blood of man is finally out. and i must say, mason jennings has done nothing but increased my man crush on him. this cd is amazing. he starts up right off the bat by spicing up the first song, "City of Ghosts", with a few f-bombs (not that i like that, just pointing it out). "pittsburgh" tells a sad story to a great tune. the standout on the album is the phenomenal "The Field", which tells about the pains of war on the parents of soldiers. it's a great song with raw vocals and blistering guitar. the other standouts on the cd is lighter "Tourist" and "Sunlight", the rather dark "Blood of man", and the surprisingly rock heavy "Ain't No Friend of Mine". Jennings has done it again, and his first cd recorded primarily with electric guitar is a great success. so different from his other albums, it doesn't have the feel of a brushfire album, but it is still classic mason.
Showing posts with label unheralded artists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unheralded artists. Show all posts
>>BLOOD OF MAN FOLLOW-UP
blood of man is finally out. and i must say, mason jennings has done nothing but increased my man crush on him. this cd is amazing. he starts up right off the bat by spicing up the first song, "City of Ghosts", with a few f-bombs (not that i like that, just pointing it out). "pittsburgh" tells a sad story to a great tune. the standout on the album is the phenomenal "The Field", which tells about the pains of war on the parents of soldiers. it's a great song with raw vocals and blistering guitar. the other standouts on the cd is lighter "Tourist" and "Sunlight", the rather dark "Blood of man", and the surprisingly rock heavy "Ain't No Friend of Mine". Jennings has done it again, and his first cd recorded primarily with electric guitar is a great success. so different from his other albums, it doesn't have the feel of a brushfire album, but it is still classic mason.
>>RANT - MUSIC
this is just a rant i unleashed to willing listener brian mott today on facebook chat. sorry don't take offense, i'm really not angry at all like it may seem. just unleashed. but for a journalistic, unedited look into my thoughts, this is it.
"...i tell you, there are some really cool people that have just bad taste in music. my biggest pet peeve is people who just get their musical tastes off the radio. like when you look down someones list on facebook of their favorite artists and it's like "fall out boy, all american rejects, secondhand seranade, nickelback", i want to throw up. and then you'll be driving in your car and i'm like "this is mason jennings, jack johnson, etc. he's so chill" and they're like "ew. this is wierd. i dont really like it. put on the good charlotte", then i want to punch them in the face. and force the good music down their throat. and you ask those radio people, "so do you like any thing chill?" and the only thing they can tell you is "i will follow you into the dark" by death cab, cuz that's the only chill song that got overplayed on the freaking RADIO. yeah but as far as acoustic chill, that's like the only one. and freakin' secondhand seranade. that is fake chill.
......BUT THAT'S JUST ME."
also, i love this picture. if there was a photo definition for "summer" this is it.>>MATT COSTA/ I WANT MORE
matt costa. make a new cd. preferably before october 28th. sigh i guess i'll just have to wait a couple years. meanwhile i dig these pics.
photos by raymond molinar.
photos by raymond molinar.
>>BLOOD OF MAN
i am getting myself really really excited for Mason Jenning's new album, Blood of Man, released 9.15.09. coming from Brushfire, and the talent that Jennings is, it will assuredly be awesome. i'm stoked. the press photos are getting me excited. as is this short video. knowing his music, i'm expecting a raw, emotional, electric feel to this album, and he will pull it off perfectly.
this is from Mason himself, talking about why he decided to 'plug in' for Blood of Man:
“It all kinda started at Christmas when my sons and I were hanging ornaments on the tree. We have an ornament that is a little electric guitar and my six-year-old son was looking at it and asked, “What’s this, Dad?” I said, “What??? It’s an electric guitar.” To which he replied, “What’s that?” Well, I was kinda horrified so I ran downstairs and pulled out an old hollowbody electric (my wife’s) and an amp and I came upstairs, plugged it in and ripped into “My Generation” by The Who. My one son actually climbed me in point-2 seconds and leaped off my shoulders while the other one looked like I had plugged the lights on the tree into him. They flew around the room dancing for two straight wonderful hours. I got the point. I grew up playing only electric and it was like remembering how to be free. For many reasons, it was so needed. So I got free.”
>>THINGS I LIKE
-the smell left on your hand for hours after you peel an orange.
-old guys. old guys who wear the hats of the ship they served on during the war. old guys who tell you stories about the war without you asking.
-drive thru people who actually talk to you and don't just treat you like another customer.
-strawberry cream cheese from einsteins.
-jesus.
-girls that are chill. guys that aren't cocky or arrogant.
-neil halstead's beard.
-donavon frankenreiter's mustache.
-people who aren't afraid to make fools of themselves, so long as it's the 'funny' kind of foolish and not 'embarrassing for them' foolish.
-sitting on the grass at night when it's a perfect 75 degrees. especially while at a concert.
-any float in a parade that has the decency to NOT throw candy like everyone else.
-swimming in watersheds illegally. they are always more fun anyway.
-bottles of water.
-i think we all take the convenience of sliced bread for granted. if we all sliced our own we'd get smashed bread sticks.
>> THE STROKES
my new favorite band. sure they've been around since like 2000, but they are new to me. thank you graywhale. thank you itunes genius. thank you wikipedia.
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thestrokes.com. if you like what you hear you probably have the same taste as me.
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thestrokes.com. if you like what you hear you probably have the same taste as me.
>> SONDRE LERCHE
as i just learned about his new cd coming out september 8 '09, i come to realize that not nearly enough people know of the talent that is sondre lerche (you may know him from the Dan in Real Life soundtrack). needless to say: i love 'is music. i love 'is style.
"Born and raised in Bergen, a small West Coast Norwegian city, Sondre fell under the spell of the records his older brother and two sisters played - Norwegian pop sensations A-Ha, the Beach Boys, Elvis Costello and Prefab Sprout all made an indelible mark on Lerche’s musical consciousness. “I felt the need to take a step from being a passive listener and get more involved,” Lerche recalls. “I decided to learn an instrument.” Lerche chose guitar.
...Two Way Monologue, another collection of tidy, well-crafted pop followed in 2004. Lerche’s vocals were more confident, swooping from a mellow tenor to playful falsetto ornamentations, with songs marked by lush melodies and expansive pop arrangements.
...Phantom Punch is sparked by Lerche’s initial musical exposure, paying tribute to a wide range of sounds anywhere from 80s pop to Brazilian music. There are sharp edgy rockers like “Face The Blood” and “The Tape;” bright melodic pop tunes like “Say It All” and “She’s Fantastic;” the psychotic disco-waltz of the addictive title track, the acoustic introspection of “Tragic Mirror” and “John, Let Me Go”, a surrealistic tune with a quirky yet infectious bossa nova rhythm.
..Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche lives in Brooklyn these days, but the 26-year old's still writing ambitious, orchestral pop that proves difficult to pin down geographically. Heartbeat Radio, the 12-song followup to the Dan in Real Life soundtrack, comes with string and horn arrangements via High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan, which add to the dramatic feel: The meta title track recalls an imagined Rufus Wainwright musical. There's an oldster throwback quality to it -- Lerche's questioning FM radio, whether or not it's become automatic, if the DJs have drowned in "a sea of reverb," what comes after heavy rotation, and whether or not this particular song's too long to make it onto the airwaves. It makes him nauseous, but because he's a trooper, he wants it to know that his heart still beats for it. He's a better person than I am."
"Born and raised in Bergen, a small West Coast Norwegian city, Sondre fell under the spell of the records his older brother and two sisters played - Norwegian pop sensations A-Ha, the Beach Boys, Elvis Costello and Prefab Sprout all made an indelible mark on Lerche’s musical consciousness. “I felt the need to take a step from being a passive listener and get more involved,” Lerche recalls. “I decided to learn an instrument.” Lerche chose guitar.
...Two Way Monologue, another collection of tidy, well-crafted pop followed in 2004. Lerche’s vocals were more confident, swooping from a mellow tenor to playful falsetto ornamentations, with songs marked by lush melodies and expansive pop arrangements.
...Phantom Punch is sparked by Lerche’s initial musical exposure, paying tribute to a wide range of sounds anywhere from 80s pop to Brazilian music. There are sharp edgy rockers like “Face The Blood” and “The Tape;” bright melodic pop tunes like “Say It All” and “She’s Fantastic;” the psychotic disco-waltz of the addictive title track, the acoustic introspection of “Tragic Mirror” and “John, Let Me Go”, a surrealistic tune with a quirky yet infectious bossa nova rhythm.
..Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche lives in Brooklyn these days, but the 26-year old's still writing ambitious, orchestral pop that proves difficult to pin down geographically. Heartbeat Radio, the 12-song followup to the Dan in Real Life soundtrack, comes with string and horn arrangements via High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan, which add to the dramatic feel: The meta title track recalls an imagined Rufus Wainwright musical. There's an oldster throwback quality to it -- Lerche's questioning FM radio, whether or not it's become automatic, if the DJs have drowned in "a sea of reverb," what comes after heavy rotation, and whether or not this particular song's too long to make it onto the airwaves. It makes him nauseous, but because he's a trooper, he wants it to know that his heart still beats for it. He's a better person than I am."
matt nathanson + break & repair method
= solid entertaining concert. Matt nathanson put on a great show at the avalon, with his hits including "car crash" and "come on get higher", plus oldies like "jesse's girl" and "take on me". Overall, golden.
also, the opening band Break and Repair Method was a pleasant surprise. They are actually a very good piano-rock band, and their lead singer Paul Doucette was the lead guitarist for Matchbox 20. Solid music, check it on itunes. If just one song than check out "you won't be able to be sad".
also, the opening band Break and Repair Method was a pleasant surprise. They are actually a very good piano-rock band, and their lead singer Paul Doucette was the lead guitarist for Matchbox 20. Solid music, check it on itunes. If just one song than check out "you won't be able to be sad".
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