Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience

Thursday, November 4, 2010

otherwise known at M.A.E. is a band originally off tooth & nail records and got their start in 2003.

through a series of albums the band has NEVER disappointed. they've got this ability to mix a little bit of rock with a freakin' lot of cheer. seriously...CHEER. their shows are generally filled with happy people that leave with a positive outlook on life. sounds corny sure, but THEIR sound is amazing!!!

to top it off, i've never had a band MORE passionate about their music than them. my interviews with them lasted forever:
with Jacob
with Zach

recently they breezed through KC and with this being the 4th time i've seen them, i knew i was in store for a great show. but what i didn't know was: a - one of the bands was going to cancel, thus giving MAE 2 hours to play; II - this would be their last show...ever in KC. so needless to say it was fitting that for the last time our fair city would get to see their lovely faces, it was for the longest set they've ever played.

the show was perfection. they played everything ANYONE would've wanted to hear. there are no words. their music moves people, it manages to touch each person different, while at the same time cause some dancing/head banging moves.

This is ONE of my favorite songs of theirs (image it jammed out after a insanely dramatic intro):


The US tour ends in about a week, so it's a little sad to post those dates.

Website

MySpace

Buy EACH of these (from Amazon - so you can share):
Destination: Beautiful
The Everglow
Singularity
(m)orning
(a)fternoon

ENJOY!!

-Rach

Helping you find your background music. \m/(>.<)\m/

Thank you Rusty...

Friday, October 8, 2010

Random text: "Check out Future of Forestry, I think you'd dig them." - Rusty

Ok, that may not have been verbatim what my dear friend said, but a suggestion is all I need from him. The next day I popped online to discover the awesomeness that IS Future of Forestry.

Seriously this guy is insane. Basically founded and ran by Eric Owyoung, it's a Christian band out of SoCal. Now get alllll those stereotypes of Christian bands out of your head, throw them on the floor and stomp up and down on them like a 5 year old. FOF sound is like nothing you've ever heard before. From the first song I heard: "Protection" I was blown away by the incredible dynamics. It's a mix of electronic beats, face smearing hip-hop hooks and a random bit of rock guitar. Oh and the vocals, crazy smooth, but in a way that calms you right before pushing you off the stage so he can do his thang.

There isn't one song on his recent album Travel III that isn't genius in it's own way, you just have to get past the fact that no 2 songs sound like they're from the same album. That's something I can overlook so I can have a my window shaking bass beats.

This is a great example of the dynamics:


Website: futureofforestry.com/

I would LOVE to see this music live (Tour):

Dec 2 2010

8:00P

book the advent christmas tour (los angeles) Los Angeles, CA

Dec 3 2010

7:30P

Cornerstone Simi Valley Simi Valley, CA

Dec 4 2010

7:00P

The Rock Church San Diego San Diego, CA

Dec 5 2010

7:30P

The Upper Room Bakersfield, California

Dec 6 2010

7:00P

book the advent christmas tour (san fran) San Francisco, CA

Dec 7 2010

7:00P

book the advent christmas tour (sacramento) Sacramento, CA

Dec 8 2010

7:00P

book the advent christmas tour (ashland/medford) Medford, OR

Dec 9 2010

7:00P

KROC CENTER COEUR D'ALENE, ID

Dec 9 2010

8:00P

TBA spokane, WA

Dec 10 2010

7:00P

ALL NATIONS COMMUNITY CHURCH LAKE FOREST PARK, Washington

Dec 11 2010

7:00P

THE TAPESTRY CHURCH RICHMOND, BC CANADA

ENJOY!!

-Rach

Helping you find your background music. \m/(>.<)\m/

The Mayfield

Saturday, September 18, 2010

First introduction: while working at Borders. We had promo CDs to play overhead in the store. One day I noticed one that wasn't getting any love. I asked if I could have it. That night Moses Mayfield's album The Inside came home with me.

A few years later: while poking around on Noisetrade, I came across a song called "Open Road". In the first 10 seconds, chills came over my body as the violins delicately filled my headphones. The author of this masterpiece had a familiar name. And thus Matthew Mayfield's album Five Chances Remain Hers came home with me.

He's a musician, a composer, a poet and only 27. No matter the band, his words have helped me through many things in life. And he continues to create more. Whether he has a full band with additional guest musicians, or simply his guitar: the power of his music comes out the same. I call it my "mountain music", because it's simplistic and beautiful, and compliments some one-on-one nature time well.

He's recently been on tour with Needtobreathe, but it's my hope that one day I'll have the chance to catch him in that perfect setting: wood-lined walls, low lights and an audience completely entranced in his sweet melodies.



Website: www.matthewmayfield.com

Free music: www.noisetrade.com (search by A-Z)

Tour:

Oct 1 2010

7:00P

House Of Blues - Cambridge Room Dallas, TX

Oct 3 2010

7:00P

House of Blues Houston - Bronze Peacock Houston, TX

Oct 6 2010

7:00P

Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, FL

Oct 7 2010

7:00P

Common Grounds Gainsville, FL

Oct 8 2010

7:00P

The Backbooth Orlando, FL


ENJOY!!

-Rach

Helping you find your background music. \m/(>.<)\m/

Eastern Conference...Awesome

Sunday, July 25, 2010

A first introduction came in 2008 at a little conference called SXSW. It was a sweaty afternoon and the promise of liquor brought us into an appropriately named venue The Thirsty Nickle. But what ensued was a performance by the Eastern Conference Champions.

Unfortunately timed passed and the memory of that show faded. It was 2 years later and the random discovery of their presence on the Eclipse soundtrack, that reignited my interest. An obsession is actually what followed. The thing I like most about this band, is no two songs are the same. The Eclipse song "A Million Miles An Hour" is sultry and dark with a heavy bass and almost creepy backing vocals. It's very Dead Weather mixed with Radiohead and very awesome.

Then my favorite "Common Sense" is a kind of rock that begs for an addiction. Its full of ego-driven guitar work, but it's fully justified, because they are that good. The vocals almost have a bit of a soulful twist to them, but when the chorus comes around it bursts out and snatches ya back in.

Their lighter side actually comes out nicely in this music video [or rather cartoon]:


Website: www.eccmusic.com
(And get this....they're unsigned!)

MySpace: www.myspace.com/easternconferencechampions

Tour:

Aug 1 2010

9:00P

Troubadour West Hollywood, CA

Aug 18 2010

10:00P

Beauty Bar Las Vegas, Nevada

ENJOY!!

-Rach

Helping you find your background music. \m/(>.<)\m/

KC Lovin...

Friday, May 28, 2010

(Explanation of the post title)

Well KC Lovin' for a band from Phoenix. The band is called Kinch. And I honestly can't remember when I first was introduced to their sound. Looks like my first review on them was about a year and a half ago: Hybrid - Kinch Advances Review. I do know it was prior to this review however that I first met the band. On the fair night our lovely country elected the ever capable Mr. Obama, I skipped around the block (after the counts came in) and caught up with Brian, Jake, Andrew and their bassist at that time. Before the election we had an interview. They were well spoken and a hoot to get to know. Thus began our friendships.

It was recently that the boys made their way back to the area. After ending a tour with Local H, they were....well tired. But it was still a fun night.

Their music is constantly growing from the first album they put out. At first they were heavy on piano and kinda poppy. The sounds of their new stuff is trending towards some rock. And then the EP's in the middle are just that, in the middle.

The best thing about these guys: every piece of music they've put out is free. They say they do it to encourage their fans to share it with other people. That's exactly what I did! I mean WHAT have you got to lose? Really...

Website: www.kinchband.com

Free Albums: www.kinchband.com/music/

Tour:

Jun 2 2010 7:30P	The Rhythm Room	Phoenix, Arizona
Jul 2 2010 12:00P	Summerfest	Milwaukee, WI
Jul 3 2010 9:30P	Empty Bottle	Chicago, IL
Jul 5 2010 9:00P	Ciceros	University City, MO
Jul 6 2010 6:30P	The Conservatory	Oklahoma City, OK
Jul 7 2010 9:00P	Lola's Sixth	Fort Worth, TX
Jul 8 2010 9:00P	Emo's	Austin, TX
Jul 10 2010 7:00P	Rogue Bar	Scottsdale, AZ

ENJOY!!

-Rach

Helping you find your background music. \m/(>.<)\m/

Mellllllooooowdrone.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Another last.fm diamond.

About 2 years ago I came across "Fashionably Uninvited" by the band Mellowdrone. A song that starts off rather solemn, but after awhile goes completely ape on your eardrums. And this needless to say was really the only song on their album "Box" that was anywhere near slow. The rest are like the video below for the song "Oh My." This baby has some of the most awesome lyrics: "the monsters next door and the lack of space are no longer ours, 'cause we really didn't need them." Its the kinda song so up beat and jamming, that it'll cause some dancing, whether you like it or not.



Ok so that was 2006. Then came 2009 and so did their new album "Angry Bear." While not as awesomely-jammin' as "Box," it still came with its excellent selections. My personal favorite: "Big Winner." It has this feeling about it that makes me LOVE playing it in my car while cruising down the road on a sunny afternoon. What would make it better? A 1970 black corvette.

Listen to the song at their MySpace: www.myspace.com/mellowdrone

And now for the (slightly strange) but otherwise awesome vid:


Website: www.mellowdrone.com

Not currently touring.. :(

Oh well-
ENJOY!!

-Rach

Helping you find your background music. \m/(>.<)\m/

Think outside the....borders.

Monday, May 10, 2010

It's not an uncommon thing to know that sometimes I tend to favor bands that hail from lands other than our own. The "lands" that I speak of most of the time, refer to those of the United Kingdom. There's something different about the way they do music. Over there music is held to a higher standard and this tends to weed out the bands that may just not be up to the right level yet (not as many garage and/or basement bands over there). So when one does finally pop out and make its way across the water, not only are they incredible, but their music is undeniably unique.

And it seems to be a common theme that lately the bands I've been introduced to and fall in love with are from this same "land." A few of which are (at least at this moment) totally worth introducing to you. And while they may not be new on the scene, they are to me and hopefully to you:

First is Doves. Their song "Jetstream" came up on my last.fm recommended radio. As the song grew in intensity so did my excitement. The song is about a year old. And they only have live versions of a video, which don't do it justice (trust me!). So PLEASE go to their MySpace, put on some headphones and blast this one out: www.myspace.com/dovesmyspace

Doves website - www.doves.net/

Next is Elbow. I was introduced to them by means of House. Well the trailer for Season 6 of House to be exact. But I was so intrigued, that I YouTube'd it, tracked down lyrics and researched the song. This is what I found:



Elbow website - www.elbow.co.uk/
MySpace - www.myspace.com/elbowmusic

Another TOTALLY worth-mention: People In Planes. Recommended by fellow music lover (and musician) Bo-Diddley. Their album As Far As The Eye Can See and their recent album Beyond The Horizon are two completely different sets of music. But I believe they are two completely genius compositions of sounds. Of the three this would be the band you're more likely to be able to catch on the road (though at the moment, they're only overseas =\). And when this song drops in, just IMAGINE the rockness that would ensue live:



PIP website - www.peopleinplanes.com
MySpace - www.myspace.com/peopleinplanes


ENJOY!!

-Rach

Helping you find your background music. \m/(>.<)\m/

Love Potion #9

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Ok, so I'm not actually talking about something you can give your hubby to make him get weak in the knees. But I am talking about a musical euphoria who call themselves Lovedrug.

I had heard through the grapevine that these fellas from Ohio were good, but for some reason never really got into 'em. A couple weeks ago, good ole' buddy Mike in L.A. shot me a press release with a link to a few of their E.P. tracks. And I do believe my reaction to him was "quite impressed."

And after interviewing Thomas (lead singer of Phoenix) and chatting about his views on genres, I'm going to attempt to not classify bands by genre labels....yep...that's the plan....ok.....

So! Lovedrug is....almost like their name. Full of emotion. Drums are barely there, but important. Lead guitar is high pitched and nearly perfectly in sync with the vocals' notes. And vocals that beckon a little bit of a Kings of Leon reference and a little bit of complete uniqueness.

There does that help?

If not - here's a taste:


Website: http://www.lovedrugmusic.com/

Free music: www.NoiseTrade.com/lovedrug

Tour:

May 6 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge w/ The Early Hours

May 7 - West Chester, PA @ The Note w/ Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders

May 8 - Boston, MA @ HOUSE SHOW

May 9 - Altoona, PA @ HOUSE SHOW

May 14 - Covington, KY (Cincinnati) @ Radiodown w/ All The Day Holiday

June 9 - Knoxville, TN @ HOUSE SHOW (Lovedrug only)

June 10 - Raleigh, NC @ The Brewery (w/ ATDH, others)

June 11 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (w/ ATDH, others)

June 12 - Orlando, FL @ The Backbooth (w/ ATDH, others)

June 13 - Tampa, FL @ Orpheum (w/ ATDH, others)

June 15 - Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree (w/ ATDH, others)

June 16 - Fayetteville, AR @ George's Majestic Lounge (w/ Bear Colony, ATDH)

June 17 - Little Rock, AR @ Juanita's (w/ Bear Colony, ATDH)

June 18 - Houston, TX @ Mango's (w/ ATDH, others)

June 19 - Dallas, TX @ Prophet Bar (w/ ATDH, others)

June 21 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory (w/ ATDH, others)

June 22 - Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Café (w/ ATDH, others)

June 23 - St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird (w/ ATDH, others)

June 24 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In (w/ ATDH, others)

ENJOY!!

-Rach

Helping you find your background music. \m/(>.<)\m/

I............P................S.................

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Ok, I've been at this coffee shop for roughly....2 hours and my iTunes has eternally been on IPS. Or as they're technically called - Innerpartysystem. Four guys from Pennsylvania with this amazing ability to groove your socks off.

Before last year I owned one song of theirs, then I finally saw them in concert at The Midland (thank you 96.5 The Buzz!) and was exhausted just from watching them. After that performance I bought their CD from Jared (drummer) and it has yet to leave my car. Seriously.

Now these guys are REALLY good at feeding your need for more music. Half of my collection from them are free mixes, Winter, Spring, Summer, etc. They take other songs and put a little IPS spin on it. Electronic Rock is the genre I've given them. But each song is different and each mix (depending on which member it comes from) is different.

The reason I bring them up now, is they just announced a new single to come out next month. In other words, NEW IPS MUSIC!! This makes me giddy. And the 1:52 song is a complete tease...May 18th can't come soon enough.

This video is good for showing the intensity of their music:


Website: http://innerpartysystem.com/

Free music (register at their forum for the free mixes): http://www.innerpartysystem.com/forum/

MySpace (for the teaser track!): http://www.myspace.com/innerpartysystem

Tour:

May 6 2010 8:00P	Harpers Ferry (PAPER) - Special IPS DJ Set w/Passion Pit	Allston, Massachusetts
May 20 2010 7:00P	The Studio @Webster Hall w/The Kickdrums & Atlas	New York, New York

Civil Twilight

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The story:
2008: One day while on last.fm I heard "Human" - it pulled, on heart strings that is. After over 4 years doing this writing thing, it's one of the MOST beautiful songs I had ever heard.

April 2009: After about a year of searching finally an album appears! And so up goes my review and back comes by first fan mail. (momentous day for me)

April 2010: Civil Twilight visits Lawrence while on tour. 4 hours were spent with the band learning who they were, where their music came from and why they hate bbq. :P

Their songs still tug at those strings. And I really want to do my part in helping their music pull other people's strings. The world is better with their music. Trust me.



Album: http://tinyurl.com/y4yzxl2

Website: www.civiltwilightband.com

Tour:

Apr 13 2010 5:00P	Vaudeville Mews	Des Moines, Iowa
Apr 15 2010 8:00P	The Walnut Room	Denver, Colorado
Apr 16 2010 7:00P	The Loft (Colorado)	Colorado Springs, Colorado
Apr 17 2010 8:00P	The State Room	Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 18 2010 8:00P	Tonic Lounge	Reno, Nevada
Apr 19 2010 7:30P	Slim’s w/ As Tall As Lions and Bad Veins	San Francisco, California
Apr 21 2010 9:00P	Lola’s	Portland, Oregon
Apr 22 2010 6:00P	The Boulevard	Spokane, Washington
Apr 23 2010 7:00P	High Dive	Seattle, Washington
Apr 25 2010 6:00P	Citizens Business Bank Arena w/ Three Days Grace	Ontario, California
Apr 26 2010 7:00P	VooDoo Lounge	San Jose, California
Apr 28 2010 7:00P	Hotel Cafe	Los Angeles, California
Apr 29 2010 11:45P	Jimmy Kimmel LIVE
May 2 2010 8:00P	The Loft at UC San Diego	San Diego, California
May 3 2010 7:00P	Club Congress	Tucson, Arizona
May 4 2010 7:00P	White Dove	Flagstaff, Arizona
May 6 2010 9:00P	Stubb’s Bar-B-Que w/ Blue October	Austin, Texas
May 7 2010 8:00P	Prophet Bar	Dallas, Texas
May 8 2010 7:00P	Warehouse Live	Houston, Texas
May 26 2010 8:00P	The Black Booth w/ Paper Tongues	Orlando, Florida
May 28 2010 10:00P	Roxy’s Saloon w/ Paper Tongues	West Palm Beach, Florida
Jul 10 2010 3:00P	Forecastle Festival	Louisville, Kentucky
Aug 15 2010 7:00P	Park Tavern	Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 4 2010 3:00P	Bumber Shoot	Seattle, Washington

ENJOY!!

-Rach

Helping you find your background music. \m/(>.<)\m/

**Light Bulb!**

Saturday, April 3, 2010

I recently figured out the purpose of this blog. Of the blogs I follow, they're a means for my friends to share they're talents. Whether it be for photography, or illustration, or whatever. Well, I finally figured out what my talent is: finding new music. That comes largely in part from the magazines I write for, naturally. But at the same time, I'm constantly exposed to new, awesome music that most people will never have the opportunity to hear. And I find GREAT joy introducing new music to people. Seriously, GREAT!!

So the goal is each week to introduce everyone to a new sound. I'll sift through the 30-40 press releases a day and countless records in the mail and pick out the diamonds. I'll also fill in the needs: a little bio, if they're touring, where to find they're music, etc.

So, ready?? Let's go!
#1- Thieves.

For those in KC, these guys are literally down the street. I believe most of the band come from OP. But after first being introduced to them at a church show, my initial reaction was: WoW. I think I even said: they're Kansas City's answer to Radiohead. Yep I'm gonna let that one simmer in your head for awhile.....

They do things a little different than most bands. They've already got a touring staff and only have about 7 songs. They've got a really cool/professionally done video and have yet to start charging for their first EP. So things are a little backwards than most bands, but hey, it's working for them!

Video:

Swan Song from T H I E V E S on Vimeo.

Album (free): http://www.isoldthetruth.com/

Tour:

Apr 16 2010 10:00P	Eighth Street Taproom w/Mammoth Life	Lawrence, Kansas
May 8 2010 8:00P	Patton Alley Pub w/Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and Cloud City	Springfield, Missouri

ENJOY!!

-Rach

Helping you find your background music. \m/(>.<)\m/

Rhapsody...

Monday, March 22, 2010

Gershwin...a genius by EVERY sense of the word. Wrote a masterpiece called "Rhapsody In Blue." A song that I first laid my ears on in junior high on a cassette (yes a cassette) called Classical Favorites. I would grab my tape player, some headphones and just zone out to the amazing sounds that are in this song. Sometimes I would attempt to "conduct," while others simply an "air" instrument. And if you know me, this is where my "air violin" came from.

But what it really comes down to is, can you tell me another 16 minute song that takes you to so many magical places!?! I don't think you can. If I ever had the chance to see this performed live, I do believe I would literally float away. Because there's nothing like the music that came from an era where there weren't musicians, there were composers. And there weren't songs, there were masterpieces.

You owe it to yourself to have some alone time with this experience.

A Fresh Start

Sunday, February 28, 2010

This is a gift I got for Christmas (pic played with in Photoshop). They're Russian stacking dolls, otherwise known as matryoshkas and if you know me then you know I collect these. So it was quite a perfect gift to get me a blank set that I can design myself. I hadn't started on the project, with everything going on recently, I just didn't have the drive to do the work. But recently life found a way to start again. Which came largely in part due to a new job. Ironically, like these blank wooden dolls, I feel like I too have a blank slate. And if I take it one step at a time, one doll at a time, there's endless possibilities as to what it can be.

For the dolls: think Yellow Submarine. :)