Video Blog 2

Kashiwa Daisuke

Artist: Kashiwa Daisuke

Genre: Glitch/Classical

The sound, as I listen, unedited:

A cello strutting cavalier down a sultry street. Violins skip in ecstasy to the soul hum. GLITCH. Life should be an LSD sweet honeysuckle thrill fruit plum in your mouth juices trailing down your chin GLITCH piano soul piano soul piano GLITCH modern man squints suffering silent from the sun GLITCH.

a break of waves.

violin in the distance old arthritic fingers place each callous on the strings, glitch
dark shadows light bodies grim phonographs simultaneously orgasmiglitch
drum beat drum
drum beat drum
african nods feet feel the hum
beat beat beat beat beat beat beat beat

computer sounds keyboards on neptune piano notes in earth language
a familiar wink of acknowledgement
you are my brother

new sound! fingers trailing lightly over the spine of keys
the piano responds, arching back against the touch
alien sounds agree: this is beauty

glitch.

Niyaz: A Show Review

Band website: http://www.niyazmusic.com/

Niyaz means "Yearning" in both Farsi and Urdu.

Yesterday, my university had the honor of having Niyaz perform on our campus. While they have a small following, they are definitely not given the attention they ought to have based on their vast talent and depth. Niyaz is a band with members from different cultural and religious backgrounds-though four of the five members are from Middle Eastern and Indian ancestry. There was also one white guy, who rocked a guitar every so often but who was more instrumental in djing/working the reverb and sound effects. There's not really a proper way I can describe the feeling that swept through me as I gazed at majestic Azam. Her hips swayed to the music as her vocals trilled and abated, as she sung what she later referred to as "Middle eastern folk songs with a modern twist."

Originally born in Iran, she moved to India at a young age and was at first ashamed of her cultural roots what with the extremely negative connotations people had of Iraq during that time (though things have only gotten worse). But as she grew, she embraced her heritage and culture instead of fleeing from it-and in doing so, the music freed her and was a therapeutic balm for her soul. This is what I gleaned from the very intimate Q & A that the members of the band were kind enough to partake in. Each member seemed so genuine and beautiful, and I appreciate how Azam emphasized each member's inner beauty when introducing them. There was no need for her to praise their musical abilities because we had already heard and been entranced.

While Azam's voice and intensity alone is enough to bedazzle, the other band members all showcased their individual abilities artfully and without a flicker of self-aggrandizement. On the contrary, their demeanor was respectful and humble, and when another member was soloing they all conveyed an attitude of reverence and tactful appreciation, never distracting. To explain the sound in a nutshell would be doing a disservice to the band, but they transcend the genre of world music, offering a non-generic soulful sound that is relaxing yet captivating. I was reminded of the sound of certain trip-hop artists, like Moloko, but live Azam's voice is really something else. I have to stress the importance of seeing this band perform live, if you ever have the chance. It is almost like a very stripped down Andy Warhol experience; as smoke encircled Azam sweeping past the tendrils of her long fairytale hair, she exuded an inexpressibly beautiful gypsy-like charm.

She was coy but conservative, stunning but shy. The instruments themselves were all very fascinating; I wish I could remember the names but they were in other languages. There was one instrument that Azam's husband designed himself; a variation on a theme of another instrument that resembled a guitar...slash cello.

Niyaz's website features three band members but I believe there are actually five members; one drummer, her husband Loya (who played two instruments), Azam, another played urdu and the guitarist.

Visit their website and get a taste of what I had the privilege to experience. And please support their music by purchasing a CD if you're captivated by what you hear.
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Other blog news:
*I have been extremely busy with school as of late but today is a snow day! And I also want to devote more time to this blog as I do enjoy writing here
*I have decided that my life dream is to be an ethnomusicologist. More on that later.
*Expect more show reviews in the near future: I will be seeing Tally Hall, Joanna Newsom, The Flaming Lips, and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone all within the next few months!
*Thank you to all who follow this. I truly appreciate it.

Vlog 1

Peachcake

 Band Members:

Stefan Pruett:	lead vocals, percussion, beats, programming
Mike McHale:	guitar, percussion, keyboards, vocals
Johnny McHone:	keyboards, synths, vocals
Michael Kraft:	crowd energizer, vocals, visuals
Dave Jackman:	beats, programming, production

Indie Label: The Planet Awesome! Subtractive

Genre: electronica, indie pop

Band website: http://www.planetawesome.org/

Myspace: http://myspace.com/peachcake

Unless you're a real Debbie Downer it's hard not to love the jangly pop melodies of Peachcake. This is a band that clearly has twee pop influence; were it a two decades back they definitely would have been a great candidate for Sarah Records. But instead of the fuzzy/poor audio quality often associated with twee pop, Peachcake is crisp and clear. I'm not even sure if they identify themselves as a twee band, because they have incorporated a lot of electronica into their work. I've noticed that some people have tagged them as “power pop”- but once a twee kid forever a twee kid and I can't help but notice their happy sound is a lot like Tullycraft or Architecture in Helsinki.

Peachcake also has really fun track titles to match their gleeful tunes. With songs like “Did I Just do that, or was it Jim Carey?” and “Are Your People Ready to Shrink Continents?!” the whole track list on their debut album What Year Will You Have the World is full of quirky song titles designed to intrigue. I'm so glad I came across Peachcake because they are great dance & cheermeup music. Cue scene of me jumping up and down in my jammies, shaking my mess of curls and boogying harder than the flyest disco queens of the 70s. Really they should hire me for a music video. I've got moves. Almost as good as Carlton and Urkel. Um...back to Peachcake. 

The band's Myspace features weekly comics drawn by keyboardist Johnny Mchone. The man has skillz. These guys are multi-talented, and multi-awesome (awesome on many levels).

Speaking of awesome, these guys are on a mission to save the world. Check out their main web site for details. Furthermore, they put on a crazy show. Think Flaming Lips meets ManMan. They describe their sound as "visual", which makes more sense when you see a clip of them performing: (Former video has been replaced with some recent great footage)

And this:

this:

a pinch of this:

and you'll get the picture after this:

Peachcake's sound is ultra catchy...the vocals are great, the lyrics indie pop perfection. My favorite track is "How to Get to the Moon and Back on Half a Tank of Gas (as told by the Great Racecar Driver)." (Now that I think of it, they really remind me of Fishboy with the super long track name thing).  They sing throughout, "I thought I knew what love was, I thought I knew, I thought I knew what love was- but then I found you," which is so utterly romantic. None of their tracks are abrasive or messy; their debut CD is a real indie pop gem. So if you want to know what undiluted FUN sounds like, check out their Myspace for some tunes and if you like what you hear, support them! Their CD is available on Itunes, Amazon, & BigCartel. 

The Gothic Archies

"I've endured struggling and thuggery, sir
Physical Ed and psychosis
Sculleries, skulls, and skullduggeries, sir
Haplessness, hype and hypnosis" ~"When you Play the Violin"/This Tragic Treasury:Songs from A Series of Unfortunate Events

The Gothic Archies Website: http://www.houseoftomorrow.com/gothicarchies.php

The first time I listened to The Gothic Archies, I thought, damn this singer sounds a helluva lot like Stephin Merritt. Then I found out he was Stephin Merritt (of The Magnetic Fields, The 6ths, and Future Bible Heroes) . I've been a big fan of Merritt's work for years now...the dark melancholia behind it, his brilliant lyrics...The Gothic Archies does not disappoint. 

How is this project different from The Magnetic Fields? Well, according to The Gothic Archies website, "What makes this band different from The Magnetic Fields is that any glimmer of hope is absolutely extinguished." Indeed, The Magnetic Fields have produced many songs such as "The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side" that have optimism despite Merritt's very low, dark voice. "Crows," off of This Tragic Treasury is oddly romantic amongst the other songs but the pace of the song remains slow and sad, as if Merritt lacks faith in the words he is singing. Nick Cave would probably jerk off to this album.

I have to say songs like "Freakshow" are very easy to relate to as I think back to middle school torments and the inherent inescapable awkwardness that marks the teenage years. 

Basically, Merritt is a genius, and I love the exaggerated nihilism that lingers behind every Gothic Archies song. He composed The Tragic Treasury specifically as soundtrack to A Series of Unfortunate Events. Merritt (in the below video interview/performance) claims that  he was on board to do it because on 69 Love Songs the author (Daniel Handler) "Mr. Snicket" played the accordion. Merritt keeps in character-playing a caricature of himself: the gloomy, fatalistic artist. 

Nora Keyes

Nora Keyes has a very ordinary, girl-next-door type of name. But her sound and quirky personality are far from ordinary. Thus far, Ms. Keyes has released one very creepy album entitled "Songs to Cry for in the Age of Nothing." The first song I heard was "Small Apart" (which is available to listen to on LastFM and her Myspace). "Small Apart" starts off and is punctuated throughout by Nora's cackling. It's a very witchy, catchy sound, but Nora's flamboyant attire and kitschy vocal techniques are not sly methods intended to distract you from her voice. In fact, Nora has a lovely singing voice, which even is evidenced in "Small Apart" (in between cackles). I was immediately reminded of Siouxsie Sioux when I saw a video of her. However, Siouxsie Sioux has a slower pace to her songs, and I believe they would be considered more exemplary of the Gothic genre.

Nora's sound is unsettling; an ideal backdrop for a haunted house, or a somber symphony for the undead. At times warbling, Nora's voice is beautiful and unique. I really can't think of anyone who sounds similar (in terms of vocals). Others who contributed to the album include:
Rebecca Lynn (violin)
Ray Day (guitar)
Creekbird (bass/drums)
Dame Darcy (auto harp/saw)

Lyrical content varies manically in Ms. Keye's Album. From insulting ("Look at You, You're Ugly) to soft and reminiscent ("Old Pal"-actually a Jimmy Rogers cover) Nora has sprawling songs and lyrics that are interesting and eclectic.
Nora was previously in a band, The Centimeters. She is currently working on an album in collaboration with Don Bolles.

Below is a live performance that I just love. Nora has a deadpan expression throughout the piece, and her cackles are fantastic. Enjoy :)