Sad Moth Music: April 2015

4/28/15

Sad Moth Concert Tour Pt. 3 No Blurry Concert Pictures by Request of Jeff Mangum: Neutral Milk Hotel

"Heil NMH!"

Quintessential indie-rock band Neutral Milk Hotel is on their last formal tour together, and I was privileged enough to see one of their last concerts that they would ever have. If you haven't heard of or listened to NMH, they're an indie rock group out of Louisiana, front manned by the mellow Jeff Mangum, who can only be described as what former Sad Moth writer Nimbi would have looked like in his forties (RIP). Neutral Milk Hotel is a band that some consider being a major contributor to shaping the indie music scene of today. Many famous bands such as Arcade Fire, Beirut, or Animal Collective were inspired by Neutral Milk Hotel, specifically by their album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. They have an interesting sound that ranges from folk/ folk-punk to lo-fi, and they're a necessity to listen to because of how solid and unique they are composition wise. Fun instrumental fact, this noise is actually made by a violin bow being moved across a bent saw blade, that's the type of listening experience you get from Neutral Milk Hotel.

If you've been to a Neutral Milk Hotel concert before one thing you would know is that by request, taking pictures isn't aloud. It's not something that's taken lightly either. The first time I saw them live a girl snapped a picture of Jeff Mangum and he stopped singing and playing just to flip her off and say, "fuck you." So I didn't want to be disrespectful, or publicly humiliated by being singled out in a large crowd, because I tried snagging some eloquent blurry concert pictures. I also don't have the photographic touch like my co-author Noah. Since I don't have photos this kind of puts the transparent author/reader relationship that we've established with our Blurry Concert Picture series in a weird place. I mean at this point in the article I could basically just make up what happened and what their set list was, you know something ridiculous like "Jeff Mangum got on stage, furiously masturbated for an hour, ensuring that the fapping noise was the only sound on the mic, and then played a lo-fi cover of the Ghost Buster's theme." Also you guys could just not believe me, so as a motion of establishing mutual trust here is my concert ticket...

Blanked out my information for obvious reasons

Now that that's out of the way let's get onto the concert, I have got to say it was pretty great. Neutral Milk Hotel played a strong setlist that was energizing, but laid back when it needed to be. The beginning of the concert had Jeff play I Will Bury You in Time solo, which was pretty but then it transitioned perfectly into Holland 1945 which made the place explode into this lively, energetic mosh--it was a ton of fun to just cut loose, and the music complimented that. Their choice of music was great for a final concert, they played all the highlights off of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, as well as their hits of their other albums like Song Against Sex. Not to mention they played their hearts out too. The entire band is made up of very talented individuals that make songs that already sound good on album sound great live. I think that's where the "no photography" philosophy of Jeff Mangum spawns from. He is entirely passionate about playing his music and because of that it's beautiful. Taking pictures of it would be like taking pictures of fireworks, there's no point because by immortalizing that moment, you are in turn missing it. An evening with Neutral Milk Hotel is just that, and that's something you don't get very often at concerts.

I had a really enjoyable night with this band and have this melancholy feeling to see one of the greats go. Maybe someday we will meet again, but until then farewell Neutral Milk Hotel.

Happy listening,

Sad Moth Manny

"And one day we will die
And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea
But for now we are young
Let us lay in the sun
And count every beautiful thing we can see
Love to be
In the arms of all I'm keeping here with me"

4/27/15

I'm not going to call this a life hack because I have self worth, but this is pretty cool...

You know yourself, you're a cool, easy going person that just so happens to enjoy buying a CD every once and awhile. However, regardless of how lax you are, if you're a sane human being that's not on any emotionally leveling antidepressants then there is one thing that really pisses you off...

These fuckers...

Yeah that's right, the security seals that are impossible to get off crystal CD cases. I hate them so fucking much. You can't peel them off in one pull you have to either pick it off and spend the better part of ten minutes getting every little bit of sticky seal off of the case, slice it off the case with a sharp object which scratches the case and still results in picking off leftover seal, smash the entire thing with a hammer so you can cry in a corner in silence, or just give up and pirate music leaving your CD collection small and sad. I honestly don't know why they have this on here, It's not like it's that good of a security measure. I'm not going to just open it up and take the CD if I was going to steal it, I would definitely take the case too, it's not like it's that much more cumbersome. I honestly feel like it's just the record companies blasting you in the ass one last time before you can relax and enjoy your music, I mean you're already paying fifteen dollars for a physical copy of a mass burnt CD with some album artwork... sigh.

Well luckily since I'm not going to stand for leftover Nazi engineering being used in contemporary America, I came up with a way to stick it to the man and save your new manicure...

So go out there, and enjoy your music in peace,

Happy listening,

Emanuel (Sad Moth Manny)

4/26/15

I'm not going to call this a life hack because I have self worth, but this is pretty cool...

These fuckers...

Well luckily since I'm not going to stand for leftover Nazi engineering being used in contemporary America, I came up with a way to stick it to the man and save your new manicure...

So go out there, and enjoy your music in peace,

Happy listening,

Noah

4/21/15

Sad Moth Concert Tour Pt 2: Blurry Concert Pictures with Noah: Action Bronson

Author’s Note: Since this site has turned into a music review/Chance the Rapper fan club as of late, I’d like to clear the air right off the bat and say that, despite having multiples verses on Bronson’s songs and the concert being in a venue just a mile away from his high school, Chance the Rapper did not, I repeat did not appear at this concert. If everyone reading this no longer cares what I have to say, so be it.

For those not acquainted with Bronsoliño, I’ll acquaint you. He doesn’t like people jumping on stage, for one (see right).

He’s a rapper from Queens that breaks all the conventions of what a rapper can be. He’s a former professional chef, and still considers himself a chef who happens to rap on the side. He raps over absurd beats, makes obscure sports references, (Dillon Gee, anyone?), and spins tales of ludicrous drug-fueled sexual exploits, (face-to-face toilets anyone?). Similar to may other artists I like, liking Bronson isn’t just about liking the music in a vacuum. It’s about his persona, his interviews, his Vice cooking show called Fuck, That’s Delicious. It’s about developing a complex love/have relationship with his best friend and major-league level asshole Big Body Bes.

Thoughts On Either Way-Wilco

Thoughts On Either Way by Wilco

Slap that play button...

Although it's not as widely critically acclaimed as a lot of Wilco's other works, Sky Blue Sky is an example of an album that has a lot of significance to me as a listener. It was an album that I had growing up, it was played while my mom cooked dinner, on sunny summer days when my family and I were just being lazy, and it was exclusively used by me on plane rides. There are a lot of tracks on the album that I have a ton of nostalgia and emotional attachment for, such as Impossible Germany, or Sky Blue Sky. However there is one song that I really want to focus on, the opener Either Way. It's always been my favorite, which probably is why I have always been so drawn to the rest of the tracks on the album. It's a very sweet, smooth, and flowing opening that naturally soothes the listener into the rest of the track list. I love the cradling guitar part, the light groove of the bass, the breezing organ, and the soft kit. I love how the piano compliments Jeff Tweedy's relaxing vocals by having such a steady chord progression. It's a very layered and well orchestrated track --literally during the string addition-- that has an instrumental part that really compliments its lyrics. And I fell in love with it.

Either Way to me is a song that is compositionally patient. It takes it's time, and in doing so it's message is very strong, it's story and attitude very loving and kind. The entire song is incredibly thematic. The lyrics and instrumentals work hard together to convey its message in a way that is subtle, and when you take a step back to analyze it you can really appreciate it.

Lyrically the song, I will admit, is a bit corny. But never have I listened to something that has been so significant to me throughout the time it's been in my life. I can't help but be optimistic every time I hear it. This song has a way of going away, but then coming back when I really need it, and I've never really realized that until now. This is what is so amazing about the music I love, and why I'm so passionate about it. It's evocative of this emotion, it makes me feel human, like I'm alive with the goings on of the world. Music is an art that, like poetry, can grow and harbor so much personal significance to the listener. It can be empowering, crushing, enraging, calming, it's about how you feel about it. It's meaning entirely subjective.

Life is so complicated, and complex. That's why it's beautiful. You're going to be sad, you're going to be alone, but on the opposite ends of things you're going to be happy and you'll be surrounded by things and people that you love and that love you too. Sometimes things are worse, sometimes everything is better and that's okay. That's what makes life worth living, there's no point otherwise. Humans are irrational beings, we wouldn't love if we weren't. Embrace your imperfection. That's why I stay right here, where I am. That's what this song means to me.

To those of you who haven't heard this song, or are listening to it again, I hope you can find as much meaning as I did in it. If it's oppressively gloomy outside, or even if it's sunny, if life is good or bad, just remember that Either Way it'll be okay.

-Emanuel

Love is patient, love is kind.

4/15/15

Thoughts On Sunday Candy Music Video (Chance the Rapper)

Thoughts On the Sunday Candy Music Video

Sunday Candy was a song that was originally released on Chance the Rapper and the Social Experiment's release of their self titled mix-tape, and on that mix-tape it was definitely one of my favorites. In the track you have Donnie Trumpet (Nico Segal) and the rest of the Social Experiment band on production, a vocal hook by the beautiful poet and vocalist Jamila Woods, and of course rapping and vocals by our main man Chancelor Bennett (Chance the Rapper). However I need to say that even though Chance plays a major part in the song, and a strong one at that, I feel like this track at most features Chance. It's a song that's more about the members of the Social Experiment's individual talents working together as a unit. The production is uplifting, upbeat, and it has good instrumental parts. I love the horns, the rapid kit/beat, and steel drum one off. Jamila Woods has very strong vocal part which provides a swaying hook that is really loving. It just goes to show that Chance has a talented group of people that he's working with, considering the way they compliment each other stylistically it's no wonder that he's recently decided to forgo his individual projects post Acid Rap.

If you haven't seen this music video yet you need to check it out. The video setting is a high school play and it fits the songs nature. The set itself looks like it's made by an after school stage crew, and I love that. It has this innocence and coming of age essence that makes it sweet and sincere. It's all cute and it gave me this sense of melancholy because of how well it represents young love, not in a conventional sense, but more in a theatrical sense. I think that theme is represented more in the song itself, but the video really packages it well.

Like a play the video is one long take, and it has a strength in this format. It doesn't feel choppy and it's hard to tell where they made cuts. It all flows nicely and does a lot of really cool transitions. For example most of the transitions I loved where when Jamila Woods sings the hook. I love how smooth it always is, and it's always a pretty shot. When the song transitions through it's verses, hooks, and bridges, the video transitions too. This way to visually cue the audio transitions of the song is fitting for a music video and that's what contributes most to the videos great continuity of scenes. I've seen this type of long take style shooting in music videos before, specifically in a lot of OK GO's stuff, but that's done to do their elaborate Rube Goldberg machines justice. Sunday Candy isn't as manic as that, but it is still visually stimulating.

With that being said one of the greatest parts of the video is the dancing. It's all well choreographed by Ian Eastwood, and I believe most of the lead dancers are provided by his dance crew as well. Trevor Takemoto (who is a friend of a friend of mine, actually), Monyett Crump, Ade Willis, and Domino Johnson are all very talented in their leads and have dancing styles that really complement Chance's music. These dancers have done backup dancing for Chance in the past so they're experienced enough with him as an artist so it makes sense. Their ability to be so light on their feet most notably fits the parts of the song where the beats and drum kits become more rapid and freeform. The choreography directing is very solid overall, there were some people in the larger groups bits that were out of sync a little, but never anyone that was a lead, or that was in focus, which is very impressive that someone is able to have that well of a direction over that many people.

If you look at the song under the light, or should I say spotlight, of its purpose being a compositional showcase of all the members of the Social Experiment then the music video being themed after a high school play just makes sense. I think that's kind of the spirit that type of production has. You know the old quote, "there are no small parts, only small actors" and that's entirely evident with the Social Experiment, Chance, Ian Eastwood's dancers, and everyone they've worked with to produce this song and music video. There is a remarkable amount of talent and dedication that is being drawn from here and it's very touching to see this much heart be put into a music video. I really enjoyed it. Definitely give it a watch if you haven't seen it already.

If you want to learn more about Chance the Rapper and what I think of his work make sure to check out my profile piece I did about him for the first episode of the Sad Mothcast, a series of videos that'll be covering artists that I like.

Thanks a lot guys, until next time,

Emanuel Aviles (Sad Moth Manny)

Stuff for you guys:

The Social Experiment Mixtape Download

Ian Eastwood's Youtube Channel

Oh by the way, I REALLY want to interview Chance the Rapper when he comes to UW Madison's music festival Revelry, so if you want to help me out tweet this or my profile piece that I made of him at him.