with all said and done, it's weird how bills look once you get them in the mail. i guess i need to get used to the awkwardness of how it all looks on print because i'm having a hard time figuring out how much to pay for my cell phone charges. ugh, oh well. it's not a big deal. i know things will work out in the end, so no use worrying over money like it's my life's blood or something. i knew that once i started my own phone line i'd be taking on a responsibility, so there. anyway, i'm currently at home writing this post. i didn't feel good at all this morning, so i stayed home today. i think it stems from yesterdays scramble at work. i got so much stacked up and i did accomplish a lot, but after the day was through, i felt like nothing was done. i went to church and came home feelin' sick. i guess it just carried on to today. oh well, at least i'm blogging again!!!
this coming weekend will be awesome and pretty busy. friday night i'm hangin' out with kristy, then who knows what. on saturday i'm shopping for some furniture with my mom and then taking kristy to the conservatory to watch Red City Radio play at their cd release show. and as for sunday, i'm gettin' together with my family and we're gonna watch the thunder vs. the lakers. after that, i gotta start packin' for my big move next tuesday. overall, it's goin' to be zoppity!!!
so, yesterday during the last hour or so of work, i happened upon an older band in my music collection that i haven't listened to in a long time. i played their music a bit loudly while i worked away the last minutes of my schedule. the band i'm talking about is called, Boris.
boris are a three piece band from tokyo, japan who have been playing their own selections of genres since 1992. they are known for their intense and very loud shows of pure heavy metal. well, not metal like you think, but the more obscure and extreme genres like drone and doom metal. recently they have incorporated other styles like dream-pop/ambient/shoegaze and post-metal. it's easy to say, that if you like thee styles of, say, Isis, Neurosis, Cult of Luna, Earth, Sun O))) and Pelican, then you should like boris. heck, even if you like the shoegaze styles of My Bloody Valentine, then you should like boris. check it...
oh, and before i forget, i'm only posting one of their albums and that album, of course, if called, Pink. it's their most highly acclaimed and my favorite. its what got me into them as well as many many others. it's a masterpiece of music that will challenge you as well as compliment you. dig it...
the week has been one of fluctuating levels that i can't quite grasp. i'm soooo glad tomorrow is friday. and i'm also glad that kristy will be with me that night. so anyway, it's time for another posting and i'm happy to be doing it. last night's post was just a reminder that i'm still here. ah, and just a heads up, i will be in tulsa this sunday to see, Broken Social Scene, so if i haven't posted again by then, well you know where i'm at. one of the better things to happen is me getting my own phone. yes, it's totally lame to be geekin' over it, but alas, it's just a progression that details me going my own way and growing up, or something to that effect...
here's an old pic of me that was hunkered between some old rusty machinery...
yeah, so the camera on my phone is freekin' AWESOME!!! i have always wanted a digital camera and now i got something even better!!! i love how many options i have to mess with the pics. heck, the one below was used on this app called, "retro camera." i think it speaks for itself...
old school schuyler...
ok, i'll stop with the drooling and get back on point. the work week is about to be over and the three day weekend is going to start soon. (i'm off on monday!!!) this blog means so much to me and those of you who read it mean so much to me. its my duty to keep it going and i hope to forever do that, or at least until the zombies take over...
hey, you know how i sometimes write reviews on here for some artists and such??? well i have a new one to post on and it's for a band called, Tyburn Saints.
what a SURPRISE this was. i get an email one day asking me to give this band a shot. i wrote back with a yes and they sent me their debut full length in the mail. its such a good feeling to be doing this, but just so you all know, i'm not going to post a review on every friggin' thing out there under the sun. no, the space i use to write these reviews is only for artists i like and believe others should too. tyburn saints happen to be one of those who's music i demand people try out.
so yeah, once i popped in their album titled, For the Benefit of Strangers, i was immediately struck across the face with the lo-fi, yet loudly crushing guitars. this band from brooklyn, new york, who make a wall of sound that would cause phil spector to be proud, enveloped me and took me along for the ride. needless to say, it wasn't a bad drive to work that morning. anyway, soon come the voice of lead singer, Johnny Gimenez, who made me scramble my brains to determine who he sounded like. this comes with a huge amount of respect for Johnny because the guy sounds like, David Bowie, mixed with Nick Cave and the lead singer of The Magnetic Fields, Stephin Merritt.
i knew from that point on this was going to be a good one. i jammed the album twice that day, allowing my self to absorb the musical craft and dive into the nice production. not to forget the rest of the team, there's Chappy, the man who plays keys, glockenspiel and accordion, Andrew Reed, who plays bass guitar and more guitars and also does vocals, and finally there's, David Parmeter, who plays drums. these fellows make/made up the band and together they create this wonderful collective organism that's hauntingly euphoric. yeah, i love this stuff...
this is an awesome debut album and one not to miss. songs that grabbed me where, "bells" and "she murders me." there is a nice personal quality that comes from the music and it fits right in with my huge amount of love for this kind of style. the style i'm referring to is what i've listed in the labels. tyburn saints play a smoothed out post-punk/lo-fi/shoegaze/jangly style with lots of reverb. you can hear bands like, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Galaxy 500, Ride, The Birthday Party and for a bit of the newer stuff, The National, Best Coast and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. there's also a hint of 60's surf rock/girl group stuff and it seems to be their trump card. so catchy its not fare against your ears i'm tellin' ya!!!
i was told by mr. gimenez that he is currently working on demo's for a possible ep coming out soon. until then, you have their debut album and i want you all to give it a try. and no, i'm not going to post it this time. look to the links below for your source. (i gotta keep my eye on this band...) enjoy!!!
ugh, i think i'm getting a bug or somethin'. my nose is stopped up and runny and my throat is sore. this stinks because it means i'm a walking disease. no kissing for me!!! eh, oh well, not all is bad though. i'm still here and enjoying my life a lot more than in the past. i can't help but smile right now as i type this!!!
i wanna make this short because i'm meeting kristy in a bit to have dinner. for this post i'm making a mark for a band i totally missed out on last year. they go by the name, Bo Ningen, which is japanese and i think it means, "stick men"...
okay, so pay attention here, because i'm going to have to explain a lot in a short amount of words if i can. bo ningen is a four piece band from london, england and are one of that nations rising talents. they have been highly praised by fellow rockers, The Horrors and by musical press, nme. to describe their sound, take the heaviness of Black Sabbath and Lighting Bolt, mix in the garage rock roughness of, The Sonics and The Mummies, then stir that with the noise punk spasticness of Melt Banana and Arab On Radar, and you might have a close idea of what this band is all about.
actually, what i listed above is only a taste of the craziness this band does. as i was writing the above paragraph, i kept thinking i'm hearing freekin' King Crimson and kraut rock like, Faust, Neu! and Can. it's no wonder they toured with ex-singer, damo suzuki, from can... anyway, this is really bogus and it's keeping me interested to the very end. it's j-pop turned on it's head and farted on. bo ningen are amazing and come highly recommended!!!
for their tunes, in first place is their debut ep titled, Koroshitai Kimochi. and after that is their self titled debut full length. oh, and just for a warning, these songs are all sung in japanese, so don't freak out
goodness, how long has it been since i've made a post??? it feels like FOREVER!!! i'm terribly sorry about that and yadda yadda yadda, ok. so, you know what's happening to me at the moment??? LIFE!!! life is happening and throughout all it's crazy confusion i still seem to be here, alive and sort of well. man, what a tough week it's been already, and today is just wednesday...
by the way, my tattoos are getting dry and crunchy, so i guess that means their shell will eventually break off and the fresh, skin absorbent colors will stay on forever. i had lot's of time to ponder on my decision to get some ink done and many many times' i've come to the conclusion that i did exactly what i wanted at the right time in my life. it's was a bit spontaneous and reckless, but it did mean something personal to me. i reflected back on the past ten years of my life during the 2000's and let me tell ya, there's some stuff in there i don't want to even begin to fathom. those old memories creep up like shadows and disappear like smoke. the memories that tend to flood back more frequently are the one's from the last five or so years. (all that college stuff...) i'm thinking that those are the beginning of my middle life or something of that nature. there is a mass confusion on my part throughout all this. maybe that's why i wanted to do something that was easy to figure out. there's nothing more simple than knowing what a tattoo is. these two pieces are representative of my past, present and hopeful future. they're totally mine and no one can take that away from me. (i don't think anyone would anyway...)
ah, and another thing to mention. i got to see some of those christmas play pics and let's just say, we won't be seeing them on here for good reason. mmmaaaaaayyyyyyybbbbbbbeeeeee one will slip in sometime, but don't count it happening soon. heh heh oh, uh to change subjects once again, this saturday is the new years eve sobriety powwow at the fairgrounds. (yeah i know new years was last weekend...) this is probably my favorite winter powwow ever. it's a nice little gathering that seems to attract everybody and their dog to come out. i always get the chance to catch up with people i haven't seen in a long time. i'm looking forward to this event once again!!!
on the way home from work i was trying hard to decide on what band to post about tonight. my mood wasn't in the best of places, so i kept thinking of something dramatically depressing. in the back of my head there was something scratching my brain to make itself noticed. i kept hearing this little lo-fi, accordion type of music playing with twee-pop vocals. it suddenly dawned on me who it was. The Clean. (not depressing at all!!!)
the band who are pretty much responsible for creating the "dunedin sound" along with other bands like, The Bats, The Chills, Sneaky Feelings and The Verlaines, the clean are a three piece indie-pop act from dunedin, new zealand, hence the reference to their style. greatly influenced by bands like, The Velvet Underground, The Stooges and The Ramones, but with a more friendlier pop oriented sound, the clean were at the forefront of the punk/nu-wave scene in their native country. they first started back in 1978 and have been going strong ever since, playing the occasional show and making recorded efforts. if there is ever a chance that they are within close proximity of yourself, head straight over there and watch these guys play. they deserve so much more exposure because they are sooooooooo great.
the one thing to check out by this band is The Clean Anthology. this double disc effort compiles pretty much their entire recorded output since their inception and it's a doozy of a time. the music is so fun and cheery that you can't help but sing along and rock out. please, do yourself another favor here and check out the clean. dig it...
you know what??? CHICKEN BUTT!!! oh, and guess what??? (seriously…) I HAD A WONDERFUL WEEKEND!!! oh my gosh yes!!! i’m still happy over it!!! saturday and sunday were the scheduled performances for the native american christmas play, and i rocked it!!! i actually did pretty good and almost my entire family came!!! i’m sooooooo happy that everything worked out like it did. just good times with good people and nice memories to remember forever. i couldn’t ask for anything else.
i know there were lot’s of pictures taken of the cast and crew, and i saw some of them myself, so eventually i’ll get around to posting them on here. just as soon as someone emails them…
i don’t have too much time to write a long diatribe about life’s complications, nor do i feel like it anyway, so let’s keep this short. the artist i want to mention today was just pushed back into my mind after reading the news of his recent death. ladies and gentlemen, i give you, Captain Beefheart.
don glen vliet, better known by his stage name, captain beefheart, was a musical/avant-garde/visual artist who made some of the most unsual, yet amazing music of the 60’s and 70’s. he performed often with his backing band, known as The Magic Band, and in the process, left behind many groundbreaking, landmark albums of pure art. yes art!!!
captain beefheart was a friend of Frank Zappa, whom he often competed and collaborated with. after releasing two awesome albums, the captain and his magic band went in the studio and churned out the groundbreaking double album, Trout Mask Replica. this album is by far his most famous and is ranked at number, 58 in the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums Ever Made issue. and all things must pass, and so it comes with sad news that captain beefheart has passed away. he was battling multiple sclerosis at the time. still, the music he’s left behind will be forever cherished. many artists claim allegiance to the world of beefheart and if it wasn’t for him, they wouldn’t be were they are now. Tom Waits, Sonic Youth, The White Stripes, The Sex Pistols, The Minute Men, Gang of Four and Blondie have all stated their inspiration and admiration for his music, and if you have a good ear, you can notice the subtle touches that are pure beefheart. (heh heh…)
so, to end this, i'm posting one thing here and that of course is the double album, Trout Mask Replica. believe the hype, but be warned, you may not "get it" on first listen. it took me many tries before i understood what they were doing here. aw, a good memory from my college days is flooding back. late night dorm room hangin' while jammin' captain beefheart and trying to write something that didn't suck, only to get lost in the music and fall asleep. dig it...
my thinking process is stopped by my unending sense of tiredness. right now, i can’t think of much to write, except for what is coming out of my head at the moment. heck, i can’t even think of the music i want to post on. you know, honesty is the best policy, so here at, A Wolf At the Door, i stand by that phrase and try my best to be as truthful as i can be. the days drag on, and when they seem to be at their slowest, i tend to think of the past. like a lot of people, the past is not something i have forgotten easily. i sometimes envy those who can let it all go. (envy isn’t a good thing…)
so, what is it that i think about from my past that makes the day feel a bit more worse??? well, i don’t want to say worse, just a little sadder. thoughts about my ex-girlfriend are usually the first to come to mind. there is only one girl who has stolen my heart, and she is out there somewhere. most likely in the south west. i met her in college and that point in my life was a dramatic change. man, just sitting here thinking about writing this is making my eyes roll. i’m just one of the billions out there who have written similar things. still, those people aren’t me and they never loved this girl like i did/do. my parents are tired of me mentioning the past, and i’m not getting any support elsewhere, so this blog happens to be my emotional outlet. as i mentioned in my very first post, this blog is meant to be my own personal account of life, intermixed with music that matters.
ex-girlfriend woes aren’t the only thing that creeps up, oh no!!! there’s also my abstract lifestyle of constant depression and anxiety. oh yeah, the subject that NOBODY cares to talk about. having to make life changes based around something that i really have no control over is frustrating to do. i pop medication and see therapists, but it doesn’t really help much. (at least i don’t think it does…) i’m left with the sinking knowledge that i will have to live with this the rest of my life, but according to those sources who are supposedly there to help me, i can “deal” with it by other outlets.
truth be told, i always knew there was something wrong with me. growing up, i have always felt alone and sad. (OMG what an emo thing to say ya pansy!!!) oh yes, tis true i say, for you see, my life has been one of hurt and pain. why don’t i count my blessings??? i’m still alive aren’t i??? well, that’s easy to say, but ask yourself that same question once you have passed the thin line between life and death…
oh boy, i can tell this post isn’t going to be a memorable one. is there a way for me to rectify this and make it a bit better??? going back to those past thoughts, are there any that make me happy??? happy thoughts about my ex perhaps??? i don’t know if she ever reads this, (we haven’t had contact in quite some time…) but one of my best memories of her was the time we spent here in oklahoma. i’m not going into details, but i have some images that flash before my eyes. the OU powwow, eating braums ice cream, watching The Fifth Element, playing with my dog chewbacca, goofing off at wal-mart, seeing the cows along the road as we drove back-and-forth from school, and lastly, spending that wonderful moment on indian hills road…
where is my life taking me now??? i have a good job and might be in the process of moving out soon, but do those things really matter??? what’s the point to it all when you are dreadfully lonely??? i guess this is why music can mean so much to people. it means a lot to me of course, what, with me dealing with issues and needing a constant escape. the few minutes, or hours, that music brings to someone can matter more than what a lifetime can accomplish. oh, and moments can be fleeting, but that’s why we have the opportunity to replay it again. (ugh, my metaphors are tired out and depleted, just like my ipod…)
*please take note that this is a post written by a manic depressive…*
okay, so after a few minutes of staring blankly at the computer screen before me, i’ve finally chosen the right artist to mention today. (my whole attitude has changed from the above ramblings…) once again, we take a trip down indie 101 lane, and end up with the classic band, R.E.M.
r.e.m., which stands for “rapid eye movement” is one of college rock’s most important groups. when people mention college rock, or independent music in general, these guys should always come up. it’s standard practice to name drop r.e.m., and with that, we delve into the realm of their history here. first off, the band, who are from athens, georgia, started in 1980, and had the following members: michael stipe, lead vocals, peter buck, lead guitar, mike mills, bass, and bill berry, drums. this is the original lineup and they made many classic albums in the alternative genre. they rose to acclaim on college radio stations with their debut ep, Chronic Town. after this they started making their full length albums, many of which have been nominated for various awards such as grammy’s and whatever mxtxvx spews out these days. in short, if it wasn’t for a band such as r.e.m., we wouldn’t have much good music today. yeah, i said it!!! so, if you happen to dig bands like, Guided By Voices, Dinosaur Jr., Pavement, Sebadoh, The Replacements, 10,000 Maniacs, Superchunk, My Bloody Valentine, Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction and countless others, r.e.m. should fit into your listening schedule.
now for the music, what you will find is about half their discography, which consists of my personal faves. seriously, i love all these recordings, so any one of them is a good starting place. in first position is the already mentioned ep, Chronic Town. after that i their amazing first full length, Murmur. following in pursuit are the albums, Reckoning, Fables of Reconstruction and Life's Rich Pageant. next in line is the album that really blew them up called, Document. and to wrap this up. three more albums i really love which are, Green, Out of Time and Automatic For the People. rolling stone has three of these listed in its top 500 Greatest Albums Ever Made issue. try guessing which one's eh??? heh heh heh, dig it then...
http://www.mediafire.com/?yjmgyygymn5
http://www.mediafire.com/?k02xvmyjmt2
http://www.mediafire.com/?hhnytyyt3zt
http://www.mediafire.com/?lhogjzinjml
http://www.mediafire.com/?bxtymmtzt4y
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=P1F3GZTH
http://www.mediafire.com/?ytdvnzxhddr
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LFFFO30F
http://www.mediafire.com/?0ivy4z51evn
yes, take note that i did in fact write this post almost three days ago...
ugh, it sucks calling in. of course you feel awesome at first, when you go back to lying down and sleep a few more hours, but then later on, as the day passes, you start to feel guilty as all heck and then question yourself as to why you stayed in the first place. i blame my medicine for making me feel like crap, but that's really lame of me. i'll probably have to pay for this infraction later. still, it's strange how it doesn't affect me as much as i thought. the idea of losing my job isn't overwhelming. maybe it's my "condition" that causes me to be this despondent??? well anyway, it's no laughing matter and if i don't try and do better, i'll most likely end up in a gutter somewhere...
those terribly sleepy days are reminiscent of sickness to me. but since i feel sick all the time, the line has been blurred and they have both become the same thing. when it's cold outside, and your warm in your bed, take a look out the window and see the fog and ice. the music of Bon Iver is like that.
bon iver is a band founded by singer-songwriter justin vernon. the group started 2006 and hail from eau clair, wisconsin. the debut album was released independently by vernon in 2007. it was recorded during a span of three months in a remote cabin in northwestern wisconsin. the name bon iver is a play on the french word, "bon hiver" which means "good winter."
to this date, only one album and an ep have been released. the debut album has been critically acclaimed and made many best of the year lists when it first came out. to me, this is essential indie/folk music. if you like artists such as, Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Iron & Wine, Jim Ward and Blitzen Trapper, then this should be welcomed by you.
please check out the album, For Emma, Forever Ago, and enjoy the meaningful tunes. oh, and get well soon!!! dig it...
i tried my best to not go out today, but it looks like i can't resist the urge to spend some hard earned cash on junk. today is black friday and all the crazies are out shopping in full force. do i dare try my luck out on the town with video games on my mind??? i dare say i shall!!! actually, it's much easier for me since we have an awesome game stop and best buy just a mile down the road. heh heh
you know, i might not find anything worth buying since i wasn't up at dawns crack, or the crack of dawn... regardless, i'm on a mission to purchase a few select adventures in gaming that i will most likely not play that much since i have NO TIME to myself these days. anyway, for a recap on yesterday, i had a really good time with my family. it was just me, mom, grandma, dylan and dennis. we ate awesomely good food until we were about to bust and then crashed out all over the house. later that night after i took grandma home, me and mom went to the movies and watched Harry Potter. it was my second time so far. i wonder if i'll make a third trip???
the lead up to this week has been an extremely tough one, which if you've read this blog for some time, won't come as a surprise. my life is filled with too much drama, and yeah, sometimes i like to post about it. so what, wanna fight about it??? ahem, so yeah, and yeah, and yeah... it's just a normal time for the life of schuyler "mr. self indulgent" deal. a day can't seem to pass without something crazy happening. BUT, yesterday wasn't one of those days. it was a great day!!! there was nothing wrong with yesterday, and for once, i had peace. i occasionally think that peace only comes with death, but i'm wrong. peace can come anywhere, anytime. i just have no clue when it will show itself...
okay, so for the music here's a new cat with a band that goes by the name of Twin Shadow.
twin shadow is, like i said, a newer band from brooklyn, new york that formed in some year i'm not sure of. the music is a sort of return to form for post-punk that brings memories of the first time i heard Interpol and The Strokes. it's simple, yet sturdy and a bit bleak. pretty much what post-punk/new wave is all about. check out the video below for an example why don't ya???
i really don't have much to say since i'm just learning about this band myself, but from what i've heard, it's good stuff. here, check out their debut album, Forget and see if you can love it yourself. dig it...
what a wonderful weekend i had!!! it was totally and truly awesome!!! friday started with me getting off work and going down to norman once again. i stopped by guestroom records and picked up some new music, then went to hastings and sat around reading while sipping on a frozen hot chocolate. saturday morning i awoke early to get my cousin kelly and went over to seminole for our monthly indian falls creek meeting. this was very tiring, but it’s important, so i put up with it. back home, i dropped her off then posted my last blog entry. later on i picked up my other cousin, micco, and we came back to my house and played nazi zombies on the latest Call of Duty game. after several hours of brain splattering, we left and picked up Kelly then headed up north to quail springs mall. we met our buddy jennifer at this place called, “lotsa noodles” and ate our dinner there. next thing we did was waiting in line for almost an hour before being let in for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. oh boy, what a movie this was!!! i left thinking it was the best harry potter yet. after careful thought, i will go on record and say that yes, as a matter of fact, it is the best harry potter movie EVER!!! At least until the second part comes out, which might beat this one…
so, i went to bed super late, but ultimately happy with how the day was. i skipped out on church sunday morning, but made it to my mom’s church later that night for their annual thanksgiving dinner. it was fun, but a bit crowded and hot. that old gym doesn’t get good air inside. after that i went home and washed clothes and played more COD. The fourth episode of The Walking Dead came on and it was a good one. the night ended with me actually reading a chapter of a book i own and then falling asleep. monday is now here, but it doesn’t seem bad so far. in my mind, it’s more like a thursday because i’m off from wednesday until next monday.
wow, i just wrote a bunch of stuff that nobody probably cares about… hmm, i’m sometimes torn from writing about what i did on that day, to free thinking and writing about whatever. the stuff in which i write about whatever seems to be more interesting to me. it’s also easier to write. all the stuff up above is just filler. but of course, i really did enjoy myself, and i didn’t mind sharing some of it with you all. bleh, this blog is more complex that i ever expected it to be. or maybe it’s just me who’s the complex person and the blog is simply a tool of sorts. i’ll go with the later, so yeah, it’s definitely me… maybe this is why i’m having a hard time with a social life. well, as you can probably tell, i did end up having a blast with everyone this weekend, so my social life took a leap upwards. i just wish it would do that more often…
you know what??? i’m still in a decent mood, even for a monday, so let’s post some music to reflect that. a happy schuyler means happy music, so here’s a newer band that i recently starting jammin’. they are called, Best Coast and are fun fun fun!!!
this is just pure indie pop right here. best coast are a recent band that formed in 2009 and are based outta the west coast, via los angeles, california. over the past year they have blown up in the underground with their jangly, lo-fi, chillwave style music. well, not so much chillwave, but instead more akin to 60’s surf/garage pop like The Beach Boys. there is a great deal of loud guitars and fuzzed out bass, which makes it an almost dream pop/shoegaze style band. lead singer, bethany cosentio, sings with a soft, airy voice that recalls artists like, Hope Sandoval, Julie Cruise and even Courtney Love. if you happen to dig bands like, Mazzy Star, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Raveonettes, Wavves, The Vivian Girls, or Ride, then there shouldn’t be any reason not to like best coast!!!
okay, so to start we have two ep's which are titled, Make You Mine and Where The Boys Are. after that we have their debut full length, which is called, Crazy For You. it's a sweet, emotional album with great pop hooks and nice, thoughtful lyrics. if you are a romantic at heart, (i am...) then you will surely dig this. enjoy!!!
Posts
