i never got to finish this

i wrote this around two weeks ago:

title: we sleep inside this machine: brand new's the devil and god are raging inside me

i can dish it out, but can i take it?
i received the above-noted album a week ago and have been listening nonstop since then, but i've been hesitant to put anything down because i'm not quite sure what to make of it. there is no doubt that this album is something that i'm positive i've never heard before in my short lifespan--there is no doubt i'm obsessed-- but i'm not clear on the direction of my approach. do i break it down according to technicalities: songs, lyrics, occasional emotional phrase thrown in? try to sell the album even though anyone who would be remotely interested in hearing it already has it? or do i instead take it from a personal perspective, try to read into the themes i see apparent throughout? do i make this a review or a thesis? does it really matter?

thematically so
at first glance, it all seems a little surreal. guitars swirl, screams penetrate the orchestral waves from track to track, melodies haunt, and there is practically no explanation behind it all; the album artwork is hazy, the notes are stream of consciousness, and there are no lyrics provided. but despite the initial ambiguity, it somehow all ties together. the devil and god is ridiculously cohesive, with fundamental motifs running throughout, not only musically, but lyrically and atmospherically. it's not that the songs sound the same, because each is its own unique existence, but they all sound right together-- as though they are chapters in a novel, or marks on timeline. they follow the same path, and i'm not sure i have experienced a concept so subtle on an album before.

it's an understatement to call the devil and god "dark." brand new have outdone themselves on making sure that their third work is groundbreakingly, palpably dripping with teh heavy. disregard the basic sentiment that comes with the religious thematics present in the blood black landscape mr. lacey and his crew have put forth: this shit is catholic with guilt. i'm not talking new age contemporary catholicism, i'm not even talking inquisition in 15th century spain-- this is pre-augustine, this is primal. the two images that have been racing through my mind everytime i put my headphones on are "the fall" and "the rise."

that's as far as i got, even though i had a lot more to say. the album was too overwhelming to dig into for long periods of time. i found myself burying six feet under. it's a fucking fantastic piece of work, and everyone should listen to it at least once, even if it's not their thing.

but it was too much. it was just too fucking much.



"the rise" and "the fall"
tonight i saw brand new at madison sq garden. i was warned that seeing a band i loved and had grown up with at such a venue would only ruin it for me, but msg didn't earn the right to that particular title. i'm not sure if there even was anything to ruin, but something was definitely lost this evening, and it was probably my trust.

in july, brand new had all the potential to take over the world, or at least make it a little better for some people. when i heard their new stuff back then, i thought it would be a second coming. i new that they were nurturing, developing, and polishing their talent to the point of complete and utter harmony, even within dis- and a-harmony, and i had hoped that this would grow and mature to the point of absolute awesome. then i heard the album and was so wrapped up in the complexity and delicate structure within the heavily laden, dark atmospheric sound that i failed to pinpoint what was actually going on.

something went terribly wrong tonight. i'm not sure what it was, nor am i going to make assumptions on here about the physical, emotional, or mental state of those i put the responsibility on, but this was not what i was expecting. maybe the devil and god was a little too much for everyone.

i know i can get a little creepy with the whole uber-fan personality, but first and foremost, i have always respected this group as musicians, artists, and intelligent people. they have god-given talent, otherwise i wouldn't bother. but it was off tonight, off in a big way. and looking back on what i've been listening to these past few weeks, it makes me rethink everything. yes, the record is beautifully crafted. yes, it's nothing like anything i've heard. but there is something very, very dark underlying it all. terribly so. and i think a little bit of that came out tonight. it bared its ugly teeth and it let a few people down, myself included.

maybe i was a fool to pay 35-odd bucks to see a band who had mainly played small spaces open at a landmark spot, but i didn't care about the price-- i was hoping for a little more maturity, since the recorded music suggested it. i guess we still have more growing up to do.

anyway, due to tonight's event, i need to do a lot of thinking and figure a few things out. this blog will probably go on hiatus until i know what it is i really want to do, because as of right now, i don't even know why i bother at all. lately, people in this field are really starting to leave me disillusioned, even if i may love what it produces. i hope they can prove me wrong.

with that, i salute. goodnight and godspeed.

/jen/

generals & majors, sin-e, 11.10.06

who says rock n roll is dead?
after having a few brewskies with a pal down on ludlow friday night, i made my way to attorney to check out a benefit for the ulman fund at sin-e. when i came in, the spies were about to make their way up on stage. they were a lot of fun, and definitely had the "bop to pop rock" skillz that we all love to see. but was i there to see the spies?

au contraire, mes petits enfants. i was here for nothing other than dirty, sweaty, crunchy grit. rock out with your (non-existant) cock out? yes please. well, generals & majors serve it all up for you, with testosterone-laden, smack-you-sassy savoir faire. want to sample? check out "every night's a bust in new york city" and "a little lit." do you know how long it's been since i was able to participate in something like that? i'm so encrusted in emo, indie, and synth rock that it's a breath of fresh air to see a lead singer take off his shirt off and flail about on the stage. my emo boys are too waifish and self-conscious for such exhibitionism.

was i that girl in the front totally freaking out next to a head-banging companion? did i wink at a few of the band members? yes, yes, and yes to me pumping my fist in the air. afterwards we all went to 151 rivington and got silly.

if you're wondering, it was a really fucking good night.


/jen/

street to nowhere: endearingly maladroit

as mentioned a few posts back, i went to see the format at irving plaza. they had quite a queue of artists playing before them, two of which were anathallo and rainer maria. i was lucky enough to get there early to catch the very first act that night, a band by le nom de notre temps existentiel, street to nowhere, from oakland, ca. i was instantly won over; despite being a starter, they had the audience by the throat-- myself included. considerably intrigued by their overtly honest lyrics mixed with a great acoustic quality and a nervously angsty voice ringing it all true through the speakers, i vowed that i would get to know this band.

granted, it took me awhile. everyone ended up at shades of green, and i shared a few compliments and some eye contact with the band members. yet, i never really bothered to get more of an impression on them, even though i thought they were pretty cool guys. it wasn't until i bought a ticket to an upcoming kevin devine show that i recalled them. as they were playing on this bill as well, i decided to take up my past initiative and buy their album.

best.decision.ever.

charmingly awkward has been playing non-stop since i received it last week. the songs are simple enough to catch the minimalist in me, but occasionally it will break into ecstatic ballad vocals and rock-out riffs that get me soaring at the same time. ranging from self-loathing to humourously self-deprecating to political, the songs broach quite a few topics, although it mainly centers around booze, sex (or the lack-thereof), and, of course, being charmingly awkward.

yeah, i definitely know what that's like.

if you feel the need to see what's up, check out "boxcars boxcars boxcars," on their myspace page, as it gives a pretty good idea of what this group is about. while each song is my favourite in its own little way, the tracks i have had on repeat consistently are "waste my life for you" for its cheeky chasing amy potential, and "you can't go to sleep" which is bordering on 20-something-emotionless-revulsion... but that's how we do. however, you'll have to shell out some dough and support these guys to here those. so go do that. right now.

they'll be back in nyc come december, playing with matt pond pa, kevin devine, and straylight run at bowery. buy a ticket. support a band (or four). hang out with me. i'll buy you a beer and probably sing some lyrics in your face. sounds good, right?

mayhaps i'll see you there.

/jen/