I had a dream we were here three times before. Except in my dream things constantly changed, people that were here aren’t, things that happened that definitely will not. The days light slowly hides away from us like a large toy chest closing and we are on the inside, we keep moving mile marker one after the other. Its all a blur and the stars hide out on the outskirts of the horizon, the highway is no place for stargazing and no place for two crazy souls seeking rhythms and healing undulations. We can only find adventure in our hearts and when we seek it we will always find the adventure that is meant entirely for us. This adventure has the meaning that only two sets of eyes can see yours and mine. This year we drive endlessly into the dark once again to the valley, till we reach our destination Indio, California where the Coachella Music Festival reinvigorates our souls, our hearts and reminds us why we are still here, still smiling. Read the rest of this entry »

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Redundancy strikes deep in our constant observance and cyclical critique of  American entertainment. We love, we laud, we loathe, we praise and then down comes the proverbial hammer and we destroy. We pick apart every piece of the soul, spirit and sense of artistic creativity our artists give us. We tear into their works with teeth gnashing against their souls laid bare, we ravage each aspect constantly devouring their works we can relate to but turning their works in which we cannot relate to into refuse, we spit it back at the artist and devalue them in such a way that they become distant and reluctant to expose themselves to us again. They attempt to connect and to love their audience and we are fickle lovers that throw them out over the most trivial reason possible. This is our dynamic and this is why we look to them for guidance both parties lost we look for ourselves in each other. Read the rest of this entry »

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Suddenly passing my driver side door at unholy speeds is a small Honda civic, white paint scuffed on the rear fender, with annoyingly loud muffler, with clothes hanging from a line in the backseat. I struggle to keep up on this never ending highway littered with small towns that have one exit, advertising rooms for rent and Big Macs. Each town passing in the blink of an eye, no sign of highway patrol anywhere, everything is flying by and it feels like this whole month is going the same route passing me by as I sit and watch as moments fall away from me one after another, quicker than I grasp. On the lonely and ever darkening highway up to Albuquerque, NM to make a stop off at exit 215. This night we sip champagne, we dance, we gamble, we shuffle around to and from rooms, this night we arrive just in time to see Beach House and Vampire Weekend at the Hard Rock Hotel. Read the rest of this entry »

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Hangover of the surreal. Waking up way too early on a Sunday morning driving through traffic. I see headlights in the distance, each set of lights passing me by, flashing, blinking, red, green and yellow lights, sitting in silence trying to wipe the fatigue from my eyes and shake the bleak from the break of day. Cars pull into a parking lot in unison, people like machines one by one empty their cars and huddle into groups to ride elevators to different floors. Walk into offices with rows of cubicles with blank faced people staring wildly into the screens in front of them. I sit down and as the world and room is spinning around me I ask myself is this all we are meant to be? A listless mass of people falling through time, spending endless hours doing everything and nothing all at once, we move, walk, drive, sit, breathe and eat all in sync like robotic animals that we are slowly becoming. The ant like people toil and move to rhythms unheard to them but only to I, and I can hear the words and rhythms of The XX reverberating in my head as they all move in time lapse. Read the rest of this entry »

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Vinyl soothing sounds lamenting over troubled times and rhythmic reminiscing, an exploration, a question; is something really missing, from one end of the vinyl groove to the other, a soulful examination of how they got over.

The Roots newest album How I Got Over is a worthy album for exploration. Although not necessarily an independent rock band they make a smooth transition further underground from mainstream hip-hop with its foray into experimental collaborations including Monsters of Folk and Joanna Newsom. With a full band including mc, live drums, bass, 2 keyboard players, percussion, guitar, and sousaphone.  The Roots are not only pioneers of this awakening genre but the masters of it as well. With little to no competition in the hip-hop world in terms of groups that have a full band, and almost no large hip hop artist making collaborations with independent musicians such as The Monsters of Folk and Joanna Newsom. The Roots are in a world of their own creation. Read the rest of this entry »

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Dreary eyed, and melancholy muses, getting used to bad news, and exaggerated critical acclaims, another hour of rhythms and string strums, light drums and vocal hums. The world is turning slowly, madness ensures on every corner of the globe, forest fires, recalled food products, natural disasters, wars, discord, sorrow, famine and failure, it is all around us. Some look to the sky, some run to their holy books, their holy places, some run straight into the belly of hedonism, others excess and vice. However, on this starry night I look no further than the notes and melodies divine, in each devotional note I find, peace and solitude. Read the rest of this entry »

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The air rushes through the leaves, they dance and sway in the wind, the trees stand solid. Water brushes down the muddy banks of the river, and the stones are awash in freshwater as they stand still. Wild grasses grow and lean into the breezes direction, sun shining still and strong. Somewhere in the distance you can hear a voice carried amongst the thick of the forest, and soft strings playing through the cool climate of the pacific northwest. A zen like folk song conjuring up images from which the voice originates. This sound native of Nevada City, California now carried up through my earphones sending me through memories and images of peace. This sound can only come from such a beauty of a voice and a gorgeous landscape of our fair country.

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Such was our discourse, a lengthy journey that would tear at our seams and restore our souls. It took 636 miles to reach this destination, this divine spot. Each mile counted was one in waiting, an eagerness accompanied each mile closer. The trek was arduous and most tiring, leaving with such little sleep and arriving at 3:40 in the morning to meet a line of cars entering the campgrounds. Bumper to bumper traffic more reminiscent of daytime gridlock in major metropolises than anything else. After many hours sitting in a line of cars as people of many ages imbibed spirits, beer, wine, and smoke we had arrived at our humble campground inebriated, the sun rising as we put up our tent. We had finally reached our destination, and this would be an indicator of the days to come. We had laid our weary heads down, we had arrived at Coachella. Read the rest of this entry »

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Pour a cup of coffee, walk into the den, dim early morning light trickles in through the bent blinds as my cat wraps himself around my leg. Pull a fresh new vinyl out of its sleeve, place it on the table, and pull the needle close, let it fall onto the grooves, pure energy releases and suddenly music fills the room. Ambient sounds at first, then synths accompanied with vocals ethereal. A beautiful female voice escapes through the speakers and bends your ear, reminiscent of Bjork as the hook does just that, reel you in. A beacon of light shining through the wash and tide of music mediocre. Read the rest of this entry »

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There is a nagging suspicion that these recurring themes I hear in music lately are no accident, but play into
the hands of a generation without direction, nothing of its own but hopelessness. All these purported advances in musical style are not braving a new world but are borrowed from our most colorful decade the 80′s.  The 80’s bred some sort of
strange postmodern musicianship that had previous generations scratching their heads. Read the rest of this entry »

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Brooding guitar strings and loves lamentations as told through the expressions unique of Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s. The band hails from the ordinary land of Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana contributed to the music world with the musical stylings such as Shannon Hoon from Blind Melon and Axl Rose from Guns and Roses to name a couple. The band formed in 2005 when Richard Edwards and Chris Fry met in a pet store and became friends. What ensued would be musical releases that are a throwback to emotion in music and a rhythm unforgettable. They have released a number of noteworthy records to date, The Dust of Retreat released in 2006, The Daytrotter Sessions EP released in 2008, and Animal and Not Animal which were both released in late 2008. The band is on Epic Records which is home to other notable artists such as Fiona Apple and Modest Mouse. However, the latest and most awakening artist at the moment on the label has to be Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s. Read the rest of this entry »

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