News and Reviews! (Halestorm)

First the news, then the reviews!  <-- Lookit!  A rhyme!

Frank Turner announced his next North American tour.  I glanced through the list, and there was nothing within a reasonable drive for me.  Dammit.  I mentioned to my fellow fans that there was nothing close enough to me, and that since I would be taking a week's vacation to Houston, TX, I wouldn't really be able to afford another trip to catch him.  Then one of said friends pointed out this little fact that I overlooked:  one of Frank's stops on the tour IS Houston, TX!!  So why not kill two birds with one stone?  I had decided on Houston for my vacation because my best friend lives there.  I shot her some texts to see if that week would work and if she wanted to go to the show.  She said yes, and yes!  So I bought our tickets, and they came in yesterday!  It's official!  On September 24th, I'll be seeing Frank Turner again with my bestie in Houston, TX!  Now, my mission is to make a fan out of her.  I believe I will send her a Frank mix soon. :D

So that's my news.  Now, to give you my thoughts on my recent album purchases!  I need to get these done now since I'm about to get SLAMMED with new albums in June.  Can't fall too far behind.

I believe the last album I reported in on was AWOLNATION's Megalithic Symphony.  My next purchases I actually made about a month or so ago, so these are a little late.  I bought Halestorm's The Strange Case Of... and Sleigh Bells' Reign of Terror at the same time.  Both were sophomore albums, and both were released this year (Sleigh Bells in February and Halestorm in April, I think).  Let's start with Halestorm.

I have Halestorm's debut album, and I absolutely love it.  It's one of those albums that I know every word to every song.  I don't listen to Halestorm seeking deep, introspective lyrics or anything like that.  They're just plain fun.  Their sound is more of a mainstream rock than what I usually listen to.  I use the term "mainstream" here NOT as a reference to public popularity, but as the actual genre.  I love Lzzy Hale's voice and her "bad girl" lyrics.  These are the things that made their debut album and their live shows so much fun.  I was eagerly awaiting the release of this second album.  However, I ended up being a bit disappointed.  I don't dislike it, and I don't feel like I wasted my money.  It's just not the homerun that the first album was.  I've been having difficulty describing what I feel is different about this one.  I guess it just doesn't stand out as much to me.  Musically, many of the songs sound like so many others out there already, and the lyrics feel a little less inspired.  As I said before, when I think of Halestorm, I don't think of deep lyrical meaning, but the first album at least felt a little more personal to me.  These sound a little more forced.  Example: "Welcome to the nightmare in my head/Say hello to something scary/The monster in your bed/Just give in and you won't be sorry/Welcome to my other side/Hello, it's Mz. Hyde."  I don't know...that just sounds more... "average" or "typical" to me than some of my favorite choruses from the first album ("What were you expecting?/Another lullaby?/Are you kidding?/You must be high/You must be high/Cause it was just one kiss").  Maybe it's the funny factor.  Their first album had a sense of humor and a level of sarcasm that isn't present here.  Yeah.  I feel like that nails it pretty well.  It's not that it's totally absent though.  Songs like "I Miss the Misery," "You Call Me a Bitch Like It's a Bad Thing," and "American Boys" resemble what I loved about the first album.

Something else that I felt was considerably different about this album were the ballads.  The ballads from their first release featured a more serious side to the "bad girl" image that Lzzy seemed to be going for ("I'll tear you down/I'll make you bleed eternally/Can't help myself from hurting you and it's hurting me/I don't have wings/So flying with me won't be easy/Cause I'm not an angel").  Now, we find that the subject matter of the ballads has shifted over to more traditional topics of being a girl in love ("I am beautiful with you/Even in the darkest parts of me/I am beautiful with you/You make it feel the way it's supposed to be/You're here with me/You show me this and I believe/I am beautiful with you").  The only ballad here that I really like is "Break In," and I'm still not totally in love with it.  There's also a duet on the deluxe edition of the album with Sixx: A.M.'s James Michael called "Private Parts" that isn't too bad.

My favorite song on the album is definitely "Rock Show."  It has a fun beat, and lyrics that I know entirely too much about:  loving concerts, having to be in the front row, coming alive with the music.  Deep and transcendent?  No.  Hella fun?  Yes.

I like the album, but I'm not in love.  Top 5 tracks:
1. "Rock Show"
2.  "I Miss the Misery"
3.  "American Boys"
4.  "You Call Me a Bitch Like It's a Bad Thing"
5.  "Break In"

I think I'll break these up into different posts.  I'll get to work on gathering my thoughts on the new Sleigh Bells album!

BealeFest, Day Three: YAAAAYYY!!

Again, no pics, camera sucks, blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda.  Brief reminder, did not attend Day Two, had a wedding to attend, this that and the other, and we're moving on!


The first stop was the Bud Light stage to see Prosevere.  Not specifically for Prosevere.  There were no main draws for us in that time slot, and most of what we wanted to see was at that stage, so it seemed like a good place to start.  We grabbed a patch of grass by the fence.  Prosevere was decent enough.  I had never heard of them before.  I didn't dislike it.  Well, you know me, any live music is good music.  I guess I mean that if I heard them on the radio, I wouldn't immediately flip the station.  I might check them out a little more simply because I've heard them live.  Oh, and there was some bonus entertainment.  Though the festival had just started, a woman was already hurling everywhere.  Seriously, she threw up about five times.  I was like, "Cool.  She's really getting some projection."  *gag*  "I don't think *gag* I'm gonna *gag* watch her anymore..."

After Prosevere left the stage, there was some time to kill before Black Stone Cherry came on.  We wandered.  I grabbed a beer (which would end up being my only beer of the night.  I had to drive.  Poo.).  Found a merch tent!  Which means that I missed out on buying an Evanescence shirt Friday night.  Oh well, I've missed several shirts on this mission, so that's okay.  Anyway, I bought a CoCa shirt!  So I still managed to add one to my collection.  On a side note, I was checking out the dates on the back, and those guys are gonna be in Knoxville on the 12th.  Not like I can be there.  It just stands as a reminder that I used to live somewhere that was a stop on many bands' tours.  Aaaand now I live in BFE, where nothing cool ever happens.  Anyway, enough whining.

BACK TO THE POINT....

Black Stone Cherry!  I saw them three years ago at The Valarium in Knoxville opening for 10 Years.  I didn't fall for them then either, but I did enjoy them.  After I saw them then, I downloaded "Blind Man" purely as a reminder of seeing them.  They played it again this time.  I still didn't know it well enough to do more than recognize it.  Still, they were fun to watch, and I really like how throaty the singer's voice is.  I can't see myself ever wanting to pick up an album or seek out a show, but I won't be disappointed to see their name at a gig I'm going to.  I enjoyed seeing them again.  They seemed to really work in that setting, too.

Ok, by this point I'm getting antsy.  Coheed and Cambria is up next, and I bloody love them.  They're not as far up on my list as Evanescence, but I have a good, solid relationship with them.  I've always had a little trouble learning CoCa lyrics.  They're not as predictable as most songs, plus, in true new prog fashion, their songs rarely follow verse-chorus-verse-chorus formula.  I brushed up on their recent setlists and solidified what I could.  I was very pleased with their setlist.  I kinda ditched my companions a little bit for this one.  I used every opportunity to slide a little farther forward.  I think I actually only ended up maybe 20 feet ahead of them, but come on.  Every inch is another inch of awesome.  This show was a completely different experience from Evanescence.  The crowd for Evanescence was mostly general festival goers.  CoCa's crowd consisted of more actual fans.  By far, the best part of the show for me was when they played "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3."  This eight minute monster of a song is epic enough on the album cut, but live, it left such a sweet taste in my mouth.  What made it all the sweeter was the energy in the crowd.  I was surrounded by fellow CoCa fans who were screaming out, "MAN YOUR OWN JACKHAMMER" right there along with me, fists in the air.  The best part was about seven minutes into the song.  On the studio track, a chorus swells over the main theme (I think with a song of this scope, it goes beyond a riff and constitutes a theme).  On stage, Claudio was tearing it up, and all around me, the crowd was the chorus, filling in that gap.  It was almost like we were part of the song.  It was pretty exhilarating.  If you haven't heard it, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about.  So go listen to it. :P That was my favorite memory of the night.  Oh, and did I mention that CoCa covered Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know?"  I had seen it on some of the recent setlists and wondered if they would straight up cover it or dress it up a little.  I figured the latter, and I was correct.  When they started playing it, I didn't immediately identify it until I heard Claudio sing the lyrics, "Now and then I think of when we were together." The rest of the crowd realized what was going on at that time, too.  I wondered how Kimbra's lines would be handled, but come on.  This is Claudio Sanchez we're talking about.  There's a reason my sister always thought CoCa had a female lead singer.  Claudio covered Kimbra's lines beautifully in a smooth falsetto.  I want this cover.  It was hella fun.  I think I'm gonna do my damndest to find a bootleg of it tonight.  It was an excellent marriage of Gotye's original and CoCa's unique style.  All in all, great show.  I had a blast.  And a new concert memory is born!

I was pretty worn out after that.  It was bloody hot.  Bush was onstage next.  I also wanted to see The Civil Wars in that timeslot.  Originally, I had planned on splitting that time.  However, I didn't bring it up to my group because quite frankly...I really didn't feel like getting back up after we sat down at The Civil Wars.  Lazy Kim was lazy.  Plus, I hadn't really eaten much that day.  I didn't eat at all before the festival, and I spaced 2 hotdogs throughout the day.  Probably not optimal nutrition for boosting energy in 90-degree heat...   But I digress.  Ok.  Back to The Civil Wars.  I had heard of them before, but never actually listened to them.  I really liked it.  It was good and mellow for my much-needed cooldown.  I picked up on a song that I especially liked.  I've already added "Barton Hollow" to my iTunes library.  I was very pleased with the show.  It still would have been nice to have been able to catch Bush, but I'm not exactly chastising myself for being lazy.

For the headlining slots of the night, we started off watching Alison Krauss & Union Station.  We got in quite close for that one.  It was interesting.  She's definitely not what I typically listen to, but for me, that was one of the most interesting things of the festival experience:  getting to sample so many different types of music.  It was pretty interesting to see her shred a fiddle. :D

About 20 or 30 minutes into her set, a few of us broke off from the group to check out Wiz Khalifa.  I had never heard of him, but I was curious after seeing the energy at the Lupe Fiasco show.  I felt it was prudent to check out a hip hop show properly.  Yeah...so glad I did.  First off, I had brought my blinky glasses (my Musers know what I'm talkin' 'bout!!), and it was only dark enough to whip'em out for the headliners.  Alison Krauss wasn't really a blinky glasses kind of show.  Wiz Khalifa, on the other hand... yeah.  I was entirely too excited about being able to use my Muse glasses, haha.  The show was pretty awesome.  The crowd was so into it.  Weed was eeeeeeeeeverywhere ("Weeeeeed driftin' oooon byyy"), which was fitting, since just about every one of WK's songs was about smokin' the ganja.  What was particularly captivating about the show was all the glowsticks.  At some point, someone (a crew member, street team, or possibly even dedicated fans) threw tons of bundles of glow sticks into the crowd, which everyone promptly starting throwing around.  It really was kinda beautiful.  The lights on the stage, a sea of people (and smoke...), and glowsticks soaring through the air.  I wish I had a video.  I'm really glad I went over to see him.  I have since downloaded "Black and Yellow" into my library.  Good times, good times.

Though I still can't make the check on my bucket list, my first festival experience was incredible.  I want to go to a hundred more.  My most precious memories are from the various shows I've been to, and I made so many more in the span of just a couple of days.

BealeFest, Day One: SUCCESS

So I have decided that I still cannot make another check on my bucket list.  It specifically says to attend an entire music festival.  With BealeFest, I will be attending 2 of the 3 days.  Still, it's an experience.  Day One was last night.  Before I go into detail, I'll give you a heads up that I don't have any pics.  My bastard of camera is crapped out, and no one around here sells the kind of battery that it uses.  So...poop.

The first bands went on at six, and we arrived just a hair after, so we didn't see Breathe Carolina take the stage, but I don't think we missed too many songs.  We still caught a good half hour of the show.  When I first bought the ticket, I had only vaguely heard the name Breathe Carolina before.  When I began my gig study, I decided to check out their biggest hit, "Blackout."  Love!! Sadly, I didn't get any further than that.  Thus, seeing them live allowed me to test the waters.  We hauled up to the mat, but hung back a little.  You know me, I don't care who it is, I wanna dig in and go crazy.  I reined it in a bit.  I jammed a little to "Blackout" though.  I really think I wanna pick up an album and investigate them a little more.  Would I see them again?  Definitely!  I've already made sure to recommend them to a friend who's going to Warped Tour this year.

For the next timeslot, we meandered down to the the farthest stage.  The first band, Northern Mississippi Allstars, was on.  I had never heard of them, but they had a very nice ambient sound.  I'm not adding them to the sidebar because I really didn't pay them much mind.  We met up with some friends of my friend.  They were spread out on the grass in the back.  I flopped down (all the way down, mind) and just stared into the sky, absorbing the sound and feel of the atmosphere.  I made a very happy tweet.  It was a moment.  Live music, fluffy grass, blue skies.  Why can't every day be like that?

We got up and headed into the crowd when the Northern Mississippi Allstars left the stage.  His friends were Needtobreathe fans.  They were my #1 choice for that timeslot, too.  I had never heard a single song by them before that night.  They came highly recommended though.  I believe her words were along the lines of "best live show ever."  She offered to loan me some CDs the night before the show, but I turned her down.  I was cramming hard for this festival, and I feared information overload if I tried to add another band in.  Let me say that I was very impressed with Needtobreathe.  I stayed for the entire show.  I don't know about "best live show ever" (I'm a Muse fan, remember?), but it was a helluva show.  I didn't know a single word, but I really enjoyed it.  I've already told my friend that I really need to borrow those albums now.  Would I see them again?  Most definitely.

The next timeslot was a little...problematic.  The three performers on the main stages were Florence + the Machine, Megadeth, and Lupe Fiasco.  Now, if there were no other factors, then of course I would have chosen Flo and hung out the whole time.  However...  I had been told that Megadeth is just one of those things that you have to see in life.  They're not my style and certainly not something that I would listen to at home or in my car, but I'll take just about every live experience I can get.  So that was one issue.  Another was that my main draw for that day (actually, for the whole damn festival) was playing on a different stage.  If I stayed for all of Flo, I would get to that stage after Megadeth had gone off and the crowd had rearranged itself.  I wanted to be there when that happened so I could shove myself as close to the front as I possibly could.  WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO???

Florence entered the stage just as I had expected her to:  awesomely.  I can't tell you what song she was singing.  The live show seemed very in character.  During the show, a third factor presented itself:  my concert buddy wasn't feeling it.  Since I was already feeling ambivalent about where I needed to be, I left with him after two songs.  Hence, I'm not sure if I can add her to my sidebar.  Yes, I've seen her live, technically.  But did I see enough to put her on the list?  Help me out, here!  Does it count, or doesn't it?  As soon as the opportunity presents itself, I will definitely go to one of her shows, so I'm sure I'll see her in full at some point.

We made it over to Megadeth only to be disappointed.  What the hell was up with the sound?  Something wasn't working right, so they sounded really quiet.  Yeah.  Megadeth.  Quiet.  WTF??  To all those people who told me to see Megadeth, sorry.  I don't think I was able to experience them like I was meant to.  I would never pay to go to a Megadeth show (as evidenced by the fact that I skipped them when they came to the Valarium), so I figured this festival could potentially have been my only chance to see them.  Bummer.  Who ever heard of a quiet Megadeth.  Party foul on the sound guys!  Still, it wasn't an utter loss.  I felt a little something.  Just the tiniest of stirrings.  NEED MOAR SOWNDZ!!

We wandered off from Megadeth to go check out Lupe Fiasco.  I don't know much rap, so I can't tell you a single song title by him.  Still, holy shit!!  That's probably where I should have been the whole time!  He had so much energy on stage, and the crowd was eating it up.  I had never been to a rap show before and had always wondered how they could be even a fraction of the fun a rock show is.  Well, Kim, there's your answer.  Energy.  It actually was rockin', too.  I'm really glad that I stopped by there and had a new musical experience.  In the end, I'm ultimately glad that I wandered around during that slot.  The only trouble is, do any of those performers count toward the 100?  Help me decide!  I haven't added them yet.

It was time.  Well, almost.  We got some water.  Holy hell, was I dry.  I didn't drink a drop of alcohol that night (waiting for Sunday to beer it up), but I woke up the next day feeling dehydrated like I was hung over.  Anyway, water in hand, we took a seat for a minute, then off we went to catch the end of Megadeth.  They ended.  The crowd began to disperse.  Said my friend, "Do you wanna get in there for Evanescence?"  Ummm, lemme think....HELLZ YEAH!!  I led the way, winding through the throngs of people until I was satisfied that I could not get any closer without seriously pissing some people off (which I briefly considered).  Still, we were much closer than I thought we would make it.  Had I had even my piece of shit camera with me, I probably could have gotten some nice pictures.  The front row would have been nice, but it being my first festival, it was nice to be able to wander and take it all in.

The wait was painful.  Hello, Top Five band here!  I could feel my heartbeat start to pickup while we waited.  I remember shuffling my feet and bouncing around.  I could feel this burst of energy coming on, with nowhere to direct it.  And then the lights went down...and I was blown away.  It was incredible.  You know those shows where you know every word to every song?  Yeah.  That.  I just let everything else disappear.  I'm quite sure I looked like a fat fool throwing my head around and bouncing around.  I did notice that the crowd was somewhat dead.  I imagine that's because it was filled with general festival goers and not Evanescence fans.  But the honey badger doesn't give a shit, and neither did Kim.  I was there to have a good time, everyone else be damned.  Today, my neck and right arm are sore, my feet are trashed, my ears are ringing, and I wouldn't trade a second of it.  I kinda feel sorry for the people around me.  I sang along to every note, and pretty badly.  It was loud, so I couldn't hear myself, but every now then I would catch it and realize how off key I was.  All those years of studying music, I assure you I can sing on pitch.  But not when I'm singing louder than my voice can go and can't hear what I'm doing.  A vocal major, I am not.  Oh well.  DON'T CARE.  I remember the guy in front of me kept plugging his ears every time I would scream.  Sorry dude.  Not gonna hold it in for you.  Sometimes he did it when I wasn't screaming, so perhaps that was evidence of how bloody terrible I sounded.  Again, I really didn't give a shit, haha.  I was having the time of my life.  Amy Lee looked amazing.  She sounded amazing.  I didn't hear her miss a note.  The show felt so great.  And, get this.  They played both of my favorite songs.  I'm not usually a ballad-loving person, but their new album has two absolutely beautiful ballads on it.  When I was studying up for the gig, I saw that both songs were sometimes played at their shows, and not always together.  I figured it would be about 50/50 that I would get even one of them.  But I got both!  Some asshole a couple of people down from me was jabbering away almost the entire time she was singing "Swimming Home."  I resisted the urge to punch him in the dick and yell, "SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO EXPERIENCE TRANSCENDENT BLISS HERE!"

Did Kim have an amazing night?  Yes.  Amazing doesn't cut it.  I don't know if they have a word for it.  Maybe one of those days I'll find it.  That night was up there with my nights with Muse, Smashing Pumpkins, and Linkin Park.  Good times, good times.  Sitting out today.  Had a wedding to attend.  Too stressful to try to make it down as late I would be and try to park and know where the hell I was going.  So I won't be back down until tomorrow.  Can't wait!  COHEED & CAMBRIA!!!!  Waaaaahhhhh!!!!!!  Full report to come!!

BIG NEWS, PEEPS!!

Oh dear, oh dear.  So many updates and so little time!  Ok, there are four topics to cover, so let's dive right in.

#1:  Upcoming blog idea!  A friend of mine made a suggestion for a post, and I've been stewing on it.  Not stewing on it as in, "should I do this," but stewing on it as in, "how do I choose?"  She suggested a post about movie soundtracks.  I haven't sat down to really plan it out, but I have a basic outline in my head.  So in the future, it shall happen!  Do I think waaaaay too much about this stuff?  YES!! I do.  'Cause it's fun.  :D

#2:  Frank, Frank, FRANK!!!  I haven't updated you since February!  I've listened to Love, Ire, & Song and England Keep My Bones so many times!  I bloody love them!  I still haven't bought any other albums.  It's on my To Do list.  My absolute favorite FT song so far is "I Am Disappeared."  It's so beautiful I could cry.  I don't understand every lyric he sings, but the overall meaning and feel of the song fills me with so much emotion.  "I keep having dreams..."  Frank Turner is someone you listen to with your entire soul.  I wonder which album I should pick up next?

#3:  I did randomly buy a new album in the past few weeks.  It probably should have been a Frank album, but it ended up being AWOLNATION's Megalithic Symphony.  I don't regret it at all!  I love it!  It was an impulse buy.  I was in the local media store to get a new book and I thought, "I haven't bought an album in way too long.  I think I'll pick one up."  I'm not entirely sure why I just knew it needed to be AWOLNATION.  Probably because I had been listening to a mix that contained "Burn It Down."  There's not a single song on it that I dislike, and several that I love.  If I have to pick an absolute favorite, I suppose it would be "Guilty Filthy Soul."  I think I'll embed it here so you can listen to it if you're so inclined.  If you've never heard of them, then how do I describe their sound?  Very electronic.  Maybe an indie pop sound.  Most of the songs have an impossibly infectious dance beat, but none of them sound quite like anything "conventional" that you would find on the Hot 100.  Not that I would really say that they're "unconventional."  After all, in case you haven't noticed these days, indie is in.  Audiences these days are more open to new sounds that previously would never have found their way anywhere near the Billboard charts (and it was precisely there that I found AWOLNATION in the first place with their first single "Sail").  But the evolution of the mainstream audience is a blog for another day (which I'll probably lazy out of doing).

#4:  The biggest news of all.... I'M GOING TO MY FIRST FRIGGIN' MUSIC FESTIVAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is a monumental occasion in any avid concert goers life.  Plus, as I'm sure you know, I've been suffering from a severe lack of live music in my life lately.  I'm sorry, but I know I whine about it in just about every post.  So with that, this is an especially welcome event.  When a friend first brought it up, it sounded great, but I immediately dismissed it as "there's just no way."  We're short-handed at work, so it would be hard to cover me being gone a weekend.  I just shoved it from my mind.  I've gotten my hopes up too many times about shows since I moved here.  But then a couple of weeks later, a different friend brought it up, and I still was hesitant to look too much into it.  Then...I was looking at a calendar, and it struck me that...OMG I haven't told you WHICH friggin' music festival I'm going to!  Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis as part of Memphis in May.  Anywho, looking at the calendar, I noticed that that weekend happens to coincide with my weekend off.  All I would have to do is get that Friday off too, and I'd be set, and I wouldn't have to worry about rearranging anyone else's schedule!  That was when I felt that little monster called "Hope" come clawing out of me.  It has a great lineup, is totally affordable, and Memphis is only about an hour and a half away (maybe a little more to get downtown).  Tickets bought.  Hospitality arranged.  HOLY SHIT, THIS IS HAPPENING!!

And then it happened.  There is a word for "it:"

snafu - [SNAF-oo] n.  1.  a badly confused or ridiculously muddled situation.  (Definition taken from dictionary.com)

BealeFest is May 4th, 5th, and 6th.  The entire time that I was planning this trip, it never once dawned on me that I already had something booked for May 5th... only my best friend's wedding.  Wait, stop right there!  I swear, I'm a pretty good friend!  I'm just bad with dates!  It hit me out of the blue today that both of these important events coincide.  My first instinct was to panic.  But I stopped, took a deep breath, and laid it out.  This is not a disaster.  The wedding is one day.  The festival is three.  Memphis isn't that far.  I'll just make two trips.  I'll go down for the 4th, drive back here afterwards, do the wedding thing on the 5th, drive back (I can't remember what time the wedding is, so who knows, I might even make it back in time to catch a few acts), then I'll have all day on the 6th.  The worst case scenario is I miss all of the second day.  I still get two days of music, and not miss the wedding.  It means making two trips, but come ON!  This is my first festival!

Ever since I bought the 3-Day pass, I've been finding myself staring off into space, imagining how bloody perfect this is gonna be.  And I'm not going alone!  The second friend who brought it up is going with a group of his friends, and I'm gonna play the part of the awkward tagalong.  I know that when going in a group, I'll have to compromise.  I might not get to see every band I want to, but that's totally cool.  There's no way I'm NOT gonna enjoy myself.  Plus, I think my friend shares two of my main draws (Evanescence and Coheed & Cambria), so I won't miss my only "can't miss" bands.  Even if something happens and the group doesn't go to them, I'll wander off on my own.  If you've read my post-gig blaggles, then you know that I don't mind being alone at a show.  Damn...this is gonna be awesome.  Can you feel the awesomeness.  Feel it!  FEEL IT!!!

Here's a quick look at the line-up:  Breathe Carolina, Lupe Fiasco, Girl Talk, Needtobreathe, Florence + the Machine, My Morning Jacket, Three 6 Mafia, Megadeth, Evanescence, Black Lips, Jane's Addiction, Cold War Kids, Pitbull, The Civil Wars, Black Stone Cherry (the only band in the lineup that I've seen before), Coheed & Cambira, Bush, Michael Franti & the Spearheads, Alison Krauss & Union Station, and Primus.

Of course, there are tons of others, but those are the ones that have caught my eye.  There are some time conflictions that mean I definitely can't see them all.  The biggest timefuck?  Friday night.  Headlining the three stages at the same tiem:  Girl Talk, My Morning Jacket, and Evanescence.  WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? Alas, I won't be able to forgive myself if I miss Evanescence, so...well, that's just the way the cookie crumbles.  But still, good times shall be had!  The only ones that I may miss on the second day are Black Lips, Cold War Kids, and Jane's Addiction.  Disappointing, but not a tragedy.

As promised, here's "Guilty Filthy Soul."

My Pic with Frank Turner!!!

Sweet!  Got it!  Please excuse the fat nerd on the left, and focus your attention on the hottie on the right.

The Frank Turner Experience

Finally!  A chance to post about the Frank Turner show!  Where do I begin?

The fun started when I got there.  It was beyond great to be able to hang out with a couple of my Muser buddies!  I'm usually socially awkward, but as was true on the day of the Muse concert in Raleigh, it was so easy to talk to and have fun with these guys.  I think that only stands to prove that music is indeed something intensely personal.  When you have so much in common with a person musically, chances are you're gonna get along just fine.  It's been well over a year since the Raleigh concert, and everyone is still in touch, going to shows together, having fun.  I love the Muser camaraderie!  Anyway, I've veered off course here.  Back to St. Louis!

The whole day was fun.  We drove around the city for a bit, grabbed a bite, then about...I dunno, 2:30ish?  3? We parked at the venue.  The show didn't start until 9.  We were the only ones there until about 7:30ish.  Needless to say, our place in the front row was safely secured.  The venue was tiny.  We had a small venue in Knoxville that I frequented.  However, this place was about half the size of The Valarium.  There was absolutely no space between the crowd and the stage.  I've never been to a show that was so up close and personal.

The opening act was Cory Chisel.  I had never heard of him before, but I really liked his sound.  It was a little bit country, which is a genre that I usually steer clear of, but his sound seemed to have just the right mix of other elements that I easily took it in.  I had hoped to buy an album or EP or anything there, but he didn't have any merch available. :(  I've looked him up on iTunes and facebook though, and nabbed a couple of songs.  I might have to keep an eye out for this boy.  Oh, and here he is (this was taken with the crappy camera on my phone):

He's kinda cute, eh?

And now, on to Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls.  This will be difficult to write about.  I'm not sure how to put it into words.  He opened with "Eulogy," and although it was a song that I wasn't familiar with, I knew from the very first note that this concert would be amazing.  I was right.  Song after song, I fell more and more in love.  There wasn't a single song that he played that I so much as thought, "Eh, that was okay."  Instead, every song brought this to mind: "Whoa!  What's the name of this?  What cd is this from?  I want this song!!"  Every single song was like that.  As I said before, the venue was very small.  It was still packed with people though, and from the sound of things, every single one of them was a Frank Turner fan.  The energy was intense.  Frank and the SS were lively, flying about the stage, hurling energy at the crowd, who absorbed it and sent it right back to the stage, screaming every word to every song.  I felt a little like a fish out of water, seeing as how I was in the front row and only had three songs in my FT arsenal, but honestly, I was having too much fun to care.  I jumped, I yelled, I clapped.  I sang along when I could.  Between songs, he would banter with the crowd.  He's a very funny fellow.  I enjoyed his ramblings almost as much as the music.  Oh, and on a random note, he ended the main setlist with a cover of Queen's "Somebody to Love."  It was such a perfect show.

I had intended on buying a shirt and my very first Frank Turner album after the show, but considering the fact that said show utterly blew my mind, I decided that I needed two albums to get me started.  So, I picked up Love Ire & Song and England Keep My Bones.  I most definitely plan on getting all of them though.  We waited for the crowd around the merch table to die down, then we went to buy our goodies.  As we were wrapping up there, the man himself came out for a meet and greet at the bar.  Though just one month ago, I had never heard of him, I felt a little jittery, and not just because he is an incredibly handsome man.  Don't believe me?

Ok, so it's hard to tell in this pic, but he's hot as hell.

As we waited in line to see him, I felt more and more nervous (partially because I made a complete dork of myself when I met the Sick Puppies...).  In that hour and a half (or two hours?  Who could possibly keep up with time when surrounded by so much awesomeness?), something happened to me.  I became a proper Frank Turner fan.  I'll go into more detail on that shortly, but for now, I'll just say that this fact was giving me fangirl butterflies (I searched my mind for a more elegant term, but I'm not sure that one exists.  Fangirls are fangirls).  I think I managed to avoid embarrassing myself too badly.  As he signed my newly purchased CD, I told him about how I'd bought the ticket before ever hearing a single note, and about how the performance that night had completely won me over (actually, I'm pretty sure I said "I'm completely fucking won over."  Classy Kim was classy.).  He was very nice.  He thanked me for coming out and giving them a try.  Even though I had just watched him take a picture with several other fans, I meekly asked if he'd mind taking one with me, as though I expected him to say, "You only just heard of me!  You're not a real fan, so fuck off!"  Of course, he could say anything to me in that delicious British accent, and I would totally eat it up.  Haha, but he's a nice guy.  He took one with me. :)  Since my camera is in dire need of a new battery, I didn't even bother to take it with me.  M took one with her camera though (yay!!).  She and C followed Frank to three more shows, and that road trip is still ongoing, so she hasn't been home to upload it.  I'll slip a tiny little post in so I can proudly display it later. :D

The whole trip was a success.  I absolutely loved being there with M and C.  They're such amazing people.  The show was fantastic, especially with it being the first show I've been to in over a year.  I'm so jealous that M and C get to experience it three more times!  Good for them, though.  :)

Now, allow me to blurb about my newfound "fandom" of Frank Turner.  I can't remember the last time I felt like this.  Okay, maybe I can.  I remember when I thought, "I still love Neon Ballroom.  I wonder what Silverchair's been up to since then?"  I felt this then as I fell head first into their catalog and was simply overwhelmed by how it touched me.  I felt this way when I finally decided to buy Muse's Absolution, and then developed a hunger that saw me devour each album bit by bit.  I felt this way when I decided to brush up on some of the Smashing Pumpkins that I had missed while preparing for their gig.  It's not easy for me to feel like this.  I listen to a lot of music, and there are plenty of albums and songs that hook me, but this feeling is truly rare.  Even though I'm only just starting out, I feel like FT could leap into my Top 5, blowing many other acts out of the water.  I'm sure I'll keep you posted on my progress.  So far, I've listened to nothing but England Keep My Bones and Love Ire & Song nonstop.  Each time, I feel like I discover something else about them.  I want to devour these albums whole.  Then, I'm sure I'll move on and snatch up another FT album.  I love this feeling.  I can't thank my friends enough for introducing me to him.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to listen to "Long Live the Queen" again.

Here's a quick pic of my autograph.

When he gave it back to me, my thumb smudged the ink.  Oops.

Why am I so weird?

Why do I obsess over my play counts on iTunes?  It's stupid.  It's not stupid that you can display, it's just stupid that I bother so much with them.  Do they really matter?  No.  They're not even all that accurate.  All those times that I play songs over and over again in my truck?  That's on a CD, so that doesn't count.  Or what about those years before I had iTunes and used Rhapsody?  If there was some way to get an accurate count of how many times I've listened to my favorite song of all time, it would probably be in the hundreds.  So why does it matter that another song that I also love is overtaking its title as "Most Played" on my iTunes.

IT DOESN'T MATTER, KIM.  Man, I'm weird...

I'm always worried that someone is going to go through my Top 25 Most Played in my iTunes library and make some sort of assumptions about me.  What kind of assumptions?  I dunno.  Just assumptions.  FALSE assumptions.  I have no idea what kind of false assumptions can be made from my Most Played list.  There's nothing "embarrassing" on there.  This is why Kim is a freak (well, one of the reasons, anyway).

I'm still working on the next installment of the Facebook Experiment.  BTW, I'm not liking the title "Facebook Experiment."  What's so experimental about it?  I'm not testing anything out.  Maybe "project" would be a better word.  Nah, I don't like that either.  Anywho, apparently no one on my friends list is passionate enough about The Airborne Toxic Event to know many songs by them.  That, or the ones that are just haven't seen the post.  I suppose there is always the possibility that no one gives a shit, but I've found that with music lovers, they're always very eager to spread the word, so I don't think that's really the case.  I may have to investigate TATE on my own.

That doesn't mean that I haven't digested any new music lately.  I tracked down two more songs just last night. I am thoroughly enjoying them.  First is "Burn It Down" by AWOLNATION.  I only knew one song by him, and that's "Sail," which I consider to be one of the sexiest songs ever written.  Musically, not lyrically, mind you.  The second is "Jeremiah" by Italian Japanese.  That's another band that I previously only knew one song by.  I really like it.  I like how it steadily adds layers on.  I tend to like songs like that (see TATE's "Sometime Around Midnight" and Hoobastank's "First of Me").

Which song shall I share tonight?  I suppose I'll opt for "Burn It Down."

Facebook Experiment #2: She & Him

I sent out yet another request to Facebook:  suggest songs by She & Him.  The response?  "I don't think you can go wrong with whatever you choose."  Ok.  And off to wikipedia, I go!

Hmm... Let's see here (you have to say that line a la Beavis (sorry, I'm not well-versed on how to type letters with accent marks).  

Search "She and Him."

Click on "Discography."  

Skim through "Singles."

Not a long list to choose from, but I went with the following three songs:

1) "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"

2) "In the Sun"

3) "Thieves"

I listened to all three of them with my full attention.  My verdict?  Not something that I want to run out and download.  So, I didn't.  It's not that I didn't like them.  They just didn't...click, ya know?  I love Zooey's voice.    The songs were generally very upbeat, which I usually love.  I can't really describe why they didn't do it for me.  Maybe they require more listenings.  Maybe they need to grow on me.  Maybe I'm just not meant to get into it. I say that I gave them a fair chance.  Of course, if anyone cares to suggest other songs by them to try, I will be more than happy to.  

So my adventures with She & Him didn't pan out.  That's okay.  I still managed to snag a new song since the last post.  It came up in conversation, I listened to it, and I really liked it.  It is now tucked away in my iTunes library. 

Here's "Afraid" by Bad Veins.

Facebook Experiment #1

As you know from my endless complaining, my current residence suffers from a severe limitation of the interwebs.  I miss free use of the interwebs.  :(

I used to be in-the-know when it came to music.  Now, I'm missing out on all the current happenings.  So, to help myself out, I thought I would narrow down my search a little bit and take advantage of the social network to expose myself (heh) to more music.  Hence, I posted a status on facebook enlisting the help of my friends.  I've heard so much about Matt and Kim, but I haven't ever actually heard their music.  I had a few recommendations tossed my way, and here are the results!

Six songs were suggested:
"Cameras"
"Yea Yeah"
"Daylight"
"Good Ol' Fashioned Nightmare"
"Block After Block"
"I'm a Goner"

It took me a few days, given my internet suckage, but I have listened to them all.  I didn't dislike a single one of them, but the stand-out favorites for me were "Cameras," "Daylight," and "I'm a Goner."  Loved them!  I immediately hopped onto iTunes and used what's left of my gift certificate to download them.  Well, I couldn't download "I'm a Goner."  Why the hell is that one not on iTunes?  Boo!  Randomly, I drained the last of my iTunes credit on Bjork... ("Army of Me" and "It's Oh So Quiet")

I wasn't in love with Matt's voice right away, but it quickly grew on me.  I loved how upbeat every one of those songs were.  It reminds me of my recent new experiences with Frank Turner.  They're the kind of songs put you in a good mood, no matter what your mental state is.  I'm going to go ahead and add that I loved their music videos. :D  I bet their live shows are great.

I say that this first round was a success!  I have discovered a new group, and while I only have a taste, that's all it takes to get you started.  I think I know who my next query will pertain to, but I'll save that for later. :)

Thank you for the help, my friends!!

Ok, Whatever x 11

So apparently, I have been tagged in this thing where I have to say 11 things about myself, then answer 11 questions.  Ok, so I don't have to.  I suppose no harm will befall me if I choose to rebel against this endless chain of pointlessness.  I'm gonna do it anyway though.  Part of it.  I shall not be continuing this process by tagging 11 people.  Mostly because I have no one to tag.  I have not carved out a niche within the blog community, so I'm just gonna say my stuff, and let it be.

11 Things You Don't Know About Kim (probably)
1.  As much as I love music and concerts, I was at the ripe, old age of 21 before I attended my first concert.
2.  I don't like lemon in my tea.
3.  I have more horror movies than any other genre in my DVD library.
4.  I can't bring myself to get rid of my Lou Bega CD.
5.  I have a completely irrational fear of the dark.
6.  My favorite color is cerulean.
7.  I worked very hard (and got very drunk) discovering the perfect appletini recipe:  2 oz sour apple pucker, 1 oz vodka, 1 dash of lemon juice, shaken then strained into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a single maraschino cherry dropped into the center.  Go ahead and try it, then tell me you don't love it. :P
8.  I can read both of the Japanese alphabets (but no kanji...)
9.  I was 21 when I rode my very first roller coaster.
10.  I have a mental block when it comes to taking pills.  I guess I just overthink what I'm doing, so my tongue always gets in the way of a pill and my esophagus.
11.  I am a HUGE Star Wars nerd, though I've fallen behind on the latest books.

So that's that.  Now for the 11 questions posed by my sister to her 11 peeps tagged:

1.   What is the chore you most hate doing?  All of them.  I can't really pick a least favorite.
2.   Books:  Do you prefer e-readers or bound print?  Bound print, definitely.  I just like having the phsycial book in my hands and seeing it on my bookcase.  
3.   Have you been outside the continental 48 states?  Where?  Yes.  The Bahamas when I was a wee little lass, then England and Scotland when I was 15, then Ireland and England again when I was 20.  In a year or so, I believe I'll be able to add South Korea to that list! :D
4.   If you won an all-expense paid trip to anywhere in the world for one week, where would you go?  Okinawa.
5.   Do you eat breakfast?  Sometimes.  
6.   What's something that you are passionate about?  Music, which I'm sure is obvious given that I've dedicated a blog to it.  
7.   Do you use coupons when you do your grocery shopping?  If I happen across one, yes, but I don't go digging for them.  
8.   If you were to go to the movies tonight, what would you see?  Actually, I DID go to the movies tonight, and I saw The Grey.  
9.   Musicals?  Love 'em or hate 'em?  Fucking love them.
10. Do you have any live plants in your house?  (Please don't answer that if they are illegal.) No.
11.  How many times a week do you eat out?  Maybe 1-ish.


I shall not pose 11 questions of my own since I won't be tagging anyone.  

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

First, the small news, then the big, K?

I bought another album!  It's my second album of 2012!  Aaaand, it's more J-Pop.  In the last update, it was Yui's Holidays in the Sun.  This time, it's Regeneration by Chemistry:

The song that piqued my curiosity was "Period."  I absolutely love that song.  When I listen to it, I feel like anything is possible.  It did give me misconceptions about the album though.  "Period" is pop-rock.  While still bearing the trademark catchiness of pop, there is a significant guitar presence throughout the song.  It's the only song like that on the album.  However, that ends up not being a bad thing.  I'm incredibly picky when it comes to pop music, but I love this album!  I think I might actually love it just a little bit more than the more laid-back Yui album.  The electronic dance beats that permeate Regeneration are infectious and resound in your head all day.  If you're into it, check out "Go Alone," "Dawn," and "Life Goes On."

Anyway, enough of that, moving on!! BIG NEWS!
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KIM'S GOING TO A GIG!!   ~*mwee*~

It's all kind of happened pretty fast, but I am going to see Frank Turner in St. Louis on February 21st!! Who is Frank Turner, you ask?  Yeah, I had to ask that, too...  Here's the story:

Remember that superbly awesome Muse concert I attended in Raleigh back in 2010?  I met some great people there that I have still kept in touch with.  Several friendships were formed that night, and more than a few Muser meet-ups have taken place in its wake.  But poor little Kim went and moved to the other end of the state, so she's pretty far removed from her music buddies.  Then, I learned that my friend M (who lives aaaaall the way in Florida) will be trekking west for this show with another Muser, C.  St. Louis is only about four hours from here, which is a completely reasonable drive for someone used to making a six-hour drive on a regular basis.  Four hours is considerably more manageable than the umpteen it would take to get to Florida, and she said she'd have some downtime that day, so thus the plan for the trip came into being.  Then, it didn't take much to sell me on the show.  In fact, I bought the ticket before I even listened to a single note from Frank Turner's guitar.  I've since given him a listen though, and I must say that I love it!  This show is going to be GREAT!  I get to go to my first gig in over a year, and I get to hang out with two awesome people all day!  I was so happy, I cried.  I am not exaggerating.  This is the first thing I've had to look forward to in so long.  I already know that this trip is going to be amazing.

So that's my news!  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go listen to Frank Turner some more and marinate in my happiness.

(I love the lyrics to this song!)

Nerdtastic

So, I bought my first album of 2012!  What album, might you ask?  This one:

Yep.  Kim likes J-Pop.  Usually, I settle for picking up songs here and there, but occasionally, I've been known to pick up an album (like Boa Kwon.  Love her!!).  I heard the single "Again" on an anime, and I fell in love with it (Yep. An otaku to boot.  Does my nerdiness know no bounds??).  So, recently, I finally decided to order the whole album.  It came in today, and it was so worth it!  I really, really like it.  So far though, "Again" is still my favorite.  I guess it was ultimately a good thing that iTunes didn't have this song since I enjoy the album so much.  Well, iTunes had a version of it, but not the real one.  For some reason, iTunes seems to only release super vanilla covers of songs featured on popular anime.  And when I say "super vanilla," I mean it.  Come on, iTunes, there's a growing market for this stuff!  There are plenty of nerds like me out there.