January Jams

After finishing my year end music blog in December, I went about telling friends over the holidays about it and a common refrain was that they didn’t know what was out there for new music and new bands.  So I decided that along with my yearly blog of music, I would try to do a monthly one as well; highlighting new albums from that month and any other previously released albums that I have listened to or come across. Besides my year end blog, I intermittently blog about music, unless I am particularly moved by and a band or an album.

The biggest album for the month of January is easily David Bowie’s final masterpiece Blackstar.  If you don’t know about this record, I am just going to assume you have been in a coma or hiding in your fallout shelter.  Bowie does not disappoint on this release as he weaves new and old sounds together creating a record that breathes fresh air, yet still sounds familiar with the rest of his discography.  With Bowie’s passing, listeners should also delve into the entirety of his work; a refreshing reminder of what a true artist/musician is all about.

Other albums released in January that I got to listen to were:

• Brothers Osborne – Pawn Shop – duo that plays solid retro, country-rock you’re not likely to find amongst all the bro-country that dominates country radio airwaves these days.
• Chairlift – Moth – an indie/pop duo in the vein of Phantogram with more of an artsy vibe.
• Savages – Adore Life – all female Brit band’s second album centered on love’s good and bad sides. Don’t let that description throw you, this album will punch you in the face and then help you off the ground.
• Tortoise – The Catastrophist – an instrumental band that blends an array of styles to create a sound that is all their own.

Other things that have come across my sonic radar:

• Cage the Elephant – Tell Me I’m Pretty – go listen to this album if you haven’t already. Very solid album from a band I have grown fonder of with each release.
• Daughn Gibson – Carnation – the newest release from the singer/songwriter that slipped through the cracks of my listening adventure last year. Though he goes in a different direction from his previous album, Gibson is great at creating a moody listening landscape that keeps the listener captivated.
• Foo Fighters – Saint Cecilia EP – another one that I didn’t get around to listening to last year. Though just 18 minutes long, it is a pleasant listen with songs that sound like the Foo Fighters, but not recent Foo’s’ material.
• Humphrey Lyttelton – a British jazz trumpeter and band leader that I was introduced to by the John Lennon biography I am currently reading. Lyttelton is cited as an early influence on a young Lennon.

New Year’s Day

As I lay on “big blue” (an affectionate title given to the couch by someone who had been swallowed up by its comfort) with a never ceasing headache and a general malaise that would cripple most humans, brought upon by doing things that most thirty-five year old adults shouldn’t be doing, it dawned on me that New Year’s Day was at one time my favorite holiday.

I would say it was probably around the ages of eight to eleven.  Now, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Self, how is it possible for an elementary age boy to like New Year’s Day more than Christmas?”  Back before the days of the BCS or the College Football Playoff, all of the big bowl games were played on January 1^st.  What a dream come true for a kid who loves college football, games starting at 11am or noon and going all day long on multiple channels.  It was the closest college football had to the opening round of March Madness.  So not only was I on vacation from school, had a new batch of toys from Christmas, I also had a slew of football games to watch in one day.

I am certain that my routine was me being up at 7am, so I could get in as much time with my new toys as possible; usually consisting of some sort of video game.  In the midst of all the fun, Mom would typically whip up some sort of hearty breakfast.  Generally my parents would have a few people over on New Year’s Eve, so there was always an abundance of leftover appetizers to snack on throughout the day.  My chair of choice in those days was the single seater closest to the television.  In order to be facing the television so as not to crank my neck, I would contort my body in ways that would automatically put me in the office of the chiropractor these days.  As an adult, I am amazed that my parents, most likely a little hungover, would let me commandeer the television for an entire day in order to watch football and not force me outside to play in the snow in order for them to get some reprieve from my fandom.

Fast forward to the present New Year’s Day and I find myself lying there, in and out of slumber, trying to watch Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.  Sadly, Notre Dame loses the only bowl game of the day that holds any intrigue for me and I move onto binge watching Breaking Bad.  No more does New Year’s Day hold the lofty placement it once did and a little bit of my childhood slips away with it.

Music 2015

There are so many people that have helped influence and shape the different types of music I listen to.  I like to think that I give every genre a fair listen and then decide if it is for me or not.  I try my best to not have any preconceived notions about a band or style of music and how it will make me feel or what emotions it might elicit.

It all starts with my parents, growing up my Mom listened to country music such as Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, etc. and female pop singers such as Madonna and Whitney Houston.  In the meantime my Dad introduced me to classic rock groups Queen, The Who, and Alice Cooper.  I can still remember being enamored with my parents’ 8-Track collection and thumbing through what they owned and thinking that all of these bands and singers were larger than life.

At the same time, my uncles, who I revered so much because they were only five and six years older than I, were into the hair metal that was so prominent at the time.  Fortunately neither of them had the hair to prove their merit in the scene.  Not that there was any type of scene in Newcomb in the 1980’s.  From them I was introduced to Poison, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, and Motley Crue.

As I moved up through Newcomb Central School I was fortunate to have teachers who had a strong love of music and wanted to share it with their students.  Mr. Stengrevics, the music teacher and conductor of the stage band, played all sorts of music for us that deviated from what was popular at the time.  From him I gained an appreciation, though it would be years before I realized it, for classical, big band, and jazz music.

Mr. Duggan, the business teacher, was a huge Beatles fan who would show us their music and even pull out the guitar to play us a song or two every once in a while.  Mr. Wight, the shop teacher, would let us listen to whatever cassettes he had in his room during his architectural drawing class.  These cassettes contained different songs from Elvis Presley, Three Dog Night, Tommy James & The Shondells, etc.  This gave me an appreciation for genres that I had completely dismissed as a know-it-all teenager.

I like to think that everyone I have come across in this life has helped shape where I am at as a music listener.  I am open to all sorts of suggestions, so if you have one, never be afraid to let me know.

As for the year in music, there were a slew of great albums out there to listen to; I had trouble trying to narrow down my favorite.  Modest Mouse finally returned with their first album in eight years.  My Morning Jacket had a very solid album with The Waterfall.  Alabama Shakes, Courtney Barnett, EL VY and Tame Impala all had albums that I considered my favorite for a spell.  But my favorite album of the year was the sophomore effort from Father John Misty, I Love You, Honeybear.  I have decided that my criteria for picking my favorite album consists of how many different songs I think could be my favorite off of the album.  And on this album, almost every song was up for consideration as being my favorite.

When I try to describe Father John Misty to people I am not exactly sure how to go about it.  It usually ends up with me describing him as an acid folk, lounge singer and I know that that description doesn’t do it justice.  I Love You, Honeybear is such a raw and emotive album that bares his life and soul to the listener.  As someone who went to school for English, I am particularly drawn to him as a lyricist.  I enjoy that he is unabashed in his word choices and doesn’t try to censor himself for any reason.  Each song on the album is unique and offers a different musical avenue to take your ears down.

Other albums from 2014 that have tickled my eardrum (along with a link to a Spotify playlist with a song from each album that stood out):

Perry’s Playlist 2015

• Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color
• The Arcs – Yours, Dreamily
• Beach House – Depression Cherry
• Beach House – Thank Your Lucky Stars
• Bully – Feels Like
• Cage The Elephant – Tell Me I’m Pretty
• Calexico – Edge of the Sun
• CHVRCHES – Every Open Eye
• Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit…
• The Dead Weather – Dodge and Burn
• Drenge – Undertow
• Eagles of Death Metal – Zipper Down
• EL VY – Return To The Moon
• Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
• Florence + The Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
• Hanni El Khatib – Moonlight
• Houndstooth – No News From Home
• Jason Isbell – Something More Than Free
• Justin Townes Earl – Absent Fathers
• Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
• Kurt Vile – b’lieve i’m going down…
• Lana Del Rey – Honeymoon
• Langhorne Slim – The Spirit Moves
• Leon Bridges – Coming Home
• Lieutenant – If I Kill This Thing We’re All Going To Eat For A Week
• Low – Ones and Sixes
• Mac Demarco – Another One
• The Maccabees – Marks To Prove It
• Marian Hill – Sway
• Mikal Cronin – MCIII
• Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves
• MS MR – How Does It Feel
• My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall
• Natalie Prass – Natalie Prass
• Neon Indian – Vegas Intl. Night School
• Pile – You’re Better Than This
• Pops Staples – Don’t Lose This
• Pond – Man It Feels Like Space Again
• Seasick Steve – Sonic Soul Surfer
• Speedy Ortiz – Foil Deer
• Tame Impala – Currents
• Tanlines – Highlights
• Turbo Fruits – No Control
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love
• Wilco – Star Wars
• Will Butler – Policy
• Wolf Alice – My Love Is Cool

Let’s Go Mets!

It’s early October and I find myself in an unfamiliar position; cheering on the New York Mets in the baseball playoffs.  It has been nine long years since the Mets graced the postseason stage.  Back then I had only lived in Albany for a month and was still in my mid-twenties.  I can still picture Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals striking out Carlos Beltran to end game 7 of the National League Championship Series.  That pitch still haunts my dreams and breaks my heart.

Going into this season I thought that the Mets would finish around .500 and if a few things broke their way, perhaps challenge for a Wild Card playoff spot.  But then the Mets came along and blew away those expectations.  And it was nice to see the front office make the necessary moves needed in July to propel them to the point they are at now.  After years of belt tightening by management due to the Bernie Madoff scandal, perhaps the purse strings will continue to be loosened.

Through parts of August and September the Mets showed that they could be one of the better teams in baseball when everything is clicking.  I am hoping that for one more month they can be the best team in baseball and bring home that elusive World Series title; their first since 1986.

After the 2006 NLCS, I thought that the future was extremely bright for the Mets; but then they fell apart the next two seasons when they were poised to be one of the best teams in baseball.  The lesson I learned from that debacle was not to bank on making the postseason every season, even when you think that the team you are cheering on is an elite team.  So even though the future once again looks bright for the Mets, it is not guaranteed.  I’ll try to enjoy these playoffs as much as possible and hopefully with the Mets winning the championship.

Let’s Go Mets!

2014 Music

The older I get, the more I realize that there is so much music in the world that I will never get to hear.  In my younger days, the scope of my listening was quite narrow compared to now.  I still devoured a lot of music, but was quick to dismiss certain types or genres of music because I didn’t know any better.  Now that my horizons have broadened sonically, I don’t have as much time in my personal life to listen to everything that has been offered.  This saddens me, but it shall not deter my quest to listen to it all.

I can never bring myself to do a top whatever # list.  I definitely have certain albums that I prefer to others I have listened to, but could never come up with any argument as to why one is listened to more than another.  At one time or another every new album I listened to this year was my favorite for a particular period of time.

Last year I went with an album that I didn’t expect to fall in love with; however, no one ever plans to fall in love with a person or thing.  This year an album I fully expected to be one I would gravitate towards was my most listened to album for 2014.

Jack White’s album Lazaretto was the album that I listened to most; though St. Vincent’s effort this year was a close second.  When Jack White released his first solo album, Blunderbuss, it was my favorite album of 2012.  With his second solo effort I think he has furthered his craftsmanship.  For Blunderbuss, White employed two separate bands to record and tour with at the same time.  This time around he has whittled the two down to one and found a more focused sound with the band.  Instead of noticing the contrast between the acoustic band and the rocking band, the songs on Lazaretto have a better flow as White and the band excel as a cohesive unit.

Upon first hearing the lead single “High Ball Stepper”, I thought it was an odd choice.  No other artist comes to mind that has released their first single off an album that contained no lyrics.  After a few listens of that crunchy, fuzz soaked guitar riff, I realized there was no need for lyrics as that riff would become imprinted on my brain.

To me, the standout track on Lazaretto is “Would You Fight For My Love?”.  The opening tom groove laid down by drummer Ben Blackwell gives way to what is a haunting set of ooh’s, that sprinkle in and out throughout the song, sets the tone for this ominous sounding number.  As the song slowly gains steam and builds to the chorus, White lets us know that he has loved, lost, and is willing to fight for love he lost, but is she?

Throughout Lazaretto one can hear Jack White’s multi colored palette of musical influences, ranging from blues, rock, country, bluegrass, etc.  I really believe that the paring down to one band greatly aids in the improvement from Blunderbuss.  It is a fuller sounding record that pushes White to his limits creatively and musically. This makes for a pleasurable listen that never leaves one bored.

Other albums from 2014 that have tickled my eardrum (along with a link to a Spotify playlist with a song from each album that stood out):

Perry’s Playlist 2014

• Alt-J – This Is All Yours
• Beck – Morning Phase
• Benjamin Booker – Benjamin Booker
• Blonde Redhead – Barragan
• The Bots – Pink Palms
• Cloud Nothings – Here and Nowhere Else
• Coldplay – Ghost Stories
• Death From Above 1979 – The Physical World
• FKA twigs – LP1
• Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways
• Future Islands – Singles
• Jack White – Lazaretto
• Julian Casablancas & the Voidz – Tyranny
• The Kooks – Listen
• Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence
• Live – The Turn
• Mac DeMarco – Salad Days
• Perfume Genius – Too Bright
• Pontiak – Innocence
• Ryan Adams – Ryan Adams
• Vincent – St. Vincent
• Shovels & Rope – Swimmin’ Time
• Spoon – They Want My Soul
• Strand of Oaks – Heal
• Temples – Sun Structures
• Tom Petty – Hypnotic Eye
• TV On the Radio – Seeds
• U2 – Songs of Innocence
• The War on Drugs – Lost In The Dream
• Warpaint – Warpaint
• White Lung – Deep Fantasy
• Woods – With Light and with Love
• Wye Oak – Shriek

Alyssa

Eleven years ago yesterday I lost my cousin Alyssa.  The rest of my family lost a daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend.  It was a shocking and horrific surprise.  She lost her life in a car accident. 

I can still remember the phone call from that morning we found out.  I was still in bed and was awoken by the cries of my Dad immediately after he answered the phone.  Up until this point in my life, I had never heard my Dad cry at all. 

For the next few weeks, months, and years we have all been in shock.  I can’t believe that it has been eleven years already.  I wish I could remember the last time I saw her before that horrific day.  I’m sure it was probably Christmas Day with the family.  All of us happy to see one another, but all the grandkids in their twenties, thinking about what we were going to do that night with their friends from home, not that this might be the last time we saw one another. 

In a day when everyone is more attached to the phone in their hand than the people that they love, I think it is important to let your loved ones know how you feel about them.  Because, unfortunately, everything can change in a flash and they might never truly know how you felt.  Alyssa, you will always be in my thoughts and in my heart.  I love you. 

A Whirlwind Relationship

This past Friday, I was sitting around without much going on, seeing how I’m unemployed and such.  I decided that I should open a Redbox account so I could rent the new WWE 2K14 game.  Earlier in the week I almost bought the game outright, but somehow managed to show some self-restraint and decided that I should try the game first before diving in with a purchase.  I figured that I could play it a few hours, get a feel for it and then decide if I wanted to spend my hard earned gift card from Discover on it.

I haven’t owned or even played a wrestling game in quite some time.  I find that these games slightly improve from year to year and there just wasn’t enough substance to warrant a purchase in years past.  I barely use my PS3 to play video games as it is now.  It has turned into my television viewing device as I use it mostly for watching Netflix and Hulu Plus.

The newest incarnation of the WWE game has something that I have been clamoring for though, old school wrestlers.  As a kid, I grew up loving wrestling and it still has a soft spot in my heart.  Just ask my box set of the first fifteen WrestleMania’s on VHS.  In this game I could wrestle as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Macho Man Randy Savage and many more.  What a selling point! 

I finished filling out all the necessary information for my Redbox, reserved a copy of the game at the Price Chopper just up the street and swiftly set forth to pick-up said game.  Even though I signed up for Redbox solely for the purpose of playing this game, I figured with so much time on my hands, maybe I would start watching movies, or trying out new games here and there since I rarely watch movies or play new games. 

I made my way home and took care of a few loose ends for the day before I knew I would be dedicating hours to playing this game.  I finished my tasks, grabbed myself a beer and pried open the plastic case.  Much to my chagrin, what I found inside was not the game itself, but a photocopy of the game cut out to fit within the confines of the plastic case.  What a bummer!  Though disappointed, I couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.  Someone out there loved this game so much that they went through the trouble of photocopying a disc.  I have never seen that or even had the thought cross my mind.  I’ll also admit that I thought it was also a little ingenious.

One of the first things to cross my mind was that I needed to contact Redbox and bring this to their attention; lest I be the one blamed for doing it once I returned the game.  I hopped on the Redbox website and began chatting with one of their customer service representatives.  Needless to say it didn’t go as I had thought it would.  Though I will admit that I became more dick-ish as our conversation proceeded; working in retail has made my critique of the customer service I receive razor sharp. 

The lady on the other end of the computer offered me one free rental and suggested that I travel to another Redbox to get the game I wanted and the free rental would cover the cost of the game.  The next closest Redbox to me is five miles away and I asked if they would pay for my gas as well (dick-ish).  That didn’t go over so smoothly.  I was told I could go back to the terminal near my apartment and rent a different movie or game until the fake game was replaced.  By this point, I was having none of it; especially after the suggestion that I waste gas, and therefore money, to go and use my free rental.  If I have to spend money to get something for free, that doesn’t constitute “free” in my book (The Book of Ponds).  It was at this point that I just asked for my refund of $2.16 and that my account be terminated.  I figured I have survived this long without a Redbox account; I can probably go on without one.  Thus, my relationship with Redbox ended.  It was a crazy two hours.     

Great New Music

2013 was a great year for music.  Though, as long as great new music, and there is a lot of it, keeps on coming out; every year is going to be great.  I find more recently that I have a very different style of consuming music than most people I am friends or acquaintances with.  I am very much an album listener; whereas the people I interact with seem to be a single song listener.  They know the hits and what they like from that artist or a particular album, but are not as familiar with the work as a whole.  I enjoy listening to an artists’ whole album.  I like to think that each song is an artistic stroke of the brush, that when added with the rest of the songs, completes the masterpiece painting.  Not saying that there is a right or a wrong, as long as people are listening to music that they enjoy, it’s all good. 

I thought about doing a top ten list for my favorite albums of the year, but realized I wouldn’t be able to whittle my list down to ten (how do the professionals do it?).  At one time or another every new album I listened to this year was my favorite.  However, there was one album in particular that stood out and I enjoyed just a little bit more, Arctic Monkeys AM. 

Before this album came out, I knew a little about Arctic Monkeys, listening to their albums here and there.  I knew that I really liked how rocking they were and that I thoroughly enjoyed “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor”.  Not really sure why I didn’t dive in head first when I first heard them.

Upon hearing the opening riff and groove of “Do I Wanna Know?” on WEQX, I was hooked.  I have heard the song so many times and yet I am still not sick of it.  The sound and songwriting on AM is what caught my attention when first listening through the album.  It has evolved into a more straightforward, structured songwriting.

The move to Los Angeles for the recording of AM oozes from all of these songs; the sound of nighttime debauchery and loneliness in the city of angels seeps into every nook and cranny of this album.  The groove on “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” harkens back to early 90’s west coast rap.  I can hear Snoop Dogg, er Lion, singing right along with lead singer Alex Turner. 

One of the things that always interest me with bands is seeing the direction they go in once they have released a couple of albums.  Do they stick with what made them famous and release album after album of mostly recycled sounds or do they forge into new territory, pushing themselves and their craft into a different realm.  That is what I believe separates the great from the good.  After AM  I believe the Arctic Monkeys are taking themselves to a different level.

Other albums from 2013 that have tickled my eardrum:

• Arcade Fire – Reflektor
• Atlas Genius – When It Was Now
• Atoms for Peace – Amok
• Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
• Daughn Gibson – Me Moan
• Dr. Dog – B-Room
• Fitz and the Tantrums – More Than Just a Dream
• Franz Ferdinand – Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Actions
• Fuck Buttons – Slow Focus
• Hanni El-Khatib – Head in the Dirt
• Jim James – Regions of Light and Sound of God
• Johnny Marr – The Messenger
• Kanye West – Yeezus
• Kurt Vile – Wakin on a Pretty Daze
• Man Man – On Oni Pond
• Mikal Cronin ­– MCII
• Minor Alps – Get There
• Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks
• Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt
• Phoenix – Bankrupt!
• Pond – Hobo Rocket
• Portugal. The Man – Evil Friends
• Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork
• Speedy Ortiz – Major Arcana
• Telekinesis – Dormarion
• The Black Angels – Indigo Angel
• The Knife – Shaking the Habitual
• Vista Chino – Peace
• Washed Out – Paracosm
• White Denim – Corsicana Lemonade
• Wild Belle – Isles
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Mosquito
• Yuck – Glow and Behold

 

 

I Want A Drink

At this moment I am fighting the urge to drink.  I don’t even want to get drunk, I just really feel like having a drink right now.  With all of the down time I now find myself with, since being recently unemployed, I feel as if I should be filling the void with alcohol.

Over this past year, I would say that I have significantly cut down on my alcohol consumption compared to the previous years of my life.  I have probably been drunk, maybe five times all year.  Before, I would be drunk five times within a week to two weeks period.  Part of the reason for the downturn in drunkenness, is that I am more prone to being hungover.  And I hate hangovers.  Though I’ve never met someone who was in love with being hungover.  I was able to drink heavily and wake up the next day with limited issues.  Now I can drink a six pack and if I don’t get eight hours of sleep and a sufficient amount of water, I wake up the next day feeling like shit. 

The problem I face right now is that there is a thin layer of will power blanketing my body to keep me from drinking.  It wouldn’t take much coercion to get me to a bar or store to get alcohol.  My day to day life at this moment doesn’t make me stop and think, “I shouldn’t drink, I have things to do.”  Clean the apartment?  I can drink and do that.  Read?  I can drink and do that.  Write?  That seems to go hand in hand with drinking.  Look for a job?  I can cruise the internet with one hand and have a beer in the other.  And since I live right in Albany, there is no reason for me to drive anywhere, since I can just walk to most places I need to go.  And I could probably use a few drinks to navigate the wintry sidewalks of this fair city. 

The reason that stops me more so, is that I have lived once before with no job, no future, and in a deep depression with alcohol holding my hand along the way.  It definitely was not the most pleasant of times.  Thankfully, I think I have found a balance in life.  I crave alcohol on a constant basis, but I remember enough of the bad times to not let it have control over me like it once did.  

Sleep With Me

I must be horrible to sleep with.  Now, get your mind out of the gutter.  I mean to sleep in the same bed with.  I toss and turn, snore loudly, steal most of the blankets, etc.  Even as I am settling in for slumber, I am constantly fidgeting, trying to find the right level of comfortable.  Even though I cannot describe what the most comfortable sleeping situation is, I know it when I find it; which usually takes about five to ten minutes.  Luckily for me, my girlfriend is a sound sleeper and does not seem to be the least bit bothered by my pre-sleep quirks.  Unless she is just being polite and not saying anything; quietly plotting suffocating me with the extra pillows.