More thoughts but writer's block

Revelations Entertainment, a production team co-founded by Morgan Freeman, aim to create movies that "enlighten, express heart, and glorify the human experience."


That in mind, I'm looking for another band to interview. Any suggestions?

REVIEW: Four Twenty Three by Monkey Jacket

Four Twenty Three by Monkey Jacket
warped punk-pop hit with heavy hands of progressive and ska
read the review // buy the album

I just listened to the evolutions of "Hello, Solo," from the mp3 I downloaded on PureVolume almost four years ago, to the much-improved version on The Don'ts of Motivational Speaking a year later, to track 4 on Four Twenty Three. Their voices literally deepen. I think that's the most hilarious. "I think this song's broken." "No, you just gotta hit it a few times. Like this." I also find that line kind of ironic, considering they've definitely hit this song a few times.

I also just read my last interview with Mick of Monkey Jacket, from three years ago, after their first album came out. To be clear, it wasn't my personal best interview. And to be fair, it was only my third, so I really had no idea what I was doing (as if I do now). Looking at all the questions and talk about tenor saxes and synth, it's a major blast from the past compared to Four Twenty Three--and music in general, seeing how these days it's almost a bigger deal to not have synth than it is to have it (see: review of The White City by Gunbunny).

I think there were a few things said in that interview that still remain relevant to their music (and the world at large) today:

"I like throwing a little bit of everything in when I write the songs, I don't want to just be one genre. One thing I've noticed is out of the people that I've talked to that like us, a lot of them like a lot of different music, not neccessarily just 'ska music.' I kind of like the idea of fitting in with ska bands (or bands of any genre), but not being ONLY that genre."

"I try to listen to a lot of stuff. It seems like there's so many different kinds of music, I can't really say I do or don't. A lot of people seem to think they listen to every type of music ever if they listen to rock, rap, and punk. I think a lot of people don't really realize there's so much out there. Recently, I've been trying to listen to different kinds of music, even if I don't really like it, just to see if there's something I can get out of it that might help me with my writing, or even just one little part in the song I might really enjoy. I used to just disregard a song if I didn't like it right away, but now I'm trying harder to see what they all have to offer."

"I don't like to straight-up explain things in the lyrics I write, so they're a little disguised."

It blows my mind that that interview was three whole years ago. I have trouble with time passing and things actually changing. Whatever. I love the fact that Monkey Jacket's music has changed so much in terms of sound and genre (and line-up) over the past few years, and yet the same principles and rough influences remain the same. Perhaps this is why I've always liked Monkey Jacket so much; they've established a foundation and direction but still push themselves to experiment. I hope I can or will be able to say the same about The Overcast--and myself.

REVIEW: The White City by Gunbunny

The White City by Gunbunny
rambunctious, rock with revival and Americana influences
read the review (temporarily on myspace) // buy the album on CDBaby

In this review, I get cornered in a dark alley and may or may not get murdered.

Thoughts on reviewing

We had some issues with our servers, so the site is down. We'll be moving and anticipate a glorious return within the week. For now, some musing...

~~//~~

"We kind of want to make music like people write novels." - Isom Innis

This has really stuck in my mind for the last six months. Not to be cocky, but one thing that I think sets The Overcast's reviews apart from others is that I listen to songs like I read books. I listen for a number of things: not just what other bands they sound like, but what kind of message they're trying to deliver, how they choose to deliver it, and what the context of each song is in the bigger picture of the album, the band, their lives as a whole. I try to choose the words I write poetically, in a way that makes you feel the album while you read about it.

Now if I could only keep up with my own deadlines.

ACTION: Critical Exposure

Critical Exposure
empowering students through documentary photography
read the action feature // visit their web site

Shoot shoot shoot. I'm sorry. I don't know how I failed to post about this here. It's on our MySpace, and I sent out a Facebook update, and everything. But I skipped the cirronimbus blog! My bad. Forgive me.

When I first heard about Critical Exposure, I knew instantly that it was something I had to tell people about. I knew instantly that this fit exactly what I had always wanted The Overcast's Action features to be. I mean, as much as I love every part of what I feature on The Overcast, there are a few exceptional features that really remind me why I do this, why this matters, how The Overcast is something deeper to me than just feeding the materialism of the scene.

On a personal level, Critical Exposure really hits home with a lot of the things I care about. Education issues, a frame of equality and justice in our country, have always been extremely important to me. Education is so foundational to the success of our nation's individuals and communities, and it essentially determines a person's credibility and ability to participate in society. Critical Exposure empowers youth (which, being one, I mean...), utilizes the photography (something I personally love), and introduces students to community organizing (I myself having been involved in community organizing in the past) and political participation. Critical Exposure essentially prepares students to be active, responsible members of society, to use their experiences to further the common good.

This is art as power. This is what these creative tools are meant to be. This is the kind of movement that shapes worlds. Shape worlds.

Please, I encourage, no, implore you to visit criticalexposure.org. Sign up for their Photo of the Month club and see firsthand what these students experience and what they have to say about it. Get involved. Take action. Picture equality.

REVIEW: To Travels and Trunks by Hey Marseilles (WA)

To Travels and Trunks by Hey Marseilles
folkestra.
read the review // buy the album on the band's site

So I guess we've had a pretty solid track record with bands that describe themselves with folk-oriented portmanteaus (see: Much Smaller by Jean Parlette) and bands obsessed with transience (see: interview with The Heyday), but identity crises aside (see: The Hungarian Suicide Songbook by Man Plus and its footnotes) I can honestly say this is one of my favorite albums I've listened to all year. It was, naturally, a struggle to write it (three versions on Google Docs, two paper "brain maps," and another page or two of notes), partly because it was so good and partly because its tone is so different from the last few albums on which I've written. To Travels and Trunks is no doubt more downtempo than the last three or so and much more dramatic, theatrical even. And speaking to how great this album is, if you peep my last.fm profile, you'll see I've tagged some of its songs as "beautiful," "brilliant," "pensive," "escape," "clapalong," "accordion solo," and "absolute genius." That may have been the first time I used "absolute genius."

INTERVIEW: The Heyday (CO)

The Heyday 2008.08.26

Americana-style pop/rock from Colorado

read the interview // visit their web site

The first time I saw The Heyday live was not even six months into their career, and I still felt like the only person in the room who didn't know all the words to their songs. And yet on the other hand, I felt (and still feel) that there's something within those songs I've always known. That's the first you need to know about The Heyday, just the fact that they're in some ways so ordinary, so down-to-earth, so accessible, it's actually captivating.

--//--

The timing of this interview seemed kind of random, if not impulsive. I guess they're going out on tour, but they've been in and out of tours for months. I've been listening to The Heyday for, I don't know, at least a year and a half or something, and I've been going to their shows and following their updates throughout.

I'm guessing my sudden compulsion to ask them for an interview now has a lot to do with personal resonance. They're a band born of transitions, started the summer after graduation. Their MySpace aptly describes their sound as "The drive home with all your friends on the last night of summer." They are what happens when different goals disagree and dreamers keep on moving.

And that's exactly where I am now.

I fly out to Seattle in a few weeks for college, the most extended period of time I'll be away from the Rocky Mountains, the Mile High pride, the Queen City of the Plains, the cowboy clichés. It's the most extended period of time I'll be away from the people I've spent my life loving. And it's the richest time to feel new home and new relationships.

This dynamic of transitions is something that puts The Heyday at a constant volta. If change is the only real constant, then The Heyday has found a formula for timeless. Perhaps that's what makes this band so accessible, the fact that they are the product of something we all experience.

REVIEW: The Hungarian Suicide Songbook by Man Plus (WA)

The Hungarian Suicide Songbook by Man Plus
new wave is back
read the review // buy the album on the band's site (also available on cdbaby)

El Nova Hustle by P.I.C
hip-hop fused with swing, soul, jazz, Latin, etc.
read the review // buy the album on cdbaby (also available on itunes, amazon, rhapsody, napster, etc.)

El Nova Hustle by P.I.C and The Hungarian Suicide Songbook by Man Plus are like mirror images of each other. Or maybe they're more like siblings, one of whom was abducted in the family cornfield by aliens and returned in a zombielike, mutated state, the other of whom spends his time watching the Food Network, but they still gather to play a nice game of Monopoly on the weekends.

Um.

What I mean is, I can't decide whether these albums are total opposites or actually brothers from another mother (or the same one, per the previous analogy). While their sounds are definitely different, both of them them have some irresistibly catchy songwriting that strangely mask darker themes. The lyrics of Man Plus deal with internal pain, the anguish of taking the wrong road out of emptiness. The lyrics of P.I.C sometimes deal with frustration with society's conformity and stereotypes. And yet while Man Plus' lyrics usually leave you with a portrait of the man mid-misery, P.I.C insists on ending with a charge, an insistence on change.

I think I wrote another blog like this on Band Marino and Matt and Isom's albums and how everything was reminding me of Radiohead. The truth is, I think everything's connected. If you look at ska (which most people don't), ska started in Jamaica melding calypso and traditional beats with what was coming in from American radio at the time--soul, jazz, rhythm and blues. That went on to influence punk, and that went on to sprout reggae, which in some ways went on to influence everything from jam bands to funk to certain styles of electronic music. You look at boogaloo (which most people don't--yeah, it's real), which started off fusing R&B and soul with Latin styles and rock and roll and inevitably went on to leave its mark in every one of those genres. My point is, I believe in being a music nomad. I can't call a single section of the record store home, because where do the borders of a sound lie? I love looking for the connections and similarities between the CDs I listen to, because I think they always exist.

REVIEW: El Nova Hustle by P.I.C.

El Nova Hustle by P.I.C
hip-hop fused with swing, soul, jazz, Latin, etc.
read the review // buy the album on CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon, Napster, etc.

In case you're not aware, Matthew Pryor is probably one of my favorite rockstars so far. Reese Roper, Buddy Holly, and Bono also grace that list and possibly Rivers Cuomo. Such a lucrative title is not won on the merits of music alone, but how awesome I bet it would be to have a conversation with them someday.

But in terms of musical merits, might I direct you to his acoustic cover of "Hey Ya?" And while I'm talking about "Hey Ya," OutKast is the group that came to my brother's mind when I tried to describe to him P.I.C., whose album El Nova Hustle recently blew me away. For the record, they've got much more cool, early-twentieth swing and jazz carrying their brand of hip hop than OutKast does, but it's a bit difficult describing an amalgam you've never heard before. After losing them all to Matt and Isom, I think I created and recovered more than enough words to describe P.I.C. But maybe I should quit with the verbage. Just press play and let your feet (hips?) do the talking.

INTERVIEW: Matt and Isom (CO/MA)

Matt and Isom 2008.05.31
intelligent electronic rock from Colorado (and relocating to Boston)
read the interview // visit their myspace

Matt kicks a soccer ball back and forth with a young boy whose name I can't remember, and Isom later signs the ball for the boy's friend, whose name I can remember. They look about the age I was when I was still into Neopets, which admittedly gives you sort of a wide age range to work with. They ask Isom if they can have his phone number, and Isom says sure. "Really?" "Yeah! Really!" The two admire all the bands' signatures they've collected on their soccer ball and hang out for awhile watching while I wield a tape recorder in Matt's and Isom's faces.

Can I just tell you how nervous I was for this interview? The answer is "incredibly." The last time I did a live interview with a band, the tape recorder broke down in the middle (actually, it was, like, seven minutes from the beginning) and I didn't even notice until I got home. Well, that was the second-to-last time, because we ended up just doing another interview. So with Matt and Isom, a band I enjoy and respect incredibly but had never met before, rosaries were literally said in the name of this interview. And when I called Isom and found out they were running late because of "maaaajor gear issues," a voice on my left shoulder whispered memories of the sonic melt of the tape recorder all over again.

Of course, what happened with The Color of Money's interview ended up being a blessing, because what was an interview with two of the members became an interview with all four, and the timing and content was probably a million times better than the first time around. And I don't know how we would have done this interview with Matt and Isom if we'd actually done it the hour before the show. First of all, it was just long. Plus, I had the chance to actually watch their set first, and then just hang out and talk with Isom for a little during the show. And then of course, when someone is wiped out tired and relying on cans of Monster to keep lucid, he will say anything. ;-)

"(Matt) This is a terrible analogy--" "(Isom) You're an analogy king, dude." "I'm really good at analogies. Like really good. Don't use this one though. So, it's like being married, but not ever having sex." "What?" "That's a terrible analogy. And don't use it. But let me explain. If you have that relationship with someone but never have that next step of meaningful, I think that's the difference." "But it's like the sex came when the song came." "Don't put that in there. Put it in, I don't care. But that just has the next step of meaningfulness to it. Instead of being like, 'Let's hug.'"

"(Isom) We want people to have Thanksgiving dinner at our shows." "(Matt) Literally have Thanksgiving dinner." "Like, we have our own stains on our sofa and our own moldy cottage cheese but it's, like, ours, you know? We're still working towards that too, but that's what we want to do."

"Matt has looked, like, twenty-three since he was about fourteen, and he looks pretty much like exactly the same. And I was, like, this [gestures] tall." "You still look like that."

"(Isom) August Jesus Depression...well you get a milkshake, a Volkswagen and, uh..." "(Matt) You find some butter, and you get some whipped mayonnaise..."

After I fully transcribed the tape, it came out to be 5,062 words. I'm lucky, because I've gotten to read (and hear and see) every last bit of that. For the rest of you, I hope I've picked the right parts to show you. Or maybe someday you can ask me to see the rest. Or, even better, you can come to one of Matt and Isom's shows (Wichita, Texas, California, Denver, Colorado Springs coming up this month), watch them play, and then talk to them yourself. You will definitely enjoy it.

"We want to hang out with you guys. I want to get to know you guys as much as possible because we're the same kind of people that come to our shows and we just want to be friends with them. Be a big family. That's what we want to be."

By the way, next November, I am willing to bring the yams and pie if anyone else can take care of the t[of]urkey.

a selfish post.

I love doing this. I really do. It's my favorite, and right now I want to be doing this forever.

Also, anyone who hasn't listened to Explosions in the Sky should please do so promptly. It will change your life. You can download their album The Rescue here and read the story behind it. It's good.

ACTION: Yellow Bird Project

Yellow Bird Project
bands designing t-shirts for charity
read the action feature // visit their web site

When I was thinking about moving from the "Causes" boxes to the full-length features we now call Action, I knew YBP was one I'd want to feature. When I was conceiving what kinds of organizations I wanted to feature in Causes in the first place, I would not have been capable of conceiving of Yellow Bird Project.

YBP fuses independent music, visual art and charity into a product that's so uniquely appealing it might actually work. Another such organization is Glass Casters Union, which basically does the same thing as Yellow Bird only with glass ornaments instead of t-shirts. Yeah, really. Almost ironically, Glass Casters Union is the beneficiary of Wolfmother's t-shirt on YBP.

I want The Overcast to be a celebration of people's gifts and passions, and Action features are meant to capture people using those gifts for the greater good.

REVIEW: Spectrum by Cloverleaf

Spectrum EP by Cloverleaf
piano rock...basically...
read the review // buy the album on Interpunk

I'm wiped out.

This review was exhausting, because I wanted to be as meticulous with my words as Cloverleaf appears to have been with these five songs.

That's over 250 words or something about five songs, although it should be about quality, not quantity.

You can just read the [much-delayed] review. I meant every last word about it and didn't want to leave a thing out.

EDIT: I just realized that I interviewed T.J. of Cloverleaf almost two years ago.

REVIEW: Jean Parlette

Much Smaller EP by Jean Parlette
"folktronica" from Holland
read the review // download the album for free!

I literally wrote this entire review today. The only reason it took me more than one sitting was because I had to leave for an event in the middle of writing it. In case you didn't figure it out, that's not what usually happens. Usually, I agonize, I take notes for way too many days (weeks?), I have, like, a page in one notebook and a page in another notebook and a sticky note and a Google document and a draft of a text message on my cell phone all bearing scraps of my thought process. This time, none of that. I opened up one new Google Document and basically free-wrote most of it.

Hopefully you don't read that as some sort of irreverence to this EP, because it's a good one. It's also only four tracks long, which helps. But I can attest that it's four tracks, twelvish minutes that you'll enjoy. Unfortunately, I am currently on the broke side (woooo about-to-be-a-college-student!), hence not reviewing the full-length release, but I will probably get there eventually. You'll notice that the last review was a free download, too. The next album I'll be reviewing was sent to me.

Anyways, I found out about Jean Parlette listening to last.fm radio, which, to be honest, is something I don't do often. I love last.fm, I just don't use the radio much. But anyways, my obligatory sub-plug: If you're not on last.fm, you're going to have to be. It's just about the coolest thing on the Internet (besides episodes of Japanese Human Tetris...and The Overcast). What it does is it tracks what you listen to on your computer and creates charts, recommendations, "musical neighbours" out of those records. Creepy at first, but only like a best friend.

I have another review in the works and possibly some other features. The Overcast is basically going to hibernate all through June (woooo summer weddings and travel!), but hopefully I should be able to make up for it over the next couple weeks, or at least when July rolls back into my control.

Until then, take care. And naturally, feel free to comment or e-mail.

--Pauline D.

REVIEWS: Band Marino (FL), Matt and Isom (CO)

I don't know when the last time I listened to Radiohead was. In fact--and you might stone me for this one--I didn't even download In Rainbows when it was free. But I feel like everything I've been listening to I've been comparing to Radiohead. It pops up in both of these reviews, for albums by Band Marino (???) and Matt and Isom. I also make a lot of water references all the time, for someone living in landlocked Colorado.

The Sea and The Beast, by virtue of its title and Florida roots, unabashedly lends itself to the water comparisons. I get pretty corny in this review. I'm not gonna lie. But I mean every generous word of it, including the part about "the most careful storytelling and songwriting of our time." I had a lot of fun poring over the lyrics and playing through the songs, and obviously the interview with Nathan Bond. (Ah, if only I had been blogging this stuff back then. There was a lot of backstory to that, too.)

The review for August Jesus Depression, I'm afraid, may also come off as pretty sycophant*, but again, I don't write out of my rump*. If this were any less of an album, the fact that it's entirely free would be half the reason I'm writing about it. Here it's just an added bonus. But if you feel compelled to show your love in currency form (which you will) you can buy their Black & White EP on iTunes.

Interestingly, I'd say that the lyrics of The Sea and The Beast are much darker in nature than August Jesus Depression, whereas the sonic ambiance might suggest the reverse. Matt and Isom are more fit to the Radiohead comparison than the rowdier Band Marino, but their lyrics, doused in simple spirituality and meditative repetition, are decidedly more hopeful. You'll have this banged into your head when you read the review, but possibly my favorite thing about The Sea and The Beast is all the dark irony.

Anyways, stop reading. You probably don't even need to read the reviews at this point, but you're obviously welcome to. Just go buy the CDs for goodness sake.

*you'll notice I like to use ridiculous, sometimes archaic verbage that nobody else uses after the SATs. it's actually kind of a hobby.



PS: A MILLION thanks to everyone who participated in Maracafest '08. I shelled out some gift cards, CDs and, of course, the coveted red maracas to people who I didn't know were reading. You guys are the bomb, and year #3 was definitely better with the handful of people who, say, know what the Turkosaur is, own a coloRADo mix CD, sport our stickers or at least found our site looking for Scene Aesthetic pictures**. You are what makes the clouds roll in. -PD

**this happens a lot. It's probably one of our most common search times, on which I definitely need to work. Through Google Images, this will apparently often lead you to my review of The Simple Discussion's album, where I make a brief reference to The Scene Aesthetic.

Maracafest 2008: The Rules

Our birthday giveaway game will go to the right. We'll give you some song lyrics by an interviewed band and we'll tell you what you can win. Answers should be e-mailed to pauline@theovercast.net. The first person who correctly guesses artist and title wins, but at the end of the day, if no one gets it, I'm keeping the prize.

All of the songs I'm going to use can either be found on the artist's MySpace/website OR at least part of the lyrics are quoted in an interview or review.

Notice the date above the song lyrics. I can't update at midnight everyday, as I do like to sleep sometimes, quite a bit even, so consider this to your advantage. Try to put the date of the lyrics in your e-mail subject line or something.

All right! Have at it! Happy birthday, The Overcast!

...and no, this is not all an April Fools joke. :)

Maracas. Really.

There are only a handful of you subscribed to The Overcast's feed, and I think now would be an appropriate time to make yourselves known. Why? One, because I'm curious, of course. And two, because I have a pair of red plastic maracas to give away. I kid you not. And--fine timing!--The Overcast's third birthday is sometime between April 4th and April 6th (depending on what counts). While I can't guarantee the plastic is lead-free, I can promise that these red maracas are in fine condition for seducing sweet señoritas through windows, adding dramatic effect when pouring salt on your meals, and otherwise impressing your friends.

I anticipate a name-that-tune contest taking place on the righthand side of this blog, and I wouldn't be surprised if it started on April Fool's Day. So brush up on your Overcasted artists (hint: interviews), check out their myspace pages, and pay close attention to the words. More prizes will be up for grabs besides the maracas, including CDs, concert tickets, and the guitar picks we meant to give away for Christmas. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to see which song wins the maracas.

By the way, stickers are always available. We have over a thousand left (it was quite a large minimum order), so I'm more than willing to send you a veritable boatload of them to hand out to friends, posh local coffee shops, record stores, music venues and frightened young children. Just e-mail theovercast@gmail.com and let me know where to send them.

Cloverleaf album out March 30th!

I have been so behind on writing band news. I told myself I would stop, but I feel obligated, not just to the bands, but to good music.

Cloverleaf's album Spectrum promises to be a million times better than first.class.mind.ride (which is kind of saying a lot), based on the few new tracks they've thrown on their MySpace. If you pre-order, you can get a poster, which I guess is only a perk if you swing that way. But I suppose the intangible perk is having a few extra days to enjoy the new tunes, while everyone else is waiting for their orders to ship.

Give the new tunes a listen, and then give up your measly $6 to get your hands on more. Easy.

the overcast <3 fact not fiction!

Fact Not Fiction posted their farewell on their MySpace blog ten days ago (which happened to be my birthday--great job, guys) and there's no way I'm going to let that pass without giving my own and The Overcast's goodbye.

FNF has probably been the most supportive band to chat with me over these past three years. The things I most cherish about my conversation with the guys is that the conversation didn't stop. Zeke has continually been a friend to me and the zine, gave me the opportunity of writing a press bio for them (which is something I'd been really wanting to do!), and always wanted to be updated on the goings-on of The Overcast. While I regret not getting to talk to the other three most recent members of the band, from afar they seem just as down-to-earth and obviously talented.

To see it all come to a close so unexpectedly has been, in few words, a disappointment. But I can respect your decision and know you will eventually end up on the right roads.

I believe in all four of you and hope the best for your futures in and out of music! You have been an unforgettable, invaluable part of The Overcast.

<3Pauline & The Overcast

ACTION: Blood:Water Mission

Blood:Water Mission
to promote clean blood (by reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS) and clean water in Africa
read the action feature // visit their web site

I made this our first Action feature because I had told three different people it would go under the next set of Cause boxes (remember those?), which didn't happen. Obviously I did it for other reasons: it's a cool cause, it was easy enough to write and research, etc. In actuality, I don't think it would matter to any of those three people whether or not I ever wrote this, but I felt like I had to hold myself accountable.

Blood:Water Mission is a good cause, but I know there's a lot of potential for criticism in here. One, the art connection is simply because it was started by the guys in Jars of Clay--rockstar charity. I have no doubt that they did it for the right reasons, but I might as well be featuring the One Campaign. Two, "rockstar" charity, not so much the indie underdog overcast style we typically go for. Only hipster snobs will bemoan that. Three, Africa is sooo sexy, and we're not into sexy. No, really, I'm sure I'm going to get fire from my friends because I'm often the one to remind that not all of Africa is suffering, and not all of the suffering are in Africa. Four, it's an openly Christian organization. By no means is Blood:Water Mission sending people out to perform conversions, but the example of Christ is very much and very openly a part of BWM's motivation. This was the most sensitive part of deciding whether or not to write this. The Overcast definitely doesn't label itself Christian, but we've touched upon faith before and recognize that religious convictions are as integral to a person's art and work as it is to the way they live, as political leanings or any other lifestyle choice would ever influence a song or a story. We're not into silencing that, but we don't intend to maintain a one-message channel.

I want you to read our Action features with just as much skepticism--and just as much openness.
There will be more coming. I already have an idea of who I'd like to write about next, and I hope you'll find them to be very fascinating organizations.

Relationships, or at least Conversations

A blog like this, I'd say, is much easier to manage. Additionally, I like the idea of forming relationships in this context and having a dialogue about what goes on here, rather than feeding you (no pun intended) the content of The Overcast.

Besides, every once in awhile, all the backstory gets kinda interesting.


Please say hi. :-)