Music – Page 4 – Garrick van Buren

Storm Relief

I’m a big fan of storms. Everything falls away with a severe storm, summer or winter. Storms simplify.

Since I haven’t directly experienced anything more severe than a mild tornado, maybe I’m talking about midwestern storms here – crazy lightening, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, a couple feet of snow, nasty winds, things safely enjoyed in basements or hallways.

Storms where the only damage is washing away the banality of the day.

Like Jeremy Messersmith’s Snow Day.

Reliving My Past Lives

So, rewind a week or so Jen asks;
“What’s this $40 charge for Susy Q Hat Co?”
Me: “Susy Q? Huh? I have no idea….Oh, I ordered some Too Much Joy bootlegs and their tour/video DVD.”

Three discs, 2 from 1993 and the third from 1991 loaded into the iTunes a few days ago. I’ve been rocking out since. Odd thing is – unlike the polished, studio recordings I have – the bootlegs take me back 15 years. As soon as I hit play.

Which presents a fair question: Why would you want to be taken back 15 years?

In a lot of ways, the early 90s could have been better for me. Yet somehow, it’s the sunny, optimistic memories that are brought back.

Blaring TMJ on my dual cassette boombox sitting in my sunny bedroom.
Snowboarding the back hills of northwestern Wisconsin.
Blaring TMJ on my dual cassette boombox driving a raised Ford Ranger through the rural back roads

Thanks TMJ.

Looks like things in fact, have not gotten worse.

The Future Soon Flickr Flick

I got another Jonathan Coulton tune stuck in my head last week. As I’ve discovered, the best way to get the earworm out is to make a music video for it (i.e. purposefully listen to it repeatedly hundreds of times).

Inspired by JC’s classic Flickr, and the recently launched JoCoPro, I present you:
Future Flickr [quicktime].

Thanks to all the photographers (and JC himself) for publishing their works under Creative Commons – with special thanks to Chuck Olsen and J Wynia.

Tim Quirk Blogging Pop-Ed

One of the best songwriters in the world is finally blogging. Tim Quirk (Too Much Joy, Wonderlick, The Its) and his cohorts at Rhapsody have kicked off Pop-Ed: The Rhapsody Staff Blog.

Though I’d prefer his writing put to music, I’ll take what I can get at this point.

The Final 7 from the SXSW 2006 Showcasing Artists

Finally got through all the Showcasing Artists from this year’s SXSW. Found 39 songs
Which means there’s 7 you don’t know about yet….

Red Hot by Ellegarden
This is the same band as Blink 182, Sum 41, except of course – Ellegarden is from Tokyo. Rock on.
Got Myself Arrested by Gomez
Kari’s been a big fan of Gomez as long as I can remember. In this one track, I can see why. Good, solid, rock tune with hints of blues.
Are You the One by The Presets
Vocoder-heavy, electronica somewhere between Nine Inch Nails and Trans Am.
Changes by A Cursive Memory
Again, good poppy punk a la early Green Day.
Children of December by The Slip
This is the perfect song for a working outside on a spring day. As soon as the road construction ends, I can start doing. Also, it made the list just for referencing Autobots and Decepticons.
Shove U Out by The Applicators
Punk rock chix. The Applicators are to music as Alias is to spy dramas.
I am Aglow by Sarah Harmer
This one missed my inclusion earlier, because I though this was track from the Be Good Tanyas. It’s not, Sarah Harmer just has the same folk, country vibe.

I am Such a Jonathan Coulton Fanboy

There I admit it.

Note to local music venues: Here’s a Can’t Miss Line-up;

Jonathan Coulton
Jeremy Messersmith
Ben Folds
any combination of ex-Too Much Joy members

Five More from SXSW 2006

Modern Swinger by The Pink Spiders
If you’ve been following this series (or this blog in general) you’ve probably picked up on my preference for dorky white guys with silly songs. The Pink Spiders also fall into that category. This song specifically reminds me of Caviar’s “She’s Flawed Like a Diamond”.
Honey I Been Thinking About You by Jackie Greene
Twilight by Jon Dee Graham
A little country, a little Blues, a little folk.
Stop Acting Like You Know More About the Internet Cafe Than Me by Peachcake
Fun, dance-able like classic Pet Shop Boys or Erasure.
Tightly Wound by The Capes
Choppy, just the way I like my British rock.

Making Jonathan Coulton Videos – Minnesota’s Winter Pasttime

A 10th Grade class in Sobriety High down the street in Edina made a video for Jonathan Coulton’s ‘Mandelbrot Set’.

Aside from being a brilliant project, making videos for JC is a an excellent way to get through Minnesota winters. I should know.

9 More SXSW 2006 Selections

Vile Lives by The Arm
Simple, rock. Just the way I like it.
Goodbye Daily Sadness by Cruiserweight
Punk, rock, chix.
East Side by Benko
Hardcore Dork Rock.
Hanging Around by Gemma Hayes
A little country, a pretty voice. One of a million just like her, doesn’t change that I just like her.
Broaden a New Sound by Nobody & Mystical Chords of Memo
Non-existant in the Showcase listings. Not even Google knows. Sounds the the folks from The Minus 5 with a pseudonym.
Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Reminds me of anything by Sponge. Catchy, rockin’, with a thick layer of cheese on top.
Avantcore by Busdriver
The most interesting hip hop I’ve heard in quite a while, reminds me of early Del mixed with Soul Coughing
Bundys by Animal Alpha
What if L7 was from Norway? Glad you asked.
A New England by Billy Bragg
I was introduced to this song when Too Much Joy covered it on their …Finally Album. TMJ turned up the tempo and the desperation. By comparison, Bragg’s version seems painfully slow and half-hearted.

Second 2006 SXSW Band Showcase Bittorrent Out.

In case you missed, 229 more songs have been released in the 2006 SXSW Band Showcase Bittorrent.

Just in time too, I’ve only got 331 left from the first batch.