Second Sunday at Art 634

When Matt's friend Suzanne interviewed me for Events in Jackson (a part of community-sourced news site Jacksonopolis) she found out that I had not visited Art 634. Suzanne is a Jackson native, but she has never been to Art 634's monthly open house, Second Sunday, so we agreed to check it out together.

via Art 634

Jackson is known for manufacturing and the prison, but the town has a unique and growing arts and culture community that deserves attention. Art 634 is located in an industrial warehouse. Suzanne and I met at Art 634's coffee shop, Cuppa. The first thing I noticed is was the paper cranes hanging from the ceiling.

via Cuppa

Cuppa's shop owner, Evan, made my cafe au lait himself. Suzanne and I took our drinks to a couch near the back and listened to Jamie Merritt (of Harmony Garden Music Therapy) play soulful renditions of familiar tunes. Cuppa's walls featured April's artist, Sheri Munce, artwork; I loved the whimsical and feminine paintings.

When we finished our coffees Suzanne and I wandered through the building. We admired the shops and talked to various people about arts and culture in Jackson.

Armory Arts Village, an apartment complex and artist community located next to Art 634 in Jackson's old prison. The artists also participated in Second Sunday, so we peeked in on the artist's studios. We saw a handcrafted train that will be featured St. Joseph Public Art Display from May 17 to September 28.

After Art 634 and Armory Arts, Suzanne took me to the new downtown bead shop, Beads to Live By, and introduced me to shop owner Cassandra. Beads to Live By's has a wonderful bead selection, and I cannot wait to take one of the jewelry classes!

via Beads to Live By

Suzanne is a great tour guide! I am excited for our future Jackson tours.

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.

Murmuration

A flock of starlings is murmuration--it is also an act or instance of murmuring. Take a moment to watch Murmuration produced by Islands and Rivers for the WWF film and video competition Life. Nature. You. Make the Connection.




Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

The bird's breathtaking flight attests to God's creation.

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.

Oren Lavie's Her Morning Elegance Video

The dreaminess of Oren Lavie's video for Her Morning Elegance is appealing; for me, the stop motion depicts how sometimes our dreams reflect daily routines and other times our lives seem like dreams.

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

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.

Website Review: 3hive

In "I like my music underground," I encouraged readers to broaden their listening habits.

3hive gives surfers the opportunity to download and listen to indie and unsigned artists. The primary idea behind the site is "sharing the sharing." 3hive is legal; the songs are free, full-length mp3s linked from the artist's website. 3hive also supports "Stream This Page"; a feature which allows you to listen to the songs on the current page.

The blog started with three friends sharing music that moved them; it has expanded to include four others.

3hive is updated daily. People can comment on posts and suggest new artists.

I like my music underground

Do you like your music underground? Tired of overused rhythms and boring lyrics? I am. Radio stations seem bent on overplaying popular songs. I'm tired of the Top Ten being force-fed into my ears. Give me indie, or give me silence!

Indie is a counter-culture present since the 1980s. Bands named indie, or independent, are usually unsigned or not produced by a major label. Though some radio stations play indie music, it's typically spread by word of mouth. Indie blurs genres; it isn't easily defined, although many sub-genres exist.

Indie music has perks--amazing concerts. Tickets prices are reasonable. Smaller venues have atmosphere; the band's are relaxed, and the crowds are personal.

So if you're impatient with empty words and regurgitated rhythms, be independant. I like my music underground. Do you?