Music Galore

So, for those who don't already know, and happen to be reading this (I don't expect that to be many of you), I am a music addict. I buy CDs like they're crack, and I can't seem to go a week without buying at least one new one. In the last 10 days, I've bought 5. I know this seems like a problem, but really, they're all justified. The first of the five that I purchased was Psychocandy by The Jesus and Mary Chain. I'd been searching for this album for weeks, as it's import only, and when I finally came upon it, I felt like it was impossible to say no.
Second, later that night, I bought Rogue Wave's Out of the Shadow after seeing them open for AC Newman. This was not an impulse buy, it was simply an album that I'd been considering for a while and seeing them pushed me over the edge into must-buy territory.
After letting a week go by without any new CDs, I ventured down to Charlottesville this weekend and had to stop by Plan 9. I have newfound respect for stores like this as these days they are few and far between. I have not been able to find an independent music store in northern Virginia, and I wouldn't be surprised if one did not exist at all. But anyway, I felt compelled to support them, and went in planning to buy one, or maybe two CDs. After seeing the Polyphonic Spree last week, I had to buy their newest CD, and I knew it was just a matter of time before I bought Together We're Heavy, so I figured now was as good a time as ever. Walking to the register, I happened to see M83's Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts, an album that had made many critics' Best of 2003 lists, but had only been available as Import-Only until a few weeks ago. I had remembered being intrigued by these guys, and so I took it back to listen to it. After hearing the amazing My Bloody Valentine-meets-Air sound that these guys pull off so brilliantly, I had to buy it as well. Now the last one was something of an impulse buy, and that was Morrissey's Viva Hate, which I sought out to find the price of. When I found it at a reasonable $11.99, how could I say no? You tell me, because I couldn't, it was impossible.
And that, my friends, is how a junkie justifies his habit. To you, these purchases may seem extraneous and unnecessary, but to me, it's just a part of life. I can't live without new music all the time, but at some point, I really need to sit down and appreciate what I already have.

The Polyphonic Spree Take Over the World

Last night, I experienced one of the best live performances I have ever seen, and that's saying quite a bit as I've been to close to 150 concerts in my life. To truly understand what was witnessed, you really must see The Polyphonic Spree yourself, but I will do what I can to make you understand. If you thought Bright Eyes or !!! had a lot of guys in their bands, you haven't seen anything yet, 10-15 band members, BAH, I spit in their general direction, try 25. Yes, you read that right, 25 band members all on stage at once, they include, a guitarist, a bassist, two drummers, an effects programmer, two keyboardists, a four piece horn section including trumpet, trombone, flute and french horn, a harpist, a violinist, a theramin player, a nine member choir, and singer/director Tim DeLaughter (I think I'm forgetting someone), all wearing different brightly colored robes, who combine to create a concert experience unlike any other. Their music has roots in the sound of the Flaming Lips, but with a thicker sound and a bit of gospel thrown in there for good measure. The took the stage one by one in line, slowly making their way to their respective places on the stage, and from the first notes, we all knew we were in for something special. The choir began pumping their fists to the beat, sound was coming from every direction at once, and they all seemed so ecstatic to be there. From that moment on, a smile was permanently etched onto my face and there was nothing I could do to get rid of it, save for running out of the venue. For the next hour and a half, Tim DeLaughter led his collective through songs about love and the sun while a banner hung behind them with one simple word emblazoned upon it in huge letters, "HOPE." There is just an amazing power that comes with 25 people all singing, dancing and having an extremely good time together on stage. I was sucked in from the very start, and I would have done anything that DeLaughter told me to do (hey, now I know how cults work). Before the encore, I was standing, cheering at the empty stage, when I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around expecting to see some guy trying to push his way to the front, but instead, to my surprise, I found a man with long curly hair in an orange robe leading a procession of 24 others to the stage for the encore. I cheered until my voice wouldn't let me cheer anymore as they slowly made their way past me, and onto the stage. Their closing numbers, "Soldier Girl" and their biggest hit "Light and Day/Reach for the Sun" sent the crowd into a frenzy, which was taken to the next level when DeLaughter casually mentioned that the performance had been taped for a possible DVD. After singing happy birthday to the theramin player (that's a lot of birthdays to remember), they exited the stage, but the crowd was not ready to leave quite yet. They cheered and cheered, but to no avail, as the house lights came up, and everyone began to file out of the show, truly feeling like they'd just experienced something amazing. On the walk to the car, Matt Brophy and I had to give each other a hug, it just seemed like the natural thing to do.

BOOYAKASHA!!!

Before I head out for the night, I'd just like to enlighten everyone about one thing out there. If you feel like your Sunday nights just aren't full of enough laughs, check out the Ali G Show on HBO, Sunday nights at 10:30, it's the funniest shit you'll ever see.

AC Newman

Well here we go, my first ever music-related post. So last night, I headed down to the always awesome Black Cat down in DC (if you've never been there, I highly recommend it) to see AC Newman and opening acts Rogue Wave and The Neins. For those who don't know, AC Newman is the latest project from Carl Newman, a former member of the Canadian band Zumpano, and present member of the Canadian supergroup the New Pornographers (other members include indie legends Dan Bejar and Neko Case). Though I'm not a huge fan of Case's solo work, and Bejar's is quite tough to find, Newman's solo work sounds quite similar to the New Pornographers' sound I love so much. His debut The Slow Wonder is a wonderful mix of indie-pop anthems and introspective, acoustic goodness, and is one of the best albums I've heard this year.
Now, with all that out of the way, I was sluggish in getting down to the club, and I had expected that a 10PM arrival would have caused me to miss the first band, The Neins. When we arrived the stage was full of roadies and band members alike getting everything ready to go. A few minutes later, a band I thought to be Rogue Wave, took the stage and blew me away with catchy hooks and hilarious lyrics. They had the small crowd dancing during the songs and cheering wildly in between, and at the very end of the set, the bassist thanked everyone and introduced the band as the Neins. I was shocked, but a rush of happiness ran over me as I now knew that there was a lot more music to follow than I expected.
After a very brief stage setup, Rogue Wave emerged as the crowd began to fill the club. Many of the show-goers were quite familiar with their music (I was not one of them), and I noticed people all around me singing along to every song. After only a few songs, I understood the fans' dedication. Singer-guitarist Zach Rogue blew threw 11 or 12 songs in about 45 minutes, each one better than the last, and by the time it was over, I hadn't nearly got enough, so I rushed to the merch table to buy their debut CD Out of the Shadow.
By the time I returned, AC Newman was almost ready to go, and Carl Newman, along with members of the Neins and others, kicked it off with my two favorite songs on the album "On the Table" and "Secretarial". He played his entire album (I think) with the utmost precision, and even included a cover by a band I've never heard of, Outrageous Cherry. During the encore, the guitarist from Rogue Wave came running on stage wearing only a pair of tighty-whiteys, grabbed a tambourine, and jumped around for the entire last song. But even with that image forever etched into my brain, I left the club with a big smile on my face. Three hours of some of the catchiest music out there right now will do that to you.

First Posting Ever

Just getting things started up here, I'll put some more valuable information up in the coming days.