Music Thoughts

Like Columbus "discovering" the New World, I feel like a modern Columbus finding Biffy Clyro and what I think is one epic rock ballad, Many of Horror. Although I can't admit to attending an actual concert of theirs, I watched via the TV a show, called RockNess in Scotland where they absolutely tore up the act. So good in fact, I bought both of their last two albums on Amazon.

Other Albums I like recently:
Vampire Weekend's most recent offering, Modern Vampires...
CHVRCHES, top down a beautiful album.
   Highlights include the bookend tracks 1+12: The Mother We Share and You Caught the Light
The War on Drugs

Blog Riotus Music This Time

Warm Water - Bear in Heaven
Amazing Eyes - Good Old War
The Arrow the Killed the Beast - Heartless Bastards
Missing Pieces - Jack White
Good Looking Loser - Meiko
Mountain Sound - Of Monsters and Men
Like a Diamond - Sharon Van Etten
Hi'ilawe - Gabby Pahinui
Baby Missiles - The War on Drugs
Jump into the Fog - The Wombats
A Real Hero - College & Electric Youth

Wild Flag and Hospitality at the Paradise

I went solo last night to a rock show at the Paradise Rock Club to see a chick band Wild Flag and the opening act, Hospitality. I have to admit, I left the show disappointed in the bands I had seen, and that is on top of the fact I was anticipating enjoying the opener. As I was riding the train away, I met with a brother and sister who enjoyed the show, and from our conversation, I rethought about my experience. I realized that it wasn't that I was disappointed in the bands, far from it. They actually had some nice moments and I was Boston-bouncing to the drum beats and guitar riffs.

I was trying to catch some of the NCAA Final Four game between Ohio State and Kansas. Incidentally, it is not my love of basketball or sports or anything close to resembling purity which interested me about this particular game. No, it's all about money. Yep. If Kansas wins the whole dance I win lots of money. So as I was sneaking into the front bar to watch the game, mostly alone, but with a few notable exceptions, I actually didn't miss much concert time.

Hospitality has clear rhythmic talent. Their songs have such an allegiance to faux-dispassion, but their chords, beats and lyrics seem to balance well. My only real problem with the opener was the lead singer seemed to have a problem locating her microphone between changing chords and singing a line. She had to look down at the guitar, which took her away from the mic leading to clear vacancy of vocals. I'm sure she'll work it out.

Between sets, I watched the game's finale, with Kansas threatening several times to take a lead and finally prevailing in going ahead and preventing Ohio State from surging back. My viewing companions included a beard toting hipster, who I couldn't imagine was actually watching the game if it wasn't that his eyes were fixed on the screen and I could hear a few Yes' and No's corresponding with positive and negative events for Kansas. At least he was going for the team I was.

The other oddity was the blado chicken who asked if she could join me at the table and then realized after I awkwardly accepted her own invitation to sit, that I was sitting and watching the game above me... not sitting desperately by myself. Awkward awkward awkward silence reproached my polite demeanor. Making it worse, my beer had run empty, and to make myself look busy to avoid this weirdo's gazing desire to start conversation, I was taking blank swigs of the bottle. It's always been a dream of guys to be approached by women, but when you turn the tide, there's nothing worse than being bothered by a drunk desperate women looking for attention. I feel for the normal ladies out there being hit on by drunk men.

After the game, and the high of winning money getting one game closer, I returned to the stage to find Wild Flag had begun. I do not have much to say. I didn't really enjoy the music. I listened to a few songs and recognize their musical attractiveness for a certain demograph, after all, it's chicks rocking out. In my opinion, it wasn't paving roads to new territory, there was nothing very creative, but it wasn't bad. Initially I feared my reaction was a bit harsher than I really experienced, but they just didn't do it for me. I left before the encore break.

When I got on the train, I noticed the bro/sis combo getting on and asked if they enjoyed the show. They were wholeheartedly enthused with the performance (although leaving before the encore is suspicious) which made me rethink my apparently hasty verdict. It was a rock show, pure and simple, and the girls rocked out. It wasn't the Rolling Stones, but I enjoyed being there. All rock shows are pretty incredible.

BlogRiotus Music this Month

If You Wanna - The Vaccines

Colours - Grouplove

Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie

Undercover Martyn - Two Door Cinema Club

Them Shoes - Patrick Sweany

Whirring - The Joy Formidable

Missed the Boat - Modest Mouse

Helena Beat - Foster the People

Awake My Soul - Mumford and Sons

Blog Riotus' Music this week

Usual Suspect - Ha Ha Tonka

Black Night - the Dodos

I Can Change - LCD Soundsystem

LDN - Lily Allen

Rill Rill - Sleigh Bells

Take Care of Yourself - Social Distortion

Garands - Young the Giant

I and Love and You - Avett Brothers

Current Events - Local of course, really local

So my friend came to town to visit and we did the classic - a night out, shots, drinks, getting loose and the inevitable hangover. Hangover's seem to hurt that much more at my age. It's either that, or I am just losing the initiative. Black Ops is a time kill, I started getting good at Multiplayer playing Hardened Capture the Flag and Headquarters at the expense of numerous hours entrenched squarely in front of my massive 40" 1080p Dreamset. And I realize the more I waste time improving my virtual skills, my social skills (and willingness) decrease. I find myself wanting to talk virtual shop when out with friends, stopping myself from glorified recounts of internet battles and "war" stories when in reality, absolutely nobody cares. Not even myself (in reality). But it's still fun...

Concert Series returns this spring and summer. I've got Death Cab for Cutie lined up in early June and Weezer in mid-May. I'm going to HaHaTonka in Allston tomorrow night and I'm going to see the Wandas and Rods and Cones later this month at the Brighton Music Hall. So that's up, plus softball is just around the corner in May. Busy night schedule during the summer

Blog Riotus' Music This week

What You Know - Two Door Cinema Club

True Blood - The Naked and Famous

Kick Drum Heart - The Avett Brothers

This Too Shall Pass - Ok Go

My Body - Young the Giant

Architects and Engineers - Guster

Something to Talk About - Badly Drawn Boy

Kiss With a Fist - Florence and the Machine

Blog Riotus fears

Things I am afraid of...

1. Dying. It just sucks to think of death. Either mine or someone close. Nothing is more final; or inevitable. Death is waiting for all of us.

2. Prison. The thought of which keeps me from doing something stupid enough to be sent there.

3. Getting out of prison, and no one is there to pick you up. So #3 really is just a nuance of #4

4. True loneliness. Getting older you realize what a waste it was to throw away the people in your past that got it. That got you. But you didn't get it then. And now those people are long gone. Leads to #5

5. Regret. Who wants to lead a life which leads to wishing you could take shit back. That would be awful. Thankfully I don't have that much to regret, yet!

6. Poverty. Squalor puts the fear of God in your backside every morning.

7. Blindness. Everyone is a head thrust or jerk away OR Black fly bite from not seeing out of one or both of their eyes. Terrifying.

8. Missing another Arcade Fire or a Silversun Pickups concert

Concert Run in Boston

Miracle on Tremont

Kate Nash

Morning Benders

Frightened Rabbit

Griffin House

Marina and the Diamonds / Young the Giant

Rogue Wave

MGMT

Interpol

Clambake on Landsdown St.