At The Hop."
2. Beatles - "Entire Catalogue" Sept. 09
It's about damn time! The entire Beatles catalogue has been remastered and is going to be reissued. All of the original (British) album artwork will be intact, and most cds will feature a bonus disc with special features. There is also going to be two box sets coming out as well. One for mono and one for stereo. Here's one of my favorites, "Don't Let Me Down." This was their last public performance together too!
1. AFI - "Crash Love" Sept. 29
Depending on how long you've known me, this may or may not be a surprise to you. AFI have been one of my favorite bands since I was 15, and I've always had a special place in my heart for them. I've met the band members countless times, and they are such nice guys. This will be their eighth full-length album, and I can't wait for them to come to Vegas again. They're a band that always changes with every record and always pulls it off. Their show is so energetic and passionate. Here's an old video of "Days of the Phoenix".
That's all for now!
-Joseph
7. Flaming Lips - "Embryonic" Sept. 29
I'm looking forward to the Lips' new double album "Embryonic" because I can't wait to see what they come up with next. Being one of the most original and unique bands of the past 25 years, they're known for psychadelic sounds and bizzare lyrics. Check out this video of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots below. Doesn't that giant bubble look so cool?!
6. Between The Buried And Me - "The Great Misdirect" Oct. 27
Between The Buried And Me are one of the most progressive bands I can think of. The only band that can go from thrash in one second to death growls to indie, new wave, grunge, salsa, jazz, bossa nova, and more styles and make it all sound amazing. I got the chance to see them a few years ago and they were just as clean live as they were on cd. I'm sure the new record won't disappoint. Check out the song Mordecai below. Watch how mellow it gets a couple minutes in, and how melodic the guitar is towards the end. Beautiful.
5. Monsters Of Folk - "Monsters Of Folk" Sept. 22
Monsters Of Folk is a supergroup of sorts comprising some great singer-songwriters: Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes fame), M. Ward, and Jim James (from the band My Morning Jacket). Rounding out the band is Mike Mogis who is a multi-instrumentalist and also a producer and engineer. He is a member of Bright Eyes too. It will be interesting to see how these prominent songwriters will compromise their individual styles' together into a cohesive album. Here's a video of Conor Oberst performing "Get Well Cards" in some little record store. Looks fun!
4. Tegan and Sara - "Sainthood" Oct. 27
Tegan and Sara Quin are sisters that write and sing catchy indie pop. In the past, they've written their own songs individually but on this new record will be writing together. "Sainthood" will be the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2007 release "The Con." I really enjoyed "The Con" and their live performance when I saw them open up for Death Cab For Cutie last year. This song is called "Call It Off" and was performed on Letterman.
3. Devendra Banhart - "What Will We Be" Sometime in October
Devendra is one of my favorite song-writers. Some people describe his style as "freak-folk" but most of his stuff is low-fi acoustic songs. A couple of his newer records have some more rock moments thrown in there though. He has a cameo in the film Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist, and he got lucky enough to date Natalie Portman haha. I took the name of my music project from one of his songs. In fact, it's from this song "At The Hop."
2. Beatles - "Entire Catalogue" Sept. 09
It's about damn time! The entire Beatles catalogue has been remastered and is going to be reissued. All of the original (British) album artwork will be intact, and most cds will feature a bonus disc with special features. There is also going to be two box sets coming out as well. One for mono and one for stereo. Here's one of my favorites, "Don't Let Me Down." This was their last public performance together too!
1. AFI - "Crash Love" Sept. 29
Depending on how long you've known me, this may or may not be a surprise to you. AFI have been one of my favorite bands since I was 15, and I've always had a special place in my heart for them. I've met the band members countless times, and they are such nice guys. This will be their eighth full-length album, and I can't wait for them to come to Vegas again. They're a band that always changes with every record and always pulls it off. Their show is so energetic and passionate. Here's an old video of "Days of the Phoenix".
That's all for now!
-Joseph
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Prologue - An Introduction
This first blog posting will be an introduction and explanation of what's to come. You'll get to know a bit about me, and also learn what the basis of this blog will be.
My name is Joseph, and I live in Las Vegas, NV. I am married and have a son, and my family is the most important part of my life. I have a strong interest in all things ART: Music, film, photography, paintings, literature, etc. I love to write and play music in my spare time. I work at a record store, and I love it. That's enough about me.
The purpose of this blog is to share with people my interests and views on things. Music reviews, movie reviews, upcoming releases I'm looking forward to, and any other things I like will probably be the basis of the blog. There probably won't be a lot of personal information thrown in, but some personal experiences and stuff may sneak in every once in a while.
With this stuff out of the way, stay tuned for the next blog to get this ball rolling!
-Joseph
My name is Joseph, and I live in Las Vegas, NV. I am married and have a son, and my family is the most important part of my life. I have a strong interest in all things ART: Music, film, photography, paintings, literature, etc. I love to write and play music in my spare time. I work at a record store, and I love it. That's enough about me.
The purpose of this blog is to share with people my interests and views on things. Music reviews, movie reviews, upcoming releases I'm looking forward to, and any other things I like will probably be the basis of the blog. There probably won't be a lot of personal information thrown in, but some personal experiences and stuff may sneak in every once in a while.
With this stuff out of the way, stay tuned for the next blog to get this ball rolling!
-Joseph
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