So, I listen to the radio a lot. You know that. It's inevitable -- I pretty much cannot drive whatsoever without music so if I don't have my iPod (or, more accurately, I forget to plug my iPod in before I start driving), I'll turn on the radio. San Antonio radio stations, if possible, suck even more than Sierra Vista radio stations. The only alternative rock station.....is the worst rock station I have ever heard. And that's saying something. And the modern music stations really take the 80s part of the "80s, 90s, and today" tagline really seriously. If I'm driving, I can basically hear Prince, Cindy Lauper, Madonna, or all three within the span of an hour. Yes -- I am finally over "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." It took nearly 27 years but -- yeah -- no more. Anyway, the other day, it's 5 am in the morning --I'm tired and I have already had to switch stations to avoid ::shudder:: "Moves Like Jagger" for the upteenth time in my life--and they play this little gem.
The 80s fashion in this video alone could cheer me up in a heartbeat. How did people take themselves seriously while wearing those jeans? And that jacket?! Oh, man...I'd hate to run into George Michael in a dark alley. Indeed, this song turned my dreary Monday morning into a feel-good adventure through one of the most poorly designed cities for torrential downpours. Surprisingly, I survived to drive another day. No, I don't recommend driving in SA.
It may not be a "Moonlight Sonata" or a "Bohemian Rhapsody" but it'll do. 'Cause I gotta have faith-ah-faith-ah-faith-ah.
Impression: I'm not a big fan of techno and electronica. If I do listen to it, it tends to be lyric heavy and very pop-py (I know...that's barely even a description....it's been a long day). But, I approach life with the assumption that practically everything is an acquired taste and I'll try anything once - twice, thrice, maybe even 15 times! - until I like it or at least until I don't want to bash my brains in. It worked with sparkling mineral water and it even (sort of) worked with Maroon 5 -- now I wait about 25 to 30 seconds before I change the radio station, which, coincidentally, is the amount of time it takes me to decide if I want to deal with that shit for 3 to 5 minutes. Anyway, when I started listening to Vox Humana, I was concerned it was going to end up being a half hour plus of the same crap I could go to a nightclub to hear if I was really feeling masochistic. It was all synthesized beats and scales and I was all like "Oh noes!" But then the intro to "Alkaline" ended and the dream-like waves of sound began. The guy has a very mellow voice and the overall sound reminds me of a more energetic Walter Meego track mixed with New Wave punk a la Depeche Mode and The Cure. Not surprisingly, they list The Cure as one of their influence. I don't mind -- Who doesn't like The Cure? Am I right?! Anyway, their first EP provided excellent background music while I worked on a project for work. I would like to delve into the lyrics more because it sounded like there was more to them than just pretty words, but for right now, it's enough to get lost in the beats.
Songs I Enjoyed: I loved "Sonar." I listened to the whole album (it's not very long) a couple of times to get a feel for the sound but I listened to this song probably like 6 or 7 times. I also enjoyed the mirrored vocals in "Whale" - while the lead singer sung the melody, a distorted track of what I assume was his voice was layered over top. I think the goal was to give the impression that it was part of a whale recording. Pretty much hit the mark -- it's super creepy but in a good way.
Sounds Like: Dreamy synth-pop heavily influenced by early 80s punk
I've lived in San Antonio for a year already and haven't even checked out the local scene. Work and such. Bleh. Anyway, I decided it was high time to see what was out there in my adopted hometown. The Verdict? Not much. At least that, not much that I could find with a cursory search of Google and - let's face it - if you're not on the first page of Google, you don't exist on the Internet.
I did find The Delviews, and - I'll tell ya - I don't hate it. Punk music with some ska influence. First song of their EP, which you can find for free here, was called "Hello Bones" and although I couldn't quite understand all the lyrics, I think it was about anorexia nervosa. I can dig it -- I've fought my own battle with Ana & Mia -- but that's a list for another day. A darker one. Maybe a Wildcard Wednesday some time in the near future. The song I think I enjoyed the most was "Looks Like You Just Broke Out of Lesbian Prison." I have no idea if the title has anything to do with what it was about but it was dark and soulful and hey, Orange Is The New Black just released a second season so why not? Overall, not bad for an EP - the mixing wasn't terrible, the vocals could be cleaner, but it's short, free, and the songs might grow on you. Give it a listen and if you like it and live in the San Antonio metropolitan area, get out and see 'em.
I also found Elora Valdez and if you enjoy yourself some Taylor Swift (I do!) and Selena Gomez (...er...when I'm drunk....). What's this kid about? You guessed it! Clean, sweet pop sugar with a slight country twang. The girl is 14-years-old and she sings about boys and being young and a whole bunch of stuff those of us on the edge of death don't quite remember. But the songs are catchy and she has a cute face and more importantly, she's obviously working her ass off. She's doing quite a few shows over the summer -- about one a week, some of which are on the same day -- and that's why she can afford professional quality tracks on her ReverbNation page and 38,000 fans. That's pretty impressive for any local artist. Shit, the kid even has decent quality merch....
I save the best for last ..... local trio The Rich Hands are more my speed. Think The Black Keys mixed with a hefty dose of 50s Rockabilly goodness. Their sound reminds of an early 60s beach filled with hipster teenagers -- all laidback and cool with a mysterious twang i.e. a solid bass line. I would be down to just hang out with these guys and listen to them jam, because that's what's best about blues-y bands -- they know their instruments and can just make it up on the fly and it'll sound good. You can get lost in the music and that's all I'm really looking to do most of the time. The recordings aren't quite as crisp as maybe you'd get from a big studio but it definitely gives the songs an old school vibe. I'm cool with that -- I've been listening to a lot of vinyl lately, anyway -- but I know some people *cough*The Boyfriend*cough* can't stand even a hint of static when listening to mp3s. For what it's worth, I'm really enjoying it. You can download the album at their bandcamp -- no price listed but paying supporters also get unlimited streaming on the Bandcamp app.
I've be listening to "Go To Go" by dutch girl band ADAM basically on repeat. The repeat of the mind! This song has a serious power to get into your head and stay there, waiting, until an inappropriate moment springs up -- usually while I'm at work, on the phone with a customer -- to slither its way through your brain and out your mouth. I've spent a number of boring Fridays humming it to myself just out of audible range.
If you are a denizen of the Interwebs and have ventured anywhere near a "cool" news source within the last month, you probably are familiar with their work on the Sybian...if not, feel free to *ahem* enjoy the video below.
And orgasms are great and all, but I really think it's worth a listen without all the moaning and voice cracking. The lyrics aren't much, but the tune is catchy as hell and even if the Sybian was just a publicity stunt, clearly it's working. ADAM is enjoying the boost in notoriety, ooh-ing and ahh-ing all the way to the bank, I'd imagine. Video of the actual song below.
