May 30 2008

Summer Camp 2008

Category: Life As I See It, Summer Camp 2008 — dryvetyme @ 13:02

Well folks – it’s time, time for me to once again head off into the depths of the Texas Hill Country to be the Merit Badge Coordinator at El Rancho Cima – Cockrell River Camp. Long-term readers of this blog will remember that I posted extensive photos, videos, and random ruminations of my time spent at this camp during Summer 2007. And while I do plan to post some of that material on a one-post-a-week-basis (How else will you all have any idea of how much FUN I’ll be having?), I plan to spend more time detoxing from my regular writing in order to read & plot out the background to the novel(s) I have floating about in my head.

So, be on the lookout for some thoughts about my time in the woods, what’s going on in the world of politics, some theological tidbits, and the occasional music review/interview. Enjoy your summer everyone!

May 30 2008

H-Town Rock 05/29-06/01/2008

Category: Music In My Ears — dryvetyme @ 08:23

In case you’re looking for events in Houston this weekend, feel free to check out the latest edition of H-Town Rock for the week of May 29th – June 1st, 2008 over at The Houstonist.

May 29 2008

Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) – Year of the Rabbit 7″

Category: Music In My Ears — dryvetyme @ 14:01

Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate)
Year of the Rabbit 7”
Count Your Lucky Stars Records; 2008

Back in the day (boy, do I sound old), being an emo band didn’t mean that there was some predetermined uniform of tight jeans, ironic t-shirts, and eyeliner that must be donned before the music was performed. It used to mean that one had an unabashedly huge heart and the ability to craft intense pop songs without any anger or irony present. It’s that ethos that jumps out from the onset of the Year of the Rabbit 7” from Michigan quartet Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate). The 7” is comprised of two tracks that reflect the dual nature of certain strains of ‘90s emo: the A-side, “Year of the Rabbit,” evokes a moody introspection that refuses to become ugly in the face of pain, while the B-side, “IDK, My BFF Jill,” finds the band waxing melancholic as they regard their hurt, but doing so with a louder, more earnest voice. There’s a steady pacing and passion present here, reminiscent of Sunny Day Real Estate’s more mellow material. Stay tuned for the band’s full-length release later on in 2008.

May 29 2008

Title Fight – Kingston 7″

Category: Music In My Ears — dryvetyme @ 10:14

Title Fight
Kingston 7”
Attic Records; 2008

The beauty behind great punk music is that it’s this unbelievably striking combination of ferocity and brevity. Chugging guitars, double-time drums, and unrelenting, in-your-face vocals come together to create the ultimate sonic short story. So, while Title Fight isn’t really doing anything new with the release of their Kingston 7”, it is fun and immediately listenable. “Memorial Field” serves as the lead track and sets off the classic theme of painful young love that thematically connects the three songs. “Loud and Clear” finds our singer mulling over what went wrong between him and the object of his affection, calling out his frustrations at the top of his lungs. It’s only on “Youreyeah” that the singer realizes that there is no need to pine away endlessly over an unrequited love, even as much as it might hurt. Fusing all of this together is a heady brew of punk rock that calls to mind Avail, Fifteen, and MxPx, leaving the listener wanting to hear much more than this sample has to offer. Gimme more!

May 28 2008

Scream Hello – Smart & Stupid EP

Category: Music In My Ears — dryvetyme @ 11:20

Scream Hello
Smart & Stupid EP
Red Leader Records; 2008

As bands like The Hold Steady consistently prove, making good music isn’t always about displaying the farthest stretches of one’s technical prowess. It’s about telling a great story, crafting a memorable hook, having fun with your music, and inviting your fans along with you to share in that fun. And that’s exactly what the Jersey boys in Scream Hello have done with their Smart & Stupid EP, in that they’ve offered up four unrelenting songs that are chock full of emo heart, indie wit, and punk tempo. “A Few Minutes” and “Vinegar & Baking Soda” serve as anthemic, rocking bookends to the brilliant late ‘90s emo of “Breaking Shit” and the moody building of “rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.” While there might only be four of them teasing the listener, the solid tracks of Smart & Stupid make for some really charming rock and only hasten the release of the band’s debut full-length in Summer 2008.

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