The Musical Thoughts of +81
 

Well I drank too much coffee and now I can't sleep so huzzah a new journal thread is born. Please don't expect much from this, I don't have the worlds greatest writing skills or even decent ones. I just plan on writing some experiences and perhaps somewhat reviews based on music that has affected me in some way.


So to start, here's an ever so thrilling and most likely grammatically horrendous little tale about...


Back in the day when I was just a young +81 I knew little of the resources for discovering new music. One day on a trip out of town I took a gamble on an album completely foreign to me. The album was Liveage by The Descendents. I knew nothing of this band aside from hearing their name mentioned in the NoFX song ’13 Stiches’. NoFX being one of my favorite bands at the time, I decided to go for it and purchase the disk. A strange decision starting out with a band based on a live album but that’s the way things were. On the ride home I pop the CD into my trusty walkman and press play. Only a few seconds in and then you hear the shouting of the word ‘All’. “This is considered a song?”. Alright, we proceed. As I go through the songs I find myself quite draw in by the drumming of Mr. Bill Stevenson. Something about those snare fill where just right. The bass lines were so fast and upfront. I just couldn’t get songs like ‘I Want To Be a Bear’ , ‘Coolidge’ and ‘Myage’ out of my head. All of the songs were thrown at you so quickly yet tightly held together. I must have listened to the entire album about four times through in that first sitting,. It was just so intriguing. To this day it remains my personal favorite Descendents album and one of my favorite punk albums in general.



Well there we are. Entry one complete.

Who cares about your supposed lack of writing "skills"? If you're writing, as you say, about music that has affected you personally then it really it isnt important. I'm not the best myself.

I've never heard that album myself but it's a decent enough review! :thumb:

I often pick albums up i have never heard of before. I still do it. A couple of local record shops have space set aside for the likes of promo's, EP's and samplers for dirt cheap and i often pick up some of those as well as the bargain sections.

Thank you both. I'm glad I finally made some type of journal. Makes me feel like I'm contributing a little more than my standard 'last album downloaded' or '10 song shuffle' posts.

Great stuff, man. I love Descendents. :thumb:

I have a similar story regarding Descendents' Hallraker: Live! album. It was Junior year of high school. A buddy and I were into metal and alternative rock like Primus and Faith No More for the most part. Metallica was the ****. We liked Misfits too, and that was really the extent of my exposure to punk. One day he found this tape in the school parking lot. He told me later "hey, I found this tape." We both looked at it and shrugged our shoulders, not knowing what it was. We proceeded to hop in my mom's car (me driving...not my mom). Popped the tape in. Hella fun from the get-go! Amazing tape! Just like you, we probably played it 5 times through on the first sitting, driving around and having a blast. The tape honestly didn't leave my tape deck for a week, and make frequent returns thereafter. Such fun music! So I really consider it the tape that got me into punk, and dare I say it 'pop punk' like the Fat Wreck stuff in the 90s.

That's excellent. What's better than musical discover is surprise musical discovery. I still haven't heard that album though it had some of my favorites (Kabuki Girl, My World, Cameage). I was thinking of hunting it down earlier this week actually, still have to get it.

This week I’ve just I’ve been really feeling the tunes of Holy Molar. I’ve enjoyed their chaotic and bubbly sound for quite some time but it was just recently I finished collecting all the songs I hadn’t heard before. If you’re not familiar with the band, it is made up of members of Charles Bronson, The Locust, and The Get Hustle (just to name a few of their involvements). The keyboard lines of ‘Pissing Off in the Rolex of Your Dreams’, 'Deep Thought Eject Button' and ‘Cavity Search’ just haven’t left my head. You could say they sound the same as The Locust but the different members and swapping of instruments brings a new dimension to the sound. If you’re a fan of obnoxiously spat out vocals over top of the lab sounds of a mad scientist on speed this may just be up your alley.

Their music videos also happen to be the peak of cinema.

If I said I enjoyed that, I would be lying. :p:

I hope you mean the video/song, not my post in general.

Ah yes of course, the song. I'm not one to really comment on people's review styles and what not. I suck at it myself. I just pay attention to the music mostly.

Oh, okay.

It just occurred to me the other day how appropriate my first post was, writing about Descendents while being over caffeinated.

I started listening to Wintersleep in grade 9 and got hook on their first two albums, their Untitled and Self-titled. Both have a great melodies, meaningful lyrics (to me anyway) and a good use of dynamics with both instruments and vocals that really gives the music some feeling. Their 2007 release Welcome to the Night Sky is an excellent album in it's own right by in my opinion, nothing beats the first two albums.


Fog is really too short for it's own good.

Not bad. I actually heard about those guys earlier this year and have meant to check out the album Welcome to the Night Sky but haven't yet. The vocals in the 1st and 3rd clips remind me a bit of a cross between Jeff Mangum and Aaron Weiss. I like.

This is a song I was listening to by John Cage called Ocean Of Sound. I think it is a really beautiful piece of music that perfectly encapsulates the feeling of isolation.

The (International) Noise Conspiracy may be one of the biggest hit or miss bands I’ve ever heard. Despite this I still think they offer enough to merit an entry about them. Formed by Dennis Lyxzen after the break up of the hardcore band Refused, the majority of the screaming is left behind in favor of a groovy bass and organ laden sound in this garage rock outfit. I love a lot of their material but I don’t think they have one album where I really love more than about half of it. I’ll be contributing a compilation of highlights in the ‘beginner’s guide to’ thread if anyone is interested.

Here's a high energy performance.

and a stylish music video.

I'd check out a beginner's guide if you end up doing it. I tried to listen to 4 or 5 of their songs before but only one that I liked and I don't remember what it was called or what album it was from. From your description of them, though, it would definitely be worth going back and listening to some more songs, there's probably a good chance I heard some bad ones. If you don't do that though, is there a specific album you'd recommend?

I got around to making the beginner's guide today but if you're still interested in a straight up recommendation, I think their first two albums are their overall strongest. I'd say start with their second album Survival Sickness. Let me know if you'd like me to upload you anything.

Wintersleep are a great band. I only have Welcome To The Night Sky though which i must say is an excellent album, i can't wait to hear what they release next. I must get around to those first two albums whenever i get the chance.

I can hook you up with both if you want.

Over the Christmas break I’ve refrained from downloading much new music, instead just focusing more on what I already have. In doing so I’ve discovered some albums hidden in my collection that I’ve come to love. So my trusty ipod has been going steady and I’m also happy to be back with my turntable. Unfortunately my ipod had to be restored right before I left forcing me to leave artists out from around S-Z. No matter, I’ve got more than enough to keep me happy and my ears busy.

So here we go.

I'd heard the name Of Montreal tossed around for quite a while never cared too much to look into them. I had few songs on my computer from comps and such and I liked the song 'Sleeping in the Beetle Bug' enough to download their album Cherry Peel.


Most songs on the album aren't amazing but they have a messy ignorant charm to them but also pieces that well planned out and executed. There's spots in the album that can get a little cheesy but that's okay. I think

Some favorite lyrics:

"I want to marry all of my closest friend and live in a big house"

"Tim, I wish you were a girl..."
It's kind of a sad and cute song at the same time. The narrator is saying if Tim were born a girl it would have been easier and less confusing to deal with his feelings for him at such a young age. Now he's matured and understands they can be together regardless but he regrets the time they could have had together.

Favorite songs: Sleeping in the Beetle Bug, Montreal

That reminds my of my suitemate's friend yelling, "I JUST WANT TO SPOON IN THE LOVE OF MY FRIENDS."

Review was short and sweet.
I'd like to know more of your opinion on this album, though.
^_^

Perhaps I'll write some more about it when I'm in the right mood. Thanks for taking an interest, Amandria.

Sorry, couldn't find a video.

This is a little 90's rock gem that I caught after doing my usual downloading of tracks from the MuchMusic indie program called 'The Wedge' some years ago. It's a cool laid back kind of college rock song that I always find to be a treat for the ears. I searched for quite a while to find the song's album 'Beach Music' which I eventually did in the back on the discount shelf of a record store. The positive melodies and vocal harmonies really does make this good beach music. Funny enough, I don't think I listened to that album in it's entirety more than twice. I believe members of the band went on to form the one hit wonder band Dunk with their song 'Crowd Surfing', which is also quite enjoyable.

The Locust - Moth-Eaten Deer Head, Hairspray Suppository, Who Wants a Does of The Clap?

The three tracks by this blissful band that really got me into burst of abrasive screams, sudden time signature changes and the desire to hear more electronics in the music I love. Not long after, I found their self-titled ep on mini disk in a book/cd store in Montreal. Still the only mini-disk I own. The Locust still gets frequent plays and my collection has grown significantly.

not to take stay on the of montreal topic...but is that only album you have heard by them? if so...you really should check out their later material. kevin barnes has developed into an amazing musician. cherry peel and a lot of their early albums are a far cry in quality compared to albums like hissing fauna are you the destoyer? and the sunlandic twins.

if you liked anything about cherry peel at all it is safe to say you will really enjoy their later albums.

Yeah, so far Cherry Peel is their only album I've heard but I think it's gotten me interested in the band enough to explore their other material. Thanks for the recommendations, Duga.

I still need to get into Wintersleep. A guy I volunteered with recommended them in the summer.

You really do need to.
81 sent me an album and I loved it.