[...music...]

2011-04-20

i missed out on ordering the deluxe edition of thursday's "no devolución" (only 500 copies, with laser-cut artwork); to be honest, i forgot that they were releasing some new material. when i remembered, i ordered it from the epitaph webstore. including shipping and usd-cad currency conversion, it was still cheaper than buying it from hmv.

i received the cd in the mail yesterday.

i've listened to this a couple of times by now, and i'm really liking it. overall, it's atmospheric and moody; an "experimental" progression from their previous material. the preview track "magnets caught in a metal heart" is a good example of this newer sound.

thursday - magnets in a metal heart

strangely, "empty glass" makes me think of digital ash-era bright eyes.

thursday - empty glass

i think this will be one of my favourite releases of the year. and "sparks against the sun" is my current favourite track.

thursday - sparks against the sun

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, thursday

2011-02-15

underoath + thursday @ metropolis

about a month or two ago, i saw the show listing for underoath playing at the metropolis, with thursday as one of the guests, but i did not plan on going to the show for an opening band. then, two weeks ago, i noticed the finer print on the tour poster indicating that thursday were playing "full collapse" in its entirety in celebration of its tenth anniversary. this is one of my favourite albums of all time, so there was no way i'd miss this.

i went to the show last night. it was immediately apparent that this was not my scene. while waiting in line before the show, people around me were young, and talking about all these bands i'd never heard of, but sound like emo/screamo/hardcore stuff, judging by the band names.

first openers were animals as leaders. wow. a math-y instrumental prog band, without the wankery. they played eight-string guitars, showing off technique. at one point, guitarist tosin abasi played on the neck of the instrument, and it sounded like keyboards; cool effect. as a new listener, it was slightly hard to follow, with all the mid-song switching and unusual time signatures. to me, they sounded like a heavier version of all the post-rock stuff i listen to, so i really enjoyed this set.

next band was a skylit drive. ugh, a skinny-white-boy band, with more style than substance. they were like a boy band (there was the blonde, the dirty blonde, the redhead, the light brunette, the dark brunette, and the dyed black-haired crazy one), with their carefully slashed jeans, the perfectly rehearsed posturing and synchronized jumping. i wondered who their target audience was. oh right, the 14-year-old girls standing behind me who sang along to all the songs. i definitely felt too old for that.

then, it was thursday. their show about a year ago at the foufs was pretty good, so i was really excited to hear "full collapse" played live. it turned out slightly disappointing; i must have been standing at a bad spot for sound, because the vocals were completely drowned out. the energy level was high, and the band really gave their all on stage, but i did not hear any of the vocals. the guy standing next to me made fun of the fact that we saw rickly's lips move, but with no sound. damn.

at least, i heard when he introduced "standing on the edge of summer" as "easy listening". well, i guess it qualifies; it is the "ballad" of the album.

after playing "full collapse", they played a new song, "turnpike divides", from the upcoming album. hard to judge if it sounded good. even though i'm not a super big thursday fan, i always find a couple of songs to like on each album, so i'll probably end up getting the new one.

i stuck around to hear what underoath is about. their sound was meh, and their lights were blinding me. i left after the second song.

~~~

Labels: a skylit drive, animals as leaders, metropolis, shows, thursday, underoath

2009-12-13

thursday @ foufounes électriques

last sunday (dec. 6), thursday played at the foufounes électriques. i had hesitated to attend, since i'd be going by myself. also, i wasn't sure how rough the crowd would be, given the band's hardcore roots, and the fact that the dillinger escape plan were opening.

i went back to listening to "full collapse", and remembered how much i love this album. i can't believe it was released 8 years ago... so i ended up going to the show. i had never been to that venue before. it's small and cozy, with a cool decor, in that industrial kind of way. i really liked it.

the first band to play was endless hallway. this was the skinniest band i'd ever seen. the music was not memorable. they seemed to be trying too hard.

the second band was fake problems. i'm not sure how they fit with the rest of the lineup, since their sound was more rock & roll/garage. these guys had a good sense of humour, and they seemed to be genuinely enjoying their time on stage. it was a fun set that got people dancing.

i checked out their myspace page after the show, and recognized two songs that they played: "the dream team" and "diamond rings".

the next band to play was the dillinger escape plan. i don't know why these guys are opening, since most of the people seemed to be there for them. i had not heard their music before, but had some idea that they were associated with the hardcore genre. good thing i picked a standing spot on the side of the stage. as soon as they started playing, there was a sudden influx of dudes to the center of the floor and the moshing started. i think this was my first time seeing a "real" mosh pit, the kind that looks like a group fight, including some stage diving by the audience and band members.

this was not the kind of music i usually listen to, but i was pretty intrigued; they have some interesting sounds. and i was really impressed at how intense their set was.

by the time thursday played, a lot of people had left. ah well, more standing space then. the crowd was pretty tame for this set, but the band still gave a good performance.

i hadn't followed them for years, so i only recognized a couple of songs from "full collapse", and a few from the newest "common existence". still, i was glad i went to the show; it was fun. my favourite part was when they played "paris in flames" followed by "understanding in a car crash".

setlist (via setlist.fm):
for the workforce, drowning
between rupture and rapture
the other side of the crash
paris in flames
understanding in a car crash
ressucitation of a dead man
friends in the armed forces
at this velocity
division st.
circuits of fever
beyondthe visible spectrum
signals over the air

encore:
jet black new year

i found two videos on youtube, of the first and last songs of the set. pretty good view too.

~~~

hearing damage: the dillinger escape plan set was loud. thursday's was alright, except for a moment during "circuits of fever" when it got so loud i found it unpleasant. the next day, i woke up with some residual ringing in my ears. i know, i am getting old.

~~~

Labels: endless hallway, fake problems, foufounes électriques, shows, the dillinger escape plan, thursday

2009-02-18

beirut, thursday

i got two new releases yesterday.

beirut - march of the zapotec / realpeople holland [ep]

a double ep. disc 1 "march of the zapotec" is a continuation of their usual sound, this time played by a full band. the songs vary between sombre and dramatic (funeral music?) and some lighter stuff (parade or family party?). disc 2 "realpeople holland" is quite different, more electro-influenced. i love the closing track "no dice", which is slightly 80's retro and so damn catchy.

thursday - common existence

i had filed them in the category of "bands i used to like when i was an angsty teenager". but their recent split with envy impressed me, with some experimentation with new sounds (an instrumental track!). however, at first listen, i was disappointed at this new album, since it sounded like their usual old stuff to me: sing-shouted vocals, loud guitars, the occasional melodic break. but with every listen, i seem to discover something new each time; i am liking this more and more.

~~~

Labels: beirut, cd purchase, thursday

2008-10-30

thursday/envy split

i found out about this two months ago. then, i pre-ordered it in mid-september. finally, it arrived in the mail today. it's the thursday/envy split!

the artwork is really nice (i chose the gold/black colour scheme). the tornado matches perfectly with what the music feels like.

it's my first time buying a lp, which is silly because i don't even own a record player. well, this also comes with a cd, integrated in the tri-fold sleeve:

inside the tri-fold sleeve is more artwork:

each version is limited to 1000 copies. i got number 687:

the vinyl is coloured: a gold/black mix to match the jacket:

[no, i'm not going to start collecting vinyl now. i am not enough of an audiophile/music freak.]

beautiful packaging aside, what about the music? epic. this release combines two bands i adore, who do the 'screaming + melody' (i.e. 'screamo') thing so well. as much as i like their vocals, my favourite are the instrumental tracks by both bands (and especially thursday; the moody instrumental material seems to be a new direction for them, which i like.)

at first, i was slightly surprised by the pairing of these two bands. but after listening to the whole cd, it does make sense. just listen to the last thursday track, followed by the first envy track:

thursday - appeared and was gone

envy - an umbrella fallen into fiction

edit: i just found out that the official release date is november 4. i guess this would be a birthday self-gift.

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, envy, thursday

2008-03-28

thursday + nada surf

i checked out this tiny used book/cd/dvd shop on my way home from school. their cd selection is not large, but i found a couple of albums.

thursday - a city by the light divided
yesterday, i randomly dug out thursday's earlier album "full collapse" to listen, and it reminded me of how much i used to love this kind of music. it was like discovering a band all over again. coincidently, when browsing through the shelf today, i saw their more recent "a city by the light divided", and so i got it. listening to it now, it's good, but not as good as "full collapse". the newer album doesn't have any of the hardcore influences i love so much. there are more melodic songs, and one even has a slightly post-rock opening...

nada surf - high/low
this is the album that contains the song "popular", their big hit from the 90's. i loved that song back then, i still love it now. i'm kind of disappointed with the rest of that album. it sounds dated, typical rock from that post-grunge period; uninteresting. i much prefer their more recent material.

~~~

edit: there is a track on the thursday album that i didn't pay much attention to, until i heard a different mix of it. the difference is subtle, but i actually like it more. i'm slightly disappointed that they did not include this mix of the song instead, on the album... eargasm begins at around 2:13.

thursday - telegraph avenue kiss (rich costey mix)

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, nada surf, thursday