I lived in Knoxville for a little over six years. I was late in discovering the Knox music scene. It's nothing like some major areas like California or even Atlanta, but it was something, and it was fun.
I miss it.
I'm pretty sure this is the longest I've gone without a ticket in the past year. Not the longest without a show, but the longest without a show planned. I'm so far from everything. There are a couple of local bands here. I might eventually get curious enough to venture into the shady, redneck dives that serve as the only venues around here, but so far, I haven't gotten that desperate. Ultimately, to get to anything worth listening to, I have to drive. Memphis is about two hours south, Little Rock about 3 hours west, St. Louis about 3 hours north, Nashville about 3 hours east. Then of course, my beloved Knoxville, a six hour drive away.
It's so easy to slip off to a show when it's right there in town, but when it's farther away...well, it costs money to travel, plus time off from work...not as easy.
I've really missed the Knoxville music scene lately. About a week ago, Oh No Fiasco (formerly known as The Few) played the downtown area. They were my favorite of the local bands there. Plus, they played with Lovers and Liars, a Nashville band that I had missed once before, but was eager to see. I wish I could have been at that show.
Just last night, Copper played a one time only reunion show there. They're another local band of which I was a fan. Their lead singer, Keith Wallen, left to play guitar in Adelitas Way in about 2008 or so. Now that AW is off the road, Copper put together this gig. I wish I could have made it, especially since who knows when it will happen again.
On April 5th, Cage the Elephant and Biffy Clyro are hitting Knoxville. I missed CtE twice and swore that I wouldn't miss them again. Biffy is a band I've only recently discovered, and I'm actually more excited at the prospect of seeing them than CtE. There is a possibility I could make it to this one. I wish it could be for certain.
On April 19th, Seether is coming to K-town. They're not a favorite that I would typically travel to see, but if I were still in Knoxville, it wouldn't be travelling, now would it? I actually could have seen Seether back in '08. I had the ticket. I was there. The friend I went with, however, wanted to leave after Flyleaf, and I didn't really have the balls at the time to say, "I paid for my ticket, I'm staying and getting my money's worth!" I think even if I had seen them back then, I would still want to go now. I know more songs now. I really wish I could go.
Lollapalooza this year is going to be A-MAZ-ING! The full lineup haven't been announced yet, but the headliners have (well, they've been basically confirmed): Eminem, Foo Fighter, and Muse. Though I know nothing of the rest of the lineup, I know there would be others I would want to see. Lolla is one of the largest American festivals. It always has an impressive lineup. So, not only is doing an entire festival on my Bucket List, but this year's Lolla would be a hell of a way to scratch it off. Oh, how I wish I could go!
Wow! That's a lot of wishing, huh?
To all that, I must say to myself:
"Well Kim, wish in one hand, shit in the other. See which one fills up first."
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Ep. 19: Kim Loves 30 Seconds to Mars
Aha! I just realized in the last post that I never finished this series, so I'm back again, to finish up! And I was so close to the end, too...
Stats
Formed: 1998
Albums: 3
Breakout Single: "Attack," 2005
Seen live? Not yet...
Laugh if you want, but I freakin' love these boys! I don't care how "emo" you consider them to be, they just...do it for me. Like most bands, their sound has evolved over time. I'm least familiar with their first album. What little I have heard on it, I didn't connect with so well, though I haven't given up giving it a proper listen.
That being said, I'll skip to albums two and three, the combined power of which has landed 30StM in my Top 20. They combine electronic elements with purring guitars to create a sound unique to them. Lead singer Jared Leto has a soft, gentle voice, yet a delightfully grating scream that thrills me, chills me, and fulfills me. ;) A Beautiful Lie (2nd album) utilized heavier guitars and screams, but for the next album (This Is War), they opted for a more electronic sound, especially prevalent in "Hurricane," even incorporating a taste of pop from time to time, as in "Closer to the Edge." I love ABL, but I think TIW is my favesie. :)
Here is one of my favorites from This Is War, "Alibi." It begins as a simple enough ballad, but around the 4:20 mark (haha, I said "420"), it unfurls its wings, revealing its true splendor.
Stats
Formed: 1998
Albums: 3
Breakout Single: "Attack," 2005
Seen live? Not yet...
Laugh if you want, but I freakin' love these boys! I don't care how "emo" you consider them to be, they just...do it for me. Like most bands, their sound has evolved over time. I'm least familiar with their first album. What little I have heard on it, I didn't connect with so well, though I haven't given up giving it a proper listen.
That being said, I'll skip to albums two and three, the combined power of which has landed 30StM in my Top 20. They combine electronic elements with purring guitars to create a sound unique to them. Lead singer Jared Leto has a soft, gentle voice, yet a delightfully grating scream that thrills me, chills me, and fulfills me. ;) A Beautiful Lie (2nd album) utilized heavier guitars and screams, but for the next album (This Is War), they opted for a more electronic sound, especially prevalent in "Hurricane," even incorporating a taste of pop from time to time, as in "Closer to the Edge." I love ABL, but I think TIW is my favesie. :)
Here is one of my favorites from This Is War, "Alibi." It begins as a simple enough ballad, but around the 4:20 mark (haha, I said "420"), it unfurls its wings, revealing its true splendor.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Girls Kick Ass
Today's post is an homage to one of the coolest people in rock music: the female bassist. Come on, who's cooler than that? Quite a few bands have female lead singers, which if you know me, you know I'm a fan. They're easier to sing along with (for a girl), not to mention that they have to rock twice as hard to get their voices to carry. Not nearly as many bands have a female bassist (or the incredibly rare female drummer). There's just something so undeniably badass about a girl with a bass guitar. If I were to join a band, I think I would wanna play bass. So here's a shoutout to some particular awesome gals that I've caught live. :)
From afar, Nikki's not very exciting to watch. She doesn't move around much on stage. But when you're closer, you can see that it's her face that's so active, in contrast to Brian (lead singer and guitarist), who's pretty mobile. It's like she's saying, "Yeah, you do that Brian. I'm cool over here."
Nicole is the epitome of sexy. Like Nikki, she's not very mobile, but Nicole is very different. She's totally aloof, but I'm convinced that it's an act. I think she's mastered that air of "aloofness" to go with her look. I bet it drives the boys crazy (as if her legs didn't do that enough, I'm sure).
Emma is incredibly fun to watch. She flies around the stage, slinging her hair around. I get exhausted just watching her. I really don't understand how she can do all that and play so well, and that she does. The Sick Puppies have several songs with fast basslines, but that doesn't slow her down a bit.
Chloe is absolutely adorable. She's so tiny, and she bounces around the stage for pretty much the entire show. I wish there was a pocket-sized version of her, so I could keep her with me. Then, when I need a spirit booster, I could take her out and watch her bounce around. It just makes you happy. Though that could be related to the music (if you are unfamiliar with DIOYY, they're a techno band)...
And that is my homage to some CHICKS WHO ROCK!! Oh, and she doesn't play bass, but she is my own personal Goddess of Rock...here's Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. Girl Power!! (or some equally lame exclamation)
 |
| Nikki Monninger, Silversun Pickups |
From afar, Nikki's not very exciting to watch. She doesn't move around much on stage. But when you're closer, you can see that it's her face that's so active, in contrast to Brian (lead singer and guitarist), who's pretty mobile. It's like she's saying, "Yeah, you do that Brian. I'm cool over here."
 |
| Nicole Fiorentino, Smashing Pumpkins |
Nicole is the epitome of sexy. Like Nikki, she's not very mobile, but Nicole is very different. She's totally aloof, but I'm convinced that it's an act. I think she's mastered that air of "aloofness" to go with her look. I bet it drives the boys crazy (as if her legs didn't do that enough, I'm sure).
 |
| Emma Anzai, Sick Puppies |
Emma is incredibly fun to watch. She flies around the stage, slinging her hair around. I get exhausted just watching her. I really don't understand how she can do all that and play so well, and that she does. The Sick Puppies have several songs with fast basslines, but that doesn't slow her down a bit.
 |
| Chloe Duveaux, Does It Offend You, Yeah? |
And that is my homage to some CHICKS WHO ROCK!! Oh, and she doesn't play bass, but she is my own personal Goddess of Rock...here's Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. Girl Power!! (or some equally lame exclamation)
 |
| LZZYYYYYY!!!! |
Friday, February 18, 2011
Swappity Swap!
When I originally began to type this up, it was getting monstrously long, and I wasn't even halfway done. I talk too much, yes? So, long story short, I've been involved in an international mixtape swap (which is pretty much one of the coolest freakin' ideas ever), though my giving/receiving ended up being here in the States. I sent 2 discs off to North Carolina (incidentally, to a friend I had made at the Muse show last October) and received 3 discs from California. Because my Muser pal is awesome like that (and because mixtape swaps in general are hella fun), she sent me 2 freebies. :) I'm actually not done either: I'm swapping with a local friend, too.
So there's the backstory. Now to get to the point to tonight's post. Between those five discs, I've been bombarded with new music, and lemme tell ya, that is an awesome situation to be in. I've been a little cut-off since the move, so it's nice to get a new music injection, especially with bands I might not have heard otherwise.
When you give someone a mix, you're never going to hit a homerun with every track. Naturally, there were some on these that just didn't connect with me, personally. Then there were a plethora of individual tracks that I really liked that have found their way to my iPod. I'm not going to take you through five discs worth of tracks. Instead, I'm going to introduce you to the bands that I have developed an interest in, thanks to these swaps.
1) Flight of the Conchords - If you don't know, they're a musical comedy duo that are just...oh so funny. I had heard of them, but never listened to them. I was missing out. The track that won me: "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)."
2) Metric - I already knew (and loved) 2 songs by them, and I had seen them live, which had piqued my interest. Now...I bloody love them. My swap buddy was kind enough to forward on a Metric mix, which I'm now digesting, song by song. Metric could very well be headed toward my favorite bands list (oh no, I never finished that series, did I?). The track that won me: "Satellite Mind."
3) Mumford & Sons - Another I had heard of, but never really listened to. They're an English folk rock band. I never thought a banjo could sound so sexy. She forwarded their debut album as well, and it's just amazing. The track that won me: "White Blank Page."
4) The Avett Brothers - This is another folk rock band. I've only perused a few songs beyond the one included on the mix, but so far, I'm loving what I hear. The track that won me: "The Perfect Space."
5) The XX - I absolutely love the chill sound of this band. I've skimmed through more of their album, and it sounds like the whole thing is made of win. The track that won me: "Crystallised."
6) My Chemical Romance - Of course, I'd heard of them. But I really only knew two songs and never bothered to check out more. Both of my swaps sent along some MCR (all from the newest album), and I loved every single track. That album was sent along too, and yep! Totally awesome, from start to finish. I don't think I ever would have explored MCR if it weren't for these mixes. The track that won me: "Bulletproof Heart."
7) Violent Femmes - Ah, an oldie! I have a thing for The Clash and the Sex Pistols. That being said, the Violent Femmes were an instant win for me. As I've said, I've been bombarded with new music, so I haven't had the chance to thoroughly check this band out, but I have a feeling we're gonna be friends. The track that won me: "Add It Up."
8) Chiodos - I had never even heard of this one before. I still haven't really delved into their catalogue, but the two tracks of theirs on the mix have definitely piqued my interest. The track that won me: "Intensity in Ten Cities."
9) A Silent Film - A local Californian band. I highly doubt I ever would have heard of this band on my own. I've perused their samples on iTunes, and I think we're going to get along just fine. The track that won me: "You Will Leave a Mark."
10) Italian Japanese - Another Californian local. Again, I've only skimmed through the samples on iTunes, but I'm definitely interested (so much music! so little time...). The track that won me: "Le Pony."
11) Jay Chou - Surprise! He's a superstar in China! She included three of his songs, and they're all quite good (one, especially so). Holy Hell, he's got something like eight albums though, but I've found some more interesting songs. If you've seen my library at all, you know I don't mind foreign language music at all. The track that won me: I don't know. :( DOES ANYONE HEAR READ MANDARIN?? Like I said, he's got a lot of albums, and I'm trying to go through them and find this song so I can at least get the pinyin title because as of right now, I have nothing to call this song other than "Track 15."
See? Swapping is fun! ELEVEN bands/artists that I was introduced to, PLUS all the individual tracks I picked up. So readers, here's your homework assignment: find someone with whom to exchange a mix! Expand your minds, peeps!
EDIT: 100th post!! ~*confetti*~
So there's the backstory. Now to get to the point to tonight's post. Between those five discs, I've been bombarded with new music, and lemme tell ya, that is an awesome situation to be in. I've been a little cut-off since the move, so it's nice to get a new music injection, especially with bands I might not have heard otherwise.
When you give someone a mix, you're never going to hit a homerun with every track. Naturally, there were some on these that just didn't connect with me, personally. Then there were a plethora of individual tracks that I really liked that have found their way to my iPod. I'm not going to take you through five discs worth of tracks. Instead, I'm going to introduce you to the bands that I have developed an interest in, thanks to these swaps.
1) Flight of the Conchords - If you don't know, they're a musical comedy duo that are just...oh so funny. I had heard of them, but never listened to them. I was missing out. The track that won me: "The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room)."
2) Metric - I already knew (and loved) 2 songs by them, and I had seen them live, which had piqued my interest. Now...I bloody love them. My swap buddy was kind enough to forward on a Metric mix, which I'm now digesting, song by song. Metric could very well be headed toward my favorite bands list (oh no, I never finished that series, did I?). The track that won me: "Satellite Mind."
3) Mumford & Sons - Another I had heard of, but never really listened to. They're an English folk rock band. I never thought a banjo could sound so sexy. She forwarded their debut album as well, and it's just amazing. The track that won me: "White Blank Page."
4) The Avett Brothers - This is another folk rock band. I've only perused a few songs beyond the one included on the mix, but so far, I'm loving what I hear. The track that won me: "The Perfect Space."
5) The XX - I absolutely love the chill sound of this band. I've skimmed through more of their album, and it sounds like the whole thing is made of win. The track that won me: "Crystallised."
6) My Chemical Romance - Of course, I'd heard of them. But I really only knew two songs and never bothered to check out more. Both of my swaps sent along some MCR (all from the newest album), and I loved every single track. That album was sent along too, and yep! Totally awesome, from start to finish. I don't think I ever would have explored MCR if it weren't for these mixes. The track that won me: "Bulletproof Heart."
7) Violent Femmes - Ah, an oldie! I have a thing for The Clash and the Sex Pistols. That being said, the Violent Femmes were an instant win for me. As I've said, I've been bombarded with new music, so I haven't had the chance to thoroughly check this band out, but I have a feeling we're gonna be friends. The track that won me: "Add It Up."
8) Chiodos - I had never even heard of this one before. I still haven't really delved into their catalogue, but the two tracks of theirs on the mix have definitely piqued my interest. The track that won me: "Intensity in Ten Cities."
9) A Silent Film - A local Californian band. I highly doubt I ever would have heard of this band on my own. I've perused their samples on iTunes, and I think we're going to get along just fine. The track that won me: "You Will Leave a Mark."
10) Italian Japanese - Another Californian local. Again, I've only skimmed through the samples on iTunes, but I'm definitely interested (so much music! so little time...). The track that won me: "Le Pony."
11) Jay Chou - Surprise! He's a superstar in China! She included three of his songs, and they're all quite good (one, especially so). Holy Hell, he's got something like eight albums though, but I've found some more interesting songs. If you've seen my library at all, you know I don't mind foreign language music at all. The track that won me: I don't know. :( DOES ANYONE HEAR READ MANDARIN?? Like I said, he's got a lot of albums, and I'm trying to go through them and find this song so I can at least get the pinyin title because as of right now, I have nothing to call this song other than "Track 15."
See? Swapping is fun! ELEVEN bands/artists that I was introduced to, PLUS all the individual tracks I picked up. So readers, here's your homework assignment: find someone with whom to exchange a mix! Expand your minds, peeps!
EDIT: 100th post!! ~*confetti*~
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