I don't understand why I am a sports fan. Every year, I am disappointed by one of my teams. As a fan of the Phillies and the Ravens, the only thing that matters to me or any other fan is and should be winning. I doesn't matter how far the team goes into the playoffs or how close the team was to winning it all.
The only thing that matters is Winning.
The suffering I go through every year. Its like big fucking tease. So close yet so far.
Oh the pain we go through when we decide to become a fanatic of a certain sports team.
The Only thing that matters is winning.
Today, is an another failure, another disappointment.
How long till Baseball season?
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Upbringing
I think this is my first post of the new year, not really sure.
I been thinking about how I go to where I am today, musically. I guess also in life since music has a big impact on the way I look at things and the way I try to understand things.
I guess the best way to start is from the beginning and I guess its only fitting that I listen to Bad Religion while I type this post. I guess till freshman year of high school, all I did was listen to Indian music. Indian music was what was played at home, and since we didn't have a radio I never payed much attention to anything else. The fact that I attended three different middle schools didn't help the cause also.
My freshman year of high school, attending Alexis I. DuPont High School in Delaware. A friend of mine who was on the soccer team like me and lived in the same neighborhood was the one who broke the barrier. I remember being in his house, no one was home. He asked me if I had ever heard of a band called 'Metallica' Obviosuly I said no, so he played me their new album 'St.Anger' on the stereo for me. I know most Metal fans would say that getting into Metallica by listening to St.Anger is unheard of. Thinking about it today, I agree. I wouldn't recommend that album to anyone but at that time, to my 14 year old ears it was awesome.
St.Anger didn't hit a home run automatically, it took quite a few listen to really get into it. At the same time, I also discovered VH1 Classic. I remember watching a Documentary made by a Canadian Anthropologist Sam Dunn titled 'Metal: A Headbangers Journey.' This film is still one of my favorite even though I do not listen to Metal as much as I use to. It introduced me to tons of bands mostly what people would consider today Classic Rock. This film also introduced me to the field of Anthropology, maybe that's one of the reasons I am an Anthropology major. With the help of Limewire and VH1 Classic, the first two years of high school all I listened to was Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin.
During my junior year, my parents forced me to move to California with them. It was while in Irvine, California that I started listening to the radio. I remember, I was still angry and sad for leaving Delaware, so all I would do those after school was just sit in my room and listen to 106.7 KROQ. Boy, I remember at that time KROQ played the coolest music ever. I learned about the Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Rise Against, Bad Religion, Red Hot Chili Pepper and many more. It was like I had hit different gold mine. After finally, getting over the fact that I was stuck in California, I decided to run Cross Country my senior year. I ran XC while I was in Delaware but didn't play any sports my first year (Junior Year) in California. A kid named Chris Miller on team who is still a big Pink Floyd fan is who I credit for getting me into buying CDs. Once a week after practice, we would walk over to UC Irvine to this tiny music shop called Noize. It was there where I bought about 50% of my CD collection. I also remember the first CD I bought there was Siamese Dreams by Smashing Pumpkins. The reason I bought that album was cause of the song Disarm which I had discovered cause of KROQ.
It was also during the spring of my senior year in High School when I attended my first concert. It was March 26, 2008 at House of Blues in Anaheim. The act was Bad Religion. This is was right when New Maps of Hell came out and KROQ was pushing the song New Dark Ages a lot on the radio. I don't think I will ever be able to describe how awesome that night was. It got me hooked to live music.
Everything else is history (at least to me)
I don't expect anyone to read this, but for me personally, its nice to write this down so I can look back to it few years from now.
I been thinking about how I go to where I am today, musically. I guess also in life since music has a big impact on the way I look at things and the way I try to understand things.
I guess the best way to start is from the beginning and I guess its only fitting that I listen to Bad Religion while I type this post. I guess till freshman year of high school, all I did was listen to Indian music. Indian music was what was played at home, and since we didn't have a radio I never payed much attention to anything else. The fact that I attended three different middle schools didn't help the cause also.
My freshman year of high school, attending Alexis I. DuPont High School in Delaware. A friend of mine who was on the soccer team like me and lived in the same neighborhood was the one who broke the barrier. I remember being in his house, no one was home. He asked me if I had ever heard of a band called 'Metallica' Obviosuly I said no, so he played me their new album 'St.Anger' on the stereo for me. I know most Metal fans would say that getting into Metallica by listening to St.Anger is unheard of. Thinking about it today, I agree. I wouldn't recommend that album to anyone but at that time, to my 14 year old ears it was awesome.
St.Anger didn't hit a home run automatically, it took quite a few listen to really get into it. At the same time, I also discovered VH1 Classic. I remember watching a Documentary made by a Canadian Anthropologist Sam Dunn titled 'Metal: A Headbangers Journey.' This film is still one of my favorite even though I do not listen to Metal as much as I use to. It introduced me to tons of bands mostly what people would consider today Classic Rock. This film also introduced me to the field of Anthropology, maybe that's one of the reasons I am an Anthropology major. With the help of Limewire and VH1 Classic, the first two years of high school all I listened to was Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin.
During my junior year, my parents forced me to move to California with them. It was while in Irvine, California that I started listening to the radio. I remember, I was still angry and sad for leaving Delaware, so all I would do those after school was just sit in my room and listen to 106.7 KROQ. Boy, I remember at that time KROQ played the coolest music ever. I learned about the Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Rise Against, Bad Religion, Red Hot Chili Pepper and many more. It was like I had hit different gold mine. After finally, getting over the fact that I was stuck in California, I decided to run Cross Country my senior year. I ran XC while I was in Delaware but didn't play any sports my first year (Junior Year) in California. A kid named Chris Miller on team who is still a big Pink Floyd fan is who I credit for getting me into buying CDs. Once a week after practice, we would walk over to UC Irvine to this tiny music shop called Noize. It was there where I bought about 50% of my CD collection. I also remember the first CD I bought there was Siamese Dreams by Smashing Pumpkins. The reason I bought that album was cause of the song Disarm which I had discovered cause of KROQ.
It was also during the spring of my senior year in High School when I attended my first concert. It was March 26, 2008 at House of Blues in Anaheim. The act was Bad Religion. This is was right when New Maps of Hell came out and KROQ was pushing the song New Dark Ages a lot on the radio. I don't think I will ever be able to describe how awesome that night was. It got me hooked to live music.
Everything else is history (at least to me)
I don't expect anyone to read this, but for me personally, its nice to write this down so I can look back to it few years from now.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Moving Fast
It seems like people around me are getting engaged, getting pregnant, graduating college and simply growing up.
I'm afraid that after college I will be forced to give up things I love for a 40hr a week job and I am not sure if I am ready for that. I am not looking forward to the day where I can't go see Frank Turner live because I am stuck at my dead end job.
I feel like life is moving by too fast. I need to do things that I have been wanting to do quickly before I become one of the people around me.
Trying to figure what I need to do is the hard part.
I'm afraid that after college I will be forced to give up things I love for a 40hr a week job and I am not sure if I am ready for that. I am not looking forward to the day where I can't go see Frank Turner live because I am stuck at my dead end job.
I feel like life is moving by too fast. I need to do things that I have been wanting to do quickly before I become one of the people around me.
Trying to figure what I need to do is the hard part.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
2010 Stuff
My favorite Movies of 2010.
1. 127 Hours
2. Greenberg
3. Kick Ass
4. Somewhere
5. The Kids are Alright.
1. American Slang by the Gaslight Anthem.
Was this really a surprise?
2. Somewhere on the Golden Coast by the Henry Clay People
I love the kind of music HCP play, pretention-free rock is something I feel like we need these days when bands are coming out with stuff that has tons of synths and stuff to it. I really hope these guys make it big.
3. The Monitor by Titus Andronicus.
You know when you listen to the first song on a brand new record, and just by hearing that one song, you know that you have something special on the stereo. well, The Monitor by this New Jersey band is one of those records. Its all about the American Civil War and its Epic!
4. High Violet by The National.
I just got into this band earlier this year and boy are they good. High Violet is a solid release but no way in any means is it Boxer.
5. Real Ghosts Caught on Tape by Fake Problems.
The third release by FP is exactly what I wanted to hear, four dudes rocking out. Produced by what seems like a mastermind, Ted Hutt. This album is simply wonderful to listen to while driving around with the windows down.
Honorable Mentions:
The Fool by Warpaint
Good Morning, Magpie by Murder By Death
Call Signs EP by Wires In the Walls
Gorilla Manor by Local Natives.
I started the year by listening to the Gaslight Anthem. Around May, I started listening to Lucero for the first time but once summer kicked in, it was nothing but Social D and tons of the National. During the Fall, I went back into Lucero.
Somewhere along the lines I discovered Cat Power, Amanda Palmer, Bad Astronaut, Nico.
If I had to describe the music I listened to, it would female vocalist and Alt-Country.
Who knows what 2011 will bring.
1. 127 Hours
2. Greenberg
3. Kick Ass
4. Somewhere
5. The Kids are Alright.
My Top 2010 Albums
Was this really a surprise?
2. Somewhere on the Golden Coast by the Henry Clay People
I love the kind of music HCP play, pretention-free rock is something I feel like we need these days when bands are coming out with stuff that has tons of synths and stuff to it. I really hope these guys make it big.
3. The Monitor by Titus Andronicus.
You know when you listen to the first song on a brand new record, and just by hearing that one song, you know that you have something special on the stereo. well, The Monitor by this New Jersey band is one of those records. Its all about the American Civil War and its Epic!
4. High Violet by The National.
I just got into this band earlier this year and boy are they good. High Violet is a solid release but no way in any means is it Boxer.
5. Real Ghosts Caught on Tape by Fake Problems.
The third release by FP is exactly what I wanted to hear, four dudes rocking out. Produced by what seems like a mastermind, Ted Hutt. This album is simply wonderful to listen to while driving around with the windows down.
Honorable Mentions:
The Fool by Warpaint
Good Morning, Magpie by Murder By Death
Call Signs EP by Wires In the Walls
Gorilla Manor by Local Natives.
More 2010 stuff.
Somewhere along the lines I discovered Cat Power, Amanda Palmer, Bad Astronaut, Nico.
If I had to describe the music I listened to, it would female vocalist and Alt-Country.
Who knows what 2011 will bring.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
My 2010 Concerts
Concerts that I been to in 2010:
Feb 13- Sound Tribe Sector 9 at Fox Theater in Oakland.
Mar 19- Brian Fallon, Joe Sib at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Mar 20- Yellow Red Sparks in Santa Ana.
April 2- Moostache, Steelwells in Long Beach.
April 14- Frank Turner, Franz Nicolay, Bird by Bird at The Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco.
June 4- Red Cortez at the Mezz Bar in Los Angeles.
June 23- Polar Bear Club, Moving Mountains, Lemuria, Living with Lions at Chain Reaction.
July 9- Bad Astronaut, Joey Cape, Mike Hale at Chain Reaction in Anaheim.
July 21- The Gaslight Anthem, Chamberlain, Tim Barry at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.
Octb 3- Patti Smith, Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes and Lucero in San Fransisco.
Nov 27- Lucero, Drag The River at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Feb 13- Sound Tribe Sector 9 at Fox Theater in Oakland.
Mar 19- Brian Fallon, Joe Sib at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Mar 20- Yellow Red Sparks in Santa Ana.
April 2- Moostache, Steelwells in Long Beach.
April 14- Frank Turner, Franz Nicolay, Bird by Bird at The Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco.
June 4- Red Cortez at the Mezz Bar in Los Angeles.
June 23- Polar Bear Club, Moving Mountains, Lemuria, Living with Lions at Chain Reaction.
July 9- Bad Astronaut, Joey Cape, Mike Hale at Chain Reaction in Anaheim.
July 21- The Gaslight Anthem, Chamberlain, Tim Barry at the Wiltern in Los Angeles.
Octb 3- Patti Smith, Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes and Lucero in San Fransisco.
Nov 27- Lucero, Drag The River at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Hardly Strictly
Check out the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival facebook page...they are using one of my Lucero pictures as a 'Fan Photo of the Day'
link: http://tinyurl.com/2wvdtv9
link: http://tinyurl.com/2wvdtv9
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Lucero/Drag The River review
Last night (November 27,2010) , I went to the Troubadour to see Lucero as an headline act for the very first time. The Show was sold out which was kind of a surprise but it was a lot of fun.
First up was Drag The River, I have heard a lots of good things about Jon Snodgrass from his work with Joey Cape, being on the Revival Tour and his recent split with Frank Turner but I never really listened to his music. I enjoyed their set, it was more of a mellow-alt-country. The best part of the set was the last song, Jon and Ben from Lucero sang together called "Buddies." The song was originally recorded by Jon and Frank couple months back and their song is about all the good friends they made while together on the Revival Tour in 2009.
Next up was the headline act, Lucero. They played every song I wanted to hear and I mean everything from That Much Further West, Sixteen, Nights Like These, San Francisco, Sweet Little Thing, Nobody's Darling, Joining The Army, The War, Slow Dancing, Can't Feel a Thing, Tears Don't Matter Much, Wasted, Hold Me Close, Sounds of the City, Kiss The Bottle, The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo, and Last Pale Light in the West from Ben's solo album.
It was just simply brilliant. Also, the drinking. I knew that Ben is a heavy drinker but dang I had no idea how much of a heavy drinker he is, more than once a waitress came on stage with a tray full of shot glasses with whiskey in them plus all the shots that the people were buying for them to drink. It was ridiculous.
At the end of the night, I had a blast. Defiantly one of the best shows I have been to in 2010.
First up was Drag The River, I have heard a lots of good things about Jon Snodgrass from his work with Joey Cape, being on the Revival Tour and his recent split with Frank Turner but I never really listened to his music. I enjoyed their set, it was more of a mellow-alt-country. The best part of the set was the last song, Jon and Ben from Lucero sang together called "Buddies." The song was originally recorded by Jon and Frank couple months back and their song is about all the good friends they made while together on the Revival Tour in 2009.
Next up was the headline act, Lucero. They played every song I wanted to hear and I mean everything from That Much Further West, Sixteen, Nights Like These, San Francisco, Sweet Little Thing, Nobody's Darling, Joining The Army, The War, Slow Dancing, Can't Feel a Thing, Tears Don't Matter Much, Wasted, Hold Me Close, Sounds of the City, Kiss The Bottle, The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo, and Last Pale Light in the West from Ben's solo album.
It was just simply brilliant. Also, the drinking. I knew that Ben is a heavy drinker but dang I had no idea how much of a heavy drinker he is, more than once a waitress came on stage with a tray full of shot glasses with whiskey in them plus all the shots that the people were buying for them to drink. It was ridiculous.
At the end of the night, I had a blast. Defiantly one of the best shows I have been to in 2010.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Nov 14, 2010
Here are few reasons why I think Chuck Ragan is GOD.
1. Hot Water Music: Without this band, there would be no anybody I love. They could play, they could write, and they had solos and songs longer than 2 minutes. They were the bearded punks. They were the best. They had nothing but pure emotion. Mixed hardcore with melody like I had never heard it before. Hot Water Music inspired a whole generation of music fans...they invented a genre. I will never forget the way my mind exploded the first time I heard Blackjaw.
2. His Solo Album: Lot of musicians with punk rock background have gone solo in recent years. But people fail to realize that Chuck was the one who started that movement. The only difference is that he's not just playing punk songs on a acoustic guitar. He's really engaged in traditional music as a concept. I have so much respect for that. He's refuses to patronize the style. He's taking it seriously.
3. The Revival Tour: Probably the most special, coolest tour ever. Without him, there would be no Revival Tour. The whole thing with the way the Revival Tour is structured, not so clear sets, everyone on stage in the beginning, none of the ego bullshit and who's gonna headline etc. I attended the Revival Tour last year (2009) in San Francisco and it was the greatest thing ever. At one time, there were 9 musicians on stage together!I have mentioned before how seeing Bad Religion changed my life, the Revival Tour is probably the second closest thing. The 2009 show still remains as the best show that I have ever attended.
1. Hot Water Music: Without this band, there would be no anybody I love. They could play, they could write, and they had solos and songs longer than 2 minutes. They were the bearded punks. They were the best. They had nothing but pure emotion. Mixed hardcore with melody like I had never heard it before. Hot Water Music inspired a whole generation of music fans...they invented a genre. I will never forget the way my mind exploded the first time I heard Blackjaw.
2. His Solo Album: Lot of musicians with punk rock background have gone solo in recent years. But people fail to realize that Chuck was the one who started that movement. The only difference is that he's not just playing punk songs on a acoustic guitar. He's really engaged in traditional music as a concept. I have so much respect for that. He's refuses to patronize the style. He's taking it seriously.
3. The Revival Tour: Probably the most special, coolest tour ever. Without him, there would be no Revival Tour. The whole thing with the way the Revival Tour is structured, not so clear sets, everyone on stage in the beginning, none of the ego bullshit and who's gonna headline etc. I attended the Revival Tour last year (2009) in San Francisco and it was the greatest thing ever. At one time, there were 9 musicians on stage together!I have mentioned before how seeing Bad Religion changed my life, the Revival Tour is probably the second closest thing. The 2009 show still remains as the best show that I have ever attended.
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