I never realized how many songs used these four chords like this.

Nevertheless, this is kinda awesome.

Submitted Without Further Comment:

Out.

It isn’t often that I can be truly surprised by something Beerslinger does these days. We’ve known each other over 15 years now, and as such there are few real secrets between us. I am often impressed by his actions and the man he’s become, but rarely does he still do something that, upon looking back, I could say I didn’t see coming.

Well… that is, until I looked at his music library.

I mean, there are certain things that didn’t surprise me- some cajun music (based on a long-ago conversation regarding Jo-el Sonnier), a LOT of blues and blues rock (dude has a better collection of Stevie Ray Vaughn than I do), a lot of Van Morrison, and some edgier rock and such.

Then, there are the things that I just didn’t see coming at all. The country music, for example. Despite everything I’ve known about the boy, I never once pictured him as a country fan. Nor, for that matter, did I see him as being a big fan of Billy Joel.

I suppose, as I write this, I shouldn’t be surprised. Music is something for which a person’s tastes can be varied, a fact I learned after I found a Rod Stewart tape in my dad’s truck. (I swear, I didn’t even think he knew who that was.) Hell, my own tastes range from classical to classic rock, from light smatterings of country western (and countrypolitan, oddly enough from my youth in the 80s) to heavy doses of 80s pop. There’s a few areas of music that I do not enjoy (rap has always and will always elude me as a perceived viable form of art), but overall I tend to be pretty easygoing when it comes to music.

So, I guess the boy can surprise me still. I think that’s a good thing, to be honest. After all, he and I probably have a good 40-50 years of brotherhood ahead of us. I’d hate to think it’d be boring along the way.

Out.

With gas prices down, economy in recession, we’re likely to see the return of the road trips.  Not only that people who do take road trips may end up doing things like visiting destinations that don’t cost much money if any at all such as state and national parks.  Camping, Hiking, outdoor destinations? That’s right, we’re bound to see an upsurge of these as it offers a great escape from everyday hustle and bustle without breaking your budget. 

Getting your kicks, what music fuels your road trip?  Do you make a mix CD or create a playlist for your ipod on your road trips?  Personally I like to make a mp3 cd with the date, I may not label it with the actual road trip, but I like putting the date as I can go back and re-listen to the songs I was listening to at the time.  

Do you have timeless road trip songs that always go with you? Do you just take the latest stuff that you are taking with you?  

I usually have some songs that always go with me, like some of the older u2 songs like “Still haven’t found What I’m looking for” “Pride (In the name of Love).  Dave Matthew Band, “Satellite”.  From the Goonies – yes, I’ll admit it – Cindy Laupers’ “Good Enough (Goonies are Good Enough).” 

If you watch How I met your mother you might subscribe to Barney Stinson’s “Awesome Mix” which starts at Awesome and keeps going up.   He calls it his get psyched mix I believe.  Motley Cru’s Dr. Feel Good,  The Humpty Dance,  I want to Rock… you get the idea.   What are the top songs you always include?

I travel as much as I can.  My old college roommate and I travled to Rome in 2007 and while walking through the old roman forum we came across this old amphitheater.  A piano was on stage with a cello and they were practicing – we guess for a show that night.  This was may 18th or 19th in May 2007.  The only problem is we couldn’t find out any information about it.  I just dug up the videos we took and have been searching but still can’t figure out who was playing and what music this was.  If you know, please post a comment.  

Ignore the chicks talking in this – they just happened to be blabbing away when I was trying to record. 

Seriously it sounds like a cross between Yanni and the first part sounds like Van Hallen’s ‘Right Now’.

Check out Chillville this morning at 101x.com From what I understand there is some new Enigma to check out today so keep your ears pealed.

You can check out the playlist/show notes here.

I think all bands suffer from little issues when they do their first album.  Second Day Red is no different in that aspect.  Forgetting about Momo’s sound engineers issues last night, and the fact that the CD distributer botched up a batch of CD’s for them, and the fact that every time I tried to get a decent picture some ass-hat walked in front of my picture….the party went really well.  What does make them different is their unique sound, and great collaboration. 

All people who showed up at Momo’s for the party received a free CD and the band Second Day Red hopped up on stage and played through their songs.  Unfortunatly the sound engineer seemed to have some issues, but, even with that,  Second Day Red did not disappoint. 

Stephen’s vocals are fairly wide, while he’s got a great low-end, he works a lot in the the higher register which will remind you of Billy Corgan, but not as grainy, and because he has a wide range you don’t get the feeling like he’s whineing like most of the Smashing Pumpkin Songs..so yes, considerably more unique. 

Drew’s violin drops in key points in the songs and brings the quality of their music up a notch that they just wouldn’t have with out him. 

Todd who is the keyboardist has some great melodies and helps drive the songs along, I actually wish in some of the songs I would have heard more harmony or a reiteration of the melody.  Some of the songs that use an organ sound remind me very much of U2.

Frank aka (motorboat) never looses a beat, and if you listen you’ll hear some great cymbal work as some of the songs crescendo to a point – vocals, meet cybals, meet, fast violin, very cool. 

And without Roel, we wouldn’t have the thump thump of the bass guitar and the subtle rhythms.

Notable songs – I’ve been out, Dark Green Light, Wake Up, Giving me away (I think they noted on stage that they liked this one), and Phoenix Tonight.  

Influences: Better Than Ezra, Billy Corgan (vocals), U2, Dave Matthew’s Band, Blue October

Gallery of Strangers Album is available for purchase here. Or you can download it (.99 cents song) here.

Awaiting the release Frank, drummer for second day red displays a cd

Second Day Red CD Release

Second Day Red is releasing their first ever CD tonight at Momo’s (which is the same location of Katz’s on 6th).  Never heard of them? Me either, maybe it’s because they used to be called the “Stephen Clarke Band”.  But if you have not heard of them either, their music (which is original and not cover band crap) can be compared to U2, Dave Matthews,   or maybe even Blue October (who had similarly humble beginings here in Texas).

What do I like about them? I like the fact that they are true muscians.  While austin has a ton of artists and the same can be said for much of Austin, I want to point out that the industry is full of people who are not true musicians.  When you have a band that has to have studio musicians come in to make them sound better, or a band that has to have a producer that alters their voices in post production just to make sure that they remain in key when they are singing, that’s not a true musician.

Here, with Second Day Red(and many other local Austin artists), we have true professionals that actually can read sheet music as opposed to certain American Idol winners that can’t even read.  Anyway off of my soapbox.

Tonight 11pm (Get there earlier).  I’ll be there with my camera and will do a follow up review of the party with some pictures.  Side note: I also checked out the Austinist to see if this made the weekely “IST” list.  And it didn’t which was sad to see.

It’s Sunday and its time to tune in to Chillville with Austin’s original radio program for electropop, and downbeat electronic music from 9-12.   Listen to the live stream here.

 The coolest thing is that the chillville website posts their playlist up on their site for you to find out who is playing so you can pick up the music via itunes.  Or download it off some other way…but yeah, you should support the artists. So if you do download it without say paying for it,  go to the artists website and send them some money instead of those evil record companies…Too bad more artists don’t have donate boxes on their sites.

Have you heard the new Album yet? It was released in the US a few weeks ago and I must say, its worth the purchase.. or at least the download.

Suggested Tracks for your listening Pleasure:
1. Your All I have – which has been their hit single in the UK for several months.
3. Chasing Cars
5. Its begining to get to me.
7. Make this go on Forever
9. Headlights on Dark Roads.

While listening to track 5, here is what he’s actually saying:
We need to feel breathless with love
And not collapse under its weight
I’m gasping for the air to fill
My lungs with everything I’ve lost

From Make Magazine, comes a link to these guys.

Yes thats right. The cheap solution is to put tape on your Nano. Because those bastards at Apple won’t admit that they screwed up.