Review of the "The Green Seed", "Broken Letters" and "Daikaiju" show at workplay.

As I said on twitter, there will be many verbose posts on this show because it struck a lot of chords (I'll let you decide if the pun was intended or not). As my friends David and Bill pointed out, a blog is something that anyone can read, and you should only post things that you're not afraid for people to read. They also said you shouldn't be afraid to say something just because you're afraid you might "offend" someone or cause a planet to go out of alignment or something.

So, that said, I am comfortable with the bands I am speaking about reading this. What I have to say is mostly positive, and the things that aren't are truly constructive criticism. Being an artist and a perfectionist myself, I know that bashing does nothing but that getting no feedback at all can actually be more frustrating than being bashed. New ideas and constructive criticism are always a good thing (even if I scream at you that you're a moron, I actually do appreciate it).

Did I tell the bands what I'm about to say to their face? Hell no. Why? this has more to do with the fact that me walking up to someone to say "hi" is more nerve racking and requires more energy than you could possibly imagine, than it has t do with "I'll say on my blog it's cool if they read this, but I honestly hope they never know." I hope they do know to be honest, but I'm always afraid to approach anyone with criticism since I like to make everything easy and happy all the time.


The Green Seed - They surprised both me and my husband. We knew this was a hip-hop group, but we had no idea that they were a hip-hop group who rapped about video games, x-men and sci-fi movies. I love the nerd references, and I loved that these guys are absolutely not afraid to do what they want with their art. Nerd rap is not a big genre and not even MC Chris will ever have the kind of fame that brittany spears or nickleback has. Yet, there were three black guys playing to an audience of pasty white children like me and getting a decent audience response from 25 people, half of whom appeared to be friends, crew, etc. of the headliners. They will never get love from alot of people, but they will got alot of really genuine love from the few of us who appreciate what they're doing. I love anyone who's willing to tow the line to make the art they think they should make.
Aside from that, these guys are genuinely talented. Complet is the main MC and it was his lyrics that turned my head and made laugh. He went completely off during "Xmess", a song where he lambasted the creators of the Xmen movies, all the time showing off his rhythm and rhyme. It was catchy, musically viable, and hysterical all at once. Rtist is usually the 'back up' MC and his rhythm is insane. I have never heard anyone that can rap that fast, use syncopation and keep right on the beat the whole time. He also added a lot of character to the show by joking around in between songs. Their DJ/mixmaster DJ FX is ridiculously talented. He did a great job of mixing and his scratching was fucking brilliant -- the rhythms were so cool I have been staring at my screen for 2 minutes to come up with the right word to describe them.

My only constructive criticism is something my husband said, that I have to agree with. Sometimes their "references" consisted of them just spouting off a bunch of game and movie titles, and it wouldn't hurt if sometimes they were a little more clever with their references. MC Chris has always done a great job with this, and it wouldn't hurt them to borrow from him in this aspect just a little. They are nothing like MC Chris and overall that's a really good thing, but I'd just like to see them figure out how to make their references a little less direct in some of their songs.

That said, any and all nerds out there who like music should go check out the green seed. I'm looking in the direction of everyone who reads this blog because I know all of you and you all are music lovin', card carryin' NERDS.

Broken Letters- they're definitely talented, and definitely don't sound like Nickelback. I generally love any indy rock sound over any standard radio rock anytime. I'm not saying that to be "all indy and shit", I'm saying it because it's true. It's like me saying I usually would rather look at any cute Indian chick than any cute Asian chick -- It's just a preference. That said, I felt like I didn't know what they sounded like. I heard a lot of influences and I heard a little bit of their own sound emerging, but I really wanted to hear more. Also, I like my music to move and go somewhere, and theirs kind of meandered. For me, it wasn't bad, it was just kind of... there. But maybe me not "feeling" them is like me not "feeling" 'lost in translation' -- it may just be a style that I don't really get.

Daikaiju- Wow. I don't think I can possibly really explain to you what I heard from them on Saturday. It was absolutely unreal. The problem in my trying to explain the sound is that their myspace clips don't even do it justice, never mind mere words. The recorded version of their music is so much less intense and energetic than what I heard Saturday. This is not to say that the CD wouldn't be good, in fact the clips on myspace sound great, but this band is one who's true nature cannot be captured in a recording studio. I would call them "Hardcore Surf Fusion".

They played so hard and so fast at Workplay that it was unreal. The thing is, it still sounded amazing. All the rhythm complexities, chord progressions, and variances in sound came through very clearly even though they were playing at a blistering pace. And it was definitely loud, but it wasn't "speed metal" loud and it wasn't ALWAYS loud. Like I mentioned before, they used different sounds, volumes, tempos, rhythms, etc. Each song was unique and they even had a couple with a darker feel like "Escape from Nebula M" (which happens to be on their myspace page).
I do not play an intrument, so sometimes I am impressed by things that really aren't that remarkable. So, on the way home, I asked my husband who plays guitar as a hobby "was the lead guitarist as good as I think he was?" His response was "the progressions in surf rock are not as difficult as they are in something like blues, but you're playing them 20 times faster, so it still takes a lot of skill. So, yeah... He was really good."

I don't want to just trumpet the lead guitarist because they were all talented. Rhythm guitar is honestly hard to tell one way or another how talented someone is because they're playing the rhythm part, but he kept up and he definitely added to the sound.

I don't play bass, but I play bass in rock band, and my general observation is that with a bass line it's really simple: if it sounds hard, it usually is, and if it doesn't, it's not. I know that rock band has only a passing resemblance to real life, so I'm not claiming to be an expert based on my experience playing a video game. But, if I'm right, then the bassist was brilliant. Actually, just watching him, I could see he had equally nimble fingers to the lead guitarist and, in some places, was all over the fret board just as much as the lead guitarist... sorry that can't be easy. Actually, they played a very bass heavy song that I loved, and he was pretty much the one leading the pack on that song. He did a great job.

I don't play drums, but I am a tap dancer, which means I know something about rhythms, and which ones are hard and which ones are easy. You might be thinking "yes, but drum sticks and feet are very different." Yes they are, but brains are brains. The hardest type of rhythm to wrap your head around is a repeating pattern that has a slight alteration occasionally. I heard/saw a lot of these... at like 2398203948 bpm no less. There were also several songs with at least a few tempo changes, which are hard for all members of the band, but as the drummer, you have to be spot on or the whole band sounds like shit. Not a problem.

Daikaiju is one of the most intense, most musically interesting and most talented bands I have ever seen. I was absolutely blown away. I think my brain is splattered all over the back wall of Workplay from that show.

I really don't have criticism but if I were forced to give some, I would say that they don't need the theatrics: they wear masks, they have fancy lighting, they have a disco robot on stage... it's really not necessary. When you're that good, you don't need a gimmick. However, if it makes them happy to wear masks and have disco robots, who am I to judge? As long as they play like that, they could come out naked for all I care.

most intense bands ever?

About a week ago, Whitehowler and I were driving around in the car with some crazy music blasting, and i said "what are the most intense bands we listen to?" And we came up with a good list, which I promptly forgot. But I thought it was an interesting question. In this case, intense describes a certain quality the makes your brain feel like it's going to explode... but, for me, this often has nothing to do with volume or speed or number of instruments. So, here we go, here's my list of intense bands (in no particular order)

1. Supersystem
2. The Dresden Dolls
3. DaiKaiju
4. Muse
5. Tool
6. Eatliz
7. Two Ton Boa
8. The Pixies (btw, their myspace says something about a tour in 2009 for you fans out there)

What do you guys think? post in comments or tweet on http://twitter.com/vo0do0chile
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I was told 'Shame on you for not putting Nine Inch Nails on your "most intense bands" list.' by my husband. He brings up a solid point. Actually, I meant to put them on there and forgot.

New projects and websites

I wanted to let you all know what I had been up to lately that was occupying so much of my time.
I am proud to announce The re-opening of Happy Hippy Jewlery at http://hippybeads.etsy.com and the opening of "Happy Hippy Happenings", the Happy Hippy Blog.
I am also proud to announce the grand opening of Artful Unity at http://artfulunity.etsy.com . Artful Unity is a new project I started to be able to create higher quality artisan jewelry. For an explanation, you can check out "Artful Elaborations", our lovely blog.

(sorry for the re-post on this. it was an accident, I swear)

tv (possible spoilers for BSG, Dollhouse and Breaking Bad)

I guess I should post something about all the geek TV that's been getting lots of blog space:

Battle Star Galactica Finale: Loved it. Ron Moore pretty much said that Hendrix is God and we should all live like Hippies. How can I disagree with that? ;)

Dollhouse: Okay, I shall remove my tongue from my cheek for this one. This show has tremendous potential, but I don't think it's living up to it. There's lots of reasons. For one, Some of the conflict was introduced too early. I didn't give a shit about a Helo... err Paul Ballard until the 6th episode, and really I'm still only mildly interested. I think if they had waited to introduce him, I might care. Another example is this whoel thing with "alpha". Again, I just barely met echo and I don't really know what she's all about. Why did this story start in like 2nd or 3rd episode. I think they needed to establish parameters of the dolhouse and the dolls and the handlers and the staff, and THEN introduce terrible accidents. I have no frame of reference for this place because it's not real or a widely known fantasy sci-fi concept and they keep changing it. Establish what it is and what the dynamics are first, THEN change it.

Another thing that bugs me is that some of the characters are... crappy. In fact, they're all a little shallow at this point, but that is slowly coming along... Topher, however, makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, run away, go get a gun and shoot themselves. He is so obviously a "type" that they had in thier mind and the actor didn't seem to develop him any past "he's a geeky genius, but he should say cool things because we want to appeal to the teens". Honestly, the only actor i've seen pull this kind of thing off is Seth Green, and oddly, the actor who plays Topher looks like an uglier, younger, skinnier version of Seth Green. So since they didn't have Seth Green, they should have made topher into a normal cool geek like me or my husband or any of my friends.
As far as characters, everyone else, except the dolls, and maybe the doctor still seem kind of one dimensional. I find it interesting that I mentioned the doctor there because they have told us almost nothing about her. However, there's a little bit of depth added to her with the scars, and the fact that she is not very forthcoming with her history, or anything.

Another complaint is that so far, they have been kind of transparent with the plot. Who didn't know in the first episode that Mellie was in some way working for the Dollhouse. I thought she was a normal citizen informant and/or employee and not an active doll, but my husband and I both knew about halfway through the first episode that she was keeping an eye on ballard for the dollhouse. Of course, I can't think of other examples, but there are more. They practically lead us with a leash right to the "plot twists". I hope this stops soon.

I wonder if Joss and the other creators don't know which crowd they're going for. Here's a hint for you: think firefly and not buffy. I know there was a fair bit of crossover in the two audiences, but there were a LOT of people who watched buffy who would never be caught dead watching firefly. This is a geeky show with a lot of grown-up themes, not a show about a hot chick who kicks ass... oh wait. I guess it's a little of both, but I think it's more on the geek and grownup side of things, and i think the creators are insulting us so far by making things so transparent.

That said, I like the concept, and the 6th episode was definitely better than the rest, just like Eliza said it would be. I haven't stopped watching yet, which is more than I can say for Heroes.


Breaking Bad:
Oh my FUCKING god. I have never seen a TV show like this. They make it a lot like they would an indy film as opposed to an episodic drama. Don't get me wrong, each episode has a beginning middle and end-- you don't go away from it feeling like it was incomplete -- but it never has a neat little bow. This show is absolutely brilliant.
Lemme stop gushing and explain the show and explain what I like.

In the first episode we meet Walt. Walt is a high school chemistry teacher, husband, father to a disabled teen and his wife is expecting a baby soon. Walt is soft spoken, works two jobs, and pretty much does whatever he's asked. One day we see him about hacking up a lung during the extra shift he is working at the carwash because someone didn't show up. Walt goes to the doctor who says "you have advanced lung cancer and not very long to live." Walt does what anyone would do... well, sort of. Walt has a mid-life crisis of sorts. The thing about Walt's midlife crisis is that it involves going on a ride-along with his brother-in-law who works for the DEA and then deciding, based on that, that he wants to hook up with one of his old drop-out students and cook meth. Yes.

What I like about is that I am always "with" Walt. They write it in such a way that you really get where he's coming from. You don't always agree with him, and you're not always sure you like him, but you get it. Which touches on another thing I really like. The characters are written in such a way that you don't always love them or always hate them. They're human and they're trying to get through life, and Walt's illness, the best way they know how. Which isn't always the best way... for anyone involved.

The production values and editing on this show are solid. In fact, the editing actually makes a huge difference. Like I said, this looks and feels more like an indy film than a TV series. I've felt that way since the first episode, but this season has been insane with the artistry and unconventionality. We haven't watched the third episode yet, and I hear it's even better than the first two. It's hard to believe that's even possible, but then again, I wouldn't have believed that it could get any better than first season and second season has seriously raised the bar.

The story is really compelling. They haven't done a ton of character development (I'm pretty sure that's intentional... I think there are some things we aren't supposed to know yet), but they've done enough that you care about what's going on, and I often find myself leaning forward on the edge of my seat... for a TV show. This is new. Tears for a TV show? sure. Calling the writers assholes and pouting for several minutes because of a cliffhanger or an unfortunate event? sure. Edge of my seat, biting my fingernails, holding my breath? Not for a TV show--Not before Breaking Bad.

Somehow they have managed to keep the plot surprising without the "oooh plot twist" factor, and keep you interested in a guy who's basically lost his mind and done about the most foolish thing he could possibly have done.

This show is nothing short of brilliant, and I don't care how much TV you're watching; drop something else if you have to, but watch this show. If you're not hooked from the first episode, I'll be amazed.

conversations heard in my car on the way home from a concert

"I would like to point out that Amanda Palmer's crotch was 6 inches from my face."
"Yes, Chris, I know. Asshole... Although I was close enough to see the details on her corset. That's not bad."

Yes seriously, Amanda Fucking Palmer played Radiohead's creep on her ukulele as an encore and proceeded about halfway through to walk through the audience... She stopped at my table, stepped up on the chair next to my husband and then propped her other leg on the chair at the table next to him and sand a verse and a chorus or two in this position. And let me tell you, seeing her up close in a well-made corset and lacy bra, does not make her seem uglier by any means.

Holy Hell.

where the hell have you been vo0?

hmm.. let's see... working on a dance to take to Panoply choreography competition, completing phase 1 of gardening (we're all sore and tired fromt his too), eating too much chocolate, ignoring the dog, working too hard as usual, and counting the seconds until Amanda Palmer comes here. Speaking of, she's been doing ticket givewaways a couple of hours before her shows. So, if anyone here is interested in going, but not interested enough to pay, you might be able to get free tickets if you follow her twitter.