Posted in Uncategorized on February 21st, 2011 by Kris.G
Sometimes when songs like this end up in my inbox, it’s inspiring and deflating all at the same time. It’s great to know that there are really talented artists in the world don’t just make what sells, but at the same time, it sucks that I’ve never even heard of them.
My Little Cheap Dictaphone was in my inbox today and this is what it said about these guys: A vibrant rush of Arcade Fire -style dynamics that grabs you immediately. A terrific album.
Posted in throwback on February 17th, 2011 by Kris.G
67 degrees!! Fantastic, or actually the license plate I saw on the way to work put it better. DASWZUP! From the 20s just last weekend to nearly 70 today has taken a toll on my immune system but it’s so very worth it for this weather. And when it comes to the first nice day of the year, there’s one thing I like above all else: driving with my windows down. And nothing’s better for doing that than some classic rock. I mean I listen to all types of music all year round from folk to hip hop, but that first bright hot day calls for blasting some screaming guitars and drums.
My choice today for that: Mr. Eric Clapton. So if it’s nice somewhere around you, get in your car, put the windows down, and play yourself some “Layla.” You won’t be disappointed. Oh, and don’t wuss out with the radio version. Play the full 7+ minutes.
Posted in Uncategorized on February 16th, 2011 by Kris.G
This past weekend on Bridging The Verse’s Twitter and Facebook page, I said that I would post the next song that someone suggests. One of my followers, Luz, recommended I post the song “Autumnsong” by Manic Street Preachers. So here it is. I don’t know anything about the group but I dig the song. Feel free to leave me some info about the band in the comments and make sure to look for more user suggestions in the future.
Posted in Uncategorized on February 14th, 2011 by Kris.G
Well it’s Valentines Day once again which makes some people happy and others cringe. I won’t rant about my thoughts on this “holiday” but those quotes should give you the idea of what I think. Anyway, I feel completely awful today with a head cold so I’ll let the Magnetic Fields take it from here today:
How fucking romantic
All the stars are out
Twinkling twinkling twinkling
And fluttering about
What a tacky sunset
What a vulgar moon
Play another charming
Rogers and hart tune
How fucking romantic
Must we really waltz?
Drag another cliche
Howling from the vaults
Love you obviously
Like you really care
Even though you treat me
Like a dancing bear
Toss your bear a goldfish
As he cycles by
Don’t forget to feed your
Bear or it’ll die
Posted in Uncategorized on February 13th, 2011 by Kris.G
You probably heard this song during the Super Bowl on the Sealy’s ad. I’ll be honest. I dug it as soon as I heard it. I did have a little trouble finding it at first but once I finally came across the proper singer and correct remix, I felt there was no day more appropriate than today to post it. Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day but it’s also a Monday which means today, being a Sunday, is definitely the right time for just a little lovin’ early in the morning.
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Anyone who has been following my blog for any amount of time knows that one mashup artist I feature quite a bit is Mochi Beats. He’s always blending new songs together to create brand new songs. And now it seems as though his name is starting to become well known. He was recently to create a mashup for UNC Dance Marathon, a marathon where dancers are on their feet for 24 hours to raise money for the N.C. Children’s Hospital. His newest track “We R Night” featuring Waka, Diddy, and Kesha is currently available for streaming below. It will become available for download after the event next weekend on February 18. Check out Mochi Beats’ post about it here and go to the dance marathon site to donate.
Now as a Penn State alumnus, I do need to make another plug here. The same weekend as UNC’s Dance Marathon, there is also Penn State’s Dance Marathon, simply called THON. THON is a 48 hours dance marathon where the dancers are on their feet the whole time with no sleep. The money raised goes to The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital to help the families of kids with cancer. Started in 1973 with a small group of dancers, THON is in its 39th year and has raised more than $69 million. Unfortunately there’s no cool Mochi Beats mashup to go with this marathon, but it’s still for a great cause. Check out THON’s site here to learn more and donate.
Posted in throwback on February 10th, 2011 by Kris.G
I’m being super lazy today and just posting a press release that was sent to me some time last week. I know I may as well not even post if I’m just putting up someone else’s work but my mind has been so busy with other things that I can put as much attention into my site as I’d like. Here’s the press release:
Queen release their two track single ‘Stormtroopers in Stilettos’ as a download on Sunday 27th February 2010 in the week their exhibition of the same name opens, through Island Records. There will be a limited edition 7” release in April.
Featuring two tracks recorded in the early 70’s, ‘Keep Yourself Alive (Long Lost Retake)’ (the original version taken from ‘Queen’) and ‘Stone Cold Crazy’ (from ‘Sheer Heart Attack’), the single is released to coincide with the exhibition ‘Stormtroopers in Stilettos’ which runs at Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane in London for two weeks from Friday 25th February 2010. The single will be available as part of National Record Store Daytaking place on 16th April and is limited to just 2000 numbered copies on heavyweight vinyl (more news soon).
Reminding us that Queen could rock hard with the best of them, the two tracks on the single are lightning strikes of adrenalized rhythm, furious guitars and fearsome high wire vocals. Capable of breathtaking rock’n’roll, early Queen has inspired some of the best heavy rock of subsequent decades.
‘Keep Yourself Alive’ was the first single Queen ever released back in 1973 and is now poignantly released on their 40th Anniversary. This is the only Queen single that ever failed to chart in the UK mainly because Radio One rejected it claiming it took long to get going! This new 2011 remaster is a long-lost retake of the track recorded in 1975 for a USA single that never saw the light of day. The original version is taken from Queen’s debut album, Dave Grohl’s favourite album of all time.
Q recently described ‘Stone Cold Crazy’ as “thrash metal before the term was invented”, and the track has been covered by Josh Homme and Metallica amongst others. This was the one of the first tracks that Queen ever played live and the version on the single is a brand new 2011 remaster.
**Editor’s Note: The latest installment from BTV’s monthly writer, Jon.TheYellowDart. This time we’re going back to his beginnings on BTV with another concert review. And yes, he’s right, I do feature Foxy Shazam a lot, but that’s because not enough people know about them who should. And to be fair, it was The Yellow Dart who got me into them in the first place about a year ago. Now on with his review.**
Good evening and salutations. It is my sincerest pleasure to relay to thee the joys of my most recent tryst with the wonders of musical performance and entertainment: in poem form! While it hast perhaps become too common to hear this site speaketh the name ‘Foxy Shazam,’ it must be said: Mo’fuckers put on the best show ever.
‘Twas the night before Friday and all through the hood,
Most folks were snowed in, and snowed in quite good.
My roommate and I went out to my car,
A vehicle named Miles would take us afar.
Yonder to B-town, Baltimore as it were,
The snow and ice made it hard, to be sure.
Worth all the trouble it would prove to be,
For Foxy Shazam were in wait to be seen.
We wanted some Five Guys to have for some num-nums,
But they were closed for the weather, those dum-dums.
So Hooters it was, one of four taken tables,
We dined on as many wings as we were able.
We met a nice waitress who seemed pretty cool,
Until she revealed she is still in high school.
We left before we made an awful mistake,
And had to miss Foxy for statutory rape.
Back to the car to get my roommate’s ticket,
The snow falling faster, the wind whipping wicked.
I meant to tip Milton, who’d found us our parking,
But he wasn’t there, probably off smoking crack.
Four blocks to Ram’s Head where acts would be singing,
From cigarette smoke, our lungs would be stinging.
Into the warmth of the scene-kid-packed place,
Within seconds I’d see Eric Sean Nally’s face.
As if by fate, only seconds we waited,
We took out our business and prepared for batin.’
Cause that’s how you watch Foxy: penis out proud,
Just kidding. Or am I? You’ll never know now.
To stage the band poured out to kick off their set,
If I were a girl, at this point I’d be wet.
Drums, trumpets, keyboards, and soaring guitars,
Bass and some vocals, and Spiders from Mars.
Being an opener, they played only eight,
Or so tracks, but I’ll tell you, that each one was great.
Sky stood up tall on his keyboard’s pale keys,
And Daisy thumped bass like he had a disease.
Loren then took his guitar back to school.
And Alex threw his trumpet ’round like a fool.
Aaron’s drums felt like his wife when he struck her,
And Eric was gold as a crazed motherfucker.
He challenged ‘dumb white kids’ to meet him and thrill him,
And offered them 20 bucks if they could kill him.
Sky did some hand stands while still playing on,
And Eric asked if anyone hated their songs.
One girl said yes, and he said that’s okay,
He’d just tell Tony Green to fuck up her day.
He asked for some cigs, which, of course, scene kids had.
And put near a dozen into his mouth, then,
He lit them and puffed them like crews on a boat,
Then turned them and shoved them on right down his throat.
Still in the midst of his nicotine trick,
He managed some vocals that Queen fans think slick.
Then he hopped right on up to Loren’s shoulders,
And humped his neck while Loren drilled out a solo.
By the last song, things were quite out of hand,
I’ve never see so much life out of a band.
Eric had a cymbal on top his head,
While Aaron pounded, I thought Eric dead.
Sky was upside down, still slamming the board,
While Alex was, well, power fucking the floor.
Loren and Daisy were thrashing around,
And I wished that it was a thrice bigger crowd.
Not small, but I want to see them in a place,
Where every inch is covered by a face.
The best entertainers alive, I must say,
I’ll see them again, any time, any day.
We went to their merch booth to talk to the band,
Instead, bought a vinyl, then sat in the stands.
After a bit, out came Circa Survive,
Once on the stage, the crowd was revived.
We sat like old people way in the back,
Then left before Anberlin, cause who gives a fuck? I’ve seen them before and they’re okay, but really. It was like, 10:00 and some of us have jobs. Okay, Anberlin? SOME OF US HAVE JOBS.
Posted in Uncategorized on February 7th, 2011 by Kris.G
It’s now the evening and dinner’s done. I’ve been busy all weekend skiing without an internet connection and haven’t posted since Thursday. I’m about 4 hours later than I like to be for my daily post. Yet I sit here uninspired. I peruse my inbox and Soundcloud, and I hear things I like, but just don’t feel like posting today. It’s often a fine line I walk when I blog. I want to post what I’m feeling for the day (as was my goal when starting this blog), but at the same time try to post brand new things, or songs that will get me an increase in traffic. I think my problem today was that I was trying to hard to appease the latter part of my goals and not trying hard enough for the former. So I sat back and really just made today’s choice on what I was feeling.
I had a playlist on random last night, and The Avett Brothers came on. I forgot how much I liked these guys, and “I and Love and You” has been stuck in my head all day since then. I, however, have one big problem with The Avett Brothers: their albums can never live up to the bliss I felt seeing them live. I had never even heard of these guys but went with a friend to see a show in the band’s home state of South Carolina. That may have been one of the best choices I ever made in seeing a band I didn’t know. They have so much passion in the music they make. I felt like after seeing these guys on stage for a little over an hour that I had been friends with them all my life. I knew them.
Luckily I found their Youtube video of “I and Love and You” live and I was so very happy. So do me a favor and compare this recording to the album version. There’s no way you can say there isn’t more heart when performed live.
Posted in throwback on February 3rd, 2011 by Kris.G
Many many times I have said that I really dislike country music as a whole. Then I always get thrown back in my face, “What about Johnny Cash?” Yeah, I like Johnny Cash. The doesn’t mean that I like country. Even though the work of one artist or a smattering of other songs by other artists doesn’t mean I like the genre as a whole. That’d be like me saying I do like alt rock but because there are a some songs in the genre that don’t tickle my fancy, I can’t possibly like it. Stupid social double standards used to determines one’s liking of things…
Anyway, for whatever reason, I had a Johnny Cash song stuck in my head. I was driving and started singing it out of nowhere. I haven’t heard this song in quite awhile and, to be honest, I actually like Joaquin Phoenix’s cover of the song from Walk The Line. But for the throwback today, I wanted to keep the song true to its form. So here’s Johnny Cash’s original version of “Get Rhythm.”
Sometimes when songs like this end up in my inbox, it’s inspiring and deflating all at the same time. It’s great to know that there are really talented artists in the world don’t just make what sells, but at the same time, it sucks that I’ve never even heard of them.
