Notes From Underground

MF: "Bicycle!!! Bicycle!!!"

This song has been in my head now all week, but for two totally different reasons. Monday we were busy shooting "Tour De F-List"- your top five favorite music videos with bicycles! So naturally Queen's "Bicycle Race" kept popping in my head.  But since about 11pm last night its been in my head thanks to Between the Buried and Me. I saw them last night at Irving Plaza on the Radio Rebellion Tour, along with Misery Signals, Norma Jean, Fear Before the March of Flames, and I think BlessTheFall was the opener. All I know is that I learned the term "Bangover" during their set. I don't know how I missed out on that word for so long.

Bangover- the disagreeable physical aftermath caused by serious headbanging.

I went to this show to see my friends in Misery Signals, who I toured with back in 2002/2003- first when Kyle (bass) and Ryan (guitar) were in 7 Angles/7Plagues and then on the very first Misery Signals tour. If you haven't heard either band- do yourself a favor and pick up their albums. This was my first time seeing them with their new singer Karl and seeing them perform the songs off their latest CD "Mirrors." First of all I'm so happy they've been doing the band full time for a while now, and that they're having a great time. But more importantly (for you music fans), their playing has improved so much, their sound has a great balance of melody, heavy mosh, and good metal riffage. Karl's voice is awesome and huge and has a Godzilla/Incredible Hulk type of character to it where it can be big and scary and monstrous, but then gentle and vulnerable sweet and humanlike.

The mood changes in the music aren't your contrived mix of "look we're crazy and screaming and then we're doing sweet pretty singing parts that might get us on the radio." NO. It's a nice beautiful and powerful mix of musical emotions. If you're a fan of Metallica, Cave In, Botch, Hum, Pink Floyd, emotional, layered, heavy music, then you'll like Misery Signals.  (Oh yeah- they thank Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy on the album.... go see why.) www.myspace.com/miserysignals

Kyle                             Stu (they don't have water in Canada i guess)

Branden warming up

Sidetrack- Army of Anyone (members of Stone Temple Pilots/Filter) just came on Fuse and although I've only caught about :30 of the song, which wasn't enough to decide whether or not I like the band, I  totally felt like I was living back at my parents house in 1995, hanging out in friends living rooms, wearing gas station attendant jackets, burning incense, listening to Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Hole, The Foo Fighters first album, Live, Filter, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, and using the phrase, "Dad, welcome to the 90s!"

Which brings me back to Between the Buried and Me, the inspiration for this post. I first saw this band back in the summer of 2002 at Orlando Magic Fest (which ruled!!) and I instantly fell in love with them. After their first album (self-titled), they went through some line-up changes, I started to lose interest without even really giving them a listen because I always figure if a band can't keep a consistent line up, then how can they keep their sh** together musically? WRONG!! So glad I was wrong! I saw them last December on tour with Dillinger Escape Plan and Horse the Band and they kicked my ass! My adrenaline was pumping along with the crowds fists in the air. I immediately ran and bought their album "Alaska" and rocked out nonstop. Seeing them last night was even better. Their sound is GIGANTIC (and they didn't have two drummers... *ahem* Norma Jean) and clean, and you can't avoid being drawn to it. This was not a band people were standing chatting during, but instead screaming and singing along, throwing their fists in the air, and moshing like mad men and women. (I think a brawl broke out in like the first minute of their set). The show was incredible. It was awesome because I ran into my friends Nick and Melissa who actually danced to a Between the Buried and Me song at their wedding. Not only does the band blow you away with their blast beats and techy riffs, but they've got some of the most melodic fairytale ballads (but not cheesy like monster ballads). Their music makes you want to stomp through unchartered territories and slay dragons and kick over mountains, but then also float weightless into outterspace and do back flips and fall in love.

 

My friend Colin mentioned before the show that he hoped they played "Bicycle Race" and told me about their covers CD The Anatomy Of (which I totally slacked and slept on getting). Well luckily they played "Bicycle Race" and I was grinning from ear to ear because so amazing. I honestly think Freddie Mercury had rose from the grave and was standing behind me chanting along in my ear. Every time I listen to Queen I feel like there are tiny little voices living in my head singing in magical harmonies to me because the voices are too vivid to be coming from a radio or cd. Well Between the Buried and Me definitely did the song justice, and had the whole venue partying the way you should when you listen to Queen. So I picked up The Anatomy Of and till 2am last night and first thing this morning I was rocking out and admiring their covers of Metallica, Pink Floyd, Smashing Pumpkins, Depeche Mode, Blind Melon, Soundgarden, EARTH CRISIS!, and yes the Counting Crows "Colorblind." (FYI- the band's name comes from a Counting Crows lyric). All of the covers are awesome and they don't sound like a hardcore band just playing karaoke style to a song from a band they like. Instead the songs are reworkings of the classics that led the way for this band to become who they are-a talented bunch of musicians who understand melody, and how to make awesome songs that you're not going to skip over or sneak to the bathroom during. While the band twists and shapes the music into complex new versions of these songs and pays respectful and just tributes to the bands who inspired them, it's singer Tommy's versatility that allows this record, their records before, and their live show to be successful.

Most hardcore singers could only pull off 2 or 3 covers before you got sick of the monotony and limited range of their voice. While this band, and their cds before have proved to me they're awesome, the range they tackle and succeed with on this covers cd makes me think (and hope) they're limitless.

Photos courtesy of Greg Straightedge. www.myspace.com/gregstraightedge

John: The Devil and Daniel Johnston

During some down time this Thanksgiving weekend I watched the documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. I had always been a fan of Daniel’s music but this film really brought a lot of it into focus for me. The documentary traces the Austin by way of West Virginia singer/songwriter from his childhood through present day.  It chronicles his rise to almost famous status and his ongoing battle with manic-depression.

Daniel's mental illness manifested itself in frightening and dangerous ways including nearly killing himself and his father by causing the small plane they were traveling in to crash. Daniel’s parents are interviewed extensively and their perspective is particularly insightful, the film also makes use of the many audio tapes Daniel has recorded over the years. Not having much of a history with mental illness I found it very difficult to watch. The film challenges the romanticized idea of the artist as a crazed genius a la Van Gogh. It contends that in practice it is a very difficult and painful circumstance. Worth seeing for any fan of Johnston’s music and a worthwhile introduction for those unfamiliar with his beautiful but tortured work.

Find out more about the film.
Visit Daniel Johnston's official website.