Update

Hi everyone,

I’m gradually recovering from a medical episode from several contributing factors. My doctor is making me take it slow, with a recovery prognosis of 6 months to a year (I’m learning how to be patient, it’s difficult).  I’m looking into volunteer opportunities and working on hobbies to get me through this stretch as well as grow from these new choices. I’m hoping to make a full recovery and find work in the near future.

Since being in the hospital January and following up  I’ve had many eye opening experiences.  I’ve been having a hard time communicating like my old self but I’ve been able to see a lot of things clearly. Coming off of this i deleted my old email which was hooked up to various social media accounts, therefore i haven’t been able to check or update those, if that’s any explanation for many of my social media savvy friends.  The depression accompanied with exercise has helped me to lose a bit of weight so far, but my appetite is also returning and things are improving.  I’m working to improve my diet as well as supplement with the proper vitamins my medications may be depleting.

I know this is a vague description, but i’d prefer to keep it that way for the time being.

Miguel’s Kaleidoscope Dream

Okay, so I’ve been out of commission on here for awhile, I’ve been busy working on myself, focusing on work and exploring new hobbies.  I don’t want this blog to die though, and I’ve stumbled across a magnificent new face in the R&B scene that has a fresh and inspiring presence.

Miguel, an R&B/Electronic/Sexy Music Man springs from Los Angeles, California.  His Mexican/African-American makeup makes him a sight for sore eyes, and he’s got the style and swagger to match. His album, Kaleidoscope Dream, is gaining critical praise and many predict him to gain more popularity.

Here are my faves off of the album:

Do You:

This song is my favorite.  The “drug” he refers to throughout the song is love.  I also like how he starts the song out with long, clear, Sade-esque notes in his opening line “Do you ever feel alone/ Do you still believe in love.”  The harmony and seamless production make this song perfect for me, not to mention “I’m gonna do you like drugs tonight” is an acceptable phrase in this song.  I can’t stop listening to it.

Adorn

Although the beat/production of this piece is killer, what I especially appreciate about this song are the words.  ”Let my love adorn you.” It’s a beautiful, idealistic concept that when done properly is perfection.  I just really like the use of “adorn,” my day job is creeping in here.

Where’s the Fun in Forever

A clever song about living in the moment and doing the right things for yourself.  Celebrating for yourself, not worrying about so many things far in the future.  It’s an idea that is a challenge in this information age to overcome, but it can be done quite successfully.

Overall, Miguel’s music is positive and authentic, i’m excited to see what he does next.

Cults

 

Before you go making assumptions that I’m branding people with a hot iron emblem or running in a pack of crazies stealing babies to start an uprising, remember this is a music blog.  This blog is about the band Cults! Not actual cults!

My weird sense of humor aside, I’m really enjoying Cults’ self titled debut album. The combination of Madeline Follin’s young wispy voice and Brian Oblivian’s ear for complementary vocal and musical contributions work remarkably well.  One could presume upon first listen that this band is kind of fluffy with upbeat tempos and Follin’s girlish voice, but then you listen to the lyrics.  Then you listen again. The words are smart, the accompaniment catchy, it all works.

My faves:

Abducted: Your classic heartbreak song CULTS STYLE (i don’t know, couldn’t help myself).  What makes this remarkable? Nothing really, its put together well and has a bunch of weird sounds thrown in there.  Weird sounds are always good.

You Know What I Mean: “Tell me what’s wrong with my brain/ cause i’ve seem to have lost it.”  Truer words haven’t been spoken.  That moment of strife when you have no idea what you’re going to do because you’re crazy, this can be applied in several different situations.  This song is also about not wanting to face the truth.  ”Cause I am afraid of the light yeah you know what I mean.”

Never Saw The Point:  Tends to be my philosophy on a lot of things.  If you can’t be what another person wants in any given interpersonal relationship then why bother?  Gotta do you first.  Catchy song too!

Bad Things: ” Bad things happen to the people you love/and you find yourself paying the diamond above.”  Another insightful life truth.    Some bands tend to be good on sound but weak on words, Cults does remarkably well in both realms.

Go Outside is their big hit right now, and its really cute, but overplayed.   The album has so many hidden gems inside!

SIDENOTE: I’m finally getting to see all of these songs’ music videos, and they’re all insane! But that’s good, i can appreciate artists with a taste of the absurd and extreme situations, it just adds another intellectual layer to their music.

Grizzly Bear: Shields

I’ve been listening to a range of different albums lately, all quite good, but the most impressionable album to me is Grizzly Bear’s understated masterpiece Shields. They topped their previous album Veckatimist with Shields (a feat in itself), building upon the complexity of Veckatimist yet expanding their sound to greater lengths in several of their songs. The album brings together a slew of different sounds, from bold drumlines, flute embellishments, orchestral compositions, their distinctive piano lines and strong synthesizer chords used to great effect in the climactic moments of the album. Not to mention Edward Droste’s beautiful tenor, which crisply cuts through the complex musical landscape.

They are truly one of the distinctive experimental bands of our generation. One would expect the music to sound crazy with all those things mentioned above combined but Grizzly Bear seems to combine it all smartly and narratively, evoking emotion from the soundscape alone, topping it with lyrics that are thoughtful, poetic and moving.

Okay, enough going on about how much I appreciate this band, here are my songs of choice.

Yet Again- A lot of Grizzly Bear’s lyrics stand alone as poetry. I’m not going to try to decipher what Yet Again’s lyrics mean, I’ll simply share the chorus, where the words are simple yet significant: “Take it all in stride/Speak, don’t confide/We barely have a case/It’s done before we try/It’s darkened and by night/A desert in deface”

A Simple Answer- Probably my favorite song from the album for the crescending rhythm (makes me feel like i’m on a train going somewhere) of the beginning of the song to the saxophone-psychedelic breakdown at the end, it’s an emotionally jolting piece.

Other songs I like are Gun Shy for its fun, care free vibe, as well as Half Gate which grows into this large soundscape filled with drums, guitar and strings. Idk, both good songs that I don’t feel like going into more depth about, because they speak for themselves, and this post is getting long enough. Seriously though, this album is pretty great if you’re into this kind of contemplative, well-crafted sound.

Twin Shadow – Confess

Everyone hates it  when an artist tries to harken a music era of the past and the sound comes out cheesy and contrived.  The artist, good intentions aside, makes themselves look like they’re trying too hard, also known back in the middle school day as a poseur.

Then there are artists who blow you away with a fresh perspective of an old sound.  That’s what Twin Shadow is to me.  His music harkens back to the synth pop fusion sound of the ’80s, but in his own way makes it modern and present.  A lot of people seem to agree with me too (not that it matters, because this is my blog).

You guessed it folks, here are my favorite songs:

Golden Light - It’s his description of a chance encounter where he pins thoughts of romantic interest and debates with himself what to do next (if anything).  A repetitive couplet throughout the song is “And if I chase after you/ Doesn’t mean that it’s true.” At first, analyzing the lyrics I got a little creeped out but as I read on there’s a hook at the end that sums up his loneliness and curiosity to see where this encounter may go “It’s been so long, so long/ Since I fell apart/ Fell in love.”  He’s just like any old human being, not a creepy stalker.  Anyway the sound of this song is great too, with a great beat and memorable melodies.  It retains a vintage sound while yet still having enough modern updates to feel fresh and not an 80s wannabe.

You Call Me On - I personally like the guitar intro and the overall composition of this song.  He’s singing about being in a different head space but still being drawn to another person in another different headspace, and the frustration that can come from it, the chorus being “You call me on/ Give it up/ Give it up” I interpret as frustration yet still being intrigued.

Run My Heart- This song straight up sounds like The Police, but I’m okay with that.  It’s about falling out of love and not being able to bring it back to what it was.  He’s very simplistic in his lyrics but they’re clear and get the point across, which I can appreciate.

The One- I like how upbeat this song is, and that it showcases his singing (something about men who can sing…).  This song is sweet, it plays on the whole “The One” person notion.  It evokes a certain emotion and the whole idea that we save our love for the right person.  Again, these are all concepts and ideas.  It’s a thoughtful, beautiful song.  He has a nice voice too.

SO yeah, that’s Twin Shadow for ya,  I really like it, I wasn’t sure what to expect when i first got the music, being that I heard about it through Pitchfork, but it’s pretty legit.  Thanks for reading.

New Obsession: Raphael Saadiq

It’s a name I’ve heard thrown around for quite some time now.  Now I GET IT.  I now get why it’s a tragedy Raphael Saadiq is not one of most famous people in the country, he’s incredibly talented and AUTHENTIC (hence, probably why he’s not super famous, rip on America intended).

The attention to detail and top notch musicianship is what makes his neo-soul sound remarkable.  The sound is paired with brilliant lyrics, and boom, he’s great.  That’s all I can say.   Although his album ‘The Way I see It” is the more recognizable of his albums, the following & his most recent album “Stone Rollin’” is my favorite.  Every song on it is good.  Here are my favorites.

Keep Marchin‘- A testament to picking it up when life is tough and making it work.  Fake it til you make it.  It’s bouncy and gospel-y and everything I like.  If you’re ever feeling down, turn this song up and you’ll feel better, I promise.

Sometimes- This is Saadiq’s song acknowledgement to a higher power.  The way it’s composed is striking, and the lyrics speak to ones core. There’s something comforting about it, at least to me, the chords are beautiful too.

Go To Hell- A song about him going through life, and like anyone, living it “imperfectly.”  It’s weird getting older and thinking about not being invincible anymore.  The song is resolved with love, and how there needs to be more of it everywhere.

Movin’ Down The Line- I hope to be as in love someday as this man was when he wrote this song.  His love is personified by the music, and it’s fantastic.

Good Man- He talks about being wronged by a past love, with a beautiful build towards the end about realizing he’ll get over it, and how he’ll be better for it.

If you like soul music, you should really give him a listen, if you haven’t already.  Maybe I’m the last person to ever discover him, it’s possible.

Hot Chip are a Bunch of Musical Wizards

I stand by my headline, AND I’M BACK! I’ve had a jolt of inspiration at 2 in the morning to write about the new Hot Chip album that I’m pretty obsessed with right now.  It’s the new one called In Our Heads, it’s pretty rad.  

It’s hard to pin down Hot Chip.  They just make good a$$ music.  The songs vary a bit throughout the album, some crazy colorful to more cerebral, contemplative content.  I can’t really fully articulate why they’re so amazing, they just have an amazing collective ear for techno hitting spot on all the major components that comprise the genre.

For all of those that got down to Ready for the Floor in college (or wherever) and thought Hot Chip was a one hit wonder, I offer these suggestions (with not much explanation to why, these are just my faves)

I’m going to try a new way of describing songs in 10 words or less. That means I have to make the words punchy.

How Do You Do? - It’s about falling in love.  It’s cute.

Don’t Deny Your Heart - Raw beat/ Funky/ Synthesizer/ Layered/ Complex/ Sounds like Prince sorta.

Look At Where We Are- Soulful, all of its good.

Flutes – Annoying video, good song, great musical build.

OKAY, so maybe I’m a lil lazier than i thought, but don’t let that dissuade you from checking this album out, it’s pretty great.  Night y’all.