Hey all. Now I'm going to blog about probably the #2 most blogged about topic: my music. I'm going to compile a list of music that I've listened to pretty much since I ever got into music, which is about 5th grade. This is in rough chronological order. I've put together an 8tracks mix that has a lot of the bands I mention here and then some:
Five Iron Frenzy:
If I had to pick one band that has influenced me the most, these guys would probably have to be it. Right around 5th grade is when I first started really getting into music, and FIF was one of the first bands I ever got into. Quantity is Job 1 was my first album from them and remains one of my favorites. I got the chance to see them live just a couple of times, one of which being their farewell tour. Notable songs: Every New Day, Suckerpunch, Spartan, One Girl Army, Old West, Where Zero Meets Fifteen.
P.O.D.:
Please don't judge me. We've all had our embarrassing musical phases, and this is definitely mine. This was another one of my 5th grade-ish musical choices. It went well with my desire to wear a lot of jnco jeans and button up shirts with flames and dragons on them. Needless to say, I thought that listening to late 90's rapcore made me a badass. I can't knock P.O.D. completely. They had their hits and some of them were okay, but it's definitely one of those bands that sometimes comes up on my itunes shuffle and I cringe a little. Notable songs: Southtown, Rock the Party, Boom.
Nodes of Ranvier:
Nodes was just a relatively little known hardcore band that I was pretty into for a few years towards the end of middle school and into early high school. They produced one very solid album (self-titled) that I still go back and listen to from time to time, but their other albums really aren't worth the effort in my opinion. I got to see them a couple times at a music festival, and I probably pissed off the guitarist quite a bit with all the flash pictures I was taking right in front of him. They were one of the first hardcore bands I got into, which was a big phase for me. Notable songs: Eight Weeks of Privilage, No Time for Regret, Butcher the Baker and the Candlestick Maker, Don't Blink (Or We May Miss It).
Norma Jean:
Norma Jean is another big band that I listened to in my hardcore phase. Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child is still one of the best albums ever. They have had some significant line-up changes since then, but I still love their music. Definitely not your typical hardcore, especially if you listen to their older stuff. Notable songs: Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste, The Entire World Is Counting On Me and They Don't Even Know It, Disconnecktie (The Faithful Vampire), Blueprints for Future Homes, A Small Spark vs. a Great Forrest, Songs Sound Much Sadder.
Zao:
Zao goes along with my hardcore stage. I had just heard a lot about them through my friend who really introduced me to heavy music. The Funeral of God is a really interesting album. The songs explore the idea of God giving up on humanity and essentially "dying." Needless to say, it was a controversial album, especially coming from a perceived "Christian band." Notable songs: The Rising End (The First Prophecy), Psalm of the City of the Dead, Savannah, Angel Without Wings, Free The Three (<- look into the meaning of that one).
Underoath:
I'd like to legitimately state that I was into Underoath before they got popular. Aren't I hip. For real, I think that they're a really solid band in a genre that has a lot of really generic sound. They're Only Chasing Safety is a stupendously written album. Notable songs: It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door, I'm Content With Losing, Reinventing Your Exit, When the Sun Sleeps.
Haste the Day:
Not a whole lot to say about these guys. Burning Bridges is a wonderful album, I wouldn't bother with the rest. I listened to it a ton. Notable songs: American Love, Song of Faith, The Last Goodbye.
Bradley Hathaway:
I forget where I first heard about this guy. He initially debuted as a Christian slam poet of sorts with his release of All The Hits So Far, a book/cd combo. Since then, he's gone more to music and unfortunately, his popularity has declined. He has some really good stuff. It's very honest. Notable songs (poems?): Manly Man, Big Things in Big Packages, The Annoying Hardcore Dude That Goes Too Far, Silence, The Hardest Thing I Had to Do, Dakota, Our Love was Good and Our Love was Right.
Project 86:
Project was definitely a phase for me, and there was a short time where I was CRAZY about them. They're still a solid band, but I just grew tired of where they were going musically. Regardless, they are definitely worth mentioning in the context of my musical history. Notable songs: Sincerely, Ichabod, Subject to Change, Stein's Theme, The Forces of Radio Have Dropped a Viper Into the Rhythm Section, The Spy Hunter, A Shadow on Me, Save Heaven, Hollow Again
Sufjan Stevens:
When I got into high school, I made the discovery that it was okay to listen to music that wasn't hardcore. Sufjan was one of my first big breaks from heavy music. I got Illinoise and Michigan and fell in love. His newer stuff has pretty mixed reviews, but I love it. His songs seem incredibly soul-baring and intimate. Songwriting at its best. Notable songs: John Wayne Gacy Jr., The Seer's Tower, The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us, All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!, For the Widows in Paradise, for the Fatherless in Ypsilanti, Seven Swans, so many more...
He Is Legend:
Nope, not the Will Smith movie. In my opinion, I am Hollywood is the only worthwhile album from them, but oh boy... This is probably what I would consider to be the most cohesive and well-written albums ever. I love how they took hardcore and mixed in so many influences that you would never imagine putting together with heavy music. If you've ever ridden in the car with me driving, chances are you've heard these guys. Notable songs: The Seduction, The Creature Walks (End Scene), ...Best in Mexico, The Walls Have Teeth (End Scene), I am Hollywood.
Cloud Cult:
I owe my knowing of Cloud Cult to my girlfriend, Heather. The Meaning of 8 is probably my favorite album by them, but Happy Hippo is also really solid. The Meaning of 8 is nostalgic for me since I was just starting to get into it at the time that I started really liking Heather... I'm a sap. Notable songs: Take Your Medicine, Chemicals Collide, Pretty Voice, Everybody Here is a Cloud, Bobby's Spacesuit.
mewithoutYou:
I had been a fan of mewithoutYou for quite a while, but it wasn't until I was in High School that I really started getting into them. If I had to pick a favorite band, mwY would definitely be it. I'm not the biggest fan of their latest album, It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright, but it's still a good album. Catch for Us the Foxes is a poetic and musical masterpiece. I have listened to that album so much and have really never burned myself out on it. Probably my #1 album. Brother, Sister is a beautiful album, with a little more hopeful sound than Foxes. I'd recommend a new listener listening to Brother, Sister first because it's a little more approachable, but I can't say enough good about Foxes. Notable songs: January 1979, Paper Hanger, Seven Sisters, Son of a Widow, Torches Together, Messes of Men, Gentlemen, A Glass Can Only Spill What it Contains, C-Minor, O, Porcupine, In a Sweater Poorly Knit, The Fox, The Crow, and The Cookie.
Showbread:
I have a huge respect for what Showbread does. I'm not the craziest about their latest album musically, but I think what they are doing with it is incredible. They recently signed on to Come & Live records, a ministry-based record label that gives away all their music for free via download. They have a great live show, but what I love most about them is their dedication to their fans and their ministry as a band. They're super real and engaging with their fans in a way that is very rare. Notable songs: Naked Lunch, Pachyephalosaurus, George Romero Will be at Our Wedding, Centipede Sisters, Nothing Matters Anymore, Lost Connection With the Head, The Journey (Nervosa), A Llama Eats a Giraffe (And Vice-Versa), The Bell Jar.
Arcade Fire:
Another one that I owe to Heather. As you can see, she really helped liberate my musical tastes. Funny story: I think it was our first Christmas as a couple, and we both bought each other An Abundance of Katherines by John Green and a cd. I forgot what I got for her, but she got me Neon Bible. It took me a little while to get into, but my appreciation grew and grew. Notable songs: Keep the Car Running, Intervention, No Cars Go, My Body is a Cage, Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels), Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies), Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains).
Classical Music:
So yeah, definitely not just one artist, but it's easier for me to talk about it as a group. I first started really getting into classical when I was in late high school and decided that band was pretty cool (I was a percussionist). We played a lot of Gustav Holst, which ended up being one of my first favorites. Since then, I've also gotten really into soundtracks. To be honest, Hans Zimmer isn't my favorite (ya cha cha cha cha cha cha cha YA cha cha cha cha cha cha cha... you get the point). I'm always down for some good old John Williams, but Yann Tiersen seems to have some good things going for him, as does Thomas Newman. I've also love me some Ralph Vaughan Williams, and nothing beats some good old Rachmaninoff. Notable songs: The Lark Ascending - Vaughan Williams, Cast Away Theme - Alan Sylvestri, Appalachian Spring - Aaron Copland, The Green Mile Theme - Thomas Newman, You Are the Pan (from Hook) - John Williams, Jurassic Park Theme - John Williams, Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity - Gustav Holst, The Return of the King - Howard Shore, October Sky - Mark Isham
And Then There Were None:
Now we're finally starting to get pretty recent. I discovered these guys about a year and a half ago after hearing them on a sampler from Tooth & Nail Records. They're definitely a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, and it took a while for me to accept that I enjoyed their music as much as I do. It's super catchy dancy synth riff-driven music written with really dominant choruses. Give it a listen. If you like it, cool. If you don't, we can definitely still be friends. Probably. Notable songs: The Hospital, Reinventing Robert Cohn, The Atmosphere, Thank the Watchmaker, The Alamo.
Lauren O'Connell:
Youtube has become a great place to discover new artists. Lauren isn't the first Youtube musician I've gotten into, but the quality of her songwriting is top notch, and I've recently gotten super into her. She does a fair amount of covers, but also has written and recorded quite a few originals as well. She uses a method called the "videosong" in which she plays all of the different musical parts and uses video footage from her playing each part in at least one part of the video. Check her out. Notable songs: White Noise, 1988, I Belong to You, The Pilot.
Eric Whitacre:
I probably could have lumped Whitacre in with the other classical music, but I feel it appropriate to set him apart for the huge impact that he has had on my appreciation for choral music. Choir has been a huge help in keeping my sanity while in college and has provided a really strong foundation of something beautiful and amazing that I can always turn to and appreciate if I'm having a bad day or something. Eric Whitacre is a young composer (I believe he's in his 40's) and has become quite a celebrity among younger people, especially for being a choral composer. His music is very signature for it's super full chords (we're singing a song of his in choir right now in which I believe one of the chords has 13 parts). Definitely give him a try if you haven't been into choral music before because it seems irrelevant to younger people. Notable songs: Nine Simple Prayers, Water Night, Sleep, Lux Aurumque, When David Heard, Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine.
The Suit:
Since High School, I've definitely become a little less enthusiastic about hardcore because the genre has become really generic, but when it's done right, oh man... The Suit is a refreshing departure from the generic hardcore that is so huge in the scene today. They have a great hardcore sound, but their old-school punk influences add an awesome element to their sound. Their performance of Lady Gaga's Just Dance takes what could so easily be a novelty song of "oh haha the hardcore band covered a girly pop song lulzzzzzz" and turns it into a legitimately AWESOME song that I listen to over and over again. Notable songs: The Way That We Fall, Feel My Heart, Just Dance, Walking With the Wolves, Goodnight
Mumford & Sons:
Mumford & Sons is a band that has totally exploded in the past year, and their fanbase is huge now. They've been receiving a ton of recognition, but I think that they 100% deserve it. I remembered being shocked that a band that sounded so bluegrassy/americana was British. They can't seem to write a bad song. If you haven't already, definitely pick up Sigh No More when you have the chance. Their performances are incredibly passionate and well-written. Notable songs: White Blank Page, The Cave, Awake My Soul, Hold On to What You Believe, Lover of the Light (? it's a new song that I heard on The Current's recording of their recent show at First Ave.)
Passion Pit:
Similar to And Then There Were None, these guys took me a while to admit to myself that I really liked them. It's great for singing along to in the car (yes, in the super high voice, we've all done it...). Notable songs: The Reeling, Sleepyhead, To Kingdom Come.
Phantogram:
I first heard these guys on http://www.thesixtyone.com/ and was taken by surprise. They're masters of the heavy synth beat-driven shoegaze genre. Great to listen to when you're feeling contemplative about things. Notable songs: When I'm Small, Mouthful of Diamonds, Futuristic Casket.
Well, wow. That ended up being far too long. Kudos to you if you read this far. Let me know if some of these brought back memories for you. Or if you have some recommendations for me, please let me know! I always love to get into new artists that I never listened to before. Sorry this is so long.
Enter cliché blog subject #1. I hope I come off as having something different to say compared to about about 863,294,725 other bloggers out there, and if I don't, I apologize.
To give a little history, I've pretty much always considered myself to be pretty liberal on most accounts. Looking back, I went through some phases where I was pretty obnoxious about it. I guess you could say that I was pretty die hard in my beliefs that liberalism could solve everyone's problems.
Long story short, as I've gotten older, I've become less and less believing that a political system or party can or will solve any of our problems as a country or as people. I don't consider myself a pessimist, and I do my best to try to see the best in people, but I guess that what I've come to believe is that people are far too flawed to ever not oppress, to ever not destroy, to ever not... be people.
Today's über-polarized political climate seems to have brought out the worst in people opposite of me who think that their politics are the answer to our problems and that anyone who disagrees can go... do something. Use your imagination there. Because of these factors, I find it harder and harder to align myself with pretty much any political belief without feeling like I'm putting my faith in something that isn't going to solve humanity.
I definitely don't consider apathy to be a positive trait, but I often find myself resorting to it in the face of the aforementioned political shitstorm. But what about issues where there is a clear right and wrong? I mean, what if Abe Lincoln was like "Well, slavery sure blows, but ya know, people just suck in general so why even bother?" Does the perspective that humanity is depraved mean that I just don't stand up for anything?
I struggle with this a lot. What do you guys make of it? I heard a really good sermon a couple weeks ago that sort of addressed this for me, so if you're interested at all, check it out.
I hope this post wasn't too much of a downer. On a side note, I got a couple rolls of film from the past couple of months developed this week, and I got a chance to scan the negatives. I'll just put up a few that I thought turned out okay. A lot of them were shot in really bad light, and the negative scans aren't nearly as good as a real print. I miss printing in the darkroom so much, but between my severe lack of time this semester and not having the cash for photo paper means that I'll have to settle for this for now at least.
A barn I've been by quite a few times. Always wanted to take a picture of it. So I did.
Abbey is in Photo 1 right now. I'm pretty jealous.
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