All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone

Last night, after work, Lexy and I drove down to the city, parked on our fav strip of Bleeker (secret info, sorry) and went to go see Explosions in the Sky! They were performing as part of the Wordless Music Series, which is an excellent showcase of musicians and artists who create ... music without words. It is designed to bring together audiences and break down boundaries (falsely constructed ones, of course) by pairing post-rock/instrumental/electronic/experimental bands with artists more generally associated with classical and 'new' music. Check it out, http://www.wordlessmusic.org/, there are some great shows coming up.

So the show was opened by Ayano Katoaka and Josh Quillen, who performed a solo peice for percussion, and two pieces for two marimbas, including one by Steve Reich. Very nice way to set the mood for the rest of the evening. Unfortunately, many members of the audience were whispered during the performance, and many others were entering after they had begun. Not the Lincoln Center crowd, that's for sure.

Explosions came on after a brief introduction by the series organizer, and played an excellent set. The third time I have seen them, they have again demonstrated why they rank amongst my favorite performers. They also are one of the few bands who I truly respect as composers, for their music is able to do something that few others can (Reich is amongst this group as well); they seem to open a space, and fill it with something amazing, something clearly created by man, in the most extraordinary sense, yet something that seems as though it must have always been, some form they pulled out of the void. I feel almost Heideggerian! (Aside from this talk of forms, that is.) Poetry without words. I think that is the most accurate description, for their arrangements and melodies seem to have a poetic quality without seeming lyrical. They do not need to pretend they have something they don't. That is to say, Explosions in the Sky do not lack vocals, they just do not have them. They connect to something deeper than language. Have you ever woken up from a dream, and remembered only the feelings, tones, moods, and trajectory, but no form or narrative by which to relate them? This is what happens during NREM sleep, as only REM sleep has a narrative functions. EITS seem to tap into this mode of thought; they are the soundtrack to NREM sleep. And they are more triumphant than ever.

Setlist:
It's Natural To Be Afraid
Yasmin the Light
Welcome, Ghosts
Six Days at the Bottom of the Ocean
Your Hand in Mine
What Do You Go Home to?
The Only Moment We Were Alone


Here is a video of them playing on Conan from last night.

http://www.mediafire.com/?7ztizzizv55


A quick word about their new record, which was also released yesterday: Like any EITS release, it has it's own identity apart from the larger body of work of which it is a part. It is hard for any band to write a follow up to a successful record, especially one of such genius as "the earth is not a cold dead place." Also, like any EITS record, it will take some time to grow on the listener. It suffers from one problem, however, and I feel the need to point it out. After listening to the remix album, it has become clear to me what it is. The song-writing is still strong and present, but some poor production choices have been made. Not engineering, or even necessarily mixing, as the record sounds great. There is simply too much ambient noise and distorted busy guitar underneath much of the record. Some songs focus too heavily on the new element of piano, which is basic, and distracts us from the real focus, the guitar. If the piano is lowered slightly, the guitars raised, as in a live setting, one can hear a very different feeling song. The piano should take a background role. Also, the album, although cohesive, seems to end abrubtly. This may have been done intentionally, considering the theme of the record, but still, it seems awkward. At times, Mark's guitar also seems too loud, which was certainly the case last night.

Despite this, All of a Sudden, I miss Everyone will surely be one of the years best. Buy it!

Rejection means increased possibility

SO much has happened in the last week, I felt I needed to update. The last few months have been hard. I am so used to working all the time and going to school, that the month of december confused the hell out of me. I was neither working nor in school. I tried to read, I've been styding greek, trying to write and play music, but really I spent too much time sleeping and go depressed, I think. I've been worrying too much about money, and the fact that I still have not been paid yet makes it worse. I began working at Purchase College in the International Programs and Services office at the start of this month, which has been fun, but I need to learn how to balance my life all over again. I've been keeping up, more or less, with the Silent Ballet deadlines, and I've gotten an offer to write for a newspaper, but I haven't had time to finish the final drafts. I'd also like to do some creative writing, as well as shop my theses around for publishing. I need to develop a thicker skin for rejection, cos it's going to happen alot. I guess that's ok though, the trick is not to give up.

I did not get accepted to the program in Thailand. So now the next step is to figure out what the fuck to do. Keep working in NY? Apply for other jobs? Should I move to Europe or Asia? I plan on applying for Fulbright again, maybe a Rhodes Scholarship as well. I'll probably get rejected, but it's worth a try.

Things with Lexy have also gotten complicated. I'm not going to go into details, but things have been changing for a while now, and I think we both knew it's been time for a change. We got into a big fight last weekend, and as a result, it acted as a catalyst for accelarated change. Here we are. We reached a compromise I think, that makes both of us most happy. It wasn't easy, but I feel good, and she does too. I think we have each been torn in half, and hopefully this will resolves some internal confusion. Ok, that was all vague.

This is a personal entry... Oh well. Sometimes I need to vent and write down what's going on in my life to structure everything.

In other news... Rob and I finally made it to the Spanish Painters: El Greco to Picasso at the Guggenheim. Quick summary: The Guggenheim continues to be overpriced, the scafalding is still up around the building (over a year now), Russia! was way better than Spain..., shows that are themed geographically do not always make sense, and El Greco was so far ahead of his time I cannot believe those works have escaped my attention! Picasso is a bit hit or mess, and I have to agree with Rob in his assessment of Miro (he's a scam artist), while Velasquez is certainly one of the most powerful portraitists I have ever scene.

Coming Up: going to see Doug Aitken's Sleepwalkers at the MoMa (which is free! for purchase students.) I will likely be spending one weekend this month in San Francisco, so I'll review that whole experience. Explosions in the Sky are playing an amazing show at the Ethical Humanist Society, and I'll be covering it. And finally, the New York Comic Con, take 2. This time I'm getting in. February may be a good month. Let's see if I get to go skiing.