Minus the Bear concert Review

Hey!

Sorry for not posting last night, but I absolutely knew I could not pass up the Minus the Bear concert. Even though I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather recently, I went and I am so glad I did. I found them a few years ago when I was listening to our public radio station which mostly plays classical music during the day and alternative/indie music at night that sounds closer to wailing than music. Somehow, a gem like Minus the Bear’s “My Time” made it on there and then I ended up finding the song for free on a Dangerbird Records (their old record label) sampler a few days later. Ever since, I’ve been hooked on their music.

Minus the Bear’s sound is kind of like Mutemath and Fall Out Boy and Arcade Fire all mixed up together, yet with an unexpected twist. It’s polished, dissonant, intricate, harmonious, pure and raw all at the same time. And bottom line: it’s fantastic.

They came on right at 10:00 (I arrived at 9:58…perfect timing on my part) and opened right up with Steel and Blood, an explosion of guitar riffs and hard percussion. Seamlessly, they transitioned into an oldie “The Fix,” which got the dedicated fans in the crowd going crazy. Jake’s voice soared over the instrumentation nicely and the chorus was completely perfect: hard and rough yet not too over-the-top. Genius. They went into “Diamond Lightning,” mellowing it out a bit, but cranking it back up with “Toska” and “Secret Country.” Then, they went into the crowd favorite: “My Time,” where every single person was moving, most cradling their drinks,  (except for underage me…I think I was the only one under 18 in that whole place, even though it was an all-ages show), rocking back and forth and some guy was even fist-bumping (who fist-bumps in Iowa? Well, props to him, I guess).  The band seemed to feed off the energy, going hard and furious on this song. They cooled it down a bit with “Absinthe Party At the Fly Honey Warehouse” and “Knights,” though neither song dragged. By this time, I was beginning to feel pretty tired so I hung around for “Let’s Play Guitar in a Five Guitar Band,” “Throwin’ Shapes,” and “I’m Not Totally Down with Rob’s Alien,” and heard the full-bodied glory of “Double Vision Quest” as I walked to my car.

Overall, the concert was amazing. All of the guys are incredible musicians who give it their all, no matter if they’re playing the newer stuff from “Infinity Overhead” and "OMNI" or their earlier songs off of “Highly Refined Pirates," "Planet Ice" or "Menos El Oso." They put on an incredible show and based on the crowd, I’d say all who came had a great time. Including the couple who danced to nearly every song, an impressing feat considering Minus the Bear’s music isn’t exactly perfect“ dancing” music.  haha it was fun to see the crowd so involved.

If Minus the Bear is coming to your town, I would highly suggest you go! If not, at least check out their music which is available on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

Next week, I’ll do another “What is Bella Listening To” installment, which may or may not feature a ton of Minus the Bear songs.

Until then,

Bella

Beacon Is a Solid Follow-Up Album

Hey,

This week Two door Cinema Club dropped their new album “Beacon.” Much like last week’s post, I am picking my top three songs. I realize I did five last week, but I’m doing three this week only because these three really stand out. Speaking of last week’s post, I was really excited to see that Imagine Dragons’ album is in the Top Ten on iTunes. I am so excited for that band. They are very talented and it’s great to see them get the recognition they deserve.

                Anyways, here are the top three songs from Beacon:

 

3. Sleep Alone. I realize I highlighted this song a couple of weeks ago, but it truly is one of the standout songs on the album. The distinct vocals, complex, poetic lyrics, and that guitar line I can’t erase from my mind all contribute to the track’s reappearance on my blog. J “He needs no army/ where he’s going/ cuz he knows” is such a great line. Their songwriting skills have truly improved—not that their debut album’s lyrics were poor—and it is always exciting to see an artist/artists mature.

2.  Sun- When a band opens a track with “Ocean blue/what have I done to you/cut so deep/yet growing through and through,” I think it’s fairly easy to see why it earns a special place on my playlist. J My other favorite line is 'Over and over many setting suns/ I have run, I have waited for the rain to come/ When through that mist I see the shape of you/ And I know, and I know that I'm in love with you.” Factor in that steady, bumping drum line and that bluesy riff, and I’m in love. Solid effort.

1. Pyramid- It was a difficult decision to decide who should get the top spot, between “Sun” and “Pyramid,” but the slightly darker lyrics, that guitar riff in the background, the percussion that refuses to settle into mediocrity, and the somber verses switching into the manic chorus. This song brings back beautiful memories of MuteMath. That is as high of a compliment as I can offer, truly.

So,  I am seeing MuteMath on Tuesday, September 18^th, so that means I will be giving a nice little summary of the concert, like I’ve done in the past. The week after that, I will do a post (like I have done for the last two weeks) about my favorite tracks from Minus the Bear’s new album.

                Thank you for reading!

                ~Bellla

Beecher's Fault

Hey,
Happy Friday! Granted, for most students like me, Friday is just another day of the week, but if you're working good for you. You survived another week. For me, I'm just happy I survived the heat; it's supposed to be 100 degrees this weekend. But I'm keeping cool, exercising indoors and listening to good music. :)

So, speaking of good music...

I love social media. It goes without saying that social media connects us, brings us together, and introduces us to new people/ new things we might never have found otherwise. I was slow to join twitter. I thought, honestly, I have an e-mail account, Facebook, and a blog. What else do I need? It turns out, I was missing out. In the past, bands tried to reach new ears by way of MySpace and now, they use Twitter. One day when I logged on my account, with my unbearably long e-mail address (thesoundtrackofmylife2012@gmail.com)  I saw I had a new follower. Usually, it’s just like one of my sister’s friends, but it turned out to be a new band I had never heard of (hence the word “new”) called Beecher’s Fault. Curious, I clicked on the link to their Facebook page and listened to their song “Misbehavior.” I am so glad I did.

          These guys are incredible. The band is comprised of three guys from Astoria, New York : vocalist/guitarist Ben Taylor, vocalist/keyboardist Ken Lamken and drummer Eric Levine. Their music boasts many features such as a beautiful indie vibe, some aspects of modern alternative sounds, and an unmistakable sound. When they come on my Spotify playlist I know automatically who it is. They are very distinctive and I like that. I find even in alternative circles that bands tend to get lazy and bang out a boring melody and some mediocre lyrics. Maybe it’s just me, but I like bands that put effort into their sound. With Beecher’s Fault, you never have to doubt that they worked at their music. All of their tender loving care really paid off.

                My favorite songs are Leftover People and Conductor. Leftover People is cool because the piano intro leads into the song perfectly, the drum line fits perfectly, and the overall beautiful simplicity with a touch of chaos. Simplicity and chaos, though they might be antonyms, work well with each other. And Conductor stands out because of the emotional lyrics, simple instrumentation, and the vocals give me goose bumps.

They also have really cool music videos. I especially enjoyed the music video for Liars, which uses shoes to tell a story. Very creative. I loved it. J

So, in the end, I really enjoy their music. I like the polished yet slightly gritty sound. They embody alternative music and I hope nothing but success comes their way.

If you want to connect with these guys, their music is available on iTunes, Spotify, and their website. You can find them on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and their official website.

Here are the links:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/beechers_fault

Website: http://beechersfault.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeechersFault

MySpace:  http://www.myspace.com/beechersfault

YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/beechersfault

If you are in an undiscovered band or if you are a fan on an undiscovered band and would like a review on my blog, please leave a comment, e-mail me, or tweet me at twitter.com/tsoml2012

Until next week,

Bella