Friday, May 30, 2008

Alexander Courage's Passing



I'm not a huge Star Trek fan by any means, but I am a SciFi fan, and I was saddened to learn that Alexander Courage, who composed the original Star Trek theme, died this past month at the age of 88.
The original Star Trek is one of the pinnacles of Science Fiction media, whether you're a trekkie or not. It was so original, interesting and broke numerous barriers and has served as a benchmark for everything after it. The TV theme here is the perfect introduction.

Main Theme - Alexander Courage

Thursday, May 29, 2008

501stCast: Episode 16: May 29, 2008: Size Matters Not


We’re back on track for a Thursday release in this short but fun show. Mission reports, the “Ultimate E-11″ blaster prop, a new Honorary Member, and more… Help us identify the “Why I Love the Legion” contest winner, too!

Show Notes: Episode XVI (May 29, 2008)

Hosts: Dean Plantamura (TK-899), Varza (DZ-8772) and Lor (TK-7883)

Post-Production: Jacques Languedoc (TK-9966)

Content Development: Nicky Blum (DZ-8397), Dean Plantamura (TK-899)

Contributors: Andrew Liptak (TK-3220), Burr Martin (TD-9993)

Mission Reports

Upcoming Events

Other

  • Unit Anniversaries

  • Honorary Member Birthday Wishes

    • Constantino Romero (May 29th)
    • Daniel Logan (June 6th)
icon for podpress Standard Podcast: Download

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Cover and Original - Maps


I came across this song Maps when I played Rock Band with a couple friends of mine for the first time. The tune stuck in my head until I remembered what it was and I've been listening to it since. I was browsing around earlier today and came across a cover of the song, by the fantastic indie-group Arcade Fire.
Their cover version of the song is pretty faithful to the original version. The vocals are changed over to match a male voice and the group has created their own subtle variation of the song that makes it a bit richer - there's some interesting songs thrown in there, which is pretty cool.

Maps (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) - The Arcade Fire
Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Alchemy in Silent Spaces

Last post for the day - there's been a lot to talk about over the past couple days!

I mentioned that I went to New York City. My brother was playing for a Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall, which was fantastic - this was also his third time playing there, and he's not out of college yet. He's off to a promising start.
In any case, the third piece that his group played was called Alchemy in Silent Spaces, by Steven Bryant. It's a very minimal, elegant and beautiful piece of music, and I just found a copy online. I highly, highly, highly recommend checking this one out.

Alchemy in Silent Spaces (Orchestra Arrangement) - The Juilliard Orchestra, Steven Bryant, Composer


Memorial Day



I was on the road yesterday, and wasn't able to post this.

I have an enormous amount of respect for the US Armed forces. They do an important job, regardless of personal politics. I've gone to school and worked with a number of veterans and future veterans, and the deserve this day.

Taps - Corb Lund

Jon Regen - Live in Vienna

Jon Regen, whom I've talked about before, is currently out on tour in Europe. Here's a track from Vienna, the title track from his latest album, Let It Go. This is a pretty good live version. Hopefully, he'll be touring in the US - I'd love to see him live and in person.


UPCOMING TOUR DATES

May 31 2008 8:00PM
LA NOTTE BIANCA UNIVERSITARIA Cesena, Italy

July 19 2008 8:00 PM
GRIZANE FESTIVAL Griziane, Italy

July 20-28 2008 TBA
LA GHIRONDA FESTIVAL Puglia, Italy

September 25-27 2008 8:00 PM
PIZZA EXPRESS JAZZ CLUB London, UK


Let It Go - Jon Regen


Mix




I'm hopeful. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but for the first time in a while, hopeful.

Comfort - Carbon Leaf
Hold You In My Arms - Ray LaMontagne
Stop the Bus - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Dreaming - Sara Wheeler
Song for You - Alexi Murdoch
Walk With You - Dispatch
Got To Get You Into My Life - The Beatles

NYC



This past weekend, I went down to NYC to see my brother in concert, walked around, very fun weekend. I meant to post this last week, but just didn't have the time.

New York - U2
The Only Living Boy in New York - Simon & Garfunkle
59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) - Simon & Garfunkle
Marching Bands of Manhattan - Death Cab for Cutie

Friday, May 23, 2008

Why Indy 4 Doesn't Live Up





So I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull last night, and I have to say that it really doesn't live up to expectations, which is disappointing, to say the least. Of all the movies that I've been looking forwards to this year, I think that it had the most to live up to, and so far, it's a shame that it didn't really hit the high mark that it should have.

Caution, spoilers follow. The movie opens showing us that the world of Indiana Jones has moved forwards 20 or so years. It's now 1957, and the Cold War is in full force. Unfortunately, the reminders don't stop, from the constant tidbits and hints that are dropped throughout the film. Apparently Indiana worked for the US government, fought in the war, won some metals, and continued to teach. (There was a fun cameo by the guy who plays the Janitor from Scrubs). The Nazis are gone, replaced by the Soviets.

The movie's fast paced, exciting and holds no surprises. Indy films have a certain number criteria - you need a couple car chases, agents with foreign accents, some fist fights some sort of mythical elements and of course, a mass of small, creepy animals. This time, it's giant ants who cart off anyone who strets on their turf. This film pretty much has all of the above.

Unfortunately, while this movie has all of the elements of an Indy film, they seemed to leave out the emotional essence that has really defines the prior films in the franchise. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, we see Indiana Jones motivated somewhat by greed, the need to save an artifact from misuse (thus saving the world), and the desire to save the girl, and this is somewhat replicated in the Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade. Here, Indy himself is just along for the ride, brought into things by Mutt (a horribly craptacular name) who turns out to be his son. Indiana has been busy already, being kidnapped and taken to Area 51 to identify a crate containing the remains of an alien from Roswell, where we first see our Russian foes.

Indiana is showing his years. He's gray, and doesn't sound like he used to. There's a certain wariness to the character. Once he gets his leather jacket and fedora on, the action picks up a bit, but the core of the movie is just not there. Indy's not motivated, not by love, not by the desire to protect the past from misuse. He's essentially along for the ride.



There are some moments that work out here. The grave yard scene is fun, as is the jeep chase through the jungle (despite the fact that no jungle would ever be that open), Indiana surviving a nuclear detonation, and seeing some tidbits from the last couple movies, such as the glimpse of the Ark of the Covenant, the picture of Sean Connery and Marcus (another reminder that 20 years has passed). It was also neat to see South America again.
I'm not sure yet what I think about the UFOs and Roswell connection to the franchise. While I'm all for mythical elements, I think this was a little overboard, and it reminded me far too much of the movie Stargate. Indiana Jones and Aliens just don't sit right, not when there have been stories with a lot more depth. There was a neat little biblicdal reference with the red ants parting when they came across the skull, a sort of parting of the red sea. The story here doesn't come close to the one that comes together here.

One big reason why I think that I'm a little annoyed was the constant reminders to who Indiana Jones is, and what he's done. The original Trilogy is sufficiently old and well known enough that most elements of Indiana are pretty well known. We know he doesn't like snakes. We know about the Ark, we know about his father and Marcus. Plus, after the beginning, we know that this is all in the Cold War, yet there are reminders everywhere in the movie. To me, that is pretty sloppy screen writing.

On a music and soundtrack level, this was probably the weakest of all the Indy Soundtracks. I wasn't totally listening to it, but nothing really jumped out at me like the other three movies.

Yet, even here, there are some classic indy moments. "Damn, I thought that was closer" and "I Like Ike" will probably go down as such. Actually, the whole first act might qualify someday.

Finally, the worst aspect of the movie was Shia LaBeouf. Alternating between irritating kid and helper, he didn't add too much to the movie, and I was really annoyed when the hat rolled to him, a sort of passing the franchise onto a newer and younger audience. I hope that doesn't happen. While I'd like to so see Indy continue, I'd like to see good movies.

Indiana Jones has come to the atomic age - he's made the transition from the adventure pulps to the science fiction ones, and I'm not sure the transition made the jump all that well. This is a new Indiana Jones, and while there are traces of the old one, there's many differences. This isn't a bad movie, but it's not entirely what I, or most fans of the old movies hoped for.

The Raider's March - John Williams and the Boston Pops

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Duet - Josh Ritter & Kathleen Edwards



There's something to be said for a really simple, calm song. The duet here is between two of my favorite alt-country/folk-rock singers, Josh Ritter and Kathleen Edwards. Both of these guys are really similar, and I've never really looked at them together at all. Both have their hard folk sound with their faster songs, but also have their softer side, as seen with this song.


Wanna go get high?
Mercury is parked outside
Wanna take me to
The parking lot of the old high school

And it's like you said
I would've turned up dead in the car


This is a fantastic duet between the two - Josh is mainly on supporting vocals here, but he has a nice presence here, and Kathleen has her own fantastic sound here.

Mercury (Kathleen Edwards) - Josh Ritter & Kathleen Edwards

And, a song that I couldn't resist putting up:

Kathleen - Josh Ritter

501stCast: Episode 15: May 19, 2008: We are the Heart of an Empire

Latest Podcast Out!

501stCast: Episode 15: May 19, 2008: We are the Heart of an Empire
May 19th, 2008 — Full-Length Podcast

Our apologies for the long delay in getting this episode out to you. We hope this will be worth the wait (it’s a long one)!
Speaking of long delays, make sure to check out our news regarding Heart of an Empire!

Show Notes: Episode XV (May 19, 2008)

Hosts: Dean Plantamura (TK-899), Varza (DZ-8772) and Lor (TK-7883)

Post-Production: Jacques Languedoc (TK-9966)

Content Development: Nicky Blum (DZ-8397)

Contributors: Andrew Liptak (TK-3220), Burr Martin (TD-9993), TD-0013

  • Heart of an Empire on DVD this fall
  • Least I Could Do (web-comic) - Note: Some mature material.
  • Trooper Tips: Avoid Heat Exhaustion
  • Matt Busch’s Return of the Jedi charity print (order site)
  • 501st mobilizes to lend aid to Chinese earthquake victims
  • Get Well Soon SL-4445
  • Trooper of the Month Interview: Tom Schaefer (TK-118) (tk118.com)

Mission Reports

Detachment Briefing: Jolly Roger Squadron

Upcoming Events

Rebel Legion Costuming Segment

Other

Cover and Original: Cobra Style


This is a fun song that's fun - Cobrastyle. Right from the beginning, it's got a really fast beat and vocals. The cover of this version is by Robyn, from Sweden (the Teddybears, who did the original, are also from Sweden). Her cover of the song doesn't really differ all that much, but it sounds a bit more refined, softer around the edges, more like a pop song than a hip-hop one.
The two recently appeared together on the Late Show with David Letterman to perform the song with a fun version of the song - lot of energy.

Cobrastyle (The Teddybears) - Robyn
Cobrastyle - The Teddybears feat. Mad
Cobrastyle - The Teddybears & Robyn

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

New Amos Lee!



Wow, where did this come from? A while ago, I was looking around for information on Amos Lee, to see if he was back on tour or working on a new album, and nada. Nothing anywhere. Then, this morning, I came across a single, Listen, on iTunes and another song, and discovered that not only is he back on tour, but Lee's 3rd album will be released on June 24th (Day before my birthday!)!. I'm excited, and promptly downloaded Listen.
The album, titled Last Days at the Lodge, seems to already break from his typical sound from his self title debut and Supply and Demand. It's a little faster, more intense, electric. I like it, and I am already counting down the days until this release.
Here's the track list:

1- "Listen"
2- "Won't Let Me Go"
3- "Baby I Want You"
4- "Truth"
5- "What's Been Going On"
6- "Street Corner Preacher"
7- "It Started To Rain"
8- "Kid"
9- "Jails & Bombs"
10- "Ease Back"
11- "Better Days"


Ease Back - Amos Lee

Weekend Geekery

This weekend, I did two events in armor, the Burlington Kid's Day and Granite City Comic Con. Very fun weekend, brought a lot of smiles to people's faces.

Burlington:



Granite City Comicon:



Imperial March - John Williams & the London Symphony Orchestra

House Season Finale



I've often said that I've loved the show House MD, and particularly, their tastes in music when picking the soundtrack. Last night was the Season finale, which I think was one of the best episodes in the entire show yet. (There are some spoilers here)
From the beginning, when House replaced his entire team, I didn't really like Amber, and was happy that she wasn't picked for the team. But since she's started going out with Wilson, she's become more than tolerable, and her sparring with House was something that was really interesting. This little story arc was far more powerful and different than some of the other ones.
Last night's episode, when we found that she was in the accident, and that there was nothing that they could do, the last act of the show was possibly the most emotional one on there, especially when Wilson turned off the bypass. Bon Iver's Re: Stacks was the absolute perfect song that they could work in there, and hearing Jose Gonzalez's cover of the theme song, Teardrop, was fantastic as well. And, to cap it off, with Iron and Wine's Passing Afternoon, I think we hit the jackpot with songs.
After that last scene, I'll be interested to see what happens next season between House and Wilson.

Passing Afternoon - Iron & Wine
Re: Stacks - Bon Iver
Teardrop - José González

Friday, May 16, 2008

Violet Hill Video!


A video for Coldplay's latest single has appeared online. It's pretty cool:









Violet Hill - Coldplay

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Album Review: Narrow Stairs





Death Cab for Cutie's latest album, Narrow Stairs has been one of the more anticipated albums, one of several this year, and it's one that I feel is one of the better albums of the year so far. Death Cab for Cutie has been a consistent sound in the indie rock scene for a number of years now, and with this release, they're shaking things up a little. The sound, which seemed like it had a much softer edge has hardened a bit. There's more guitar, giving it a bite. Songs are a bit faster, more interesting. They do slow it down a bit, but even then, there's a different feel and rhythm to their sound.

It's a jump from their last album, Plans, and an even bigger jump from Transalanticism. I like the change. The group sounds a little more experienced, together and overall, better with this latest album. There's a real pulse here, more energy and intensity behind it. Overall, I think that this is one of their best efforts yet.

Cath... - Death Cab for Cutie
Bixby Canyon Bridge - Death Cab for Cutie

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Live on Mars




ABC announced today that they green lit an American version of the UK show Life on Mars. The show has become one of my favorites, and while I'm nervous that the new version won't hold up to the original, I'm interested to see what direction they take this show, and if it will take off here in the US. Increasingly, SciFi shows are canceled due to lower ratings, and it's entirely possible that while this can be a great show, it could also be off the air regardless of quality.
The show, which follows detective Sam Tyler, takes place in 1973, when Tyler, a modern day police officer in Manchester, finds himself stuck in after an accident. The show is one of the best that I've ever seen. A follow up show, Ashes to Ashes is almost as good. Not quite, but still interesting to watch.
Life on Mars comes from the title of the David Bowie song, which is pretty neat. And Blunt's 1973 video actually looks and feels a lot like the world Sam finds himself in. Check the show out if you haven't. It's brilliant, and has a killer soundtrack.

Life on Mars - David Bowie
1973 - James Blunt

Monday, May 12, 2008

New A Fine Frenzy Video

One of my favorites, A Fine Frenzy, has just released a new video from her fantastic album One Cell in the Sea, this time for the song Come On, Come Out. Here it is, enjoy!

High Resolution (480x375)


Low Resolution (320x255)


Come On, Come Out (Audio Stream) - A Fine Frenzy

Friday, May 9, 2008

New Gnarls Barkley Video

Gnarls Barkley has just released the video for his fantastic song Going On. Take a look here:





Thursday, May 8, 2008

New Artist: Landon Pigg



One new artist that really fits with my music tastes that I've just come across is Landon Pigg, who have recently released his recent EP, Coffee Shop, which contains five tracks of light, acoustic folk rock.
It's an interesting listen, with the first track Falling in Love At A Coffee Shop, which has gained quite a bit of popularity through its use in a couple commercials and in a recent TV show. It's also the weakest song on the EP, with the last song, Magnetismo (Magnetism) being the strongest.
Coffee Shop and Landon hit all the right marks for me - acoustic guitar, decent voice, but there's something that's a little off with this album. It feels too light, too airy, with little substance to really anchor it down. There's some good starts, in the stronger tracks, such as Magnetismo and Great Companion.
That being said, it's a pretty good start of a career for a young musician. He's got all the right sounds and motions, and undoubtedly will be releasing an album at some point in the near future, which will hopefully improve upon his sound and songwriting. His sound is such that he will be popular with the college demographic who's enamored of the Nick Drake sound and all things similar to the fantastic Garden State soundtrack. Landon doesn't seem to offer this particular genre anything new, but is treading over familiar ground, which is not a bad thing - it's a good sound to copy. Hopefully however, he'll go off and experiment a little and come up with something very good. There's seeds of that in this EP.

Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop (Video)- Landon Pigg

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Cover & Original - Hard Sun




This week's cover is one that I've really been looking for for months. Last year, the movie Into the Wild was released to theaters, and is now out on DVD. I have yet to see it, but I did pick up the soundtrack, which doubles as a solo album for Eddie Vedder, and it's quite a good one at that. The big song was Hard Sun, which I later learned was a cover by a guy named Gordon Peterson, also known as Indio.
Vedder's version is very similar to the original one, although it have more power and energy behind it, and as a result, it a little more radio friendly. It was, and still is, one of my favorite songs from last year.
The original is softer, more folk-ish than Vedder's version, and listening to both side by side, both cover and original are stellar songs.

Hard Sun (Indio) - Eddy Vedder
Hard Sun - Indio (Gordon Peterson)

Earth to the Dandy Warhols



Space makes me happy. Actually, anything that's somewhat related to science fiction tends to put me into a good mood. Thus, the new track from the Dandy Warhols (who are already somewhat a geek band in my mind after lending a song for the theme song for Veronica Mars), is good. What makes it even better though, is that they got Hard Sci-Fi writer Richard K. Morgan, who's penned a couple of my favorite books and who's a rising star in the field, to write their bio:


Special Investigative Bulletin 2137

Out there, orbiting, denting our data-space with their transmissions, The Dandy Warhols pose, if not an actual threat, then at least a series of pressing questions; Where do they come from? What drives them? And perhaps most of all, what do the Dandy Warhols want with us?
Detail, of course, is hard to come by, scarred as it is with star static, multiply censored dataflow and blasts of what our ancestors would doubtless have referred to as feedback. But this much is (probably) certain:

Sponsored more or less from birth by a host of cutting edge biotech firms anxious for product placement, it was perhaps inevitable that Courtney Taylor-Taylor would become the “acceptable face” of augmented humanity. His biocodes had been trimmed for upfront deployment and extreme-impact diplomacy, and his membership of the Rim States aristocracy provided him with ample opportunity to hone these enhancements to a monofilament edge. This he duly did, though not always showing a great deal of subtlety or concern for legality in the process. Response to his transgressions varied – the ordinary citizens of the Rim quickly adopted his image as one of iconic Everyman revolt and cool, while the elites despised and feared him in about equal measure and for much the same reason. Before long, he was at quiet but remorseless war with the oligarchy that had produced him, a state of affairs that could really only have one outcome: Taylor-Taylor shipped out for Mars, one small step ahead of massing suspicious circumstance, probable cause and society scandal that not even the ubiquitous influence of clan Taylor-Taylor itself could fully suppress. Though never officially confirmed, the dataflow rumour is that RimSec offered the aristo clan the option of exiling their wayward scion as the only alternative to immediate arrest and psycho-chemical “counselling”. Whatever the truth of this, Taylor-Taylor applied for the Mars Uplands HHD (Hazardous Human Dynamics) Control Team, and was immediately accepted for duty. Whether out of characteristic bravado or quite genuine boredom with life on Earth, he signed on for the full five year stint.

Brent DeBoer, the story goes, came out of the desert at Bradbury station on foot, bruised, sun-scarred, severely dehydrated and still jacked directly into the AI core that he’d been carrying on his back for the last three days. Until he appeared, everyone at Bradbury just assumed he’d burnt up in the atmosphere with the rest of his meteorite-riddled ship. After he appeared, what no-one could figure out was how, or more importantly, why he’d carried the fifty seven kilo core back to civilisation. At the MarsNet press conference a week later, it was a question that seemed to puzzle him. “You don’t leave your friends behind,” he’s reported to have said. “The AI got me down safely, least I could do was walk it out of there.” Like a growing number of young spacers, DeBoer’s empathy range appears to have increased exponentially with mission time as if to balance a similarly evolving enhanced capacity for complex problem-solving. “He’s talking to the machines at levels we simply can’t understand anymore,” an Agency neurochemical engineer who asked to remain anonymous told MarsNet Channel Five. “And it’s given him this, I dunno, this serenity. It’s like he’s reached this fundamental relationship with the underlying nature of reality that’s denied to ordinary humans.” In many ways the most mysterious of the Dandys, DeBoer has never confirmed or denied this report, but admits that “down at the quantum level, yeah, there’s a lot of weird shit going on, and it does tend to make you smile.”

It’s not known what covert operations purpose Peter Holmstrom was originally intended to serve, nor who funded the programme. What is an undisputed matter of record is that he was decanted early during a genetic policy crisis, nine years off the start of the new century and six or seven biomesh chemicals short of the mix RimSec guidelines generally consider “advisable for good citizenship.” Rumour (and careful data-feed extrapolation) puts Holmstrom on the streets of the Angeline Freeport not long after, exploiting this chemical imbalance to “unlicensed ends” and displaying what point-of-impact corporate enforcement sources would later term “a profoundly non-cooperative stance.” Such allegiances as he made at this time were limited to fringe groups like the Ground Out Crew, the Chemical Transformatives and (possibly, though unsubstantiated) Ishmael’s Little Watchers. Other detail is sparse, and amounts to little more than a general agreement among Angeline eye-witnesses that “you did not want to cross wires with that Holmstrom unit, man.” Given the state of social and political flux current in the Freeport at the time, it is perhaps no surprise that Holmstrom largely disappears from the official dataflow during this period and is next heard of as an HHD consultant in the Martian uplands beyond Wells Camp. Anecdotal evidence suggests that this is where he first met Courtney Taylor Taylor, during a terra-forming functions collapse both men had been detailed to manage back to safe levels; in all probability it was this potentially lethal shared experience that caused the two men to begin laying the groundwork for the early Dandys protocols.

Demobbed relic of a Russo-British deep-reach mission whose heroic aspirations were never quite matched by its technical back-up or funding, Zia McCabe came back – to the extent anyone ever does – wired for rapid response and troubleshooting with limited tools to hand. “Out there,” she told the Rim States debriefing agent unsmilingly, “you can’t just order something from the machinery like it was home-delivered blinis. You don’t improvise quick and solid, don’t make that patch, then you’re frozen meat in a cometary. It’s a state of mind thing, not just training. Call it Vacuum Zen.” The Agency, it seems, took her at her word. Her Rim citizenship was expedited, the software patches she’d self-modified in-mission were re-licensed under the 2103 Hernandez Amendment, and within weeks she was back out at the edge of things with the Dandys. Attempts to glamorize this in local media feeds met with a stony response. “I’m here for the work I do. Go ask the rest of the crew what kind of lipstick they wear. Why do I get all the stupid questions?” To date, McCabe remains the youngest graduate of the Vladivostock Institute ever to hold a Saturn Haulage captain’s accreditation. She holds an A-rating from the Pilot Assessor’s Oversight Office and her prior deep-reach experience permits her to operate most types of hard-space rig; her matched software reputedly runs somewhere in the 90-150 terahertz range. Last year, she was ranked eleventh in Chronos magazine’s Hundred Most Influential Women in Space.

- filed by Richard K. Morgan
Reporting from a time and place in the dataflow where it still only takes one person to read the news.


Seriously, that's just damn cool. If you haven't done so, check out Altered Carbon, Broken Angels and Woken Furies (The Kovaks Trilogy), or Thirteen, by Morgan. And, of course, give this track a listen.

The World, The People Together (Come On) - The Dandy Worhols

Album Review: View from the Root




A while ago, I came across a new band, the Adam Ezra Group, and was struck right away during their concert that these guys were good. I saw them the next week, and ran a feature on them, saying that they were good, but they had to refine their sound a little before they were really good.
Later this month, the group is releasing their first album in three years, View from the Root, and it looks like my wish came true - the band has come a long way since that last album, and this latest album is undoubtedly my favorite and their strongest work thus far.
They have tightened down their timing and feel, coming out with a superior album. There's a lot of really good songs here - Home Again Soon, Katie, Basement Song (more about that in a second) and Flyin' - all with everything that I loved about the group's sound.

One thing that I've noticed between their live work and their albums is the intensity - these guys play a killer show with a ton of energy. Their earlier albums didn't really translate that as well, but it's coming through here.
One song has been recycled from an earlier album - Basement Song, which previously appeared on Ezra's solo album Chain, from 2005. The new version has been taken down almost two minutes, and really is a good benchmark for how far these guys have come - The original was a lot more raw, rough and not quite as good. The newer version incorporates the entire band, and has a much better sound and feel to it - much tighter and refined.

They also really seem to have found their own sound and groove - I've felt that they sound like a couple other bands, a little Dispatch, Dave Matthew's and a couple other random ones. Here though, we have a really independent feel, and it seems that they have come into their own with their album. I'm really hoping that with this new album, we'll see another tour from them, because I can't wait to see them live and in person once again.


The band is currently going out on tour to various locations to support their new album. If they hit your area, I highly recommend checking them out. Here's where they'll be:

saturday, may 10, 12pm
wayland town beach
wayland, ma

sunday, may 11, 10:30am
pine street inn homeless shelter
boston, ma

friday, may 16, 8pm
watertown, ma

sunday, may 18, 8pm
old oak tavern
rochester, nh

thursday, may 22, 8pm
land ho!
orleans, ma (cape cod)

friday, may 23, 7pm
bishop guertin high school - www.bghs.org
nashua, nh

saturday, may 24, 9pm
twin river casino
lincoln, ri

sunday june 8, 12:30pm
artesani park
cambridge, ma

thursday, june 12, 7:30pm
harbor park at the moakley courthouse
boston, ma

saturday, june 14, 8pm
uncle eddie's
salisbury, ma

thursday, july 31, 9pm
redhook brewery
portsmouth, nh

saturday, august 2, 3pm
mass maritime academy
buzzard's bay, ma

Katie - Adam Ezra Group
Flyin' - Adam Ezra Group

Friday, May 2, 2008

Weekend Mix: Nerdcore




Something I came across recently that's really facinating - Nerdcore. Take a bunch of geeks, and turn them into rappers. It's a new genre that's come about essentially with the rise of the internet. Songs have content relating to Star Wars, The Matrix, Futurama, Conventions, computer games, the internet, science, technology and things along those lines. It's an interesting bunch of songs. There's a documentary coming out, called Nerdcore Rising, which charts the rise of this genre. It's opening here in Vermont this weekend.
Particularly good timing for a geek entry, because tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day, where you can go to any comic book store and get a couple free comics (generally a special that Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, etc will release). You might see some costumed characters along the way. I'll be at Quarterstaff Games/Earth Prime Comics in Burlington VT.

Fett's Vett - mc chris
Nrrd Grrrl - mc chris
Nerdcore Hiphop - MC Frontalot
Yellow Lasers - MC Frontalot
It Is Pitch Dark - MC Frontalot
The Big Bizang - MC Hawking
Entropy - MC Hawking
iGeneration - MC Lars
Space Game - MC Lars
White and Nerdy - Weird Al

New Carbon Leaf

As I've mentioned before, Carbon Leaf, one of my all-time favorite bands, is going to be releasing a new album (or two - they might be re-working Meander), and they've just posted up a demo of some of what they're working on:

My Blues Have Turned to the Black Master - Carbon Leaf

Not sure what I think about this - it's an early demo, from the sounds of it, but it sounds darker and moody. I guess we'll see.

The Best of April



This month's had a bunch of really good new songs and releases. There was a lot of really good stuff this month:

View from the Root [Album]
The Adam Ezra Group has rapidly become a favorite of mine, ever since I saw them last December with Carbon Leaf, and again when they returned a week later. They've recently come out with their latest album, and it's a step up for them - they've really refined and strengthened their sound and have produced a really good record. Flyin' is a nice, laid back song that just feels right, and Katie is another fantastic song from them with a great beat and rhythms. My review is coming soon.


Thirty One Today
- Aimee Mann
This song feels and sounds great, but it's depressing as hell. The guitar, keys, bass and vocals all work wonderfully today with a nice, seductive sound that's really propelled it to the top of my playlist.

Julian of Norwich - Bombadil
A Buzz, A Buzz
- Bombadil
I covered these guys recently with a review of their debut album, A Buzz, A Buzz. They've got a really neat, unique sound with some fantastic songwriting that's really set them apart from a lot of other groups that I've listened to. Julian of Norwich and the title track, A Buzz, A Buzz are two of the best on the album.


Violet Hill - Coldplay
Coldplay's first single off of their upcoming album. It's pretty different from some of their earlier works. I like this sound, and I'll be interested to see what the next album brings.


I Will Possess Your Heart
- Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie's back with a new album and a wholly new sound. I have yet to hear the rest of the record at this time, but so far, I really dig it. I Will Possess Your Heart, I think will become one of their better songs, despite the drama from the fanboys on this one. Bands do change their sound. Relax, you will live to see another day.


Westward Bound
- The Fairline Parkway
Nowhere to Be
- The Fairline Parkway
These guys are new, and made a splash at the South by Southwest festival. My review of this album is forthcoming, but here are two of my favorite tracks from this album.

Let It Go
- Jon Regen
The Last Song
- Jon Regen
Regen is a new artist to me, and I love his Soul/Jazz sound that really resembles Marc Cohn's
Walking In Memphis. This whole album is tight, full of emotion and really sounds fantastic.

Memory One
- Lili Haydn
Satellites
- Lili Haydn
Lili Haydn's also a new artist to me, although this is her third album. She has a nice, easy going style that's really set apart with the piano and violin.


John Adams Theme
- Robert Lane
My new favorite show - I'm in love with history, and it's fantastic to see a television show get something to the public that's actually good. John Adams is a wonderful show about the founding of the US, and this theme song is just amazing.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar - That Mitchell and Webb Look
This show just makes me laugh. This is actually a theme song for a reoccurring sketch within the show, but it's so slapstick, it's just hilarious.


Hideaway
- The Weepies
I haven't listened to these guys extensively, but I'm adding them to my 'to listen' list because I'm really liking their laid back sound here. These songs are light, with a fantastic sound and some interesting lyrics.

501stCast

The latest 501st podcast is up, go take a listen!

May is the fifth month of the year. The first of May is therefore 5/01…get it? While the Legion celebrates, we throw one heck of a 501stCast party with a new host and new editor. See how they fare in this lengthy show!

Show Notes: Episode XIV (May 1, 2008)

Hosts: Dean Plantamura (TK-899), Lor (TK-7883) and Wayne (TB-4580)

Post-Production: Jacques Languedoc (TK-9966)

Content Development: Nicky Blum (DZ-8397)

Contributors: Andrew (TK-3220), TD-0013, Dean Plantamura (TK-899)

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