TRMW Archives

* Hello there! You've stumbled onto the archived bloggage of TRMW aka The Real Matt Wright (wait... who?). This site contains posts from my stints blogging at Metempsychosis and Urban Honking, before I moved TRMW over to it's current home. Enjoy!

April 23, 2005

So So Many White Tigers

I saw this band last night and they were really good. Totally wild and manic energy, with this super dynamic and sexy frontlady. My critical faculties were rendered useless and I banged around and pogo’d and got pumped then somebody charged into me and I fell back on the couch, right on top of an empty 12-pack box, which I didn’t realize I was sitting on for fully ten minutes. FUN!!!!! Check below for a rad photo somebody else took of them at another show, then check out the rest of his photos.

Also, I finally got to meet Rick Ele, host of the Art for Spastics show on KDVS in Davis, CA and all around weird music enthusiast, who also helped set up this show. We traded stories about college radio saving our lives. Cool guy, that Rick.

So So Many White Tigers

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April 22, 2005

8-bit Brazilians and the Beverly Hills Cop Theme

The over-wonderful Minusbaby (fellow Metempsychosis expat) makes nice things like this in his sleep. Rad.

And while we’re rocking the 8-bit stylee I should probably link to these dudes. I downloaded this awesome remix of “Axel F” aka the Beverly Hills Cop theme from them a while back, which I hope to drop into a DJ set somewhere someday. While yr at it, peep this awesome polyphonic ringtone version, and following on the last post, this kickin’ Israeli trance remix (YES!). The original version of this song is seriously the first piece of music I ever really loved, which I think explains my continued utter synth-geekdom / tendency towards all things electro. I distinctly remember getting frozen yogurt with my mom after hanging out at gym daycare while she did aerobics (can this scenario be any more 80′s WASPy?), this song playing on the radio, and glorious visions of patterned light tunnels and the future unfolding in my baby mind. Clearly, I was born to be a raver.

Speaking of which, new solo deejay name idea as of last night = DJ Harshmellow. Hot or not, people? HOLLABACK!

8bitpeople - Axel F

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April 20, 2005

ISREALI GOA TRANCE NU-METAL RULZ!

Holy… lately I’ve been getting these spam emails from weird electronic labels trying to get me to check out their music, and this one takes the cake. I could make fun of this but it’s like taking candy from a retarded baby with no arms. Seriously, check this out. Then listen to it (“FUCKING RAINBOW” is a rad name for a song btw; “X-BOX” not so much).

ps: i totally used to listen to this stuff in high school, i shit you not. i still have a bag full of frequency 8 mixtapes gathering dust under my bed, which i’ve been contemplating reviewing for this blog. how geek is that? (the whole sentence, the blog part especially)

beyond the mind's eye / x-tra gatuitous drug reference / holy shit i'm peaking so fucking HARD I'M EXPLODINGGGGGGGGGGWOOOOOOSH!!! - ed

The dance floor will not shut up! [also the subject line]

A 3rd album for the X-Wave project, this time Collaboration between Dj Miko, Melicia and young new Dj’s like Roi Sela and Sandman.

The full-on style plays in each one of the tracks, in a very nice clearly way.

This album represents the combination between the old and the new.

The old sound of Goa along with the new metal sound of today. [!!!!!!!]

Miko “adopted” the new generation and showed them the true meaning of trance music – the feelings, the emotions, and the togetherness – the heart of the music.

Miko himself had always created music for the soul instead of the body. His music is very loving and emotional; it caresses your ear softly, allows you to be grown into it and sweeps you inside.

The album itself is very powerful and energetic. The tracks, one by one, tells us a story that flow into each other as if they were one long track with ups and downs, sometimes hard and heavy and other times soft and clear.

But always happy ending (Just like Miko’s crowd after his sets).

Miko, that was one of the Trance genre creators, is making the old Goa style music that is rarely made these days and most of the new generation only heard about.

It full feels you and yet makes you wait for more.

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April 15, 2005

Induppie

Having one of the more surreal days in a while, subbing for the wonderful Shayla at Weiden + Kennedy while she’s busy nerding out with the music-brainz at EMP Pop Con in Seattle (jealous!). Moving from freelance/bedroom work to these ultra-lush designer interiors has me in a kind of occupational whiplash, or it would if I were here for more than one day. I feel like I’m in some weird life-swapping movie or something (think: BIG), but in a good way. I wish I could do this everyday really, peek in on people’s jobs and see what they do, like Mr. Rogers.

Also, been nice catching up with Brede, who I just found out has a blog.

These aside, things are pretty mellow here in office-land, so I’ve been catching up on my Internet. I found this really long meme about “indie-yuppies” and this other one about “is indie rock a rut?” both stemming from this article about Vice Records. Interesting how one group goes nuts disecting the lifestyle issues in that quote and the other focusses purely on the music. There were a couple quotes in the first thread that got me thinking, and the final post of the second thread is right on. Oh, and I still hate Vice, even if I did try (and fail) to get into their party at SXSW, which probably makes me a hypocrite. I digress.

ps: i actually read every single one of the comments on the indie-yuppie thread, mulled over the “am i one of these people?” question, and realized I AM SITTING IN A DESK AT WEIDEN AND KENNEDY, reading music blogs, wearing a paul frank shirt. the verdict is so in. suckily, the salary isn’t.

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Church of Psychedelia #4

Went to this show this past Sunday. This series is curated by Josh Blanchard from the band Point Line Plane, who I finally met this time, and who is totally nice. He’s also rad for making this night happen; it’s been a wonderful thing for Portland, and Berbati’s, and it keeps getting better.

This time there were only two bands, Rollerball and Nice Nice. Rolerball have been kicking around Portland for quite a while now. I’ve heard a couple of their records and they’ve always sounded a little thin and cold to me. So I was blown away by how huge and alive they sounded at this show. Both the singers have amazing voices; the lady wails like Grace Slick in her prime. And the dude gets real into it, so into it that he starts busting out weird ninja chops and shit. AWESOME. Chantelle told me this guy used to break glass on himself and shit. Core.

Then it was Nice Nice. Apparently Jason from the band reads this blog (me: “i just got out of band practice” jason: “oh yeah? i heard you guys sound like nice nice but dancier” me: *blushing*) so I’ll have to stop bad-mouthing his crappy band on here. Actually that’s a load of steaming poo, because Nice Nice is seriously THE SHIT ™. There’s so much to love. Brain-love: they’re trying to do something new, aren’t nostalgic in an age of nostalgia, they are unique. Body-wise: They are really fucking good at their instruments and totally entrancing to watch. They read each other’s faces and gestures and react on a dime, like they’ve been doing this for years, and they have.

BEST PART: I love it when local bands get encores. When a local band gets an encore from a local crowd, it’s not because that crowd knows that if this band doesn’t come back out and play some more songs right now they might never see them again, ever, or they need to get their money’s worth or some shit. When a local band gets an encore it’s because the crowd is FEELING IT HARD, and they want more. People were stomping on the floor, screaming for more Nice Nice. And then they got it, and hippie-danced to it like total dorks. Awesome.

I leave you with this video of Nice Nice performing at one of the last Alarmist shows ever, at the Fritz, not sure when. Enjoy!

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April 14, 2005

Gross / Start Again (Don’t)

This is gross. So is this. Have a nice day!

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April 13, 2005

STONER DEATH

The Alan Partridge Experience is genius, and Larry David (also a genius) was taking notes.

Can’t sleep, stoned; this sounds great on headphones at 4am.

Waking up fuzzy-headed and sleep-deprived, the A-Frames album is also genius.

More stoner action:

Asva flyer

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April 8, 2005

Twirling Wussy Shins

Saw the Shins last night and they were great as ever. It’s crazy to see a band go from the Blackbird to the Crystal Ballroom in two years, but these dudes deserve it. They played a few new songs which sounded pretty bare but maybe interesting. I say maybe because these songs sounded like a couple of the more straight-up guitar rock songs off the last album (my least faves), and I’m hoping this is just because they haven’t had time to flesh them out with all the nice little boroque keyboard lines and wussy-wonderful vocal harmonies. If it’s not that, and these songs are actually supposed to sound stripped down and rocky, then I’d say they’re not so promising.

Personal highlight = the Shins covering Magnetic Fields “Strange Powers”. This is one of my fave Mag Fields songs ever, and seeing another one of my fave bands tipping the hat – let’s just say I was yelling to this guy next to me about how awesome it was for five minute before I realized he wasn’t who I thought he was and I was efusing all over a complete and total stranger. I was stoked.

shins skater

Also rad: they had a giant projection screen up, on which Marty (the funny one) promised “Miss Congeniality 2″ would be playing, for those not interested in the music. It wasn’t, but they did screen this totally ridiculous video of the band frolicking with a teeming herd of Monarch butterflies, and another one featuring a totally over the top male figure-skating diva (see ugly cellphone pic). The skater’s twirls and shimmies fit almost-too-perfectly with the song, as if this video, which appeared sans explanation, was actually some kind of half-funny self-comment re: how totally pansy this music is. And god bless them for that. The more people who look like this I see lipping lyrics like this, the better this world will be. Amen.

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Promo Addendum

Also, you should go to this rad show tonight:

Flyer for Blitzen Trapper, Doris Henson, and Crinkum Crankum show at Holocene in Portland, Oregon on April 8th, 2005

NOTES:
* It’s at Holocene.
* That really tiny text says 5 bucks for PICA people.
* The first band features Raymond Bettibon and Hans Weigand.
* I swear to god my DJ name is not DJ Matt Wright. I just don’t have a solo DJ name (CUM LAZER is me and my dog Steve) so Scott put that on there. I’m thinking DJ Deluxe Vinyl Poncho. Thoughts, anyone?

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April 7, 2005

Skullstamp / Housewarming

A while ago I set out to document my handstamps on this blog. It seemed like a good idea at the time; handstamps are transitory but sometimes very nice to look at, and they remind me of friends and music and good things. They also look good stacked next to each other in photo form, and create this nice “this is your life” effect. Anyway, like so many virtual projects, that one evaporated. But here’s a really nice one from a couple days back. I think I got this at Holocene. It’s a group of skeletons rowing a boat. A death boat.

skullstamp

Berbati’s last night was the first installment of the Housewarming series Chantelle and I are starting up, and it went really really well. Turnout was really good, the bands were all fantastic and excited to be playing. I brought my old boss Mr. Dave Allen, who is also the bassist from Gang of Four (!!!), and I think he really dug it. Being the full-time rockstar he is, and not being Thurston Moore, I’m guessing he doesn’t really get the chance to see this kind of arty music that often. Now he wants LKN openening for the reunited Gang of Four at their as-yet-unannounced post-Crystal show. This totally makes sense: Gang of Four was more feminist-minded than people think and LKN is this amazingly powerful all-girl rock group “deconstructing the whole macho rock thing” as Dave put it. This would make my life if it happens.

Also, Donna Dresch is playing with LKN now, and so is the amazing Caitlin from Desert City Soundtrack, who is seriously like the best drummer in town. Supergroup = hell yes.

The wonderful and talented Jessica Jones put the bill together, and did it well. Her band We Quit played mini-maxi psych rock akin to Lightning Bolt. They’ve gotten so much better over the last year it’s not even funny. They are the sweetest kids too, gave me shout-outs from the stage TWICE, neglecting to mention how THEY were the ones that made the show awesome in the first place. They’re opening for Supersystem (aka EL GUAPO) at Holocene soon, so go.

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