Zilla

Zilla is a band which had popularity from its conception. Their drummer, Michael Travis, happens to be the former drummer of the String Cheese Incident, their string instrument musician, Jamie Janover, was already a world renowned hammered dulcimer player, and Aaron Holstein, creator of the Vibesquad. Although they did not have to work to get noticed, their music defines creativity, and placed them firmly at the top of the improvisational/electronic genre. Most groups in this genre have 'songs' that are frequently played, but these 'songs' are used more as a guideline. This leaves the group free to improvise around the basic rhythms of this guideline. Zilla, on the other hand, is 100% improvised. This means that every single show is different from the previous one, making for a one of a kind experience every time. Even their studio albums are just clean, hi quality recordings from live shows. Born out of Boulder, Colorado, Zilla relies on their uncanny ability to listen and incorporate their individual talents into a rhythm focused style of live electronic dance music. Zilla has more of a repetitive, trance-like sound to it. The use of sitars and the hammered dulcimer give them an eastern sound. It is very relaxed, and every song builds from a simple melody into a complex piece of musical freeform experimentation. One of the goals of Zilla is to move away from the long soloing that is so much a part of improvisational jam music today. The collective whole is the dominant force of Zilla. This band, along with a few others, is attempting to redefine the very framework of what a jam band is. The success of Zilla, and others of the same style, definitely holds in store a bright future for this uplifting style of music.

Gimme some Moe.!

Here we have a band that has not only taken part in more music festivals than most bands on the planet, but has started multiple yearly festivals of their own. "moe." is an american jam band that pushes the envelope with a style that fuses an almost country/bluegrass/folk sound with the driving styles of progressive rock. Moe. was formed in 1990 at the University of Buffalo by Rob Derhak (bass/vocals, Al Schnier (guitar/vocals/keyboards), Chuck Garvey (guitar/vocals), Vinnie Amico (drums), and Jim Loughlin (percussion). In the words of moe.'s own Al Schnier, he describes moe. as, "an amalgamation of a wide variety of the history of rock, all regurgitated and recycled through the eyes, ears, hands, whatever of the guys in our band and all of that with a sense of adventure, a sense of humor, also a constant desire to push the envelope. All in this arena of taking chances, improvising live, and making things up on the spot." As I mentioned earlier, moe. has started multiple festivals of their own, most notably a festival called "moe.down". This began in 2000 at the Snow Ridge Ski Area in Turin, NY. The first year alone, the festival attracted three thousand people, while this past year at the ninth annual installment of moe.down almost ten thousand traveled to this wonderful fest. Another annual event that although moe. is not technically attributed with starting, everyone who attends knows and loves that it is moe.'s festival, is Summer Camp. Having attended Summer Camp for four consecutive years, it would have been impossible to prevent moe. from growing to be one of my obsessions. At Summer Camp, where there are dozens of the most notable names in jam band music, moe. is still reserved 3 nights in a row on the main stage at the main time slot (2008 was the first year moe. was actually given only 2 nights at the main time slot/main stage). Other non-annual events moe. has hosted was the snoe.down, the moe.-lennium, and moe.cruise. A particularly interesting event was the snoe.down, where moe. and friends held a three day festival at the outdoor venue of the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York. Here there were three days of ten to fifteen degree weather where over two thousand fans huddled for warmth through the sets of moe. and others. That is what I would call a dedicated fan base, which hilariously enough is a fan base that has been known to call themselves the "moe.rons". From 1992-2008 moe. released a staggering fourteen studio albums! Added on top of this is a six live album series titled the "Warts & All" series. The concerts for the Warts & All releases are chosen by the band and include an entire show without edits or overdubs. Unfortunately after this past summer, moe. has decided to take a short hiatus from their touring to pursue various side projects, and to take some much needed time off to spend with friends and family. Not to fear though, it is definitely not a break up, just a short break. Moe. is expected to play at various festivals and shows this summer, and let me speak for moe. fans everywhere, I can not wait.

Guitar Hero World Tour

I've decided to postpone the post about the Led Zeppelin blog and do something different. About a couple days ago I bought the new Guitar Hero, even though I play the real guitar, this game is still one of my favorite video games. Just because you can rock out to some awesome songs with friends, it doesn't matter who it is, anyone can pick up Guitar Hero and play their favorite songs. Well maybe the video game bloggers already covered the game but instead of talking about the game components and what not, I'm going to talk more about the music that is on it rather than the components of the game. Lets start off by saying that this games songlist is amazing, it included some of my favorite songs and some classics that I've loved my whole life. Some artists include Jimi Hendrix, Sublime, Creedance Clearwater, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Oasis, Lynard Skynard and the list goes on. I've also noticed that a lot of these songs include amazing solos because the game includes this solo feature for guitar that gives it a unuasul but pretty cool feel to the guitar. Not only are most of the songs on the list great ones, but the list is huge. Before actually playing the game I unlocked the songs just to check them out and the list just kept on going and going, and the more I scrolled down the artists just kept getting better. There is also a band feature where you are able to play other instruments with friends, this concept is really cool because to be able to jam out to your favorite songs with friends is something everyone should experience. I also want to say that this years game doesn't include as many heavy metal songs as the previous games, and if there are they're out numbered by the other different genres of rock songs. I thought this was the best part of the songlist, because it doesn't mainly just have one type of music on it, it includes music from all over the rock scene, which is something great because people are able to get a taste of all different types of music. The best feature I think about the game is the ability to create your own song in the game. The game includes this program that lets you create notes for different instruments and then once the song is created, it gives you the chance to give your song a try. This I thought was a really nice feature because some one with not so much experience with instruments or music can buy this game, make their own song, and then jam out to it and enjoy the feeling that you get when you play something you created. Well there you go a guide through the music of Guitar Hero World Tour. I'm sure you all have played the game and thought it was really fun, this one is no different give it a try I'm sure you won't be dissappointed.

Dethklok

Any avid adult swim viewers out there have undoubtedly heard of Dethklok. The death metal band is the star of the adult animated series "Metalocalypse". Although the group was featured originally as a fictional group, creator Brendan Small eventually released an album which debuted #21 on the Billboard Top 200 List. In the morbid dark comedy series, Dethklok is depicted as the most successful band on the planet whose popularity and power have made them a threat to world peace as we know it. With funds and strength rivaling the United States military, every episode begins in a top secret military base where their adversaries discuss Dethklok's latest developments. The show is hilarious because episodes both mock and honor death metal bands. Brendan Small did this by creating a group of dumb, innocent heavy metal rockers whose fame and power leads them to inadvertently cause worldwide panic, mass murder, and horrific catastrophes on a daily basis. The characters in the group are Nathan Explosion, Swisgaar Swigelf, William Murderface, Pickles, and Toki Wartooth. Although the show can be quite gruesome at times, there is constant comical relief in the personalities of these musicians. Every member of Dethklok is a raging alcoholic, and combined with the heavy accents and goofy voices of the characters there are some classic dialogues. In these, viewers come to realize that behind the tough persona of Dethklok there are actually just a bunch of cowardly, sensitive guys. One of the interesting things about Dethklok is all members of the band are based off of actual famous death metal musicians (something I would assume offended some of these legends). George "corpsegrinder" Fisher of Cannibal Corpse is the basis for Dethklok frontman Nathan Explosion. A combination of Alexai Laiho of Chidren of Bodom and swedish guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen are portrayed in the pompous, heavily accented Swisgaar Swigelf. The Norwegian Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth is represented by Toki Wartooth, and Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath is believed to be William Murderface. The group that actually creates the music of Dethklok announced that they would begin touring in 2007 in an attempt to support and promote Adult Swim. The tour was a major success, and the group called "And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead" even got a song on Guitar Hero called Thunderhorse. Overall, I am sharing about Dethklok more because I enjoy the show Metalocalypse than any legitimate taste for death metal music, but from a musicians perspective I have to give "And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead" credit. Death metal music can be extremely difficult to compose, and this group is no exception to that. The guitar scales, speedy power chords, and ridiculous drum double bass pedaling is definitely out of this world. Two back to back episodes of Metalocalypse are aired on adult swim (cartoon network) Monday through Thursday at 1:00 AM and 1:15 AM for the next two weeks until adult swim changes their lineup as they frequently do. Check it out, but be warned, grotesque acts of morbid comedy do not appeal to everyone.

Get the Led out pt2

My last post was on the band Led Zeppelin and I’m going to continue my blog on the band.  I left off with talking about the members of the band and now I’m going to go over their huge accomplishments over their musical career.  When the band first got together it was around 1967 and they started playing little shows and gigs.  The band was looked down by other artists, in fact Led Zeppelin got their name because certain musical artists said that the band would go down like a led balloon.  So the band ended up changing it up a little bit and called themselves Led Zeppelin.  One of the bands first song was “Communication Breakdown”. The song was released around 1969 and right away the song was a hit.  Soon after this they released their first self titled album “Led Zeppelin” and right away it was accepted by the world and it was looked upon like something that was never seen before.  It included their single “Communication Breakdown” and their huge hit “Dazed and Confused”.  The band was then looked at then just any other band at the time.  They were something totally different than any other band that was out.  They had a type of rock music that was never seen before.  Their music was a collaboration of different types of genres of music.  Jimmy Page with his influence in blues, John Paul Jones with his funky jazz bass beats, and John Bonham with the drum beats of something never seen before.  After their success of their first album the band released their second album titled “Led Zeppelin II”.  Which included hits like “Whole Lotta Love” , “Ramble On”, and “Moby Dick”.  Their second album was even greater success and reached number 1 in the US and Great Britain music charts.  By now everyone knew that this band isn’t going any where and that their music was going to chance rock and roll forever.  The band was touring the world and the whole world was able to enjoy the Zeppelin experience.  After touring and getting their name out to the world the band again released an other album this time titled “Led Zeppelin II”.  This album was recorded in a cottage in a small town.  The album had a very acoustic mellow feel to it.  This album showed how the band didn’t just have to stick with heavy rock, it was able to go outside the box and play anything they really wanted.  Their next album to me is their best and biggest album which if u can guess it was titled “Led Zeppelin IV”.  It included many of their career hits including “Stairway to Heaven” which is looked at as one the best rock songs ever.  There is still a lot more to the band that I want to talk about so I’m going to have to make this blog a 3 part and continue with Led Zeppelin on my next blog so make sure not to miss the history of Zeppelin. 

Waiting for May

Being that the majority of us are from either Indiana or the Chicago-land area, I'd like to take the time to share with everyone the joys of my favorite mid west music festival, Summer Camp. This past summer was my fourth consecutive Summer Camp, and it only gets better every year. It is a smaller, more community like festival in Peoria, Illinois. On the weekend of May 23rd, flocks of music lovers travel to this southern Illinois town for the best that live music has to offer. This is an event where a person can truly escape reality. What happens is, you pull up to a huge field in your car, and park. Next, you carry all the supplies that you and your fellow campers will need for the next four days into the festival grounds (this includes tents, food, clothing, camping supplies, liquor, etc.). From the moment you finish setting up your campsite on, kiss responsibility good bye because you will not have any for the next four days. Rather, you can feel free to walk through the forests, meet friendly people from all over the country, discover loads of new bands, and see some groups that you may have looked forward to seeing in advance. What separates this festival from others is the community atmosphere that is instilled at this place. Everyone is friendly, and everyone is willing and eager to stop and have a conversation with you. The attitude of the festival is something like, "Smile: You're at Summer Camp!" The festival features jam band super groups like Umphrey's McGee, Keller Williams, Moe., Yonder Mountain String Band, and Sound Tribe Sector Nine. These a few of the dozens of band that make appearances from noon to four in the morning every day. Even throughout the night you can hear the sounds of drum circles ringing through the forest, boom boxes pounding in the distance, and fireworks exploding overhead. It is fascinating to hear all this, and even better to take part in all this. Although a weekend at Summer Camp can be a bit pricey, once you have been to a festival, you will realize that a price cannot be put on this kind of fun. Hope to see y'all at Summer Camp 2009!!!

Kinfolk

To many, “kinfolk” is a forgotten term. Lost to the southerners and mountain men that turn the phrase to describe their friends and family. Strange language is not the only thing that these fine people have gifted us with that most have cast aside. I am talking about bluegrass music, particularly a group of young men who make up the bluegrass quartet Yonder Mountain String Band. Bluegrass, as I understand, does not suit everyone's taste, but I did not really realize that I even had a passion for these "hillbilly" rhythms until I gave it a chance. Although this may sound strange, I cannot think of many occasions where I have had more fun than the times everyone decided to lose the shoes, go to a Yonder Mountain String Band show, and have ourselves a good ole fashioned ho down. There are loads of bluegrass bands that do not play at the same caliber as Yonder, and it is due to this that the wonderful genre of bluegrass goes so unappreciated in our day and age. There is a fine line between bluegrass and country, and it is the country bands who call themselves bluegrass that gives bluegrass a bad name. Yonder, on the other hand, appeals more to my generation of bluegrass fans. The quartet keeps its roots, but feels free to experiment more with lyrics, melodies, and improvisation. Bluegrass is definitely greatly unappreciated in so many different ways. Yonder, for example, has four people on string instruments with no percussionist. Any musician knows that this makes keeping tempo very difficult. This problem coupled with the finger blistering speeds at which each musician plucks away at his string instrument makes for complicated compositions. Almost all styles of bluegrass share the common theme of creating upbeat music. When listening to bluegrass, it almost feels like your brain is in a race with the musicians. They move so quickly that without listening carefully, we completely lose the rhythm, and have to jump back into the race again at the next beat. My personal experiences with Yonder Mountain String Band have all been wonderful. I have gone to over eight Yonder concerts, and enjoyed every consecutive show more than the previous one. One of the unique things about Yonder Mountain String Band is the way they interact with the crowd. Often times, they joke and interact with the audience during bridges of songs which makes the show more fun for both the performer and the listener. I commented earlier about a “ho down”, and I meant it quite literally. You actually will see people linking arms, spinning in circles, releasing, reattaching to another person, and all the while flailing their legs wildly. It is a sight to see, but it is even more fun to take place in the shenanigans. Although it may make you feel a little bit out of place to listen to bluegrass, or to attend events like these, it really is all in good fun. It is at events with the Yonder Mountain String Band that it is okay to be a goof, and I will tell you firsthand, it is a blast.

Get the LED out!

I hope most of you know what I'm talking about when I say get the LED out but for those of you that don't I'm refering to rocking out to the greatest band that ever lived, Led Zeppelin. The quote get the LED out refers to anyone when they wanna jam out to the music of Zeppelin. I don't think I could get fit all the information on this band into just one blog so this might have to be turned into a two part blog. Before I start talking about the band as a whole and what they accomplished in their musical career I would like to mention the individual band members themselves. First one on the list is the great Jimmy Page, the guitarist of the band and to me the greatest guitarist that ever lived. With his mix musical background into a lot of blues, Jimmy Page interpretated this into his rock n roll music and created something that was never seen before. He was one of the pioneers to the early rock n roll scene and I know without him there's no way rock would be what it is today. Next on the list is Robert Plant, the vocalist of the band and a master of vocals. Robert Plant was one of those singers that was able to hit any note he wanted with his voice. Instead of describing his voice into words, check out the talent he has with his voice in one of their songs "The Ocean". We now move to John Paul Jones, considered the bassist of the band but contributed way more than any other bassist has to any other band. John Paul Jones was one of the most musicaly talented people I have ever seen. It seemed that there was never any instrument he couldn't master. Last but definitely not least is John Bohnam, the drummer of the band and what a drummer he was. With his insane beats and amazing fills John Bohnam was able to create something wonderful with his drumset. If you don't believe me check out this clip from his 20 minute drum solo. As I predicted I didn't think I was going to able to able to fit everything I wanted to say about Led Zeppelin into just one blog. But make sure you come back to read the next because I will talk about what this great band accomplished throughout their career and how they changed rock n roll.

"Welcome To The Future"

This past summer I attended a music festival called Summer Camp. It was late at night (or early in the morning depending on how you want to look at it), and I decided to follow my ears towards the robotic sounds that had been emanating from the stage area. When I arrived I was completely shocked to find an audience of thousands going absolutely bonkers (mind you this is at 2 AM) for a band that I did not recognize. I quickly spotted a few of my friends, and curiously approached them eager to get some information about this wild trio that was on stage. When I asked a friend what was going on, he simply replied in a robotic voice, “Welcome to the future!” As it turns out this was my first experience with Future Rock, a Chicago based trio whose music is the product of improvisational experimentation. If you listen to any live Future Rock, you quickly learn that their title is very fitting. “Did I wander through a time warp into the year 2050?” you begin to ask yourself as the show rages on. “Maybe we are the butt of some mad scientist’s cruel prank?” No. This is Future Rock. The group is composed of a keyboardist, bassist, and drummer. It really is quite shocking that a group playing regular instruments is able to put out the spacey sounds that Future Rock has come to be known for. The group gets some help from their DJ equipment, but for the most part it is completely live improvisation. The group released their debut album in May of 2006, and did not receive much attention from the music scene they were attempting to infiltrate. It was not until they began getting booked at music festivals like Summer Camp and Camp Bisco that they began to arise as a jamtronic powerhouse. Their quirky, danceable sound is what makes them so popular in the jamtronica scene. Each member samples and loops their riffs throughout a song to create an intense, chaotic sound. With a name like Future Rock, one might be led to believe that the band’s music sounds like that of modern DJ’s. By this I mean one might think that all the songs are driven by a repetitive pounding bass with high pitched synthesizers squealing in the background. However, this is not the case with Future Rock. They utilize a huge variety of calm rhythms and melodies, which gradually over the course of a ten minute jam will have more and more sounds layered on top of it to create the sound that is Future Rock. What intrigues me and the fan base of Future Rock is the new, fresh music they produce. This is not your run of the mill rock and roll band, and it is because of this fact that there is definitely a future for this style.

I'm Grateful!

I was racking my brain for a group to write about when it hit me. I do not have to find some kind of new music when there is such an amazing past behind me. I am choosing to tell anyone who has never heard the music of one of the best groups of all time, to go out and listen to the Grateful Dead. Born in the 1960's, the Grateful Dead had a very chaotic beginning playing solely at events called "The Acid Tests". I'm choosing not to go into these tests, but as you can imagine it was a very rocky start right from the beginning. Over the course of the next twenty years, the Dead was hit with an enormous amount of fame that none of them ever saw coming. Here we have a group of six men, some in their twenties and some not even out of their teenage years. This is a group of dropouts who were in it purely for the purpose of making music. This is something that distinguishes the Dead from many musicians of their time and our time. Having this attitude allowed the Dead to forget about what the music industry was telling them to do, and do music the was they wanted to. It is really shocking to listen to the music of the Dead and realise that this group came from the same age as Jimmy Hendrix, The Who, and Led Zeppelin. This group does not play the driving, heavy rock n roll sound of their time, but rather comforting music with American Folk at its roots. However, it is not surprising that the group had a cult-like following dubbed the 'Deadheads'. Many people, myself included, judged the Grateful Dead before even hearing the music. It is easy to judge a group if their fans are called 'Deadheads', but what you'll realise when you listen to the Grateful Dead is that they are composed of some of the most talented musicians of all time. What I have found is that it is very difficult not to like the Grateful Dead. The sound is pure happiness and joy, and who could say no to happiness and joy?

Blackalicious

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Inspiration

So I have been perusing my partner's blog material to see what has been striking his musical fancy, and I have to give him props on "Pick up an instrument". I could not agree with him more. I play guitar, keyboards, and drums (not well). Working with instruments has undoubtedly changed my perspective of music for the better. As he so wonderfully puts it, you really have a different take on music when you understand the mechanics of a group. For example, my taste in music may sound chaotic to the untrained ear. I believe that my experience with music allows me to organize the chaos into the rhythm that the musician intended you to hear. Understanding how something is made is extremely important if you really want to be passionate about a topic. College is the perfect example! You can not just go out into the world and get hired as a verterinarian without the proper training. Music has some of the same properties. It would be difficult to call yourself music fanatic if you did not understand how that music is put together. My partner described the nirvana achieved via the guitar, and I understand exactly what he means by this. I, on the other hand, am choosing to share with you one of my newest musical passions, DJ equipment. Right now I am saving my cash for the Denon DNS1200 Media Controller. If you decide to check this out, there is a product advertisement video along with the product information. This is simplest means of understanding how a product like a media controller actually operates, but please understand that the music used in the advertisement is a bit goofy (akk!). To use this device, we would first put our own input into it, whether it be a song from your ipod, something from a cd, or a homemade beat from your laptop. Once the song is uploaded into the media controller, the user basically has free reign to change the song as they please. We can loop sections of the song over and over, add our own beats to the background, add echo, add flanger, and even scratch (scratching is what you see a DJ do when they put their hand on the disc and wiggle it around to make a strange noise). The great thing about this product is the enormous variety of things you can do with it. I plan on using programs on my computer to put together my own beats, which I can later put into the media controller to play for live audiences. In my mind, this is the epitome of creativity for a new musician. I believe it is very difficult for a musician to be original in this day and age because everything has been done at some point. Then there is electronica. This is one of the newest, most exciting genres of music, and I feel it still has so much room for expansion and new additions. If you do not like the electronic music you have been exposed to, keep looking. I think you would be surprised if you really looked into the electronic genre. Already there are so many different styles and facets to it, and you find that there are multiple genres of electronica within the electronic genre. Keep your eyes open because once I save enough money for all my equipment, you can come see me live! It will be a ways away, but if the whole college thing does not work out for me, music is my back up plan. Once again, experiment with new music and have fun doing it!

RHCP

By the initials of my title some of you might already know what I'm going to be talking about but unless you don't RHCP stands for Red Hot Chili Peppers. To me they are one of the greatest bands that ever existed. With their funky beats and style, mixed in with some rock, and some mellow melodys, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have a style unique to any other band out there. No band out there has come close to their style, and I'm glad because I know if there was a band out there they wouldn't be able to keep up with RHCP. Well RHCP is a band from Los Angeles, California that was formed in 1983. The band consists of Anthony Kiedis(vocals), John Frusciante(guitar), Flea Balzary(bass), and Chad Smith(drums). All of these band members contribute greatly to what the Red Hot Chili Peppers stand for. Anthony with his unique voice, John with the guitar riffs of a rock god, and Chad with the drum beats that are the backbone to the band. But the one that I think has given RHCP its funky edge is Flea, with his slap bass, funky, psychedelic notes, he has showed the world that bass does not have to just be a background instrument. The band has released several records over the years, all of them being praised by the fans. Some of them include "Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik", "One Hot Minute", "Californiacation, "By the Way", and their most recent release "Stadium Arcadium". Each of these records have included great hits(not saying that all the songs aren't good)that have showed that RHCP is not just any other one hit wonder band but a group of musical geniuses that together have showed the world that a band from Los Angeles can add a whole new genre to the rock scene. This is one of the reasons why I think the band is so great, to be playing together for over 20 years and still be able to release great music after all the years I think is an amazing thing to do. I'm sure all of you have experienced the great music created by this band but unless you haven't let me leave you with some songs to listen to that will change your view of what you know as rock. I don't want to leave any great songs out so get ready cause the list might be big. "Can't Stop", "Soul to Squeeze", "By the Way", "Under the Bridge", "Higher Ground", "Fortune Faded","Give it Away", "Otherside", "Scar Tissue", "Californiacation", "Dani California", "Snow(Hey Oh)", and "Tell me Baby". I guarantee you that any of these songs will make you give RHCP more of your time to listen to their great music.

Pick up an Instrument

So today I was finally able to go out and pick up some guitar strings because the strings on my guitar have been broken on my guitar since I have arrived on campus. I installed the strings, tuned the strings and played away. I could not describe the feeling I had when I plucked the first string and played the first chord. It reminded me of the first time I picked up my guitar. It was such a great feeling that I wanted to share with all of you the incredible feeling you can get if you play an instrument. It doesn't have to be guitar it really could be anything that you have an interest with. Let me start by saying that by playing an instrument it really does expand your thought on different types of music(well for me it did). You start hearing music a lot more differently, things about music that you probably didn't pay much attention to start appearing to you. You start wanting to listen to different types of music. Also your favorite songs that you loved, once you learn to play them is one of the most unnatural feelings you can get. You might ask why I say this but to me when I was younger and I heard a song being played by one of my favorite artists, to me the person playing the guitar riff or the drum solo seemed like a god to me. So when I was able to play the exact thing they were playing with my instrument and me behind the guitar, it really seemed unreal to me. At first it might seem really hard for you to play the instrument that you want to play but trust me its worth it in the long run. So listen to me when I say try to play instrument, it will open up doors you've never seen before

O Trice!

I know it is pretty rare for a guy like myself to listen to rap enough to actually put it in a blog, but every now and then there is a rapper that strikes me as "worthy" to write about. Today that rapper is Obie Trice. Here we have a rapper that most have never heard of, but has a style that is indistinguishable. Obie Trice is a true linguist. His vocabulary is comparable to a Harvard english student, but he mixes this with slang to gift his listeners with real stories about the street life. Obie was born and raised on the dirty streets of Detroit, Michigan. Rap battling at the Hip-Hop Shop put him on the map. He was first discovered by D12 member Bizarre, and was then in turn introduced to Bizarre's record executive, Eminem aka Slim Shady aka Marshall Mathers. After hearing one freestyle, Obie was signed to Shady records in 2000. In 2002, he received more recognition, appearing in a cameo in Eminem's life story, 8 Mile. His stardom continued to grow in 2003 with his debut album "Cheers" where he worked with legends like Busta Rhymes, Lloyd Banks, 50 Cent, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and Timbaland. 2005 was a busy year for Obie Trice. He released his second album, "Second Round's On Me" (sooooo good). This is a cd every rap lover should have. The first time I heard this album, I was shocked that I had never heard it because it is the epitome of gangsta rap. Unfortunately, after all of his success in 2005, Obie was shot twice at a Detroit nightclub in December. Although he survived, doctors still contemplate whether or not to remove the slug from his skull, as surgery may be too dangerous. He did manage to bounce back after this disaster though. Obie continued to work on his own mixtapes, and was featured on multiple albums and singles by other noted artists. Although the details are unknown, he separated from Shady Records in June 2008. Although he is off the major record label, he is by no means off the map. Shortly after leaving Shady Records, Obie started his own label, Worldwide Hustle. Understandably, he has not released any new records since this recent break from Shady Records, but his fans are anxiously anticipating his next release. All of you rap fans out there, I can only assume you are getting tired of the same tired lines about rims and diamonds. Next time you get frustrated with the newest rap on MTV, do yourself a favor and go to Best Buy, get yourself a copy of "Second Round's On Me", and become a fan of Obie Trice.

Flying Lotus

"Comfort for the Nintendo Generation," is how Steven Ellison, aka Flying Lotus, describes his music. If you have ever played the NES, Super Nintendo, or the Sega Genesis, picture the sounds and music that go along with classics like Galaga, Galaxian, Mario Brothers, or Sonic. Sounds pretty boring, eh? Now add in high tech basslines, unconventional time signatures, and a whole mess of instruments to it and there you have it, Flying Lotus. Steven was raised around music in Los Angeles, and describes himself as always being a very artistic person. His great aunt and uncle were John and Alice Coltrane, two innovative jazz musicians in the 1960's. Since John made it a lot bigger than Alice, she was the major influence in Steven's life. He talks about how he never knew she was a famous musician when he was a youth, until she began touring again decades after John's death. This is when his eyes were opened to the artistic world, and he began a path of his own. At first, he wanted to be a filmmaker, and it was not until about ten years ago that he was asked to go on tour with his Great Aunt to make a documentary about her historic life. In a film about Flying Lotus, he tells a story about how he was in Paris filming this documentary about his Aunt. A cab driver asked the group he was with if they were musicians, and everyone except Steven confirmed this. The cab driver gave a confused look at Steven, then Alice Coltrane stepped in and stated, "He's a musician, right now he just thinks he is a filmmaker." From here on out, Flying Lotus began experimenting with music and beats on his computer. He never thought much of his music until he caught a break with the late night television phenomenon Adult Swim. If there are any fans of Adult Swim out there, think of the awesome music that is played in between shows during the commentaries (the black screen with the funny comments). A large portion of that music is actually Flying Lotus. It was from here on out that Steven began taking his music seriously. The first full length, studio album was released in June, 2008 (NEW ARTIST!!!). It is a great album, seventeen tracks, called Los Angeles. Flying Lotus's studio recordings tend to have more of a relaxed, comforting sound to them, but from the live sets I've heard this is definitely not the case. His live sets are aimed at the club/nightlife fans that are looking for excitement. As he puts it, "If you're going to make an album it should be something that people sit and think about. It can be that engaging experience, not just mindless club music, mindless bass music. Which once again there is a time and place for everything." I have not had the opportunity to see him live yet because I just recently discovered him through an awesome web site called Jus' Like Music. This web site is a wonderful tool for anyone who likes electronic music. Just in the past two weeks of using this site, I have already discovered a plethora of new music, Flying Lotus being one of my new passions. Check him out on myspace, check out Jus' Like Music, you won't be disappointed.

Babyshambles

One of my earlier blogs that I posted was on the great band The Libertines but to this day they are no more. But when the band seperated some great bands came out of it. In this blog I'm gonna talk about one of those bands, the Babyshambles. The Babyshambles are a band created by one of the frontmen of The Libertines, Pete Doherty. Even though that Pete was mainly the reason The Libertines were created he was also the reason they broke up. But some one like Pete such a lyrical genius, great poetry and so musicaly talented there was no way he could stay from continuing making music. So he created the band Babyshambles. Another British band mainly from London the band consisted of Pete Doherty as vocalist, Patrick Walden on guitar, Gemme Clark on drums, and Jaime Perret on bass. When the band was created there was a lot of hype saying that it would not come close to what The Libertines once were. But in November 2005 the release of there first album "Down in Albion" it was greatly accepted by the fans and it hit number 8 in the UK charts upon its release. But this album really could not be compared to any of the albums of The Libertines. This is because they were two complete different bands, even though they were created by the same person the two bands really did not have much in common. The Libertines were more of a British garage band with the attitude of The Clash and Babyshambles were really none of that. In this band Pete Doherty's musical talent and his love for poetry really showed in the lyrics of their first album. A lot of his music was involving his acoustic instead of his usual electric guitar with distortion. But the change between these two bands was not a bad change. To me it seemed that Pete was able to express himself, write the music he wanted, the way he wanted and he was able to do it in this band. They had great songs like "Albion", "Fuck Forever", and "Killmangaro". They also released a second album "Shotter's Nation" which was met with greater acceptance than their first album. The band continues to tour and this spring and summer they are playing all over Europe. I'm still waiting for the day they come to the US because I was never able to see The Libertines live, I would hate it to never see the Babyshambles live on stage.

Back on Tour

Bassnectar is a DJ from California whose popularity recently took one of the largest leaps that I have ever seen in a musician. This is partly due his electic, heart throbbing, mind twisting sounds, but no one who knows his work can deny his dedication to touring. In 2007 alone, Bassnectar, aka Lorin Aston, played shows on over one hundred and forty evenings of the year. This is a staggering number, and it is extremely impressive that any man could handle that much performing. His style is difficult to describe, but it is somewhere between hip-hop and electronica. For short, most people call the genre trip-hop. I have seen Bassnectar four times, and I'm looking to make that five times as of tomorrow. It is actually kind of funny to see him in person...he looks like Cousin It from the Adam's Family while performing on stage. His hair is so long that it almost looks like he is wearing a brown shawl over the top of his head. This can only add to the act because has a undeniable presence on stage. To clarify, he dances and acts outrageous onstage which keeps the crowd into the show. He has almost a bond with his audience, and this is by no coincidence. The first time I went to a Bassnectar show was two years ago, and I impatiently awaited the opening act off the the side in the audience. I happened to glance over my shoulder...to my shock he was standing about three feet behind me shaking hands with a few guys in the audience. Immediately I turned around, shook his hand, and got to exchange a few words with him before people around me realized what was going on and wanted a piece of the pie. He even invites audience members onto stage to dance (Only rule is no touching him or the equipment). Bassnectar's popularity stems primarily from his recent habit of playing the late night (two AM-five AM) sets at most major music festivals that took place this summer (ie: Rothbury, All Good, Shambhala, Camp Bisco). His uncanny ability to keep people awake and excited through the wee hours of the night definately says something about his abilities. Plus, people always tend to have more fun at the late night shows than during the day. At night, everyone that attends decides to break out the beach balls, glow sticks, inflatable toys, and costumes. Although it may look like just senseless partying from videos, Bassnectar is actually very politically active, and he makes this perfectly clear at some point during every show. Also, a portion of his earnings from every show is always donated to "Conscious Alliance", a group of people who started food and clothing drives, and have collected donations for foundations that benefit young people for as long as I have been attending Jam band events. Attending a Bassnectar show is not for the weak of heart, as the shows tend to draw a lot of strange people, and the scene can get pretty wild (if you click this link go to 3:30 :) ). If you are looking for a wild night, trust me you will feel right at home at a show like this.

Chicago Music

One of the most frustrating things about being a music enthusiast is the lack of live music in West Lafayette for people under the age of twenty one. One way to solve this problem is the big city up to our northwest called Chicago. Chicago is a mecca of live music, hosting dozens of exciting live events every weekend. I try to go home about once a month to "visit the family", but I actually like to go home so I can to catch a few shows. Although it can get pricey, I think that forty dollars for train tickets and twenty dollars for a show is well with the cash. What exactly you decide to spend your money on is a tougher decision. In fact, just tonight, Beck, Weezer, Tokyo Police Club, Angel's and Airwaves, and Alanis Morissette are playing in various venues all over the city. This is just a fraction of the total amount concerts that will be taking place tonight, but these are a couple of the more popular shows. This weekend alone, Citzen Cope, Bassnectar, EOTO (percussionists from The String Cheese Incident), Michael Kang (guitarist from The String Cheese Incident), Kyle Hollingsworth (keyboardist from The String Cheese Incident, DJ Mike Relm, Elliot Lipp and Leo123, and a whole list of other local bands will be performing. One of my favorite websites to track these shows is Jam Base. Jam Base is relatively simple to use. You can conduct a search in whatever category you want. If you type Chicago into the "city" category, Jam Base will provide a daily list of artists, pricing, and venues. I signed up with Jam Base as a member (for free). With a subscription it can be a very handy tool. Jam Base actually emails you with information about artists in your area that you've expressed interest in in the past. Live music is a totally different experience, and I could not recommend attending an event more. Me? I'm catching a train tomorrow at eight AM to Union Station in Chicago. Bassnectar on Friday night, EOTO on Saturday night. It should be a phenominal weekend.

Fl Studio

By looking at the title of my blog you can probably already know what I'm going to be talking about. I'm sure that many of you know what the blog is about, but I don't think many of you know what the term Fl Studio is. Well thats why I'm posting this blog, to inform all of you about Fl Studio. What is Fl Studio? Well let me start by saying that it is a digital audio workstation software for your computer. Some of you are still probably a little confused on what this means so thats why I'm going to go into detail on what this software does. Ok well you know all those hip hop, rap, or techno songs you always hear on the radio, but it can really be any genre of music, well most of them are created with programs like Fl Studio. What Fl Studio does is let the user create pretty much create any type of music they like with its endless effects, samples and beats it has. Say you want to creat a song, the first thing you need to that song is a beat. It could be a drum beat, clap, hi hat, pretty much whatever you want. Well go into Fl Studio choose the effect and style of beat you want, position it where and what time you want it played and loop it, there you go you got the beat to your song good to go. Now you just can't just have a beat going by itself it be to boring, so you go into Fl Studio's endless effects and samples and pick whichever one you think would fit your song the best. It even has pre made effects if you don't feel like creating your own. My favorite thing to instead of using the pre made effects or the samples it comes with is find a song I really like and sample out a piece of music out of it. I've ended up making some really cool songs this way and people usually like them because it sometimes reminds them of the songs I sampled. Well now that you got the sample or effect you picked out you have to place it in the song. Now this part can be a little tricky because if by not placing it in the right spot your whole song can be off beat and just sound horrible and annoying. But Fl Studio has a tool called beat synthesiser(don't think thats spelled right) which makes it impossible for you to be off beat. You might place the sample somewhere where it might not sound so good but it will never be off beat. Well now that you got the music and the beat to back up your music your song is pretty much done unless you want to add vocals to it. If you have a mic Fl Studio has great software to import vocals and it even gives you options to add effects to your vocals to give it that certain style your looking for. Well there you have it a quick tour of what Fl Studio has to offer and if what I talked about sounded interesting and you wanna give it a try heres the link to download a demo of the software and I'll leave you with one of my favorite covers of a song created by Fl Studio.