How could you not be happy seeing him on a regular basis???
Friday, July 17, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Newest Framptons: Meg and Dia
While listening to the 2009 Warped Tour compilation, I got this insidious tune stuck in my head. It had great pop hooks and beautiful vocals. It really stood out from the screamo of many of the bands on the disc. I was in love. With Meg and Dia? Who the heck are Meg and Dia? I had to look further. Here, courtesy of their website, is the lowdown on some talented youngsters, Meg and Dia Frampton.
"Seeing the world is an eye-opening experience—especially if you grew up in the tiny town of Draper, Utah—so it’s no wonder Meg & Dia’s new album, Here, Here and Here, paints a portrait of what life has been like for this hard-working band as they’ve toured for the past two and a half years in support of their 2006 debut album Something Real (which spawned the fan favorite singles “Roses” and “Monster”). Despite being fronted and named after sisters Meg and Dia Frampton, Meg & Dia is very much a collaborative effort between five individual musicians. With the upcoming release of their second album Here, Here and Here, this group of five friends has begun to evolve into the kind of musicians they want to be—although they’re the first to admit that it’s still a collective work in progress. “On the first record, Dia and I were these little naïve girls who got this huge opportunity to make a record,” Meg recalls. “We went into it completely unaware of everything. Then we traveled the world and our perspective expanded a hundred-fold.”
It was this newly gained viewpoint that influenced all the songs on Here, Here and Here, whose title is inspired by a quote courtesy of Mozart: “There’s nothing to composing. You just need to focus on here, here and here,” he said in reference to his head, heart, and ear. If there’s a consistent theme throughout the album, it’s that life doesn’t come with instructions or a map. “All of the songs reflect the sentiment that we’ve been on this really long journey—from point A to point B—and it’s taken us a long time to learn all these different things,” Meg explains in regard to their learn-as-you-go attitude. “We wanted to create the feeling of progress, even though we’re not done yet. The whole album has a feeling of motion…that we’re trying to get somewhere while still having a little more way to go.”
Meg & Dia have certainly shown just how far they’ve come since their debut release. Here, Here and Here is a musical and emotional rollercoaster through various striations of pop-rock sounds and sensations, with each of the 13 tracks brimming with the band’s signature candor and charisma. Meg & Dia stepped outside of their musical comfort zone by experimenting with different instruments and arrangements. “Hug Me” is an upbeat rocker inspired by Brave New World and the desire to be your own person amidst a sea of expectation; “What If” is a guitar-driven, alt-rock romp that’s filled with hypothetical questions we all encounter in our lives (i.e., “What if I find my purpose first?/What if I fulfill my life’s work?/What if you’re counting on my failure made me live?”); “Bored Of Your Love,” a revealing and bittersweet duet performed with Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T’s, marks Meg and Dia’s first co-writing experience with an outside person; and “Black Wedding” is an ominous-yet-sassy salsa with fist-pounding choruses and arena-rock guitar solos.
To help Meg & Dia realize their vision, the band turned to noted producer Howard Benson, who is known for his work with My Chemical Romance and The All-American Rejects among many others. “Howard encouraged us to do a bit of soul-searching and inspired us to push ourselves creatively as artists to the limit,” Meg says. “I learned what I am capable of and to not be afraid to try any idea no matter what it is. He taught me to have faith in myself and not sell myself short just because I'm young and haven't had as much experience. His hand in the arrangements really helped bringing the songs together as a whole, making them more cohesive and emotionally solid.”
Never ones to hold anything back lyrically or musically, Meg and Dia also pride themselves on the fact that—for better or for worse—they are responsible for all of their own material. Meg mastered the GarageBand recording program while the band was demoing songs, which resulted in the final tracks not varying too much from their original form. “Organic” and “authentic” were keywords during the songwriting process, which meant that everything—from the lyrics, to the guitar lines, to the string arrangements—is 100 percent a product of the band. The result is an album that encourages the listener to use their imagination and glean their own meaning from the songs. “Today a lot of musicians hire people or just go with big, corporate writing teams,” Dia says. “That kind of thing scares me to death. “Even though we’re still learning, it’s just cool that no matter what, it’s all completely us.”
Check out the Warped Tour Compilation for Meg and Dia, along with a lot of other interesting bands.
"Seeing the world is an eye-opening experience—especially if you grew up in the tiny town of Draper, Utah—so it’s no wonder Meg & Dia’s new album, Here, Here and Here, paints a portrait of what life has been like for this hard-working band as they’ve toured for the past two and a half years in support of their 2006 debut album Something Real (which spawned the fan favorite singles “Roses” and “Monster”). Despite being fronted and named after sisters Meg and Dia Frampton, Meg & Dia is very much a collaborative effort between five individual musicians. With the upcoming release of their second album Here, Here and Here, this group of five friends has begun to evolve into the kind of musicians they want to be—although they’re the first to admit that it’s still a collective work in progress. “On the first record, Dia and I were these little naïve girls who got this huge opportunity to make a record,” Meg recalls. “We went into it completely unaware of everything. Then we traveled the world and our perspective expanded a hundred-fold.”
It was this newly gained viewpoint that influenced all the songs on Here, Here and Here, whose title is inspired by a quote courtesy of Mozart: “There’s nothing to composing. You just need to focus on here, here and here,” he said in reference to his head, heart, and ear. If there’s a consistent theme throughout the album, it’s that life doesn’t come with instructions or a map. “All of the songs reflect the sentiment that we’ve been on this really long journey—from point A to point B—and it’s taken us a long time to learn all these different things,” Meg explains in regard to their learn-as-you-go attitude. “We wanted to create the feeling of progress, even though we’re not done yet. The whole album has a feeling of motion…that we’re trying to get somewhere while still having a little more way to go.”
Meg & Dia have certainly shown just how far they’ve come since their debut release. Here, Here and Here is a musical and emotional rollercoaster through various striations of pop-rock sounds and sensations, with each of the 13 tracks brimming with the band’s signature candor and charisma. Meg & Dia stepped outside of their musical comfort zone by experimenting with different instruments and arrangements. “Hug Me” is an upbeat rocker inspired by Brave New World and the desire to be your own person amidst a sea of expectation; “What If” is a guitar-driven, alt-rock romp that’s filled with hypothetical questions we all encounter in our lives (i.e., “What if I find my purpose first?/What if I fulfill my life’s work?/What if you’re counting on my failure made me live?”); “Bored Of Your Love,” a revealing and bittersweet duet performed with Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T’s, marks Meg and Dia’s first co-writing experience with an outside person; and “Black Wedding” is an ominous-yet-sassy salsa with fist-pounding choruses and arena-rock guitar solos.
To help Meg & Dia realize their vision, the band turned to noted producer Howard Benson, who is known for his work with My Chemical Romance and The All-American Rejects among many others. “Howard encouraged us to do a bit of soul-searching and inspired us to push ourselves creatively as artists to the limit,” Meg says. “I learned what I am capable of and to not be afraid to try any idea no matter what it is. He taught me to have faith in myself and not sell myself short just because I'm young and haven't had as much experience. His hand in the arrangements really helped bringing the songs together as a whole, making them more cohesive and emotionally solid.”
Never ones to hold anything back lyrically or musically, Meg and Dia also pride themselves on the fact that—for better or for worse—they are responsible for all of their own material. Meg mastered the GarageBand recording program while the band was demoing songs, which resulted in the final tracks not varying too much from their original form. “Organic” and “authentic” were keywords during the songwriting process, which meant that everything—from the lyrics, to the guitar lines, to the string arrangements—is 100 percent a product of the band. The result is an album that encourages the listener to use their imagination and glean their own meaning from the songs. “Today a lot of musicians hire people or just go with big, corporate writing teams,” Dia says. “That kind of thing scares me to death. “Even though we’re still learning, it’s just cool that no matter what, it’s all completely us.”
Check out the Warped Tour Compilation for Meg and Dia, along with a lot of other interesting bands.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Don't Go Away Mad...
Sarah Palin released a real head-scratcher yesterday when she announced she is resigning as governor of Alaska. What she will do next is a mystery that she didn't explain. I personally hope she is fading into the sunset, but my fear is that we haven't seen the last of her. Just like other wingnut media stars, Anne Coulter, Newt Gingrich and the like, they keep coming back like the cockroaches they are. Anyone got a can of Raid?
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Against Me! has new trax due on July 7th!
At least somewhat new, to us. The new disc is called "The Original Cowboy" and it features hard rocking demos from circa 2003. Hailing from Gainesville, they manage to NOT sound like Lynryd Skynrd, and blaze their own musical trail. Just last year, Against Me! was named best punk band by Rolling Stone mag. As if they know punk, but I agree with them on this one. This band IS a great punk band. Not derivative of earlier punks, and forging a new sonic trail through the murky swampland. I love the vocals and the bass work of this band. Every great punk band needs that low end and the raspy vocals. Against Me! never disappoints...
The Pigman talks Decemberists, etc. and is CRAZY FROM THE HEAT!
O.K., it's hotter than a Spanish Bull's balls out there right now; and the Bermuda's lovin' it. But the Bluegrass is spent. I'm just trying to stay Kool, in the home 'orfice'.
And so I'm takin' in the latest CD from PASTE Magazine from here in Decatur. If you don' t know about PASTE, you should. Please take the opportunity and check out the following linky: www.pastemagazine.com/subscribe
Note: I get nada for this. For me, it's like turning someone on to another good band, like my bro Michael did for me with this mag/link. Trust me, if you dig in, you'll dig it. Speakin' of which, got to see the Decemberists at the Tabernacle a couple of weeks ago. Incredible. "Fore" words and a period: The Hazards of Love.
"Blind Pilot", Phreakin' Wrocketed!!! They were great; Fore tee five minutes of just cool shtuff. Very impressive. The Decemberists will blow your pea brain if you have hazard enough love. Incrdible show. I just don't know how folks, back in the day, sat in their Sunday best, sweatin' they assh off and never once said, GOT Damn, it aint nuttin' but HAWT in heuha!
When I moved here, I was big fan of CMJ and SPIN (b/c you get free CD's with the purchase price). PASTE is cool.
Speaking of cool, from Decatur, besides Eddie's Attic, and the several pour pubs, I get the XNL emails straight outta the 'ville (Kudos for keepin' the love flowin' and keepin' Louisville wierd); and so I saw where there was to be an in-store show by The Indigo Girls, from here in Decatur...I thought, WOW. What an opportunity. They don't do that all the time. Well, maybe. Just not enough, dammit. We've seen them inumerable times. Everytime: Incredible show, and special to be there. I once got nervous in NYC, circa Jan. 1986, Chinatown, when me and my friend were the only caucasians and darkness was chompin' at the bit tyass I had back then. Same feeling at one of their shows; only no worries. Plus, they always share the stage with the best local talent; and they are incredible! Kinda like Ed Rowland does at Eddie's Attic every December.
Speakin' of foresekins, and 'beards" (think Vuh Jay J).....what the hurl is Cat Stevens doing putting out 'another' album/CD? Did not he 'fore' give that 'sheit' up, many moons ago? And, how does his current and long-embraced gig condone/accept this 'music'?
Speakin' of Brits who have been around for many moons (dark side, or other), these 'cats' may be on their 14th record.....but if you are into Pink Floyd, you'll love Porcupine Tree. Very Phloydinal. Recreational users take note. You will likey.
Ciao for now.
Bebo Pigmon
And so I'm takin' in the latest CD from PASTE Magazine from here in Decatur. If you don' t know about PASTE, you should. Please take the opportunity and check out the following linky: www.pastemagazine.com/subscribe
Note: I get nada for this. For me, it's like turning someone on to another good band, like my bro Michael did for me with this mag/link. Trust me, if you dig in, you'll dig it. Speakin' of which, got to see the Decemberists at the Tabernacle a couple of weeks ago. Incredible. "Fore" words and a period: The Hazards of Love.
"Blind Pilot", Phreakin' Wrocketed!!! They were great; Fore tee five minutes of just cool shtuff. Very impressive. The Decemberists will blow your pea brain if you have hazard enough love. Incrdible show. I just don't know how folks, back in the day, sat in their Sunday best, sweatin' they assh off and never once said, GOT Damn, it aint nuttin' but HAWT in heuha!
When I moved here, I was big fan of CMJ and SPIN (b/c you get free CD's with the purchase price). PASTE is cool.
Speaking of cool, from Decatur, besides Eddie's Attic, and the several pour pubs, I get the XNL emails straight outta the 'ville (Kudos for keepin' the love flowin' and keepin' Louisville wierd); and so I saw where there was to be an in-store show by The Indigo Girls, from here in Decatur...I thought, WOW. What an opportunity. They don't do that all the time. Well, maybe. Just not enough, dammit. We've seen them inumerable times. Everytime: Incredible show, and special to be there. I once got nervous in NYC, circa Jan. 1986, Chinatown, when me and my friend were the only caucasians and darkness was chompin' at the bit tyass I had back then. Same feeling at one of their shows; only no worries. Plus, they always share the stage with the best local talent; and they are incredible! Kinda like Ed Rowland does at Eddie's Attic every December.
Speakin' of foresekins, and 'beards" (think Vuh Jay J).....what the hurl is Cat Stevens doing putting out 'another' album/CD? Did not he 'fore' give that 'sheit' up, many moons ago? And, how does his current and long-embraced gig condone/accept this 'music'?
Speakin' of Brits who have been around for many moons (dark side, or other), these 'cats' may be on their 14th record.....but if you are into Pink Floyd, you'll love Porcupine Tree. Very Phloydinal. Recreational users take note. You will likey.
Ciao for now.
Bebo Pigmon
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Rancid's "Let the Dominoes Fall" due on Tuesday!
Tuesday will be a busy day for me. My son who broke his arm a while back will be getting his cast off. I will be starting a new job and have to travel to Pittsburgh for some training. Somewhere along the way I need to pick up the long awaited Rancid cd, "Let the Dominoes Fall" coming out on Epitaph Records on June 2. From the previews I have heard, it sounds like classic Rancid. They don't stray too far from their traditional sound, but that is a good thing. It has a mellower vibe to it than their 2000 classic "Rancid" album. That's great too. We can't keep up that intensity forever, but can mature and keep the fire going. Like Husker Du, who continued to evolve after Zen Arcade, I feel that Rancid still has years of great material in them.
They are touring in support of the album. I call the best gig on this tour at Summerfest in Milwaukee. If you have never been there, the environment is great, the food is plentiful, and there is more music than you could shake a bratwurst at. I have seen some memorable shows there on the lakefront in Milwaukee. Violent Femmes, B52s, Sugar Cubes, Public Image Ltd, you name it.
Like I said, the disc has a mature vibe to it. Like when 40 year old guys play punk. But that is a good thing!
They are touring in support of the album. I call the best gig on this tour at Summerfest in Milwaukee. If you have never been there, the environment is great, the food is plentiful, and there is more music than you could shake a bratwurst at. I have seen some memorable shows there on the lakefront in Milwaukee. Violent Femmes, B52s, Sugar Cubes, Public Image Ltd, you name it.
Like I said, the disc has a mature vibe to it. Like when 40 year old guys play punk. But that is a good thing!
Weezer to Team with Snuggie to create their own signature "Wuggie"
And in news of the strange, Weezer is reportedly teaming up with Snuggie. They are going to create their own "wuggie". It is exactly like a snuggie, except it has Weezer's name on it. No report of whether they will wear them in concert or not.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Single Payer Health Care and the Green Party
Our country has the most expensive health care system in the world, yet we were ranked 37th by the World Health Organization in 2000.
The Green Party advocates for health care as a right for all, and we support a Single-Payer system as the most efficient and effective way to get there. We are the only political party to do so. A Single-Payer system would eliminate the for-profit insurance companies, lower the cost of health care in the United States by as much as one third, and would remove the financial burden on businesses suffering from the recent economic meltdown - replacing employee-based health care benefits.
But Single-Payer has been barred from the public debate because of the influence of insurance, HMO's, and pharmaceutical lobbies through campaign contributions, 'astroturf' (false grassroots) operations, and dishonest advertising.
The health care reform debate demonstrates why America desperately needs an independent noncorporate party. Democratic and Republican politicians are swimming in campaign donations from the insurance industry, receiving over $46 million in insurance money in 2008. There is no Single-Payer voice at the table.
The Green Party advocates for health care as a right for all, and we support a Single-Payer system as the most efficient and effective way to get there. We are the only political party to do so. A Single-Payer system would eliminate the for-profit insurance companies, lower the cost of health care in the United States by as much as one third, and would remove the financial burden on businesses suffering from the recent economic meltdown - replacing employee-based health care benefits.
But Single-Payer has been barred from the public debate because of the influence of insurance, HMO's, and pharmaceutical lobbies through campaign contributions, 'astroturf' (false grassroots) operations, and dishonest advertising.
The health care reform debate demonstrates why America desperately needs an independent noncorporate party. Democratic and Republican politicians are swimming in campaign donations from the insurance industry, receiving over $46 million in insurance money in 2008. There is no Single-Payer voice at the table.
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