Music in the Meantime

Hello, blog. It has been quite a while since my last update, as I've had something of a drought of ideas that I considered worth writing ab - out.  I've wondered several times in the past several weeks whether my wellspring of ideas had run dry so soon.  I don't really think it has, but once you fall out of the habit of writing new material it is difficult to restart.

With that in mind, I've decided to just post something simple for the time being. Hopefully, this will motivate me to come up with some more serious ideas.  I've started listening to a ton of good bands since my last post, here's a list of some of that goodness.

Diablo Swing Orchestra (The Butcher's Ballroom, Sing Along Songs for the Damned and Delirious) - It's Swedish Avant-Garde Metal. I don't think I really NEED any other reason than that to listen to it.  From what I can tell, it bears great similarities with Nightwish, but is more listenable. Also, they sing primarily in English, albeit with some pretty bitchin' songs in Latin and Spanish.  Recommended songs: Balrog Boogie, Heroines, Wedding March for a Bullet, A Tap Dancer's Dilemma, and Stratosphere Serenade.

fun. (Aim and Ignite) - Headed by former The Format singer Nate Ruess, fun. lives up to its name.  The songs all have an upbeat, occasionally even sing-song feel to them.  I pick up on influences from the Beatles and Jack Johnson, although I've never looked to see who the band consider it's influences. There isn't a bad song on the album, definitely worth getting.

Manchester Orchestra (Mean Everything to Nothing) - Every song on this album is solid and enjoyable. What's regrettable is that the first half heavily outweighs the second in terms of catchiness and creativity. I never find myself skipping ahead to songs like Tony the Tiger or The River, even though these are good songs.  That being said, I haven't been able to tear myself away from this album for over a week.

Monty Are I (Wall of People) - Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't enjoy a band like Monty Are I.  During the choruses, the singing takes on the standard post-emo (post-hardcore?) style which many enjoy but that I can't stand.  However, several songs on this album have redeeming factors that make me completely forget that post-emo/hardcore singing bothers me. The big factor is their expert use of a brass section. Dublin Waltz and Tie Off Your Veins are the two songs that really show this off, and are my favorites.

Portugal. The Man (The Satanic Satanist)-The second entry with inexplicable punctuation in the name that throws of my spell-check.  Portugal. The Man shows that a laid-back, classic-rock era sound can still be appealing in an age when Auto-Tune is the preferred instrument and 'Shots' by LMFAO is iconic of the times.  Songs like Lovers in Love, The Sun, and Mornings stand out.

So, there's your good music fix for the week.