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| | End Of Year List Scraps |
All The 2009 Albums I Own (According To A List My iTunes Made):
Ace Enders & A Million Different People - When I Hit The Ground
Bob Dylan - Christmas In The Heart
Brand New - Daisy
Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream
Coldplay - LeftRightLeftRightLeft
Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band - Outer South
Dane Cook - ISolated INcident
Dashboard Confessional - Alter The Ending
Death Cab For Cutie - The Open Door EP
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
Jaydiohead - Minty Fresh Beats
John Mayer - Battle Studies
Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon: The End Of Day
The Lawrence Arms - Buttsweat and Tears
Lil Wayne - No Ceilings Mixtape
Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything To Nothing
Matt Chylak - Sound of Summer EP
Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement
Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
Northbrook - Maybe...
Paramore - Brand New Eyes
Say Anything - Say Anything
Super Mash Bros - All About the Scrillions
Taking Back Sunday - New Again
Thrice - Beggars
Thursday - Common Existence
Wilco - Wilco (The Album) | | Tags: music, aoty list |
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| | It's Christmas Season |
Fuck the after-Thanksgiving rule. B-101 played a Christmas song on the radio yesterday, so the Christmas season has officially STARTED for me. Dustin Kensrue and Bob Dylan are currently jamming their holiday tunes in my eardrums*
*My plan is to listen to as much "alternative" Christmas music as I can so that when I get to crunch time (the last week before Christmas) I won't be sick of the oldies.
I love this season. | | Tags: Christmas, music |
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| | Happy Birthday to Me |
So today's my birthday, and it was a decent day, despite the ache in my forehead right now. I think I'm getting sick...ugh.
The tradition for my birthday is for my mom to take me to a music store and buy me whatever I want, so here's what I bought today:
Bob Dylan - Christmas in the Heart
Coldplay - Parachutes
Dashboard Confessional - Alter The Ending (Deluxe Edition)
Foo Fighters - Greatest Hits
John Mayer Trio - Try!
Paramore - Brand New Eyes
Say Anything - Self-Titled
Thrice - Beggars
Vampire Weekend - Self-Titled
they didn't have the new Avett Brothers or Boys Like Girls, but overall I'm happy with my picks. Some pretty big names here. | | Tags: music, birthday, nineteen |
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| | Thoughts of the Day: 11/13/09 |
It's totally and completely lame that whenever I read Calvin and Hobbes comics now, I think of Jason Tate.
Random jazz music is fun to listen to.
Going to the Sixers game tonight with my dad for my birthday Monday. Bonding time! Can't wait, actually.
So apparently today is both "International Hug A Jew Day" and "To Write Love On Her Arms Day." It's also friday the 13th. Go figure.
I'm missing practice right now, and that's not good. Later.
www.myspace.com/mattchylak
P.S. We need a :love: smiley on this website | | Tags: thoughts, random |
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| | John Mayer - Battle Studies (My First Review!) |
just submitted this as my first review for AP.net
John Mayer – Battle Studies
In 1955, Frank Sinatra released In the Wee Small Hours, one of the most critically lauded concept albums of our time. The theme was simple: heartbreak. Ol’ Blue Eyes took the listener through sixteen tracks of melancholy, lonely and desolate standards, a personal reflection on the heartbreak of his doomed love affair with actress Ava Gardner. His strong and deep voice sang with precision and pain, living the songs for his listeners.
While not quite as groundbreaking as Sinatra’s ’55 classic, John Mayer’s Battle Studies tackles similar themes of lost love and loneliness: “the album…incorporates a lot of the lessons, a lot of the observations, and a little bit of advice. Like a handbook, like a heartbreak handbook.”
Opening track “Heartbreak Warfare” fades in deceivingly with the sound of an orchestra tuning up before settling into a soft, almost atmospheric mid-tempo arrangement. Get used to that, because the majority of Battle Studies’ tracks possess similar traits. Gone is the wail of Continuum, these songs are slower, softer, and sadder than most anything Mayer has written. The song continues along contentedly with very light vocals growing stronger until the crescendo, when we’re reminded that our singer does have a voice comfortable with forceful singing. Later tracks showcase the improvement that Mayer’s made over the years.
Now, Mayer’s never been the strongest lyricist, but most blues musicians rely on simple similes and his are usually a bit more perceptive than the norm. However, the blunt nature of most of the album’s lyrics must have given John a false sense of security, and the writing suffers. “I was born in the arms of imaginary friends” is probably the strongest lyric on the album, and falls short of some insightful metaphors on his previous efforts. [Note: I don’t ever want to hear John Mayer sing about “shotgun weddings” again. Remove that phrase from your lexicon, John.]
The most questionable element of these songs is their notably absent guitar, compared with the trademark in-your-face blues riffing we have grown accustomed to over the last five years. Most tracks find Mayer delegating his guitar to acoustic finger picking and small background riffs mixed cleverly into the backing tracks. Aside from some small solos in the lively, horn-filled “Perfectly Lonely” and the Clapton-esque cover “Crossroads,” we’re not given much improv from the talented guitarist, which will be a definite problem for many Continuum fans. Instead, the guitar sings for John, with simple melodies that complement each song perfectly and leave the listener thirsty for more.
In a way, the minimalist guitar work highlights the album’s success: the obvious thought about each and every second of the album. Production-wise, it is near perfect, with everything mixed to give Mayer’s sweet voice room to shine, “ohhhs” and “ahhhs” creating lush layers around the crisp guitars, drums, bass, and horns. John is clearly the focus here, a goal especially evident in future single “Half of My Heart,” a duet with pop superstar Taylor Swift that shoves her pretty voice into low backing vocals for most of the song, allowing it to meagerly emerge on an ending chorus.
Without extended jams like “Gravity” or “Vultures”, Battle Studies is not the blues album of the year, but it might be the pop/rock album of the year. John’s obvious heartbreak takes new life in these sad arrangements, and creates a beautiful, cohesive, and yes, melancholy, album. And while I hope that Mayer gets over his losses soon and goes back to happy-go-lucky blues (if that’s possible), Battle Studies is a thoroughly impressive work that any musician could aspire to.
Overall, about an 85%
| | Tags: john mayer, music, writing, review |
|
| | Ode to Brand New |
Dear Brand New,
You've been my favorite band for a long long time,
From the Shower Scene to Play Crack the Sky.
From Jesus Christ to Bought A Bride,
Your music has always been at my side.
From Sowing Season toms to Lucabombs
You know I'm a sucker for all of your songs.
I've screamed "You Won't Know" at the top of my lungs
And mistakenly downloaded "The Break-Up Song."
But highs and lows, albums or shows,
I know you'll stay with me wherever I go.
On this warm college bed, when my head feels like lead
Or on a sinking ship off the Montauk coast.
So Jesse, Fight Off The Demons Raging Inside of You.
Vinnie, don't mind the 'Handcuffs' jokes.
Garret, Brian, and Derrick, you guys are cool too,
Though I don't know much about you folks.
If I tried to put the fire out that your music started in my heart...
Well, you know the rest. Guys, you're the best, even if you never reach the top of the charts. (Woo, rhyme stretch!)
You screamed at me once that Glory Fades
But I hope that isn't true for you.
Because honestly guys, this poem can't come close
To how much I care about you.
Love,
The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot | | Tags: brand new, writing, poetry |
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| | Set List for Tonight's "Show" |
"Got a cold in my heart that the doctor can't feeeeeel" - The Bar is a Beautiful Place, Ryan Adams
So tomorrow I'm jamming some acoustic tunes between a friend's acapella concert on 40th and Chestnut. I'm using this to come up with a set list.
Got some unprompted positive reactions in one of the forums about my music today, so I guess I'll plug it in here too (After all, where else can I do it? I'm sure no one reads the self-promotion forums): www.myspace.com/mattchylak
My new EP's on iTunes now, check it out!
Their set takes an intermission on "You Belong With Me", when someone interrupts it, so I figure I'd come in with:
Heartless (Kanye West cover)
Back To Me
Say It Ain't So (Weezer cover)
Seek And Find
It Ain't Me, Babe (Bob Dylan cover)
Edge of Summer
Got Money (Lil Wayne cover)
Love Is A Parasite (So Feed Off Me, Baby)
Wonderwall (Ryan Adams/Oasis cover)
cover/original/cover/original... seems like a good enough pattern for this venue.
practice up say it ain't so, read it ain't me's lyrics one time and we're all good. | | Tags: music, set lists, matt chylak |
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| | November Albums |
For some reason, I've been attributing Jimmy Eat World's "Futures" and Jack's Mannequin's "Glass Passenger" to the colder months, specifically November. Perhaps its due to a starkness I can sense in subject matter, but I don't know - it's more of a feel.
On further perusal of my iTunes, I'm including:
Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty
Death Cab - Narrow Stairs
Earlimart - Treble and Tremble
Early November - The Room's Too Cold
Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill
The Get Up Kids - Something to Write Home About
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
Ryan Adams - 29
Thrice - The Alchemy Index: Water
Thoughts/additions/subtractions are welcome. | | Tags: albums, november, winter, music, lists |
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| | Please Come Back, Armor For Sleep |
Please come back, Armor For Sleep. You never really hit your true potential because your songs never had strong enough hooks. Just work a little bit more on your choruses and everything would be fine for you as a band.
Please come back, Armor For Sleep. Ben Jorgensen, your lead singer, has decided (for lack of a better term) to "sell out." What is this garbage?
God loves a challenge, indeed.
How they describe their music:
Quote: | Ranging from dancey songs about intoxicating first encounters to cinematic songs about life-crushing heart-break, each tells it's own story and has it's own voice. |
What they mean:
Quote: | We want to make money and get famous. Let's try to be a respectable version of Brokencyde |
Apparently, "intoxicating first encounters" means its ok to trade lines about ripping shoes off with a steel-eyed blonde while bouncy synths blast in the background.
Iforced myself to transcribe these lyrics from the first song on their page before I had to stop.
From (presumably - top of page, most plays) their first single, "Deer in the Headlights":
Needle in the haystack,
Pricks my finger when it first made contact.
Oh, sad girls find a drunk boy.
Seek out and destroy, seek out and destroy.
You were like a lost light
Trapped inside a cellar, stuck at midnight.
Oh, I thought I could see you
Only if I knew, only if I knew.
Girl in bed, scantily clad, slipped the bad news, pulling off my shoes.
Girl in bed, scantily clad. Now I'm dead in the water.
A deer in the headlights is what you'll always be whenever you see me for the rest of your life,
a deer in the headlights.
I have no more to say for now. | | Tags: god loves a challenge, lame, armor for sleep |
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| | AP.Net FAIL |
So I just spent a good hour typing up a lengthy review of Say Anything's November 1st show at the TLA in Philly with Eisley, Moneen, and moving Mountains. Trust me when I say it was filled with clever insights, pictures, links, and videos from the show itself. It was probably tied for the longest blog I've ever done.
For some reason, when I clicked 'Post Blog Entry' I got the hated "we're sorry" screen from AP.net and all of my work was lost. Fuck.
Let's do a short short short version:
Say Anything - Phenomenal
Eisley - Underwhelming
Moneen - Epic
Moving Mountains - Energetic
 | | Tags: AP.net, Say Anything, shows, review, failure |
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| | Paperweight Fantasies |
spur of the moment poem writing.
Paperweight Fantasies
I have paperweight fantasies,
Dreams of holding the intangible down.
A motive, a standard, an ideal, an angel
Wrestling with me on the ground.
I have paperweight fantasies,
Visions of stability, strength.
Thrusting my chin into gravity's face
Instead of collapsing against its weight.
I have paperweight fantasies,
Passions of purpose and stone.
Though this labor seems blunt and unfeeling
It rewards my existence alone.
Yes, I have paperweight fantasies,
And these words strive to meet them each day.
I realize I am not yet a rock,
But nor are my feet cast from clay.
goodnight, AP. | | Tags: writing, poetry, existence, goals |
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| | Because I was Asked |
Once upon a time, in some out of the way corner of that universe which is dispersed into numberless twinkling solar systems, there was a star upon which clever beasts invented knowing.
That was the most arrogant and mendacious minute of "world history," but nevertheless, it was ...only a minute. After nature had drawn a few breaths, the star cooled and congealed, and the clever beasts had to die.
One might invent such a fable, and yet he still would not have adequately illustrated how miserable, how shadowy and transient, how aimless and arbitrary the human intellect looks within nature. There were eternities during which it did not exist. And when it is all over with the human intellect, nothing will have happened. | | Tags: Fables, the human condition, history |
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| | No Ceilings For Lil Wayne, Say Anything, and the Phillies |
The new Lil Wayne mixtape 'No Ceilings' leaked today (only a few days before the Halloween release date), and it's very good; about on par with his best two ('Da Drought 3' and 'Dedication 3') in terms of catchy samples and hilarious beats. The minute I heard Kid Cudi's "Make Her Say" I knew Weezy would snatch that up for his next tape, and he doesn't disappoint with the hilariously graphic imagry you're expecting. Other samples include Jay-Z's "D.O.A." and "Run This Town" from the Blueprint 3 and the Black Eyed Pea's "I Got A Feeling" (renamed "I Gotta Feeling"), and it seems like he's calling out Jay-Z with line's like:
Quote: Uh,President ride the car slow,I let my driver drive,I'm on par 4
Spit hangin from my mouth retard flow
And I say what I want like an award show
I'm on some shit ain't even come out the ass yet
Sit back and watch the green grow like the grass wet
Young or old their ain't no comparin me
I just cleared that up
Moment of clarity,Uh
|
Quote: Lose sparrows,this shit so easy
Jay-Z: I might sing this to the mixtape Weezy |
Some other great tracks are "Wetter", "Wasted" and "Swag Surfin'". I'd leave some of the better lyrics, but there's nothing like hearing them for the first time. Although apparently another 7 or 8 tracks are coming out with the official release Saturday, 'No Ceilings' feels like a complete album with an intro, outro, and two spoken word interludes.
Now, typically the magic of Weezy''s one-liners might have preoccupied me for the entire day, but at 2:00PM we're just starting. Around 6:30 I find out that ten of the 13 songs off of Say Anything's new self-titled album are streaming on their myspace.
Track-by-track impressions (after listening for most of the night):
1. Fed To Death - Two limericks to start the album (first one already existed, the second's new I think) + sweet piano outro = cool 1:40 start, and a nice segue into...
2. Hate Everyone - Don't get me wrong, I still completely dislike this song, but it's sequencing works well as a transition into Say Anything's new sound. This album is much poppier, glammier, and grander than anything Max has created before. I don't really love this, and it's actually my second-least favorite so far.
3. Do Better - Strings bring this one in before a handclap/computer drum track. The lyrics are more on par with normal Max fare, and the hook ("You can do better/You can do better/You can be the greatest man in the world (Woah-oh-oh") stays with you for a long time. I also really like the wordplay switch in the bridge before the clean guitar solo. Solid song.
4. Less Cute - I really really like these lyrics, and the brass in the background might make this one of my favorite tracks. Good rhyme scheme and the chorus really picks up an already uptempo song. This song definitely feels like a subtle response to "haters" while maintaining a female perspective (for the first time in an SA song I think).
5. Eloise - Everyone's pretty much heard this already. Good uptempo rocker, and there's some added venom in the "drops it first" bridge. Somewhat cheesy "Ahh"s galore in the chorus make me smile; that's what I expect from my Say Anything.
6. Mara and Me - Tempo swings define this song. We go from pseudo-circus step to a dead stop ("Wait a second. I can't write the same damned song over and over again.") to bass solo! to more straight up rock with vocals from Coby (his increased presence sounds good on this record) to the biggest breakdown Say Anything's ever written. Too bad this song contains the worst lyrics on the album (hopefully - I have high expectations for the last three songs) or it would've easily been my favorite.
7. Crush'd - What did they do to you? You were perfect as an acoustic ballad. The cheesyyet touching lyrics sound nowhere near as convincing in this Nintendo Game Boy remix...worst song on the album by far. As soon as I get a decent rip of an acoustic version I'm deleting this spacey crap off my computer (well, not really, but you get the point). The only good part is the high high vocals with the words "BECAUSE ONE TIME." Skip this track.
8. She Won't Follow You - Sounds like a Beatles title to me. This is a good song, and initially I really liked it (pretty decent anti-society lyrics, cool guitar effects) but it gets kinda monotonous in the middle and I lost interest. Nice guitar shredding (the musicianship on this album's definitely improved from past releases) and the whispers are cool. Slightly above mediocre track.
9. Cemetary - I love this song. It's definitely one of my favorites on the album and shows that a simple structure and solid lyrics works just as well as all the experimentation: Max is a good songwriter, just let him do it. Specifically, the track's a much better love song than the album version of "Crush'd" and they incorporate Sherri's voice really nicely in the chorus. Production on this album is great, the guitars sound big and the increased use of keys layer a complete background for Max to sound off of. The last verse might be my favorite lyrics of the album, almost touches me. I could keep writing but that's enough on this.
10. Property - I almost wish they didn't stream this track after Cemetery. The subject matter annoys me and while it's a decent song I don't like the hook. Since I'd heard this before I skipped this track on every subsequent listen (which happened a lot because I kept going back to "Cemetery").
I've got high hopes for this record from the first ten tracks; my only hope is that the final three can sweep the album up epically, as I've grown to expect from this great band. Can't wait to see them Sunday at the TLA (I'll probably blog about it) and pick up the album November 3rd.
[Side Note: Props to SA for completely keeping their album from leaking, despite a two-week addition to the release date. Someone in the band please send a note to Brand New's management]
EDIT: The rest of the album is up! Here's my impressions of the final three (awesome) tracks
11. Death For My Birthday - The melody of this song is awesome, and Max's lyrics are great in this song and feel really honest. The chimes in the end are clutch, and the anticlimax sets up the next song perfectly.
12. Young, Dumb, and Stung - "DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK. YOU THINK I CARE?" I'm ready for this song already. This is the most aggressive song on the album. While the melody isn't the catchiest on the album, the force Max puts behind his (above-average) lyrics to assert himself in life make this track a manifesto.
13. Ahh...Men - I wasn't expecting much from this track, but it blew me away. The verses strip away almost everything to make Max's confessional-esque lyrics hit you with each word. "Can I lie with you in your grave?" These marching drums are phenomenal, and I'm getting chills as Max gets more and more venomous with each word. Gang vocals and big guitars cut into a simple guitar ending. Great finish.
Now back to your regularly scheduled program
As if that wasn't enough, the PHILLIES KILLED THE YANKEES TONIGHT! 6-1, striking out A-Rod all three times he got up. We're up 1-0 in the World Series, on track to win it for the second year in a row! Wow, I never thought I'd type that.
Listen to This for some true Philly Love (the first verse is the only real good one, but who cares? props for changing Alicia Keys' voice):
So today was a great day for music and sports.
To quote Lil Wayne: "No Ceilings, and I'm out." | | Tags: Lil Wayne, leak, Say Anything, music, Phillies, sports, baseball |
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| | Is This Your Life? |
Convoluted scrambled text, breaking concentration like xylophone chimes.
Prostituted mangled hex, taking masturbation to the riled stone water.
Mis-polluted wrangled necks shaking, hesitation through wire, stone, silence.
IF YROUE ALBE TO UDNRENSATD TIHS WITRNIG ESIALY, TEHN YUOR LFIE INST AS JMUBELD AS IT SEMES.
And now, a song:
Brown Eyes
Break the bones in the camel's back;
His thirst isn't deep enough
To compensate or elaborate
From this weeping well, this trying trough.
And if I asked you to compromise, would you scream and seethe and sigh,
Or just let my words cut through your thighs? Be still, brown eyes.
It's not the gold that's in the hills
Or the green in that other grass.
It's the warmest feeling or the cheapest thrill
When you remove that plastic mask.
And I noticed you've got this show. Well, I really want to know
How different the stage is on that side of town. Brown eyes, calm down.
It's time to rest. We're half-dead at best: Broken, Cheated, Robbed.
Like the world on a string I'm her diamond ring, Ready to be cast off.
And if I asked you to compromise, baby what would you reply?
Don't drink the water, love, it's poison tonight. Good night, brown eyes,
For good this time. | | Tags: writing, music, prose, confusion, babble, life |
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| | Bargain Bin Diving: Ridel High - Emotional Rollercoaster |
I got this idea from Anton's blog.
Bargain Bin Diving - Going to a record store and buying a cheap album on a whim based on album artwork.
Date: 10.20.09
Store: FYE
Location: Philadelphia, PA
It's a dreary, somewhat brisk autumn day in Philadelphia, and I don't feel like really diving into a "great" new album. I've only got 8 bucks on me after my Subway token, so I begin browsing the bargain bin. This album caught me for it's $0.99 price tag and the perfect circle of the rollercoaster (I'm assuming it's emotional) on its cover. The girl at the counter didn't acknowledge my existence when she rang it up. I don't blame her.
From a myspace someone set up: "Named in tribute to both singer/bassist Kevin Ridel and the school featured in the classic musical Grease, the Los Angeles-based alternative pop trio Ridel High also featured guitarist Steve Leroy and drummer Steve Coulter. The group debuted in 1997 with the indie label release Hi Scores; upon signing to A&M in 1998, Ridel High retooled a handful of the album tracks for re-release under the name Emotional Rollercoaster."
Don't get me wrong, it's bad. I don't know what A&M was thinking when they re-released this album. They were probably influenced by the growing sales surges of boy bands like O-Town and 98 Degrees, and when they saw these guys' haircuts the label assumed the best (worst?).
Basically, Ridel High plays pop-punk music that stays away from the punk side of the hyphen; in fact, it's more like power pop. The lyrics are pretty cheesy, and there's lots of forced rhyme couplets (see the video below's chorus: "Self-destructive / all I ever wanted / and it's so abruptive / Self-destructive." There's an enjoyable hookiness to the songs, but part of that might be forced on my part since I desperately wanted to like this album. In the end though, it's hard to really connect with lyrics like "breaking up for the moment really SUCKS," when they're delivered in three-part, slightly off-key harmony. And therein lies the problem with Ridel High: they have all the staples of good pop punk music from the late 90s (Woah-ohs, journal-y songs about girls, fun and punchy riffs, etc), but they don't put it together well at all.
Case in point, the music video for the afore-mentioned "Self-Destructive", the only one from their short stint on A&M. They dress themselves in what looks like mariachi band attire and rock out on a game show; funny concept though, and worth a watch:
In a way, it's sort of unfortunate that Ridel High was expelled from the music scene. With a little more experience and talent, they could have fit in fine with Sugar Ray's niche.
Grade: C- | | Tags: Bargain Bin Diving, Ridel High, review |
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