Sep 27 : "In Formation" - Left Of Logic (Philly)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (last week)

Philly Music!

AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

This is about two alternate universes. The first alternate universe is the new world that Philly band “Left of Logic” has created and is taking us to in their first full-length cd, “In Formation”, which had its formal debut last Friday at the Arts Garage. … A couple weeks ago the band gave me a pre-release copy of the cd and asked me to do this review about the new cd along with the release show.

The album is divided into two parts, the first being a collection of individual songs separately created during the band’s short one-year history. This includes my personal favorite, “I Want You Alive”, which also appeared on the band’s introductory demo ep, “A Common Theme”, which was released last Winter.

The second section of the cd is a five-movement panorama that takes the listener on a journey through a dreamscape that has monster dogs in one song, a carnival in another, and a seashore with pounding waves in yet another. Another part of this alternate universe is when we actually leave Earth in the song “Spacetic Fever”, as we go on a hilarious and raunchy satirical trip into space.

There is a lot of movement in these songs, not only physical movement as we battle waves of the sea (“Shells”), as we walk out the door each morning (“Locomotion”), or even as we travel around in the B-movie ether between planets to find that girl who has “Spacetic Fever” “bad”, but also a different kind of movement, a psychic movement, that takes place in our heads but manifests itself in our actions and how we look at life.

The album has an overall optimistic view about life. While it deals with some of life’s rocky roads, there is an optimism about growing into what each new day has to offer.

The optimism is a little hesitant in the first track, “Locomotion”, but by the time the final track rolls around, “The Meaning Of Things (The Dream Lives Ought To See)” we see a strong confidence coupled with a defined way to look at life.

The second alternate universe was the band’s stage performance Friday night. From that standpoint the band I saw last Friday at the Arts Garage was almost a different band from the one I had seen back at Milkboy last Winter, or even at the Brewerytown Spring Festival in May. I was completely amazed Friday night. While Left of Logic always seemed comfortable on stage and the members did talk a little to the audience, I wasn’t prepared to be in a different world, seeing such a huge transformation that the band’s stage presence has shown in these few short months. I would say that was the most unique thing about their show on Friday. The show was very vibrant, loud, rocking, with the band members totally and simultaneously engaged with both the music and the audience, making more detailed comments about the songs, never stopping the eye contact with the audience and at times giving shouts back and forth with audience members, and still being totally wrapped up in the music, their faces relating the changing feelings of each phrase in the music. I’ve never seen such a dramatic and sudden transformation and rarely this level of intensity. On a stage presence scale from zero to ten, they broke the scale!

The band has three members. Austen Royce Goodman plays bass guitar and does vocals. Austen is also a poet. Austen comments: I started playing the bass guitar when I was 13 years old.  The sincere love that followed became my life.  I would improvise for 15 hours daily learning a repertoire of my own sounds and feel for the instrument. I played by ear for years and more recently I studied music theory and jazz composition under Bill Rossi. 

Tim Knowlton plays drums and does some vocals. He has a wide range of interests. I've been actively making music since beginning piano lessons at age 7, which eventually transferred into percussion so I could join the concert band in middle school at age 12. I've been playing classical, jazz, afro-cuban, marching, and rock percussion through middle school, high school, and college ever since then 12 years ago.

And Dan Townsend plays keys and does some vocals. And some background that Dan has given: I went to West Chester University and got a bachelors in Theory and Composition, and I'm pretty good with that stuff (being able to tell what kind of chords are being played, harmonically what's going on, etc.) but really, to me the best thing about music is the ability to throw that away when you're neck deep in an entirely free jam, and coming out on the other side not sure what happened. It's like a musical zen. Listen, play. Push and pull. Tension, and release.

One of the characteristics of Left of Logic's music is the stating of a theme at the beginning of a song, then wandering off into a couple other genres, only to come back home to the original styling at the end. This is evident in the song "Shells (The Dream Lives Out to Sea)", which is the eleventh and next to last track on the new cd. "Shells (The Dream Lives Out to Sea)" is playing right here on my blog page :::

To sum up the vibe of the album, here is an excerpt, the closing passage from the album's last track "The Meaning Of Things (The Dream Lives Ought To See)" :::

Washing away those years
Starting from behind and pressing on and on
A trail is beginning to clear
A dance for every thought
From the moves we make
Starting Point A to break
Meaning is to create
Meaning is to create
Meaning is to create

To visit Left of Logic, here is their Bandcamp site where you can hear samples of more of their music as well as download the new album ::: Left Of Logic on Bandcamp (CLICK HERE)

If you'd like to see a previous video of Left Of Logic, here they are playing "Momentum", one of their original songs, at the Brewerytown Spring Festival this past May, here is the click :::: Left Of Logic at Brewerytown Spring Festival (CLICK HERE, AND REFRESH YOUR BROWSER TO MAKE THE VIDEO PLAY IF NECESSARY)

p.s.:::: Don't look up "Spacetic". You won't find it. I searched "Urban Dictionary" as well as googling it with all spelling variations I could think of. The guys later told me the word is made up. :)

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"IV. Shells (The Dream Lives Out to Sea)" and "V. The Meaning Of Things (The Dream Lives Ought To See)" © 2012, Left Of Logic. All rights reserved.
© 2012, Robert Seabury. All rights reserved.

Sep 22 : "What to Do" - Jackie Paper (Philly)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (April 2012)

Philly Music!

MULTI LEVEL FIT

The headliner at Little Berlin that night was Jackie Paper, which, of course, was the band I went to see. They did a good show; I had a good time. (This show was actually on Sep 1. I admit I'm way behind in postings.) The show was in the courtyard and the band situated itself on a few different levels / steps, so the audience had a clear view of EVERYBODY in the band.

The band played some of its standards, but also included a lot of new work.

Jackie Paper came out with several new songs this past April. One of those is "What to Do", which is playing right here on my blog page. Even though the song veers off into Western, there are still the trademark stylings so you know it couldn't be anybody else but Jackie Paper. :) :::

If you'd like to see Jackie Paper live, you're in luck. They have a show coming up on Friday, October 12, at Connie's Ric Rac. In the meantime, if you want to visit Jackie Paper on line, here is the click ::: Jackie Paper (CLICK HERE)

Sep 20 : "John's Clothes" - The Neighbors (Crown Heights)

New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released

A LOOSE FIT

A few weeks ago I went to Little Berlin, and one of the bands playing that night was Crown Heights band, "The Neighbors". This was the first time I had heard them. Intense and loose garage rock. I will look to hear them again.

The song playing right here on my blog page is "John's Clothes", just posted in early Spring by The Neighbors.

theneighbors · Johns clothes-demo

To visit The Neighbors on line, here is the click ::: The Neighbors (CLICK HERE)

Sep 16 : "Open Notes" - Tygerstrype

Philly Music!

THE RIGHT FIT!

Each time I go out to see a particular band, I look to see what is unique about that show. What sets that show apart from the other bands playing that same night or even from the previous shows by the same band I'm going to see.

On the night of August 16 (I admit I'm WAY behind in my postings), I went to see Tygerstype play at The Fire. They were doing a benefit for Philly Socialists. The occasion was "Philly Socialists Days of Summer Benefit Show".

The two things that made this show unique were that Tygerstrype (vocalist and electronics man, Gabriel Guerrero; and my friend, Alden Towler, on guitar) went beyond the other bands' mere verbal thank you's to the host group but actually praised the hosts for the work they're doing in the community. In addition, Gabe talked the theme around full circle from the work of the group to the lyrics in the band's music. Tygerstrype very seldom gives background about any of the songs, so that was the second unique component of this show.

One of the first songs they played was "Open Notes" which is the opening track on their 2011 cd, "Lackadaisical Daisy". Gabe explained in his introductory remarks that the song is loosely based on the writing of Martinique-born French Algerian author Frantz Fanon in his book, "Wretched of the Earth". Having seen the devastating effects of French imperialism and colonization on his own island of Martinique and having received his professional training in medicine and psychiatry, he writes about how colonization influences the psyche of an individual, a group, or, on a more macro basis on a race.

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Gabe says that while his music doesn't refer to Fanon directly, "i do make subtle references to Fanon and his interpretation of Imperialism and its implicit oppression."

"Open Notes" starts out with a smooth and lengthy introduction, from 0.00 to 2.41 minutes, when the tempo increases into the main body of the song, where you can find some of the lyrics that Gabe sent along below:.

"the tattooed sun underneath
your heavy eyelids can bring a
gloomy sunshine when you
fall asleep at night

you've got to be strong in the shadows that
stain the ground and the mountain tops with greed
must believe that the avatar is you
exposed and posing in an open air

i know that there is gonna be a fight to give 'em
i know that the scarlet sun sets west
the answers are blowing in the wind
disappear in a grey and morbid sky"

:::Gabe continues in talking about his lyrics:::

the idea of revolution becomes paramount throughout the song with a recurring slogan of "i know that there's gonna be a fight to give' em" against the very violent, oppressive, and imperialist West (hence the reference of the scarlet sun setting west, relaying imagery of a blood drenched sun that falls west)

there is always this understanding of uncertainty but with these colonized people knowing is half the battle and Fanon made it imperative that spreading awareness of ones surroundings, capabilities, and self are the most important tools for building the foundation of a revolution.

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At the show at The Fire, the band played a number of songs from "Lackadaisical Daisy", as well as giving the audience a peek at some new sounds. … And "Open Notes" is also playing right here on my blog page :::

To visit Tygerstrype on Facebook here is the click ::: Tygerstrype (CLICK HERE)

If you want to see Tygerstrype live, you're in luck. They're doing a show at Johnny Brenda's tomorrow night! Tygerstrype's Show at Johnny Brenda's. Check them out!

And to read more about Frantz Fanon, here is the click ::: Frantz Fanon