Hear Music, Taste Colors

Hear Music, Taste Colors: Top 5 Sunny Day Driving Bands

2011-04-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

This blog is a thing now, eventually Booze and Tunes will be on www.boozeandtunes.com once the site is up (hopefully early may, our programmer and co-host Alan will be graduating May 1st and needless to say is a little preoccupied) but in the mean time I'll also be posting non-podcast related things here.

This past weekend was my birthday and it seems like the weather decided to take the week to recover from a hangover that was epic enough to effect us on a meteorological scale. This week was cold, dreary and wet but as we walked out of the house this morning to get breakfast in Mexican town I was greeted with a sunny, high 70's day. I tried my hardest to stay in Detroit and edit the show we recorded Wednesday night but the pull of the road was just too strong. Mid afternoon I threw my jacket over the back of my seat and hit the road. Nothing quite like I-96 on a Sunday afternoon, windows down and tunes on. Unfortunately with gas prices the way they are I can't spend the whole day driving, but I can write about it. So this week we discuss the top 5 Sunny Day Driving Bands.

5. Brite Futures
(formerly Natalie Portman's Shaved Head)
This is a feel good synth-pop band, originally formed with two guys who only had keys and a drum machine. They are quoted as saying their songs are about "Fruit snacks and partying" and that they started the band to get girls. And so I ask you, when you are driving down the road on a sunny day what would make it an even better experience? I can say in full confidence that of fruit snacks, partying and girls at least two of those things are appropriate for a car. Maybe even all three if you're in a truck. In the south.

4. Mika
Mika is what would happen if David Bowie and Freddie Mercury had a love child that later went on in life to record an album. Aside from a few slower tracks, most of his music has the big production sound that makes you want to sing obnoxiously in your car and dance around in a very choreographed stage show style. Though this may or may not be appropriate if there are other people in the car (depending on who, it might even be MORE appropriate) but it makes for a good time.

3. AC/DC
You're waiting at a red light, minding your own business when none other than some uppity kid with a trucker hat on driving a neon with stupid rims and a body kit (non-srt4 of course) pulls up next to you. You laugh for a second, but just then 'Thunderstruck' comes on the radio. I don't care who you are or what you are driving, it's on. Though there is no shortage of punk kids driving Neon's, this is the feeling I get whenever I put on AC/DC, red light show down or not.

2. Minus the Bear
With songs about boats, partying and drinking, naturally this is a band that comes to mind when you think of driving.
wait, what?
Though the theme might not quite match up, the atmosphere and feel is spot on. Entrancing melodies and catchy riffs embodies the mood of cruising down the road with nothing but limitless possibilities ahead of you. Where are ya heading? It doesn't matter when you've got a good song on the just makes moving forward feel right. Minus the Bear takes that feeling and pours it all over every song they make.

1. Cake
Cake is driving and driving is Cake. I've never heard a band that writes with the spirit that Cake does. It's a spirit that loves cars, driving and all things automotive. Sure there are the obvious examples of 'The Distance' and 'Stickshifts and Safetybelts' but Cake does it in so many more ways than that. Even if you look at their most recent release 'Showroom of Compassion' you'll find songs like 'The Winter' with lyrics like "It's all behind you now, you're moving on. They'll never find you now, you're moving on." So when you find yourself driving on that sunny day it doesn't matter if you're enjoying the ride with someone, trying to find a red light race or driving to escape something; Cake has the song for any occasion.

Disagree with my picks? Upset with my terrible spelling and grammar? Think I'm totally right (I doubt you do)? Good, tell me about it.

Booze and Tunes 4/4/11: The Internet Needs Us

2011-04-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I mentioned to Josh that I had come up with a great idea for the podcast that would win over the internet and make us rich and famous.

Booze and Tunes

The idea was simple, pick an album and pair it with an alcohol. Similar to a food pairing but with music, and more booze. What is there not to love?

The show is still in the womb but we will be ready for recording and as we get closer and closer to the actual deadline of May 1st. We've done one dry run so far and will get at least one more in before we set things into stone with actual equipment and a full cast. Needless to say everyone involved is very excited that this is coming to fruition and the feedback I've gotten on the first dry run has been very positive while still helpful.

As with all things I set out to do, I want it done right. The best way to ensure our already guaranteed success is to scope out the competition and learn from their already made mistakes. With that said, on the way home I popped open the stitcher app and started looking for music review shows. Under "Music Talk Radio" I found primarily podcasts that showcasts music, almost like a radio show that focused on playing tunes and very little discussing of what was played. This may sound like a relatively cool idea until you realize one simple thing;

All of the music is garbage and the music nerds have the personality of a doorknob.

I don't want to be so petty as to list the exact podcasts or music they played but I can not state how bad it was. The music can be summed up as ambient music with no direction or inspiration and a musical cap of no more than 3 notes per 4 minute increment. After a painful 7 minutes or so of listening to one of the podcasts I found myself screaming in the general direction of my droid;
"DID ANYONE ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THIS DRIBBLE BEFORE PUBLISHING IT?!?!"

The personalities were straight forward with little to no factual use or knowledge. How that is even accomplished, I don't know. That is not to mention the content, which on the first three pages was composed of;

sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw sxsw

Which in case you don't know is a music (and film) conference in Austin. Yes, it is a very big deal. Yes, a TON of amazing bands are there doing a TON of amazing things however it happened three weeks ago. Three weeks is 1,000,000 years in internet time. This wouldn't matter if the real world was paying attention to your broadcast, but they're not. It's the internet and in one week things can change as if years had past by.

I only pray that my general distaste with Talk Music podcasts is terribly misdirected and misinformed. Prove me wrong, let me know what your listening to and lets pray to god that Booze and Tunes comes sooner than later.

Because the music is good, the people are phenomenal and the internet needs us.

Four Thirty

2010-07-13T01:31:00.001-07:00

4:30 is the new black.

Didn't you get the memo?

2009-06-21T00:51:00.000-07:00

I feel like every one should take at least one ride in a car with collin in their life. It's like playing Russian roulette. It's a fantastic mix of "I know he's not drunk," and "oh my god, he's on so much adavan." Not to mention you've always got the chance of actually get pulled over and he actually is forced to talk his way out of some obscene situation.

oh god, falling asleep drunk.

2009-06-17T00:03:00.000-07:00

One part of this is fiction, tried to format it in more of a poetry style. too much work. didn't spell check it. sorry.

---------------
3:11 am
And she begged me not to leave the bed but I did
I wasn't tired. I wasn't exausted, though from how I performed you
would think I would be. Must be the caffeine. Maybe the nicotine
not sure. But I got out of bed and I made myself a drink
I was still naked from the nights activities so I only slightly lean out
the back door for a cigarette. This isn't our house and I wouldn't
want the neighbors to see some random guy, naked
and smoking a cigarette
in the back yard
I could just smoke in the basement but I need
that random something that comes from the outdoors
at night in the suburbs. I complain about this quiet life
a lot but there is something to be said for the quietness
that follows the evenings of the dull people around here. The city is loud.

The city doesn't sleep. As the night pulses on, so do the people. They thrive on something you just don't get in the 'burbs. It's easy to live "the life" in the city, because the city really puts it in you. In the suburbs you have to have that something already there or it's lull will suck you in. For that same reason certain people do exceptionally well in the cities. They already know what it's like to have that energy beat through you. Others escape to the city because they know they'll die a slow, tired, lonely death if they stick around the boring sub-divisions and sleepy side streets of the 'burbs.

I think I heard her stir, or maybe it was a cat. That would be a big fucking cat.

I'm always a little sad when I don't just close my eyes, fall asleep and fulfill the american dream of drinking, screwing and being happy. She looks at me with those sleepy, drunken eyes, the eyes I've seen a million times, and something tells me I should just lay down and live that dream. And if I didn't have to lay down to live it I probably would. But that dream doesn't allow room for growth, room to expand, room to be great. I will be great.

I'll write an album, or two. I'll publish 5 or 6 books, novels of course. I'll write great masterpieces that will be around far longer than I will and age more beautifully. I will be remembered. I will be revered by those who didn't know me and missed by those who did. I will be loved for decades after I die by those who had only once made my acquaintance. A modern day legend, timeless and classic.

Right now I'm not. Right now I'm naked, in a reclining chair that probably cost more than my car, my lap top and my guitar combined. Right now I'm setting things up. I'm living the life that will be the basis for that novel. I'm speaking the lines that will raise my album up to greatness. I'm seeing that things that will inspire my masterpieces to be gorgeous.

I'm getting tired. I'm becoming exausted. Another cigarette doesn't seem to keep me up. Another drink defiantly didn't help. I'll go back to bed, but know this. I wont lay down and let the american dream sneak up on me. I wont pass out and allow myself to fall into the trenches of boredom that come with a conventional life. I wont give up.

Drink on.

Transfer of samples of work

2009-02-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

This is what I've posted from a story I've started about my life around the time I went to Jail. Though originally posted as I wrote it I'll post it in pseudo sequence here.

--------- 08 Feb 2009 "Spoiler Alert: I get out of Jail"

I was ashamed. I was so ashamed I almost didn't call any one. I weighed out the option of just roughing it in jail for a night and dealing with Plymouth in the mourning. Seeing as how I would have to call some one for cash at that time any ways I figured I would just suck it up and call my dad. I should warn you I'm terrible at bad news phone calls, as demonstrated with the 10+ voice mails I left when the garage was on fire, all of which sounded along the lines of;
"(insert family member here), the garage is burning down. No ones inside and I've called 911, I'm sorry. Bye."

This wasn't a garage fire though. I was about to be put into a cell and all I could think was, "Oh god." Keep in mind that it was 12am or so and my dad wakes up for work at 4am.
"Dad, it's John, I'm at the Novi police station. I need 550 dollars."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm about a page and a half into this story. Not sure how long it's going to end up or if it's going to be spun into something way beyond my control. We'll see!

--------09 Feb 2009 "Spoiler Alert: I'm not in Novi any more"

With that she shut the door behind me and locked the door. It’s alarming how quickly your brain goes into panic once you hear the key turn and the clerk walk away. This time around I couldn’t even remotely see a clock. The window faced the row of doors to the other cells. Some one was sleeping, wrapped in their not-quite-blanket and the other was empty. I had to race like a piss horse but the all metal toliet was right in front of the door and I get stage fright pretty easy. I sat down on my blanket despite the maybe fifty degree tempature. For some reason I really didn’t want to be the guy sitting in a jail cell, hunched over and staring at the ground with a look of pure defeat.
------------
I might sprawl out from this in both directions, writing a book of pseudo memoir.
Writing a book AND putting out an album by fall. Totally do-able, right? amirite?

imsorite

--------10 Feb 2009

“Did you get in a fight?”

“No, but I really have to piss.”

I finally used the bathroom that was located in the lobby. The civilian lobby. The lobby where the doors weren’t locked. The bathroom where you could shut the door behind you. The toilet that had a seat and a sink with soap. I used the facilities and looked in the mirror. “By god…” I really did look like I had been in a fight. My face was beat red, bloodshot in certain places. My hair was a mess, I’m sure it looked as though some one with anxiety problems had just been through getting arrested and booked twice. There were scratches down my arms that I didn’t remember getting, a few to the point of bleeding slightly. I was a wreck, emotionally, physically and man did I need a I cigarette. We left the station and started walking to the car where Travis, Emily’s boy friend was waiting. Emily was the first to break the silence.

“So what happened?”
--------------------
typeytypeytypeywriteywriteywritey
I have like a three song soundtrack constantly playing in my head when I'm at my parents house. 2 dollars if you can guess one of them.

My dollars are imaginary, don't say I didn't warn you.