The Rolling Stones..?!??!

So, I anticipated much more during our investigation of the Rolling Stones. I can't name their songs by heart, but due to their big name and historical image I expected to be at least partially engaged. Following the Beatles is an impossible task, so I think that had some say in conventional hatred amongst our class. However there is still a small sliver of hope left-- my soccer coach is a huge, HUGE Stones fan, and he said he would make me a CD of the "best". This my own effort at appreciating their music, for I have a feeling their first album was not an accurate representation of their entire career. It seemed messy, loud, garage-band-y... not what I would expect from England's Newest Hitmakers. I'm listening to them now, and I feel like their later music becomes more purposeful and articulate. I remain optimistic in my pursuit of the Stones. "Gimme Shelter" is good so far....!!

Lenny Kravitz

I recently have been revisiting a lot of the music I used to listen to in elementary school. This means my music library consisted of whatever my dad was playing in the car, therefore I was exposed to various Rock N Roll, R&B, soft rock, etc. One song that evokes a particular feeling of nostalgia is "Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz. It was super great just driving in my car and listening to this song with the volume up. It's not chock full of symbolism or allusions to times of great struggle. Really it is a catchy song with an awesome guitar solo at 3:09, which was the coolest thing ever when I was in fourth grade. What makes this song one of my favorites is the layered guitar sound throughout the whole piece. Kravitz has a unique voice that I think meshes perfectly with the rock n roll genre. I like a couple of his other songs, but in no way do I consider myself a Lenny Kravitz expert. That said, I still think he's a pretty cool guy (he's Jewish and Christian, kind of, and African American and Bahamian with Ukrainian descent).

I chose this video because their outfits and hair are absolutely ridiculous. Oh 1993....

The Wombats/Nirvana

I've been listening to a lot of The Wombats recently, after listening to their song "Tokyo -- Vampires & Wolves" on repeat last year, I finally dove into more of their work. Personally, I would classify them as indie-rock because of the hard sound from the electric guitar and drums, added to the slight indie vibe from the lyrics and heavy accent of the lead vocals. I think you should give them a try, because I really like them as a form of simple but fun entertainment. This is a band I would definitely see if they came to Austin:

My favorite song by them is called "Let's Dance To Joy Division"

Another band I've been listening to a lot recently is Nirvana. I really like the hardcore "rock" sound (even though we said you can't really define rock, that's one of my top bands that encompass the stereotypical rock type) and the guitar in most of their songs. I like the classic "Smells Like Teen Spirit" but I also like "Heart-Shaped Box," "Come As You Are," "In Bloom," and "Lithium." I don't know the entire life story of the band but I do want to listen to more of their songs and see if they change over time.

What is Rock?

Rock to me can be highlighted by its rebellious idea, but overall cannot be simply characterized. I agree with you for the most part, because you can't define rock by the usage of an electric guitar. Some rock is rock with only piano, drums, and a revolutionary idea. Rock can't really be defined by specific instruments, or anything really-- music works because of its ambiguity, its ability to adapt to any person and mold to their personality. Rock is just an element of that, a form of entertainment that you can tailor to your own needs. I see not only rock but music as a form of therapy, of enjoyment, a form that cannot be universally defined because we cannot be universally defined. People are not confined to a single adjective or category, so why should music be? Music can be happy, sad, breathtaking, exhilarating, calming, just like a person can be. If people are able to live as diverse, intricate, complex beings, I believe that music can do the same.

Videos

This is my last ACL post, I promise. I just want to show you all of the cool videos I took over the weekend (at least I think they're cool...). Some of these bands I've already talked about, but I'll show them anyway.

I was front row for Vampire Weekend which was so worth the 6 hour wait (I had to sit through Asleep at the Wheel so naturally I had the right to be compensated with entertaining music). Here's a video of "Diane Young" which was really cool because he had the device that distorted his voice as he sang the chorus. Plus I was front row (did I say that already?) which made everything better.

Next came Walk The Moon, which is SUCH a good band. You should really check them out, they had an amazing show. They had a rock-alternative-electro sound going on that is really interesting, plus their songs are catchy, especially the ones with good keyboard sections. This song is called "Anna Sun" 

Chicago

So today in class we had a brief and extremely rare deviation from topic where we discussed Chicago. There are a lot of things I love about Chicago-- particularly the food. I can't really name anything specific (sorry), but I do remember eating everything in sight when I was there, so something must have been decent. Anyway, my mom decided we should take a look at Northwestern University while we had the chance. This was the first college visit where I actually became excited about my academic future. Northwestern is super hard to get into, so I was hoping that I wouldn't like it as much. Needless to say, that didn't happen (I'm applying-- cross your fingers). I loved everything about it, from the mascot to the location to the academic enthusiasm to the random quirks that make it so unique and weird and special. I would love to go there; the access to downtown Chicago is extremely tempting and could yield so many opportunities for me, its insane. Also, I get really into talking about colleges when I actually enjoy them, so I'll try to spare you and show you pictures that I took along the way:

I had to take a cliche "bean" picture. I had to. 

We went to the Aquarium which was actually really interesting. We took a ferry across and this was taken as we pulled away. Artsy right.

Wilco

I cannot WAIT for Wilco on Saturday. (This is a combination of my in-class post/whatever I want post, because Wilco rocks). Again, this is one of the bands I grew up listening to, so I'm familiar with the older stuff. I absolutely love the soft rock, calming sound they have. I listen to Wilco when doing homework, sleeping, and driving-- practically anything that can be done while listening to music. I really like how their songs can be cheerful and randomly about Heavy Metal Drummers, then about Jesus. I assume you already know more about them than I do, but regardless, I'll show you some of my all time favorites:

"Heavy Metal Drummer"

"I'm the Man Who Loves You"

"Jesus Etc."

"You and I"

ACL ACL ACL ACL

After last class, I am very upset that I can't see Thao & the Get Down Stay Down. I loved them in class and am listening to them right now! The indie/Asian/banjo sound is really unique but I can't abandon my spot in front of the AMD stage. Yes, I'm waiting for Vampire Weekend all day. Yes, I've seen them twice before. It's fine. However, staying at the AMD stage means I get to see the Court Yard Hounds, which will be pretty great. They're super chill and even though you may have some reservations, I'm excited. I really like them because I grew up with the Dixie Chicks (yes, I do like their cover of "Landslide" don't kill me). After that comes Fun. I really have no desire to see Fun. but since I'll be there anyway, I may as well make the most of it, right? Next comes Vampire Weekend, and no matter how many times I hear them I will never get tired of it. I first heard "A-Punk" when my dad showed me early on, and I've been an avid fan ever since. The new album has some really great tracks that add a fresh twist to their old sound. After Vampire Weekend I will sprint to the Arctic Monkeys, who I really like and I'm so sad that I'm missing them, but I can still catch the last 30 minutes. All will be well. They have a cool British rock sound that I think you'll like, here are some of my favorites:

"Do I Wanna Know?"

"Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" (this one rocks; it's my favorite so far)

"I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor"

here's a live version, since I know you like those---

After the Arctic Monkeys I'll stop by Purity Ring. They have a really cool song called Fineshrine

here it is live-- he has this table thing that looks awesome...