Indie Rock.

When I first heard of Indie Rock, way back in college, I had thought it was short for "Indian" Rock because at the time there was this popular Indian rapish-rockish song out. I thought the song was okay, it got annoying after a while and I was baffled to hear that there was this huge underground following for "Indie" Rock. When I finally found out that it was "Indie" Rock for "Independent" Rock first I felt like a complete retard and then I was really interested. Since then I've dived into the genre with the help of my Sirius radio which makes Indie Rock extremely accessible. I know that the popularity of Indie Rock has been steadily growing, even to the point that some Indie Rock bands are getting popular and hitting mainstream markets, so I thought I'd introduce it to those out there who are wondering why Indian music suddenly got so popular!

Indie Rock is so appealing to many because it tends to be more unique and creative, not being stifled or controlled by a huge recording company. It's refreshing to hear some actually new music rather than the same song recycled over and over again as Pop music or even mainstream Alternative music tends to do. Indie Rock has become so popular that there are even rumors that a popular Indie band, The Kooks, were manufactured by a major UK Recording Label in order to capitalize on the recent Indie Rock craze.

So if you are just getting into Indie Rock, let me nudge you in the right direction, which of course are my faves:

• TV on the Radio - This band has quickly become one of my faves. The lead singer is originally from Nigeria, and you can hear the African background in the music. The song I first fell in love with is "A Method." It just sends chills down my spine. Their music is very experimental and creative, mixing rock, electric, jazz among other music genres in a way that is very pleasing to the ears, at least to me.
• Blonde Redhead - I'm completely obsessed with their song "Spring and by Summer Fall" which is a completely awkward name that I can never remember correctly, but there is this one guitar rift (I'm probably using that term so completely wrong) that literally tugs at your innards. I can't even explain it in words, but it's really profound. Overall, their music has an eerie kind of rock flavor going on.
• Sea Wolf - An up-and-coming Indie band. I'm not sure if they really even have a full album out, they might just have an EP. Actually "Sea Wolf" is the stage name for Alex Church with a rotating ensemble of musicians to make up his band. The current single out, "You're a Wolf" has a very unique sound that incorporates I believe a cello in it. I really like this band a lot and am pissed to find out that I just missed them in Carrboro, NC last night!!

Let me know what you think!

And if you didn't already know, Radiohead is at the forefront of innovative merchandising, making their newest release available only from a specific website and the price? Well you can order the "Discbox" which includes extra materials in addition to the album for about $80, or you can download a digital version for... whatever you want. Yup, you heard me, you decide how much you want to pay for the download. To test it out, and sure, I might be a bit stingy with money, but this was for experimental purposes mostly I swear, I said that I chose to pay zero for the album and website said okee dokee and downloaded the album right to my computer! Radiohead has been one of the more unique and interesting bands of the past, but they've really pushed the envelope by not even having a recording label! Talk about Indie Rock. Many record companies are very nervous by this new idea, and they should be. It's fucking brilliant. To read more about it, check out this article. And for those music/techy/computer geeks (I don't even know what category this falls under) read this article about some controversies about the It's Up To You/Free download.

TV ON THE RADIO

I am absolutely obsessed with this band right now. They are unique and extremely talented. Please, for your own good, check them out right now and join my obsession!

This is the music video for "Wolf Like Me" one of their popular singles from Return To Cookie Mountain.

P.S. My favorite song of theirs is "A Method" but I couldn't find a music video of it but you should definitely check it out. Here's a Youtube of the song but with no video for your listening pleasures.

Sharing An Obsession

I've just realized that for some reason I've completely neglected in sharing one of my biggest obsessions with my blogging community as of yet. Most people who have known me for a while, know of this obsession that has been going on for at least ten years strong (if not longer) and have heard of my trips to as far as St. Louis in order to see this obsession in person. I've been an avid fan of Our Lady Peace for at least half of my life now since the release of their sophomore album, Clumsy. I was watching some YouTubes of Raine Maida's (the lead singer) solo project and thought I'd share a slew of OLP vid clips and music videos with you all so you can share in the obsession if you so choose. I've seen OLP live at least 11 times now (if I were at home I could check my OLP scrapbook to verify that number... and oh yes, I do have an OLP scrapbook) and can say without a doubt as an avid concert goer that they are the BEST band I've ever seen live, even better than the band Live, and they put on a pretty awesome show as well.

Enjoy.

A classic OLP song from their album Clumsy.

Raine Maida's solo project, a more beat poetry type music then OLP's rock sound.

An interview with Raine and his wife Chantal for a glimpse into the rockin' couple's life. I'm not usually the type of person to follow the celebrities because frankly I don't care and our country's obsession with celebrities makes me ill, but I truly admire Raine Maida as a person from his music (he writes all of OLP's lyrics) and his activism with War Child Canada and so cannot resist being curious about his personal life. But please don't think I give a damn what he or his wife are wearing.

Thank you for allowing me to share my obsession. There's nothing obsessives like to do more then to try to infect others with their obsessions.

Anna Nalick Teaser

Oh, how I love Anna Nalick, such soul, and on this video she seems super down to earth! I think today will be a video clip day. Enjoy and please go out and buy or legally download her CD, Wreck of the Day, you won't regret it.

A Music Video Without Bitches and Hoes?

I was a fan of the band before this, but I love this video (which in turn makes me love the band even more). What? A music video without half dressed (or barely dressed) women shaking their booties? Nooooooo, I can barely believe it can be done! But Death Cab for Cutie has done it for their song "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" and it's creative, sweet and some kind of wonderful... enjoy!

2 AM (Just Breathe)

Not only am I obsessed with Anna Nalick and her music (so soulful and deep, You've gotta check it out... my current faves are 2am, Catalyst and Wreck of the Day) but it is also 2am and I am awake so I thought the title would be appropriate!

So my writing group, that started at 7pm, has just left my humble abode. Granted, it was the same three as last time, same cancellations and no shows (sigh) but what a group we are! I can't imagine how late we would have been here had we had more people! We discussed writing and critiqued each others' work (after the girls could pull themselves from inspecting my library and cuddling my array of animals), which was so helpful. I'd been struggling for, hmm, about two weeks now on an ending for a story I've been working on and it's been pulling-my-hair-out frustrating. The girls gave me wonderful ideas and places to go, helped me clarify things that I was unsure about by asking the right questions about my characters or what I wanted the characters to be in my story and gave me some great tips on getting an ending hammered out! I'm so excited to work on the story and I LOVE that feeling... it is rare after you've been banging your head on a story for a couple of weeks. I hope that I was just as insightful and helpful to the women and their work as well. Then we started chatting causally and that lead to discussions of literature and art and that led to "kids today" and the changes in parenting this generation, which disturbs us all. We progressed to feminism and the way women are portrayed in the media and how sexy is not about how naked you can get without actually being naked. It was one of those college, idealistic, devastating, enlightening, hilarious (with stories shared that we all know the unspoken rule will never be uttered from each others' mouths outside of our circle), intellectual discussions that fills you and makes you feel like a human being, not just a zombie trying to get through the hustle and bustle of your uninspiring life and your uninspiring 9-5 job. It was the type of talk that reminded me of my dream to work internationally in underdeveloped countries, in war zones, in highly diseased areas to help the most deserving and the most helpless people, trapped by birth by a poverty and a life that is doomed from its beginnings. I think I've even agreed to go to Calcutta or some other underdeveloped country to work with lepers or refugees in Uganda or something with one of the girls! How wonderful. I was disappointed my current Uganda trip has fallen through and now I have found another opportunity to look forward, perhaps after my first year of grad school for Social Work? Hmm, that's starting to sound like a plan. One of my groupies has a friend that does work in those countries with an organization. How wonderful would it be to share this experience with a like-minded woman whom you've already bonded with so deeply with the most important parts of yourself? Your writing (which I consider the window to my soul), your thoughts, dreams, passions, pain, ideals and of course your most embarrassing moments! :)~

It was 2am before we knew it, and no surprise, my hubby who was dutifully staying out of our way in the basement with his Baseball Tonight, video games and exercise bike was dead asleep downstairs, bless his heart!

This entry is probably very naughty grammatically as my eyes are refusing to open all the way and I may have to come in tomorrow and touch it up, so apologies for any sloppiness, I really do try to put out cleaner posts than this!

Very at peace and so happy with the bonding of minds and hearts tonight, there's nothing like your girls no matter how amazing your man is.

Natalie Raps

I was in love with Ms. Natalie Portman before, but this has just cinched it. I'm so pissed I missed her on SNL! If anyone knows when it'll be rerun, let me know, please.

You know, you just gotta support the short, bi-racial, educated brunettes making it big out there. Did I mention that I see Nat (as her fans affectionately call her) as my successful twin? Yeah, that's sooo how I'd be if I were the cool twin. LOVE HER!