To Watch: The Naked and Famous

Tuesday 07.27.2010 09:23PM

I don't write very often about bands, for whatever reason. Perhaps I should do that more regularly.

Anyway, I mention that because when I do write about a band it means I'm really enjoying them and think they are worth your time. I discovered The Naked and Famous today at Suzi's recommendation and I am loving “Young Blood”. Musically and lyrically I find it very compelling. The video is rather awesome, too. There is a youthfulness to it, and it sounds hopeful. I love the synth-y string sounds.

Check it out for yourself:

The Naked And Famous - Young Blood from The Naked And Famous on Vimeo.

They're from New Zealand and this song is a single from their upcoming full-length. It's available on iTunes in New Zealand, and on their bandcamp for the rest of the world.

No, I'm not getting anything for this post, I just genuinely enjoy them. :)

We're only young and naive still
We require certain skills
The mood it changes like the wind
Hard to control when it begins

The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-betweens
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

Can't help myself but count the flaws
Claw my way out through these walls
One temporary escape
Feel it start to permeate

We lie beneath the stars at night
Our hands gripping each other tight
You keep my secrets hope to die
Promises, swear them to the sky

The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-betweens
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

As it withers
Brittle it shakes
Can you whisper
As it crumbles and breaks
As you shiver
Count up all your mistakes
Pair of forgivers
Let go before it's too late
Can you whisper
Can you whisper
Can you whisper
Can you whisper

The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-betweens
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-betweens
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

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Cornerstone 20Ten

Thursday 07.08.2010 01:55AM

I don't think I have blogged for several years about Cornerstone. I'm not sure why, it's one of my favorite things each year. This was my 14th year attending and it was a refreshing time. This was perhaps one of the best weather years. It was low 80s, breezy, no rain and at night it usually got down into the 60s. Usually there is rain at least one day, or temperatures in the 90s, or a tornado, or something. Not this year.

Switchfoot was really good. Hello, Hurricane is a great album so I enjoyed hearing some of those songs live. Skillet had a great live production with pyrotechnics and high energy. Timbre (harpist) is always enjoyable. The highlight of the week was on Thursday, seeing Christie DuPree, Dignan, Paper Route, Eisley, and Over the Rhine back-to-back at the Gallery stage.

I first saw (Moss) Eisley in 2002 at the Cornerstone New Band Showcase, at Cora's insistence. It's been an interesting chain of events since then. I met Mark Schwartzkopf shortly after that Cornerstone, because he was playing their EP while running sound at a local show. I booked Moss Eisley that November, had difficulties securing a venue, and then the show ultimately had to be cancelled due to some conflicts / miscommunications (I was pretty frustrated at the time, as you can read). I got involved helping the band get a better online forum, and then helped with the site in general. Years later the band was seeking a solid sound guy. Mark applied and listed me as a reference. I told them I was no pro, but I thought he did a great job. They hired him and they still work with him. In 2006 I was finally able to bring Eisley to Indianapolis. They're great people, making great music, and I wholeheartedly support them.

Thus it was pretty exciting that they were returning after 8 years to Cornerstone, where so many things “began” for them. Their set was great, a good mix of old and new songs, and the crowd loved them. The tent was 3/4 full, which is quite a good number of people at Cornerstone. The sound guy for Over the Rhine, and the band, were “blown away” apparently. That's quite a compliment coming from them, in my opinion. It was good to see the DuPrees again, meet new people, relive old memories (the whole show cancelling thing is just humorous now, looking back), and hear some great music.

I will probably have some more things to write, but I am le tired and thoughts are becoming disjointed.

Here are some pictures; not the best quality, just camera phone pictures. More on my Flickr.

photo

Main Stage used to be here...

photo

...but is now here.

photo

Sundown, Monday night

photo

Switchfoot

photo

Skillet

photo

Eisley!

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Amusement with snow on Spring Break

Wednesday 04.14.2010 11:26PM

Life has really been wearing me out lately and thus not so great, but I don't really care to write about that at the moment. All is not terrible, though. I've had some fun experiences that I just haven't taken the time to sit down and write about. And there's pictures! Ooh.

MUSE is one of my favorite bands and I was able to see them in concert for the second time in March. The first time was Spring 2005 and that show floored me – probably tied for one of the best live shows I have seen. I had high expectations for this show since they've only gotten bigger (popularity-wise, not fatty-wise) and I had read a couple things about some “video towers” they would be playing on. They definitely did not disappoint.

On the stage were three towers probably 100 feet tall, with coverings that make them look like skyscrapers. As the show started, there was a video projection on all sides of the towers – people climbing stairs to the top. After a couple minutes of this, the climbers stopped and one-by-one started falling. Finally, the coverings fall off the towers and the band starts with “Uprising”. Each tower was a hydraulic platform on the bottom (that the band played on) and the top of the towers were suspended above them. Video played on all sides of the towers. Check out the video I took of it, along with some photos:

MUSE

MUSE

MUSE

MUSE is awesome live, I definitely recommend seeing them. (I have many more photos on Flickr)

I enjoy skiing, but had not been in about 8 years. Dad and I were discussing it late last year and decided to go. Initially I was going to suggest a place in Indiana/Ohio, but he suggested we go for the “real deal”, so we decided to go to a real mountain and go skiing in Winter Park, Colorado. We did not intend it to work out this way, but the trip landed during Spring Break. We made a four-day weekend out of it, two days of skiing. For being out of shape, two days was just enough. I fell 4 or 5 times, most on the first day and nothing too bad. Once I actually took him down with me; he was just standing there and I didn't slow down enough/lost my balance or something. That gave some entertainment to the people on the ski lift overhead. That was the first day; I was semi-pro by the second day. :) We stuck to the green hills (beginner) and had a blast; some of the runs took 30-40 minutes to the bottom. We were as high as 11,700 feet. I intend to ski more regularly, even if just around Indiana.

I didn't get any pictures on the slopes (I wasn't going to bring my phone and destroy it in a fall), but did get some on the drive into the mountains.

Mountains

Mountains

Mountains

Mountains

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New Music: Evan Roberts

Sunday 01.31.2010 12:53AM

My friend Matt Walker has been involved with music one way or another since I've known him. His latest endeavor has been producing Evan Roberts' first album. It has been a 2 year process; writing, recording, and getting everything just right. It's a nice blend of R&B / rock / hip hop and I think they have done a pretty good job. I like it; I'm not normally a big fan of R&B / hip hop, so I think that says something. The album is titled Outta Hear and is free to download, so you should check it out.

Evan (and Matt) are originally from Indiana but live in Florida currently. He does have two shows coming up in the Indianapolis area, though. Friday February 19, 2010 7PM at The Irving (all ages) and Saturday February 20, 2010 9PM at Birdy's (21+). Both are with live band, if my undestanding is correct.

Below is the video for “Golden”, one of my favorites on the album:

Evan Roberts - “Golden” (Official HD Video) from Anotha One Records on Vimeo.

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Hurt

Wednesday 05.20.2009 01:58PM

Everyone and their brother has (probably – hopefully) heard this cover / seen the video already, but I was just reminded of it yesterday.

It's flawless. Moves me every time.

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