Have You Heard?

In college I used to go to shows all the time, ravenous for new music and a raucous good time. As I've grown older I've become less patient with all the elements that come along with a concert - the crowd overflowing with drunken buffoons, the sticky floors, and the stench of sweat aren't as sweet as they used to be. But last Saturday I braved it all to check out a killer band from Knoxville, Tennessee. Royal Bangs put on one hell of a live show, and even though they were the opening band the crowd was enthralled with them immediately. They had all the elements of bands that I love: the intricate guitar work of Les Savy Fav, the joyous synth of Blonde Redhead, and the energy and enthusiasm to pull it all off. With two records released in the past year, I hope to see a lot more from these guys in the near future. Now kick off those shoes - it's time to dance!

The Video Vault: LIVE

Blonde Redhead is on my list of "Favorite Bands Of All Time" along with, of course, Fugazi, The Smiths, and Les Savy Fav. What I love so much about Blonde Redhead is their constant sound evolution. I was first introduced to their music at age 15, when a dear friend from New York sent me a mix tape... that mix tape would become my music bible. It was chock full of melodies and orchestral magic - Morrissey, Built to Spill, Enon, Blonde Redhead, and much much more. It was with this introduction, and my consequent purchase of Blonde Redhead's 1995 album La Mia Vita Violenta that I fell in love with the Italian twins, and their Japanese songstress. Flash-forward to 2008: I realize one morning as I leave my apartment, and turn on my iPod to that very album, that 2/3 of the band is standing right in front of me. Such a small world it is, most notably when you're idols end up living next door. Below find a performance of one of my favorite songs, "In Particular" from the album Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons (2000).