Category: helloMike

Even the most basic of internet searches will show the large musical output of singer-songwriter Jason Molina. Since retiring his former band Songs:Ohia, Molina has grown increasingly prolific in the past few years, recording and touring extensively under his own name and his full band, Magnolia Electric Co.

That band’s latest, and third, record Fading Trails serves as a natural and logical extension to his past. This band has always conjured that 70’s Neil Young and Crazy Horse southern rock sprawl, but this album pares away at the power and intensity of previous work. While still simmering in their distinctive brooding country dirge, Fading Trails Molina and company tighter and more restrained.

The moods and instrumentation vary from track to track. Sometimes the songs are simplified down to vocals and solo guitar or piano and can be opaquely confessional. At other times they pile on the layers of sound, weaving a dark wall of Fender Rhodes keyboards, prepared pianos, pedal steel and driving bass accompanying Molina’s lamenting voice and biting guitar. On songs such as “Lonesome Valley,” the group interplay proves an integral part in the songs development; they are dynamic and elastic to provide some flexibility to the music.

And though most of these songs are beautiful and reserved, you cannot help but try to imagine what they might sound like live in concert when they have some room to breathe. No doubt a few would stretch into heroic epics in the live repertoire in typical Crazy Horse-fashion.

Okay kids, last week us at hellocomein.com sollicted people to participate in a little activity to help fight the workplace boredom and make their day a bit shinier. That activity, while a mostly lame exercise, at least yielded some cross-country communication and a perhaps served as a nice break from the monotony of responding to emails and moving stacks of paper printouts from one side of the desk to the other.

So without further ado, here are the responses to the first annual ‘Happy Fun Create a Concert Ticket Excitement Activity Time Contest!?!’.

Best Band Name \ Inclusion of Futuristic Technologies Award:

hellocomein’s own, Aryn Crowley

Best Concert to Be Attended by Bill & Ted Revivalist Fanclub:

Wisconsin import, Whitney Marshall

Best Way to Break Bad News To Parents Award:

New Mexican, Katie Goetz

Best Entry to Not Waste an Opportunity to Make Fun of Mike Award:

Aspiring Chicago street performer in her own right, Jamie McAdoo

Best Breaking of the Rules Inside Joke that Few will Understand, yet Nice Segue to a Future Contest Award:

Kansas Citizen and Patriot, Eric Kautzi

Have an idea for another contest or see anything funny? Send it to us at [email protected]

It’s not very often that an album can live up to the hype. Sometimes by the time you finally get your clammy hands on that plastic case, tear into the cellophane wrapper, and put the disc into your player you have already made up your mind. But the new TV on the Radio album, Return to Cookie Mountain might have actually surpasssed it.

All summer, I feverishly read every nugget of press and always found someone glowing about this album. Filter Magazine had a lengthy feature and Pitchfork had their typical over-the-top exclamation point! of a review. But, was it deserving of all that hype? Was this yet another example of the type perspective-less mob freakout music journalism that catapulted bands like the Arctic Monkeys? In an era when any form of pop art is leaked, spoiled and panned by the online peanut gallery months ahead of time, its hard to believe claims of “Best Album in the HISTORY of Britpop.” So call me skeptical.

But upon listening, I found this album amazing top to bottom. It’s a swirl of fuzz-box atmospherics and cosmic distortions. It’s a smash-up of indie neo-soul noise rock and electonic loops. Its a blast musical explosions and soaring falsetto vocal melodies. New wave analog drum machines, afrobeat breaks, bleeping burbles and the ferocious Animal-esque rock pounding. I cannot even describe a genre this thing fits into. TV on the Radio sounds like a subconcious music encyclopedia entry; a history lesson of every style and era of music, but flavour injected with the band’s signature avant garde and off-kilter futurist perspective.

Take a listen to this track, the visionary and psychedelic wash of melody, ‘Province.’

Found this cool little website here where you can make your own customized Ticketmaster tickets. You can now print these suckers out and prove to your friends that you were at that Arcade Fire show in the nearly empty bar in Kansas like 3 years ago, you know, before anyone knew about them and before they were all big and stuff…

Take a look and send me (at [email protected]) your best ticket creations… I will post the best ones we recieve.

Creatures from all over the galaxy are mourning the loss of a recently departed comrade. The big news making headlines today is that of the unceremonious de-crowning of the planet Pluto. After a lengthy and controversial and highly guarded debate in Prague, leading scientists have decided to strip Pluto of its planet-title. This was no doubt done in an effort to bring the galaxy back to its purist golden age before cosmic performance enhancers beefed up the tiny dwarf planets to such a high status. But despite the public outcry, this “Czech Science Illuminati” did not come to the decision lightly. Universe-wide candlelight vigils are planned for later in the week.

But in the meantime, where does that leave us then? When dealing with any significant loss most people go through what is defined as the Five Steps of Grieving. This hopefully will guide you through the hard times and show you what is to be expected. Just know, you are not alone. We are here for you.

Step ONE: Denial and Isolation

You first read the news of the change in planetary status and you cannot believe what you see. “How can they do this?” you think. “Pluto is one of the most beloved planets. Surely they won’t deny us the pleasure of Pluto’s existence.” But then you feel alienated and alone. The comfort of others does not soothe you like it should and you naiively assert, “This decision cannot last. Is anyone else going to do something?” You just refuse to believe it.

Step TWO: Anger

“How DARE they?!?” You suddenly begin to blame everyone and anything. Its the Czech’s fault. Its the scientists. Its the media for blowing this whole thing out of proportion. Someone should have spoken up. But NOOOO… they were too busy reading of the wars in Iraq and Lebanon to worry. “Now my childhood is ruined and I have to buy new freaking text books, which arent cheap. Looks like I will need a new job to afford that.”

Step THREE: Bargaining

After the anger subsides, logic begins to return to your brain. You start the scheme the eventual return of a favourite planet. After all, dead doesnt always mean dead. “If comic characters can return from the dead, surely we can negotiate with these people. What if we trade Mercury for Pluto? Afterall no one really likes that planet since its so close to the sun and much too hot, like a summer in Washington DC with no air conditioning.” Plus with all the efforts it will take to change the textbooks and the mnemonic devices in school rooms, it cannot be worth all the effort.

Step FOUR: Depression

Even if there WAS a God, he has foresaken you. Nothing you do will bring Pluto back to its past glory and even if its crown was restored, it wouldn’t be the same. Your childhood seems worthless and pointless now and you question everything you have ever learned. You crawl into your bed and sit in your dirty t-shirts and sweatpants with the lights off and shades drawn for days on end and fester in your own disillusionment and ponder the meaningless and fragility of your own existence. The phone reciever sits off the hook in the corner and even if it rang you wouldnt pick it up. “Life is nothing but a huge cosmic joke, but at least my stubble is coming in nicely.”

Step FIVE: Acceptance.

You are now able to move on. Though it literally is the end of a world, its not the end of your homeworld and no sense ruining your life any further. A planet may be gone, but now you are able to focus on other things, such as the changing status of Pluto’s moons. (Are these guys still moons? Or minor moons? Dwarf moons?…the world needs to know!)The waves of existential crisis and anxiety depression have started to heal thanks to the the Planets piece on constant repeat on your stereo. Gustav Holst’s stubborn decision to NOT write a movement for Pluto in that work now holds up. Good thinking Gustav!

Well chaps…hopefully we can stick together during this grieving process.

Found this on a great little music blog, Stereogum. Another lo-fi video from Beck’s upcoming album The Information (produced by Nigel Godrich).

After hearing many many songs from this album, I think its safe to say the deep folk wallow of previous Godrich\Beck collabs have gone the way of the acoustic dinosaur. Say hello to the subtle electronic warbles and bleeps of Godrich\Beck ver2.0.

I have never been the hugest fan of Weird Al Yancovic…but always respected his ear for music, humour and parody and such. But it wasn’t until now that I came across his pure genius.

But first, check this out… this is a video Bob Dylan did in the documentary Dont Look Back for the song ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues.’ This is one of the most iconic scenes for Dylan in an era when no one had any notion of what a music video was. The concept is so simple and really plays up the notion of Dylan’s lyrics as the star of his songs.

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While watching this video again on YouTube, I found a link to this Weird Al parody called ‘Bob’…

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The video itself is a spot on recreation and homage to the Dylan video. But Yancovic also treads his parody nicely into the surreal, yet oft-difficult to decipher literary allusions that made Dylan famous. Yancovic truly understands Dylan’s music, lyrics and imagery. Then it hits me… Weird Al’s strange and non-sequitar phrases in this song are palindromes! What’s a palindrome, you ask? Lets consult the dictionary.

pal·in·drome (pln-drm) n.