Why not Emm Gryner?
Exactly.
Emm Gryner is a
extremely talented singer and songwriter hailing from lovely Canada. I can't say enough good things about her really, as is the case with most people who know her. We met in Chicago on tour and kept in touch for the past few years. After not seeing her in quite sometime we picked up right where we left off and had a great time. She's constantly writing and playing and doing things like Living Room Tours which really demand your respect. What is the living room tour you may ask? It's something that is really basic - a concert in your living room. You provide the venue and some people to listen - they will play and sell their wares. Pretty cool idea. So, recently I caught up with Emm at one of these living room tours and had a great time. My myspace buddy Trish who also is fond of Emm opened the night. Cass and I took it all in - but I have to admit this - if nothing else - it was a bit akward at first. Being in a house of a person you don't know, with people you don't know is a great, weird, strange feeling all wrapped up with a bowtie. There was a
keg, some snacks, actually really good snacks - and of course good music.
Anyway, check out
Trish on her myspace page (and
Emm too!) - she is very talented - and definitely pick up
Emm's and
Trish's cds. In the end though, I think that the song I ended up digging the most that I had not previously heard from Emm was this haunting track below. The production values on the version that is on the cd is a little different than live - but still awesome. Live, Emm played just the bass and actually looped it. The minimalism of it was awesome and that is what initially struck as being cool - but the melody to go with it is very cool as well.
Big ups to
Jordie as well - that kid knows how to kick -
old school. And he's canadian! haha. just kidding big J. Oh, if someone reads this - happens to know his email addy - that would be fantastic. check out what Jordie has
happening. dope? yes.
Emm Gryner - Dearg Doom (follow link)
Then I Saw The Light.
Coldplay - Pine Knob - 8.30.2005
I had no idea what to expect heading into this show. Had Coldplay become the next Dave Matthews Band? Had they lost all creativity in their music and stage show? Were they really as good as I had heard? All were questions that needed be answered as Tara and I strolled into the venue in a light rain and purchased a frostly cold Miller Lite. (yes, miller lite.)
Rilo Kiley was the opener - first night on tour for them - and we missed them. Traffic was really bad getting to the show. You ever notice how when any type of weather change occurs there is a rash of accidents? First snow: lots of accidents - rain sometimes has the same effect. People maybe just forget to take it easy? Not sure. What I do know is that 75 - the potholled pavement that they call "expressway" here, was serving as a parking lot. So after some guidence from the sage known only as Singer, we hopped on a side rode to salvation. Usually getting to a venue is a venture through urban blight in the D, but to get to the Knob - you get to go down dirt road and other loveliness. Awwww. Anyway, back to the show.
Coldplay came out and the amazing back lit screen that is in their video speed of sound had decided to tour with them. nice. the whole thing lit up with a bright white that i believe could really only be produced by something hd or lcd. it looked amazing. the energy was good for the band and it was balls our from that point on. they played the hits - yellow - clocks - the scientist - sadly they did not play my fav - we never change. white shadows was probably my fav off the new album live. very very cool visual imagery.
enjoy the pix from the new razr - i think it maybe does an alright job after all. the yellow balls picture were dropped on yellow. for the encore christopher actually ran out into the crowd just MERE rows from us! in the end, go to see this band - props to the people that made it to what will probably be the best show at PINE KNOB (not that awful monopoly) to see the show. to those that didn't (bones, gomez, trix (you get the hall pass)) you get the jaquin phoenix steez thumbs down.
Di-Di-Di-Di-Pllllloooooo
Ok ok. So most everyone knows who the hell Diplo is by now - but I don't really care - and if you happen not to know - let me adjust the rock you are living under just a bit and introduce you. Diplo came up from Florida I do believe - although I could be wrong. He's been a leader in the new baile funk type movement or whatever - which leads me to something else. he also produced quite a large portion of M.I.A.'s disc:
Arular. (and he's dating her.) Not bad? Not bad.
So he did a tour with Maya (M.I.A.) which my good friend Dan and I attended. He was dropping beats, she was doing her thing and then
LCD Soundsystem came by, we were subjected to a few people "over dancing" and we left. Over dancing is a technical term, defined only by vision - but some know what it really means. So we left impressed with Maya, but not Diplo, and definitely not LCD. Diplo's intro thing for Maya was just weird. However, he totally redeemed himself with a totally amazing set in Chicago at Intonation fest. He played a great dj set and the place was completely freaking out - especially when he cracked in with a remixed version of TV on the Radio's Staring at the Sun. It was great and led me to revisit the CD Florida which I had picked up quite a long time before all this MIA, Intonation, Baile-funk crazy talk mumbo jumbo. So with that - enjoy one of my favs off the disc (which you should
buy) that is a bit more down tempo then the rest of the album - but still great. It's called Into the Sun. Sticking to the sun in the title - damnit.
I sure hope that Josh is checking this out. Maybe not. But I hope you all dig the stuff. Pretty sure my friend Dan will be contributing from time to time with his own twisted sick mind. God bless him. Until the morrow my friends, be well.
Diplo -
Into the Sun (follow the link)
I'm Mr. November....
Reggie Jackson eat your heart out. The National are a band hailing from the city of Brooooklyn, but originally they are from Cincy. What's even better trivia fodder? The band is 2 sets of brothers. They blend elements of The Walkmen and Nick Cave and this album was engineered by Paul Mahajan who has worked with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and TV on the Radio - both favs.
My friend Herm back in the hometown of GR - said the production values are totally different on this album, Aligator (buy it
here, today) then on their first one - Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers. (
buy that one as well)
The National - Mr. November (follow link)
Inspiration strikes...
It's funny, I've been meaning to do this for awhile. Start something for people to read - and maybe enjoy. It was this past Friday, I met a new friend Josh who totally inspired me to start this blog. Josh is leaving for Iraq this week and I want to make sure that he has something to look for from over here for whatever it's worth. So it's time to "give back" a little and see if people are picking up what I'm putting down. While I can't promise daily - I hope it can be something close to that - I can promise I'll try to keep it fresh both from a content prospective and from an updating perspective. I may have guest bloggers - I have a few in mind - so - let's all take a collective breath and make it happen.
The title Ecotone was taken from an episode of six feet under - it means a blending of a certain type or a convergence. Now I need to figure out how to post the first track - anyone know?
