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Hurricane Sandy – Blue Moon

2 Nov

I thought this was a particularly cogent picture to choose from the massive wreckage of Hurricane Sandy. What was once jokingly coined the Frankenstorm because of its combination of a massive nor’easter and a Hurricane (and its near-Halloween arrival), quickly shaped into one of the worst storms to ever hit the Northeast. The picture represents a loss of innocence; a fun roller coaster meets the strength of a storm. It is almost unreal to witness the devastation. As a New Yorker, I can confidently say that individuals from New York and New Jersey are gritty. We handle adversity well. But the force of Mother Nature has left almost all residents shocked. And we are still feeling it. My house is without power, but my family is safe, and that is all that is important.

Although I experienced the storm, I am writing this post miles away from New York. I am in San Diego covering a conference for my work. Thus, I do have an opportunity to let you all know that I am alright, and I look forward to getting back to posting on a more consistent basis.

It goes without saying that my posting schedule has been cut lately. It has almost been nonexistent. You can expect a Music Court revival after the new year. Yes, come 2013 I can guarantee a schedule of more frequent posting. Until then, I hope to complete at least two posts a week (one being a new band).

New bands please continue sending your material to musiccourt@gmail.com. If I do not get back to you immediately, please be patient. I receive a large amount of e-mails, and I usually read them in bulk (once or twice every week). I will get back to you. New bands I would like to cover are put on a list, and I follow it chronologically. I love listening to all of the new music and writing engaging posts about them. So, how about we get to some music…or rather a video.

I am having some difficulty embedding it, but since I really do enjoy its inventive structure, I urge you to check out the video of The Lost Brothers’ “Blue Moon in September”. The Lost Brothers are made up of Mark McCausland and Oisin Leech, an Irish duo. They released their first indie/folk album in 2008. The video of hand-crafted props and puppetry tells an odd story that features paper clouds, a clay moon, and a baritone beluga. The song itself swoons like the light rocking of a ship on the seas…or in the case until you are attacked by a sea monster.

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Pulling Out an Upset Victory

19 Oct

This is not a scene from an upcoming action flick starring Jason Statham. It does look like it could be, right? Although the picture may not depict the latest box office gem, it is an accurate symbolic depiction of the band that enters the New Band Palace today. Like the image of the band depicted above, The Upset Victory is a high-energy rock outfit that punches the listener with edgy vocals, speedy riffs, robust percussion, and stout guitars. The group has quickly sped out of the parking garage and onto radio stations throughout their home base of Cincinnati.

The Upset Victory was founded in 2006 by Stephen Campbell (guitar), Frank Hammonds (guitar/vocals), Eric Vice (bass), Jason Dill (vocals), and Aaron Roy (drums). They released a self-titled EP on Takeover Records. After a few more EP releases, The Upset Victory released their first full length, Before the World Ends, in May of this year.

So why should you spend your time reading about and listening to the Upset Victory (besides from the band photo above). There is a refreshing quality to their music. The tunes invoke memories of heavy punk/rock bands from the early 2000s, but, the band does not lose sight of melody and lyric, putting great care into impressive harmonies and a dual-guitar attack. The Upset Victory employs effects skillfully. Besides from the clear talent of the musicians, the music itself is tightly arranged and recorded. Every vocal shriek, mini-riff, and drum fill, is organized. The vocals are most impressive. They thrive in the music, taking on the guitar riffs like a prize-fighter.

“The Worst in Me,” track two of Before the World Ends (which you can buy here), initially gives off a Living Colour impression, but quickly separates itself from funk/metal and enters into straightforward, hard-hitting, toe-tapping rock. If you like the brand of rock that you can move to, this is the band for you. Listen to some more of their material at their Soundcloud page. Check out their website and Facebook.

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Nearing 1000 Posts – The Future Direction of the Music Court

16 Oct

Hiatus may not be the correct word, but it is the closest “music-related” term I can use to describe my lack of activity over the past several weeks. This is no excuse, but I have been busy. Work, school, and travel have occupied my time, and this activity has taken my mind off of posting. When I started the Music Court more than three years ago, I wanted to be different from other music blogs in both content and care. My material was to be fresh, well-written, and different. Since this initial proclamation, I have grown as a writer and listener. I hope that the blog has consequently and consistently improved. I also agreed that I would never just throw a post up for the sake of content needs and, with some exceptions, I have not done this. I will not start now.

That being said, these last few months have certainly cut down on my available posting time. Plus, in my opinion, the blog has not had much coordination or constancy. I have not been able to focus on developing exciting new topics and engaging reads. Some posts have been effective. I have grown to love reviewing fledgling bands, and I hope this assists them in their musical endeavors. New bands, don’t fret, still send your material. I am looking at it, and plan to review it. I have a list created and will make my way down it soon. Sorry for any wait that may occur.

What am I trying to say? While I may not be posting much now, I envision some time on the horizon, and with this time I will focus on lifting this blog from the doldrums of inconsistent posting to a hybrid schedule again. There will be more of a focus of spreading content throughout social media. There will be more activity in general. Until then, I urge you, please hold on. The next few months may remain busy, but I will find time to continue to post. Soon, though, more posts will come!

Also, I will make my usual plea. Are you interested in writing for a music blog that emphasizes creativity, humor, and passion? Explore writing for the Music Court. E-mail me at musiccourt@gmail.com if you are interested. Let’s get to talking!

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A Concert Preview with a Kiss and a Fist

14 Sep

Florence Welch

Florence and the Machine is best known for their sprawling, anthemic sound carried by the distinct power that is Florence Welch’s Brit-blues voice, but before they hit it big with their debut Lungs and last year’s Ceremonials, Florence and her partner-in-crime Isabella “The Machine” Summers wrote a song that many interpreted to be about domestic abuse. It isn’t, according to Florence. The song is more a violent analogy than anything. It is, though, a tremendous debut single, and, as I preview what I’m sure will be a great Jones Beach show tomorrow, I want to focus in on what got me into Florence and the Machine in the first place. It’s quite simple. It was this.

“Kiss with a Fist” contradicts the majority of the material released by the band. While most songs are feature Florence’s crescendoing voice over a slew of heavy wall-of-sound instrumentation, “Kiss with a Fist” is a punk ditty and Florence sings it with an energetic constancy. I first heard the song on a New York radio station and remembered thinking that there was something refreshing in its throwback to British punk. Florence’s femme fatale vocal in “Kiss with a Fist” is refreshingly cheeky, an audacious middle finger to that thing called love. The single-note, distorted guitar solo towards the end just reaffirms the song’s punk roots, and, like all good punk sons, the repetitive rhythm ends in fewer than three minutes.

The Jones Beach show will sure have more of new Florence, but, I do hope she plays this.

The Voice and The X Factor – What to Expect?

10 Sep

Who would you take in a fight, the judges of the X Factor vs. the judges of the Voice. It is a fair, four-on-four rumble. I would go with The Voice. Cee Lo would simply smother the new X Factor judge Demi Lovato…with uncomfortable come-ons and his wide array of tattoos, of course. Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid would put up a good fight (maybe Reid will call on Bieber for back-up), but ultimately, the country crooner and man with moves like Jagger, would pin Cowell and Reid. The battle between former Mickey Mouse club stars, Spears and Aguilera could get ugly. 

Last year, the Voice and X Factor did not go head-to-head, but this season they will be duking it out for viewers just one channel apart. Fox vs. NBC – the battle of the two singing competitions that are not aging superpower American Idol. Cowell has already thrown the first punch, calling the Voice’s decision to add a third night of auditions into their Wednesday time slot this week, “a cynical, cold-hearted, unprofessional way of doing business.” Oh, yeah. Simon is back!

So what can we expect from Season 2 of the X Factor and Season 3 of the Voice? Why should you watch either show? Well, that’s up to you. But, let’s delve into each show and figure it out.

The X Factor:

In Review:

For all intents and purposes, Simon Cowell’s decision to leave American Idol was smart. Idol has become tired. The talent is tired. It has run its course, despite its attempt of revitalization with the new judges. But, to think, Cowell disrupted one stable judge panel to bring his UK import to the United States, and he couldn’t even keep a panel together for one season – ousting Cheryl Cole in favor of wacko beauty Nicole Scherzinger because Cole was just a little too, how do I say, vocally British for the American public). Now, after one season of the show, he dropped Scherzinger and Paula, and brought in Britney Spears and Demi Lovato. Why? Season one was a complete failure. The ratings weren’t good, and, despite the judge’s attempts to cover it up, the talent just wasn’t great. The wrong winner won and has proceeded to expectedly do nothing – except for taking home the $5 million record deal. In most respects, nothing rewarding came from season one, besides from some of Scherzinger’s loony mannerisms while listening to her over-30 performer, runner-up Josh Krajcik.

What to Expect

The prize is still a $5 million record contract. I mean, somebody is bound to be good this year, right? That, I can’t predict. I can say, though, that if you choose X Factor you can expect:

– A host who…oh wait, they haven’t even decided on a host yet. Kelly Osbourne is apparently a finalist. If she gets it, perhaps Ozzy can perform and make the show infinitely better.

– A new Simon Cowell. Last year, he was anti-Cowell – bathetic and, dare I say, way too nice. He called the group “The Stereo Hogzz” one of the best groups he has ever seen on such a show. Who are the Stereo Hogzz? Exactly. He was trying to save his show by talking up every performer, good or bad. What he forgot is people like mean Cowell. They want the snarky British humor from a well-groomed ogre. He will return if he wants The X Factor to have a season 3.

– The trademark L.A. Reid, Night at Roxbury, head nod.

– One of the new judges is going to be GREAT. The other is going to be terrible. I just have a hunch.

– Justin Bieber as a mentor to L.A. Reid’s team. Guarantee he gets the guy or girl under-30 category stocked with one or two young kids that Bieber can actually ‘mentor’. For some reason, I can’t imagine a 45-year-old struggling blues artist taking advice from Bieber.

– Overly theatrical productions that near on grotesque and hard-to-watch

And the Winner is:

A 16-21 year-old pop/rock artist with an inspiring story

The Voice

In Review

I will admit something. After the blind auditions, I turned the show off last year. I did watch the entire season one, though. Why did I turn it off? Because the vocal battles are nonsensical, Blake Shelton was going to pick a team stacked with quirky female singers that remind him of his wife (and one male performer who will win), and I couldn’t keep looking at Christina Aguilera’s attempt at being 20 again. Also, it wasn’t difficult to predict that the winner was going to be a clone of the winner of season one. This season, though, despite the judges remaining the same, the show producers have changed things up a little bit. In the battle rounds, where a coach picks between two members of their team, the other coaches have a chance to steal the booted performer.

What to Expect

– Cee-Lo will be the coolest judge but lose. Why? I’m not sure. If there was a judge competition, I’d choose him. That should be some consolation.

– This is the year that Aguilera has a wardrobe malfunction. When you play with fire, eventually something is going to pop out of cleavage-exposed tight shirts for girls 20 years younger than you. Cee-Lo will consequently have a heart attack and his cat will revive him.

– Carson Daly will say the phrase “record deal” more than 50 times over the course of the season.

And the Winner Is:

Javier Colon…no, wait…Jermaine Paul…no, wait…

I actually think a quirky female singer will finally win this year, but, get this…she will not be on Blake’s team!

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