A quick note

I haven't quite solidified my thoughts on Gallowsbird's Bark yet, but that is because I honestly have not had that much time to even listen to it, let alone pick it apart and describe it. I did, however, take my last final today. So expect something soon.

In the meantime, I can't decide on what I want this blog to look like. It boils down to Blogger not having enough templates, the only one I do like lets the text sprawl over the page so much that anyone would become disinterested immediately. Not that that wouldn't happen anyhow. So my options are learning XHTML and XML (and I barely know HTML as it is, I can do this and this and this. And that's helpful if I want to sound like a fifteen year old gushing about whatever fifteen year olds gush about these days. My Chemical Romance?), or option number two is finding someone who does, and will design my blog. And neither will happen, probably, though I'll maybe take a stab at figuring out how to make my own layout.

I also decided in this lull of writing activity that my next score of albums to review will be Radiohead. That will take awhile but I have a whole month of nothing to do but work at my retail job so it isn't that implausible. After having listened to In Rainbows multiple times then went back and listened to some of The Bends and other nice old stuff, I thought it would be fun. Radiohead doesn't exactly need exposure, I just thought it would be fun to visit my high school days when I was absolutely obsessed with Radiohead and thought I was so unique for listening to them. I am from small town, Ohio, so forgive me.

But soon I will plow through all of the Fiery Furnaces albums, and I finally tackled listening to Rehearsing My Choir, albeit only the first half. Their grandmother's voice is slightly terrifying, but when I get there you'll find out. I am also debating if I should host some of the songs. I could do yousendit or something similar, I guess. That's it, look for an actual update about music next time.

The Fiery Furnaces

As soon as I acquire Gallowsbird's Bark, I am going to review every album by The Fiery Furnaces. I also need Rehearsing My Choir, but that will come in time. Lately, I have been listening to an absurd amount of Fiery Furnaces, and for good reason. A few, actually. First off, I recently purchased their newest album, Widow City. I have many words about that, and they will come last. Secondly, I realized what a fucking solid album Blueberry Boat is, which I will probably reiterate when the time comes. Plus, I have not heard Bitter Tea enough. These reviews will give me a chance to submerge myself in the albums that I haven't even gotten yet, or just not listened to enough, and to say the things I have been thinking to myself the 10th, 11th, 12th listen through Blueberry Boat. My plan is to get an album (if I do not already have it), listen to it for a few days straight, and then write.

I realized that The Fiery Furnaces are probably one of the best bands to exist in our time, one of the best products of the "indie scene," and overlooked for what they are, whatever that is. Sure everyone knows who they are, but it seems the general feeling towards FF is "ehhh, they have some cool songs." Despite "low points" like Rehearsing My Choir and a lukewarm reaction towards their latest, Fiery Furnaces is a band that deserves praise and attention. I promise to explain why as time goes on with each album.

And for some backstory, I stumbled onto FF purely by accident, during my first semester as a volunteer DJ at the former WKSR (now BSR), a student run radio station for Kent State. We had basically only 2 rotations and were starting a third, local. The other two were rap and rock. Both of the two were pretty mainstream, for me at least, but I would gladly trade the half assed "indie" rock for what we were forced into later. Basically, the station was not getting any play so the new manager (or whatever title) decided a good idea would be to move a college radio station into playing Top 40 crap. Regardless, I do look fondly upon my first semester there for introducing me to The Fiery Furnaces. The rotation I played until we actually got some local music in was rock, and on this 30 song rotation was Duffer St. George. My best friend would listen and we both agreed it was one of the strangest songs we had ever heard. I somewhat hated it, yet was drawn towards it. I eventually acquired Blueberry Boat and EP on my Itunes, and started to really enjoy the stuff. That was back in 2005, and my love for them has grown to the point that I think they may surpass my love for Of Montreal. Or any band I may have loved or still do.

All of that being said, I cannot wait to do this. I'm not sure where I will go after FF, but I have 6 albums to go through. So here is what I do know:

Gallowsbird's Bark
Blueberry Boat
EP
Rehearsing My Choir
Bitter Tea
Widow City

I hope you will enjoy these albums at least a small margin of how much I do.

Blogger

I have had this blogger since December 2004, and now I am finally making it public, so that I can blog about music.

My first string of entries will be on the Fiery Furnaces. More on this when I don't have to go to work.