The Shins

Sometimes it seems funny how things happen.  Not really in a comical way, but in a way that makes you say "hmm."  From time to time in my soul crushing excuse for a job, I have to take deliveries out to customers, and what's good about this is that I get to plug in my iPod into the cube truck stereo and listen to some good tunes, and try to forget that eventually I will have to return to the freezing cold warehouse where I spend the better part of my waking hours.  But today as I had my iPod on shuffle, a song by the Shins came on, and I thought to myself how much I like them, and was wondering why I hadn't heard anything about them in a really long time.  It was a really brief moment, and I didn't really consider it, it was just a brief thought, and then Minor Threat came on and I stopped thinking about it.  A few hours later I was checking what was going on on Facebook, I noticed that Oh So Fresh mentioned that they were premiering a new single from the Shins.  I guess it's just a coincidence, but these things happen.  I haven't really heard them in a long time, and now not only do they pop up in my shuffle, but they're releasing new material!  Anyway, the song is called Simple Song, and it reminds me of 70's/80's arena rock classics like Chicago and Styx.  It's big, and it rocks.  It's classic, yet new and relevant.  It's got the classic Shins sound, James Mercers voice is unique and can't be mistaken, but the whole sound seems more produced and more mature.  I am so incredibly excited to hear the rest of the record.  It's time for me to pre-order the LP.  Yahoo!

whirlwind heat

Ports of Spain

I stumbled upon a band today that has really blown my hair back.  And what makes it so much sweeter is that they're from CT, so that I will have plenty of opportunities to see them live.  The band is called Ports of Spain, and they have an EP out called Winters Teeth and I'm quite impressed.  Very melodic with spot on musicianship.  The arrangements are fluid and make sense.  While they remind me of several bands, they are at the same time very unique.  They have the polish of a top 40 pop band, but the sensibility of an indie shoegazer type outfit.  I am dying to catch them live, to see if their sound translates well to a live show.  I think that these guys have a lot of potential and I look forward to seeing what they do going forward.  I see them picking up where Death Cab for Cutie leaves off.  I highly recommend these guys, and I will let you know how  are live, after I check them out at the end of the month.

eavesdropping

I wouldn't say that I really go out of my way to listen in on other peoples conversations.  I don't skulk around corners and hide in dark places to hear things that aren't for my ears, but when I'm sitting minding my own business in a public place, and the people next to me are talking too loud to be ignored I'm going to see what it is that they have to say.  I was at a small club waiting for a band that I'm particularly fond of to go on.  I was having a drink and trying to come up with a good intro to how I would eventually write about the show, and the two young ladies next to me were talking at an increasingly louder tone.  Most of it was benign, and not really worthy of discussion.  One of the young ladies asked the other how her relationship was progressing with a certain fellow, and she began to tell her how they were no longer together and that it was for the best, but the one thing that struck me was the fellows reason for ending the relationship.  "You're a person of structure and I'm a person of chaos."  was his reason for the split.  It took a lot of self restraint to not turn to these young folks and laugh in their faces.  She told the story with a certain amount of pride, and that this was a valid reason for them to part ways.  And in the way she told it I could tell that on some level she thought that he was a profound and insightful person.  I was a dopey 20something way back when, and I said some things that were equally as absurd in an attempt to sound or appear deep and mysterious.  As I sat there and sipped my cocktail, I thought about how satisfying it would be to meet this guy, just so I could slap him.  An open palmed slap.  Not to hurt him or anything, just to bring him back to reality.  I have to think that he was a young musician who has delusions of really making a mark in the music scene.  There's nothing really wrong with what he said, and ultimately there isn't anything wrong with the young lass for thinking that he was such a brooding and self-aware person, it just struck me as funny, and I would love to see the trajectory of that fellows life and career, and if he makes a big success of himself years from now, I would love to remind him that he actually said those words.  That would be fun.

I sort of always fought really liking the White Stripes.  I have always respected Jack and thought that they were relevant.  I even went so far to think that he is one of the most important musicians in recent memory not just for his work with the White Stripes, but for all of his other side projects, but I'm reassessing my opinion of them.  Not only is his music valid, and right up my proverbial alley, but his stage presence and enthusiasm are unreal!  I guess that since I've been such a big Black Keys fan, I didn't want to accept that there was another blues based, two piece rock and roll outfit out there that could compare to the boys from ohio, and when it comes down to it, they shouldn't be compared to one another.  White Stripes kinda kick ass and this video is a pretty righteous example of just how much.  Hope you enjoy.

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks

Out of the rubble of the collapse of Pavement, Stephen Malkmus reappears with the Jicks

Acoustic cafe

I'm sitting here at the acoustic cafe waiting for open mic to start. I'm jazzed about seeing some local music, but I'm skeptical about the venue. I'm getting more enthusiastic about the scene here in ct, but it's taking me some time. We will see.