We Are Not A Football Team

She was sitting on a swing

and dangling her feet

like the leaves of a tree

I think I heard her singing

We're still out at 10 in the evening.

I knew her in the way that

I knew not to speak.

Quietly took a seat

and thought I'd stay for a week.

-Minus the Bear

Meniscus and Lights Out Asia

I like listening to post rock when I go to sleep. The problem is, sometimes the guitars weaving sound scapes, coming to incredible and breath taking crescendos...well they fall on deaf (asleep) ears as I'm out like a light before the first track even finishes. The repetitive nature of post rock songs, combined with my super human ability to utterly pass out in less than 7 seconds (my brother is testament to this - while asking him a question, I fell asleep before he could even answer) has me waking up tangled in headphones and no recollection of the music I had listened to the previous night! 

There are some bands though that keep me awake, staring blankly out into the swarthy cloak placed over the room I knew so well in the daytime. Bands like Lights Out Asia and Meniscus have both had this eye opening power over me, with a brand of post rock that isn't tired and trite. Lights Out Asia, a trio from Milwaukee, Wisconsin released the striking Eyes Like Brontide in August have captured my interest with their blend of post rock that heavily incorporates electronic elements (not quite like 65daysofstatic though) with fresh guitar riffs. Their song writing abilities and sound they achieve just appeal to me and capture my interest, so hopefully you guys will dig em too.

Meniscus hail from Sydney, Australia and bring to the table tribal  and otherwise interesting drumming and heavy, almost metal guitar riffs that one could easily see becoming a song with soaring vocals. I like the way the songs flow on their album 'Absence of I'. The 4 track album is an easy listen and while some guitar riffs have the 'heard that before' stamp written all over them, most of the guitar work is an excellent display of how to use your stomp boxes - from beautifully dialed in delay to crushing distortion, its hard to imagine that all this aural mayhem comes from a 3 piece Down Under. 

Dustin Kensrue gets into the Holiday spirit

The release of his website as a platform for his new single "Christmas (Please Come Home Baby)" in early November is something I'm used to. In the Philippines people will start to deck the halls and their tropical driveways in string lights and capiz shell lanterns once 'the berrrrrr months' start (as my dad likes to call them). The Christmas music will start playing in over crowded shopping centers (Landmark) before Halloween! I think people should just put vampire fangs on Santa, some detachable horns on some reindeer and they'd be good to go for Christmas on November 1, like they want to be. It makes me laugh - I love the Philippines, especially when its so baduy. 

I have yet to find a person who doesn't like the spirit of Christmas and the festivities that come bundled in a big burlap sack, just like I have yet to find a song Dustin Kensrue has penned that I don't like, so in simple math this sounds genius. Dustin Kensrue + Christmas = instant eargasms to be had. Right? Well here's the link to his first single and website:

http://www.dustinkensrue.com

I've listened to the song and its quite good, but I just associate Christmas records as lame artists cashing in on the holiday spirit. So I'm anxious for this to be good...ah who am I kidding I'm gonna pick this up faster than a kid picks up his present on Christmas morning. I'm a sucker for Christmas songs anyway

Just One Bite

This might be the funniest Spongebob episode I have ever seen. His face is just classic!

Genius

Thanks to Ethan for the link. Excuse the poor quality, if anyone finds a better link or just a picture of Spongebob when he does 'the face' (you'll know it when you see it), let me know. 

Iiro Rantala New Trio

(pretend there's a picture here. Blogger was being lame)

Daaaaaaaaaamn. That's all I could say when I first watched these guys on youtube, in their video Shit Catapult. The first minute overwhelms you as each member introduces themselves with blazing solos which punctuate the frantic rhythm of the Finnish trio's conceived...demon child! When the mayhem finally alludes to a melodic break in the insanity, its so pleasing and beautiful that it captivates and eschews any doubts you may have had in your first 60 seconds of experiencing the technically (and creatively) insane three piece. 

What I think separates them from other bands that can jam the shit out of their instruments is the humor in the music. The expressions that canvas on guitarist Marzi Nyman's face show he's there to have a good time, leading us to do the same. He gets some beautiful sounds from his guitar, as well as some I didn't think were even possible. His outrageous guitar stances and gyrations make him an energetic and interesting performer to watch. I believe Iiro Rantala is the heavy weight out of the three, being a renowned Finnish pianist and his chops definitely show. While his obvious technical prowess is necessary to keep up, the pianist adds his own bluesy, romping touch amid a carousel of styles that he keeps coming throughout the song. 

Felix Zenger, the beatbox is amazing as well. My stomach dropped a little when I realized they had enlisted a human percussionist instead of a cool, swanky jazz drummer, but my fears were assuaged once he opened his mouth. He never once appeared gimmicky, and probably could 'outplay' many successful drummers out there today. Felix Zenger is not to be confused with a ragged white Eminem clone who beatboxes simple hiphop beats while humming Eye of the Tiger over the top of his sonic malady. They dropped an album entitled Elmo this year, go check em out!

Piano - Iiro Rantala

Guitar - Marzi Nyman

Beatbox - Felix Zenger

I'm Not Going To Pretend To Know About Politics, But...

I do know he is going to be the 44th President of the United States of America. This picture is so spot on, because it encapsulates all we have, and all we can have amidst the crises we all face. No matter what nation, race you belong to, or political party you are in favor of, Barack Obama will be the next U.S. President. Can we embrace this unprecedented moment, and expect great and ubiquitous change? Can we vest in something so intangible as hope? Yes we can.

- And that's all I'll probably ever say about that!

Dead To Me - Little Brother [EP]

The Golden Gate Bridge, Math Rock, Dave Eggers and his Staggering Work Of Heartbreaking Genius... I'm trying to get ideas about how to introduce The Bay Area punk rock band Dead To Me by listing the only thing I know about Northern California's hilliest...whoa did you know hilliness is a word? That's goofy. Back on track - It's a place I've never been, but have always wanted to visit. Instead of this whacked out semantic thinking, this picture exactly describes Dead to Me, to...um me. 

A night blurred from too many drunken sing a longs with your best friends in a night that is the precedent for every other drunken romp thereafter - almost impossible to top. 

The music is catchy, feeling like a best friend that you feel comfortable enough to put your arm around without hesitation, to look into their eyes and sing Bohemian Rhapsody all the way through without feeling the slightest bit subconscious of what other people think. A friend who you can text, without a plan and expect to have a good night just because of good company. Dead to Me, with this 13 minute EP, has created a work of genius in short - a snapshot of a night at the bar with too many shots! I love it and recommend it to anyone who wants to have a good time. Little Brother is a record you can put on at anytime and it'll put a smile on your face, guaranteed - as sure as one of your friends getting kicked out of the bar on a Thursday night for drunken tackling you, and you both laughing about it on the long walk home. 

The Bay Area punk rockers from the seminal Fat Wreck Chords produce another gruff gem with Little Brother. Clocking in at just 13 minutes, there's no excuse NOT to check out this 5 song from the guys that released Cuban Ballerina in 2006. 

Dead To Me's myspace