*I'm Back (?)

If you read or tried to continue reading my post you may have realized I haven't written in it for quite some time. This was a combination of not having constant internet access, no money for an ezarchive, and pure nauseum over the blogging community. Mostly, the last one.

It's so easy to get wrapped up into the hype and the competition, and as a result, a homogeniality amongst a large percentage of blogs. Same songs, same bands, same trends, different hipster. It's sort of a trickle down effect.
So, obviously, I jumped out before it got to me too much. To the point where I didn't even read others' blogs.

That's all changed now, I guess. I'm starting school now, lots of free time, sitting around the dorm. If you didn't know, I will be managing my school's radio station, which is an exciting step into the music world and hopefully I can use that position to weasel my way in to concerts, interviews, promotions, etc.

This summer I did my best to keep it simple, do your everyday, run-of-the-mill stuff and just relax. I did go to a few concerts along the way:

Crosby Stills Nash & Young

Simply amazing. I bought tickets off of someone at the concert cheaper than the box office was selling them for. I went, as many did, mainly to see Neil, but everyone was mindblowing.

Capitol Hill Block Party

The Capitol Hill Block Party is a great, cheap little event the trendier (occassionally dirtier) part of Seattle puts on every year. This year I was able to catch:

Minus the Bear:
Sounded too canned, to rehearsed. Sounded exactly like every studio album but with crappier vocals.

The Black Angels:
One of my most favorite finds of the year. This band is a drug drip in audio form. Their influnces (Brian Jonestown Massacre) shine through brightly, but don't overbear their own style.

Magnolia Electric Company (pictured above):
Perhaps the best show of the night. Seeing Jason Molina, one of the best of the best, live, in a not so crowded, not so sizable venue was a dream come true.

Murder City Devils: MEC finished up a little into MCD's set...partly because someone yelled "Hey Molina! Do you get paid by the hour?....Then quit lookin' at your watch!". The Murder City Devils sounded like they hadn't been gone for one day. Everything was perfect. The howl of his vocals were chilling. I'd go on, but I won't.

Next on the list, I went and saw Wolf Parade. I did my best to show up late to the concert, intentionally to miss the opening act. Now this sounds pretty elitist...tryin' to look cool comin' late all non chalant...saying "I've just been to too many concerts to care". Well it's true, I've been to too many concerts to give a damn about the opening act. Unfortunately I arrived right on time, to catch not one, but two opening acts. I was exhausted as it was and could hardly stomach seeing to bands I hadn't intended on seeing (Whalebones, Frog Eyes). The opener, Whalebones actually turned out to be a great live band, with some real talent. Frog Eyes, on the otherhand, although a crime against the indie-cred world to say this, sucked. It was just plain and simple. They sucked. I said it, and I mean it. To boot, the crowd didn't like them either, and talked throughout the entire set. The loudest I've ever heard a crowd at the Showbox. It just wasn't the right band, regardless of ties, to open for Wolf Parade. Wolf Parade was simply amazing, way better than I had imagined. They produce fun music as it is, but they're even funner...scuze me....more fun live. The effects and keyboard and dance aspects of the music were really played out and made the whole concert experience a great time. They played a ton of new songs...ok...like four or five...but they were all up to par with anything they've put out to date. The two best moments of the night though, were their performance of "I'll Believe in Anything" the crowd was just itching to hear, and their 10+ minute encore performance of "Dinner Bells". All in All it was a good show.

Lastly, I went and saw Cat Power just a few days ago. I choose not to talk too much about this concert, mainly because I'm getting sick about talking about it.

Despite a late arrival onstage Chan Marshall put on an amazing set. She did ask us all to sit on the ground of a standing venue, but we all went with it. She did continuously ask for volumes to be changes on amps and reverb levels to be pushed higher, but we all went with it. She did appologize to everyone dozens of times, especially those appearing to leave, but we went with it. She did give the thumbs down after a number of songs she did, but we all went with it. This concert helped me realize one thing. Not that she was a little off, but that The Greatest was a much better album than I first took it as. Needless to say I listened to it a lot the next day.

I don't have any MP3's to offer you this time around. Why? I'm too lazy, and I'm not bootleggin' animal. Hope you all regain hope in Dance Hall Hips.

Thanks.