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Francis DiPietro: "Major Gentry"
The images of this song try to evoke the conflicting spirits of exploration and despoilment.
Conductor started as a collection of songs written in the winter of 2003 at house on the North Carolina coast. Cold winds blowing in from the Atlantic would often rustle palms and wind chimes on the porches of of empty beach houses. The steady noise made it a little easier for a string of break-ins to continue. Baffling local authorities. Although most of the houses were boarded up that winter, a few remained occupied. One of these, lit almost exclusively by candle light in the evening, housed a 4 track recorder, an acoustic guitar, a small city of wine bottles (both full and empty), and Andy Herod. At the end of a 2 year relationship and faced with having to find a new place to live in 6 weeks, the songs began to come out. Loss of love and identity and all that. Eventually each night he ended up on the couch watching the only movie that made sense or mattered, Dark City. Upon each viewing finding new meaning, symbolism and hope that seemed to apply directly to his own life. Some felt that this period may have gone on a bit long... At the end of the winter several cassette tapes where passed along to band mate Nicole Gehweiler as well as friend and producer Alan Weatherhead. A record was soon underway. Recorded at the Sound of Music studios in Richmond VA, Conductor ended up a swampy mix of pop and fuzzed-out rock songs. But when it came time to sequence the record, the band was stumped. Finally one smoky evening in the studio around 4 am, a story line began to reveal itself in the music they were hearing. Almost instantly, the track order fell into place and plans to animate the story began. Six weird months later came Conductor, a monument to the suicide of love erected by robots against a wintry sci-fi back drop of dark towers, moonlit skies and a cast of lost characters. Or perhaps it is just a break-up record. It is not yet known. What is known is that it's here, and it's massive.
Conductor started as a collection of songs written in the winter of 2003 at house on the North Carolina coast. Cold winds blowing in from the Atlantic would often rustle palms and wind chimes on the porches of of empty beach houses. The steady noise made it a little easier for a string of break-ins to continue. Baffling local authorities. Although most of the houses were boarded up that winter, a few remained occupied. One of these, lit almost exclusively by candle light in the evening, housed a 4 track recorder, an acoustic guitar, a small city of wine bottles (both full and empty), and Andy Herod. At the end of a 2 year relationship and faced with having to find a new place to live in 6 weeks, the songs began to come out. Loss of love and identity and all that. Eventually each night he ended up on the couch watching the only movie that made sense or mattered, Dark City. Upon each viewing finding new meaning, symbolism and hope that seemed to apply directly to his own life. Some felt that this period may have gone on a bit long... At the end of the winter several cassette tapes where passed along to band mate Nicole Gehweiler as well as friend and producer Alan Weatherhead. A record was soon underway. Recorded at the Sound of Music studios in Richmond VA, Conductor ended up a swampy mix of pop and fuzzed-out rock songs. But when it came time to sequence the record, the band was stumped. Finally one smoky evening in the studio around 4 am, a story line began to reveal itself in the music they were hearing. Almost instantly, the track order fell into place and plans to animate the story began. Six weird months later came Conductor, a monument to the suicide of love erected by robots against a wintry sci-fi back drop of dark towers, moonlit skies and a cast of lost characters. Or perhaps it is just a break-up record. It is not yet known. What is known is that it's here, and it's massive.
Armed with little more than an acoustic guitar and her fragile alto, San Francisco folk singer/songwriter Emily Jane White offers complex tales of melancholy and isolation. Her gothic blues are starting to catch some serious attention and her debut Dark Undercoat is among 2007's strongest.
Francis DiPietro: "Drink the Summer Sky"
A soft and reflective song that can sometimes change your mood, like a good dose of valerian root. Images evoke memories in a fine, kaleidoscopic mist. Thoughtful vocals and a simple tune allow the listener to paint additional pictures, and hopefully find something personal and meaningful within. Created by author Francis DiPietro (Mandrake, thatword.com).
Pinback: "From Nothing to Nowhere"
"Autumn of the Seraphs", pushes forward and upward. Its melodies are more dynamic and aggressive, while still gently pulling you back in again and again. While entirely recorded in the band's home studios once again, this record is tighter, the drumming more immediate and crisp. Those duties were shared by Mario Rubalcaba (Rocket from the Crypt) and Chris Prescott (No Knife), and it's a marked difference from Pinback's previous releases Good to Sea is the jam of Indian summer. Walters saunters its way to a buzzy guitar breakdown while Subbing for Eden works steadily toward each climactic chorus. Autumn of the Seraphs is for both rabbits and people, for good days and for ones where you should have stayed in bed. It's Pinback's best yet, and it's going to take you over.
Yahoo adds some shine, see how Yahoo! is looking to reach out to women. Plus, VoIP bills are on the rise in LA, find out how much the city is taxing users. And, see how Berkeley scientists are trying to make human wall-crawlers like Spiderman a reality, see if your spidey senses will be tingling in the near future.
If you're looking for a comfortable Netbook with a 12-inch screen, theLenovo IdeaPad S12 feels comfortable and light--but it's no ultra-lowvoltage laptop.
Chin Up Chin Up: "We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers"
Look beyond the steely skyscrapers jutting into Chicago's grey sky, past the potholed streets and shadowed alleys, and you might be able to find something beautiful in this scuffed-up metropolis. Something like a cornflower pushing through a cracked sidewalk, struggling its way toward sunshine. Or the sun glinting off choppy lake waves at dusk. Or the sounds of Chin Up Chin Up, whose disarmingly resonant debut album "We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers" is ready to carry you through autumn and beyond. Recorded by John Congleton (90 Day Men, The Roots, The Paper Chase) at Electrical Audio and Soma studios throughout July, "We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers" proves that sentimental pop songs don't have to be cloying or trite. Meticulously layered with solid drums, keyboards, and warm guitar, these ten songs will wrap themselves around your mind and stay there all day. The band's history reaches back to 2001, when Jeremy Bolen and Nathan Snydacker formed Chin Up Chin Up (think optimism and perseverance, not exercise). The two guitarists were joined shortly thereafter by percussionist Chris Dye and bassist Chris Saathoff. In January 2002, the band released a self-titled EP, which inspired MOJO's call for readers to "meet your new favourite Chicago art-pop band." Later joined by keyboard player Greg Sharp, Chin Up Chin Up toured extensively, playing shows with the likes of the Appleseed Cast, the Mercury Program, Pedro the Lion, the American Analog Set, Broken Social Scene, Smog, and Pinback.
A melancholy ballad, played in the park
