tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80602817428127994672024-03-05T11:07:43.266-08:00Travis ValentineThe Scribblings of a Basket CaseTravis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-9119318124072274212012-12-15T23:06:00.000-08:002012-12-15T23:12:05.021-08:00Top 10 Hanson CoversFirst things first: Hanson is an incredible band. I am a 25 year old heterosexual male and this is a fact that I know to be an absolute truth. Not that those things <i>matter</i> but it does put me in a minority among Hanson fans. Do you have a problem with any of that? If so... I will effin fight you!!! Now that we have that out of the way I will approach the topic at hand... songs that Hanson has covered over their nearly two decades of being a touring and recording band. They have an excellent collection of full length records, EPs, live albums, and singles filled with original material but when you're in a band and on the road, it can be fun to throw a cover song or two into the set list.<br />
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So here is a list of my top ten favorite cover songs that Hanson have performed over the years. Some have been released on live albums, some as bootlegs, some as studio recordings on exclusive EP's, some have just been tour exclusive. These are in no particular order.<br />
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<b>1. Change In My Life (Rockapella): </b>This cover is a perfect illustration of one of the key elements that make Hanson great: their harmonies. This is a cover that they perform completely acappella and it's been an occasional treat in their sets for quite a long time. They gather around a single microphone and sing in perfect three part, exchanging solos, and it's beautiful sounding.<br />
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<b>2. North Dakota (Lyle Lovett):</b> This cover is one performed by Isaac Hanson on lead vocals. It's a beautiful song by it's self and it's perfect for Isaac's low tenor. Finger picking the simple guitar part the vocal really drives the song and it really does the original justice. <br />
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<b>3. In A Little While (U2): </b>I'm including this song in the list because of the sheer ambition of it and versatility it demonstrates. U2 are one of the biggest bands in the world and arguably the originators of what it means to be "arena rock". Their sound is huge and Bono's range is very impressive. What Hanson does with this cover is beautiful. Taylor Hanson's vocal is soulful strong with his own flare while remaining respectful of the original. The arrangement has it's own stamp, again, while also being faithful. This cover, more than most, really demonstrates what they're really capable of.<br />
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<b>4. Furry Walls (Infant Sorrow): </b>They released a studio version of this song as an iTunes exclusive. I think that this one really shows off the fun side. They have serious songs, fun songs, and a lot of things in between and I think their decision to record and release a cover of a song written for Russel Brand's fake band in the movie "Get Him to the Greek" is a testament to their fun side. When I first heard they were releasing this I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what they planned to to with it and when it first started playing I was still skeptical because the opening "YEEEEEAHHH!" is more than a little whiny but over time it sort of adds to the grungy charm of the song and right after that it immediately glides into better territory vocally.<br />
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<b>5. Never Been to Spain (Three Dog Night):</b> This is one of Hanson's favorite covers, I assume, because it's so prolific in their sets. I'm not going to lie, I'm fairly certain that the main reason they cover it so often is because part of the chorus is "but I've been to Oklahoma." and Oklahoma is their home state. The truth is that they've toured pretty much every country. The cover is really really solid and one of my favorite parts of it is that the three of them share lead vocals, alternating phrases and verses as well as coming together for their trademark harmonies. There's a professionally recorded live version of it on their digital only release of "The Walk Tour - Live Tracks". <br />
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<b>6. Dirty (Christina Aguilera): </b>This is definitely another track that shows off Hanson's fun side. This is a song that was never meant to be played on sparse acoustic guitar and sung in three part harmony but that's exactly what they do here. There's no studio or official live recording of this song but there's a popular live bootleg that you can find pretty easily on YouTube or wherever. The only downside is that they only cover a little more than 1:30 of the song. I wish they'd have done the whole thing.<br />
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<b>7. Teach Your Children (Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young): </b>I LOVE this cover. It's definitely one of my favorites. There is a studio version that appears on the "Strong Enough To Break" Bonus Disc and it also appears live on the "Underneath Acoustic DVD". A simple 12 string guitar and gorgeous three part harmonies carry this song like a newborn baby through to the end. It's beautiful.<br />
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<b>8. Optimistic (Radiohead): </b>This cover is in the same vein as the U2 cover. The ambition and versatility it shows is amazing. To take on a cover of a band like Radiohead takes an incredible amount of guys, for one, and a sizable amount of talent to pull it off. This appears on their live album "Live and Electric" and it's what they opened with every night on the "Underneath Tour". Hanson never play the same set list twice in a row but they always open with the same song and it's always a powerful opener. This song is no exception. <br />
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<b>9. Don't Stop Believin' (Journey): </b>I think that this song is both an example of Hanson's fun side and their serious side... First of all this song was performed on their "Use Your Sole Tour" and was determined to be their tour cover by a vote on their website. They tried something like three other options which were irrelevant because if you offer "Don't Stop Believin''" as an option, there's little chance that anyone is going to vote for anything else. You can find a few good quality videos of this one on YouTube but I recommend this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1qpaC8EK7w because of the audio quality. Zac does lead vocals and you'd be amazed at his range and ability to nail those notes.<br />
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<b>10. We Are Never, Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor Swift): </b>I don't know whether or not to say that this is a "fun cover" or a genuine one but I think that's it's worth being on the list by virtue of it's pure fun awesomeness. It's a well established fact that Taylor Swift is a fan of Hanson so they did this cover acoustic for a radio appearance (available on YouTube). I don't know if anyone is with me on this but I feel like my favorite part of the whole cover is when Zac provides the backup vocal "like everrrr" during the chorus... it makes the whole thing for me.Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-53734334054172166462012-12-15T13:54:00.000-08:002012-12-15T14:01:39.259-08:00Top 10 Albums and EP'sThis year I made two separate lists for the two separate worlds of my musical interests. These are my "Top 10 Albums and EP's" of the year from both "local" and "non-local" bands, in order.<br />
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<u><b>Best Of Local Artists</b></u><br />
1. Elliot Street Lunatic - Ghost Town Lullabies<br />
2. The Swellers - Running Out of Places to Go<br />
3. Jory Stultz - Out A Window<br />
4. Little American Champ - Nothing Forward, Nothing Backward<br />
5. The Lansing Unionized Vaudeville Spectacle - The Lansing Unionized Vaudeville Spectacle EP <br />
6. Tiger! Tiger! - Mutual Attraction//Opposite Direction<br />
7. The Hat Madder - Orgy Opposite<br />
8. Cheap Girls - Giant Orange<br />
9. Midwest - Wishful Drinking<br />
10. The White Oranges - Steamboats are for the Romantic<br />
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<b>Honorable Mention:</b> Rival Summers - Learning to Live<br />
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<u><b>Best Of Non-Local Artists</b></u><br />
1. Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten<br />
2. Tim Barry - 40 Miller<br />
3. The Menzingers - On the Impossible Past<br />
4. Jack White - Blunderbuss<br />
5. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball <br />
6. Sharks - No Gods<br />
7. Pentimento - Pentimento<br />
8. Mixtapes - Even On the Worst Nights<br />
9. Make Do and Mend - Everything You Ever Loved<br />
10. Hot Water Music - Exister<br />
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<b>Honorable Mention:</b> Further Seems Forever - Penny BlackTravis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-23688336214554768422012-11-18T20:25:00.002-08:002012-11-18T20:26:10.964-08:00What Thanksgiving Means To MeHere's how I plan to spend Thanksgiving this year. My wife, my daughter, and I are staying home and eating a cheap turkey and some pie we got and watching some movies. I'll probably have a few beers and wine. It'll be a nice day.<br />
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Why are we doing this? Are we celebrating family and togetherness? I guess we are, in our own way. Why are we doing that, exactly? Because we have the day off and everyplace has sales on turkeys, which we don't get to eat too often. It's important to spend time together as a family and you should make time to do that as often as you can.<br />
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What we are NOT doing is celebrating "Thanksgiving". We're not decorating our home with racist images of Native American's in head dresses smiling next to the pilgrim's who would go on to break the "Mayflower Compact" and commit an unspeakable genocide on an entire race of people. We're not going to remember that first "thanksgiving" where the Native American's shared their food and knowledge with a small band of invading immigrants fondly because, like any reasonable person should, we know what those immigrants went on to do with that trust.<br />
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Businesses shouldn't be required or even expected to shut down for this. If you're lucky enough to work for a business that closes and still pays you, then enjoy the day. Spend it with family. But don't ignore history. It's important to know EXACTLY just <i>how</i> racist this country is and how it was founded. KNOW why your office is closed and don't let anyone tell you that it's "evolved" to mean something else. Ignoring racism because it makes you uncomfortable is wrong.<br />
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A lot of retail businesses pay time and a half for employees who work on holidays and circulate a list for volunteers so they can staff up holidays in advance with people who might want to work one but have another off. I tend to find that people who want the whole world shut down for Thanksgiving are the same people who don't seem to give a damn that movie theaters are open every single Christmas. My guess is that Christmas, being a Christian holiday, causes those people to assume you can find the non-Christian people or people of a different religion more than willing to work on that day. Unlike Thanksgiving... which as <i>Americans </i>we're supposed to hold in some high regard.<br />
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Here is my word on the matter: don't. Take into consideration the words of American punk rock band, The Broadways:<br />
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<i><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]."><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[0].[0]">"Third graders holding hands Indians</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[0].[1]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[0].[2]">And Pilgrims celebrating new found lands</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[0].[3]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[0].[4]">They tried to teach me that at school</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[0].[5]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[0].[6]">Make the white man look superior, it's always been their rule</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[0].[7]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[0].[8]">Now I can't believe we celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday of unity and pea</span></span><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]."><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[0]">ce</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[1]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[2]">If I had my way, we'd all dress in black</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[3]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[4]">And Daddy would serve up the white meat</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[5]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[6]">'Cause genocide is nothing to celebrate, extinction doesn't deserve a parade</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[7]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[8]">And we perpetuate these lies with the turkeys that we buy</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[9]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[10]">I tried explaining to my mom but she's too afraid to admit to herself</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[11]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[12]">That her race is a killing machine</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[13]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[14]">Take a look around your town and who do you see?</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[15]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[16]">The Native American is surprisingly absent in his own indigenous land</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[17]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[18]">Do you want to know why? It's 'cause we killed them all</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[19]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[20]">It's not that hard to understand, yeah</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[21]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[22]">So I go to college and you know what I learned?</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[23]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[24]">That 80 million people were killed by my grandpa,</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[25]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[26]">Your grandpa and all of their friends</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[27]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[28]">They bleached out our continent but that's not the end</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[29]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[30]">The last full blooded Aborigine died a century ago</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[31]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[32]">If it's possible there's a place in the southern hemisphere</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[33]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[34]">With a history even worse than our own</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[35]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[36]">No one finds it peculiar</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[37]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[38]">That a tropical island is full of people just like you and me</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[39]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[40]">But Australia's a piece of shit floating in the Pacific</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[41]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[42]">Buoyed by the blood of the Aborigine.</span><br id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[43]" /><span id=".reactRoot[221].[1][2][1]{comment460286020675369_4898975}..[1]..[1]..[0].[0][2]..[3]..[44]">Buoyed by the blood of the Aborigine.</span></span></span></span></span> </i>"<br />
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<br />Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-50362337989185148032012-10-23T18:01:00.002-07:002012-10-23T19:24:10.301-07:00Jory Stultz: "Out A Window" - Review<b><span style="color: yellow;">NOTICE:</span> </b>This review is going to be rather long, so I've broken it into labeled, easily read and digestible sections for those of you with short attention spans. Despite it's length, PLEASE consider giving it a read.<u><b> </b></u><br />
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<span style="color: yellow;"><u><b>An Introduction and An Apology For Being a Promo Machine:</b></u></span> <br />
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For those of you who read my blog regularly (and that is a very low number of people) you will know that I have written about Jory Stultz and his music TWO TIMES prior to this. One was a general "check this out" post where I listed him among other Michigan artists and the second was about his performance with Groove Box Studios.<br />
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I make no pretense about it when I say that Jory is a very good friend of mine and I want to promote his work as much as I possibly can. BUT it is also important to know that I was a fan of his music long before we were ever friends and I believe that lends my opinion more credibility than if I were simply hawking my buddy's music as some kind of a favor.<br />
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Jory Stultz released his debut EP as a solo artist this past Saturday (October 20th, 2012) at The Avenue Cafe in Lansing, MI. What I intend to use this post for is to review the EP, track by track, detailing it's strengths and weaknesses. I encourage you to read this review and consider purchasing it for yourself.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://jorystultzmusic.bandcamp.com/"><b>BUY THE EP HERE</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: yellow;"><u><b>The Record</b><b>:</b></u></span> <br />
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<b><span style="color: yellow;">Artist:</span> </b>Jory Stultz<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Album:</b> </span>Out A Window EP<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Genre:</b></span> Rock, Soul, Baroque Pop<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Produced and Engineered By:</b></span> Jory Stultz, Dylan Rogers<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Mixed and Mastered By:</b></span> John Krohn<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Label:</b></span> Blue Bow-Tie Productions/Independent<br />
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<span style="color: yellow;"><b>My Rating:</b></span> 4.5 out of 5<br />
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<span style="color: yellow;"><b>1.) Starshine Kids:</b> </span>This is the first song that I ever heard from the EP. I saw Jory play it live and watching him sing it, or really sing anything, is the experience of watching someone totally and completely immerse himself into the words and the soul of a song. When Jory plays, he can get passionate and belt his soulful vocal and slam the keys of his piano but on this song he gently presses the chords and notes, letting the instrument croon it's melody in much the same way he does with his words. <br />
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When you listen to the song I think that there is a lot to relate to with the words. The first lyrics are <i>"We flew rockets to the moon... never leaving the van... it was simple, it was stupid, but it was something we could have..."</i>. Those words are something everyone can connect with... everyone has been at that point where they're at the pinnacle of child like imagination. Letting themselves slip into games and cutting lose of the tethers that chain them to real life... We've all pretended our steering wheel was the captain's helm of some rocket ship beyond reality.<br />
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From there the song takes you on a journey of imagery and melody. It's impossible not to feel what Jory feels as he sings each syllable. His voice is soothing but still powerful and gruff. There is hard grit in his soulful push of a voice as well as soft clear tone... sometimes in the same breath.<br />
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<span style="color: yellow;"><b>2.) Ghost:</b></span> The opening snare beats of this song are fairly simple. It's the heartbeat of the song that keeps your hands clapping and feet stomping. All of the songs on the EP have a bit of a creeping quality, with melodic and instrumental themes reminiscent of psychobilly bands like Hellblinki, HorrorPops, or even Tiger Army. As soon as the accordion kicks in you can almost feel the theatricality wash over you. I don't want to pigeonhole the music as being exactly like psychobilly or horror punk because the themes and vocals are strong for all types of moods and listeners. The "spooky" element to songs like "Ghost" and "Dark Blue Forest" can't be denied or ignored, though.<br />
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<span style="color: yellow;"><b>3.) Dark Blue Forest:</b></span> To be perfectly honest, this might be my favorite track on the EP just because of it's sheer originality. It's one of the hallmarks of Jory Stultz's style... he takes chances in his writing and he's willing to do new things. Possibly things that may prove unpopular, but that's what makes his music so compelling. It sounds like almost nothing else. The songs main rhythm instrument and it's backbone is an accordion. The majority of Stultz's material is piano driven, but this one is something different. The eery vibe continues from "Ghost" into this one, opening with notes plucked out on an old chime piano. The notes continue throughout the song adding to it's unique vibe. Additionally, this song, more than any other on the record features Stultz's versatility as a vocalist. The vocals are softer and have a more pop sensibility to them then any other track. Generally his style is characterized by the strained vibrato and belting push that bare the soul of each lyric... this song is different. It tells a story and the soft, hushed vocal carry you through it.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>4.) Out A Window:</b></span> Finally we reach the last and title track for the EP. It's more than safe to say that the EP closes out with a rocker. Slammed piano chords, hard drums, gritty vocals. It churns along like a freight train hitting you hard with every single lyric until the chorus when it positively lifts off into the stratosphere. The lyrics, the melody, the <i>heart</i> of this song perfectly encapsulate this entire EP.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://jorystultzmusic.bandcamp.com/"><b>BUY THE EP HERE</b></a></span> <br />
<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><u><b>Weaknesses:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
I only see two real weaknesses that I think are worth highlighting and they're really nothing against Jory's ability as an artist. The first thing that I think could punch up this recording is better quality. Jory Stultz plays the sort of music that needs huge sounds, huge production, background singers and orchestral texture. This EP is very DIY and it holds back his true potential. I will say, though, that for a budget of what was essentially zero dollars, it sounds top notch. It took a long time and a lot of called in favors but Jory managed to turn rocks into gold here. It's definitely professional quality, it's just that the sound would be better served by more grandiosity in the production. <br />
<br />
One more flaw, in my opinion, is that Jory relies a little too heavily on his strained vibrato for emotional effect. He has such a full, soulful tone that he doesn't need it as much as he uses it. I wouldn't abandoned the style but I'd recommend more full and even tone if he wants to make a bigger sound.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><u><b>Conclusion:</b></u></span><br />
<br />
With this release, Jory has proven a very strong point. You don't need a million dollars... or even five dollars to make a truly great release. Grander instrumentation, bigger backgrounds, larger drums... all of these things could have made the record better but it would only have improved on what was already a professional quality release. If you have talent and support from a community of friends, anything is possible when making music. Take Jory's EP to heart. It's music and it's stories. Be inspired and make things happen.<br />
<br />
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Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-77898586050726355382012-09-28T11:54:00.000-07:002012-09-28T11:59:27.048-07:00Jory Stultz: Groovebox Studios, "Out A Window", and Beyond!I should probably preface this by saying that I've written about Jory Stultz and his music in the past. As a matter of fact, if you scroll down, it was only a few entries ago. The last time I did a brief write up about him to encourage readers to give his music a listen. This entry is about that also but it's also about a couple of other things that are going on with him as a musician that are important.<br />
<br />
First off, for the duration of this blog, I'm going to refer to him just as "Jory" since he is a good friend. Every journalism class I've ever taken tells me that after you've referred to a subject by their full name once you're supposed to refer to them by their surname for the rest of the article. I just can't bring myself to do that without feeling sill and since this is a <i>blog</i> and it's not written neutrally, I'd say that it's fine. None of this paragraph is important to this piece at all but I felt like I should include it all the same.<br />
<br />
Jory is a musician that defies labels. That expression gets thrown around a lot in crappy music journalism and I HATE writing with cliches but that is the only way I can start to describe his music. There are a ton of elements from across the board in his music. David Bowie is an obvious influence on Jory's ideas of broad concepts and story telling as well as the atmospheric and extremely <i>full</i> sound pervasive in his music. His voice is like nothing I've ever heard, combining soul, pop, rock, and indie into one ball of colossal heart and soul. His songs tell stories and everything about them plead with you to feel every word he sings.<br />
<br />
Right now Jory is working on a Kickstarter to raise money to cover a live performance with Groovebox Studios. Backing the project can get you a bunch of different perks and rewards. On the lower end you can get a copy of the performance EP and it goes up from there. There are a lot of Kickstarter campaigns out there that aren't worth your time or money and I promise you that this isn't one of them. Here's the link.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gbsdetroit/gbs-detroit-presents-jory-stultz">Jory's Kickstarter</a></span><br />
<br />
Every amount of money you contribute to the campaign get's you a reward that is well worth it, even if you just want a copy of the live EP. It's not panhandling, it's a creative way of putting faith in an artist you believe in to fund art that otherwise wouldn't happen. You get to experience that piece when it's finished, usually more coming with it that you would ever get by waiting until the project gets made. I'll agree that there are groups who use Kickstarter inappropriately but for the most part it's a good thing and, on the whole, I think that for independent artists of any medium it can only be good.<br />
<br />
On top of this Jory is going to be releasing his debut self released EP "Out A Window" at Gone Wired Cafe/The Avenue Cafe on Michigan Ave. in Lansing. I will be opening this party of a gig and everyone should come out and help this EP explode.<br />
<br />
The mid-Michigan scene is vibrant and lively but has too many distinct lines in it and way too much uncalled for negativity. I think the goals that some groups and a lot of artists are workings towards, like Groovebox Studios highlighting talent in the way that they are, The Great Lakes Collective doing whatever they can to help release and promote music in Michigan, Fusion Shows, The Flint Local 432 in my hometown, etc. are all amazing but there needs to be more love and less competition.<br />
<br />
The bottom line is to support good things. Jory Stultz is a good thing.Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-21294560655549643632012-08-14T13:27:00.001-07:002012-08-14T13:27:20.245-07:00Rest In Peace: Tony SlyI've been trying to write this blog for a little while now. Ever
since I found out about Tony Sly's passing, but it's been hard. I've
never felt this much grief over the death of someone I've never even
met. It hit hard. I know that I said I was going to post a few blogs
that weren't about music before I made more that were... well <i>about music</i>
but this isn't about music. This is about a man who is gone way too
soon. This is about someone who inspired generations and made records
regarded as classics in their genre. This is my experience with a great
person who I never met and the impact he had on me, personally.<br />
<br />
The
first time that I was introduced to No Use For A Name was when I was
probably around 15. I was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to
getting deeper into really good punk music. Around that time I'd started
listening to some of the older school, more independent bands like
Rancid, NoFX, Lagwaggon, etc but I was still quite a bit on the "pop"
side of "pop-punk". I can't honestly say that NUFAN was the single band
that brought me over to the punk side but they were a big part of the
growing push.<br />
<br />
The first record I got my hands on was 1999's "More Betterness!". Something about it hit me hard. It wasn't the hard technical punk, there was a lot of melody but it was fast and felt really good. Really <i>punk</i> and this was at a naive, stupid point in my life when I gave a damn what was <i>punk</i> and what wasn't. A point when I unironically used the word "poser". I cringe at that time in my life but I think I needed to go through it in order to learn that I was stupid.<br />
<br />
"More Betterness!" was an important record in my life and it remains so to this day, as do all of NUFAN's records. They aren't one of those bands that represent a time in my adolescence that I look back on nostalgically, they have remained constant. Those albums don't remind me of a particular point in my life, they represent them all.<br />
<br />
Tony's solo career is equally as important to me. It feels like right around the point in my life when I was starting to shift toward playing folk music, Tony was doing the same. Actually, it was slightly before that I suppose when he released the first acoustic split with Joey Cape. I bought that CD at an FYE (this was something that people used to be able to do) after I heard about it and I listened to that record over and over. That was the first time that I realized punk rock didn't need to be electric. Passion didn't need to be shouted.<br />
<br />
After that he eventually released "12 Song Program" as well as the fairly recent "Sad Bear" and a second acoustic split with Joey Cape. His music, all of it, has been a huge influence on me. On my life. On the type of musician and the type of person that I am, and as silly as it may sound to say about a person I didn't even know, I am going to miss him.<br />
<br />
Rest in peace, Tony. You were a legend and you left too soon.Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-71043746943329801332012-08-14T08:13:00.007-07:002012-08-14T08:13:47.319-07:00Toy Story: Plot Holes As Noticed By A Crazy Person
<br />
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<b>Forward: </b></div>
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Let me state
first and foremost that I genuinely love the Toy Story films and everything
that Pixar does. They respect all of the aspects of a film as an art piece and
their stories are always creative and smart as well as beautifully animated.
All of those things being said, I have a two year old daughter, so I have seen
each Toy Story film around a hundred times a piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In these repeated viewings I’ve noticed some
rather large plot holes that don’t really distract from the story so long as you
suspend disbelief, enjoy the story, and aren’t a nutter… but are there there
none the less.</div>
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<b>#1: Buzz’s
Willful Ignorance</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Movie: Toy
Story</div>
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Scene: The
first three quarters of the movie</div>
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How is it
that Buzz doesn’t notice that his wrist communicator is just a sticker? If he
is the real Buzz Lightyear then he must be a person in a space suit. Does he
not notice that he has no feeling of a body inside of the exterior suit since
he is solid plastic? Why doesn’t he notice that his space ship is made from
cardboard and lacks any kind of mechanical parts?</div>
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<b>#2: How does
Woody not know his origin?</b></div>
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Movie: Toy
Story 2</div>
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Scene: The
premise of the movie, primarily the scene where Woody finds out he is based on
an old TV show called “Woody’s Roundup”.</div>
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In the
second film we find out that Woody is a priceless antique. He is a licensed
property based off of a presumably popular television show from decades ago.
The show is called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Woody’s Round Up</i>
and is in black and white and done with puppets (reminiscent of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Thunderbirds</i>) so it’s safe to assume
the show is from the 1950’s (particularly since it is stated that the show’s
popularity waned because of the launch of Sputnik). We also know that the
show’s popularity, though intense, is short lived because it was cancelled on a
cliff hanger.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This makes
for a limited window of time in which Woody could have been manufactured and
sold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also means that Woody is around
50 years old at. Andy’s mother states that he is a family heirloom, so he has
to have had multiple owners yet he acts as though he doesn’t understand the
idea of the child getting older and growing out of him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has to have been handed down around 4
times. Does he not remember any of this? Why?</div>
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<b>#3: Where
does toy sentience begin and end?</b></div>
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Movie: All
of them</div>
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Scene: All
of them</div>
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This is the
big one and perhaps the most insane for someone to be thinking about. We have
seen multiple times that toys can be dismantled and remain sentient. Buzz loses
his arm and doesn’t display any kind of pain. Woody also loses an arm. Toys can
be broken and fixed without any real consequence to the toy’s “health” or
“life”. Where does it end? The only time that any of the toy’s display pain is
when Sid burns Woody with a magnifying glass and even then he’s able to remain
inanimate. This one instance seems to contradict established cannon.</div>
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In the first
film, Sid completely dismantles toys and puts them back together in different
ways and they remain alive. Is he creating a new toy? A new consciousness?
These are often made of different toys put together, which personality does
that “new toy” have? Is the consciousness in the head? In the end of the third
film when the toys are about to slide into the incinerator at the dump, they’ll
be turned to ash, but since the toys have been dismantled without dying or
displaying symptoms of pain it’s reasonable to assume that ash may still have
some kind of sentience… that is a horrifying thought. How does a toy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">die</i>?</div>
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Additionally
there is the question of where the consciousness <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">begins. </i>If I make a paper doll is that doll alive? Does the act of
drawing a face on paper make that face self aware? At what point during the
manufacturing process do the toys become living?</div>
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<b>#4:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woody can control the pull string talk box
that’s in him… when it’s convenient to the plot.</b></div>
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Movie: Toy
Story</div>
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Scene: Woody
and Buzz are attempting to sneak down a hallway in Sid’s house quietly when
Woody’s pull string gets caught on a piece of stair railing and activates the
talk box, alerting the dog to their presence. </div>
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Okay
basically just read the bit where I explained the scene right there. Why can’t
Woody just make the talk box stop? It’s demonstrated later on when the toys are
revolting against Sid that he has control over it whether the string is pulled
or not.</div>
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<b>#5: Why does Buzz go along with, what he interprets as, a pointless charade? </b></div>
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Movie: Toy
Story</div>
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Scene: Most
of the movie.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Why does
Buzz “play along” with the idea that he’s inanimate in front of Andy if he
believes that he is a space ranger? I mean, he believes that the fate of the entire universe relies on his getting off the planet quickly doesn't he?</div>
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<b>#6: Illogical plans for plot's sake. </b></div>
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Movie: Toy
Story 2</div>
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Scene: Whole
movie.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s
demonstrated in the first Toy Story that there’s really no adverse effects to
revealing their sentience to a human. Why can’t this same plan apply to Al of
Al’s Toy Barn in the second film? No one’s going to believe him and he’s alone
in that store. I mean I know that as far as plot is concerned this would be
repetitive but logically in the context of the film it would seem like it would
be the most logical plan for the toys.</div>
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<b>In
summation:</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Well there
you are. The observances of a crazy person with regards to the Toy Story
franchise. I hope that you have enjoyed this list and that you can continue to
enjoy these wonderful films despite my insanity.</div>
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Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-49722050906437580942012-07-25T13:14:00.000-07:002012-07-26T12:54:46.207-07:00The Return - MusicI've neglected this blog for quite some time. There's really not much reason for me to maintain it, I mean no one really reads it (apart from maybe Walters) but I've decided to give blogging another shot. I like to write and this is as good of an outlet as any for that love so I figure why not. Who care's if no one but a couple friends see it? I'll get some kind of satisfaction out of it.<br />
<br />
I figure that I might as well start my "return" with what I do best, or at least what I <i>love</i> to do best. Writing about music. I want to write about a few Michigan bands and musicians that I feel deserve more attention, even if it is just by me blogging about them. The word needs to be spread!<br />
<br />
<u><b>The Music: </b></u><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/fernandosolismusic">Fernando Solis:</a><br />
<br />
I'm going to come right out and say it: in my extremely humble opinion I believe that Fernando Solis is the resurrected spirit of Elliott Smith. The soft gentle tenor vocals, acoustic finger picking, careful harmonies, introspective lyrics. All of it is there... and it's terrifically executed. On top of that, Fernando doesn't just have a dedication to his music but to music as a genuine art form. It is both laudable and enviable.<br />
<br />
It's difficult for me to talk about music for too long without drifting into that Pitchfork area of pretentious over writing so I think that I'll leave my review of the music at that.<br />
<br />
Fernando Solis just recently released his EP, "Fernando" which you can get digitally on his <a href="http://fernandosolis.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a> or you can get a physical version, along with other merchandise, in his <a href="http://fernandosolis.bigcartel.com/products">webstore</a>. In addition to the record Fernando also co-wrote and stars in a short film that serves as a companion piece to the album. The film functions beautifully as a mate to the album. You can purchase a copy of that (which I highly recommend) <a href="http://carlartrecording.com/memories">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/JoryStultzMusic">Jory Stultz:</a><br />
<br />
It will probably seem disingenuous for me to write objectively about Jory Stultz's music because he is a pretty close friend of mine. But it is important to note, though, that I befriended Jory after I became a huge fan of his music. Seeing him play live still remains an almost religious experience for me. He bleeds sincerity and seeing him play songs like "Starshine Kids" and "The Lone Astronomer" seem to take me to another place.<br />
<br />
Jory has one of the single most unique voices that I have ever heard. I once read a description of a singer somewhere that referred to the singer's voice as a "guttural colossus" and that description is what comes to mind every time I hear Jory sing. Nothing feels more appropriate than that to me. His voice is one part rock, one part soul, and one part indie. The only thing I can think to compare him to is Daryl Palumbo's work with Head Automatica (with A LOT more soul), some David Bowie, and a <i>little bit</i> of Andrew McMahon of Something Corporate (although I may just be drawing that conclusion because they're both pianists) but I still think it's a sound comparison.<br />
<br />
The music is driven by piano as the primary instrument. It's very pretty and spacy underneath Jory's loud passionate vocals although he's not afraid to pound the keys when he needs to. He plays wherever he can and I HIGHLY recommend trying to catch a live show. He's releasing his debut EP in October and you can listen to or download the first single, "Starshine Kids", on his <a href="http://jorystultzmusic.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/commodorecosmos">Commodore Cosmos: </a><br />
<br />
Currently the only permanent member of Commodore Cosmos is lead singer and songwriter Jon Mickelson and every time I see him perform I fall more and more in love with his sound. Now, his style of music is a little bit difficult to describe since in blends so many other genres together and does it so coherently that what you're hearing feels so smart and fresh that finding a way to accurately pin it down is hard. He's described his music as "thought-pop" in the past and I think that's a really apt label. He blends elements of indie, punk, garage, avant-garde rock, and pop perfectly and beautifully. Thoughtful lyrics interlaced with that perfect blend make for a fantastic genre all it's own.<br />
<br />
He's recently finished recording a full length record and intends to release it soon so keep your ear to the ground. In the mean time he has 6 songs available on his <a href="http://commodorecosmos.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a> page in the form of two EP's that I recommend to you with the highest praise.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Note: </b></u><br />
<br />
I know that I ALWAYS write about music in this blog but I PROMISE you that a concentrated effort will me made in the next few entries to write about other things. Stay tuned.<br />
<br />
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<br />Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-90279129406077423282011-12-30T07:32:00.001-08:002011-12-30T07:59:42.478-08:00Top 11 Records of 2011 REBOOTWell film franchises are rebooting their titles left and right, so I thought I would "reboot" my top 11 records of 2011. I'm doing this for a couple reasons, the primary one being that, the more I actually thought about it, the more I did not agree with my last list. So here is the REAL top 11 of '11.<br /><br />1. The Swellers - <span style="font-style: italic;">Good For Me</span><br /><br />2. Empty Orchestra - <span style="font-style: italic;">One More Time, All Together Now</span><br /><br />3. The Horrible Crowes - <span style="font-style: italic;">Elsie</span><br /><br />4. Frank Turner - <span style="font-style: italic;">England Keep My Bones</span><br /><br />5. The Black Keys - <span style="font-style: italic;">El Camino</span><br /><br />6. Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers - <span style="font-style: italic;">On Being</span><br /><br />7. Foo Fighters - <span style="font-style: italic;">Wasting Light</span><br /><br />8. Heartsounds - <span style="font-style: italic;">Drifter</span><br /><br />9. Childish Gambino - <span style="font-style: italic;">Camp</span><br /><br />10. The Wonder Years - <span style="font-style: italic;">Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing</span><br /><br />11. Florence + The Machine -<span style="font-style: italic;"> Ceremonials</span>Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-9033156356558397492011-12-06T05:50:00.000-08:002011-12-06T06:37:24.180-08:00Top 11 Records of 2011Forget Top 10 lists... insert a Spinal Tap quote here because we are taking it to eleven!!! Top 11 in '11, friends, deal with it!<br /><br />1. The Swellers - Good For Me<br />2. Empty Orchestra - One More Time, All Together Now<br />3. The Horrible Crowes - Elsie<br />4. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones<br />5. Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers - On Being<br />6. Heartsounds - Drifter<br />7. The Wonder Years - Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing<br />8. Seth MacFarlane - Music Is Better Than Words<br />9. Josiah Leming - Another Life<br />10. Into It. Over It. - Proper<br />11. Dayplayer - Dayplayer EPTravis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-7975074294972248722011-11-15T06:24:00.001-08:002011-11-15T11:31:03.983-08:00Bands I'd Like to Hear More From In 2012<a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.facebook.com/trisorta"><span style="font-size:180%;">1. Trisorta:</span></a> This is a band from Flint that are unbelievably good. Some of the best three piece rock music you will ever hear on any level, be it local, national, indie, or major. These guys know melody, they know passion, they're some of the best musicians I've ever seen. Unfortunately their music is little more than a back burner thing for them. They're all family men, working me, etc. They don't really have aspirations or pressure to get anything together beyond playing some shows here and there.<br /><br />They DO however have a three song EP available for FREE (It's worth SOOOO much more) on their bandcamp so for the love of good music go to <a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;" href="http://trisorta.bandcamp.com/"><span style="font-size:130%;">http://trisorta.bandcamp.com</span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </span>and download the hell out of it. Tell a friend to download it. Where it out in your speakers. I'm hopeful that they'll get a full length or at least more songs recorded in 2012 but not necearily optimistic. I'm not sure how <span style="font-style: italic;">active</span> they are exactly. I know that Chris, their singer and guitarist, plays the occasional solo set around Flint. Maybe we could see some sort of EP out of that. Who knows. "Like" their Facebook page and write on their walls. Let them know you want more.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Likelihood: </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Slim to none</span></span><br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.facebook.com/Allcoy"><span style="font-size:180%;">2. Allcoy:</span></a> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">If you want to know more about this band then feel free to scroll down a bit and read the entire blog that I wrote about them. All that I can say is that after hearing the two new tunes they recorded with Nick Diener and their cover songs they released on </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><a href="http://allcoy.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">I am psyched to hear another record or EP from these guys and it's likely that we'll get something from them. They're very savvy with keeping new material out there and they take their music seriously.</span> </span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">In the mean time go get their full length "Loud Music For Quiet People" and their new two-song EP over on their Bandcamp page.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Likelihood: </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Almost certain</span></span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.facebook.com/TheRivalMusic"><span style="font-size:180%;">3. The Rival</span></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheRivalMusic"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">:</span></a> The Rival are probably one of my single favorite bands coming up in mid-michigan right now. Everything about them is incredible. They're a group of amazing musicians who works incredibly together, play off each other's strengths, and really REALLY rock. I described them once as a "punk rock White Stripes on meth" and I stand by that description. Their sound is definitely a bit of an homage to the various music of Jack White but their spin on it is all their own. A live show that will leave the most jaded asshole screaming for more and an energy that I haven't seen in a band in a very long time.<br /><br />All of that being said they have no merch and only word of mouth to spread their stuff. They've recorded a three song demo which you can download on their Facebook as well as a live in studio demo as well. I reccommend getting those and you can hear just a little bit of the pure energy and raw potential of what they can be. These guys NEED to get a proper EP or full length out! I'm practically salivating to hear ANYTHING from them.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Likelihood:</span></span> <span style="font-size:100%;">Decent</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/thepatientzeros"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >4. The Patient Zeros:</span></a> This one man band is the new project of Cj Kjolhede who formerly sang and wrote in Lansing folk rock band "Roll Over Radio". I haven't heard anything from him yet but anything he does is going to be great. Get in on it and show his facebook page some love.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Likelihood:</span> <span style="font-size:100%;">Almost certain</span>Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-78513855031725632942011-11-04T18:51:00.000-07:002011-11-04T19:09:12.636-07:00MusicSo I'm sitting here, thinking about my own music. I'm wondering if it's worth it. All my effort, money, emotional equity, what have you has been focused on my project <a href="http://www.BluffingTheGhosts.com">"Bluffing The Ghosts"</a> lately. I wonder whether or not I should really be doing any of this. I've achieved every goal I've ever had in music. I've made a CD that I'm proud enough of to sell online... iTunes, Amazon, Bigcartel, Bandcamp, all of that. Just trying to make enough to finish my full length. Why? Who cares besides me? The stupid EP's I'm recording in my home studio. It all feels pointless. Maybe everyone gets burnt out on themselves sometimes, I don't know. I'm just sick of the sound of my own voice.Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-64181014696738755322011-09-16T07:27:00.000-07:002011-09-16T09:19:19.192-07:00A Grab Bag of AwesomeIt's been forever since I've written anything on this blog. I've been focusing the majority of my free time on my latest musical project, Bluffing the Ghosts (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/bluffingtheghosts">http://www.facebook.com/bluffingtheghosts</a>) and the rest of my time has been dedicated to trying not to lose my mind raising my, newly independent and free spirited, 16 moth old.<br /><br />This entry (that 3 to people TOPS with read) is going to be a grab bag of random this and thats. I hope that you enjoy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1.) Michigan Music (of course):</span> I've been trying to go to more local shows in the last few months. It's something I did as a kid in high school that was a big part of who I was and music is still a big part of me but getting to shows that don't have friends of mine playing them has sort of fallen to the wayside with adulthood. There's nothing particularly wrong with that, growing up is growing up, but I <span style="font-style: italic;">like</span> seeing live local music and indie touring bands. I like supporting music in that way and it's fun and cathartic for me to be in that environment. I figure that despite being married and having a daughter, I'm still in my early 20's and I can still get out and have fun.<br /><br />Consequently I've been to about a dozen different shows in the last couple of months and seen probably around 30 to 40 different bands of all different kinds. It feels good to be soaking up Michigan music in this way again, I have to say, and it's a BIG part of why I decided to kick a new project into gear and maybe get on some of these shows. I've made some friends with bands and other regulars around the shows and I almost never have a bad time.<br /><br />There's nothing like drinking a couple of cheap beers and talking to the bands, shaking their hands, buying a CD from them and telling them you really loved their stuff and what they do. That's the beautiful thing about small scale music. There isn't a line between the artist and the fan. I know that it's been written about before but it's the truth. Being able to talk to the people you've watched play and tell them you liked what they do feels good and I've noticed that they usually feel good about it too. It always feels good to know someone likes and cares about what you're doing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.)</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Writing Songs and Recording: </span>With the development of my new project I've been doing a lot of playing, singing, recording, and writing lately and a funny thing has been happening. I've been <span style="font-style: italic;">liking</span> what I'm doing. I've always played because I love music and I love to write but I've never felt like I had any talent or anything to offer anyone but myself. The songs I'm recording now and the newer stuff I'm writing is turning out so well that I feel like there may actually be some people who like what I'm doing.<br /><br />As a result when I record I'm taking my time, teaching myself slowly and tediously to take multiple takes, not settle for anything less that what I'm sure is my best vocal and guitar take, teaching myself to add additional instrumentation like electric guitar, percussion, and keyboard... I feel like I'm actually doing something that isn't (pardon the crass expression) completely "artistic masturbation".<br /><br />I got into a studio with one of my personal musical idols, Nick Diener of my single favorite band of all time, The Swellers, and we recorded 4 different songs that I'm going to use for an EP. He's producing the songs as well as doing session work on them and adding additional instrumentation. I feel like this EP might turn out to be one of the finer things I've done artistically and I'm REALLY looking forward to releasing it to see how people react.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3.) Dieting:</span> This is more of a personal triumph that no one will probably find of much interest but since this blog is meant to be sort of a catch all for my random thoughts, ideas, and articles, I thought that I would mention it briefly. I'm nearing the end of my 8th week of dieting and and at last check (I weigh in once per week so that check was at the end of week 7) I had lost almost 20 pounds (19.6 pound to be exact). I need to get healthy. I don't care about being skinny, I just don't want to die... and being able to fit into clothes widely available at stores would be really awesome too.<br /><br />-Travis-Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-41037721656095247542011-07-01T07:30:00.000-07:002011-07-01T20:40:36.000-07:00Michigan Band That You Should Know About<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Note:</span> This is going to be a long one so strap in. There will be nice big headers and relatively short bits for easy skimming along with some embedded YouTube videos and pretty pictures to keep your attention along the way.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Pure Michigan Music: My Perceptions</span><br /><br />There are a lot of reasons to not be proud of Michigan... high unemployment, the top two</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> murder capitals of </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> America, Ted Nugent, etc. But remember that despite how bad things are (and how terrible of a human being Ted Nugent is) there's quite a lot in the mitten to be proud of. Faygo is delicious, we have some beautiful landscapes, we produced Barry Gordy and Motown, Koegels, and one of what is, in my opinion, the most unique music scenes in the count</span><span style="font-size:100%;">ry.<br /><br />Unlike states and cities with famous music scenes (New Jersey, Florida, Nashville, Washington D.C.) Michigan isn't really known for one genre (Florida has the punk rock and pop punk, New Jersey is one of the epicenters of emo, Nashville has country, and D.C. had the hardcore punk pioneers in the 1980's). Other than the "Motown sound" which was 50 years ago, we produce a wide range of artists. The White Stripes, The Swellers, Iggy Pop, Madona, Kid Rock, The Verve Pipe, Eminem, Chiodos, Andrew W.K. Some of the titans of the music industry have come from this state and you wouldn't put them on the same bill in a million years.<br /><br />I'm sure that most music fans are proud of their regional music scene as every state has one and every independent scene is like a fingerprint. I believe that Michigan and states like us are lucky to not be pigeonholed as the origin of a particular type of music because it allows all kinds of different bands and artists to exist and co-habitate.</span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Allcoy</span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>I've been a proud member of the Michigan scene for a long time now. Probably closing in on the 10 year mark at this point. Allcoy are a band that is made up of some top notch guys that have been here for longer than I have and I have followed them through various projects ever since.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EoNszoL3QhC-iFBjGD6qJkiDSpM3_tsQNuVnL0dGFpHM_FaHqQADbBcoCcDvXiCfp53bT3nF4HFVStR7AdcfFWImu2tV4jh21G0osD017aGqYZsenlIo150k_7p5x6KNzjs32R1kWUzs/s1600/100_3761.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6EoNszoL3QhC-iFBjGD6qJkiDSpM3_tsQNuVnL0dGFpHM_FaHqQADbBcoCcDvXiCfp53bT3nF4HFVStR7AdcfFWImu2tV4jh21G0osD017aGqYZsenlIo150k_7p5x6KNzjs32R1kWUzs/s320/100_3761.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624470852624189730" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">One of the first times I ever wandered in to The Flint Local 432, I saw Allcoy singer/guitarist Josh </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Augustine playing in a band called "For The Best". At the risk of potentially offending Josh (whom I consider a great guy and a friend) I am going to have to admit that I didn't <span style="font-style: italic;">love</span> For The Best's music. What drew m</span><span style="font-size:100%;">e to them was the fact that there was a lot of love and passion in the way they played and performed. There wa</span><span style="font-size:100%;">s something in there that I knew was real.<br /><br />Several years, recordings, and band names later Allcoy is what has risen from the ashes of several Michigan bands and the cream really does rise to the top. The line-up consists of three parts of former Michigan pop-punk band Radio Pirate DJ (that's actually not that many, considering RPDJ had somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred and forty members and line up changes). Guitarist Bryan Aldrich, drummer Drew Easton, and vocalist/guitarist Josh Augustine were all members of Radio Pirate DJ at one point or another. <span style="font-size:100%;">The line-up is rounded out with </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Anthony Palsgrove on the bass.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">The music that Allcoy makes can be described </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">quite easily; contemporary nostalgia grunge rock. I'm almost positive that I just made that up so I'm going to elaborate. Almost everything about Allcoy's sound screams "throwback" to me. They are a band who have somehow time traveled here from the 1990's.<br /><br />On the surface the most prominent vibe you get from Allcoy's debut record <span style="font-style: italic;">"Loud Music For Quiet People"</span> is one of angst filled grunge. This is impressive sonically but even <span style="font-size:100%;">more </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">impressive <span style="font-size:100%;">lyrically since, as veterans of independent music, it's surprising and refreshing that they can still manage convincing angst.<span style="font-size:100%;"> Among the fresh grunge sound (yeah I said </span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >fresh</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> grunge) is distinct echoes of the very beginnings of emo with tinges of The Promise Ring, Rites of Spring, and very early Get Up Kids.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgdx8JQ5c-GSZCn-lffd-s55QzPDWT69nk5QJDwHp71NcG_PwL37u5_YPn2yru_1x6GwtPt5GCGOCXnbWpYt5BehdG4NSn_7vtbI-zNy7GxYgaXWj66lQXmhc01hyphenhyphenRcj_wCqtBN2GXD-l/s1600/100_3757.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgdx8JQ5c-GSZCn-lffd-s55QzPDWT69nk5QJDwHp71NcG_PwL37u5_YPn2yru_1x6GwtPt5GCGOCXnbWpYt5BehdG4NSn_7vtbI-zNy7GxYgaXWj66lQXmhc01hyphenhyphenRcj_wCqtBN2GXD-l/s320/100_3757.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624471614088164162" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-size:100%;">The guitars are thick and distorted but with very clean leads and solos. The vocals are the strongest I've ever heard from Josh, ranging from soft verses to bellowing choruses. The bass is strong and distinct. The drumming is thunderous and spot on. Everything about Allcoy is a well oiled machine.<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Above all the nostalgia, and any comparisons or genre labels, is an incredible fresh rock sound. Allcoy are a contemporary rock and roll band that jaded scene veterans and the new generation of teenagers going to shows can both agree to love.</span><br /></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Links:<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:85%;" ><a href="http://www.purevolume.com/allcoy">Purevolume</a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/allcoy">MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/Allcoy">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://allcoy.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp</a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/allcoymusic">YouTube</a><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/allcoymusic">Twitter</a></span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Allcoy - Happy Ever After (Official Video)</span><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EZ4A4SgEb5U" allowfullscreen="" width="560" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe>Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-71432033198007714222011-05-16T08:45:00.000-07:002011-05-16T17:11:48.393-07:00One Day Song ChallengeA lot of my friends on FaceBook have been doing this 30 Day Song Challenge thing. I would like to do it too but frankly don't want to have another thing to remember every day for a month and I'm almost certain that none of my friends want one more person cluttering up their feed with YouTube links for a whole month. That's not to say I personally mind that my friends are doing it, I find it interesting, but some people might get annoyed by it and I try my best to care as much as possible about what other people think of me. This is a character flaw, but it's not one that seems to be going away anytime soon. All of that taken into account I decided to just do it all at once, here on my blog.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Day 01 - Your Favorite Song:</span> </span>I think that everyone who's done this has pretty much agreed that this question is next to impossible to answer. I too find it extremely different to narrow down a single favorite song. I'm going to go with this one because I like it quite a lot.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Frank Turner - I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c21SfaAwBw0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c21SfaAwBw0</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 02 - Your Least Favorite Song:</span> This is a lot easier since there isn't a whole lot of music that I dislike totally and completely.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Insane Clown Posse - Miracles</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-agl0pOQfs">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-agl0pOQfs</a><br /><br />(It is important to note that I <span style="font-style: italic;">insist</span> on writing out their <span style="font-style: italic;">entire</span> name and not abbreviate it because the stupidity of it needs to be driven home as often as possible.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 03 - A Song That Makes You Happy:</span><span style="font-size:180%;"> </span> A lot of music and a lot of songs make me happy but lately this one's been doing it for a lot of different reasons. First off, it's important to note that I've been a fan of Hanson for a lot of years (they are literally my second favorite band of all time) and the fact that this song recently made it to number 1 on Vh-1's video countdown is awesome. They'll never have another hit as big as their first single but I'm glad that people are being reminded that they're still around and moreover the throwback motown sound, soulful groove, and insanely fun vibe are making a lot of people reconsider the unfounded hatred they felt toward them 14 years ago simply because their single over-saturated the market.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hanson - Give A Little</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56VPiS8dPDE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56VPiS8dPDE</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Day 04 - A Song That Makes You Sad:</span> </span>A dead serious song by a joke rapper tucked in the middle of a record called "This Gigantic Robot Kills" could pontentially bring an album like that to a screeching hault... but it's just so sincere. Heartfelt lyrics about a real person, gorgeous chorus, beautiful melody, and a really sad story. It's a eulogy of sorts for a friend who committed suicide. It's a sad song about a sad event but it's still somehow hopeful. To me it's sort of like grief embodied in a song: sadness, anger, regret, and a glimmer of hope in the end.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">MC Lars - Twenty-Three<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpQ3q6PE6Ls">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpQ3q6PE6Ls</a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 05 - A Song That Reminds You of Someone:</span> I thought about this one for a bit. There are a few potential answers but everything I thought of besides this one was either WAY too corny, despite being true, or by Hanson and I don't want to start repeating myself this early in the list. This song reminds me of my good friend<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Zach Irwin</span> and if you know him, you probably know why.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ani Difranco - Not A Pretty Girl<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5tDzgAnmmw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5tDzgAnmmw</a><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 06 - A Song That Reminds You of Somewhere:</span> I saw this band years ago at The Flint Local 432. Ever since then this song has reminded me of that night and that place more than any other. I'm not sure why this song chose to become the soundtrack to my memories of the Local more than any of the other hundreds of groups I saw there. They're not even from Michigan, heh.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Scout - All I Want is You</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p3-pNZp02Q">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p3-pNZp02Q</a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 07 - A Song That Reminds You of a Certain Event:</span> Loren walked down the isle to this at our wedding. A friend of Jaren's that had spent the night before sat on the deck and made sure the CD player (which only sometimes worked) didn't decide to stop it's self.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yanni - In the Morning Light</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPDqALFLjZI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPDqALFLjZI</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">D</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >ay 08 - A Song That You Know All the Words To:</span> Well this could apply to any song by The Swellers and most by Hanson but I'll throw a curve ball.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">P.O.D - The Youth of the Nation<br /></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDKwCvD56kw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDKwCvD56kw</a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Day 09 - A Song That You Can Dance To:</span> </span>I can't dance at all but I like to try to dance to this song. Classic powerpop and the single least offensive pop vocalist to ever exist had a love child to make this band and song.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Parachute - She (For Liz)</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5zQRnVwHsY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5zQRnVwHsY</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 10 - A Song That Makes You Fall Asleep:</span> Even playing and singing this song makes me tired. That seems like an insult or like I'm saying it's boring... I prefer to think of it as relaxing as opposed to boring.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bright Eyes - Lua</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aZh261KZWI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aZh261KZWI</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 11 - A Song From Your Favorite Band:</span> Not my absolute favorite song from them but it has a cool video.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Swellers - Fire Away</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhc6_BTWFjY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhc6_BTWFjY</a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 12 - A Song From a Band You Hate:</span> I already used The Insane Clown Posse so I'll go with another one here. Like I said previously, I don't hate much music so it's a small pool to draw from.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Creed - With Arms Wide Open</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99j0zLuNhi8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99j0zLuNhi8</a><br /><br />(Please note that my hatred of Creed has very little to do with them <span style="font-style: italic;">sonically</span> it's more the whole aesthetic. I find everything about them boring as hell, all of their songs sound basically the same, that one song isn't very innovative, and the list goes on. I might be able to forgive those flaws if they weren't also horrible lyricists (this song and video in particular is potentially the corniest thing anyone has ever put to tape.) and I'm fairly certain that Scott Stapp dresses himself from the "I'm A Tool" handbook exclusively.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 13 - A Song That Is a Guilty Pleasure:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>It's a bit hard to say what exactly a guilty pleasure for me would be because I'm not ashamed of anything that I like. It's the one area of my life where I'm am completely and totally comfortable with and I don't care what anyone thinks. Anything that I like and listen to is something that I'm more than willing and able to defend in an open debate with eloquence. I'll go with this though since I have to say <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Justin Bieber - One Time<br /></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHVhwcOg6y8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHVhwcOg6y8</a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span>I love that little bastard.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 14 - A Song That No One Would Expect You to Love:</span> Hahahaha. I don't thing anyone who knows me would be surprised by anything I said I liked unless I suddenly declared myself a fan of The Insane Clown Posse but I assume the question is asking for a song that I <span style="font-style: italic;">actually do</span> love that no one would expect. Hmmm... I guess I'll go with this.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tupac - Thugz Mansion</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN9efn6dxD4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN9efn6dxD4</a><br /><br />(I like the album version too but the laid back vibe of the acoustic remix fits my mood more at the moment)<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 15 - A Song That Describes You: </span>Before I started this little project I set a small rule for myself. <span style="font-style: italic;">No using songs that I wrote</span>. Simple enough. Let it be known, I did NOT write this song. It <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> written about me though so I don't think I can say that any other song quite describes me as well as this one does as far as songs by other people go. Hah.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Swellers - Travis Valentine's Day<br /></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irft7BhmX6Y">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irft7BhmX6Y</a><br /><br />(Please note: Someone else that I don't know already uploaded this)<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 16 - A Song That You Used to Love But Now Hate:</span> I wouldn't say that I <span style="font-style: italic;">hate </span>it exactly, it's still objectively a great song, but GOD am I sick of it. When "Sex on Fire" first hit I was happy to see them finally getting some recognition and then this song hit and it was everywhere. I don't even listen to the radio and I managed to hear it a dozen times a day. The loud speaker at the department store, commercials, the video on TV, people covering it on YouTube. It got old.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Kings of Leon - Use Somebody</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnhXHvRoUd0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnhXHvRoUd0</a><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 17 - A Song That You Hear Often On the Radio:</span> I don't actively listen to the radio. I'm seriously not saying that to sound like a hipster. It's not that I don't listen to the radio because I hate mainstream music and can only be satisfied by the hip underground. I don't listen to the radio because I have 34,164 songs on my iPod, 1,061 CD, 36 vinyl records, and 25 cassette tapes. I really don't <span style="font-style: italic;">need</span> the radio. The internet does a fine job of introducing me to new music and I have plenty that I know I like at my fingertips. There have, however, been a hand full of occasions where I've jumped in the car without my iPod to go to the corner store and have listened to the radio and the one song that I somehow managed to hear every single time I did that was this.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Dirty Heads - Lay Me Down (Feat. Rome)</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnuEOYK1Kps">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnuEOYK1Kps</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Day 18 - A Song That You Wish You Heard On the Radio:</span> </span>Seriously, is the radio really an indicator of success anymore? Am I the only person that owns an iPod? Whatever, I guess I'll just answer.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Swellers - The Best I Ever Had</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NZevVU8ODU&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NZevVU8ODU&feature=related</a><br /><br />I want them to be the biggest band in the universe.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 19 - A Song From Your Favorite Album:</span> I seriously don't <span style="font-style: italic;">want</span> to keep posting Swellers songs but these questions aren't giving me a lot of choice in the matter.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Swellers - Ups and Downsizing</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK_17qaOhBs">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK_17qaOhBs</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 20 - A Song That You Listen to When You’re Angry:</span> Listen to this song and try to be angry. I dare you. It's the cure for anger.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">LFO - Summer Girls</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHuGG_FsC20">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHuGG_FsC20</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 21 - A Song That You Listen to When You’re Happy: </span>What the hell kind of question is that? I think whoever made this was running out of ideas. I listen to a lot of things when I'm happy. I guess... I tend to listen to this song A LOT when I've been drinking and I'm a happy drunk... seriously like a thousand of those 18 million views are probably from me when I was drunk.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Sam Tsui & Kurt Schneider - Love the Way You Lie MASHUP</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkHJ2-zoSB4&feature=channel_video_title">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkHJ2-zoSB4&feature=channel_video_title</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 22 - A Song That You Listen to When You’re Sad:</span> I know that listening to a sad song when you're sad seems weird... or maybe not, I don't know. At any rate I like to listen to this song when I'm sad.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bruce Springsteen - The River</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAB4vOkL6cE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAB4vOkL6cE</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 23 - A Song That You Want to Play at Your Wedding:</span> Well I <span style="font-style: italic;">did</span> play this song at my wedding... does that count?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bon Jovi - Always</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BMwcO6_hyA">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BMwcO6_hyA</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 24 - A Song That You Want to Play at Your Funeral:</span> Well that's morbid... I guess this one. It's always reminded me of myself. Particularly the lyrics <span style="font-style: italic;">"He's the kind of guy you wish would just leave, he wears his heart on his sleeve" </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">"He doesn't wait, he just goes,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> Out of control"</span> plus a couple others. Bonus: it's actually about a funeral.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Socratic - Funeral Masses </span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x001hU1UP1Y">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x001hU1UP1Y</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Day 25 - A Song That Makes You Laugh:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>It's not as blatantly funny as his early material (it's actually pretty angry) but he is a comic that uses music and this is my favorite. It makes me laugh.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bo Burnham - Rant</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hCQLEIWadk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hCQLEIWadk</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 26 - A Song That You Can Play On An Instrument:</span> I can play a bunch of songs on an instrument. I'll go with this.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Joseph Arthur - In the Sun</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuzjgN2y4Is">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuzjgN2y4Is</a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 27 - A Song That You Wish You Could Play:</span> That is a very long list. I guess I would have to go with this one. Everything about it is perfect to me. I wish that I could play that guitar part and solo. The clean toned throwback bluesy strat sound (that's a lot of adjectives). I also wish I could play the piano part. It's really poppy and has a powerful hook to it but it also has a really classical feeling. I wish I could sing that way too. John Francis Daley has a really strong pop tenor but there's a lot of soul too. Everything about this song is perfect to me and I wish I could play or write a song half as good. By they way, yes that is John Francis Daley, actor in such TV shows as <span style="font-style: italic;">Freaks and Geeks</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Bones</span> and films such as the Ryan Reynolds vehicle <span style="font-style: italic;">Waiting</span> and other things that didn't do as well on vocals and piano. But hey! <span style="font-style: italic;">Bones</span> is doing great and people love <span style="font-style: italic;">Freaks and Geeks</span> in retrospect. I'm a big fan of his.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Dayplayer - Peak</span><br /><br /><div><embed style="display: inline;" quality="high" wmode="transparent" id="FlashDiv" flashvars="songId=79997929&pid=5138292970671301648" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.myspace.com/music/song-embed?songid=79997929&getSwf=true" width="400" height="77"></embed><p>Find more artists like <a target="_blank" href="http://www.myspace.com/dayplayer/music">Dayplayer</a> at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.myspace.com/music"> Myspace Music </a></p></div><br />(I absolutely could not find a YouTube video for it and Windows Movie Maker was being EXTREMELY uncooperative in helping to make my own.)<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 28 - A Song That Makes You Feel Guilty:</span> I'll go with this. White people, it should make you feel guilty too.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Macklemore - White Privilege</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp_lW7yYgiM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp_lW7yYgiM</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Day 29 - A Song From Your Childhood:</span> </span>It has all of the halmarks of a great 90's ballad: electric piano, black guy that sings like a white guy, more than a little corny. The perfect storm of 90's songs.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Blessid Union of Souls - I Believe</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_eAzaTquN8">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_eAzaTquN8</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 30 - Your Favorite Song At This Time Last Year:</span> Jeezis, now I <span style="font-style: italic;">know</span> whoever made this thing ran out of ideas. Let's see... this time last year was when my daughter was born... okay upon Googling it I just discovered that May of 2010 was when the Nashville flood happened and I remember that was right about the time I discovered this. This gentleman is an actor who does the voice of the kid on Fox's animated comedy <span style="font-style: italic;">American Dad</span> and was also apparently on ER for six years.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Scott Grimes - Hide</span><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8j6PTdKQzU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8j6PTdKQzU</a>Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-58317577994753038662011-01-06T15:04:00.001-08:002011-01-13T06:08:09.741-08:00Doing This Brian StyleToday's blog will be brought to you in the trade mark <a href="http://bamobituaries.blogspot.com/">Brian Buckley</a> style of a random bulleted list.<br /><br /><ul><li>My brother-in-law got Loren and I an iPod touch for Christmas (primarily to use as a simple way to video chat with him Colorado) but I downloaded Tetris for it. I have since become clinically addicted to Tetris. Moreover I've discovered that I am very good at it. Why are all of my skills completely useless?</li><li>Music I've been listening to lately: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/LaurenOC12">Lauren O'Connel</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The White Stripes</span>, and some old <span style="font-style: italic;">Scout</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Tsunami Bomb</span> records I haven't touched in years.</li><li>Lyric is on the precipice of crawling. All of the pieces are there, she just can't seem to put them together in the right order. She gets up on her hands and knees and lunges forward with her legs, makes it a few inches, pushes up again and repeats. She can army crawl and role like there's no tomorrow. Also sometimes she pushes up without touching her knees or calves to the floor... just her feet and hands, forming a sort of triangle. In this position she sort of leans forward trying to make herself go. Like I said, all the pieces are there, she just can't figure out what order to put them in.</li><li> Also new to Lyric's list of talents and abilities is clapping. She loves to clap which is nice since I can just pretend that she's applauding everything I do. Also on the list is a new face. We call it her angry face because when she's cranky or upset she'll scrunch up her nose and lips and snort in and out through her nose really loudly like a bull. I think it has the opposite effect of what she intends it to because it's just adorable.</li><li>I've spent the last two Sunday evenings at a bar in my hometown of Davison called Mo Joe's doing karaoke and drinking with my best friend Michael Walters. I seriously wish that I could do karaoke every single weekend, I don't even need the beer, just the karaoke. I may not be a good singer by any stretch of the imagination but I love to sing. Sitting and watching people doing their songs and getting up there myself is better than therapy or medication. Also the bar has the best wings I've ever eaten.</li><li>In a blog a while back I wrote that I was close to recording and finally putting together an album. That has yet to happen what with the baby and lack of motivation but I'm giving some serious thought to maybe picking up the guitar again and getting something down before I'm too old and jaded to care. Who knows.</li><li>I'm an extremely sarcastic and often cynical person. It's my way of coping with life, which often gets to be too much for me just because of the way that I'm wired. I'm often very self deprecating and I tend to make fun of my own friends sarcastically. Most people close to me know that I'm joking and the subject matter is usually so outlandish that they know there's no possible way it could be in earnest but occasionally my jokes hit a sore spot and I've gotten into some pretty big fights over it. I'm not a mean person. I just deal with things in the way that comes easiest to me. If I have ever offended anyone with something I've said sarcastically I am truly sorry but I'm not going to change who I am. If what I'm saying is bothering you, say something and I'll stop. This has been a public service announcement.<br /></li></ul>Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-70845531531871181392011-01-05T05:33:00.000-08:002011-01-05T13:04:51.043-08:00This Is the New YearIt's officially 2011 and everyone's making their new year's resolutions. I've already been plugging away at a diet for about 5 weeks now so I guess I could throw that on there. I', resolved to start being a better person all around (grades, parenting, cooking, cleaning) but that's pretty much a standing resolution, I think if we ever stop plugging at that one there's a problem.<br /><br />I guess if I'm going to come up with something original for the new year it's going to be: Blog more (because people need and want to know my thoughts, dammit), make time to hit the gym a couple times a week, spend less money, read more (I keep an Excel spreadsheet of all of the books I have to read and it's getting ridiculous, especially since I got some more for Christmas) , and try to get some order back in my thoughts and life. I feel better when things are in order. It's a disease and a gift at the same time.<br /><br />Those are some of my superficial and non-superficial goals for 2011. It's going to be a good year. 2010 wasn't bad (my daughter was born so it was sort of a banner year) but I have a really good feeling about 2011.<br /><br />Things I'm looking forward to in 2011:<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >1. Green Lantern:</span> I have high hopes for this movie. Don't get me wrong, I really like Ryan Reynolds a lot, but I was skeptical about his casting. He's known for being more of a comedic actor, even in his action roles, and the character of Hal Jordan is a staunch, military man. From what I've seen of the trailer it doesn't look like he's playing the character as Hal Jordan, what he's playing is Kyle Rainer (geeks will understand this). I think it really is a toss up, I'm not a huge fan of the Green Lantern mythos because it all tends to be very cosmic and I'm more a fan of street level super heroes but I've read enough and I know enough to know what I'm talking about. I think if they do it right and build enough of a story around the character Reynolds is playing, I will definitely like it as will most average, non-comic book readers, but I have a feeling the Green Lantern fans and purists aren't going to like it.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >2. New Swellers Album:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span>The Swellers announced fairly recently that they will be releasing a new record in 2011. Nick and Jonathon are good friends of mine but moreover they are and always will be my favorite band. I am EXTREMELY excited.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >3. New Blink-182 Album:</span> There was a time when I would have apologized for being a Blink fan but that time isn't now. I'm an adult and I'm too old to give a shit about labels and cliches in the music community. I like what I like and I have a wide pallet when it comes to that. Word is that the first album since 2003 (and since their reunion) is going to drop this Summer and I'm excited to hear it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >4. X-Men: First Class:</span> Okay, now as far as movies go <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men Origins: Wolverine</span> was a solid C+ in my opinion. It was a bit of a mish mash of various things and more than a little hackneyed but it was fun. <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Men III: The Last Stand</span> was a fucking train wreck for fans of the comic. It took 20 years of comics, bits and pieces of this and that, and mashed it together into one mess of a movie and Brett Ratner should be ashamed of himself. I have a feeling that X-Men: First Class will be more in the vein of the former. I'm expecting a lot of fun but I have my expectations low on substance. There are two things that are a light in the tunnel of hope for this with me and they are: Matthew Vaughn and James McAvoy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >5. Captain America: The First Avenger:</span> Pretty much everything I said about Green Lantern applies to this movie as well. Seriously, just read that and substitute Chris Evans for Ryan Reynolds and Captain America for Green Lantern.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">6. Cowboys and Aliens</span>:</span> Are you picking up the theme yet? I am a fan of comic books and graphic novels and this is going to be a big year for them. As for this one I have two words: John Favreau. He has proven that he knows what he's doing in this area and I'm going to put my faith in him. I have a bad feeling it's going to tank though.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >7. Thor:</span> I'm on the fence with this as to what to expect. I just hope they find away to minimize the Thor-speak.<span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II:</span> Ten years, some of the greatest pieces of contemporary fiction that exist, and a 12 year old boy inside me that Can. Not. Wait.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >9. I Am Number Four:</span> I'm curious.<br /><br />Now I know that this is essentially a rhetorical question since very few people actually read my blog but after all that self indulgence I feel obligated to ask: What are your resolutions and what cultural events are you looking forward to in 2011?Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-87796114916252671292010-12-23T19:40:00.000-08:002010-12-23T19:56:49.275-08:00My Top Albums of 2010These are my favorite albums of 2010. I have a passion for a few genres but I'm extremely eclectic in my tastes so if you want a list of the hippest records that came out this year check Pitchfork or something. Mine is going to be all over the place. They are in order.<br /><br />1. Hanson - Shout it Out<br />2. Kate Nash - My Best Friend is You<br />3. Gaslight Anthem - American Slang<br />4. Tim Barry - 28th and Stonewall<br />5. Danielle Ate the Sandwich - Two Bedroom Apartment<br />6. Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - God Willin' and the Creek Won't Rise<br />7. Backseat Goodby - The Good Years<br />8. Otem Relik - Elephant Graveyard<br />9. Micah Schabel - When the Stage Lights Go Dim<br />10. The Rocket Summer - Of Men and Angels<br /><br />Honorable Mentions:<br /><br />Crystal Bowersox - Farmer's Daughter<br />Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer<br />Syndicate - The Line Starts Here<br />Rooney - Eureka<br />The 88 - The 88Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-9415756792398133712010-10-12T07:09:00.000-07:002010-10-12T09:12:06.534-07:00My Mom and HalloweenI've never been big into Halloween. I was a very bookish kid and I was definitely never the type of boy who liked snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails, so to speak. I didn't like getting messy, "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" gave me night terrors, and anything remotely related to horror made me nauseous (I'm not joking).<br /><br />When Halloween season came around I took to the more light-hearted, cartoonish side to it. My mom was a certified genius when it came to costume making. One year I went as Johnny 5 from the movie "Short Circut" and she managed to pull this off. She made the large metal tread-like wheels for my legs from the lids to copy paper boxes and glued HUNDREDS of popsicle sticks to them for the "treads" one at a time. Having to buy a costume was like admitting defeat for her. I only ever remember wearing one store bought costume in my whole childhood and it was as a Power Ranger in the first grade.<br /><br />Other things I went as include a gay space man (it was a character that I invented and she brought to life in and EXTREMELY flamboyant, bedazzled fashion), Superman (which she bought a Superman costume JUST to cut the emblem off of it so she could put it on her home made outfit made of sweat clothes and quality fabrics so I wouldn't have to wear a coat over my costume, per my request), Ash Ketchum from Pokemon (this was rather boring for her but she made my brother Picachu) and finally a computer. Yes, an entire computer.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSwKE0rYNic1Zdqy4GSb8oMxFOnX-OLhvklojVkzK0ooCxHO8ykkM0tPpczP-WYRwusmIcjAwjuxecn-thXRRlmYrKqKkLUHpRL9guQqdXxOk_DxUQsewLoTs1y7ymzsl-fzCdGM7utgS/s1600/gay+spaceman.bmp"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 315px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUSwKE0rYNic1Zdqy4GSb8oMxFOnX-OLhvklojVkzK0ooCxHO8ykkM0tPpczP-WYRwusmIcjAwjuxecn-thXRRlmYrKqKkLUHpRL9guQqdXxOk_DxUQsewLoTs1y7ymzsl-fzCdGM7utgS/s320/gay+spaceman.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527167996944821986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Gay Spaceman<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dowl rods in the spangly gold cape to make it extend like wings when I lifted it, a modified and bedazzled Robo-Cop helmet, and (you can't really tell from the photo) gold, bedazzled boots.<br /><br />Then there was the computer. The mother of all Halloween costumes to ever be created. I went to my mother and told her that I wanted to be a computer for Halloween and without questions she created this.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPpk_vq8FJopaytPF-QfHn1dr0uPJoeBQnniyD6JMhHvHSYyiCmEMqo_nif80MhfnbGqmJWMKAcUP_maz46S7bEv1DarL6vEl7Pki_gEbzZome92GGei_T0b7WsoZegFDa1Sw_BDG238O/s1600/Computer.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 412px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPpk_vq8FJopaytPF-QfHn1dr0uPJoeBQnniyD6JMhHvHSYyiCmEMqo_nif80MhfnbGqmJWMKAcUP_maz46S7bEv1DarL6vEl7Pki_gEbzZome92GGei_T0b7WsoZegFDa1Sw_BDG238O/s320/Computer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527169183037323842" border="0" /></a>That is a REAL mouse Velcroed to the side of the apparatus and a REAL keyboard sticking out of the front. This all would probably have been fine but she did not stop there. What you can't really tell from this photo is that those colorful "CPU" lights in the front have actual, working lights in them. My mother started by buying a set of battery powered, decorative Halloween lights from the dollar store. It was a short string of Christmas-style lights with small plastic pumpkins over the bulbs, attached to a small battery pack. I suppose it was probably designed to put on an office desk or in a window. Mom pulled the pumpkins off of each bulb and fastened the string inside the large box behind colored cellophane. She taped the battery pack with the switch on it inside the box by the bottom where I could turn it on and off with my hand. In short, she wired it so that my chest actually lit up while I was trick-or-treating.<br /><br />The point of these anecdotes is this: my mom worked full time, every day. She's damn good at her job and has done it for a lot of years. Her work didn't always stop the second her key hit the door either, she spent a lot of nights working from home after a day of working in the office. She never stopped being incredible at her job but that NEVER stopped her from being an amazing mom.<br /><br />My mom never missed a sporting event I was in, she led my den in cub scouts, we went camping and on family vacations, I never wanted for a single thing in my whole life, and believe me, I wasn't always the greatest kid in the world. I was sick as a kid, and it made me a wholly terror a lot of the time.<br /><br />There are a lot of stay at home moms and even certain organizations who think that if a woman works, she can't be a real parent to her children. To those people I have to say, quite frankly... suck it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO TRACY VALENTINE<br /></div>Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-30935986048719875672010-10-05T11:52:00.000-07:002010-10-05T12:13:18.939-07:00Camping in RoscommonThis past weekend, my wife and I went on a wonderful weekend camping trip to Roscommon, MI where we went kayaking, walking, roasted marshmallows, drank rum and beer by a warm fire, and slept in a tiny cabin watching DVD's on a portable player.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgXAOWpPwmvZRjV5Ps22V4Wx8d4AN8yCQaZX3Ssfoc8f9UszAXkxhghdlV4ur0RJ24oIJC1zD9Sx0mLqi2hPg944oPAl_YIjULrBJh_5ty1EaXgGColqZaiSdcjP5yvc_PKg6cMXqznGj/s1600/100_2252.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgXAOWpPwmvZRjV5Ps22V4Wx8d4AN8yCQaZX3Ssfoc8f9UszAXkxhghdlV4ur0RJ24oIJC1zD9Sx0mLqi2hPg944oPAl_YIjULrBJh_5ty1EaXgGColqZaiSdcjP5yvc_PKg6cMXqznGj/s320/100_2252.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524638234003703362" border="0" /></a>Neither of us had ever been kayaking before, apart from Loren when she was about 9, so it was an adventure to say the least. We dressed in multiple layers and took it slow and we both managed to have a really great time.<br /><br />Loren even managed to have a great time despite the fact that she was consumed with fear about tipping over and drowning in the 3 feet of water at any moment.<br /><br />The trees in that part of the state where at their peak for color changing and the scenes we saw were immaculate and picturesque. Beautiful explosions of golden leaves everywhere you looked with perfectly constructed houses perched along side the river peering down over it. We saw ducks and deer and felt the cold water rush past our kayak and it was paradise to me.<br /><br />We came back to our campground an<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJlTUkHHot7nIYOelVZdxH3F8intWFlhdhIffhRvQmlfATMPx-YGLgVnyBm4moee91RG2ThJvcV_ZAdCaH7_-Pu_aO-XLqClkiN53BeSlzVDfHBx5Z9WfOLiSfheuUK3CGJSv7FpaP4nv/s1600/100_2258.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJlTUkHHot7nIYOelVZdxH3F8intWFlhdhIffhRvQmlfATMPx-YGLgVnyBm4moee91RG2ThJvcV_ZAdCaH7_-Pu_aO-XLqClkiN53BeSlzVDfHBx5Z9WfOLiSfheuUK3CGJSv7FpaP4nv/s320/100_2258.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524640446924074274" border="0" /></a>d had a campfire where we roasted marshmallows, made smores, drank beer and rum, and laughed together as the sun set over the Au Sable. It was gorgeous. We ate lunch that day as a diner in town called "Angel's Place" that served some of the most amazing home cooked food I've ever eaten and for dinner I had a steak at Fred's, a restaurant slash bowling alley that was amazing.<br /><br />After all this we piled into our tiny heated cabin where we played board games and watched movies on a portable player until we drifted off. Best weekend that I have had in quite some time. I know that it's only been 4 months of fatherhood but I still feel like a break to remind me why I married the woman I love is important. Something to break up the day to day of cleaning, cooking, homework, diapers, crying. This is DEFINITELY something that we will be doing again, most certainly with Lyric when she's old enough to come along.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrHQe1vzylp9J1UXQm3zQlTTOmU1E6tBfGaoIOUsjSDJi5AZH0OVjYBy88VcqQbBTm9pYp8T04G3B1xAtI4nFLNARmk9aewxd4daT9osQNGtoXD81uyvyXQsjZcI-7o781O9SX4_FmyA9/s1600/100_2297.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrHQe1vzylp9J1UXQm3zQlTTOmU1E6tBfGaoIOUsjSDJi5AZH0OVjYBy88VcqQbBTm9pYp8T04G3B1xAtI4nFLNARmk9aewxd4daT9osQNGtoXD81uyvyXQsjZcI-7o781O9SX4_FmyA9/s320/100_2297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524642004563334690" border="0" /></a>Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-51563571181181465822010-08-27T22:09:00.000-07:002010-08-27T22:24:43.887-07:00Dust Covered Soul - Love.Angel.Music<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagALgG0qfzhJVxggtsnyshuoJ3UNqtplgC8D1_7iP1fIBrmP739KPGHOfQiEvg2mFzpa_SdDRU1050WHxIu9VBrCXfPnpzj7rIjdALknJd-_MUV4Y8sEGHlYArce08ZcrXQqqECBUMLdi/s1600/Dust+Covered+Soul+-+Love+Angel+Music+II.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagALgG0qfzhJVxggtsnyshuoJ3UNqtplgC8D1_7iP1fIBrmP739KPGHOfQiEvg2mFzpa_SdDRU1050WHxIu9VBrCXfPnpzj7rIjdALknJd-_MUV4Y8sEGHlYArce08ZcrXQqqECBUMLdi/s320/Dust+Covered+Soul+-+Love+Angel+Music+II.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510323637200527474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This is the final album art and title for the album I'm working on that WILL be done in the next hand full of months. I've recorded and re-recorded and re-envisioned a complete record that I'm going to press and distribute to the 5 or 6 interested parties for years now and I'm finally at a place creatively and I finally have the right view of the finish line along with the right songs to do this. I sound very pretentious right now but this has been a long time coming. I guess you could say I'm in the pre-production phase of things, getting the songs and the concept down at this point.<br /><br />I've decided to go with the band name "Dust Covered Soul" that I came up with five years ago before deciding to just use my name because it won't be just me on this record. The album will have a song co-written and produced by Eric Quimby featuring his guest vocals and the other songs are going to feature my good friend and multi-instrumentalist Bryce Berry backing me up on a handful of instruments ranging from cello to piano to vocals.<br /><br />The art is hand drawn and touched up in Photoshop. Over the years I have made literally dozens of potential album covers with several potential titles (<span style="font-style: italic;">My Legacy, Courting Disaster, Flannel & Folk Songs, Doing Just Fine</span> to name a few) and I'm sick of using the same old filters and ideas over and over. I wanted to use a title and art work that came from a very <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">organic</span> place because that's where I feel like my songs come from. They have their flaws, because I have a lot of flaws musically, but I like to think that's part of my charm.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/DustCoveredSoul">YouTube</a><br /><a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Travis-Valentine/105938102770670">FaceBook</a><br /><a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.myspace.com/DustCoveredSoul">MySpace</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.myspace.com/DustCoveredSoul" target="_blank" title="http://www.myspace.com/DustCoveredSoul" rel="nofollow" dir="ltr"></a></span>Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-27118901797336491652010-08-26T09:06:00.000-07:002010-08-26T17:32:14.986-07:00Music Under the RadarThis will be the first blog of my new idea "Music Under the Radar" It's just me talking about a few groups or artists that I think aren't getting as much acclaim and recognition as they deserve, or at least artists I feel compelled to spread the word about. You may have heard of them and if you have, spread the word, if you haven't, at least give them a try. There are plenty of options for hearing a few tracks before investing in a whole record in the age of computers.<br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.danielleatethesandwich.net/"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span>1.) Danielle Ate The Sandwich:</span></span></a><span style="font-size:100%;"> DATS is a solo project of Danielle Anderson, a twenty-something from Fort Collins, Colorado who plays an old school folk way beyond her years. Her voice is a gorgeous soprano </span>with serious jazz tendencies that fills you up like the warmth of that first sip of a perfect cup of coffee. The songs are soft folk tunes with jazz, pop, and old school rock thrown in making for a truly perfect and unique throwback indie sound. She favors the ukulele as the main rhythm instrument although there are plenty of songs with guitar and on her newest record (<a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/two-bedroom-apartment/id375635172">Two Bedroom Apartment</a>) there is a lot of warm bass holding the rhythm on it's perfect course. She has three albums for sale on her website and they are all filled with her beautiful brand of indie folk. Having already told you about the ukulele it probably won't surprise anyone that a large chunk of her fan base comes from here <a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/daniellesmagic">YouTube videos</a> (as YouTube and the ukulele seem to go together quite nicely) and for those of you looking to get a taste of what she is about, I highly recommend going there and watching her wide array of videos ranging from covers to originals.<br /><a href="http://www.raylamontagne.com/"><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.) Ray Lamontagne:</span></span></a> Probably the least "under the radar" of all the artists on this list but still nowhere near as big as I feel he should be. Lamontagne is never going to be a pop superstar, his music isn't like that, but he definitely has a certain appeal that should and could be enjoyed by almost anyone. I fell in love with his music after hearing the song <span style="font-style: italic;">Trouble</span> from his album of the same name a hand full of years back. There is something incredibly soulful and perfect about his voice. His songs and voice sound like early Van Morrison with more control with hints of old soul like Otis Redding, all with vocal cords that sounds like they've been aged in whiskey and perfection. His most recent album <span style="font-style: italic;">God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise</span> was actually number one on iTunes the week it came out and that made me happy but I still think not enough people know about this man's incredible voice and songwriting ability.<br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.areyouinthesyndicate.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >3.) Syndicate:</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Alright, I'm a little biased on this one because they ARE friends of mine but, completely objectively, I honestly feel like their talent warrants them having more fans. I'm not going to say a whole lot because if you want the full details on this group you can read<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://dustcoveredsoul.blogspot.com/2010/08/syndicate-line-starts-here.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">MY REVIEW</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>of their first album <span style="font-style: italic;">The Line Starts Here</span>. I'll simply say that if any part of you misses that sweet spot in the 1990's when radio alt rock was hooky, soulful, and powerful... you will find Syndicate to be a fantastic listen, no question.<br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.toddkuffner.com/"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">4.) Todd Kuffner:</span></span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Aside from Syndicate, Todd Kuffner is probably the MOST "under the radar" artist on this list. He has a decent sized<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> <a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/toddmakesnoise?blend=2&ob=4">following on YouTube</a></span>, but besides that he doesn't really view music as his main drive, more as something he does on the side that people happen to enjoy. He's been on YouTube since February of 2009 and just released his first album <span style="font-style: italic;">Squirrel Hunter In Training</span> this past July. The record contains 35 full songs and is only $9.99 on iTunes... since music is something he does for fun, he seems to not pay much mind to the unspoken rules of the music business like album lengths which is all the better for the consumer because you receive three albums worth of stellar songs for the price of one. The music it's self is a rootsy sounding pop rock that strongly resembles The Dave Matthews Band meets a bit of John Mayer and a lot of Cat Stevens. Kuffner's voice is folky but still very accessible and even a bit soulful at times. The songs are hooky and the lyrics are phenomenal. If any of that sounds at all appealing to you check out his website to hear album tracks or go to his YouTube channel to see him play a few of his songs.<br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.theswellers.com/"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">5.) The Swellers</span></span>:</a> Another band featuring friends of mine. Also The Swellers are, by leaps and miles, my favorite band of all time. They represent a lot to me musically and sentimentally and I don't think any band will ever take their place in that spot. I've written and talked a lot about them in the past so it's difficult to know where exactly to begin but I guess the best place is probably with the basics. They are a rock/punk band from the Flint area that got their start playing shows in the, now virtually extinct, Flint local scene. They began as a three piece but evolved to four as their sound matured and eventually signed with Atlantic Records imprint Fueled By Ramen (launching pad of bands like Paramore and Fall Out Boy). They tour relentlessly bringing their brand of 90's era skate punk to their fans all over the world. There really isn't a lot that I can say without sounding like I'm gushing but they will never be as big as I feel they deserve to be so I figured they definitely needed a slot on this list.<br /><a href="http://www.timbarryrva.com/"><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">6.) Tim Barry:</span></span></a> Tim Barry is probably the most sonically abrasive artist on this list. His music is certainly not for everyone, but if you're into gruff acoustic folk rock with tinges of punk, then Tim Barry is king, in my opinion. He is one of my personal favorite artists so, again, it is difficult for me to write objectively about his talent without sounding like a gushing fan but I will do my best. Barry is from Richmond, VA and is one of the most sincere and intense performers I've ever seen live or heard on record. Everything he says is real and performed and sang with an amazing earnestness that you simply don't find in music. He is the lead singer of Virginia punk band Avail, and his past and a punk rocker comes through in his songs just like every other aspect of his life and his friend's life. When I listen to my Tim Barry records, two words tend to pop into my mind over and over. They are, as I said previously, "intense" and "sincere". If you go in with the right mind set, there's no way you can be disappointed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Just Listen...</span><br /><br />Now for the portion of the blog I call the "Just Listen..." section. I'm not going to say anything about the artist, just post a video you should watch and love.<br /><br /><br /><a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://www.davyknowles.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Backdoor Slam:</span></a><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q3r573S1gQw?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q3r573S1gQw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-22831839752339113282010-08-25T11:01:00.000-07:002010-08-25T11:22:36.096-07:00My Top 25 Sentimental AlbumsThis is a list of my top 25 sentimental albums. These are albums that all mean something to me as a music fan, a musician, an artist, and a person. They all either played a roll in shaping who I am as a person or are records I just really REALLY love. More albums may be added to these over time but these are the records I know will always mean something profound to me and will always represent either one period in my life or all periods in my life.<br /><br />Keep in mind that I don't necessarily believe that these are all among the greatest albums of all time, nor are they even all MY personal opinion on the greatest albums. This list is all about sentimentality. They are in no particular order.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Underneath</span> - </span>Hanson<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">My Everest</span> - </span>The Swellers<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Ups & Downsizing</span> - </span>The Swellers<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan</span> - </span>Bob Dylan<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">All Killer No Filler</span> - </span>Sum 41<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blood on the Tracks</span> - </span>Bob Dylan<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Shout it Out</span> - </span>Hanson<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">One Fell Swoop</span> - </span>The Spill Canvas<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rivana Junction</span> - </span>Tim Barry<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">13 Songs </span>- </span>Fugazi<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Highway Miles</span> - </span>Kid Brother Collective<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Through Being Cool</span> - </span>Saves the Day<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Can't Slow Down</span> - </span>Saves the Day<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The River</span> - </span>Bruce Springsteen<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Still Searching</span> - </span>Senses Fail<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The Times They Are A-Changin</span> - </span>Bob Dylan<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Bleed American</span> - </span>Jimmy Eat World<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Sticks and Stones</span> - </span>New Found Glory<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Manchester </span>- </span>Tim Barry<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Something to Write Home About</span> - </span>The Get Up Kids<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Hot and Bothered</span> - </span>The Hot Flashez<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Dookie</span> - </span>Green Day<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Third Eye Blind</span> - </span>Third Eye Blind<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Rockin the Suburbs</span> - </span>Ben Folds<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Casadaga</span> - </span>Bright Eyes<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-24510630535906013242010-08-20T08:58:00.000-07:002010-08-20T09:44:00.203-07:00Travis Valentine - My Angels (Feat. Eric Quimby)<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5ODa06zCoXw?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5ODa06zCoXw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />This is a song that I wrote with my friend Eric Quimby (<a href="http://www.areyouinthesyndicate.com/">Syndicate</a>) for my wife and I's third anniversary. This is a montage of pictures of my wife and daughter I put together to go with the song as a part of the massive gift I assembled.Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060281742812799467.post-66646817757770232782010-08-19T11:35:00.001-07:002010-08-19T11:41:37.704-07:00Travis Valentine & Bryce Berry - Falling<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PHFBUJFJtzY?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PHFBUJFJtzY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />This is a video of my friend Bryce and I performing a song that I wrote in High School. I tweaked it a little and added a new verse for Loren and I's third wedding anniversary and put this on a DVD compilation that I put together for her as part of her gift (full details of massive gift in an earlier entry) This is the first song that I ever wrote about her after we started dating.<br /><br />I am by leaps and bounds NOT the greatest vocalist in the world but I try very hard and I like to think that what little I can do, comes from a very sincere place.Travis Valentinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03361970834630313994noreply@blogger.com0