After buying a new Chicago card (because the old one won't read anymore) and purchasing a ticket for the Ting Tings concert, I'm wondering whether or not $50 is too much for a Morrissey ticket.
On one hand, he's a honest to goodness music legend. On the other, is he really 2.5 x better than the Ting Tings? His prices are that much higher. I figure I'll probably splurge on them eventually because of how much his music means to me but it seems steep. That said, the memories will probably be worth it.
EDIT: Dilemma solved. I went ahead and ordered the ticket. It turned out to be closer to $60 thanks to some BS "convenience" charges. I just figured "How many opportunities am I really going to have to see Morrissey?" Plus, I've heard that he's brilliant live.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
This Post Is A Reminder
...that I need to check when Ting Ting tickets go on sale. They're playing the Metro in Chicago on April 5. I need to see them. This post is a reminder so that I don't forget about the show!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Introducing...Defend Moscow
I didn't mean for this to turn into a music-only blog. I have a mind to write about the first few weeks back at UChicago as well as a bit about Chelsea and possibly the Buffalo Bills Simulation Football League. However, for now it's another brief music post.
A few days ago, I was reading Popjustice's Twitter and they were doing another thrilling installment of the "in the post" feature. Basically, since Popjustice is a popular and influential music blog, they get sent all kinds of stuff for free by artists who are hoping for some publicity. "In the post" is a series of tweets (aka Twitter posts) that simply details what they received in that day's mail. In that installment of "in the post" they received a CD from Defend Moscow and mentioned that they were quite good, so I took a peak at their Myspace.
First, please note the amazing logo. Secondly, the music itself is really good. The single is "Manifesto," which is about Leon Trotsky, if I remember correctly. It's a nice solid uptempo number. In fact, everything that Defend Moscow do is uptempo, and they tend to all share the common theme of wistfully recalling what might have been. It's happy music about being sad, not to put too fine a point on it. Sample "Manifesto" lyric:
Everything was right
Now everything is wrong
And I will never hope for more.
Next up is "Die Tonight," which doesn't sound as if it will be very jubilant lyrically. And it isn't. Sample "Die Tonight" lyric:
We know we're going to die tonight
And the darkness overrides the light
Well we know were going to die
Say goodbye
Don't even try
Because no one's getting out alive
Then we have "You Just Walked Away." It's a song about loving and needing someone and then seeing them walk away as if it meant nothing. Given recent circumstances, I find this a poignant bit of pop. Chorus of "You Just Walked Away":
And you just walked away
And left me on my own again
You just walked away
And left me here with this pain
The last song on their Myspace is "Sign of Life". Not surprisingly, it's a song about looking for meaning for life. First verse of "Sign of Life":
All I needed was a little emotion
All I needed was a sign of live
All I wanted was an indication
That it's not real
So there you have it. Defend Moscow makes mid/uptempo electropop that sounds very polished and cool and deals with themes of heartbreak and regret. They're like the Ting Tings chilled out, intellectual sibling. Here's the band's bio in case you want to know more (this is stolen from their facebook, so of course it's all fluff):
Managed by the mastermind behind The Wombats, Defend Moscow are destined for great things.
Comprised of musicians from London, Bergen and Paris, the quintet are armed with a manifesto to spread their brand of indie-electro across the globe.
Formed via a chance meeting between childhood friends Jon Beck (vocals) and Dave Fawbert (guitar/synths/programming), and Norwegian siren Sofie Storaas (vocals) in Bergen, Norway a year ago, they bonded over a shared love of classic and contemporary electro, pop and indie, and Russian vodka.
Completed by drummer Adam Pickering and bassist Rick Elmos, they immediately set to work writing tracks recalling the finest moments of New Order, Human League, Pet Shop Boys and contemporaries such as New Young Pony Club and Chromeo.
An extensive touring schedule is planned for the new year, along with their debut single, Manifesto – a dancefloor-destroying statement of intent with lyrics referencing the darkest moments of the cold war to be released in January, Defend Moscow are all set to lead an electro-pop revolution.
Finally, here's a clip of them playing "You Just Walked" away supporting Team Waterpolo at 93 Feet East on Brick Lane in London from October 28, 2008:
A few days ago, I was reading Popjustice's Twitter and they were doing another thrilling installment of the "in the post" feature. Basically, since Popjustice is a popular and influential music blog, they get sent all kinds of stuff for free by artists who are hoping for some publicity. "In the post" is a series of tweets (aka Twitter posts) that simply details what they received in that day's mail. In that installment of "in the post" they received a CD from Defend Moscow and mentioned that they were quite good, so I took a peak at their Myspace.
First, please note the amazing logo. Secondly, the music itself is really good. The single is "Manifesto," which is about Leon Trotsky, if I remember correctly. It's a nice solid uptempo number. In fact, everything that Defend Moscow do is uptempo, and they tend to all share the common theme of wistfully recalling what might have been. It's happy music about being sad, not to put too fine a point on it. Sample "Manifesto" lyric:
Everything was right
Now everything is wrong
And I will never hope for more.
Next up is "Die Tonight," which doesn't sound as if it will be very jubilant lyrically. And it isn't. Sample "Die Tonight" lyric:
We know we're going to die tonight
And the darkness overrides the light
Well we know were going to die
Say goodbye
Don't even try
Because no one's getting out alive
Then we have "You Just Walked Away." It's a song about loving and needing someone and then seeing them walk away as if it meant nothing. Given recent circumstances, I find this a poignant bit of pop. Chorus of "You Just Walked Away":
And you just walked away
And left me on my own again
You just walked away
And left me here with this pain
The last song on their Myspace is "Sign of Life". Not surprisingly, it's a song about looking for meaning for life. First verse of "Sign of Life":
All I needed was a little emotion
All I needed was a sign of live
All I wanted was an indication
That it's not real
So there you have it. Defend Moscow makes mid/uptempo electropop that sounds very polished and cool and deals with themes of heartbreak and regret. They're like the Ting Tings chilled out, intellectual sibling. Here's the band's bio in case you want to know more (this is stolen from their facebook, so of course it's all fluff):
Managed by the mastermind behind The Wombats, Defend Moscow are destined for great things.
Comprised of musicians from London, Bergen and Paris, the quintet are armed with a manifesto to spread their brand of indie-electro across the globe.
Formed via a chance meeting between childhood friends Jon Beck (vocals) and Dave Fawbert (guitar/synths/programming), and Norwegian siren Sofie Storaas (vocals) in Bergen, Norway a year ago, they bonded over a shared love of classic and contemporary electro, pop and indie, and Russian vodka.
Completed by drummer Adam Pickering and bassist Rick Elmos, they immediately set to work writing tracks recalling the finest moments of New Order, Human League, Pet Shop Boys and contemporaries such as New Young Pony Club and Chromeo.
An extensive touring schedule is planned for the new year, along with their debut single, Manifesto – a dancefloor-destroying statement of intent with lyrics referencing the darkest moments of the cold war to be released in January, Defend Moscow are all set to lead an electro-pop revolution.
Finally, here's a clip of them playing "You Just Walked" away supporting Team Waterpolo at 93 Feet East on Brick Lane in London from October 28, 2008:
Monday, January 12, 2009
Song of the Day -- Fascination by La Roux
I haven't thrown anything up in about a week, so it seemed due for an update. Today's selection is Fascination by La Roux. La Roux is Londoner Elly Jackson. She looks like Molly Ringwald with A Flock of Seagulls haircut and acts like Lily Allen, if Lily Allen were from Brixton and didn't pretend to be a cockney. She describes herself as someone who is very vulnerable and emotional and channels that emotion into her songs.
As for her songs, they are pure synth pop. In 2009, the 1980s are back with a vengeance and La Roux is at the forefront of a new group of acts that are bringing the sounds of classic new wave pop back to the radio.
La Roux's single is "Quicksand" but thanks to the magic of the internet we have about a half dozen La Roux tracks in at least a rough version. One of them, and in my opinion the best, is "Fascination." Jackson's high, fragile voice is on full display and a strong electronic beat drives the track forward with an exciting but not overwhelming urgency. The lyrics speak of the after-effects of lost love as Jackson affirms that "old fascinations lead to new temptations". Everything works together to create a hauntingly danceable commentary on moving on after love is gone with the star of the show being Jackson's unique voice.
Here's the link:
As for her songs, they are pure synth pop. In 2009, the 1980s are back with a vengeance and La Roux is at the forefront of a new group of acts that are bringing the sounds of classic new wave pop back to the radio.
La Roux's single is "Quicksand" but thanks to the magic of the internet we have about a half dozen La Roux tracks in at least a rough version. One of them, and in my opinion the best, is "Fascination." Jackson's high, fragile voice is on full display and a strong electronic beat drives the track forward with an exciting but not overwhelming urgency. The lyrics speak of the after-effects of lost love as Jackson affirms that "old fascinations lead to new temptations". Everything works together to create a hauntingly danceable commentary on moving on after love is gone with the star of the show being Jackson's unique voice.
Here's the link:
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Get Ready World -- 2009 is the Year of Pop
I've been reading some of BBC's Sound of 2009 coverage, and this year, I'm happy to report is the year of pop. If you're not familiar with the concept, the Sound of 2009 is basically a huge poll of 100+ music journalists. These are print journalists, website editors, and influential bloggers. These tastemakers get together and come up with a list of the acts that they expect to make it big in 2009. How accurate are they. Here's the 2008 list:
1. Adele
2. Duffy
3. The Ting Tings
4. Glasvegas
5. Foals
6. Vampire Weekend
7. Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong
8. Black Kids
9. MGMT
10. Santogold
11. Ida Maria
12. One Night Only
13. Alphabeat
14. Laura Marling
15. Cajun Dance Party
16. The Courteeners
17. Gabriella Cilmi
18. Late of the Pier
19. Black Mountain
20. Little Wayne
Except for notable failure Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, all of the first 14 (!) had at least one notable single. Adele and Duffy became international stars. The Ting Tings played on NBC's New Year's coverage and were splashed all over the place thanks to their iPod ad. Vampire Weekend and MGMT became the "it" bands of the year. All of which is to say, that the people who make this list are more likely than not to become major stars.
So what does this year hold? The main sound is 80s influenced electropop. Yes, I think I may have died and went to musical heaven, as one of my favorite sounds is set to take over the airwaves. This year, guitars are going the way of the dodo. In their place is synth and drum machines providing the high energy backing to pure pop vocalists and songs.
Here's the longlist:
1. Adele
2. Duffy
3. The Ting Tings
4. Glasvegas
5. Foals
6. Vampire Weekend
7. Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong
8. Black Kids
9. MGMT
10. Santogold
11. Ida Maria
12. One Night Only
13. Alphabeat
14. Laura Marling
15. Cajun Dance Party
16. The Courteeners
17. Gabriella Cilmi
18. Late of the Pier
19. Black Mountain
20. Little Wayne
Except for notable failure Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, all of the first 14 (!) had at least one notable single. Adele and Duffy became international stars. The Ting Tings played on NBC's New Year's coverage and were splashed all over the place thanks to their iPod ad. Vampire Weekend and MGMT became the "it" bands of the year. All of which is to say, that the people who make this list are more likely than not to become major stars.
So what does this year hold? The main sound is 80s influenced electropop. Yes, I think I may have died and went to musical heaven, as one of my favorite sounds is set to take over the airwaves. This year, guitars are going the way of the dodo. In their place is synth and drum machines providing the high energy backing to pure pop vocalists and songs.
Here's the longlist:
- The Big Pink
- Empire of The Sun
- Kid Cudi
- Little Boots
- Passion Pit
- Dan Black
- Florence and the Machine
- La Roux
- Master Shortie
- The Temper Trap
- VV Brown
- Frankmusik
- Lady Gaga
- Mumford & Sons
- White Lies
Monday, January 5, 2009
Music -- a Great Christmas Gift
We didn't really make much of a big deal about Christmas at my house this year. My brothers and I are all 21+ and the parents support us by paying phone and car insurance bills and the like, so they feel (and I agree) that that's better than buying us something we won't use on Christmas. However, my brother Craig exchanged gifts with both me and Brandon (the third brother) and we in turn pool together to get him one (the BBC's Planet Earth in Blu-Ray).
Craig got me "Billy Joel: The Complete Collection 1973-1997". Basically, it's three volumes of Billy Joel's greatest hits and a fourth volume of some live tracks and a Q&A with Joel. Craig already had it, but I didn't and his CDs are scratched to hell so they aren't of good quality to rip from. It was nice to get my own copy of these discs and to have them ripped to my computer without odd sounds because of scratches.
He also gave me a $25 iTunes gift card. After much deliberation, here is what I purchased:
Lady Gaga has, of course, been making quite a noise in the pop world. Popjustice hasn't really talked much about her, but that's because her stuff is just coming out now in the UK. "Just Dance" sits at 3rd on downloads alone in the latest UK Singles Chart, so I'm sure they'll be talking about her soon enough. It's a little bit more R&B than their (and my, usually) tastes, but I've heard a bunch of the songs and I like them all.
Originally, I was just going to get "Chelsea" from Stefy, but the album was only $6 and the rest of the songs seemed quite good in their own right so I thought, "What the hell?" and picked it up.
Beat Control is just a fun song that I had a great time dancing to at a club in London, so I picked it to round me up to $24.96. Not bad for $25 if I do say so myself.
Craig got me "Billy Joel: The Complete Collection 1973-1997". Basically, it's three volumes of Billy Joel's greatest hits and a fourth volume of some live tracks and a Q&A with Joel. Craig already had it, but I didn't and his CDs are scratched to hell so they aren't of good quality to rip from. It was nice to get my own copy of these discs and to have them ripped to my computer without odd sounds because of scratches.
He also gave me a $25 iTunes gift card. After much deliberation, here is what I purchased:
- The Fame by Lady Gaga
- Ladyhawke by Ladyhawke
- The Orange Album by Stefy
- "Beat Control" by Tilly & The Wall
Lady Gaga has, of course, been making quite a noise in the pop world. Popjustice hasn't really talked much about her, but that's because her stuff is just coming out now in the UK. "Just Dance" sits at 3rd on downloads alone in the latest UK Singles Chart, so I'm sure they'll be talking about her soon enough. It's a little bit more R&B than their (and my, usually) tastes, but I've heard a bunch of the songs and I like them all.
Originally, I was just going to get "Chelsea" from Stefy, but the album was only $6 and the rest of the songs seemed quite good in their own right so I thought, "What the hell?" and picked it up.
Beat Control is just a fun song that I had a great time dancing to at a club in London, so I picked it to round me up to $24.96. Not bad for $25 if I do say so myself.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Popjustice's Top Albums of 2008
I gave you the singles list. Now, here is the list of Popjustice's top 29 albums of 2008. I only have a few of these, but I want more. I've been meaning to get my hands on several of these selections. I'll post the list with albums I have bolded and albums I want in italics.
Popjustice's Top 29 Albums of 2008
1. Ladyhawke - 'Ladyhawke'
We don't mind saying, readers, that this has not been the most exciting year for albums. :(
Popjustice's Top 29 Albums of 2008
1. Ladyhawke - 'Ladyhawke'
2. Girls Aloud - 'Out Of Control'
3. Delays - 'Everything's The Rush'
4. The Saturdays - 'Chasing Lights'
5. Annie - 'Don't Stop'
6. Sugababes - 'Catfights & Spotlights'
7. Take That - 'The Circus'
8. Cut Copy - 'In Ghost Colours'
9. Lykke Li - 'Youth Novels'
10. The Ting Tings - 'We Started Nothing'
11. Alphabeat - 'This Is Alphabeat'
12. Iglu & Hartly - '& Then Boom!'
13. Kanye West - '808s & Heartbreak'
14. Britney Spears - 'Circus'
15. Cyndi Lauper - 'Bring Ya To The Brink'
16. Goldfrapp - 'Seventh Tree'
17. The Japanese Popstars - 'We Just Are'
18. James Yuill - 'Turning Down Water For Air'
19. Keane - 'Perfect Symmetry'
20. Little Jackie - 'The Stoop'
21. Neon Neon - 'Stainless Style'
22. Pacific! - 'Reveries'
23. Rex The Dog - ‘The Rex The Dog Show’
24. Sam Sparro - 'Sam Sparro'
25. Leon Jean Marie - 'Bent Out Of Shape'
26. Same Difference - 'Pop'
27. Hadouken! - 'Music for an Accelerated Culture'
28. Will Young - 'Let It Go'
29. Alesha Dixon - 'The Alesha Show'
We don't mind saying, readers, that this has not been the most exciting year for albums. :(
Popjustice's Top 104 Singles of 2008
Since it's now 2009, Popjustice has come out with their annual list of the top singles of the year. I don't necessarily agree with the placement of all the tracks. Specifically, I'm not sure that I believe "I Decided" deserves to be #1 or that "Mercy" should languish at 104, but I have about 1/3 of these tracks and they're all great. Popjustice hasn't led me astray before, so I'm going to try to acquire a good deal more of these. Enjoy (songs I own are in bold, songs I've been meaning to download are in italics).
Popjustice's Top 104 Singles of 2008
The Top 104 Singles Of 2008 It was a good year for pop...
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