MOG - iseemonsters's Posts

The Format breaking up?

iseemonsters — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:17:59 GMT

I just saw this blog post by Nate on The Format's MySpace:

IMPORTANT

We have just put out word that we will not be making a new Format album. Please understand this was a tough decision and we're both upset about it. While we accept there will be false speculation as to why, understand that Sam and I remain extremely close and in fact are still passing the twin peaks box set back and forth in an attempt to figure out who REALLY killed laura palmer. We also want to thank everyone with and within the Format, particularly Mike, Don, and Marko, whom without, none of this would have ever even been fully realized. We both suggest you support their musical talents and whatever they decide to do. And lastly we want to thank the fans who made this the best 5 years of our lives.

- nate

Wow. Dog Problems is one of my favorite albums of the last few years, and I was really looking forward to hearing what they came up with next. It's a sad day for those of us who like power pop.

Mog, cruel Mog

iseemonsters — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:39:13 GMT

I take issue with the fact that Mog says I am 31. I'm not 31 until Monday, thankyouverymuch.

"You can take away the booze, but you can't take away the crazy": Ryan Adams' Nissan Live Set

iseemonsters — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 22:13:31 GMT

Because of my kick-ass roommate's work connections, I recently got the chance to attend a taping of the Yahoo Nissan Live Sets series featuring Ryan Adams & the Cardinals. It's no secret Ryan is my favorite artist and I was just down from my high of seeing him in concert a few weeks earlier, so I jumped at the opportunity to feed the addiction.

I have to say, I was very curious to see how Ryan would handle this situation. My only experience prior had been at a Kelly Clarkson Live Set, and it seemed rather annoying for the artist with the stopping and starting between songs and having to deal with cues from stage directors, not to mention the huge Q&A sections with fans that break up the concert. Ryan's volatile history doesn't seem to jive with these sort of distractions, you know? Let me just say, although everything didn't go quite as smoothly as the Kelly show, it was a lot more fun.

When we arrived we found out from the producer that the band was still doing their soundcheck, which should have been done long before. It seems Ryan arrived on time, but loved the room so much he scrapped plans to do an acoustic set and decided to do a fully plugged performance, causing amps to be changed and drum kits to be summoned. I love this, because it shows how much he is driven by wanting to be the best artist he can.

Although soundcheck started late, we were let in the studio with plenty of time to spare and the show started pretty much right on schedule. Not to brag, but the best part was our special seats on a comfy couch right behind the sound board. Knowing people is a good thing. Right before the band came on stage, I spied a set list taped to the sound board and nearly had a seizure of glee - the set list was 17 songs long! They were only supposed to do nine, but Ryan decided he wanted to do more, which was peachy keen with me. Here's a pic of the set list:

The band came on stage and Ryan was immediately in a great mood, joking with his band about how his underwear was riding up his ass and greeting the audience. All signs go for a great night! They sounded fantastic, and played the most beautiful version of "Blue Hotel." Here it is for your enjoyment, but don't look at it lest you go blind - it's horribly out of sync - simply just listen to the gorgeousness:

Right after "Blue Hotel" they played "The Sun Also Sets," which Ryan asked to play again later in the show because he sounded like Eddie Money. I disagree, but still: ha. (They did play it later on and sounded fantastic, so I guess he knows what he's talking about after all.)

Then, it was time for the dreaded Q&A. Now, I don't know what it is about famous people that makes regular folks crazy, but there was a crazy girl in the mix that night who asked Ryan to play her brother's wedding next year. At first the crowd tittered with amusement, thinking she was joking. Yeah, she wasn't. Watch for yourself:

Ryan's kind of funny, huh? Who knew. I love how he turns the uncomfortable question around by acting weird himself.

After the Q&A session Ryan was still very animated, and rattled off great versions of "Dear John" (which I far prefer without the Norah Jones caterwauling), "Two" and "I Taught Myself How to Grow Old" ("Easy Plateau," not so much). The real fun started when he played "When the Stars Go Blue" during a full-tilt high point of the night. His comments at the end are priceless:

Then, it was time for the second Q&A, which is where I think things started to go horribly, strangely wrong. The actual Q&A session went fine, but afterwards the stage manager asked Ryan to do some ridiculous business announcing "Do you guys want to hear one more song?" or something like that. Ryan obviously thought this was beyond dumb, and had fun making a silly spectacle out of it. Then, however, the band skipped to the last song on the set list, "Goodnight Hollywood Blvd.," thinking they were being cut off and that was the cue to wrap it up.

Once they were told it was just in case they wanted to use that in editing and they could finish their set, things sort of went wonky. Ryan and the band got lost on the set list. Between songs he would jokingly mock what a stage director does, which you can see a little bit of in the "Two" performance:

Things were still going fairly well, though, until in the middle of "Let it Ride" when Ryan waved the band off and started screaming at his lighting director to "turn down the fucking lights" saying he "didn't need to be on fire to be seen on TV." He threatened to walk if the LD didn't turn the lights down, and when they didn't subside he made good on his promise, taking off his guitar and storming off the stage. At this point, the Cardinals were like, "Um...okay...well...I guess that's it, thanks for coming out!" and they walked off the stage, too. The Yahoo folks started leading the masses out of the studio, and I just couldn't stop laughing because it was just so perfect. I had just witnessed my very own Ryan Adams meltdown! I felt like part of some special club or something.

Before everyone got out the door, we were frantically called back into the studio - Ryan had decided to finish the show. At this point I took the opportunity to run to the bathroom (damn you, Diet Coke!) and missed his return, but apparently he came into the audience and shook some hands, apologizing and blaming his tantrum on a nicotine fit. Gotta love it. He finished out the show in fine form, playing the highlight of the set (for me at least) this awesome, amazing, best-ever version of "I See Monsters":

That has to be a shout-out, right?

All in all it was a wonderful time. I laughed constantly, enjoyed some beautiful music, and even got a dose of the famous Ryan Adams drama.

You can check out the whole thing, complete with more performances, Q&A sessions, bonus pics and an interesting blog, here:

Yahoo Nissan Live Sets

(Oh, I forgot to mention that we heard Ryan's lighting director quit later that night because he was sick of being abused. Heh. It's sad, though, because the lighting design on his tour was so great.)

Ryan Adams @ Wilshire Theater, 7/19/07

iseemonsters — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 23:34:09 GMT

Sorry I've been so absent lately. I would say I've been busy (which I have, honest) but above and beyond that I've mostly just been lazy.

One of the most enjoyable things I've done since I posted last was to go see the Ryan Adams concert at the Wilshire theater on July 19. Ryan was mind-blowingly incredible. His voice sounds better than ever and he and his backing band the Cardinals are clicking on every level. Giving up the smack has been good to him. His sets on this tour are very low-key, sticking to a more alt-country and Grateful Dead-tinged vibe. Seeing as this is my favorite aspect of his songwriting, I was very pleased.

Beyond the great song list, what really blew me away was his lighting design. I was constantly mesmerized by it throughout the show. I snapped a few pictures I thought I'd share. (I apologize for the poor quality, but my crappy digital camera doesn't do well in dark situations using the zoom.)

This was the only time he stood up the entire set, for the closer "Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd." I'm bummed this pic is so blurry because it looked so cool in person.

The encore. So pretty.

Ryan, I love you. Even if you do bark at the audience between songs and talk like a gansta rapper.

The Format gives away Dog Problems

iseemonsters — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:41:47 GMT

Indie pop/rock band The Format is celebrating the one year anniversary of their impeccable album Dog Problems by doing the unthinkable: giving it away for free.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

You have to enter your e-mail address for a mailing list, but this album is totally worth it. Dog Problems was one of my favorite albums of 2006. If you haven't heard this album, do yourself a favor and download it immediately. You can't go wrong with free.

Mandy Moore - Singer/Songwriter?

iseemonsters — Thu, 17 May 2007 06:23:01 GMT

Through the wonders of the internet, I got my hands on my favorite track from Mandy Moore's upcoming album Wild Hope. I've been listening to it nonstop all day and the more I hear it, the more I really enjoy the song. Gardenia is not reinventing the wheel or anything, but it's simple and beautiful and shows an impressive growth for her as an artist. Pop star no more...I think Mandy is now beginning to earn the title she so desires: singer/songwriter.

Check it out. I know you're curious, just a little bit.

OMG, MIDLAKE!!!11!!!

iseemonsters — Thu, 10 May 2007 18:04:37 GMT

That was my (verbal, screaming) reaction when I saw the Austin City Limits lineup last night. I didn't expect Midlake, and I am beyond thrilled! The Trials of Van Occupanther was one of my favorite albums of 2006.

Overall, I think it's a pretty solid lineup. I don't care about a few of the headliners, but there are enough smaller bands that interest me and will cause me endless scheduling conflicts in my attempt to cram in as much live music as possible during the fest.

Must sees: The White Stripes Arcade Fire Bob Dylan Midlake Wilco Muse Damien Rice Crowded House (!!!!!) Ben Kweller The Decemberists Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Spoon Robert Earl Keen

Will try to see, unless there's a conflict with a must-see: My Morning Jacket Arctic Monkeys Lucinda Williams Paolo Nutini Regina Spektor Kaiser Chiefs Devotchka Augustana (shut up, I like them) Andrew Bird Rev. Horton Heat Pete Yorn Joseph Arthur & the Lonely Astronauts Peter Bjorn & John Yo La Tengo Rodrigo & Gabriela The National Ian Ball

Want to see for curiosity's sake: Bjork Amy Winehouse

There is obviously no way I'm going to make it to all these sets, and I'm also going to have to negotiate sets with my friends. It's fun trying, though. The best part is catching sets by people you didn't even know much about but blow you away. (Last year's example: The Secret Machines)

September...why are you so far away?

One of these things is not like the other ones

iseemonsters — Fri, 04 May 2007 00:24:00 GMT

Every morning I have a music routine in my car. It goes a little something like this: "get in, start car, open garage door, find sunglasses to block out the killer SoCal sun, turn off CD and turn on KROQ for the morning Kevin and Bean show, pray silently to a God I might not even believe in that they don't play any Linkin Park or Red Hot Chili Peppers today."

I keep doing this same routine every day in the lame hope that by not deviating, I will get my wish and no soul-killing LP or RHCP songs will be on when I fire up the radio, just waiting there to ruin my day. This rarely works. Kevin & Bean play those horrible songs all the time. I don't know why I still do the routine. Moving on.

The other day KROQ announced the lineup for their annual Weenie Roast y Fiesta, and I have to say I was quite puzzled by the announcement. Here are the bands scheduled to play:

- Linkin Park - Social Distortion - 30 Seconds To Mars - The Bravery - Peter Bjorn & John - The Killers - Interpol - Bad Religion - Silversun Pickups - Tiger Army - Korn - Queens Of The Stone Age - Rise Against - Tim Armstrong - Plain White T’s

Peter Bjorn & John? Sticks out like a sore thumb to me. I understand that they have this one really catchy song, but otherwise their music is just not the KROQ/Linkin Park crowd's deal. I hope they do some very careful scheduling to avoid the Crowded House disaster at Coachella, because otherwise PB&J (ha!) will be whistling right along and get a 24 oz. bottle of someone's urine right in the face. I know the KROQ crowd. And they scare me. Hopefully they won't scare PB&J, too.

Dead Can Dance, right?

iseemonsters — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 04:59:43 GMT

I sure hope so, because I am dead. Dead, dead, dead. What killed me, other than hubris and my insane insistance on checking the mail everyday? Well, the answer to that is twofold: I was taken down by none other than Neill and a killer batch of 80s tunes. See for yourself:

The theme was 80s alternative, and Neill delivered the goods. Track list:

1. A Song from Under the Floorboards - Magazine 2. Golden Brown - The Stranglers 3. Atrocity Exhibition - Joy Division 4. The Cutter - Echo & the Bunnymen 5. Stargazer - Siouxsie & the Banshees 6. Uncertain Smile - The The 7. I Wanna be Adored - The Stone Roses 8. Rise - Public Image Ltd. 9. Pandora - Cocteau Twins 10. Enjoy Yourself - The Specials 11. Black Planet - The Sisters of Mercy 12. Are Everything - The Buzzcocks 13. Party Fears Two - The Associates 14. Hit the North - The Fall 15. Happy When it Rains - The Jesus & Mary Chain 16. Fireside Favorite - Fad Gadget

My only consolation was that I got to enjoy these lovely tunes while I went. Not a bad way to go, if I do say so myself.

Austin in September, what could be better?

iseemonsters — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 23:24:26 GMT

Well, I got my ticket to this year's Austin City Limits festival! Last year was my first ACL experience, and thanks to some strong sunscreen, great music and my kick-ass friends I had a fantastic time. I'm looking forward to this year, but the suspense in waiting for the full lineup is killing me! I'm praying for some Arcade Fire love, praying so hard...
Here is who is confirmed so far (via artist websites, etc.):
- Andrew Bird - Asleep at the Wheel - Ben Kweller - Blue Mother Tupelo - Charlie Musselwhite - Christina Bell - The Dynamites Feat with Charles Walker - Eli Young Band - Jake Owen - The Jellydots - Kevin Gordon - Kings of Leon - Robert Earl Keen - Rev. Horton Heat - Ryan Bueter - Sara Hickman
I'm going to definitely make a point to see Ben Kweller, Andrew Bird, and Rev. Horton Heat (they are so fun live). I just pray none of them are playing before 2pm, 'cause getting up early sucks.
For your listening enjoyment, here's "Heretics" from Andrew Bird's new album Armchair Apocrypha. I'm downloading this whole album as soon as my emusic downloads refresh. Enjoy!

(RED) benefit @ The Hotel Cafe (Hollywood, 3/24/07)

iseemonsters — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 19:07:58 GMT

Last night my friend Emily and I saw an amazing night of music at The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. It was a benefit concert for (RED), the charity Bono helped create to help women and children affected by AIDS in Africa. Slated to perform were Katie Herzig, Priscilla Ahn, Greg Laswell, Mandy Moore and Cary Brothers. Now, I'm just going to get this out of the way right now -- I love Katie Herzig and I am slightly familiar with Cary Brothers, but this concert was all about Mandy for me. I adore her. Moving on.

The night started out great as Emily and I weren't even early, but were one of the first people to be allowed in the door and therefore managed to snag a table right in front of the stage. I'm talking three feet from where Mandy was going to be standing, people. Thank you, advanced ticket sales!

Katie Herzig was first up and got things started on a great note. She is amazingly talented, with a unique voice and really strong songwriting. She also has a great personality and just flat out knows how to work a crowd give a performance, even when her microphone basically falls over in the middle of the song. My favorite song of hers is "Sweeter Than This," and it was great to hear it live. Here is a pic:

Sorry for the poor quality, but I didn't use a flash because I didn't want to bother the musicians by being an annoying flashing paparazzi every five seconds.

Next up after Katie was a guy who just sang two songs, and I didn't catch his name. He reminded me of an early Ray LaMontagne, where the voice is strong but the songwriting still needs some development. He was pretty good, though.

Priscilla Ahn followed, and I admit I had never heard of her before last night but now I am a huge fan. Her voice is one of the most pure and beautiful voices I've heard in a long time. She announced last night that she just signed a record deal, and I am excited to hear her first album as soon as it comes out. A (bad) picture:

Greg Laswell took the stage next. He was another artist that I knew nothing about, other than his "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" cover I heard on The Hills a few weeks ago. (Shut it, I love that show.) He was another one that far exceeded any expectations I had, and I went and dowloaded his album Through Toledo on emusic first thing today. Great voice, great songs. Bad picture:

Next up was a very exciting surprise for me: Alexi Murdoch. I'm a huge fan of his and he wasn't listed on the original bill, so I was psyched to say the least. He only performed a few songs because he was feeling ill, but they were awesome. He also took the time to discuss the charity we were there to support and make everyone there (including himself) feel a little more humble and grateful about what we have and take for granted every day. In short, I love him. I am definitely going to try to make it to one of his solo shows soon. A (not so terrible) picture:

Finally, it was time for the main attraction, at least for me: Mandy Moore. My affection for bubblegum pop music is well known amongst my friends, and she was no different. I've liked her ever since her innocent "Candy" days, but only started to truly love her once she became an actress. Seriously, I've seen A Walk to Remember like 30 times. I own it. I know, I know, it isn't a great movie but she is so likeable and charismatic in it, and I just can't get enough. Also, she sings some really cheesy pop ballads that I just can't get enough of, so much so that I own the soundtrack as well. Heh. Confession time over, moving on.

I know that she's been trying to do her own type of music and break away from the bubblegum thing for a long time, and this show was sort of her "coming out" in Los Angeles with her new material. Well, folks, she didn't disappoint. Her new songs, written with people like The Weepies and Lori McKenna, have a decidedly adult and singer/songwriter pop feel that is far, far away from her days of singing about "loving you like candy." Her voice is surprisingly strong, so strong that a few times during the show I just sat back and couldn't believe what an accomplished singer she actually is. Her old material definitely didn't give her the room to stretch as a singer, and she is obviously loving this freedom. She was downright fantastic, although I am probably biased because I am such a fan. Her band was also totally top-notch. Great musicians.

I liked all of her songs but the closer, "Gardenia," was my absoute favorite. Passionate, powerful, simple and beautiful. Her new album comes out June 19, and I will be there on the first day buying my copy, that's for sure. Pictures (this time not so bad because I decided to use a flash since EVERYONE was doing it):

Last but certainly not least was Cary Brothers. He is probably best known for his song on the Garden State soundtrack, "Blue Eyes." I hadn't heard much of his other music but I really enjoyed his set. It was a lot more rock-driven than I expected, and it was a great way to close the night. His album is coming out at the end of May, and it is another I will be picking up right away. One final picture:

All in all, it was a great night of music that helped a great cause. They announced that because of the benefit ten children in Africa will get HIV treatment medications for one year, which is great. Every little bit helps, and if we can hear some great music in the process, even better.

Obsessed? Me? YES.

iseemonsters — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 19:35:43 GMT

Lately my music obsession has been rearing it's pretty little head again. This obsession led me to MOG and also led me to buy tickets for four concerts within the last week. Last year (aka my year of unemployment) I didn't go to four concerts all YEAR. The moral of this story: having a job is good thing.

One thing that is interesting to me about MOG so far is that it has forced me to actually look at the music I listen to. Seeing my music library sorted into number of tracks by artist is eye opening. There aren't any surprises (I knew about my strange Britney obsession all along) but it's interesting to note the artists I do and don't listen to on that list. Yes, I have a ton of Radiohead but I really only listen to The Bends nowadays. I've got loads of Sufjan but I only listen to him occasionally, when the mood strikes. The Dave Matthews Band, while still one of my favorites for nostalgic value, rarely get played beyond the Crash album. It's strange, how tastes evolve over the years.

I was trying to come up with some philosophical meaning to this post relating to changing musical tastes and my changing life. I failed. Until next time...