Sunday, December 24, 2006

Adam's end of the year wrap up

Adam’s End of the Year Wrap Up

My tops of 2006

I can’t really say it has been a long year because this year has flown by for me. I’m not a 16 year old sophomore, with a license and all As and Bs in school which I’m happy about.

My top 25 played

1. Death Cab – Lack of Color (99 plays)
2 & 3 Snow Patrol – Chocolate and How To Be Dead

The rest includes a lot of Ben Folds Five, John Mayer, Stills and Thrills, one song each by Jack Johnson and Sufjan Stevens, some Coldplay, Rooney and Postal Service.

New favorite indie band

Honestly I have two favorites, Cold War Kids and Tapes ‘n Tapes

I saw Tapes live though, and they were spectacular, awkward yelps and guitar slashes dragged out into keyboards pulsing or maybe a tuba sounding, all over one of the most beautiful rhythm sections I have had the opportunity to play live. Just Drums is probably the key track to Tapes. With Cowbell and the Insistor these key tracks pushed Tapes into immediate stardom, becoming the press babies of Rolling Stone magazine.

What’s cool about Cold War Kids is that they actually added me on myspace. Now they are also getting tons of coverage from Rolling Stone and Spin, Key tracks – Hang Me Up To Dry, Hospital Beds and We Used To Vacation

My new woman

Maggie Glynehal gets the crown handed to her from Sienna Miller

Too much press

Deadboy and the Elephantmen

I have the album, and I just don’t think its that good. There really is a point that you can reach where there is just too much indie. They tried to blend punk with indie and yelps and it didn’t work, the blend just came out bland. Their best song is most definitely Stop I’m Already Dead, but that isn’t worth buying their album for.

And also avoid – The Grates (unless you are into really shitty Le Tigre wannabe bands) and how can I blog without saying how much the new Killers album really just doesn’t cut it. Sorry Brandon, you’re just too much of a douche bag these days

Too early forgotten

The Gameboy SP

Not the gameboy DS, which unfolds and has a touch screen, the SP is the older version of a small laptop that opens up with a screen on one side and the buttons on the other and the screen is appropriately lit up. It is very occupying and its just a lot of fun, if you have to play gameboy games go Zelda, Metroid and Pokemon, And of course my favorite of the moment, Castlevania (specifically - the Circle of the Moon) A very simple cute device that provides hours upon hours of fun. It even has a wall charger like a cell phone, this thing is all you need, plug it into the power strip with your cell phone and ipod before you go to bed and you are good to go for the next day.

Ah the cinema

I watched Donnie Darko this year and all the Frank the rabbit is the scariest thing I have seen in my 16 years of existence on this planet and the movie made no sense it was still good and had a good soundtrack (high point – the scene where my new favorite 80s song is playing – Head Over Heels by Tears for Fears) I also got to see I heart Huckabees, with Jason Schwartzman (fun fact – he is the brother of the lead singer from Rooney) and Little Miss Sunshine seriously is good, hard to explain, just see it. In the actual theatres the best of the year was definitely the new James Bond – Casino Royale, the comedy drama (dramedy?) Stranger That Fiction starring Will Ferral and my favorite new sexy goddess of the year, Maggie Gylenhal (also in Donnie Darko) and of course the new Zach Braff movie with an soundtrack to rival Wicker Park and Garden State, the slight chick flick from the heart of a 30 year old man with the hots for Rachel Bilson, The Last Kiss.

I want my TV

I started watching Nip/Tuck this year and I found out what I was missing, a ridiculous show but absolutely amazing. I stopped watching Greys Anatomy, and not because my favorite character George ended up being gay in real life or the real life drama going on between the cast, but it just got repetitive and annoying, and the soundtrack was becoming just too girly, you can only take so much Cat Power and Rilo Kiley. The OC still reigns supreme in my book, still with the best soundtrack out there (being trailed closely by Nip/Tuck and Scrubs) but the New Port crew losing momentum and the beauty of the cast, Mischa Barton, in season 3, they are now cutting out all the stops for season 4, and I like it. Too bad for the real life split of my favorite people Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson. Scrubs is still my favorite show, hilarity with a point, you can’t beat it, and Zach Braff is just genius.

Top 3 dudes I respect

John Mayer, Zach Braff and Adam Brody. Mr. Brody might fall off the scale to be replaced with Ben Folds or Ben Gibbard soon if he makes another mistake anywhere near the travesty of loosing Rachel Bilson.

They’re not lying – that song Smile by Lily Allen really isn’t bad
They’re lying – Gnarls Barkley is getting really old

New to the circuit

Some of my favorite newbie bands of the year include The Long Winters, Guillemots (DL Made Up Lovesong #43 immediately) Ben Kweller, The Rapture, John Legend, Marvin Gaye (the whole What’s Going On album) Kevin Devine (props to this guy I met at a matt pond PA show who is really good and really nice, matt pond is still awesome but he is still a douche bag) Sound Team, French Kicks (those last two put on an amazing show and props for them being really nice), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Elliott Smith, Rogue Wave (their drummer is a douche) Electric President and Damien Rice. I rediscovered Blur this year, so now with the Gorillaz Damon Albarn is climbing the charts for respect in my book. Blur beats Oasis any day.

So all and all

Best show – Spinto Band, Art Brut and We Are Scientists, amazing show, even though I got sprayed with beer it was even worth skipping out on a third Stills show for the year.

Best album - The Long Winters – Putting The Days To Rest

Best new band – tie between Tapes and the CW Kids

Best game – Castlevania – Circle of the Moon

Best movie – Little Miss Sunshine

Best cologne – Gio Armani

Best lotion – Cocoa Butter

Best sport – Swim

Best car – Kia

Best friends – Sam and Ron

Best experience – learning how to really party hardy


I love you all, so to all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Albums - Update

Some of My Tops - the Adams Records that Fitz

Last time my list was good, but I felt a little cliche, mor elike I was pleasing the hipster croud, like throwing Ziggy Stardust on there, when I have only listened to that album the entire way through like 4 times. So, now, these are my real deals, the albums that I still listen to all the way through all the time. My favorites, and if you haven't heard these albums, you need to.

. John Mayer - Room For Squares
. Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever, Amen
. The Killers - Hot Fuss
. Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon
. Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
. The Thrills - So Much For The City
. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
. Nirvana - Nevermind
. Guster - Lost and Gone Forever
. Snow Patrol - Final Straw
. The Cribs - The Good Fellas
. Red Hot Chili Peppers - By The Way
. Marvin Gaye - Whats Going On?
. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
. The Postal Service - Give Up
. The Futureheads - The Futureheads
. The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows
. Tom Vek - We Have Sound
. Gorillaz - Gorillaz
. The Stills - Logic Will Break Your Heart
. Radiohead - Kid A
. Kaiser Chiefs - Employment
. The Strokes - Is This It?
. Hot Hot Heat - Elevator
. Foo Fighters - There Is Nothing Left To Loose
. Hard-fi - Stars of CCTV

There are probably some I forgot, and in months to come I might regret adding titles such as Marvin Gaye or Hard-fi, and I might change my Radiohead album of choice, again, but as for now, these are some of the albums I have been listening to non-stop. I'm always listening to them, so you should give them a try to.

Adam Fitz

Monday, June 12, 2006

Tom Vek


Tom Vek - We Have Sound – 2006
4 & ½ stars out of 5

The new-alternative-indie-pop-rock-dance hipster

Tom Vek is another one of those indie pioneers. Literally recording in his parents garage on a reel to reel and also a four track to make simple demos to hand out to people. Luckily he knew some people that knew some people and his demo got the hook ups. As said, Tommy boy is a pioneer,

There is no way that I could not like Tom Vek, because I like all his buddies, such as LCD Soundsystem, Bloc Party, The Rapture, Moving Units, The Walkmen and The Presets, among pretty much every other awesome indie band I can think of.



We Have Sound is Vek’s debut of 2006. Tom Vek is awesome because of his song I Ain’t Sayin’ My Goodbyes, which is probably the best song of 2006. As well as C-C (You Set The Fire In Me). The fast disco beats with slashing guitars of Tom’s exasperating vocals.

Another great tune is the repetitive If You Want, with catchy lyrics like “If you want fire, then we better start smoking.” And “If you want war then we better start fighting.” Clever lyrics like that also put Tom to the top of the chain.

I highly suggest going out and buying this album. Or at least downloading I Aint Sayin My Goodbyes, cause that song is so good it makes your skin crawl. I am going to be expecting great things from Tom for a while now

The Legend Of Zelda


Not only for legendary geeks

I have been playing the Legend of Zelda games practically before I could walk. I was obsessed with the best of the bunch, Zelda – The Ocarina Of Time, all through grade school. But I still play it. I beat Ocarina probably in about 3rd or 4th grade, and I still play it. I have beaten the entire game in just one day before, I have skipped certain levels right to the end, manipulated levels and bosses and weapons. I even “mastered” the recently released Gamecube version of Zelda – Master Quest. You could pretty much say I am the best there ever was or will be at Zelda; I know the game inside and out. Because honestly, can you think of any games that are better?

Ok, when it comes to the N64 I’d say the best games are 007 Goldeneye and, of course, our main game, Zelda. The sequel, Majora’s Mask, wasn’t awesome but Ocarina of Time remains the game, of the gamer’s game. Zelda; pretty much the ultimate gamers experience.



You know it’s a good game when you have been playing it from 1st grade up until 10th, and not even getting sick of it. I have been staying up all night helping my friend go through his own cartridge. He has seen the game beat many a time before, but now he is trying to conquer is own quest. And he pretty much sucks but with the help from the master (me) he could be saved yet. He just beat the Spirit Temple and is trying to survive Ganondorf’s castle. He is a few stressful minutes from the ending of this masterpiece. Only with the help of the Triforce piece of Courage. Can Link (Our adventurer) conquer the evil Ganondorf and save our princess Zelda.

We have been playing from midnight until now, 3:39 a.m. just that much closer. If you have never played the Legend of Zelda – Ocarina of Time, go out to your local pawnshop, pick up an N64 for about 50 bucks, find Zelda on eBay or at a garage sale, and party it up with your Zelda. Just make sure no one gets drunk and pees on your 64. Enjoy, gamer geeks and professional something or others alike.

The Stills


The Stills – Without Feathers – 2006
4 stars out of 5
Download- Helicopters

In March of 2006 I had the pleasure of viewing a Stills show at the Shelter (the St. Andrews below St. Andrews/ Eminem’s rap battle home). I was really close (literally pushed against the “stage”) and I did get some good pictures. Unfortunately, as earlier stated, this Detroit show was in March. The Stills new album didn’t come out until May. The only new things I had even heard from the Stills since 2003’s incredibly awesome Logic Will Break Your Heart was one song (Killer Bees) from a 2005 EP, a song that the Stills didn’t even play. All and all it really was a great show, although, incredibly different from what I expected. The Stills added a fifth member to their crew, an organist. Which didn’t exactly match their neo-new-wave post-punk-revival synthesizers and heavy electric rock-pop catchy-as-fuck songs that really just sounded like a more marketable Echo & The Bunnymen or Joy Division of the 80s.

The show was great. Classic songs like Lola, with a little more 70s rock twist (substituting synthesizers with organs, which continued through the show). In my opinion they didn’t play enough old songs, and too much new stuff, which was technically unfair because their new album hadn’t even come out yet, so even if us fans wanted to get their new album to know what the hell they were playing, we couldn’t. All I knew was In The Beginning because that is their new single and the only downloadable, pre-release. The Stills also played Changes Are No Good, unfortunately no Animals and Insects, my favorite Stills tune but I think the awesome encore including Still In Love Song and Retour A Vega (The Stills French tune, at the show they brought at a statue of “their French maiden” and had her crowd surf through the audience) and the entertaining stage banter between the two lead singers.


Another song that really stood out to me when played live, even though I had never heard it before, was a song off the new album (which I would soon discover as my favorite song of the album). The lead-lead singer (the one who sang every song on Logic…) put up his hood to get the sweaty hair out of his eyes and drearily mumbled, “This is one o are nusongs we’re veryprowdaf, Helecptrs.” The Stills jammed, and I jammed, and the beat Helicopters was stuck in my head until the day I bought Without Feathers.

The new Stills album, at first, disappointed me, mostly ‘cause I was still pissed at them for not playing Animals and Insects and playing too much new stuff that I didn’t know at their show. But Without… grew on me. Songs like In The Beginning are a little loud and almost too much for me but others like Oh Shoplifter (another that I liked even at the show before I knew it) has a nice amount of organ and even some cowbell to bring me into the new album sound. My favorites of this album are Oh Shoplifter, Helicopters, She’s Walking Out, and my all time favorite of the album thus far, Halo The Harpoon.

After all The Stills continue to prove their worthiness on my iTunes, as at least one of their songs is blared through my speakers/headphones everyday. Even the new album is really great, maybe not as good as their debut, but still. Another review of this album I read mentioned Bowie, and I would use The Thin White Duke as an even larger analogy. If Logic Will Break Your Heart was Scary Monsters, then Without Feathers is definitely Ziggy Stardust. I guess you could say The Stills albums genres almost seem to be going backwards, if Logic… was the 80s then without… is the 70s. But one thing is for sure, anyway you look at it, The Stills themselves are moving forward.

Sunday, April 30, 2006

The Presets


Aussies that know how to dance

Two dudes straight out of Sydney, Australia who know their way around a synthesizer. I would bet large sums of money that these boys were intensely unpopular in high school. But now dudes must get more play than every other guy at their high school put together. Of course I could be wrong about this on all counts, but for now I’m sticking with my theory. One thing is for certain; these two definitely know what they are doing. Their dance/ electronic/ techno beats are so dance floor friendly I have a feeling it won’t take long for the club/ rave scene to pick of their sounds, if they haven’t started already.

Kim Moyes and Julian Hamilton are two guys that look like they just walked off the sexually blazed dance floor circa 1987. Their pulsing beats bring back nostalgic memories of bands such as Joy Division, New Order, Echo & The Bunnymen and truly sound like they should be playing alongside another one of my new favorites, She Wants Revenge. The boys are usually sporting dark shades, and skinny ties with members-only jackets with sleeves rolled up.

The Presets 2005 debut, Beams, had a re-release for the album in April. Songs like Down, Down, Down and their single Are You The One? are instant classics with their dark heavy beats and quick synthesizers and sometimes shaking guitar riffs. My favorite thus far however has to be Beat On, Beat Off. With heavy guitar and an even heavier rhythm to keep you dancing intensely for however long the music tells you to. The deep voices masquerading through the music with the occasional little claps to liven your step while the bass keeps shaking to make your heart skip beats.

The point is, The Presets are good, and I think they have a bright, bright future with their dark, dark music. These boys came ready to dance, have you?

Sunday, April 09, 2006

My Screenplay, Part 1

A Screenplay by Adam Fitzgerald

“Just give me three good reasons you haven’t ever liked me.”
“What?”
“You heard me… three things I have ever done wrong!” Riley said, demandingly, as the rain falling from the sky became equivalent of that from their eyes.
“Riley, you know we have always been just friends, I have told you that!”
“That’s a lie! Why then, all these times, haven’t you just blown me off when I ask you out?”
“We go out as FRIENDS, I have always said that!”
“Diane, give me three good reasons why we are only friends then.”
“Riley…”
“Is it because I’m not all-state quarterback? Or running back? Because I can’t pitch over 80 miles per hour? What is it?”
“It’s none of that!” Diane responded, defiantly from the end of the driveway.
“Well those seem to be your favorite qualities in men because I think that describes your last three boyfriends pretty well. One of who you just left in there with some other girl.”
“Riley!” she began to break down.
“I don’t understand, Diane… why do you have to toy with me like this?”
“Riley… I can’t talk right now… I don’t even know what to say!” she turned around, opened her car door and began to get in.
“Diane, wait!” Riley exclaimed from his end of the driveway, close to the house, but she had already sped off.
“Dammit!” Riley ran over to his own car and drove off after her just as Craig came out.
“Dude, what the hell!” Craig yelled, getting splashed with muddy water, “What are you doing?” Where are you going?” He shouted after Riley’s car, but it had already disappeared around the corner.
“Great! Now what am I supposed to do? I’m friendless, ride-less and best of all, soaked. Thanks BUD!” Craig yelled into the black stormy night.
He turned back into the garage and into the house, shaking off some water and kicking off his shoes.

“Dude, Craig! You missed it! Dom just chugged that whole freakin’ bottle of Winchester and then passed out! Now his toes and ears are like, turning blue! It’s like the sweetest thing I have ever seen!” Matt slumped against Craig, spilling some beer on him, smiling stupidly.
“Dammit, Matt! Come on!” Craig yelled as Matt dripped beer on him “You should probably take him to the hospital. Isn’t Dom only like a sophomore?”
“Yeah dude! That’s the best part! He actually skipped his freshman year, he doesn’t even have a license or anything!”
“Yeah… again, someone should really take him to the hospital or take him home or something’. Hey Matt, have you seen Mary anywhere?” Craig asked.
“Uhh… yeah, I think I just saw her headed that way with Gruff Nyar.” Matt answered, looking around and pointing.
“Gruff? Varsity quarterback douche bag Gruff? Gruff that graduated last year?” Craig asked inquiringly.
“The same dude, my friend.” Matt responded, belching abruptly after.
“OK, I guess I will just be off then” Craig took a step up into the kitchen and walked through one of doors and into a hallway, taking a corner. Then ducking, barley dodging an empty keg being thrown, right out a window.
“Shit man! What the hell!” Crag exclaimed, turning to see the culprit. Then being grabbed by the neck of his shirt and shoved against the hallway wall, by a big brute wearing a varsity letter jacket.
“Craig Strip! You little piece…” the man said.
“Chris Taplin? Of Romeo? What the hell are you doing here?” Craig asked, confused.
“I’ll tell you what… man… I’m here cause… I love you, dude!” Chris yelled turning the hostility into a drunken embrace.
“That’s, uh, beautiful, man.” Craig said, gasping for air and patting him on the back trying to wiggle free.
Escaping he said “Don’t forget to turn in those keys, Chris!” he said, walking away. Then a bit down the hall he stopped and turned back. “Hey, Chris!”
“Hey! Yeah! Whatsup!!”
“Have you seen that girl, ya know, Mary?”
“Oh, that cute little brunette that is always wearing your jerseys in the stands at games?” Chris asked, slouching against the wall.
“Yeah, that one.”
“Yeah, dude, she just went into that room not more that ten minutes ago.” Chris said, pointing to a door.
“Alright, cool, thanks Chris”
Craig walked to the door, gave it a confused look, paused, took a deep breath and turned the handle.

The Spinto Band


Nicely Done Indeed

The Spinto Band is a beautiful little six piece indie-pop band straight out of Delaware. The band formed in 1996, after guitar player Nick Krill went to visit his late grandfathers home on the Mississippi delta. Krill’s grandfather, Roy Spinto, was a guitar player who was somewhat delusional, somewhat genius. The late Mr. Spinto would always write lyrics on the inside of Cracker Jack boxes. Finding these boxes Krill got the first inspirations to form the band. Coming out of a town in DE Spinto formed, as six men with a dream. The Spinto Band has three guitarists, who all harmonize vocals beautifully for choruses and change up singing verses. With Nick Krill, Jon Eaton, and Joe Hobson all on guitars, Sam Hughes on keyboards, and Sam’s brother Thomas Hughes on bass guitar, and Joe’s brother Jeff Hobson on drums, forming the rhythm section. The rag-tag six-piece does manage to come out with a great sound that doesn’t sound too overwhelming.

The Spinto Band’s debut was released in 2005 (only 9 years after their formation, not too bad) called Nice and Nicely Done. Nice is truly a magnificent album, deserving no less that a four and one half out of five star rating. Every song on this album does something for me. My favorites being, Did I Tell You, Brown Boxes, Oh Mandy and my absolute favorite, the hidden track of the album, Japan Is An Island.

The album starts off incredibly strong with Did I Tell You, first with a nice little keyboard entry followed by strong guitar riffs and followed by the album opening lyrics “Let me begin with for which I am thankful/ my father/ my mother/ my family/ etcetera/ the fact that there is war on this planet/ and the opportunity for me to walk in it.” The basic but quick drums with a run along bass push the song (and nearly the whole album) along nicely. Also with rhythm guitars strumming, quick riffs slamming, and little doodles being placed elsewhere by the third guitar and the keyboards. The vocals are soft, yet loud, kind of kiddy sounding but from an in your face five year old. The second track is the must listen of the album; anyone that listens to Brown Boxes will be a fan. Starting off with kazoos and mysterious lyrics eventually going into the words “This box cutter is too dull/ otherwise I’d end it all.” Then Oh Mandy is a quick paced acoustic ballad-ish poppy song, sang in an octave higher than the other songs, the chorus inevitably chanting “Oh Mandy/ Oh Mandy/ Oh Mandy/ So Dreamy/ Oh Mandy/ So killing/ Oh Mandy.”

My favorite song, Japan Is An Island, is the final track of the album, hidden as the fourteenth track, after 3 blank tracks in-between itself and track ten, Mountains. Starting off with simple keyboard R2D2 sounding blips, and then building up momentum with guitars and snare drums beats into the vocals, chanting about the Atari gaming system. The clever lyrics “Atari/ Atari/ the dogs got out/ while I was playing Atari/ we can do it/ while I’m playing Atari/ don’t stop girl/ I’m playin’ Atari.” And later the lyrics, “I can save my game/ Can I save my life?”

Spinto Band is a clever little outfit that never ceases to amaze me with their harmonizing sound and clever lyrics. The band even sings that their favorite band is Pavement, which is definitely more than an influence. Spinto band mainly sounds like the new 2000’s updated and upgraded Everclear with even more pop roots. Spinto Band is sure to get some big attention one day.

Download—Brown Boxes

-Adam Fitzgerald

Sunday, April 02, 2006

The Somewhat Nameless Song

Electric Soul

You jump around like you’re on some kind of drug/
You say, ‘honey, its cause I’m in love’/

You step forward, and back, and do your little dance/
And before I know it, you’ve put me in some kind of trance/

It’s like a fire, burnin’ in your heart/
It’s like a storm, brewin’ in your brain/
Its like you got electricity/
Thumpin’ through your veins/

Now you’re dead, passed out on the floor/
You’re motioning for me to give you some more/
I say sorry, I cant give you that crap you adore/

You’re wild, but you don’t quite make my heart sing/
In fact, all you really do is make my ears ring/

It’s pitch black outside, but you’re up again/
You decide to go out and be a fool again/
But now you’re runnin’ around/
And you seem to light up the night/

It’s like a fire, burnin’ in your heart/
It’s like a storm, brewin’ in your brain/
Its like you got electricity/
Thumpin’ through your veins/

Now you’ve tripped again/
And this time, I think you’re down for the count/

But I gotta hand it to you/
You mesmerize me/
So I’ll help you up/
So we can go onto round three

This is another one of those, poems but actually kind of songs. This one has a great beat. In my head. The only problem is, it doesn't really have a name. The original title was Lighting Blood. But I wasn't sure I liked that, so I changed it to Electric Soul. Another name I have been toying with is Battery Powered Babe. Lighting Blood probably makes the most sense with the chorus but I just don't think I like it that much.. but hey, I dont know. What do you think? You could always email me at buzzo113@hotmail.com , thanks.

-Adam Fitzgerald

Monday, March 27, 2006

Show Your Bones


The new Yeah Yeah Yeahs disc

Karen O is weirdly awesome to the extreme. Nick Zinner is an indie guitarist to the max. As for drummer, Brian Chase, well… he is just cool, in his own way. To lay it down smoothly, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs rock. They rock hard. All three of the members are very independent in all of their own ways. Karen O lent her vocals for the awesome Nike shoe commercial song with Squeak E. Clean called “Hello”. Zinner has been a guitarist with Bright Eyes for a while, helping Conor Oberst with guitars in the studio and also touring with him at times, besides Zinner's other side projects, such as a completely different band he heads and a photo album he published.

Fever to Tell, Yeah Yeah Yeahs 2003 debut, was a great record. It's got to suck when these great indie-garage-rock-post-punk-revival-whatever-the-freakin’-hell-you-wanna-call-‘em bands release debuts so good that none of their new records can top (i.e. The Strokes genius 2001’s 'Is This It?' album in comparison to their suck-ass 2006’s 'First Impressions Of Earth'). Getting back to the point, the new YYYs isn’t bad. Quite the contrary, it did what 'Room on Fire' (2003 Strokes) did for me. It gave me 5 out of 12 songs to dance too. I’m still trying to find Show Your Bone’s “Under Control” (the best song off of ‘Room on Fire’) but some early contenders are Honeybear, Way Out, Warrior and even their single that hasn’t gotten old to me yet, Gold Lion. Too bad songs like Fancy and Mysteries get too weird with the Zinner warp guitar, Chase back-to-basics snare drum and cymbal crashes and Karen O’s sometime amusing, sometime utterly annoying trademark yelps, oohs, ahhs, shrieks, and whatever weird noise she feels like making.

Over all I would give Show Your Bones about a 3&1/2 to 4 on a 5 scale. I think Karen O is cool in her own deranged way but sometimes even I think some people throw themselves out there too much. Some of the howls have to stop. Along with those weird haircuts of hers. I thoroughly enjoyed this album. On a side note I really like the video for Gold Lion. A lot better than the ‘Maps’ video. As another reviewer said, Fever To Tell was the falling in love album, and Show Your Bones is the break up. Sometimes it helps to have a large (still with room for improvement) viewpoint on love. Listen to Honeybear or Phenomena.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Pandora's Jukebox

For music lovers

‘The Music Genome Project’. That’s what they’re calling this crazy-hip new thing. The incredibly self-explanatory www.pandora.com is a site all about music. All about spreading "the know" of music. It’s not even one of those things that you get sucked into and then have to pay for (you only pay unless you want to subscribe). The music keeps going and going. You type in a band or a song and BAM, you have your own radio station. Circling around what you typed in. For instance, I typed in the Stills. Within seconds a Stills song was playing, streamed, through my Internet browser with the best sound quality I have ever heard online. It sounded just as if it were pounding right out of my iTunes. After the Stills song is finished another contender comes up, very similar to the Stills. “Pool Song” by Longwave starts beating throughout my speakers. The site explains that this song has similar characteristics to any Stills material such as the electric guitar and vocal harmonies and experimental tonality. Then soon after that, Pandora churns out songs by Interpol and The Walkmen on my new "Stills Radio". The site almost never stoppes, only halting you once to ask you to make an account (to continue to listen for free or to subscribe for money) and then you might eventually get stopped again, the site saying that you have to stop skipping songs for a while because their music license demands it. After about 5 minutes (at least for my Mac) I was able to type in another radio station. Kasabian is now being produced through my Kaiser Chiefs station. Great, stuff. Good quality music for free. Pandora.com is seemingly too good to be true, but as of right now it is still free. This site is genius and besides being a great way to discover new bands (a fantastic hobby of mine) and hear awesome music, it is great fun. And not to mention, again, it is free, with a capital “hell yes”. Check it out.

www.pandora.com

-Adam Fitzgerald

Monday, March 20, 2006

My Sudden Interest In Motown

I have been listening to a lot of R&B lately. I don’t like rap (strongly dislike it at most times) and I consider myself a rock and roll guy. I fancy blues and jazz and I have been digging some Rhythm & blues lately. I have been listening to a lot of newcomers to the R&B scene lately. Such as John Legend, Common and my favorite of the bunch, Anthony Hamilton. And then I started to dig deeper into the roots of this great music that became its own culture. And I found the very origin of my new genre was in my own Great Lakes State of Michigan. The Supremes, The Temptations and my very, very, most favorite, Marvin Gaye. Marvin is simply one of the best musicians I have ever heard in my entire life. Do you know how Marvin Gaye died? His own father shot him. Which is horrible and somewhat ironic due to the fact that one of the very first lyrics of the title & opening track of arguably his best album (What’s Going On) is “Father father/ we don’t need to escalate/ see war is not the answer/ for only love can come of hate”. Marvin Gaye is one of those John Lennon type characters. The perfect image of peace too soon in life silhouetted by their own death. Men that also bestowed some of the best music to have ever been made upon us. With the voice of a god that seemingly poured the heavens through your ears when they opened their mouths and their minds to us. Listen to Marvin Gaye. Life will seem to make more sense. Or at least seem better.

-Adam Fitzgerald

Saturday, March 11, 2006

It's My Right

It’s My Right

When we met everyone said
‘It wouldn’t work’
And going into it we thought,
‘What could it hurt?’

I love you so much
I’ll figure it out
I love you too much
Because it’s my right

We see our problems
Through and through

Past every fight
We stay true

When I first saw you,
I knew

I love you so much
We can make this work
I love you so much
It almost hurts

At the end of the night
My love stays the same
Because its my right

I think this might be the first real "song" I have written. Maybe just a poem now or somethin but, I really think I can (or at least I want to) put some good music behind it cause I can sing it in my head. How do you think it sounds? Could these be good lyrics or what? Lets hope.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Depressing Valentines Acronym

It's not that I'm cold towards the warm holiday either.
The measure of love



Lousy
Outlandish
Nobody
Lying
Expectantly
Yonder

For
One
Reason

Love
Ostentatiously
Veils
Eyes

Only
Not

Valorously
Allowing
Low-lives
Empty
Nights
To
Invade
Nations
Elsewhere
Slowly

Driving
At
You

I’m really not that upset about being alone on Valentines Day, but there is still that little sense of loneliness. Like a little breeze brushing against your neck telling you there is something out there. There could be something out there, if you would only get up and get it. Happy Valentines Day.

-Adam Fitzgerald 2/14/06