millions of dudes

indie kids, frat boys and gay dudes

hooligans, brazilians, same difference

tonight i went to the ep release party of a local band from detroit auspiciously named MILLIONS OF BRAZILIANS http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=233520437

a band (obviously) destined for greatness, because behind their impressive band name they have tunes that will make you dance until your legs break, buy their latest ep seriously

i drove to the crofoot in pontiac with my close friend alex erwin (the sometimes/most of the time/live bass player for my band the kodaks) to see the show in the pike room (upstairs of the crofoot) the ep mobs (even the abbreviation is cool) is called half horse/half horse, yes, there is cleverness everywhere

the night started with this band called silverghost, http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=226704158

silverghost consists of a girl playing dirty, mean guitar and singing in perfect harmony with a guy playing bass and regular keyboards. the duo played over drum machines, but these were no regular drum machines, the frontman of silverghost arranged the drums to play to a key, only high hat at some parts, on bass drum at some parts, bassically down to a science, it was impressive to say the least, they were kind of a like a cooler version of mat & kim or mates of state

then deastro played. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=22290061

for anyone who doesn't know deastro first let me say they are phenomenal. deastro started as the project of a detroit man named randolph, recording indie electro pop rock by himself and releasing it online. deastro (pronounce day-stro) has blossomed into a full band with four people including randy with tracks being released through urban outfitters for free online. yeah, intense shit. go download lstn #3 from urbanoutfitters.com to listen to one of my favorite deastro tracks "shaded forest"

deastro's live performance literally blew me away, the drummer played on about a 10 piece kit including a splash cymbal and double bass pedals. the drummers name is jeff and he is the nicest drummer you well ever meet in your life. and he has got to be the only guy to incorporate double bass pedals and make it sound amazing and not screaming metal (listen to the double tom and double bass pedal action on "parellelogram")

overall i would give deastro's live perfomance about a 3000 out of 10 and alex agrees they were just straight up amazing and nice too. after they were done playing alex and i both helped them carry some gear offstage because we know how much of a pain in the ass it is to try and get a 10 piece plus drum kit off the stage so another can play two seconds after you. for helping them randolph said he would mail me a free copy of their album "keepers" which i am really excited about. pre performance i also let their guitarist use a pick i had in my pocket. very cool very nice dudes and an amazing show




now onto millions of brazilians.

i have seen the brazilians before, i saw them open up for french kicks a couple months ago, which was funny because french kicks have this real chill groovy pop vibe while mobs has a very dirty rock sound, still great though. seeing as how it was their ep release party they were selling a deal of one shirt, one cd and one vinyle for 12 dollars- UNBEATABLE

balloons were inflated and drinks were passed around to everyone (except me, the only under age fucker in the bar) but it didn't matter i was drunk off adrenaline. because millions of brazilians have an incredible live show, i danced, i jumped up and down, i fist pumped, i threw things. needless to say i lost my shit

but you can't help it, the brazilians are good, they are way cool dudes, and just amazing live. incredible dance drum beats and then two dueling guitars that both switch from guitar riffs to thick thick thick bass via pedals and howling falsetto vocals which will also turn into yells of excitement

one of the most entertaining parts of millions (you can call them mobs, millions, brazilians, it's just a great name) is not just their live show but their interaction with the crowd during live shows. especially since they live in detroit it was like they were playing to 100 of their closest friends going nuts

i don't know if someone or all of the band were in fraternities during college but their seems to be a lot of frat esque dudes at their shows, i am pretty sure they are all just close and maybe it is because millions just have such rocking music but it is really interesting to see these huge (tall and fat) dudes with trim haircuts, skanky chains and open collared shirts fist pumping.

but that is just the thing, it is millions of brazilians, it is just them, more power to them if they can get frat type guys to come to a hipster club on a saturday night in pontiac to rock, it is just awesome and a really really awesome environment

needless to say the whole audience was rocking out, myself included, i was dancing pretty crazily in abouts the third row so when some front rowers saw this they literally grabbed me and pulled me up front, i am pretty sure the guy or guys that actually physically tugged my arm up were 100% gay but that is fine i am not homophobic and it was just more entertaining to see indie kids, frat boys and gay guys all rocking out jumping up and down in unison

oh what barriers that millions of brazilians break

not to mention there were some EXTREMELY good looking girls in the audience as well, there were seriously like, smokin hot ladies, all dressed in skinny jeans and illustrious tops with beautiful hair and more beautiful faces, AND almost every single hot girl i saw was kissing on a member of each band

it makes me proud, all these awesome bands i am writing about are FROM DETROIT which is the city i will be located at in a couple of months and not only are these bands awesome but they attract said forms of men and even better, attractive women

turbo amazing

jonas, wez and zack are the latest lineup for turbo fruits, a band that i really respect from nashville. anyone who has read my blog before probably knows of my love for them, see my post "tennessee baby" with the links that don't work.

anyways, turbo fruits played detroit on monday night at the lager house in detroit, my friend adam "robert law" laidlaw and i went and saw them and it was just an awesome show.

this ridiculous band "kommie kilpatrick" opened and unfortunately they weren't half as amazing as their name. the decks played second and they seriously tore it up. i am friends with hank who plays bass and i was just so happy to see a band my age, from detroit, tearing it up, i bought their record "breath and bone" which will be my next weeks downtime article for NOISE.

then turbo fruits played, and all i can say is they are amazing. they totally nailed nailed, jonas is really awesome at guitar, anyone who listened to anything be your own pet knows that. but what people may not know is wez traylor (also from meemaw and kintaro) is a killer musician and played amazing bass, and zack attack played the drums like his life depended on it. great show. over all i would definitely say i like turbo fruits new line up even better then their last, their newest record is gonna be insane

as my friend adam can attest to, i pretty much lost my shit. i was rocking out hardcore, me and the lead singer for the decks, alex, we front row just going ape shit, it was real fun. turbo fruits only played one or two songs from their previous record, one being the incredible stoner ballad "volcano". but most noteable are their newest tracks- "lotta lotta laides" is my favorite, "sadie" is fucking great and "mama's mad cause i friend my brain" has a great hook, like i said, i am super pumped for their newest record, you can listen to most of those songs at their myspace ( www.myspace.com/turbofruits )

this other detroit band called the beekeepers played after them and from what i heard they were really good, adam paid more attention and he loved them. i was in the other side of the lager house talking to a new acquaintance, named cy. cy was touring with the fruits and him and i got into big conversations about music and about be your own pet's break up and his record label and all sorts of shit, it was great talks. i hope next time i go to nashville cy and i get to hang out soon.

besides hanging out with cy i got to talk to the turbo fruits, a lot, i got interview them for my (lame) senior project on music therapy, but adam recorded the interview for me and it is definitely a keeper, a brilliant entertainment twist on music therapy, hopefully it will be easily located on youtube soon.

it was a great night, adam is also deeply in love with the lead guitarist for the decks now, her name is molly and she is a wicked guitar player, the whole night was a massive success. i am liking detroit more and more each day, i hope i like it half this much when i love there

this weekend i am going to the pike room to see deastro and millions of Brazilians for the ep release party, brazilians have been really nice guys to me, and so has randolph from deastro, they both have listened to my latest demo which for the most part people seem to like, which gets me really excited. you can listen to that at www.myspace.com/thekodaksband

primitive demos

alright

my band, my project, called the kodaks, just recorded. i just recorded. i did a demo with one of my friends named jeff yateman. jeff is the drummer for past the pacific. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=47738014

jeff and i have been friends since middle school and for a couple years now he has been in pop punk bands and i have been in indie pop bands and our bands always play together. the moral of the story is jeff is a really nice guy, amazing fucking musician and (as i now know) a very tech savy man. he records his rap group nig nog with garageband on his mac, that is how we first got talking about the possibilities of recording, but i love nig nog, they are really really really good actually www.myspace.com/nignograp

anyways, i went over to jeff's and over a span of two days i finished one song (that i will go back to PROPERLY finish tomorrow) and that song is called mouth kiss. you can listen to it on my bands myspace www.myspace.com/thekodaksband

after talking during along night with jeff and ryan (also from ptp) about the new song we came to the conclusion that i should upload the song to my myspace, but delete all the other songs, to show off the quality of mouth kiss better

either way, it doesn't matter, because now i am "releasing" all the songs anyways. i am giving away the songs in a free download, the download has a lot of songs i recorded very primitively, many through my laptop. but anyways, if you want you can download all the songs, songs i did by myself, with other musicians, including the live demos i just did with alexalex. here are the songs that are included, in no order

yeah i guess this could be considered the official official release of the adam winter 08 ep, enjoy

live demos-
-little miss vixen ft. alexalex
-get flowers ft. alexalex
-nature of the experiment (tokyo police club cover) ft. alexalex

really old live demos-
-dark room (done with previous members of the kodaks)
-choose (done with hair lab)

my demos
-little miss vixen
-library
-dress shopping
-mouth kiss
-memories
-nothing will exist anymore ft. adam "robert law" laidlaw
-dark room
-tennis star
-my pearl

band updates

for anyone who doesn't know, my band is called the kodaks (myspace.com/thekodaksband

i say band, but what i really mean is me, because there is no real band, all there really is is me, i record demos and shit all by myself, i write all the songs, i make up all the parts, and i will record demos by myself with drum machines then i go and record all my stuff with other musicians i know. guys that i used to be in bands with or guys that are in bands i know, basically just friends. i record with whoever whenever

a couple of weeks ago i did some live demos with my friends alex and alex. alex erwin played bass mainly, he was in a really early version of the kodaks, he was also in room service with me and my first band the devons. alex castillo played drums like a crazy awesome mother fucker, he was also in my first band the devons. we recorded three live demos, little miss vixen, get flowers and a cover of tokyo police club's nature of the experiment. it is hard to hear any of my vocals in any of the demos, so that sucks but i recorded vocals later for the cover. over all i do like the demos

now that i am down here in nashville i have been handing out some demos and stuff, i handed out demos with those three songs and another demo i did a long time ago by myself. that demo is for a song called the library, and it means a lot to me so it is kind of one of my more hidden songs

only one song from my demo i give out is on my bands myspace (myspace.com/thekodaksband) so check out what you one on my myspace, there are some really old demos, like dark room and then really really fuckin old like choose which was done when i was in a band called hair lab

anyways, the real update here is that i am recording some more songs next week with my friend jeff, he is in this band that i am really good friends with and that we (i) have been playing live with for years now. right now his band is called past the pacific, so check them out, they are recording in a studio right now. but anyways, i am recording some demos with my friend jeff using a better recording program so the vocals can actually be heard hopefully. anyways, if you want the live demos i did a while ago email me or message me and i can mail them do you or something

keep your ear to the ground, i will try and let anyone who cares know what is up

tennessee, baby!

nashville to be more specific

alright so any one who reads my blog probably reads my sisters blog (emily at iusedtogetpaidforthis.blogspot.com) and if you don't read her blog you damn well should because although it is less informative than mine she at least makes the effort at capitalization and hers is funny as shit

anyways, what i am getting at is that if you have read iusedtogetpaidforthis.blogspot.com then you know emily, her husband matt (the blogosphere only know him as mc) and i, adam, have traveled to beautiful nashville, tennessee

the reason we traveled to the volunteer state (yeah, michigan has great lakes and tennessee has volunteers? that doesn't seem fair) is because emily has a writing conference on blogging set up at the hotel preston just outside of downtown nashville. at this conference she will learn how to possibly turn her blog into a book and also possibly meet her favorite auther/blogger; jen lancaster.

but what emily is really finding out is how much she hates "mommy bloggers" and how impatient she is with men, babies, long car rides, and rock bands.

matt and i drove from lapeer, michigan, leaving at around 6 o clock michigan time, driving through indiana stopping in kentucy at a quality inn a couple blocks away from a trucker hive, and then continuing our drive to tennessee in the morning. we drove through a timezone, we had no idea.

it is true, women everywhere are hitting on matt (mc, don't forget, same person) everywhere we go, matt and i are officially two of seven men in this entire hotel.

the main points i have to talk about in nashville is that after wandering around while emily was learning, matt and i met this guy named johnny with blond hair and a sleeve tattoo that worked at an apple store (apperently the only one in nashville) and he told us some cool places to go but really i kinda felt he was stuck on himself. he was nice and helpful but kind of no it all. but either way he told us about the mercy lounge () where i saw that one of my favorite nashville bands where playing.

there is a certain nashville that i would love someday to be a part of because it is all an older kind of rock with a modern twist and all kids my age playing fucking amazing music. there are multiple bands that i am obsessed with from the area and it bassically all started with

BE YOUR OWN PET () ()

the four original members of be your own pet were jemina, jonas, nathan and jamin, after their first record jamin left the band and john came in to play drums. while recording their second album with john, byop's jonas and john formed another band with a very close friend of the band named max, they formed

TURBO FRUITS

after meeting jonas last summer when byop played the nylon tour with the virgins and switches (this was right before the byop break up) i got into turbo fruits and bought their record and maintained contact with jonas online. eventually though, things must have got fucked up because john and max left jonas and turbo fruits. later it would become known that both john and max left jonas for the old singer of byop, jemina pearl, to join her on her solo project. john, max and jemina left nashville completely to go to new york to do jemina's solo stuff, seemingly betraying the nashville group, but no one will say anything band, this is what they are doing now

JEMINA PEARL

now that jonas was left alone he had to recruit other musicians to do turbo fruits with him, which was only a three piece and seeing how he has many friends in the tightly knit network of nashville, he found friends very quickly. he enlisted his friend wez that is another band that may or may not be broken up now, but either way i messaged them and they are way nice and i bought their record, they are called

MEEMAW

anyways, i am getting away from my point. through all my researching and record buying of nashville bands i found jamin, one of the original four members of be your own pet. jamin is still very good friends with jonas and nathan and also might have lived with some of the members of meemaw. it turns out that jamin original left the band to work on his two piece band with his brother jake, they are called

JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD

this is the band i saw last night, they are fucking amazing, that just needs to be said, i highly recommend going to their myspace and listening to their song "screaming banshee" and then buying as many of their records as possible, including their upcoming 7" single "bone jam". they played "bone jam" last night at the mercy lounge where they opened up for this band called the features. like i said, i recommend buying a JEFF record but that will not compare close to how amazing they are live. jamin (pronounced jame in) is one of the tightest drummers i have seen live and jake plays on a danelectro guitar with only three strings on it. this is not a joke. jeff the brotherhood fucking rules

you can buy almost all these records at this amazing local label in nashville that i really hope releases some of my records some day very very soon called

INFINITY CAT

but anyways, jeff rules, they rule so much that i got to meet them today. this is because last night after they played they peaced out because no one locally buys their records anymore. they didn't know i was there. i messaged them and they promptly messaged me bac, giving me the address of his work so i could stop buy and get their records and give them my demo. jamin works at a local bike shop in nashville called Halycon ()

matt and i talked to jamin for a while, he was way nice and way cool and gave me the lowdown on nashville, telling me about an underground show for this band called marj tonight and he told us to go eat at this bbq restaruant called hog heaven.

after metting jamin matt and i left and hit up this amazing vintage clothing store called hip zipper () where i got some really sweet clothes. after that matt and i went to a bar right next to hip zipper called the red door saloon. i can't really describe how awesome this bar was, all i can say is they don't exactly card (i never do anything illegal, ever) and they had kind of a voodoo theme AND many other patrons had sleeve tattoos. matt and i were only there for a minute while he drank some sweet yazoo pale ale and then we left.

after that we went a small music store that was really just 60 year old nashvillians (maybe?) playing mandolins but matt and i got some glass guitar slides, which we are really ancy to use. we are sitting in our hotel room right now waiting for emily to return from her free drinks. we both wish we had out guitars but all in all we can't do anything but be greatful for an amazing day in an amazing town

nashville has been good to me

kol/cwk against pitchfork

both of these reviews were written for my downtime column months ago, and although they are very brief each article hits key points. it is funny i say "review" but really i am selling the record to readers, trying to give people good shit to listen to instead of jonas brothers. that being said if you want to buy either of these records, go buy "only by the night" and then download pieces of "loyalty to loyalty". this blog is also a continuation of my last post against pitchfork, so i suggest reading both pieces accordingly. also a fun fact, both these records came out on the same day.

also note these are note the edited versions that were published, just to go along with my raw writing on the rest of this blog, if anyone can't tell, none of my posts are edited.

Kings of Leon – Only By The Night (RCA)

Kings of Leon are always youthful but now they add wisdom to their docket on their newest disc: Only By The Night.

On opening track, “Closer” the Kings use new tricks with an echoed guitar effect that plays through the whole song with heavy drums and mournful howls.

The first single from the album is “Sex on Fire” which also marks the Kings of Leon’s first number one hit on the U.K. charts. The song is infectiously catchy with a big hook that will have you singing along before you know what the words are.

Tracks like “Manhattan” and “Revelry” add depth and tracks like “Crawl” and “Notion” add rock to the album to make it very well rounded.

Only By The Night lights new fires and chills new bones. The Followill brothers (and one cousin) have successfully expanded their sound to new heights, which keep the Kings the band to beat.



Cold War Kids – Loyalty To Loyalty (Downtown)

Southern California has seen its share of bands come and go, but none quite like Cold War Kids. A band of young twenty something teachers and art students, they got an amazing start with their debut; Robbers and Cowards. Their newest album is Loyalty to Loyalty, and even though it may not be as strong as their first, Loyalty is no sophomore slump.

Opening with “Against Privacy” the Kids bring back their slow echoed jams, and then break into track two; “Mexican Dogs” which comes in with the same kind of rhythmic sensation of their first record.

“I’ve Seen Enough” starts with the same piano chord being hit, but after twenty seconds the song explodes into the most full piece that Cold War Kids have ever produced. “Every Man I Fall For” is a slow beautiful song that has reverb heavy guitar just coo lightly over slow basic rhythm.

and this is why i hate pitchfork media

when i was around twelve years old i heard the strokes "is this it" record for the first time. it can easily be said; that album changed my life. a whole new world was opened to me, a world of tight fitting jeans, sloppily played guitars and ridiculously good looking women. since the strokes i have took off running and never looked back. but i remember a very particular day when i was still young and very influenceable and i googled "is this it".

what came up was a review by a website called "pitchfork" which i could only guess meant that they sifted their way through all the bullshit. well come to find out, no, they are pure bullshit. "is this it" was shit on the writers, giving the record a good score but basically saying they are not half as cool as people say they are. "no rock pioneers here" is basically the message they sent and i was a very distraught young teen. well almost a decade later me and a shit ton of other people can give a big "ha ha, fuck you, you were wrong" to pitchfork, because the strokes are simply one of the best bands in history, and i will stick to that statement my entire life.

okay, i will admit, sometimes they (at pitchfork) will be right on, like giving the new animal collective record almost a ten, (that record is damn near perfection, and i will have more on that later). also "juan's basement" is one of the best "vlogs" (video-blog, that word sounds sexual to me) every created, especially when the walkmen played.

but it just pains me to no end when pitckfork tears an album to shreds just to go against the "norm". FOR INSTANCE, pitckfork absolutely destroyed the new kings of leon album "only by the night". okay, i get it that frontman caleb followill loves to sing about sex, but that is fine with me. does sex ever get old? no. "sex on fire" annoyed me at first too, i thought they sold out, but by the third listen any hipster will be forced to uncross their arms, that song is just damn good. no matter how possibly trashy and how amazingly popular that song and kol are on both sides of the atlantic, they are a good band.

my specific point is that pitchfork gave "only by the night" a 3.8 out of 10. that record happens to be very listen-able record and almost any resourceful music listener will comment that kings of leon are pushing their boundaries in good directions on each album. my favorite kings album is "aha shake heartbreak" but i am very bias due to the fact i have listened to that album at least twice a week for the past five years. i really do love kings of leon. i have watched every single "home video" they published on youtube (watch them, search kings of leon only by the night home videos, they are hilarious and very informative) i have bought every kings album, every band i have ever been in has done a kings of leon cover and that is mainly because i can play every song from "aha" on the guitar. in fact i just saw kings of leon live last monday for the second time within six months. the kings are an amazing live band and caleb's voice echoes to every corner of whatever venue they play. my friend ended up meeting the band at a bar on msu campus later (the show was at the aud) and they bought her shots for her birthday, therefore, making them nice guys.

pitckfork rips on the new kol for cheesy lyrics, has anyone ever listened to bruce springsteen? his lyrics are pure cheese but the music is so fucking good you believe the boss, and the same is to be said with the kings. the lyrics may seem cheesy but really they are just honest and that what makes it beautiful music.

what bothers me the most is that next to "only by the nights" 3.8 the newest cold war kids album, "loyalty to loyalty" , received a 5.1. by no means in hell is the cold war kids album better than the kings of leon record. i love cold war kids also, their debut record "robbers and cowards" is one of the best of the 00's, but in all painful honesty, "loyalty to loyalty" is 75 percent junk. there are some really good songs on the cwks record, but even after repeated listens, there is no soul tying it all together. "against privacy" and "i've seen enough" are amazing songs on the cold war kids album, but that is about it. "revelry" is my favorite off "only by the night" but that is with an arsenal of other tracks, including singles "sex on fire", "use somebody" "manhattan", the inventive "closer" and the amazing dirty thick "crawl." i wrote very brief reviews of both records for my weekly column that i will repost on this blog very shortly after this post.

but every kings of leon album has a soul. because the followill brothers (and cousin) really give a fuck. they are actual nice guys from tennessee who happened to get lucky and ran with it in all sorts of directions, but they ran as hard and as fast as they could and that is why i tip my hat to them.

as for pitchfork, i give them a fat middle finger with fine print reading "get some better fucking writers". so heres to kings, heres to me, hint hint, maybe pitchfork should hire me.

just better bass lines

this is a blog i wrote for a separate blogosphere (i hate the word blog but love blogosphere) when i was on my two year vacation from this one, this is just a semi interesting little essay explaining how every band today is simply a band from yesterday with better bass lines, read your heart out (right:nick of the virgins; the man behind rich girls)


Saturday, May 31, 2008


just better bass lines
Current mood: amused

i feel like every band now

is essentially a band from another point in time

and the only reason for this specific new band's success

is due to their catchier bass lines

let me explain

there are a lot of bands out there. thousands. hundreds of thousands. due to the internet and easy recording and guitar tabs and synths and drum machines, any asshole can start a band. one does not even need a band to create a myspace for said band. i'm one of these people

but what i'm getting at is that there is a lot of good music, once you shift through the shit you can find some gems, which i feel i am pretty good at. maybe i should be a shit shifter. or not. but either way, i have found good songs, and they all seemingly belong to the same genre; indie.

i.e. my entire life

now, the strokes. they really stirred shit up. i've already gone through the whole "anyone could say whatever fuck band started the movement" but lets say, for this piece, the strokes did, or at least did something.

there is this band (a fucking amazing band who i'm seeing again on thursday) called the virgins. just another the band. i think not. the virgins have so much of a future ahead of them its disgusting, almost as disgusting as their body odor (literally they smell, i m et them, but at least they are nice) their song "rich girls" has already hit cable (gossip girl, the new oc, even created by the same guy; josh shcwartz) and they are kicking asses left and right. the reason for this

they are the strokes; with better bass lines

another band that is literally on top of the world hanging out higher up than any other indie band in years, they are literally as big as the white stripes circa 01-03, and they didn't even have a cd til january. i have also seen them. if the virgins were the dark side of new york indie rock, vampire weekend is definitly the bright sunshine in-your-face side. less smells and more awesomeness. an amazing show live, and also nice guys, a little too smart for a lot of people i think, but if you can keep up, nice guys. but (and they fucking HATE this comparison but if you listen to boy in a bubble and then their cd you will laugh)

they are paul simon; with better bass lines

and the last band i shall talk about is my most recent affair. somehow from new zealand with no affiliation to lord of the rings or flight of the concords- cut off your hands. they rock. literally, simple, four piece, with a power trio set up and a crooner on vocals. this has been through so many times it gets gross, and it gets tired (editors really ran me thin) but cut off your hands are so damn up beat you can't help but say holy shit they are awesome. my case in point; the barenaked ladies said "it's all been done" and that may be true but i will say now "it can still be done better" but heres to the tunes, they really do spin me right round. and i especially tip my hat to cut off your hands, even through the over zealous hair cuts and guitar jabs i do love you, no slamming

they are the smiths; with better bass lines

---adam

ps. this all really really makes me wonder if i am the latter to some comparable situation, the only band my band has been compared to was band of horses with no lead guitar. but now we have a kick ass bassist. but me myself. maybe i will be like the economist adam smith but

with better bass lines

crank your subs for me, please

department of eagles - in ear park

every week i write a column called "down time" for the weekly LSJ publication called NOISE. after my sister and almost every other employee was laid off by Gannett during massive cut backs somehow i managed to keep my job at a whopping six dollars per column, i don't even know what i do it anymore, but either way, i will post the weekly reviews on here as well as occasional throwback reviews from my personal archives

on this particular review i really wanted to mention how much this record sounds just like grizzly bear simply without ed droste, but i try not to make comparisons within my massive 150 word columns. either way i like this department of eagles record a lot, even if it does "drear" a lot. i feel like i would be better friends with Daniel Rossen instead of Ed Droste, and another good track i did not get to mention on here is called "herringbone", check this stuff out


Down time: Department of Eagles
Adam Smith | Columnist for NOISE -- buzzo113@hotmail.com


Department of Eagles is the project of Daniel Rossen and Fred Nicolaus that started in 2000 in New York, but was put on hold when Rossen joined Grizzly Bear in 2004. After experiencing success and musical growth with Grizzly Bear, Rossen returned to Department of Eagles and released "In Ear Park" (4AD) in 2008.

Simply put, "No One Does It Like You" is the best song on the record. The song uses subtle instrumentation to create a catchy rhythmic beat, glazed over with beautiful vocal melodies and filled out with a perfect bass line. "Teenagers" is another upbeat track that showcases shimmering guitars and multiple vocal tracks to create a spectacular hook. "Phantom Other" is a song that, like most of the record, is very slow, but builds up momentum and grows into a beautiful ballad.

Using a simple approach, Rossen and Nicolaus have created a perfect record for simply calming down.

Roxy

this is a short story i wrote a long time ago and then found randomly and decided to do work on, this has a lot in common with many of the short stories i write, including the first person perspectives, metaphors and adoration for the female species, this is probably a lot like my in the works novel (dating her) will sound like. this is my oldest and shortest story, enjoy



Orig. 2/20/07
Edit. 11/10/08
By Adam Smith
Roxy

It was like one of those connections you could feel in the room before you knew what was happening. One of those things that was just like electric. When my own image arose out of the clutter of the crowd I could only guess I looked not to the best of my capabilities yet slightly heroic, with a beer. She had already started her way across the room and we made eye contact before you could say, “Eye fuck”. From across the room I saw her eyes, and I saw their depth. Her eyes were blue with glaciers of white ice, swirling slowly. Her hair was a slightly darker brown, but with an auburn tint from the light. This girl was beautiful.
She was just wearing jeans: tight fitting, suggestively themed jeans, and ballet flats. She looked normal, almost. Her hair was up, off her shoulders, carelessly thrown into a bun, she might not have known it at the time, but that was my weakness.
I was already lost in her. I was just staring, and I know my mouth wasn’t fully shut. I took a long hard blink, and then opened my eyes to make sure she was real. As she casually made her way across the room I got to see multiple angles. The angles of this woman, of this girl, were unspeakable. She had a basic hourglass shape but understated. She was tall, but not Brazilian model tall. She could model. Easy. Maybe she was a model. She had long legs. This did me in. Her legs went on for miles that I could never run. I could not see the flesh beneath the jeans, but my thoughts raced. I was taller than this girl, this fact made everything okay. I still had one thing on my side. At this point, I had at least one thing on my side and this was my height. When she went sideways her frame collapsed and I got to see a back view. I did not stare at inappropriate locations. Most of what I noticed was her upper back. Her hair was up so I noticed her exposed neck and shoulder blades. Her skin was a perfect healthy shade and she was not overly tan. Her skin was blown glass. She was dark and sexy but with a light heart.
A thin, but not sickly thin, brunette, hair in a bun, tank top with what I could only guess was a Forever 21 bar hopping top, jeans, ballet flats. Simple. Sexy. Complex. Charismatic. I found myself analyzing the situation before there was a situation to analyze. I had sat trying to sway my dizziness. “What song was playing?” I remember asking myself, thinking maybe that was a sign, as long as it wasn’t something like “Drip Sweat” or “Pull My Hair” I would be fine, just fine. It was a fun tune. This DJ has good taste. Now I sat up, looking up, taking in the sound with every ounce of thought as the girl still walked, forever walking. I know this DJ, because this is my iPod plugged into the speakers. “Girls and Boys” by Blur. Okay, awesome, fun, and although in the category of alternative indie rock (my specific department), still sexy and seductive, this song is about an orgy.
“Ok, Chill”, I told myself, “What’s the worst that can happen, she is actually looking at you? She is actually walking towards you?” I would grab her a beer from the counter. Maybe she doesn’t drink beer. She seems like a hard liquor woman. “You talk to attractive girls all the time why are you freaking out now?” I was lecturing myself into obedience.
By this time the girl had already stopped, visited with other girlfriends and continued onward with her journey. She was closer now than ever. Her hair sparkled in the dim switching light. She looked down at the floor occasionally, swept her bangs out of her face and behind her ear. She was walking slowly, but not walking to get somewhere. This girl was just walking. She knew everyone, of course she did. Why didn’t I know her? Maybe I did. No. I didn’t.
She stopped again. She hugged some guy. I hated that fucking guy. I didn’t know that guy, but obviously he was a prick. She took a drink, a glass. The glass could have had water in it. It was probably water; she was walking straight as an arrow before. She stayed in this spot with a small gaggle of people for a couple minutes, just as she had been with the original gaggle of people she was with when the two of us partook in visionary intercourse. Why was I not with a gaggle? Where was my gaggle? I had no gaggle. This was not good. I looked pathetic. This was because I was pathetic, at least semi-pathetic. She was talking, elegantly, but funny. I could tell. Her mouth, I had not noticed. She had slight lipstick, no, maybe Chap Stick. Her lips were perfect. I wanted to kiss her on the mouth. She would grab my hair, but not like a crazy porno, just like she cared.
I was trying not to stare at her but I was failing miserably. She leaned against a pillar. She was above everything going on. She was all that mattered. She rocked her head back and laid her sweet, soft hair against the pillar, or post, or whatever you call a building support. This was a support covered in finished plywood, not a dirty cinderblock one that could be found in basements. This girl was clean. She was looking up at the pitch-black ceiling. She closed her eyes.
She took a deep breath.
Time stopped. There was nothing else in this room. Both this huge room and the larger room it opened into were empty. No one moved. The music stopped. My thoughts were like mail trucks racing through my mind and I was the helpless dog trying to catch them.
She exhaled.
Everything fell back into place like someone turned on the gravity in a space ship. Time had now resumed, because she decided it could. She looked in my direction. I was gasping for air. We made eye contact. Again. Using the term “we” as referring to this girl and myself was too much for me to handle. I looked down towards the ground. I fumbled in my pocket past my phone. I put a mint in my mouth. “Fuck, that was dumb,” I thought. I crunched the mint. “Good.” Now no obstructions of teeth but okay breathe. Maybe. I looked up and this girl was moving in my direction, but not looking at me. My button down shirt held me tightly. French Kicks were playing. This meant something. One of my all time favorite bands, this situation just got a lot better. The song was “Sex Tourists”. Wait, what was with all this sexually themed music? It was a party. This was my play list. I was sexually attracted to this girl, more than a little bit. The drums calmed me. The guitar chimed in my ear and told me this was more than okay. I hoped this song had no underlying meanings of unhappiness. I was happy, mainly that this girl was so close.
Okay, perfect song. I came back. I stared, entranced. This could be the beginning of a beautiful girl involved in my life, or the end of one of the greatest chances to charm my life. Why was I talking to myself, and why in ultimatums? She was so close I could feel our electric buzz snapping and popping, no crackles though. I stood up straight, I smiled.
“Hi,” came a soft and soothing voice, almost seductive, but this could have been only to my ears. “I’m Roxanne.”

the boy is back in town

and by boy i mean me

it has been a long time since i have blogged, and mainly just because i don't seem to be fond of that word. in some ways i grew up and out of my blog, in others ways i grew younger like benjamin button and became too lazy to type.

but now, with my shortage of friends, and more time focused on writing, i am back to fulfill any and every blogging dream. blogging is a scary term, especially in the music world, which i have been a very large part of since my earlier days writing online. blogging is scary to music writers and musicians alike (of which i am both) because blogs can make or break you.

which is a little ridiculous because i could be some twelve year old x box player or some forty year old serial killer, no one would know the difference, but no one cares, and people make money off this shit.

not me though, because that is the way the world turns. it is damn near impossible for a person to get paid for doing something they really like. even my sister, emily, does not get paid for her amazing blog (iusedtogetpaidforthis.blogspot.com). it is a pain but it is a passion, through and through

what i am really trying to say my blogging life is resurfacing, just for a quick breathe of fresh air, if i get a response or just really like to type to the world (with seemingly no one in it that reads my stuff) then this could be a long term affair.

other wards, who knows, i am a very hard guy to pin down, ask any girl that has ever met me. this does not mean i am a ladies man; actually the direct opposite.

much love to anyone reading and i hope to write to you and hear from you in the very near future

st patricks day

st patricks day is more than just me being irish and getting drunk
Current mood: cold

amazing music really makes you sit and think and your mind races.

in light of the most recent holiday, which is by far one of my most favorites due to the partying nature of myself and the holdiay and my heritage, i would like to acknowledge one of my favorite tunes of all times. st patricks day by john mayer. the last song on his debut album room for squares, this song is beautiful. there is nothing that isnt perfect about this song.

here. comes a cold. break out the winter coats, and find a love. to call your own.

this love song starts at the ending of fall and goes on through untill st pattys, one of my favorite sections of the year, winter and all the holidays.

something about the way the blue lights on a black night can make you feel more.

john mayer is my favorite musician of all time, john mayer then ben folds and then plenty of others after that, but mr jm, amazing guitar player, amazing person, amazing writer. he is inspirational on levels i dont think he will ever be able to know.

it was warm out today, really warm for being march still, but i have a chill running down my spine that shakes me back to the temperature of st patricks day.

the velvet underground

the velvet underground
Current mood: dreamy

the velvet underground has been one of the most influencial bands of all times. perfecting what is known as "shoe gaze rock" they formed in the 1960s in new york. just like every great indie band these days. lou reed was the guitarist singer and songwriter and the main creative force behind the velvet underground. also with john cale, sterling morrison and maureen tucker the velvet underground is indie rock at is finest and most original. beautiful brash and bewildering, the velvet underground went on broke new ground untill their break up mid 70s, leaving lou reed to start his succesful solo career. ambulance ltd is one of my favorite indie rock bands to date and there is no doubt the velvet underground is their biggest influence, as well as to my other favorites such as the black keys and the strokes. the kaiser cheifs lead singer ricky wilson said "the velvet underground is one of the best shit bands of all time" and i would have the agree. the velvet underground are shitty, but they amaze me and take my thoughts to cloud drifts where my mind remains deluded and at peace while i listen to their music. if you havent listened to the velvet underground you are missing out. to really understand the mechanics of this band you need to go through them record by record, the mistake i made was only listening to their greatest hits at first. its hard to single out a song you should download. some of my favorites are "candy says" and "some kinda love" both off of their self titled album from the 60s. dreamy, for sure, but isnt that what everyone wants to be? listen to the velvet underground

-adam fitzgerald

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

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

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.

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?

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.