Archive for August, 2011
Greg Preston and the Great Machine
Posted by T. William Gooch in Alternative, Indie Rock, Rock on August 30, 2011
There is something about pounding drums, a tight bass line, slick guitar licks, and bluesy vocals. Mostly one would say that with all those things the song you are listening to, has all the ingredients of great rock music. The sample is only enhanced when you are dredging through another Tuesday and just when you don’t think you last another minute… you check your inbox and there sits a sample of great rock & roll waiting to change your life.
Junior Boys New Album: It’s All True
Posted by musicthevanderwey in Alternative, Electro Pop, Electronic, Indie Rock, New Releases on August 30, 2011
Tropical Storm Irene knocked out the power in my part of Vermont for close to 36 hours. That may not sound like a long time but I think that New England Society was tested to its limits over those long dark hours. In order survive the mind numbing boredom I got reacquainted with some new albums on my iPod. One of the bands that helped me keep my sanity was Junior Boys. They hail from Canada and have been putting out solid indie pop albums since 1999.
Now Presenting: Typhoon
Posted by musicthevanderwey in Alternative, Indie Rock, New Releases on August 26, 2011
Back in late July I was at a Decemberists show in Missoula, Montana. The opening act was an indie rock band I had never heard of before by the name of Typhoon. Calling them a band is actually a little misleading. They are much more on par with an indie rock orchestra. Typhoon has a horns section, two drummers, and at least two violins along with the normal accoutrements of what makes up an indie rock band. I actually feel kinda bad for Typhoon. Half the time they are preforming on tiny band stages crammed together, which doesn’t leave enough room to rock out. Even under those cramped working conditions (OSHA anyone?) Typhoon will blow you away.
Pieces of Me
Posted by danwarden in Alternative, Metal, Vocalists on August 22, 2011
Editor’s Note: Dan Warden is the latest contributor to On the Couch and we would like to thank him for bringing his musical taste and expertise to the blog. Dan is a musician, an artist, and author. He has been playing and writing music for about 15 years.
I have had many jobs over the course of my adult life, one of the most challenging and rewarding was teaching Air Force Technical Training. Technical training can be incredibly tedious, and unfortunately leaves very little room for interpretation or creative thinking. Trying to do my part to alleviate this, or maybe just to alleviate my boredom, I decided that question and answer sessions were necessary to stimulate intellectual discourse. I would typically start a class by asking questions such as, “If you could talk to any animal in the world, what would it be and why?”. Sometimes I asked the class to solve a riddle, but my favorite question to ask was what album changed their life? Unfortunately too many of my students thought of music as merely background noise, something to fill up space, and never had the life-changing experience that music can provide. That however was not the case for me. As an artist and musician, there have been many albums that have changed my life and I would like to share with the On the Couch readers my five most influential works. Please note, these are albums that had a huge impact on me, but are by no means my top five favorite albums.
Let’s Talk Favorite Album
Posted by musicthevanderwey in Alternative, Electronic, Emo, Guilty Pleasures, Indie Rock on August 22, 2011
I know that rating favorite albums or songs can be a childish and silly endeavor because when it all boils down the only thing that matters is that you love what you are listening to. Although, sometimes I think it can be a useful tool to get your thoughts and feelings straight on an album. Trying to pick a favorite song is a fickle thing. Favorite songs seem to change with the day, mood, season, weather, and attitude towards life so why bother?
Easy Like Sunday Morning
Posted by T. William Gooch in Alternative, Rock on August 21, 2011
Well it is Sunday morning and I find myself inspired to write. I don’t know what it is about waking up to cool mornings with a cup of coffee that injects me with the spirit to type out my thoughts on this laptop. Maybe because hot mornings rob you of your motivation, while the cooler temp reminds us that summer is ending and that we need to soak up any and all opportunities to feel alive. This morning I would like to share Wiretree with you, our readers, and hopefully you enjoy their song stylings as much as I do.
The H5C
Posted by T. William Gooch in Music Videos on August 14, 2011
In previous posts I had made claims that music videos have become somewhat of a straight jacket for musical interpretation. When the artist produces a music video for a song it can freeze the perception of the work for all of eternity. In some cases this is an enhancer, but if your video detracts from the song it may never recover from that fatal blow.
I make special note to say “if the artist produces” the video, because in this day in age when there are so many creative minds out there producing stunning videos, the artist no longer needs to get involved with the visual interpretation. Enter clans such as the High 5 Collective. They are a collection of creative minds who reside in L.A., and they “make art for artists that inspire us.”
Music The Vander Wey on the East Coast
Posted by musicthevanderwey in Alternative, Indie Rock on August 13, 2011
I recently was accepted to law school in Vermont and embarked on an epic 2,200 mile journey from Bozeman, Montana all the way to South Royalton, Vermont. My trek took me speeding through god’s country (the mid-west) over the Great Lakes and Canada. The venture lasted a good three and a half days to reach Vermont, which gave me plenty of time to rock out.
A Journey Begins
Posted by musicthevanderwey in On The Couch Mixtape on August 4, 2011
On The Couch staff meeting with Music The Vander Wey (Left) and T. William (Right) arguing the indie merits of micro brews while gesturing with condiments.
I was recently accepted to Vermont Law School, which is a good three – thousand plus miles away, two times zones apart, and a place where cowboy hats are few and far between.
I look forward to new challenges, maple syrup, and taking day trips to Montreal to catch Stars home concerts. I cannot promise that I write as much as I have over the past eight months, but I can promise that I will continue to write. One of the hardest parts of this move has been giving up my radio show at KGLT. I’ve been bringing indie rock and roll and broadcasting excellence to South Western Montana for eight years now.
Weezer at the Red Rock August 5th
Posted by T. William Gooch in Alternative on August 4, 2011
Back in April I received a gift for my birthday that technically will not be opened until tomorrow night. You see my sister purchased tickets for us to see one of our favorites bands in Las Vegas on August 5th. I have to say I was deeply touched by the sentiment of the gift, because Weezer has been a major influence on my rock taste.
When I was a young impressionable 7th grader I received one of my first CDs for Christmas. To be truthful, I had already collected a dozen CDs but none had an influence on me like this particular album. I’m not sure if it is widely considered an epic release, but in this writer’s humble opinion it is definitely a must listen to all music fans. I am of course speaking of Weezer’s self titled album, or as it is known on the streets The Blue Album.
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