Terra Velable: The Day After No Meat

Well I've made it past my first milestone, last Wednesday marked one week and I felt...weak.  I actually felt like garbage and a cold that I've had since the beginning of this semester was really starting to flare up and I was prepared to throw in the towel after Cam gave me his 5 dollars (which he hasn't even done yet).  However, with the help of some friends I realized that I had been going about this whole thing the wrong way, I knew I had to replace proteins but I mean, what's the worst that could happen? This is what WIKIANSWERS.COM has to say:

"Early symptoms of lack of protein are apathy, lethargy and irritability. When the deficiency of protein goes longer, you may see poor growth, swelling, abnormal hair growth, muscle wasting, and abnormal skin. A lack of protein also weakens the immune system and so it is easy to get sick. Eventually, a person would die." 

Yeah, granted this is a little extreme for a week and a half of salads and cereal but it is important. So after a week I have a new outlook on  this contest. Here are some highlights.

1. I'm a creature of habit, and I also eat more cereal than your average guy.  If Kellogs for some reason started adding meat to their delicious breakfast line-up I would drop this contest faster than you could say "Frosted Steaks." 

(The giant Pepsi cup is always filled with water.)

Overall Rating: A+

2. My new outlook includes more of an effort with protein substitution, so meet my new best friend, Mr. Vanilla Soy Super Protein Shake from Terra Ve.  It has like 33 grams of protein in it so I feel like if I over-do it maybe I can catch up on last week right?  My friend Sasha also told me that you can basically live off of chic peas, that they have enough fiber and protein to keep your body alive by themselves, so down the hatch.  However, pared with a nice Cliff bar, this combination will potentially DOUBLE your meal price.  I'll definitely be scrounging for flex points come.....April?

Overall Rating: A

3.  Got a little hungry at the show Thursday night, so after seeing Zona Mexicana play, we decided to actually eat at Zona Mexicana.  I'm a big fan of the Zona burrito so I just got it without any meat but also without any of those gross vegetables that they put in there.  It honestly didn't taste that much different and it was just as filling.  Top it with a Stewart's Root Beer and you're ready for more math rock.

Overall Rating: A

Stay tuned because at the end of this nightmare I'll be posting up EVERY SINGLE PHOTO of everything I've eaten for the past month and it'll literally be disgusting how much of it is just the same thing every day, I promise.

Tae Kwon Tuesday

I will not lie. Tae Kwon Do has taken a toll on my soul. We practiced our choreography again and gave our kicks and strikes and whatever. Let's cut the bullshit! and get straight 2 tha good stufff.

Quotes
"Hahaha... Nice cats, fat cats."

and

"If you step off the railroad tracks, you fall into the universe"

and

"LIVE HANDDD!!"

Haiku Kwon Do
With an iron fist
I grab my opponent's throat
And crush it with ease

Haiku Kwon Don't
Like an ancient toad
I croak with emberous might
Kapow! You will die

Monday Nite at the Stood: A Man, A Bearded Man, A Play, Panama

The one and only Jesse Cooper Levy approached me in the library the other day, and he told me that he had a show in less than 30 minutes. Naturally, I dropped everything, and ran to Whitsons with liquid speed. Jesse was opening for- get this- a "play." Unusual, I know, but bear with me. He played a couple of songs, some with guitar or mandolin, and some were just recitted acapella. Jesse is really a pretty clever songwriter and he performed an adapted version of "What If God Was One of Us" that had people lolling in the aisles. After him, an impromptu set by our favorite, Kyle Gilbride, in the newly redecorated Stood bathroom. He played on that wonky piano that is broken broken a lot a lot. But he's great? So it was great!!

After all the pre-play shenanigans, the she-play beganigans. It was a cast of three, all female, who go by the name The Missoula Oblongata and it took place at the world fair at an indeterminate time. I thought it was pretty funny, in that they had the crowd chant "A Man! A Plan! A Racoon! PANAMA!!!" over and over again. "That's a great palindrome," they said. I just died at that part. But the play was pretty cool, and very nice and short. Hooray!


Jesse Cooper Levy/Neil Fridd


Kyle Gilbride


The Missoula Oblongata

MOKAAD!! and Vaginas

Last Thursday night began like any other: I rolled out of bed, wiped the semen from my eyes, and pulled on my boots. I headed out onto the blustery SUNY PURCHASE!! bluffs and stumbled my way across campus to that last refuge of harmony and debauchery, so affectionately called The Stood. Once there, I was overwhelmed by faux-feminine snacks of all sorts: clitoral cupcakes, fellopian finger-food, and gingerbread villas of violet vulvas are only a couple examples of the multitude of rude dude nutritious food that they had available 4 consumption. This was, after all, a benefit show for the Vagina Monologues, which you have definitely heard of before.

Now, because of my "condition" (have you ever seen Memento?) I have a hard time remembering all the insignificant/specific details of the night. It is also hard to remember because I'm writing this about six days after it happened- but when has that ever stopped me? :/

Anywayz, the first band I can remember seeing/liking was The Boomerangs, a country-pop group who I've been folllowing ever since I saw them at the Co-Op last semester. They have a pretty classic sound for the most part, but for the least part, they also have a pretty rad lead guitar player who adds a bit of a more modern sound to the mix. He plays a pretty lacerating guitar lead, and sometimes he stomps on that good ole' delay pedal, and then u kno it's gunna get EPIC!!1!

Some girl sang to an iPod. It was like... completely unmemorable. Next!

Aha! Finally, at last, I can gush about mothafucking Mokaad and the Flex Points!! They are a very good band, and really, really impressively sized. I didn't count but hey, it looked like there were 30 people onstage for the show. Well, it was actually about 10 or so- three horn players, one guy on keyboard that I smoked pot with at the beginning of school and then never saw again, one guy with a guitar and a goddam wah pedal, two backup singers (boner!), an awesome bass player, a drummer, and of course MOKAAD!! himself. They played pretty funky stuff, I mean, their second song was a Stevie Wonder cover, and they actually did justice to it. Because I'm an asshole, I was ready to hate them. A line in the first song was "When I wake up in the morning/I roll up some gangja," and, needless to say, that line elicited a deafening roar of stoned approval from all the pot-smoking loozers that love that kind of shit. I was not convinced. I will ruin the suspense now and admit that, yes, I did come around. Mokaad really does run a pretty great band, and it's really fun music to dance to. They just groove on one thing for like hours. And they bring all the hot girls out!

Check out all the photos HERE! God, it's like you were there too.

Terra Velable

Last Tuesday, February 17th, I was eating a chicken parm sandwich that I brought to PURCHASE!!!'s Terra Ve when I started to think about the animal that I was eating and the sort of face it would have made as it was being killed and it made me feel really terra-ble.  I've always considered being a vegetarian but I never decided to take that initial leap.  None of my friends thought I could go without meat and we started placing bets as to how long I could last.  Cam put down $5 that I wouldn't make it a week (Feb. 25th),  Carla says $2 and I wont make it 3 weeks (March 11th), Maddie is cheap and will lose a dollar when I make it a month (March 17th) and Matt has the most faith in me with $2 on a month and a day (March 18th).  Now, its not as if I'm a carnivore or anything so I have a pretty good outlook on making this 10 bucks.

The catch is that sometimes I eat alone and no one trusts my expansive will power, so I have to document what I eat on my phone and send the photos to Maddie after every meal, which so far has been more annoying that the meat restriction.  I figured I'd have some fun with it and let everyone in on some highlights.

1. A simple veggie wrap from the Hub.  Double pepper-jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, peppers and some oil and vinegar, cheddar Sun Chips and a pickle.  On the way out I grabbed a large mint tea.  Pretty good but if you move at all you have to eat again every 2 hours. 

Overall Rating: B+

2. I made another rule for myself that at least one meal a day had to be a salad, because really how authentic would it be to eat pizza and cereal for a month?   I got a small salad from the Terra Ve salad bar, with the usual; lettuce, cucumbers, chic peas, cheese, carrots, some sort of cream dressing and what I assumed were lima beans.  Top it off with some yogurt that I'm pretty sure was spoiled and a big cup of water and you have my standard Terra Ve meal.

Overall Rating: B-

3. At the show Saturday night Matt and I left briefly in search for food and came across a nice homey KFC.  Turns out KFC has a lot of meat products on the menu, so anyone not interested is left with sides; biscuits, baked beans, mashed potatoes with gravy, or mac and cheese.  What oversized side is complete without a medium coke? 

Overall Rating: C+

It's really easy to forget to take a picture of your dinner before you eat it, but I'll try to keep up and keep you updated.

Cheesy Bad-Joke Free Download:

[MP3] Bright Eyes - Eating (For You)

Cameron Wisch at The Silent Barn

Last Saturday Matt and I were sitting on the quad, enjoying the less-than-freezing weather and minding our own business when we were approached by PURCHASE!!!'s own Cameron Wisch. Turns out Cameron was playing a show at The Silent Barn in Brooklyn that night.  Having never been to Brooklyn myself, and having really enjoyed Cameron's performance the night before, Matt and I decided to tag along.

If you don't know precisely where The Silent Barn is you're bound to miss it, as it has no outside markings or decorations aside from an address number located above its double iron doors.  Try to imagine if Whiston's Memorial Hall in the Stood was actually an entire house.  We walked into an upstairs featuring a decorated entry way, a closed off room housing the venues one permanent resident, and an open living room/kitchen devoted to shows and band practices.  Just like in Whitson's, the corner held a hierarchy of stacked couches and a curious looking living quarters for the resident cat.  We carried Cameron's equipment down a thin flight of stairs and into the small basement that would house the evenings show.  The basement was also very decorated, complete with original art, rickety wood floors and plenty of shaky seats.

The basement was relatively cold and empty when the first act started up.  Grass Canyon sat in the dark with an ironing board full of mixers and pedals and filled the room with a sludgy, industrial, droning beat that slowly morphed and changed as the minutes ticked by.  Those who weren't disinterested and looking around at the basement decorations were slowly bobbing their heads or shaking their knees to the trance beat.  Next up was D Gookin who played drums along with pre-recorded songs from a laptop.  After a very long sound check, (where the sole player in the group, Mike, took turns sampling every drink in the audience) I expected Gookin to share Cameron's experimental, mathy sound but instead he chimed in with a series of catchy, poppy, synth driven songs.  Gookin's drumming was impressive when matched with the songs he played, but in a much less virtuosic style that Cameron's.  Guy had a bit of a temper too.

Up next was maybe my favorite band of the night, The Joint Chiefs of Math.  This two piece turned out to be two of the friendliest guys ever and on top of it they played really amazing music.  Their guitarist had a pedal board unlike any I've seen, he played out of both a guitar rig and a bass amp, mixing the two sounds to fill up the lower registers.  They mixed elements of mixed meter math with really catchy riffs and simple guitar lines.  Definitely check these guys out. 

The evening was sort of split into two halves, and the second half commenced after the Joint Chiefs with Antn Hrkwk.  Another two piece, one manned an ipod, a mixer, a delay pedal and a theremin (!) while the other worked with a laptop and a projector for background video effects.  I honestly have no idea where the music was coming from with this one, but wherever it was, it was really loud.  After a walk upstairs to rest my ears, Eric Hnatow had already set up his electronics.  We had gotten a bite to eat with Eric before the show and he seemed like a really friendly guy.  Eric sang sometimes, jumped around sometimes, wore a sweatshirt covered in blinking christmas lights sometimes,  humped his table sometimes but always carried a pretty nice, energetic disposition.  By this point I had pretty much had enough electronic music and I was ready for Cameron's set to begin.  With his trademark black lights set up, the basement took on a whole new feel, and the art on the wall started to really pop out.  The show had thinned out by this time but what was left of the crowd was really impressed by Cameron's playing.

Check out all the photos HERE!!!

Folk Off Friday

This is the most overdue blog post to date that I have failed to write. This show took place almost two weeks ago. Sorry, five people! Well, it was a pretty folked up night for me, I had to cover two shows at two different venues, and two of my friends I met at my SUNY PURCHASE!! orientation were playing. Coincidence? Yes. At the Stood, Emma Tringali was the main act, and she did not disapoint. Also, a SUNY PURCHASE!! alum, this show at Whitsons marked her first return to the alma mater she loved so much while she was here. Nope, she just couldn't wait to come back! Her set was a little long, and the vocals were a bit screechy at times, but, boy, she's got a gorgeous voice and a beautiful band to back her up. Olken opened up for her, and sadly I only caught the beginning of their set because I had to run to the Co-Op to catch my boyfriend's set. I, however, have seen them before, and I enjoy their more rugged take on folk music. Their uniqueness comes from having a really bad-ass accordian player, and having Kjartan Loberg Code on electric cello. Contrary to popular belief however, it is not "Kjartan's band," and I don't know if Kevin, the lead singer and guitarist, gets upset by that conception, but I would.

Anyway, at the Co-Op there was a stacked line-up. Keith Richards played and he really tore it up. Just choking, it was only Richard Keith and it was boring. After that was The Tale, a nice piano and guitar two-piece, and then last and least of all- Nick Corbo. It was a very pleasant set, Nick eschewing the "standard rock conventions" said "No thanks, sound man. I'll play this WITHOUT your help." And he did. He huddled the lot of us near the stage and without a mic or ANYTHING, he played the whole of his set with just his acoustic guitar and his acoustic voice. Highlights of the set included a cover of Daniel Johnston's classic, "True Love Will Find You In The End," and the Nick Corbo classic, "Painted Halls."

Emma Tringali (video by Callum Plews)


Note: Anyone curious as to what the freshman dorms at SUNY PURCHASE!! look like, just watch this video. These lucky cocksuckers have a suite!

Here is the Daniel Johnston song, for no reason other than that it is great, and this video is great.

For more photos from this event, check out the MY SON COOL FLICKR.

Tae Kwon Wednesday?!

The world has fallen into chaos, thus I present this special edition of Tae Kwon Tuesday: Wednesday Edition

Well, not much to report this week. We learned jumping air kicks, that was mostly it.

Important to note- Every Tae Kwon Do class ends the same way. Our sensei instructs us to say "Tae Kwon Do! Chun Do Kwon!" and then to jump into the air, kick, and give a "spirited shout." Now, please, imagine 30 unathletic, disinterested, and generally cynical hipster scumbag asshole elitist douchebags AKA yr standard stereotypical SUNY PURCHASE!! pigheaded loser wannabe phony posers all attempting this in unison. If u dont think thatz funny thann cheq yr pulse, CUZ YOUR DEAADD!!

Quotes!

"I am Papa Tiger, and you are all tiger cubs"

and

"Like an accordian- explode."

Night of Broken Glass(es): Personality Crisis at Crash Mansion

Last Thursday I left my cozy dorm room at SUNY PURCHASE!! to go traipsing through the wild New York City night in order to attend the one and only Personality Crisis show, hosted by Shapes at Crash Mansion in the city.

Full disclosure: I was mostly attending to see SUNY PURCHASE!! alum Nick Brennan perform with his band, The Static Jacks. It's totally alright though, because The Static Jacks happen to be an up-and-coming band that have given up the dream of "higher education" for the dream of being a "rock star." To that end, they have all dropped out of school (for now) and are in the process of playing tonz of shows in order to "spread the word" about their "band." I had heard their Bridges and Tunnels EP and enjoyed it, but it took seeing them live to really "get it." They sound like a combination of The Strokes, Tokyo Police Club, and the singer from Vampire Weekend. It's pretty straightforward- just some good ole' melodic, danceable, indie rock (pop). The have really awesome shoes, and that might seem completely irrelevant, but with this type of band, it's almost the most important thing.

After The Static Jacks was Shapes, a very enjoyable glam-punk band that I broke my glasses to. I've replayed the moment over and over in my head, the first song begins, I rush to the front of the crowd, and within SECONDS, my glasses fall off of my face and, seemingly are lost forever. I lie to people and say that I'm legally blind without them (not yet), but it was still a difficult task tracking my specs AND my hat down, but, rest assured, everything turned out for the best.
P.S. My glasses are made by Burberry. Maybe now you understand the gravity of the situation.
But also, Shapes are very good. The lead singer had a great crotch, and it was really accentuated by his golden spandex pants. Nice heels too.

BTW a band called The Hunt played first and they SUCKED. They sucked so hard, really. Just because you're all wearing fucking vests doesn't mean you can have a mullet, you old douche!

More photos from this show will be up soon on the MY SON COOL FLICKR.

Stop Stealing From SUNY Students

I don't usually get too involved in politics but this has gotten me pretty heated.  If you're a SUNY student you really need to take the time to read this. 

"ALBANY (2/4/2009) – On Tuesday, Governor David A. Paterson and leaders in both the State Assembly and State Senate announced their support for a Deficit Reduction Plan (DRP) that directly taxes SUNY students in an attempt to close the 2008 budget gap. The DRP demonstrates neglect of the SUNY system, and complete disregard for New York students and their families by legislators in Albany.

In 2008 alone, SUNY funding was cut by $146 million. A $310 per semester increase in tuition was meant to minimize the effect of that decrease in state support. Instead, the $76 million that will be generated by the tuition increase will not be found on any campus or in any classroom. Rather, SUNY is left with a mere $7.6 million while the remaining $68.4 million will be used to cover up the spending mistakes of other state agencies.

Dean Skelos, the State Senate minority leader, referred to the move as "stealing" directly from students. What exactly has been stolen is not simply dollars, but the means to avoid growing class sizes, less qualified professors, reductions in course offerings, and almost no new instructional equipment at a time when more and more New Yorkers are attending SUNY or going back to school.

Jacob Crawford, trustee and president of the Student Assembly, said "SUNY students are not ATMs for the state. Tuition is not a tax. Yet, lawmakers seem convinced of the opposite. They have taxed each student in the SUNY system $279 as they have reduced state support for each student by $340. I never could have dreamed of such a gross misuse of my tuition dollars; we have truly seen the ultimate bait and switch in Albany."

The effects of this policy will be felt throughout the SUNY system. David Belsky, director of communications said, "This coup on student's tuition paired with the reduction in state support will lead to a lower quality of education than students paid for. For an ever growing number of New Yorkers, a SUNY education is the only affordable option in higher education. Unfortunately, the ineffectiveness of Albany has once again proven inefficient and outdated, and has completely marginalized an important constituency, a large voting bloc, and the future workforce of New York State."

SUNY students fear that with these policies, a decrease in the quality of education provided by the SUNY system is inevitable and unfortunate. Any increase in tuition should be used to ensure the quality of education now and that of New Yorkers for years to come.

The Student Assembly of the State University of New York is an organization created by Article XVII of the guidelines of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Empowering students throughout the state, the SUNY SA is committed to student life and assuring the representation of its members on the state and national level as well as throughout the SUNY system. For the latest SUNY SA news, visit www.studentassembly.org"

I was originally informed that the tuition program initially installed an 80/20 deal in which 20% of the addition tuition money would go directly to the student's SUNY school and 80% would fund NY debt.  This proposition is rediculous as it stands, however, over time the proposal has escalated to 100/0.  This means 100% of the money you're paying as a result of the recent tuition hike is being used for New York state debt and bailouts and none of it is going to your school or your classrooms.  As an out-of-state student, I think that this is particularly preposterous, there is absolutely no reason to tax the students to fund the state.

The one action that I know we all can take right now is to sign the online petition against this program at STUDENTASSEMBLY.ORG  

The goal is to reach 1,000,000 signatures in two weeks, which I think is entirely possible if people are motivated.  Anyone can sign this petition, that means ask your friends, your parents, your aunts, your uncles, and your little sister.  For more information, check the Student Assembly website and join the growing Facebook group.

ART CLUB!

Last night I was convinced to attend an Art Club event in the VA on campus.  I used to draw but it's been a while and I was reluctant to jump straight into a visual arts event, especially one where I might be surrounded by practiced artists and nude models.  However, the night was totally different from what I had expected.  Art Club might very well be the most cheerful and welcoming group on campus.  The meeting included figure drawings of several performing musical artists, as well as some great Indian food.  The fact that the figures where actually singers and musicians gave the already warm and welcoming atmosphere the feel of a very personal show.  When I wasn't eating my first samosas or trying to get the shading on Pat King's hat just right, I could sit back with my friends and enjoy the great music.  The set list for the night included brief performances by Neil Fridd, Pat King, Kyle Gilbride, Jesse Cooper Levy, Charlie Phillips, Choral Pleasure, Dandy Lions, Fields, Casey Chandler, Greg Baldwin, and Liam.  You're going to check out all of those links right?

I didnt have a camera for the first two acts, so my stunning artistic interpretations are going to have to do for now.  Neil Fridd was up first, he had his back to me so I couldn't draw his face but I could still hear him just fine.  Neil usually plays under the moniker of The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, in which he gets the chance to flesh out his casio- beat-driven, heart on your sleeve, honest to god, indie electronic pop music into a beating, living, dancing fuzzy monster that always has some sort of magic power to make everyone around it move.  Last night it was just Neil and a Casio; it was quieter and more relaxed, with Neil sometimes even singing up at the cieling, but the feeling was still there.  Pat King came on second and while he usually plays with his backing band, The Designated Drivers, played 3 or 4 acoustic Bruce Springsteen covers which I can always appreciate. By the end of his set those who weren't taking in some of the delicious food were quietly singing along.

Next up was Kyle Gilbride, who is quickly becoming my favorite musical acts on campus.  I feel like when Kyle plays people really come together; his music really creates a powerful mood that listeners can't help but be sucked up into.  His quiet acoustic pickings and high-sung half-voiced melodies bring to mind Jason Anderson or Microphones in the very best ways.  Keep an eye out for Kyle a new release from him in the next few months.

Up next were Jesse Cooper Levy followed by Charlie Phillips.  I've seen Jesse perform a few times on campus but this was the first time I've seen him play with a group and I must say, it was my favorite so far.  It was interesting to hear new arrangements of songs I've heard Jesse sing on his own in the past.  Jesse always delivers a very fun, energetic, and motivating performance.  Charlie Phillips followed with an eerie set of acoustic versions of what seemed to be very lead guitar-heavy rock and roll type songs.  The acoustic set was enjoyable but check out Charlie's myspace for full band recordings.

Towards around ten o'clock I was about to get ready to leave when Choral Pleasure started singing.  This was my first time seeing the Purchase all a cappella ensemble and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.  I'm usually not one for choral ensembles but this group is really unlike any vocal group I've ever seen, performing professional and student arrangements of current pop songs.  One of the students involved created and performed an arrangement of the Radiohead song Arpeggi and it was definitely a great representation of the song.  I would certainly suggest any skeptic to see the group live.

There was such a great set list for this event and I really wish I could have stayed for more but I did have to miss the last few acts.  However, not only should you check out all the individual myspace pages for these acts, but you should also consider attending future Art Club events, they're every Wednesday night around 8 in the VA building. They're free, they're friendly and you don't need a contract or anything to go to just one if you want to test it out. 

I was able to find some of Neil's music online, give it a listen and come dance at his next show.

- [MP3] Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt - Fast Forward Regrets

- [MP3] Terror pigeon Dance Revolt - Snowday!

Check out more photos from last night's Art Club event at the MY SON COOL Flickr.

CFTPA at NYU's Kimmel Center

Well today spring was in the air, not to mention lots of love and a pretty strong smell of weed from the quad.  With Valentine's Day rapidly approaching, some of us might feel a little down after seeing all the school sponsored festivities; chocolates and gifts for sale at Campus Center North, maybe failed attempts at speed dating last night, or my personal favorite, our schools new brimming cash crop, PurchaseSingles.com. But if you're feeling a little alone, why not consider spending Thursday night with Owen Ashworth instead of diving into a drunken holiday coma?

For those of you who don't know, Owen Ashworth is the man behind Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, out of Chicago IL. Ashworth's music has developed greatly over the years but still remains a fuzzy, static mix of 80's house beats and whispered songs of loneliness and remorse.

For those of you who do know, there will be a FREE CFTPA show tomorrow, February 12, at NYU's Kimmel Center (thats 60 Washington Sq. South, Rm. 802, Manhattan, New York 10012). It's all ages and free with a government issued ID. Other acts include Rings and Festival and according to the CFTPA myspace, there will be free cupcakes for the first 150 guests. 

This winter I got really into Casiotone, I thought the music really went well with the dreary, snowy, Connecticut weather that piled onto me over Christmas break.  Etiquette was my album of choice but I would really recommend anything he's released, keeping in mind that the CD's have become more accessible over time.  There is actually a new release scheduled for March 10th, entitled Advance Base Battery Life, which is a compilation of singles and rarities from 2004 to 2007.  A full archive of the Casiotone For The Painfully Alone discography is available on the band myspace or website.

Here are some great CFTPA songs to warm up this year's Hallmark holiday.

From 2006's Etiquette.

- [MP3] Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - New Years Kiss

- [MP3] Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Cold White Christmas 

From 2009's Advance Base Battery Life

- [MP3] Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Graceland (Paul Simon cover)

Tae Kwon Tuesdays!!

AT LAST: the second edition of Tae Kwon Tuesdays!! has arrived. 

Yesterday, I arrived at the gym for my Tae Kwon Do class teeming with excitement and shaking from caffeine. I quickly took my place at the back  of the group and looked in awe at the spectacular arrangement of white uniforms before me. We spent some time warming up and jogging; and then began the now casual practice of refining our mental energy. After we had thoroughly honed our ability to make an utterly unmovable "OK" sign with our hands we moved onto more serious business. LIKE SIDE KICKS!! But enuff nonsense?? Today I decided to compile a couple of things inspired or entirely derived from my experience on Monday!

Quotes!!

"Imagine your arm is a firehose- but instead of water, it's streaming mental energy into the universe."

and

"You may not be having any fun, but let's let these games continue."

and

"Now Catalina and Justina will pick me up by my elbows."

One fact about Tae Kwon Do!! 

-the representative federation for the sport is the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)

Haiku Kwon Do

Like an iron ring

I held together my fingers

Mental strength coursing 

Haiku Kwon Don't

Like a dragonfly

Kicking someone's throat is my

Goal this semester

Call it Arson - Moth Wash: The Old Flames Seven Inch

Call It Arson plays out of the Old Saybrook area of Connecticut, probably about an hour and a half from where I used to live.  Being so close, they've become a local favorite, and rightfully so. I think they're one of the few musical acts around now that still make original music.  You can tell that the individual styles of the members all contribute to the bands overall sound, which I always find interesting.  They've managed to create a heavy aesthetic while retaining acoustic and folk rock elements to their songs; the harmonica and acoustic guitar are always as audible as the driving low end.  Singers James Downes and Ryan White have very distinct, unique qualities to their voices that blend and mesh like they were from the same family.  

They're one of the few bands in the area who are seeing some success, having shared the stage with bands like Cursive and The Appleseed Cast.  On May 20th of 2008, Call It Arson released "Moth Wash: The Old Flames Seven Inch" which features a lonely two songs but comes with an MP3 download of all the files.  Moth Wash is the latest of three releases since 2006, after "The Animal Strings Album" and "Call It Arson" a self titled, 10 track album.  Look for Call It Arson on Kill Normal Records, alongside bands like They And The Children, Stab You In The Head and The Flaming Tsunamis.  

Here are some of our first MP3 downloads on My Son Cool.  These songs are great and everyone should hear them, but if you like these songs please support this band and their music.  All of these CD's are available on the Kill Normal Website for cheap.

From Moth Wash: The Old Flames Seven Inch 

[MP3] Call It Arson - There's A Way To Be On

From Animal Strings

[MP3] Call It Arson - Hoopin' & Humpin'

[MP3] Call It Arson - Animal Strings 

I'll be totally honest, if I had my way I'd have different songs on here but we do what we can.  You might not be able to download them, but go to the Call It Arson myspace and listen to "Eliza" and "Sharpie," my two favorite songs of theirs, just take my word for it.  Both songs are beautiful and haunting in their almost anthem-like composition. "Sharpie" shares the mentality of "There's A Way To Be On," being the other track from Moth Wash. 

Chris Listorti - Words That Suture Wounded Hearts

So, there aren't any shows this week until Friday and I'm not about to report on my own performances, so for the time being I'm going to dig into the depths of my hometown music and bring up an artist I think everyone should really get to know.

I met Chris Listorti at The Space in Hamden a few years ago and he was really one of the most approachable musicians I've ever met.  Since then I've played a number of shows with him and he continues to grow musically every time I see him.  Chris is an incredibly talented musician with an innate musical understanding and a creative sound.  I've grown accustomed to Chris' quiet, crafted, acoustic melodies but on his new CD, "Words That Suture Wounded Hearts," he's taken more of a full band approach which I really enjoy. Its refreshing to hear pianos, drums, organs and vocal backgrounds fill out old favorites into new, more complete recordings.  I would stream some of the songs if I could but for now you can listen to a number of them on his myspace, and if you like what you hear I definitely recommend supporting this artist and ordering a CD.  "On My Thoughts" and "Willimantic" are two great choices for new listeners.

Also, make sure you're at a show this Friday, Feb. 6th! You have two to choose from:

CO-OP @ 7:30

with Kelly Izzo, Richard Keith, The Tale (with Randy Fuentes and Laurie Anne Creus), and me, Nick Corbo

THE STOOD @ 8:00

with Emma Tringali and the Walk-Ins and Olken

Both shows are free.

 

In these next few weeks I'll be recording and releasing an acoustic EP with my friends from Shack Attack Records.  When the songs are ready I'll try to find some way to get them up onto the blog but if not and you just see me walking around, definitely ask me about it and I'll get you a free copy.  Until then come visit my myspace for demos and updates.

Tae Kwon Tuesdays!!

Little known fact: I, Matthew John Palmer, am a certified green belt. I received this prestigious title at the precocious age of seven and have been training effortlessly for the last 11 years. This semester, I am taking the Tae Kwon Do class here at SUNY Purchase. I won't bore you with the details- just know that I am the second-ranked student in my class and am a rising star in the martial arts world. None of this, however, would be possible without my brilliant sensei, and for that I humbly acknowledge him, Whatever His Name Is. Always full of Ben Franklin-esque maxims and aphorisms, my prof. has many a time dropped mad knowledge all around my vicinities. Some of his more choice quotations from my most recent class include:

"Your feet are ice skates, and those ice skates are on railroad tracks- if you can imagine that"

and

"Never kick an apple off of a sword"

and

"Let me be you"

Next week on Tae Kwon Tuesdays!! 

-Pictures from Tae Kwon Do class

-More quotes

-Nothing else new

Whitsons Sludgefest '09

On the second Saturday of the new semester I once again found myself at the Stood, and then inside the holy chapel that is Whitson's Memorial Hall. I arrived at around 8:40, and because of the size of the bill, I missed the first 4 or 5 (!) bands. When I finally did get there however, Twin Stumps was the first band I saw. Although the lead singer was an absolute shitshow, the show, actually, was not a shitshow; and when it was, it was so in the BEST kind of way. The type of super-sludgy and slow tar music they played was conducive to a lead singer whose mic was unplugged for half of the set, and whom spent most of the time rolling on the dank Stood floor. There was a great atmosphere of carnal violence and brutish chaos, despite the fact that the lead singer's attempts to jar the crowd were lost in the dead space between the audience and the band. It is worth mentioning that all the bands I saw drew around 20 people at the most.

P.S. Their guitarist was bald.

Between bands, and just outside the Memorial Hall, were the hot ladiezz from For The Birds, a group that can be described in four words: "DIY feminist cultural activism." They were selling all sorts of zines and other artwork related paraphernalia. They were very nice, and I bought their merch by the bucketful, which was easy because everything was two dollars. There were also other DIY outfits, including the collective-based, No Guts No Glory prints, featured above.

The next band I caught was Rejouissance, a Brooklyn band with more of a melodic sense than Twin Stumps. A three-piece, they sported an acoustic guitar instead of a bass, which was interesting, and worked well. This extra guitar played treble-y high melodies, while the lead singer played a very coilly electric guitar. It sounded like he was playing with a quarter or something. Their songs were more structured than the last bands', but at times I missed the dynamics and volume of Twin Stumps and another sludge band, whose name I didn't catch. Also, and Nick made special mention of this to me, they all played sitting down. PUNK=DEADDD.

In conclusion, I only caught about two of the bands Saturday, and out of a total of 10, that's pretty pathetic. But hey, I'm only getting started, and by setting the bar so low on this, our first real entry, it'll be a piece of cake to exceed the expectations of our admiring peers and tireless rivals.

Also expect a little kick to the head tomorrow when I debut a brand new feature here on My Son Cool. No one reads this right now, but the suspense is absolutely deepthroating, don't you think Nick?

For more photos from last Saturday's show, check out the My Son Cool Flickr.

Outside The Womb

This first post is undoubtedly going to be the most boring and most awkward post so lets just get it out there.

Our goal with this blog is to cover live and recorded music either produced, performed or premiered here at Purchase College. Coming from a town where live shows are a real commodity and playing opportunities are a myth, you can imagine how I felt stepping onto this campus and realizing the musical outlets that we could all take advantage of.  I feel like all of the music that is generated on this campus really deserves coverage and appreciation, so thats really what Matt and I are going to try to do here.  We'll be covering all of our favorite acts, inside and outside of campus, and neither of us are too proud to self-promote. 

On that note, this Friday, February 6th, at 7.30 PM i'll be playing at the Purchase CO-OP with some friends.  Here's a link for the facebook event, and i'll be sure to post the flyers for the show as soon as they're ready.  Come to find out there is also a show at the Stood at 8 with Emma Tringali, Olken and Chris Moschetti and in all fairness, here's their event link as well.