Theindieartist.com is up.

I am very pleased to publicly announce that theindieartist.com is now live. While everything isn't quite up and running yet, (particularly the forum) hopefully I will have everything going soon.


I have noticed many glitches, bugs, etc. since I uploaded the site for the first time. If you happen to have noticed anything like this, or typos, or anything like that, I would love if you left me a comment here to tell me. I will correct it asap if you do. :)


Oh, and listen to "Winter is Coming" by Radical Face. It is pretty cool.

Anathallo.

I found Anathallo on last.fm. Initially I was drawn in to their music because of their instrumentation, but I almost overlooked the band. I first heard "The River." I wrote the song name down, but I didn't come back to it until much later.


Anathallo is in an interesting band, not just because of their consistent instrumental role switching, nor their bizarrely metered songs. It is also because of how far the band has actually come.


Listening to the band's older work, you'll hear what could be considered borderline progressive metal... Or some sort of heavy ska punk.


Now however, the band has completely transmutated into some particular hybrid of indie-rock.


With Anathallo you'll hear plenty of brass, guitar, drums, piano and vocals. Many members of the band may sing, shout, or scream at various parts in any song, and it adds a nice character to each piece, especially since it is done so tastefully.


Italo stands out to me for some reason. I really like the melodies, and the feel of the meter throughout the song. Enjoy!

Finishing School, and Pallett's Gear.

Tomorrow is my last day of school for the year. I have been busy wrapping things up and playing shows, so I haven't been able to post lately. Honestly, I should be practicing for a show that I have to tomorrow, but I thought I'd take the time to make a quick post.


I was on an Owen Pallett fan site, (alpentine.com) when I came across a link to a post that Pallett made on his site.


In the post, he lists his gear recommendations, as well as what he typical uses, what he has used in the past, and a little bit about what he wishes he used.


I have been wondering for quite a while about what pedals he actually uses, and I'm glad that I finally found out.


Here is the link: Owen Pallett's Gear

Amiina.

Sigur Rós is a great band. They have beautifully arranged music, a large fan base, and several fantastic albums. However, many people don't realize that the strings, brass, etc. so often featured in Sigur Rós songs are actually produced by a band that goes by Amiina.


Amiina, to no surprise, are also Icelandic based. The band once consisted of four females, but as of their latest album, Puzzle, the band has become a co-ed sextet.


To me, the instrumentation of Amiina is what makes them really interesting. One track will be performed solely on electronic instruments, then the next will be intricately displayed in an acoustic setting with musical saws, crystal glasses, and violins. The band pulls this off live by utilizing looping technology to completely layer their compositions.


Amiina currently have two albums, Puzzle, and Kurr, as well as numerous EPs. A majority of the tracks on every Amiina release are completely instrumental, but I have to admit that when there are vocals, I thoroughly enjoy them. I actually wish there was a little bit more singing.


My YouTube recommendation this time is, "What are we Waiting for" I quite enjoy it, and I hope you find the listening experience pleasurable as well.

An Old Paper.

I wrote a paper to my English teacher at the end of the first half of my senior year. The paper was not assigned, but I wanted to reflect upon the knowledge I had gained during the semester. I decided to share it to express some of my opinions here. It doesn't completely relate to music, but music is a partial topic, and I use it as a basis of comparison between other things. There is some ranting, some personal information, and parts that won't make sense out of context, but I don't mind sharing:

Indie Music, Sushi, and Character Development:

Three things I never thought related until I took English V H.

Music is always my point of assertion. It is a subject I have devoted a lot of thought to, and something that I feel is a great example in addressing society, the appreciation of art, and the lessons we should all learn. To suit my yearning, I will take that stance one last time.

Kiss 95.1 was once among my short but instantly depressing list of favorite radio stations. However, I chanced upon a band by the name of Red Hot Chili Peppers. on day It was then that they graced me with their beautiful 28 track album, Stadium Arcadium. Like many an iPod user, my first listen offered little more to my ears than that of indifference. This was tied to a strand of disappointment that just couldn't quite comprehend how so many songs could sound exactly the same. Some tracks were just more boring than others, nothing more could be taken from it. But then that's where I can begin to get to my main point, I suppose. I hadn't yet acquired a taste for it. I hadn't developed a full understanding for what made the music good.

As it so conveniently turns out, every track on that album went on to mean something to me. There came a point in time where virtually every song gave me an intense feeling where I wanted to blast the song in headphones in an awkwardly loud fashion, causing the person next to me on the bus to quietly dig out their own iPod to drown out the "weird" music with the latest top 40's songs they had just bought on iTunes. You know. The same songs that stayed on so many iPods for years afterwards growing stale and going untouched until more space was needed. Then of course, all of the lame dated stuff had to get cut. But who could blame the listener? Those songs get annoying after hearing them a million times! Or, actually, they start like that. Anyway, those Chili Pepper days breed quite a nostalgic feeling now. The band marked the very beginning of my transition into better music.

A few years later a friend of mine, Luke Jeffrey, showed me a band called Sigur Rós. They are an ambient band that rely on strings, minimalism, and vocals as a lyric-less instrument to make their music. If metal were ever to have an opposite, perhaps Sigur Rós could claim that title. But that doesn't make it bad. I like a little bit of metal and Icelandic music! Years ago I would have despised it. "How boring! How bland! These lyrics aren't even in English!" a young and naive Hayden might say. But by the time I first heard them, I knew better.

One time I offered my friend, Jessie Rogers, a piece of sushi. She had never had any before. It was a nice tender piece of salmon. Luscious and pink. What a piece of art it was, so delicately perched atop a small cloud of white rice. She took a bite. The first thing she said was that it was rather bland. It didn't have much flavor to her, and she considered it boring. What could i possibly see in it? I suppose I thought the same thing too at some point, about some other piece of sushi in a time now lost. These pieces of sushi... their stories run parallel. They served the same purpose, and they offered a more appreciative lifestyle. For myself, and for her, after the third time eating sushi, we found ourselves craving it. Once again I found myself in the situation I seem to love getting into. I was now loving something I previously found boring. 

The character development novel is a beautiful thing. A wise Mr. Kivett once said, "If you want to write a best seller, write a plot driven novel. If you want to write a classic, write a character development novel." Let me just say that I couldn't agree more. Since then, a few things have come to my attention. If you want to make it on the billboards, write a pop song. If you want to write a timeless piece of music, write a song with no popularity in mind. If you want to make billions, invent McDonald's. If you want to sell great food, just enjoy cooking. Sell sushi. Sell edible art.

That's one of the main things I realized on my English V Honors adventure. Sure, I came out with a broken arm, a black eye, no legs, several missing digits, bruises, a chronic headache, and a bent spine from the burden of a monstrous book filled with excerpts of novels that I question if any English class has actually ventured to read. But after it all, I really began to appreciate the classic novel, and the art of a good writing style. I can honestly say that I throughly enjoyed the reading I did in the class. For once in my life I can say I want to read. I like to read, and I will continue to read for pleasure and for knowledge for the rest of my life.

Finally I'd just like to conclude by pointing out that I've learned more about what it means to express my personal beliefs, and about what it means to have a teacher who wants me to learn. I don't mean just about grammar. Or getting A's. English V Honors is about actually saying something with words. Not just saying words. It is about the art of a novel. It is about the emotion in the novel. The moods. The tone. The hidden themes. To me, it was also about freeing the English language from pop culture, and not what it means to explore the stuff behind the scenes. You don't need such a defined plot to have a great story. 

So I suppose this is my long winded thank you to you. I would probably do it in person, but as you might have gathered, I'm rather introverted, quiet, and not well spoken when I feel "on the spot." You asked me to stay in touch, and that's my plan. Though I admit, if I make visits, they'll probably be rather awkward. It's just my style. Thanks again for going beyond the expectations of a teacher. It means a lot to students like myself when that happens.

The voice of Joanna Newsom.

Joanna Newsom is disliked by many, and praised as an excellent composer by many others. I found out about Joanna Newsom through an Owen Pallett cover, "Peach, Plum, Pear."

I really liked Owen Pallett's version, so I decided to look up the original. I was completely shocked and surprised by what I heard. I found the music in the background to be rather boring, and of course, I disliked the vocals.

Months passed, and I read a review of Ys, Newsom's second album. The review absolutely praised her music, so I decided to give it one last try. I was absolutely right for doing so; her vocals were still very bizarre, and hard for me to grasp, but the music was very nicely arranged. Hearing a harp as the defining instrument was also a nice change.

To those of you who have been repulsed by her voice or otherwise, I do recommend giving her a chance. In fact, there is good news for those of you who feel that way. Newsom had some issues with her vocal chords fairly recently which actually caused her voice to mellow out noticeably. I will leave you to explore her newest album, Have One On Me, for yourself. (It has three discs!)

Here is a track from Ys that I really enjoy:

Final Fantasy and Mario.

I was looking up Owen Pallett songs (formerly known as Final Fantasy) on YouTube last Saturday. I came across the audio of "Hey, Dad." As I was listening, I read some of the comments users had submitted on the video, and I found out something interesting.

Notice anything?

 

I didn't, because I have never played the game. The intro to this song is actually a song from Super Mario Bros. 3 called "Coin Heaven."

How about this one?

The entire verse is actually another Marion cover. It's a song called "Star Maze" from Super Mario Land 6 Golden Coins:

Interesting choices of covers, but nothing surprising from Owen Pallett. He has made it quite clear that he is an avid gamer.

If you enjoyed either one of those songs, and don't know much about Owen Pallett, I recommend listening to the songs "Lewis Takes Action" and "The Butcher" to get you started.

Lost in the Trees.

About two months ago I came across a very impressive band called Lost in the Trees, thanks to my personal radio station at Last.fm.

A track off of their most recent album began playing. The music instantly appealed to me, though I have to admit that I did have a problem with the somewhat poppy flair of the vocals. Even with that in my mind, the song was still arresting enough to deserve looking into, so I quickly scanned a few more songs by the band on YouTube. With a little consideration, I opted to give their latest album a listen.

I wound up with the 2008 copy of All Alone in an Empty House, and I tore through it in no time. By the next week, I had discovered that it technically isn't their latest release. They have a 2010 re-recorded version of the album, and a previous album, Time Taunts Me. I ordered the latter immediately after finding out about it, and gave the re-recorded album a listen soon after.

*On a side note, I really recommend listening to the 2008 version of All Alone in an Empty House, then listening to the 2010 version after letting the first sink in. The additions made on the re-release come unexpectedly after the older versions have become familiar, and it makes for an awesome listening experience.*

Between the two albums (or three, technically), I must say that I am wholly impressed. The vocals grew on me, and the black nature of both of the albums spoke to me especially, as I have always felt an affinity for the dark arts.

As for a typical listener with developed musical tastes, expect to find the work of Lost in the Trees to be cathartic, powerful, and passionate.

A few weeks ago I came across a youtube video of the band, and it begs to be shared with others. It might be the most impressive youtube performance I have ever seen.

You really should check them out for yourself:

The first post.

Blogging is a relatively new thing for me, so I decided that in my first post, instead of just starting by providing musical content for you to explore, I'd explain a little bit about my blogging goals, and myself.

Put plain and simply, this blog is going to be about my personal exploration through music, in hopes that I can assist you down your own musical path. I will likely post about new bands worth spending your non-refundable time listening to, notable musical experiences I have, and anything else I feel may pertain to the general audience members that piddle around these parts.

To give you a brief history of music, and myself, Sigur Rós was the first band that got me into the music I listen to. I remember lying in my bed one night, listening to my iPod. I selected, "intro" off of Agætis Byrjun with a sort of intent curiosity, and a generous helping of doubt that the post-rock band would have anything to offer me. I did this after hearing several people at my school imparting every sort of modern acclaim possible on the Icelandic band. Of course, up until a week before this event, I thought they were talking about a "Cigaros" band.

I made it through tracks 1 and 2 with increased interest, and conversely, evanesced skepticism. By track 3, I was strangely impressed by what I was hearing. It was a huge jump from what I was listening to before, which was mainly progressive and hard-rock music. I was shocked to find "Starálfur" so beautiful, as it was practically at the opposite end of of the musical spectrum from what my previous musical tastes were.

With that being said, I can see that I have come a long way since then, through music, and through the general aspects of life. I can also see that I have developed a small bias towards classically influenced independent music. I really enjoy the way bowed strings sound in a modern setting. I will try to keep that in mind when I make new posts. My goal is to introduce new music to you, so I will try to keep my mind open, and the musical selections I introduce, broad.

On a final note, I just wanted to say that I might include a few things about my life on here, such as realizations, thoughts, or experiences that I have had to increase the variety of content I am able to post, and to keep things interesting. At the very best, perhaps you will be able to take something from it, or at the very worst, I hope you find it somewhat interesting.

With all said and done in this moment, I leave you with "Starálfur”: