March 24 2008
Album Reviews

Ssion: Not Suitable for All Audiences, just the good ones.

Ssion Fool's Gold

(brought to you by Sleazetone Records)

Just look at the cover. LOOK AT IT. Are you creeped out? Intrigued? Homophobic?
Well good. That’s exactly what SSION (as in mission with out the “meh”) was going for. For serials, this band’s goal was to make the gayiest record ever. But then they realized pop “trumped” gay and bam, they decided to make the gayiest pop album ever. Best described as “gay-disco-meets-punk-rock”, Ssion is a lot of fun and, yes, pretty gay.

Track Listing:
1. Clown
2. Bullshit
3. Street Jizz
4. Fear Us
5. The Woman
6. Dayjob
7. Warm Glove
8. A Wolves Eye
9. Ah Ma
10. Heaven

It travels the history of pop music. It cover’s women’s rights with this ridiculous song called “The Women”. It covers disco with “Heaven”. It covers gay with obviously “Street Jizz”. Ssion Shirt

Altogether, this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but it suited me just fine. I mean, if you are into a (more) androgynous and weird Prince, you may have fished your wish. Apparently Ssion is this guy’s cup of tea. He made a pretty wicked shirt. Regardless if you like or dislike the music, that shirt is pretty cool.

Check out their opening track, Clown.

And the video for Ah-Ma.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7zRSdk6u2E]
I like this mustache, duh. And this jacket. And his hat, and his heroine-sque hygiene habits. Continue Reading…

7 Comments
March 21 2008
Thoughts

Shameless Promoting

What’s wrong with a little shameless promoting here and there?

As some of you might know, I have a job promoting a film competition, right here, in New York! And if you don’t know about it, it’s pretty cool and it’s one of those things “that people do on weekends” (like freezing in Grand Central, or pillow fights in parks) that you don’t normally hear about.

Well, what am I talking about? Film Racing. What’s that? A film competition where teams make a short film in 24 hours based on a chosen theme. So what? Well, it’s national! It goes from city to city across the country, it ventures into Canada and ends in Austin and it starts, right here, in NYC! And? Uhh Hello! Diesel, you know, that fashion thing, is sponsoring it! And they are an international brand! D-I-E-S-E-L! Sponsoring! International!

Basically, if you have an interest in writing, directing, filming or anything else, this is the best way to get in the world of indie films. And everyone knows that indie is totes in right now, whether it be indie music, indie blogs, indie films, etc.

So linkage:

Diesel Sponsorship to Film Race

You’ve got a week to register, so get a team, have some fun and shoot some film!

Last year’s New York Winner: Eggistence (prop: egg, Theme: Fortune):
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZDVctZd85g&hl=en]

And let me know if you sign up or even show some interest. Everyone loves some confirmation that they are indeed interesting.

2 Comments
March 19 2008
General Review

John Adams and a Spring Break Hiatus

Hey loyal readers ?

I’m enjoying my spring break at home. So come back next week for more reviews and other tidbits.

The only thing I think I can review fairly is HBO’s John Adams miniseries. Part 1 (Join Or Die) and Part 2 (Independence) aired this past Sunday on HBO. Basically, disappointing. I thought it would be more engaging, more about the relationships and the personal life of Mr. John Adams. Instead, I found it to be a summary of the revolution. Part one seemed to have covered the year of 1770. Apparently some how I missed the other 5 years because when Part 2 began, it continued by starting with 1775.

Where did those 5 years go? Everything seems generalized. Everything they showed were pretty well known as myths. For example, the Boston Massacre, only 5 people died, and the British soldiers were found not guilty. I knew that. I guess that thought that was news breaking. Another example, they argued about being Independent.

Overall, I thought it was boring, but with those big names, (I’m a huge Laura Linney fan, who played Abigail Adams) I had to watch the premiere on the first night. I’ll also probably finish watching the rest of the special. The biggest surprise was the fact that John Adams had such a large part in the American history. However: my philly home boi Ben Franklin still rocks, he was like the Jon Stewart of the 1770s. Holla.

Well, did anyone else watch it? Do you agree with the hype not matching the product? The latest HBO show that was wonderfully entertaining was the George Carlin. It’s strangely satisfying to be laughing out loud alone.

Here is the trailer, in case you really are lost about this whole “John Adams’ thing”[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSnNPhb9rJM&hl=en]

1 Comment
March 13 2008
Album Reviews

Top Album of the Week: State Bird – Mostly Ghostly


Track Listing:
1. Story of the Last Pilgrim and Indian
2. I Saw The Light
3. Ghost King pt. 1
4. The Hollerin’ Mountains
5. Cathedral Tunes
6. A Voice As Old As Fire
7. An Accident In The Woods
8. Streams Of Light
9. The Golden Glowing Mask
10. What All The Racket In Our Haunted Attic
11. Hair Of The Buffalo

I definitely, definitely suggest you check them out! I definitely, definitely want you to love them too. I judged on the album cover, and boy, was I wrong!! The packaging is a simple flip open cardboard, no liner, nothing special and just two colors, white and blue. And that’s what you can expect from an indie label like Record Machine. But I put the album in and bam! State Bird blew me away!

Here’s the metaphor: it’s a circus without terrifying clowns but welcoming and curious. There’s a wonderful surprise around every corner with their unique instruments and folk-inspired (but not overly folk) tunes.

The 2 member band looks kinda like they are going for the Devendra Banhart look. But they sound similar to Boy Least Likely To with the quiet pop sound, and the organic and “worldly” sound of Beirut.

Buy it here!

State Bird – I Saw The Light (FAVORITE TRACK)
State Bird – The Golden Glowing Mask
State Bird – What All The Racket In Our Haunted Attic

2 Comments
March 12 2008
General Review / Thoughts

Bishop Allen Covers Fugazi @SXSW

Bishop Allen at SXSW (court. burningoak.com)

Yes, yes it is true. I did not see that coming. These indie sweethearts finished off their set in Austin this year with Fugazi’s Waiting Room. They even seemed to mock Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto’s vocal stylings. Who would have thought a Brooklyn light-hearted indie band would ever listen to or cover a D.I.Y. post-hardcore band from D.C.?

Because my low faith of my demographic, I doubt very few people knew of Fugazi. But hopefully, they will at least google search them. Since this is a review of sorts. I did enjoy it. It’s really decent quality for being live. And it’s a bummer that the crowd isn’t really getting into it, as far as I can tell. It’s not a straight, I’m playing this song by another band. They added their own personality to the track. Hope you enjoy.

 Bishop Allen – Fugazi’s Waiting Room

Also, feel free to share any of your favorite Fugazi covers.

2 Comments
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Opinions expressed on this blog are purely and personally those of myself, Sara Knee.
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