Ramblings: Music experiences of 2010

As the clock counts down to 2011 I can't help but reminisce about the moments of 2010. There were so many good memories that I will cherish my entire life. I've experienced so much, loved so much, travelled so much, and listened to so much. I'm not going to bog this post down with all of my experiences of 2010, so I'll focus on how this year has been the best for music for me.

The year started in Los Angeles. My first concert of the year was Do Make Say Think's 3-part show at The Troubadour. "3-part?" you may ask. Ohad Benchetrit's solo project, Years opened. Charles Spearin's The Happiness Project followed. Then they finished as Do Make Say Think. To this day, that was the best, most unique show I have experienced. This was a perfect introduction to 2010.

Other memorable moments:
• Magna's private 2-hour farewell tour before I left Los Angeles.
• Seeing Caspian in Dallas and hosting them at my family's house in Oklahoma City. The group photo with Caspian, mom, dad, and me will always be the coolest band photo ever, to me.
• The Non playing with a 25-piece orchestra at the Norman Music Festival.
• MONO (nothing else needs to be said)

Musical experiences of 2010:
Do Make Say Think
Magna
The Non
The Calm Blue Sea
Arms And Sleepers
Caspian
-Norman Music Festival 3
-Kite Flying Robot
-Jesse Aycock
-Beau Jennings
-Evangelicals
-The Octopus Project
-Post Arcadia
-Pretty Black Chains
-Grupo Phantasma
-Hiphopatomus
-Unwed Sailor
-The Non w/ Cloud Collision Orchestra
Balmorhea
MONO
Jónsi
Blixaboy
TOKiMONSTA
Bonobo
The Appleseed Cast
Tactics
Pompeii
The Eastern Sea
This Will Destroy You

Plans for 2011:
Godspeed You! Black Emperor x2
God Is An Astronaut
Képzelt Város
Our Ceasing Voice
marionette ID
Norman Music Festival 4
Mogwai

2010 will be a hard year to top in overall experiences. But it has some potential to be more musically epic.

As for music discovery, this has been a post-rock year. I realized just how big the post-rock scene is world-wide, albiet very localized. Gradually my interest in post-rock became an obsession when I kept stumbling upon amazing small-time artists like Képzelt Város, Adolf Plays The Jazz, EXIT Project, félperc, Asfandyar Khan, etc. I wanted to find more and more. "Gotta collect them all" mentality. Some of my favourite artists nowadays have ended up being these really small, localized artists that baffle me at how relatively unknown they are.

I was also introduced to a genre that was new to me that I now absolutely love, Trip-Hop.


I look forward to 2011 and what musical experiences it will have to offer.

God Is An Astronaut - Snowfall

So, I was debating what the last soundtrack to 2010 should be. And I have decided to go with one of the most memorable songs of the year for me. Good and bad memories lie behind this song, but all so memorable.

[Last.fm] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website]
(Purchase their music on iTunes, Facebook (Shop Now), or Revolvermann Records.)

Les Fragments de la Nuit – Soleils Noirs pour Lune Blanche

Jason of Pirate Ship Records posted an image of a beautiful coloured vinyl on facebook that once released sold out within an hour. Their black vinyl copies sold out save for one. I make the comment, "A lot can happen in an hour," to which he replies with a suggestion to check them out and directed me to their label's website (linked below). The song that plays upon entry is Cyclogenese. It was love at first listen. Before the song even finished I purchased that last black vinyl he had.

I was hoping Cyclogenese would be on youtube. However, Soleil Noirs pour Lune Blanche is great too.

[Last.fm] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website] [Label]
(Albums are available for purchase on iTunes and on their Label's page.)

Talha Asim Wynne - Into the Far Reaches of the Mind

Some Pakistani post-rock.

[Last.fm] [ReverbNation] [SoundCloud] [YouTube] [Myspace] [Twitter]
(Albums are freely available on last.fm and ReverbNation.)

tapeunderground - gyere a holdra

Tapeunderground was the band that got me into Trip-Hop. There have been artists that I had listened to previously, but at the time I wasn't quite as receptive. I was way too obsessed with Post-Rock. By the time I stumbled upon tapeunderground I was ready to open myself to different genres. Their seductively smooth, jazzy music with sensual vocals was just too... cool.

[Last.fm] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website]
(Albums freely available on their website. Requires registration first. Register Here. From top to bottom: Name, Username, Email, Password, Confirm Password. After registering and getting the email confirmation, log in on the main page. Download links are here. Kind of a pain for those that don't understand Hungarian, but it's well worth the trouble.)

Years Of Rice & Salt - Plankton

Whoops, kind of late for this post. I went to bed early and forgot to set a new Soundtrack To The Day on schdule.

[Last.fm] [Bandcamp] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website]
(Albums are freely available on bandcamp.)

Tomáš Dvořák - The Glasshouse With Butterfly

I like browsing through random people's profiles on last.fm and listen to what they've been recently listening to. One day I come across this woman's profile. I will admit, her attractiveness played a part in my delving into her recently listened-to music. That was when I came across this song. I was completely entranced. This is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in quite some time. Of course, I instantly went on an e-journey to find a way to purchase this Tomáš Dvořák's music. The word Machinarium kept coming up wherever I searched for his name. So I do a search for Machinarium and click on the first link. It's a video game, a puzzle game... a very beautifully made puzzle game. After a few minutes of play I decided to purchase the game (which comes with the soundtrack, and this song). Best 20 dollars I have spent on a game.
So, thank you attractive woman for unintentionally introducing me to one of the more memorable games I have played since Myst II: Riven.

[Last.fm] [Machinarium] [Amanita Design]
[Machinarium soundtrack, which includes The Glasshouse With Butterfly, is available as bonus material with the Machinarium game purchase [20 USD]. Check out Amanita Design for other neat games that Dvořák wrote music for.)

Caspian - Moksha

Gather around kids, it's time for a Christmas Story!

On a crisp, sunny weekend a couple years ago, I was hanging out with my good friend, Ben, quaffing some craft beers and grilling obscene amounts of meat, our usual manly routine. He decides to pull out this vinyl and play it. I was expecting some heavy riffs and gutturals (he's a formidable metalhead) but what I first heard was this gentle sound of a piano and a glockenspiel. "Well, this is unexpected," I thought. As the song progressed I was quickly blown away. This was nothing like I had ever heard. There was character, emotion, passion pouring out of those speakers.

Since that day I have been addicted to this completely unknown experimental movement of music, commonly referred to as "post-rock." At the time my only avenue to this genre was through Ben. He opened me up to other artists such as Explosions In The Sky, MONO, This Will Destroy You, Constants, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. At the time I thought these bands made up the entire genre.

Years later I discover last.fm and realize that these "small-time artists" that I thought were all that "post-rock" had to offer were actually some of the more well-known artists of a quickly expanding experimental movement that includes hundreds and hundreds of artists from all over the world.

What first started as a love-at-first-listen experience has turned into an insatiable desire to open my ears to more and more of these budding experimental rock artists. So, if it weren't for my virgin experience to Caspian's Moksha I wouldn't have eventually fell in love with Képzelt Város, félperc, marionette ID, Our Ceasing Voice, 417.3, EXXASENS, Последние Каникулы, Magna, The Non, Sleep Dealer, Years Of Rice And Salt, and many others.
I also wouldn't have been subjected to the amount of amazing musical experiences this year, such as Do Make Say Think's mind-blowing three-part show, MONO's breathtaking performance, The Non with a 25-piece orchestra, or Magna's unique living room show.
I just listened to music before. Since Caspian, music has been an experience. They set aflame a passion and appreciation for music I didn't have before. Even genres I loved before feel different now... classical, orchestral, jazz, classic rock, etc.


And that's how Moksha saved Christmas.

The end.


And in the spirit of giving, here is a nice compilation of free "post-rock." A week ago I compiled together a bunch of extremely small-time "post-rock" artists I had in my iTunes library. All of these artists have allowed their albums to be downloaded for free via bandcamp, last.fm, or other sources, so none of these are pirated. However, do visit their last.fm, facebook, myspace, and website pages and if you like them, support them. Spread their music, spread the cheer! (And that even sounded cheesy in my head.)

Merry Christmas.


[Last.fm] [Bandcamp] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website]
(Albums are for purchase on Bandcamp, iTunes, and their label [The Mylene Sheath].)

Realistic Crew - One Year

I just received these guys' album, Overcome, earlier tonight. I will admit, the exclusivity of owning a tangible item from a small-time artist in another country (in this case, Hungary) is kind of a neat feeling. You know that you're one of only a handful of people in your country that owns it. But at the same time it makes me want to go, "hey, listen to this" and try to turn that handful of people into a multitude.

[Last.fm] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website]
(Freedom Eats The Soul available for free download via Website. Overcome available for purchase on iTunes.)

Music video:
created by Ab Szurdi
director of photography - Károly Spáh
stills - Lili Érmezei
[Youtube]

День Космонавтики - Последний из марсиан

Cosmonautics Day - The Last Of The Martians

Brought to you by the Russian experimental rock artist of the solo-project Последние Каникулы (Last Holiday), День Космонавтики (Cosmonautics Day) is a brand new two-man experimental project. Their current songs incorporate jazz, electronic, and post-rock elements.

[Last.fm] [ReverbNation] [Myspace]
(Their music is available for free download on ReverbNation.)
The tracks lack ID3 tags. So, if you're anal about scrobbling correct tags like I am, here are the proper tags:
Artist: День Космонавтики
Tracks: The Last Of Martians = Последний из марсиан
Do androids dream of electric sheep? = Снятся ли андроидам электроовцы?
Cosmonautics Day = День Космонавтики

The Non w/ Cloud Collision Orchestra - Horse Leper

Around February of this year I was forced to move back to Oklahoma City from Los Angeles. This caused me to become fairly depressed knowing I'll be moving away from a city with a music scene that appeals to my tastes to one that most likely doesn't. So, I did a search on last.fm to see if there are any shows I'd be interested in. That was when I found The Non. I didn't listen to them, though. I wanted to give them the opportunity to "wow" me live. I attended their show with a couple friends. The first song they played was Pigeon Force. Since the moment that song started, I've been a huge, huge fan.

Normally I'd post studio recordings, but this blows away their studio recording. This video is from Norman Music Festival 3 where they played with a 25-piece orchestra, as you can tell. To this day, I still get shivers when see my recordings of this event. Horse Leper was the one song that blew me away the most.

Oklahoma City may not have a big post-rock scene, but we have The Non.


[Last.fm] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Twitter] [Website]
(Albums are for purchase on iTunes.)

Ramblings: Lunar Eclipse and Space Rock

Ah, tonight was beautiful. I laid down on the pavement and got to witness the moon slowly become eclipsed by the earth for the first time during a Winter Solstice since 1638. And to accompany my moon-gazing experience I had some space-themed "post-rock" and a 750ml bottle of the Boulevard Tank 7 Saison. I cannot think of any better music to listen to than Exxasens when gazing into the cosmos. And of course, beer is good with any experience.











Nights don't get any better than this.


-Bob

Katrah-Quey - Every Moment (feat. Analyrical)

I was never much a fan of hip-hop, even being heavily into trip-hop. However, when I stumbled upon Katrah-Quey, he gave me a new outlook on hip-hop. He adds a cool jazziness that is very appealing to me. While I don't ever see myself getting into common hip-hop that is infamous for making up ridiculous terminology, I'm definitely becoming more open to the genre.

[Last.fm] [Bandcamp] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Twitter]
(Mid-November EP available for free download on Last.fm. Other albums available for purchase n Bandcamp.)

Tactics - Magic Free / Labor Intensive

A brand new band hailing from San Marcos, Texas. Their appearance at the This Will Destroy You show on December 17th was their very first live appearance, and I'm honoured to have been among the few that got to witness this. It has been a while since I have seen this good of a band to open a show.

[Bandcamp] [Facebook] [Myspace]
(Download their albums for free on Bandcamp.)

Marionette ID - Disgraceful

Recently I have been severely addicted to these guys. I can't have enough!

[Last.fm] [Bandcamp] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website]
(Album available for purchase on Bandcamp.)

Concerts: This Will Destroy You at Mohawk in Austin, Texas (12/17)

I wish I could say only positive things about this show...

I'll start from the beginning.


I show up at the venue (Mohawk) at around 19:00. The outdoor stage was getting set up, so I just lounged around for a while. I got to meet Mark, the guy that came all the way from Tampa, Florida (a 1130 mile, 17 hour drive) just to see this show. Good conversation was had.

The first band comes up, Tactics. First word out of my mouth: Wow. I hadn't seen an opening band that was that good in a while. Typically the first opening artist is a fairly average, local, sometimes starting off band. These guys were local and were starting off (that was their first live appearance), but they were far from average. I will be listening to them a lot.

The second act was Pompeii. They were really enjoyable to watch, very energetic. I felt bad for them, though. Things weren't going their way. The bass kept cutting in and out.

When The Eastern Sea started setting up I noticed the trumpet. I started to get excited. The last show I saw that incorporated a trumpet was Do Make Say Think. I absolutely love trumpets. The music was a bit slower pace than I expected, but once I got over that I was thoroughly enjoying them.
The support guitarist was all over the place and fun to watch. The lead singer was having problems with his tuner (of which someone in the crowd is now a proud owner of). They interacted with the crowd a few times and did something that I thought was really neat, they had different parts of the crowd clapping different beats during one of their songs.

And then the reason why I drove 12 hours (a combination of 7 hours of driving and 5 hours of generally dicking around) This Will Destroy You. I hate to say negative things, but man, it took everything within me to not walk out. Don't get me wrong, TWDY is a phenomenal band, but there was a major audio issue... the speakers were pumping out an obscene amount of bass. Through the whole set you couldn't hear guitars, just bass. The last show I went to was Bonobo, a trip-hop artist, and he had DJs as his opening artists. That entire show had a stupidly awesome amount of bass. So, I can usually handle a lot of bass. But last night was to the point to where it was actually mildly painful. Sadly, I cannot truly say that I saw This Will Destroy You.

So, I have now made a personal goal to see TWDY again. I know they are mind-blowing live, everyone keeps telling me.


Concerning the audio problems, everyone gets those days where nothing goes right. I kind of wish that day wasn't a day I drove several hours to see a certain band, but eh, "shit happens." The venue is really cool, though. Aesthetically, it's probably one of my favourites. Aside from the audio issue, there is one problem... midnight curfew. I'm not sure if that's a venue thing or an Austin thing or the community they're situated around, but that's just... weird.
I hope to, some day, see another show at Mohawk, hopefully a day when there will be minimal technical difficulties.


I just want to add some props given to Vagabond for the show. While there were some technical difficulties, it was still all for a good cause (proceeds donated to Red Cross).


Tactics
[Bandcamp] [Facebook] [Myspace]

Pompeii
[Last.fm] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website] [YouTube]

The Eastern Sea
[Last.fm] [Facebook] [Myspace] [Website]

This Will Destroy You
[Last.fm] [Facebook] [Myspace]

Mohawk
[Facebook] [Myspace] [Website]

Vagabond Collective
[Facebook] [Facebook 2] [Myspace] [Website]

Последние Каникулы – Мои слёзы в твоих глаза

Last Holiday - My tears in your eyes


Another phenomenal one-man project. I was hoping to find the song Свобода убивать своё счастье on YouTube. I love Мои слёзы в твоих глаза, but Свобода was the first song that introduced me to Последние Каникулы, and it still affects me the same as it did the first time I heard it. Chills run down my spine when the music intensifies at 2:24. And at 4:16, as the song explodes, tears of sheer awe roll down my cheeks. MAN, I love that song!

And yes, I cry to music, when it's THAT AWESOME. I have cried to Caspian, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, MONO, and a bunch others. They're not tears of sadness but of recognition of awe, power, and intensity. I don't cry to all songs, some I get the spine chills.
And that's the excuse I'm sticking to to defend my own masculinity.

[Last.fm] [Myspace]
(Download his albums for free on Last.fm.)

Képzelt Város - White Noise

One of my favourite bands. Since I first heard this song on a "post-rock + cello" last.fm combo station I have made it a personal goal to see them live. I hope to fulfill that in mid-2011.

[Last.fm] [Bandcamp] [Myspace] [Facebook] [Website]
(Download their albums for free on last.fm or their website.)

Contemporary Noise Quintet - Walking Sin

(NSFW, mild nudity)

Director - Aleksey Kubasov
Camera - Polina Novozhilova

Anna Braude
Danila Schevchenko
Anton Starodubtsev
Sergey Yugov

[Last.fm] [Myspace] [Website]
(Pig Inside The Gentleman available on Amazon and iTunes.)

Short Film Artist
[Youtube] [Email]

Labrinto - Arcabuz

[Last.fm] [Bandcamp] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Website]
(Download their EP free on Last.fm and Bandcamp.)

félperc - Something's Wrong

félperc is one man. Such big music coming from one single man amazes me every time I listen to him. One other thing that amazes me is that he refuses to receive money for his music. In his own words, "it's just a hobby for me and thats why i'll not sell my songs for money." Something about that fills me with admiration for this man, putting all that time and effort into expressing his music for everyone to freely enjoy. Download links are available on his last.fm and myspace page.

[Last.fm] [Myspace] [Facebook]

Introduction

I guess as a first post it would be appropriate to express my intentions for this blog.

I love music. Not only do I love listening but I also love sharing the music that I enjoy. I don't want to be the person bragging, "I'm eclectic, I listen to obscure artists." No, I want to explore and share these obscure artists, open up as many people's eyes to these artists they didn't know existed. Because there is a world of phenomenal music that is just beneath the surface.

I also travel a lot for the sake of good music hence the "wandering" part.

My objectives for this blog:
I will try to post random songs daily, some words about attended concerts (this will not be often because it takes a lot of time to write concert reviews... and I go to a lot of concerts), announce some new album releases, and just various music-related stuff.
I won't do album or artist reviews, though. I'd prefer to let the music speak for itself. I will, however, write my personal experiences with different albums or songs every now and then.
I also won't offer rapidshare, mediafire, or other links. I understand that for some it is the only way to obtain music without giving up food for the week. But I just don't do that. I will offer Facebook, Myspace, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, ReverbNation, Last.fm, Website, and other various links to obtain and follow their music. There are a few blogs in my Recommended Music Blogs list that do offer mediafire links and I would highly suggest checking them out.

Currently my music preference has been post-rock. Most of the music shared here will be of that genre. However, I also love Jazz, Metal, genres that end in -core, Trip-Hop, Electronic, Shoegaze, Mathrock... to name a few. So, there will be an occasional spattering of non-post-rock posts. I am hoping to offer some good variety.


-Bob
[Last.fm Profile]