A Bloy and his Blog

The band I was looking forward to most at this year’s Summerfest was My Morning Jacket. Coming off the heels of one of my favorite albums of 2005, I had high expectations. I wondered how this unique band’s recorded music (which sounds elaborately produced) would come off live. I was not disappointed. The show started off with the opening drones of “Wordless Chorus.” When the lead singer got to the line “We are the innovators, they are the imitators” I thought, “you can say that again.”

read the rest of: My Morning Jacket

I’ve spent the past few days in Milwaukee, hanging out with friends and going to Summerfest. One of the great things about the fest can be amount of talent that’s available. With the main-stage amphitheater and seven major side-stages there is of a lot of music going on. Sometimes, the quality of the acts on a given night can be so high it’s tough to decide which act to focus on. In some ways this can be a bad thing. Because there are so many bands you want to see, you can end up seeing a smattering of a lot of acts, missing out on each band’s entire performance.

read the rest of: The Summerfest cup runneth over

I’ve been listening to the new CD by Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings The Flood over the past few weeks and it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard in quite a while. You could probably file her music under the alt-country genre (along with bands like Wilco, or even Graham Parsons). Ms. Case prefers the term “neo-country,” a label once used by a reviewer to describe her music. However, like other outstanding musicians, Neko Case’s sound does not easily fit into strict categories.

read the rest of: Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

Today is the first day of spring (in the northern hemisphere). Here in Madison it’s been pretty cold and windy. It reminds me of a song written by David Gray, “What Does It Matter,” an outstanding version of which is on Mary Black’s excellent CD, Shine.

What should it matter if the sun don’t rise
Its midnight forever in my Janie’s eyes
What should it matter if it comes on spring
When I’m finding winter in everything

Lived in this cold wind city all of my life
Walking around still looks the same
Same people coming and going
It doesn’t feel right
See it all now
From so far away

All of the wisdom that I held so high
Shining and useless as this April sky
The hedgerows are singing and it comes on spring
But I’m finding winter in everything

This past October, The New Pornographers were scheduled to perform here in Madison. But an emergency appendectomy for band’s bassist postponed the show until last night. When they walked onto the stage at the Barrymore Theatre and began playing, I knew waiting those four months was worth it. The band started off the show sounding energetic and tight with the opening songs “The Jessica Numbers” and “Use It.”

read the rest of: New Pornographers worth the wait

So my stereo receiver was suffering the effects of old age, I had some Christmas money in my pocket, and it was time for a new one. After browsing some online product reviews, I had a some specific models to look for. I went to a few electronics stores and found one of the recommended receivers, at a good price. I brought it home and begun the monumental task of unplugging all the components, speakers, antennas, from my old receiver and plugging them in the new one.

I got to the cassette deck. There are a lot of places to plug things in to the back of my new receiver, but where were the ones for the tape deck? There were none. The receiver had no input or output receptacles for a tape deck. That was something I needed to look for while I was shopping??

read the rest of: Death of the cassette

2005 is almost over which means it’s time for my best music of the year list.

Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
Uplifting lyrics with excellent musical arrangements that almost alternate between jangly, acoustic guitars and melodic piano. An example of the latter, the track “Different Names for the Same Thing” sounds like a John Lennon song, straight off of Imagine. This CD includes my favorite song of the year, “Soul Meets Body,” a beautiful love song whose chorus stays in my brain for days every time I hear it.

I do believe it’s true,
That there are roads left in both of our shoes.
If the silence takes you,
Then I hope it takes me too.

So brown eyes I hold you near,
Cause you’re the only song I want to hear,
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere.

Where soul meets body…

read the rest of: Favorite music of 2005