Goodbye for awhile!

Some pals and I are out West for two weeks to backpack Colorado, the tetons, and Yellowstone. I apologize for the many days of 0 activity from this site but I can assure you I'll write of the music that inspires these two weeks traveling when I return. See ya friends!

FUGAZI!

Woohoo for me. Last night I completed my purchasing of the Fugazi discography on cd at Vintage Vinyl with the purchase of their 1999 film soundtrack Instrument. I fell asleep to it last night and so consequently onlu heard the first couple of tracks. But it sounds like some of their most experimental stuff, with some beautiful dissonant chords thrown in for good measure, like always. This band has meant so much to me throughout my years of high school and Ian Mackaye has always been my model as far as musicians go. The band stood for integrity, hard work, and a DIY style that made them one of the few bands that are in it literally for the sole purpose of making great music for a respectable fan base. A long time ago I decided I would buy everything they have released to disc, and I finally picked up their most obscure one to complete the goal. If you haven't spent time exploring the work of Ian and Guy in Fugazi, you simply must. But take time research these musicians as people also, for they have profound things to say about this life.

Vieux Farka Toure Live in Concert

Early on in the springtime, I believe it was Record Store Day, some friends and I went to the NOMO/Vieux Farka Toure concert amongst a small crowd at the Billiken Club. It was a magical experience with communal dancing, singing, and smiling. I just remember feeling so uplifted by the simple happiness displayed by the gang onstage. Anywho, I discovered a full live offering
from Vieux Farka with the south-african indie psychadelic group BLK JKS. The show took place at the Festival Rio Loco on June 18 (a couple a days ago) and it captures to some degree the experience that my friends and I absorbed. We rave about this show a lot and so this is my way of sharing the experience with friends who so loathe me for the amount of times I reference to it.

John Prine's Self-Titled

So I've finally kicked off into the almighty discography of John Prine. My friend Tom has been playing Angel From Montgomery at recent campfires, so I figured it was about time I got into some Prine myself. This self-titled 1971 release consists of track after track of coverable acoustic tunes. For fans of the Felice Brothers and other alt-country musicians, Prine was one of the earliest legends in this sub genre. Be sure to check out "Hello In There" even if you dont get the whole album. I'll pick up some these tunes before my coming westward traveling.


[link]http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2KTCLZW5
PASSWORD: matt-o-rach

Poetry For The Beat Generation

So, on a whim, I began to read Kerouac's The Dharma Bums for the third time at work today, out of the mindless boredom I faced without needy customers. Kerouac always gets me thinking in a certain, special way with his energetic descriptions and friendly witticisms. It had been awhile and his words excited me to the point where I found myself browsing around for other Kerouac artifacts online. And so to be brief, I stumpled upon this late 50's recording of Kerouac reciting his poetry over the piano accompaniment from Steve Allen. Although Kerouac sounds rather monotone and gives no effort in playing off the notes that Allen puts forth, his words carry themselves and the listen is certainly well worth the time. Enjoy!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9N7N4XQJ

(fyi: you will need to use the free softwares WinRAR or Winzip to open these files once they download)

The Black Keys: Brothers

Welp, the new Black Keys album is fantastic and I am feeling supreme regret for not purchasing tickets for their sold-out show at The Pageant this summer. Brothers is surely their best-produced album yet and I think it flows a lot smoother than 2008's Attack & Release. "Black Mudd" and "The Only One" are certainly tracks to check out whether you decide to expend currency on the album or not. If you have seen the Black Keys before, let me know in the comments how they pull off these power-blues tunes with only two band members. Have a good Friday folks.

What not to expect...

I'm not going to write about Sleigh Bells on here. I dont really like them. There exist very few situations where their guitar-heavy dance crunch songs would come in handy. I am going to take them off my iPod and pay them no further attention. Carry on.