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About natatthelibrary

Aspiring systems librarian. Always dreaming and looking for the next big idea. This is a blog where I produce word vomit about library-related junk.

June 23rd at the Strutt: you shouldn’t miss this one.

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I want to bring your attention to a young man named Doby Watson. I met Doby at a DAAC show in Grand Rapids where he played with local shoegaze extraordinaires Glowfriends.While at the Sunday afternoon DIT meeting today, I remember saying to The Daddy that it’s very easy to disregard acoustic artists at a show because so many artists tend to sound exactly like most of the other acoustic acts in the scene. The Daddy agreed. There are few acoustic artists I can really sit down and listen to without getting bored after 3 songs, and Doby is one of those few. Reminiscent of Iron & Wine or Rocky Votolato, Doby Watson’s voice exudes the type of honest emotion that very few artists can achieve while playing guitar. Not only that, but he’s GOOD at playing guitar, and GOOD is an understatement- his guitar is not only an instrument, but a voice that harmonizes with his own. It’s quite beautiful.

Mr. Watson is playing in Kalamazoo on June 23rd at the Strutt with tour-mate Viking Moses. I’ve heard VM is incredible live and his recordings don’t do any of it justice, so you won’t want to miss him either. Local support Astroline, and The Daredevil Christopher Wright, a quirky Indie-Pop group who are label mates with Bon Iver are also playing. The Event for this is on Facebook, so be sure to click that little button that says you’re attending. I would love to see you all there- and since it’s a Wednesday night in the summer, I’m going to go ahead and assume you have nothing better to do anyway.

Band Spotlight: The Skies Revolt

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In a music scene filled with dispassionate musicians who want nothing more than to get big, get rich, or go home, there are few bands that continue to be genuinely passionate about their music without letting the prospect of fame or fortune get to their heads. It seems that as time goes on, musicians are getting generally more lazy. Instead of pushing the boundaries with their art, they would rather rip off what’s most popular in the music scene in the moment and hope that it will get them somewhere. I’ve heard of more than one scenester who has completely stopped going to local shows because of this, and frankly I don’t blame them for doing so. There have been times when I’ve been greatly discouraged by a scene that seems to only care about money. There are times when I want to stop going to shows because I’m tired of listening to the same thing over again.

However, there is hope to be had in this world of uniformity and money-grubbing and one of its forms comes in that of The Skies Revolt of Grand Rapids, MI.

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When I first heard them at the now-defunct Skelletones back in 2008, they quickly became one of my favorite local bands because of their catchy dance beats mixed with a whole lot of synthesizers and punk rock attitude. I liked the fact that they took cues from what seems like nearly every different kind of genre and were able to mix it together to create something unique. It’s interesting because at the time, I was heavily into a lot of old school hardcore and punk (still am) and I was surprised that I was drawn to the type of music this band plays. Not to mention that TSR uses brightly colored graphics and comic book albums usually seen by bubblegum pop bands and the like. This was all the makings of a band I would normally shy away from. However, as I listened to the music more often, and as I have had the privilege of talking to their lead singer/mastermind Dave a little more, I have come to realize that there’s far more substance to these guys than their music and aesthetic initially suggests. When reading their lyrics, it’s almost as if they’re using their catchy dance music as a vehicle to surreptitiously criticize the vapid bands some of their fans might already follow and support, and the types of bands that I refuse to listen to. It’s a cause I can definitely get behind.

Their new album, Plastic Revolution is no exception to this rule. Musically, this might be their most creative and ambitious album to date. From the electrifying beats of “False Glory and Praise” to the stirring, goosebumps-inspiring piano ballad of “The Transitive Deficiency…Again,” TSR shows once again the amount of variety they can put into an album.  Lyrically, Dave is spot on with his criticisms of the scene, and his honesty about spirituality and love read like a page in a secret diary. In “False Glory and Praise,” Dave writes: “Give them all your money give it all to them, I don’t want to be in a bubblegum pop protest band.” He is telling his listeners that they’re more than welcome to support those types of bands, but he refuses to participate in what everyone else is doing. It is a refreshing sentiment, and one I fully support and echo. I’m sure the kids who were here at the height of the Grand Rapids scene would appreciate it as well.

One of my favorite songs on Plastic Revolution, is “On the Road.” It’s a brutally honest picture of what touring is really like for the thousands of bands who don’t initially get signed within the first few months of playing shows or, ahem, putting up their recordings on myspace and getting signed immediately. It reflects on how easily bands are at the mercy of those who listen to them: “They pour their hearts out to empty rooms or people that just pretend.” Dave also takes a sharp jab at the “fair-weather” fans who only care about a band if they make it big: “they’ll lift you up really high, praise you for the work you’ve done and claim to have been there all along.”

This is not to say that TSR hates any of their fans. In fact, it’s quite the opposite for these guys. They LOVE their fans, which is why they tour relentlessly and are willing to put up their albums for free. They don’t care about the money, they care that lives are being affected by the music they play. Any band of this caliber who had less passion for their art would have quit a long time ago if they had suffered through the amount of member changes, van break-downs and poorly-attended shows that TSR has.

While I continue to be somewhat cynical of the emerging scene, it’s bands like The Skies Revolt that continue to give me hope that all is not lost and that there are those who still truly do care about their art. Some may say I’m fighting a losing battle, but they aren’t giving up hope for a revolution and neither am I.

Plastic Revolution is up now at bandcamp.com for free along with their other 3 albums (just click here), but The Skies Revolt is accepting donations of any amount for their music. If you like the album and download it, I would strongly suggest donating a few dollars to these well-deserving guys. Think of it as supporting a very worthy cause: one that supports substance and quality over uninspired quantity.

Friday night at La Iglesia: a review of epic proportions.

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On Friday, June 11th, a seed was sown. A seed filled with noise and a fair amount of calls for pizza. Quite a few kids came out after the sun extinguished its hot, muggy rays to witness just what this seed would grow into. Little did any of us know that this seed would drink up our enthusiasm and sweat, and GROW FANGS!

I am impressed, you guys. You have all completely restored my faith in our little scene. What a tremendous turnout! You all are awesome and win a gold star. Give yourself a good pat on the back, or large ice cream cone in commemoration to this occasion.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the glorious music played on Friday. If you couldn’t make it out- don’t sweat it. This is what I am here to do- relay exactly what you missed.

Kicking off the night was Kalamazoo’s own Problems That Fix ThemselvesPhotobucket– fronted by the illustrious Josh Tabbia and joined in his set by one of my very favorite people, Ray Jackson. I want to be very clear before I continue. If you are not a fan of the genre of Noise music, this may not be your, ahem, cup of tea. I do however believe that you should give it a try if you have not. And there is not a better place to start than with Problems. It never ceases to amaze me what people can use to create the most interesting sounds. Sure you could bang on a keyboard for half an hour and call it Noise, but it takes real skill to make someone listen to you without covering their ears out of annoyance. The best thing about Problems is that Josh is able to create an incredible piece of music with nothing more than a Macbook, a Korg, and some random samples from a radio. Knowing him, he could do an awesome set with much less if he wanted to. Since every set Josh does is different, this time it involved his fairly regular set up (as previously mentioned), and Ray jamming on a water jug and a Dynamic Microphone hooked through a gritty, distorted amplifier. I’m not going to attempt to describe the sound, because I know none of what I say would do Problems justice. Really, Problems is something you just have to experience for yourself. And I can promise at the very least you will not have heard anything like it. At the very most, your mind will be blown clear out of your head. I’m not sure if that’s a Problem that could fix itself. heh heh heh…bad joke.

Before I continue, I have to be honest. I did miss out on the band after Problems. I’m not going to make excuses, you just have to know that I had to help out a friend in a middle of a crisis. Regardless, I had the opportunity to listen to The Cell Phones on their Myspace. PhotobucketI’m sad I didn’t get to see them, but I’m glad Myspace is here because this band rocks. It’s really damn good gritty dance music with quite a bit of metal and punk thrown in for good measure. And they have a chick singer. Who not only is a singer, but a GOOD singer. If The Yeah Yeah Yeahs had a baby with Janis Joplin and it was raised in a dirty basement on the blood of Shellac it would be something like The Cell Phones.

One of the most interesting parts about last night was the project of young man named Daniel Francis Doyle. You can’t really tell much about his music from that name, but maybe that’s the way he likes it. If his goal is to surprise us, he has done a hell of a good job. I don’t think there was a person in that room whose mouth didn’t drop to the floor while he played. PhotobucketI think this picture accurately describes what we saw. This guy is, quite literally, a one man band. With just a drum, a guitar, and a loop machine, he could create the sound of an entire band (and he sings too!!!). The sound is really frantic, but controlled like a well-oiled, quirky machine. This guy knows EXACTLY what he is doing. I can’t say that I know much about using a looping machine, but when discussing his music with a few of my musician friends afterward, I discovered that not only was this guy able to make multiple loops with his guitar and play drums to said drums (while keeping on beat and singing no less), he was able to play to the loop playing BACKWARDS. I am so pleased that I was able to experience this guy’s music. If you missed his set on Friday, I would encourage you to check him out if he comes back up to Kalamazoo.

Closing out the night was, of course, our very own Grow Fangs. Photobucket Ever moshed to an acoustic guitar and a mini drum set with a noise machine? Didn’t think so. “How can you mosh to that?” some of our punk rawk readers may ask. Well, go to a Grow Fangs show and you will. The best part about Grow Fangs is that they show us you don’t have to be Eddie Van Halen to play guitar or be an amazing song writer. Who cares about any of that stuff anyway? I sure don’t. The joy that Ray and Joel have when playing music is infectious, and you can’t help but jump around giggling. Grow Fangs is about having fun with your friends and shouting about pizza, no school, and girlfriends being wolves. How much better can it get?

Well, I must be off. There are multiple shows going on in Kzoo right now (including the corner record shop), so i suggest hitting up one (or all) of them to enjoy some incredible music. See you all there, loves! ❤

Sunday Night at The Strutt: a review

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I’m a little late in the game here but I wanted to write up a review on Sunday night to tell you all what you missed. And you missed something good, guys. You really did. It makes me sad. See? I’m sad now that I think back to Sunday night. Thanks a lot guys. NOT COOL.

However, it wasn’t a very good night for a show anyway- I almost didn’t show up if it weren’t for a certain call I received from Sean Hartman to come down. I understand why maybe some of you didn’t show up, it was cold and rainy. I wanted to go to sleep and hope for a warmer day. We all did. BUT YOU MISSED OUT. YOU REALLY DID. It was more than worth stopping watching SLC punk to go. Stevo would have been proud.Image and video hosting by TinyPic I think. He wouldn’t want me watching the idiot box instead of supporting my local music scene. Or maybe he wouldn’t have cared. Who even cares if he cares, anyway.

First: I’m going to be honest, i missed the first two bands: Maus Haus and Burning Hotels. It’s too bad because if I had known how good these guys were I would have shown up earlier.

From listening to Burning Hotel’s Myspace, they’re like listening to comets falling to earth. PhotobucketThe music is clear and cold, like what you would expect from a hunk of ice and rock, but it’s fiery and makes you want to jump up and dance for a long, long time. The guitars and drums work together to form a dynamic sound that makes your ears burn up on impact. Chance Morgan’s voice is beautiful, and his lyrics are honest. Which is something I appreciate, because its refreshing. I can’t say enough about these guys. So sad only 10 people showed up to hear them. I’m shaking my head in sadness for us. Way to make us look bad Kalamazoo. WHERE WERE ALL OF YOU??????!?

Maus Haus is a special band. Photobucket
I love it when bands use a synthesizer and samples and are able to make it sound good without sounding like a kitschy throw-back 80s pop new-wave band. Woah that was a lot of adjectives. These guys are awesome. Imagine the kind of music you would hear at a dance party with a bunch of your favorite people- this would be the soundtrack to your entire night. Go to their Myspace and hear them and you will see what i mean. I will not compare them to Animal Collective, but if you like Animal Collective, you’re going to like them. Trust me.

Astroline:  These Kalamazoo locals closed out the night, and let me tell you- it was a damn good close-out. We were all tired, but no one was tired enough to leave before these guys played. If you’re familiar with the musics of Jeremy Ruggles and Dan Flack, you’re going to like their new (or old depending on how you look at it…) incarnation. Sunday night was their first Kalamazoo show, and it was a real treat to experience it. If you get a chance, please go see them wherever they are playing next. I highly suggest that you do.

PhotobucketI saved the best for last in this post with Netherfriends. I really enjoyed this guy’s music. Apparently he usually has a full band, and it’s apparently better, but just him by himself made me sit up and listen. Now, mind you, I’m tired out of my mind. I was basically woken up out of my nice warm bed by Sean to see this random show I wasn’t really interested in seeing at first, and I get there, and sit down, and end up dropping $5 for this guy’s EP. Which is well worth it. It’s only two songs but he gave me a CD and a nice big pink poster. Also, can i just mention the vinyl here? Holy crap. IT’S PINK VINYL. PINK. And the album art is perfect. It reminds me of his music, with all of its galaxies and collaged flowers on the front, and it’s just flippin’ cool. Not to mention this guy is so sweet and nice! Sometimes you go to a show and like a band’s music and then you go up to them afterwards to talk to them and they blow you off like you’re nothing. This guys really just loves to talk to people, and was super cool. NICE GUY, NICE MUSIC= AWESOME. His music is like being swathed in a nice warm hug of sounds and prettiness, with just a slight bite. Maybe like a monster from Where the Wild Things Are . I think of all the times I’ve been to shows and all my pals are there and we’re hanging out and some unassuming guy comes up to the mic with a synth and starts playing this wonderful music that makes you stop in the middle of updating your Facebook status from your phone and just listen. You guys need to check out this guy before he and his band blows up, because I tell you what- he’s playing Pitchfork this year in Chicago and I predict a lot of people out there are going to be experiencing the same thing I felt on Sunday night.

So, this is all i have for now, loves. Continue to check back here at DITKalamazoo for more reviews.