Sunday, February 13, 2011

Stasticity is what you bring..

Oddly haven't really been in one of my moods for specific genres of music. Kinda been all over the place as far as what i've been listening to lately. Mostly Modest Mouse's album "We Were Dead Before the Ship even Sank" which is fantastic. It's one of those rare cases where i actually prefer their new stuff as opposed to their old albums. It's got some great pop hooks but still holds to the kookiness of that they display throughout all their albums. When Modest Mouse get's weird they get really weird but i like that about them. They definitely remain unique in a world where music is getting more and more rote. Even the lead singers lisp adds something to their music, enhancing their identity and making them stand out. I highly recommend their music.
Other then that it's been more Manchester Orchestra, Right Away Great Captain, Kevin Devine, Nirvana, and Nine Inch Nails. Really just a lot of putting my iTunes on random and letting it just run. I think i'm going to try and see what i want to do to put more content on here and perhaps continue to evolve this blog. For now I'll just keep this post short and work on ideas for next week.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Underoath and Thursday, yay!

Well today is more about the concert i went to on Friday which was freaking amazing! I had bought the tickets two months before because i had the money and Underoath always puts on a good show. So finally the day arrived and i headed down to the Knitting Factory to attend. The place had a pretty good turnout actually, even if most of the kids were too young to drink. Sadly it brings out all the little emo kids but oh well, you deal with it to see good bands.
First up was A Skylit Drive who I had never really listened to till this concert. A post-hardcore band with a sing/scream dynamic like Underoath but not quite as polished or charismatic. I enjoyed any song they stated as being "Their new stuff" but honestly didn't have much interest in them. They just sounded a little generic to me and nothing really hooked me, i couldn't even tell you what songs they played. The crowd wasn't too thrilled either and they even got heckled a bit which was really sad. I mean i hate when Boise is represented like that because even a band your not interested in deserves some respect. Somebody even threw something at them after their song and they called the kid out. It was bad and not a very good set for sure.
Next was a wildcard not even on the ticket, the bands name was Animals as Leaders. They are an instrumental rock band that focuses mostly on freaking sweet guitar work. Both guitarists were amazing and even the drummer was doing things i didn't even think were possible. It was hilarious to see the people around me because most of the crowd were stunned and confused. It definitely didn't fit with the other bands but honestly they were so amazing i didn't care. It's the kind of technical guitar work that inspires me to play guitar myself and i was mesmerized. I don't think i would get their album but i would love to watch them live again.
Then it was time for Thursday, the first of the headlines and man did they get the crowd pumped. It's the tenth anniversary of their album "Full Collapse" and they played it in it's entirety. I have to say hearing that album live was actually better then the recording, they really put their all into the songs. I've always liked Thursday but they have been on the backburner but this concert really upped my opinion of their talent. They had a stage presence, they played their songs better then they were on the album, and really go the crowd pumped. An excellent excellent set!
Finally Underoath was on and it was worth the wait. It was the first time i had since them since Aaron Gillespie had left the band and they were mostly intact. I felt something missing on their older songs since Aaron was a big part of their sound but anything new they played showed that the band had found a new groove with it's members. it reminded me of Haste the Day in that way, rising from the ashes of the old into something new and still good. They were definitely on top of most of the songs though, the best set of the night for sure and played most of the songs you would want to hear. I still love watching Underoath play as they have an amazing stage presence and really work to get the crowd involved.
All in all it was a fantastic show and a great cap to a good week that i have. Now i've got Thursday and Underoath in my rotation for music alongside a renewed interest in Kevin Devine and A Perfect Circle. Definitely missed going to concerts and can't wait till summer when more shows start coming.