Teenagers in Tokyo

They're not teenagers nor are they from Tokyo, but the band hailing from Sydney, Australia who call themselves Teenagers in Tokyo are a lot of fun. They're keen sense of style don't hurt matters either, but that's hardly the issue. Whatever other folks are labeling this new band, (post-punk-electro-pop, perhaps?), they're seriously worth a listen, mainly because I said so, and since you and I both know that I have impecable taste in music, you can rest assured that you'll probably like them too. A little bit CSS, a little bit Interpol, they employ a sound that isn't necessarily unique, but fun nonetheless.

MP3: Teenagers in Tokyo - End It Tonight

Video: Very Vampyr

Stone Temple Pilots @ Mohegan Sun 5/26/07

So I finally got to see Stone Temple Pilots after eight years of wading through the terribly overrated mess that was Velvet Revolver. Stone Temple Pilots was one of the bands that I grew up with, ever since I first heard the entire album Purple when I was the tender age of eleven. Even as my musical tastes varied over the years, Stone Temple Pilots were always a fond part of my rotation, so it was great to see them come back together and perform. The energy and stage presence of the band was incredible, it was as if they hadn't spent a day apart (Scott Weiland, although an incredible performer, didn't look so great, however it did not affect his awesome performance). We had really good seats, however the last time I saw a show at Mohegan (Bob Dylan), they didn't allow the use of cameras, and although that policy didn't change for STP, it seemed as though there were a hell of a lot of people taking pictures, which I'm pissed about because I didn't bring mine. Anyway, it was a great show consisting of all of the classic tunes from their previous five albums, and let me just say that I am pretty pumped for their next release (you know it's coming). Anyway, after the show my buddies and I decided to wander around the casino for a bit to spend even more money, at which point we heard "Scott Weiland, your party is waiting for you at the lost and found desk...Scott Weiland..." over the loudspeaker, which was a pretty humorous cap to a truly fantastic show. I was able to find some video clips of the show (WARNING: not all are of the greatest quality), so check them out if you don't have the opportunity to see STP during their reunion tour.

Interstate Love Song:


Plush:


Dead and Bloated (crappy quality, takes about a minute to get into it):


Wicked Garden:

The Ting Tings

The Ting Tings are a electro-pop duo out of England who craft some really catchy tunes. You might recognize their song "Shut Up And Let Me Go" as the one featured in the newest iTunes commercial. Either way, I heard about them a month or two ago, when a single of their song "Great DJ" fell into my lap. Anyway, you guys should definitely check them out, as the music they make is extremely fun and danceable. Plus, Katie White (along with Jules there in the background) is incredibly hot.

mp3:
The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go

Video:

Album Review: The Kooks, Konk

To sum up the Kooks sophomore effort in a word, meh. Not that the album isn't good, it definitely has some stand out tracks, the first single Always Where I Need To Be of course, Shine On, Love It All, amongst others are all catchy pop songs that will delight fans to casual listeners. The thing about this album is that for me at least, it doesn't live up to the hype. I was a fan of The Kook's first album, and Konk (dumb name by the way), doesn't doesn't quite live up to it's predescessor. As I said before, there are quick catchy pop songs on this record, however there are more than a few songs which I find myself searching for the "skip" button before they even get three chords into it. Lyrically, The Kooks are still writing songs about girls and playful romps under the covers however while this worked on the first album, now it just feels a little immature. Granted I don't think The Kooks should be singing about Darfur or big oil or other heavy political issues, their songwriting capabilities, musically at least, would make such songs feel silly and contrived. Merely all I'm asking for is a little growth, you can only sing about tits and ass for so long (check the cringe worthy Do You Wanna? if you really want to see what I mean) before it starts to get old. So if you liked their first album, you'll be sure to like most of the songs present on this one, however if you found yourself wanting a little more substance over their last effort, you might want to just grab the singles.

The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be

The Bravery @ The Webster 4/15/08

Sorry about the delay...what can I say? I'm lazy I guess. I can come up with excuses if you'd like (i.e. grad school, internship to name a few), but I'm sure no one really cares all that much. Anyway, The Bravery show was fantastic, and sicne I made friends with the lesbian bartender (so hot by the way), I was completely shitfaced and don't remember getting home (thanks Schaeffer!), but still a phenomenal show. The Bravery was slated to go on at 9pm, however it was more like 10:30-11 when they finally came on, leaving some extra time for their openers Your Vegas and Fiction Plane (Sting's son's band, FYI), neither of which were bad, in fact they were both pretty decent, however as my level of inebriation grew, my tolerance of bands whose songs I had never heard before started to wear a little thin. Anyway, the pictures I took (about fifty), were all pretty decent since the Webster is fairly small (probbaly can fit about 1500-2000 heads, it used to be a movie theatre), and Scaheffer even managed to ctach the guitar pick Sam Endicott tossed into the audience at the end of the show. All in all, if you have the opportunity to go see The Bravery anytime soon, I would highly recommend that you do so.

The Bravery - Believe
The Bravery - Bad Sun
The Bravery - An Honest Mistake
The Bravery - Swollen Summer
The Bravery - No Brakes
The Bravery - The Ocean

DJ Mix

I honestly think that I should have pursued a career as a DJ in bars and clubs and the like. I go out to bars virtually every weekend, and most of the bars in New Haven are constantly bumpin' crap that I could care less about. I mean seriously, Fergie? I swear if I hear Kanye West one more time when I go out I'm going to gouge my own eyeballs out with a spoon. So I decided that today's post would consist of up-beat, party type tunes that would definitely fuel the club hoppers need for music that will keep their hips gyrating in a vaguely sexual manner. Anyway, onto the tunes.

M83 - Teen Angst
Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Bloc Party - The Prayer
Test Icicles - Circle, Square, Triangle (Simian Mobile Disco Remix)
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
We Are Scientists - Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
Chromeo - Fancy Footwork
Mute Math - Typical
LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends

Aside from that little collection, if you're ever going to throw a house party and the people who are going to be in attendance tend to have varying degrees of appreciation of musical genres, download a few of these "Sixx Mixx". Apparently the guy who mashed these up did so for a radio show he was hosting. He doesn't do it anymore so the songs aren't necessarily new, however these mixes include some classics, and they are very well done.

Sixx Mixx 88 5/27/05

Go here if you want to check out a few more Sixx Mixxes along with their tracklistings (recommended)

The Two Man Gentlemen Band

So, I'm not entirely sure who these guys are, or if they're even halfway serious. What I do know is that they have songs with awesome titles such as "William Howard Taft" and "The Hindenberg Disaster". Their self-described music is "uptempo, original, old time, two man music, at a reasonable volume", and I have to say that it definitely encapsulates their sound. Kozma had initially told me about these guys, and while I can't say that I'm a die hard fan, I can say if you have a penchant for former presidents or all things kazoo-related, well then you should definitely check these guys out. I guess they'd be fun at a bar or something. If I was drunk. Or passed out in a stall in the bathroom.

The Two Man Gentlemen Band - William Howard Taft
The Two Man Gentlemen Band - The Hindenberg Disaster
The Two Man Gentlemen Band - The Memphis Flu
The Two Man Gentlemen Band - Queens County
The Two Man Gentlemen Band - Shotgun Wedding
The Two Man Gentlemen Band - Slow, Jesus

The Helio Sequence

The Helio Sequence is a band that I know virtually nothing about, but I heard their song Can't Say No and I knew that i had to hear more. So I picked up their latest album (apparently their fourth, how is it that I had never heard of these guys before?) The album is, in a word, impressive considering there is only two guys in the entire band, but with nimble use of effects pedals and a drummer who alos plays keys, the result is daydreamy pop-bliss (if that makes any sort of sense to you, I tip my hat to you). I seriously recommend checking these guys out.

The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
The Helio Sequence - Blood Bleeds
The Helio Sequence - Everyone Knows Everyone

Valentine's/Singles Awareness Day Mixtape '08

I know it's a little late, and to tell you the truth I wasn't going to do a Valentine's/Singles Awareness Day mix this year, love, in a singular sense tends to leave a sour taste in my mouth, that and crushing cynicism that makes me bitter and overwhelmingly depressed at times. But, I figured what the hell, no use crying about it. So this year is definitely focused more on some of the sadder love songs as opposed to some of the happier songs included on V-day mixes from yesteryear. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this mix and hopefully your Valentine's Day was a little better than mine.

1. Asobi Seksu - Walk on the Moon
2. Iron and Wine - Naked As We Came
3. Bright Eyes - Lover I Don't Have to Love
4. The Album Leaf - Always for You
5. Death Cab for Cutie - I Will Follow You Into the Dark
6. Patrick Watson - Luscious Life
7. Muse - Endlessly
8. Stellastarr* - Untitled
9. The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
10. David Gray - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
11. Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand In Mine

Two sausages kissing...

...is what I fondly refer Sigur Ros' third album as (Google Image "Sigur Ros album art" and you'll see what I'm talking about), and with news of their fifth outing being recorded as I write this, you can imagine how giddy I am quickly becoming. Sigur Ros is just one of those bands that you can just get totally lost in. The hauntingly beautiful ethereal music they create, coupled with Jonsi's incredible falsetto, is just incredible. They somehow manage to combine post-rock, experimental, classical and minimalist elements and craft them into truly breath-taking songs, but you already knew that didn't you? So we'll have to wait for the new Sigur Ros album until late this year, which means that we might not get to see it until next year, but until then you can pick up that documentary DVD/CD combo they released this year (try eBay), or just throw in one of their four albums and wait patiently.

Sigur Ros - Hljomalind
Sigur Ros - Untitled #8 (The Pop Song)
Sigur Ros - Staralfur
Sigur Ros - Olsen Olsen
Sigur Ros - Untitled #4 (The Nothing Song)

Sigur Ros - Von

Feeling sorry for yourself?

Todays' post will be short in the sense that I will be focusing primarily on my personal life instead of offering witty remarks about music and/or other forms of popular culture that I happen to be consuming at the moment. I have come to the conclusion that I am in desperate need of change so I have been looking into moving overseas to teach for a year or so. Someone once accused me of "running away", however I explained to her that I have nothing here to run away from so that couldn't be possible. Anyway, my life has been reduced to this sort of vicious cycle of making me feel depressed and generally bored with whats going on. I'm sure everyone can relate, you get up do the same thing every day of the week, then on the weekends you go out and do the typical drinking/partying only to wake up the next morning and realizing that nothing you did changed anything and you still have to drag yourself through the same shitty week without any sort of reprieve all because she's not with you. I know that I sound like I need Zoloft or something, I can cope with my distress fairly well, besides I'm too busy to complain about anything for any significant period of time, let alone be crippled by sadness. I'm a victim of my own devices, as we all pretty much are, and we all tend to do things that do nothing save for hurt us in the long run. We all need some sanctuary, if you ask me. (What a totally awesome segue into today's song, which I'm a huge fan of by the way, but sure enough I can't make you download anything, although I can really recommend it, and since my opinions are the only ones that matter, you should take it as a sign that you should be clicking on the link below, if you haven't already)

The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary

Rogue Wave

I have been listening to Rogue Wave for a couple of years now, I picked up their second album Descended Like Vultures, and immediately fell in love with it. I have yet to pick up their newest disc, but from what I've read it seems as though it's pretty good. I know the lead off single Lake Michigan is pretty damn catchy. Some of Zach Rogue's lyrics are pretty cryptic, well I'll be honest, I have absolutely no idea what some of their songs are about, but aside from that, there is no denying that their brand of lo-fi pop songs coupled with Zach Rogue's achingly fragile voice, is hard to beat. Have you heard similar stuff before? Probably. But it doesn't mater because Rogue Wave manages to capture my interest and satisfy my auditory needs. So I would highly recommend you check them out if you haven't already.

Rogue Wave - 10:1
Rogue Wave - Every Moment
Rogue Wave - Endless Shovel
Rogue Wave - Publish My Love
Rogue Wave - Sightlines
Rogue Wave - Everyday
Rogue Wave - Wait For It
Rogue Wave - Falcon Settles Me

There are many things that I would like to say to you...

Oasis - Wonderwall
Cat Power - Wonderwall
Ryan Adams - Wonderwall

Cloverfield...rawrrrrrrrrr!

So I just saw Cloverfield, and if you don't know what that is, well then I don't know why you're bothering reading this. You might be asking yourself, well Ryan, I certainly know what Cloverfield is, how was it? I would answer you by saying that it was exactly what I expected, nothing more, nothing less. The movie is seen through the eyes of a single handheld camcorder so it does suffer from The Blair Witch syndrome, however you get used to it pretty quick. Before you ask, yes you see the monster. What I can tell you is that it is not an epic monster movie, but rather the focus is on a group of friends and their attempt to make it out of Manhattan alive. I'm not going to go as far as to say that it is a milestone of modern cinema, but I will say that it is enjoyable and a pretty good popcorn movie, or in my case, Sprees (I used to love them when I was a kid and they all but disappeared from my meory when I spotted them in the candy aisle of my local Walgreens...yay me!). The only music in the film is heard during the going away party which comprises the bulk of the films first thirty minutes. I have to say that the filmmakers have pretty good taste in that department. Overall, a pretty good movie that is satisfying that will kill at the box office because of it's clever marketing campaign...you've done it again J.J. Abrams! Now if only Lost coughed up some answers...

music from the sexay partay in Cloverfield

Spoon - The Underdog

2007 in review

So another year has passed us by and I'm sure that if you're anything like me, you have a lot of regrets that totally overshadow any sort of accomplishments/happy times you might have had. But it's a new year and I try not to pessimistic all year round so I figure if there is any time to be looking towards the future with some sort of idealized fantasy-laden optimism, this is the time of the year to do it. In all seriousness, I hope this year brings all of you the same joy and happiness I'm expecting...because it's about damn time...Moving right along, I have compiled some of my favorite tracks of the past year in mp3 format so if, in the off chance you don't happen to already have one of these gems, you can download it now and enjoy for the new year. This list by no means is representative of all of my favorite tracks of the year, but merely the ones I was able to find floating about on the internet. Until next time (hopefully it won't be until next year...I realize I post rather sporadically but, well lets just say I hope it doesn't come to that).


Bloc Party - Flux
Mute Math - Typical
MGMT - Time to Pretend
The Shins - Turn on Me
Blonde Redhead - 23
Union of Knives - Taste of Harmony

Spoon - The Underdog
Mark Ronson (feat. Lily Allen) - Oh My God
Radiohead - Reckoner

New Bloc Party

Well, Bloc Party certainly doesn't disappoint. The new song (to be released sometime in the near future) is called "Flux". It features some pretty heavy, oh so delicious synth-action. It's a departure, of sorts, but you'll still recognize the slick production and heartfelt, waning lyrics that you're used to. The version I have here is a radio rip, but the song is just so damn infectious I figured I'd post it regardless. Enjoy, it's a toe tapper, for sure.

Bloc Party - Flux (Radio Rip)

Hopelessly, endlessly...kicking myself in the ass.

You know, when Muse came to the US to play Madison Square Garden, I remember saying to my friend Geoff, "hey, let's go see them". This amassed into a whirlwind of excitement followed by scouring the web for tickets inbetween running to the fridge to get more beer. Tragically, I was drunk when I said this, therefore when it actually came around to getting tickets and having to take off work etc, etc. I bowed out, not nearly as gracefully as someone of my stature would have liked. Granted I was late in jumping on the Muse fanwagon, having cited my initial run in with them years ago as "eh, I don't really like the guy's voice, what's with all the breaths he takes in between lines? Can't they like, edit that out?" How foolish was I? I know I know, i disregarded them without giving them much of a chance, but I stand here bfore you today as someone who loves Muse, as I think that they are one of the most original, awe-inspiring bands out there. Really there is no point to this post other than to share with you some mp3s, so if you're not familiar with Muse, or if you jumped the gun and quickly wrote them off (like I did), give them another shot. I promise you you won't be disappointed. As for me, I'm regretting not going to the show, but I suppose there is always next year.

Muse - Time is Running Out
Muse - Stockholm Syndrome
Muse - Falling Down
Muse - New Born
Muse - Bliss
Muse - Endlessly

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Toads 8/9/07

Sorry for the lack of posts, it has been a fairly hectic summer in terms of my own personal life and the fact that I have just started a new internship as well as grad school. Needless to say, I'm a fairly busy guy. However, I will try my best to grace this little website as much as possible, and today I have some pictures I took at the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club show at Toad's Place on August 9th (I know almost two months ago, what can I say?). Since it was so long ago and there was a lot of heavy drinking involved, I'm not going to even try to describe the show, just trust me when I say that it was damn good. if you're not familiar with BRMC, you should be, so here are some mp3s.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Lien on your Dreams

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Berlin

New Order

So according to Peter Hook, bassist for the iconic band, New Order, the band has officially split. According to Sumner and Morris however, the band is still alive and well. I'm not really sure who to believe here, as New Order took a sebaticle after their 1993 album, Republic, and didn't return for almost a decade. If they have gone their seperate ways I can't say that I'm happy about it. Granted New Order hasn't really released anything in about three years, but being a fan of Joy Division and New Order (yeah, I'll admit it, even though some might classify them as a "guilty pleasure"), I am certainly going to miss their expertly crafted songs. There is, however, that new movie, Control, about Joy Division and Ian Curtis, the former frontman of Joy Division (reminaing members forming New Order after his death for those of you who didn't know) and his suicide at age 23. it's been getting rave reviews and personally I'm quite excited about it. In fact I've already told my girlfriend that I am making her see it with me even though she is neither a Joy Division or New Order fan (although she does claim that she enjoyed Orgy's version of Blue Monday, I'll admit that it makes me cringe, but I'll keep my mouth shut). the movie however has no release date here in the States, so it might be awhile before I actually get to see it, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. Anyway, if the rumors are true, I'll be one of the many grieving fans across the world lamenting their break-up, but I do have some mp3s for you, their live recordings of some New Order tunes, but they are quality, so enjoy.

(I know I have been away for a while, but the fast-paced lifestyle that I lead makes it very difficult for me to find the time to post with any sort of regularity, however I will be trying my hardest to post as much as I possibly can.)

New Order - Crystal (live Canal+ 2005)
New Order - Love Will Tear Us Apart (live Canal+ 2005)
New Order - Jetstream (live Canal+ 2005)
New Order - Krafty (live Canal+ 2005)
New Order - Waiting for the Sirens Call (live Canal+ 2005)
New Order - Hey Now What You Doing (live Canal+ 2005)
New Order - Blue Monday (live Rock Werchter 2005)
New Order - Everything's Gone Green (live Torino, Italy 2005)

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...

So I am almost completely done with school. It only took me five years but I will finally be graduating and obtaining that ever elusive bachelors degree. Then its a good solid two months before starting graduate school in August. Since the Spoon concert a few weeks back I have acquired some new albums, which I will mention a little later, and I also received my highly anticipated and very expensive ($1800!) Macbook (pictured above, actually, thats not mine, thats from some website, but its the same one). its everything I hoped it would be and more, but my wireless network is being difficult and not allowing me to connect to the internet. Kozma just got back from Japan, so even though hes all jet lagged and what not hopefully he'll pop in to give us a summary of his experience as well as post a few pictures (lucky bastard...). I'm also going to see 28 Weeks Later tomorrow, it's supposed to be pretty good, at least the reviews I've read were pretty positive. I went to the package store today and bought this beer called Moonshot, apparently its brewed in Utica, New York, I had never heard of it, but they gave me three cases (thats 72 bottles of beer for all you math majors out there) for $18 (again, thats $6 per case). I haven't had any yet (it is currently chilling in the fridge waiting for the appropriate temperature), but even if it tastes like rabid monkey piss mixed with my brothers vomit from last night (he was found passed out on the toilet), I would still consider it a great deal. With that being said, I got some new music recently, so here a little sampling for you.

The Delays - Nearer Than Heaven
Tokyo Police Club - Be Good
Film School - Harmed
DJ Shadow - Napalm Brain Scatter Brain
The Subways - Staring at the Sun
Arctic Monkeys - No Buses
Maximo Park - Our Velocity
The Klaxons - Totem on the Timeline