Ms Mr "Bones"

The first time I heard Ms Mr's song "Bones" was the Game of Thrones Season 3 trailer. I haven't been able to get it out of my head since.


With beautiful lyrics that hit a yearning note of melancholy, the haunting song fits Game of Thrones perfectly.

Ms Mr's cd will be mine soon!

Radiohead Concert

Last week Matt and I saw Radiohead perform at the Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the Detroit Pistons. It was the band's first performance in Michigan in 15 years, and the concert was epic.

We were late because we took a longer route to avoid construction and traffic. We missed the opener, Caribou. In fact, we made it to the concert a mere ten minutes before Radiohead came on.

 

The wall behind the stage was like a giant high-def screensaver. TV screens hung from the ceiling and traveled through the air with a montage of live video from the stage.

Our seats were high above the stage, and it felt like we were watching a video on a big screen TV.

 

With eight albums, two compilation albums, and seven EPs, we knew the band had a difficult choice of which songs to play for us. Although Radiohead continues to evolve their music sounds cohesive. 

 

YouTube is full of videos from the concert; here is a nice recording of Pyramid Song:

"Pyramid Song" by Radiohead, The Palace 06/11/12; via Scholtzable

Hopefully Radiohead return to Michigan soon!

March to the Beat

School of Seven Bells Concert

Matt and I went to see School of Seven Bells and Exitmusic at the Magic Stick in Detroit on Monday.

We decided to go to the concert on a whim. We had only been listening to the School of Seven Bells for a short time, but it looked like a good show.

After some technical difficulties printing the tickets we arrived expecting opening band Exitmusic to be halfway through their set. But the show had not started, and we had the opportunity have a hoegaarden on the patio overlooking Woodward Ave.

Did you know that in 1909 Woodward Ave. was the first mile of road to be paved with concrete (between Six and Seven Mile)? I love Michigan!

It is nice to have a good opening band. The female lead's (Aleska Palladino of Boardwalk Empire fame) voice and drums suspended over the meditative guitar and keyboard.

Although the band focused on the songs more than interacting with the crowd their music made up for it.

Exitmusic's The Sea is a free download on Last.Fm.

School of Seven Bells cryptic name comes from a mythical South American pickpocket training academy. For a shoegaze band, they are high energy.

We stood so close to the stage I could hear Alejandra (Ally) Deheza's (vocals, bass) jewelry jingle between songs. Matt said he heard Benjamin Curtis (guitar, electronics) pick against the guitar strings.

The band's complex vocals and lyrics are nothing short of art. It is like hearing a waking dream. It is no surprise that when Amoeba Music took Ally and Ben shopping for What's in My Bag? they bought Twin Peaks.

Alejandra Deheza

Benjamin Curtis

The band had a connection to the crowd. Near the end of the concert Ben told us that it had been a long tour, and we had made it "f***ing worth it".

Here is a video of School of Seven Bells performing "The Night" on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.







****I am sorry for the poor image quality; the photos did not turn out as well as Crystal Castles or Cut Copy. I recently updated my phone, and the new camera app does not work as well as the old one.****

Daydream Believer Davy Jones

Although The Monkees (wikipedia The Monkees) were criticized as the "Pre-Fab Four," the group became a self-directed band that managed to be one of the first bands to achieve simultaneous number one hits in both the United States and United Kingdom.

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I was first introduced to The Monkees by Wondra in the mid-nineties. I found the tv show to be lighthearted with fun tunes, silly antics, and zany plots. We loved to sing along to their songs and attempt the pirate walk from the opening credits of their show. I am pretty sure I must have learned to dance from watching Davy (which is why I do not dance in public).





Yesterday was a sad day in the music world. Davy Jones (known as the "cute one") unexpected passed away at 66 years old.

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Voted Top Teen Idol of All Time by Yahoo! Music, Davy brought a quirky British humor to the band that fans adored.

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I got to see Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz perform the Monkeemania Returns Tour in 2002. I am sad I did not take the opportunity to see the full band at the Fox Theatre in Detroit last summer.





This Daydream Believer will miss you, Davy. Rest in peace.

The Blue Show

At some high schools they are called "band geeks." In Eaton Rapids they were called "band nerds" (and don't you forget it).

When I moved to Eaton Rapids halfway through eighth grade, I thought it was the worst place on Earth. Little did I know, the last few weeks of eighth grade would bring two awesome things into my life: my friend Wondra (of Wondra's World) asked me to hang out and my band director asked me to play trumpet in marching band the next year.

The following fall brought friendship and music. I am still proud of the hard work we put into The Blue Show. Although band members did not always get along, no outsider got away with making fun of one. We worked together, we played together, but most importantly we made music together.

Recently, Wondra put her time and money into sharing videos of the 1996-97 Eaton Rapids Greyhound Marching Band with the world. A warm thank you to her!

I will never forget the sense of pride our director instilled in the band. To this day I am early everywhere I go because he insisted "to be early is to be on time and to be on time is to be late." 

Our band director pushed us to strive for excellence. On the way home from one performance he stopped the buses, pulled everyone outside and called the band to attention. What followed was one of the fiercest lectures of decorum I have ever heard. Yet rather than laughing him off, we strove to achieve the goals he placed before us. 

The band gave me confidence in myself. It was about discipline. It was about entertaining the crowd. But most of all, it was about being a part of something greater than ourselves.

Go Hounds!

My Bloody Valentine

Sometimes I want to listen to music but I do not want to be distracted by lyrics. Shoegaze music is the perfect type of background music.

Shoegaze originated in the early 1980s with the band My Bloody Valentine. The 1991 album Loveless is a shoegaze classic; it is still relevant twenty years later.

I wish My Bloody Valentine was touring; the band would be amazing live.

OK GO This Too Shall Pass Video

Although I have not listened to Ok Go's newer music, my inner band geek (concert clarinet and marching trumpet) loves their video for This Too Shall Pass:

Cut Copy Concert

In March Matt and I saw Crystal Castles at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, MI. Last Saturday we returned to Royal Oak to see Cut Copy.

I would like to note that opening band Delicate Steve was a pleasant surprise. Before the concert Matt and I had discussed how opening bands are often disappointing. Delicate Steve's rich guitars and drums somehow combined dance, celtic and tribal music. The crowd could not keep their eyes off of the band's standing drummer.

Cut Copy is for those of use born in the eighties: we were too young to go to concerts but we have an affinity for the music. Cut Copy's synthpop sound draws upon the beats of bands such as Daft Punk as well as New Order and Kraftwerk.

The band played songs such as Lights and Music, Hearts and Fire, So Haunted and Far Away as well as songs off of their newest album, Zonoscope.

Although I wish they would have played more of album Bright Like Neon Love (my favorite song is "Time Stands Still"), the lead singer Dan Whitford's "Drama Geek" flair made up for the oversight.





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As you can tell from the video, the crowd favorite was Lights and Music.
After the concert Matt and I walked the streets of Royal Oak. All in all it was a wonderful night.

Crystal Castles Concert

Last Sunday Matt and I saw Crystal Castles at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, MI. Downtown Royal Oak has a relaxed feel; it is a hipster's dream with artsy boutiques, thrift shops, restaurants and lofts. 

Royal Oak Music Theatre Marquee

Built in the late 1920s, the venue is completely renovated. The original seating has been removed. 

We stood next to the rail of the first tier. It was nice to have a great view of the stage for a change; I am short-statured so the tallest person in the crowd usually stands in front of me. I wish I had stood farther from the stairs because I was jostled by people dancing while others pushed their way up and down the stairs. 

Theater security was strict. They sent people back to the car with cameras and confiscated glow sticks through the opening band's (Teenage Fantasy) performance. I was too distracted by security to listen to the band.

Crystal Castles was intense. The lights flashed with an energy matched by the electronic music. 

Alice Glass, Crystal Castles

Singer Alice Glass gave an amazing performance despite her broken ankle. She used her crutch as a dance prop as she sang and drank Jim Beam. A bodyguard held her aloft as the crowd surged to dance around her.

It was a good crowd. We danced with greater fervor as we recognized each song. It was like a wild video game dance party.

The video below was uploaded by someone who went to the same concert. It is an accurate portrayal of the evening.

I love the single "Not in Love" featuring Robert Smith of The Cure. It is off of Crystal Castles second self-titled album. The video below is another example of the band's sound.









Overall, it was a great concert. I would love to go back to the venue to see more bands.

Musical Cups

I adore these sheet music cups. I wish they were made of porcelain so that you would not have to throw them away! 

Sheet Music Cups via Piano Supplies

Murder By Death Concert

Last Saturday my boyfriend Matt and I went to see indie band Murder by Death. It was our second time seeing the band.

The show was at Mac's Bar in Lansing, MI. Although we enjoy travelling to Detroit to see bands, it was nice to go to a concert closer to home, especially since the roads were slick.

Mac's Bar

I got our tickets through Fusion Shows. They do not charge additional fees, unlike other services that shall remain unnamed. The process was paperless; I did not have to print tickets or confirmation. I merely showed them my id and we went inside.

I enjoyed the opening band, Buried Beds. The band sounded vaguely familiar, but I cannot pinpoint who they they sound like. Buried Beds had a joyful energy; the band interacted with the audience and had fun on the stage.

The second band was Fake Problems. I was amused by the Wookie painted on the base drum. Their amps were too loud for my hearing comfort; however; they put on an energetic performance.

Murder By Death was as remarkable as the last time. The first time I saw Murder By Death, I was in awe of their cellist and keybordist Sara Balliet. I have never seen anyone play strings with such a mesmerizing passion. We stood close to her at both concerts.

Sara Balliet, Murder By Death

The venue quickly heated under the stage lights. Still, music poured from the band despite the heat. It reminded me of the lyrics to Bob Seger's song Turn the Page:

Out there in the spotlight 

You're a million miles away 

Every ounce of energy 

You try to give away 

As the sweat pours out your body 

Like the music that you play

They soon discarded their playlist for the crowd's requests. Among the songs they played were 52' Ford, Ball & Chain, Steal Away, The Big Sleep, Spring Break, Brother and Sometimes The Line Walks You.

When Sara and bassist Matt Armstrong left the stage to get beers, singer/guitarist Adam Turla took the opportunity to play Shiola.

As part of their encore the band played a ditty called The Pizza Song which the band wrote to celebrate finishing their last album.

Sara Balliet and Adam Turla, Murder By Death

The last time Matt and I saw Murder By Death, we requested Killbot 2000. I was disappointed I did not get to hear it again, but I knew the band was exhausted from the extended set.

Here is an example of Murder By Death's sound. As you can see, they invoke the dark sound of certain lawless eras--Southern Gothic meets Johnny Cash meets a Vaudeville Carnivale.







This gal cannot wait until Murder By Death returns to Michigan!

The Whitest Boy Alive

As you may recall I love music, especially indie bands. In the past several weeks one of my top played tracks is The Whitest Boy Alive "1517".

Check out this video from their Rules release party concert in IC Berlin; I wish I had been there to see it live!




The band started as an electronic band but have slowly eliminated programmed elements. They tweet at wbalive.