The ultimate:
(via Mad Decent)
For those who like to dance by themselves:
(via the Fader)
For all you hxc kids:
For those who like their dancing a little more organized:
(via a Family Force 5 myspace bulletin)
In case you didn't get the point, I don't think that those who are standing still are really enjoying the music. Get up. Show your appreciation.
2/18/09
Homeboy Music: Alex Brubaker
Homeboy Music is a series I'm starting where I will cover one friend of mine who is also a musical artist of some kind once a week until I run out. This week's artist is Alex Brubaker.
I met Alex when I hitched a ride with him to see August Burns Red at the Champ freshman year and then again to see Haste the Day. He's a really good guy who also happens to be an amazing musician, which makes going to shows with him interesting since he's always analyzing the guitarists' technique.
Alex is a guitarist whose technical proficiency never ceases to amaze me. He makes frequent use of tapping (yeah, that crazy August Rush ish), looping, and a bunch of other techniques that I don't fully understand, similar to artists like the recent indie darling Kaki King. He cites King, Trace Bundy, and Angel Vivaldi, among others, as influences. I just saw him do his thing at a Messiah coffeehouse the other night and it was awesome.
Check out this video of him playing "Horse in the Clouds" on his couch:
Go see him with singer/songwriters Sam Coakley (expect an upcoming profile) and Brian Turner for free at South Side Cafe this Friday @ 8 and/or next Saturday at Juice and Java in Mechanicsburg (a 2-hour show he tells me will involve 2 guitars).
I met Alex when I hitched a ride with him to see August Burns Red at the Champ freshman year and then again to see Haste the Day. He's a really good guy who also happens to be an amazing musician, which makes going to shows with him interesting since he's always analyzing the guitarists' technique.
Alex is a guitarist whose technical proficiency never ceases to amaze me. He makes frequent use of tapping (yeah, that crazy August Rush ish), looping, and a bunch of other techniques that I don't fully understand, similar to artists like the recent indie darling Kaki King. He cites King, Trace Bundy, and Angel Vivaldi, among others, as influences. I just saw him do his thing at a Messiah coffeehouse the other night and it was awesome.
Check out this video of him playing "Horse in the Clouds" on his couch:
Go see him with singer/songwriters Sam Coakley (expect an upcoming profile) and Brian Turner for free at South Side Cafe this Friday @ 8 and/or next Saturday at Juice and Java in Mechanicsburg (a 2-hour show he tells me will involve 2 guitars).
Blink-182 Reunion: Part One - Travis Barker
In the light of the recent announcement of a Blink-182 reunion at the Grammy's, I thought it would be interesting to explore what the members have been doing with their time since the band went on hiatus in 2005. Since there are 3 band members, this will be a 3 part series.
Since he has been arguably the most visible member of the band, I decided to start with Travis Barker. Originally the drummer for The Aquabats, Travis joined Blink-182 in 1998 between their first commercially successful album Dude Ranch and their most successful album Enema of the State.
While a member of Blink-182, he participated in "Dischord emo/post-hardcore" influenced side project with Tom DeLonge called Box Car Racer and the hip-hop and dub influenced Transplants with Tim Armstrong of Rancid.
After Blink-182 broke up, he and Mark Hoppus formed +44, an alternative-influenced pop punk band with electronic elements that had been absent from Blink-182. +44 still theoretically has another album in pre-production since May or July of '08. He also founded LaSalle Records and expanded his Famous Stars & Straps clothing line. Outside of music, he had an MTV reality show called Meet the Barkers with his then-wife and former Miss USA and Playmate Shanna Moakler.
Barker has done a lot of hip-hop material since the Blink-182 breakup, including the Expen$ive Ta$te group/mixtape with rapper Paul Wall (who also did a chopped'n'screwed version of the Transplants album) and Skinhead Rob (also of the Transplants), his amazing free mixtape and tour with DJ AM as TRVS DJAM(which included backing all the artists at the VMAs and the much-publicized plane crash sometimes credited as a catalyst for the Blink reunion), remixes of Bubba Sparxxx, Pharrell (of N.E.R.D. and the Neptunes), Rich Boy, the Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Soulja Boy, the Federation, Flo Rida, Busta Rhymes, The Game, Bun B (of UGK, RIP Pimp C), Wale and most recently Jay-Z, as well as production work for T.I.
On a more pop level, he has also played drums for Pink and Avril Lavigne. I'm just wondering how much of these influences will be incorporated into any new Blink-182 material. Obviously I don't think Blink should become a rap-rock band, but the hip-hop aesthetic might creep in, and I don't think that would be a bad thing. Travis's connections in the hip-hop world could also make for interesting guest spots and remix possibilities (a chopped'n'screwed Blink album?). Just throwing that out there...
Here's some links to give you a taste of what that might sound like:
Expen$ive Ta$te mixtape
DJ AM mixtape (amazing! tracks from Johnny Cash, Public Enemy, M.I.A., Led Zeppelin)
Travis Barker remixes
Watch this video of the Soulja Boy remix:
Since he has been arguably the most visible member of the band, I decided to start with Travis Barker. Originally the drummer for The Aquabats, Travis joined Blink-182 in 1998 between their first commercially successful album Dude Ranch and their most successful album Enema of the State.While a member of Blink-182, he participated in "Dischord emo/post-hardcore" influenced side project with Tom DeLonge called Box Car Racer and the hip-hop and dub influenced Transplants with Tim Armstrong of Rancid.
After Blink-182 broke up, he and Mark Hoppus formed +44, an alternative-influenced pop punk band with electronic elements that had been absent from Blink-182. +44 still theoretically has another album in pre-production since May or July of '08. He also founded LaSalle Records and expanded his Famous Stars & Straps clothing line. Outside of music, he had an MTV reality show called Meet the Barkers with his then-wife and former Miss USA and Playmate Shanna Moakler.
Barker has done a lot of hip-hop material since the Blink-182 breakup, including the Expen$ive Ta$te group/mixtape with rapper Paul Wall (who also did a chopped'n'screwed version of the Transplants album) and Skinhead Rob (also of the Transplants), his amazing free mixtape and tour with DJ AM as TRVS DJAM(which included backing all the artists at the VMAs and the much-publicized plane crash sometimes credited as a catalyst for the Blink reunion), remixes of Bubba Sparxxx, Pharrell (of N.E.R.D. and the Neptunes), Rich Boy, the Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Soulja Boy, the Federation, Flo Rida, Busta Rhymes, The Game, Bun B (of UGK, RIP Pimp C), Wale and most recently Jay-Z, as well as production work for T.I.
On a more pop level, he has also played drums for Pink and Avril Lavigne. I'm just wondering how much of these influences will be incorporated into any new Blink-182 material. Obviously I don't think Blink should become a rap-rock band, but the hip-hop aesthetic might creep in, and I don't think that would be a bad thing. Travis's connections in the hip-hop world could also make for interesting guest spots and remix possibilities (a chopped'n'screwed Blink album?). Just throwing that out there...
Here's some links to give you a taste of what that might sound like:
Expen$ive Ta$te mixtape
DJ AM mixtape (amazing! tracks from Johnny Cash, Public Enemy, M.I.A., Led Zeppelin)
Travis Barker remixes
Watch this video of the Soulja Boy remix:
2/16/09
Show Review: Mae & The Color Fred
Hey! Sorry I didn't get around to this sooner, I was entertaining my sister for lil' sibs weekend here at school, which awesomely coincided with the Mae show...
For anyone not familiar with the bands, The Color Fred is the current band of Fred Mascherino, who was in Philly punk band Brody, Philly emo band Breaking Pangaea, and most famously replaced John Nolan as guitarist/back-up vocalist for Taking Back Sunday when Nolan left to form Straylight Run. Mae formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001, has released 3 full-length albums (Destination: Beautiful and The Everglow on Tooth & Nail, 2007's Singularity on Capitol), and is currently releasing one song a month via their website as a charity benefit for Habitat for Humanity, since they are no longer on a record label.
Interestingly enough, I was told by members of the band that the show here at Messiah would be former (and recent touring) bassist Mark Padgett's last show with the band. He will be replaced (touring) by Josiah Schlater of Virginia Beach's Tokyo, touring keyboardist Robert Smith's band.
The show was a lot of fun, despite the complete lack of moshing. The music, luckily, was enjoyable for its own sake. The Color Fred opened up with a high-energy set of Mascherino's music, fully fleshed out with a touring band (He told me the next tour will be solo and acoustic). Catchy hooks were easily picked up and people were singing along despite the fact that most had never heard/seen them before.
Mae started off with one of their lesser-known songs, then a completely instrumental number before seguing into their more popular material with songs like "Embers And Envelopes", closing with "Someone Else's Arms" before an encore of the obscure fan favorite "Tisbury Lane". They have an amazing ability to replicate their sound on CD live, as well as improvise and arrange for the live show, but the deviations are always intentional. They are consummate musicians.
It was a great show, though I would suggest seeing both bands in more mosh-conducive venues unless you are extremely familiar with their music. Though both bands put on a good show, The Color Fred is definitely more of a performance-oriented group, as many Mae songs can become shoegaze anthems-a difficulty they handle fairly well with video and visualizations projected on a screen behind them.
Check out this video of The Color Fred performing "Get Out" Saturday night (courtesy of Colin Riddle, otherwise known as McLovin):
For anyone not familiar with the bands, The Color Fred is the current band of Fred Mascherino, who was in Philly punk band Brody, Philly emo band Breaking Pangaea, and most famously replaced John Nolan as guitarist/back-up vocalist for Taking Back Sunday when Nolan left to form Straylight Run. Mae formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001, has released 3 full-length albums (Destination: Beautiful and The Everglow on Tooth & Nail, 2007's Singularity on Capitol), and is currently releasing one song a month via their website as a charity benefit for Habitat for Humanity, since they are no longer on a record label.Interestingly enough, I was told by members of the band that the show here at Messiah would be former (and recent touring) bassist Mark Padgett's last show with the band. He will be replaced (touring) by Josiah Schlater of Virginia Beach's Tokyo, touring keyboardist Robert Smith's band.
The show was a lot of fun, despite the complete lack of moshing. The music, luckily, was enjoyable for its own sake. The Color Fred opened up with a high-energy set of Mascherino's music, fully fleshed out with a touring band (He told me the next tour will be solo and acoustic). Catchy hooks were easily picked up and people were singing along despite the fact that most had never heard/seen them before.
Mae started off with one of their lesser-known songs, then a completely instrumental number before seguing into their more popular material with songs like "Embers And Envelopes", closing with "Someone Else's Arms" before an encore of the obscure fan favorite "Tisbury Lane". They have an amazing ability to replicate their sound on CD live, as well as improvise and arrange for the live show, but the deviations are always intentional. They are consummate musicians.
It was a great show, though I would suggest seeing both bands in more mosh-conducive venues unless you are extremely familiar with their music. Though both bands put on a good show, The Color Fred is definitely more of a performance-oriented group, as many Mae songs can become shoegaze anthems-a difficulty they handle fairly well with video and visualizations projected on a screen behind them.
Check out this video of The Color Fred performing "Get Out" Saturday night (courtesy of Colin Riddle, otherwise known as McLovin):
2/14/09
February Fun: Shows This Month
There are some sweet shows coming up the rest of this month. Here they are, in chronological order:
TONIGHT Saturday 2/14
Ben Folds, Miniature Tigers @ Electric Factory $35
OR
Mae, The Color Fred (ex-Taking Back Sunday) @ Messiah
OR
Texas in July, An Early Ending, Combat the Panda, Kyrie, Carousel Kings @ Chameleon $12
OR
Automatic Loveletter, A Cursive Memory, The Friday Night Boys, Solidlines, The Down Low @ Croc Rock $14
TOMORROW Sunday 2/15
Bloodhound Gang, J.J. Sinatra, El Destructo @ Chameleon Club $17 (SOLD OUT)
*you and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals* hahahaha
Monday 2/16
Ben Folds @ Club Zoo (Pittsburgh) $25
Tuesday 2/17
State Radio @ Croc Rock $14
Wednesday 2/18
Micah Dalton @ B-sides FREE
OR
Ludo, Sing It Loud, This Providence, The Morning Light @ Croc Rock $14
Friday 2/20 *Messiah people: this wknd is one of the $5 Philly trips*
M. Ward, Vivian Girls @ The Troc $19 (SOLD OUT)
OR
Escape the Fate, Black Tide, Attack Attack, Burn Halo @ 1st Unitarian $14 (SOLD OUT)
OR
Take Action Tour (see below) @ Rams Head Live $18
OR
Lovedrug, Kingsfoil, Cinder Hill, Captain of Compliments @ Chameleon $12
Saturday 2/21
Ludo, Sing It Loud, This Providence @ The Troc $14
OR
Take Action Tour: Cute Is What We Aim For, Meg & Dia, Breathe Carolina, Every Avenue,Anarbor @ TLA $?
OR
George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic @ Rams Head Live $40
OR
Jadakiss & a bunch of people no one ever heard of @ Croc Rock $18
Sunday 2/22
Take Action Tour (see above)@ 9:30 Club (DC) $16
Monday 2/23 OR Tuesday 2/24
Sara Bareilles @ World Cafe Live $30
Tuesday 2/24
The Number 12 Looks Like You, Our Last Night, Catherine, I See Stars, We Came As Romans @ Croc Rock $15
Wednesday 2/25
Jim Bianco @ B-sides FREE
Friday 2/27
Ben Kweller, Watson Twins, Jones Street Station @ TLA $23
Saturday 2/28
An Early Ending (video premiere), Texas In July, 19 Marks (CD release/1st show), Remember Tomorrow, The Rise Inside, Facing the Giants @ Champion Ship $7
OR
Thievery Corporation @ Electric Factory $38
OR
Tapes'n'Tapes, Wild Light (ex-Arcade Fire) @ Johnny Brenda's $13 (21+)
GO CHECK THEM OUT!
TONIGHT Saturday 2/14
Ben Folds, Miniature Tigers @ Electric Factory $35
OR
Mae, The Color Fred (ex-Taking Back Sunday) @ Messiah
OR
Texas in July, An Early Ending, Combat the Panda, Kyrie, Carousel Kings @ Chameleon $12
OR
Automatic Loveletter, A Cursive Memory, The Friday Night Boys, Solidlines, The Down Low @ Croc Rock $14
TOMORROW Sunday 2/15
Bloodhound Gang, J.J. Sinatra, El Destructo @ Chameleon Club $17 (SOLD OUT)
*you and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals* hahahaha
Monday 2/16
Ben Folds @ Club Zoo (Pittsburgh) $25
Tuesday 2/17
State Radio @ Croc Rock $14
Wednesday 2/18
Micah Dalton @ B-sides FREE
OR
Ludo, Sing It Loud, This Providence, The Morning Light @ Croc Rock $14
Friday 2/20 *Messiah people: this wknd is one of the $5 Philly trips*
M. Ward, Vivian Girls @ The Troc $19 (SOLD OUT)
OR
Escape the Fate, Black Tide, Attack Attack, Burn Halo @ 1st Unitarian $14 (SOLD OUT)
OR
Take Action Tour (see below) @ Rams Head Live $18
OR
Lovedrug, Kingsfoil, Cinder Hill, Captain of Compliments @ Chameleon $12
Saturday 2/21
Ludo, Sing It Loud, This Providence @ The Troc $14
OR
Take Action Tour: Cute Is What We Aim For, Meg & Dia, Breathe Carolina, Every Avenue,Anarbor @ TLA $?
OR
George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic @ Rams Head Live $40
OR
Jadakiss & a bunch of people no one ever heard of @ Croc Rock $18
Sunday 2/22
Take Action Tour (see above)@ 9:30 Club (DC) $16
Monday 2/23 OR Tuesday 2/24
Sara Bareilles @ World Cafe Live $30
Tuesday 2/24
The Number 12 Looks Like You, Our Last Night, Catherine, I See Stars, We Came As Romans @ Croc Rock $15
Wednesday 2/25
Jim Bianco @ B-sides FREE
Friday 2/27
Ben Kweller, Watson Twins, Jones Street Station @ TLA $23
Saturday 2/28
An Early Ending (video premiere), Texas In July, 19 Marks (CD release/1st show), Remember Tomorrow, The Rise Inside, Facing the Giants @ Champion Ship $7
OR
Thievery Corporation @ Electric Factory $38
OR
Tapes'n'Tapes, Wild Light (ex-Arcade Fire) @ Johnny Brenda's $13 (21+)
GO CHECK THEM OUT!
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