The Killers on SNL

A Saturday Night Live episode aired on October 5th featuring the Vice Presidential debate with Anne Hathaway hosting. I have been a partial fan of the Killers for a while, struggling to dechiper their lyrics and comparing them against the members' dubius profiles on the almighty Wikipedia. The musicians are skillful, but doubtlessly bored. This rides dangerously close to pop music, which is unusual for me, but then again it was a year ago when I first investigated them. I saw Weird Al, my other favorite artist, at Commion Ground last year and heard the song "Polkarama!". The chorus of "Somebody Told Me," the Killers' breakout single, is polkafied in that gloious pop medley.
Anyway, vocalist Brandon Flowers put on an erratic and robotic appearence during the first song, "Human." He looked rather frightened. Bassist Mark Stoermer showed promise in 2004's Hot Fuss by busting out the slap line on the first track, but the popular "When You Were Young" on the sophomore release Sam's Town (featured on Guitar Hero II) had a dismally boring bass line. When you have musicians that are this good, why wouldn't they want to actually utilize their skill? The non-band member in the back sang most of the background vocals and rhythm guitar, but wasn't allowed a space in the photo. Brandon Flowers was looking kind of skinny in his feather-shouldered jacket, and his performance was jittery and spastic. He didn't shift into performance mode until the end of the second song, "Spaceman", cracking a few smiles. The drummer, Ronnie Vannucci Jr., was very impassioned. He played an old-school kit and reminded me of Stanley Clarke. After many hours of pouring over their music and imaginative, cryptic lyrics, I've developed a fondness for his strange voice. It's got personality.
Let the flak rain in..

Review of Death Magnetic

I recently got Metallica's new CD from the library to see if their new bassist, Robert Trujillo, had the same positive impact on this washed-up metal band as he did on hardcore act Suicidal Tendencies (who has a song on Guitar Hero 2) and funk-metal band Infectious Grooves. Their songs are longer, which I like: Seven-minute songs are way cooler than the three-minute fluff dominating the hierarchical regime known as radio. Only the past glory of Metallica from the Cliff Burton years is the only thing that propelled this record to the top of the charts when it debuted a couple of months ago. The bummer is that their sound hasn't evolved much since the eighties. The riffs could've been conceived by a guitarist of a few months- whereas James Hetfield has been playing for thirty-one years. Kirk Hammet's solos are lame, pattern-based, unexciting, lacking musical value, and only express that their creator didn't put any thought into them. Also, Trujillo's monstrous skills are buried in the mix. Hetfield's vocal melodies insist on being tonic based. That means they focus on the root of the chord. This wouldn't be a problem if Metallica's songs changed chords with any kind of regularity. I don't pay attention to the words, but they probably suck. Kaitlyn, the girl sitting next to me right now in study hall, thinks that Britney Spears' music is better than Dream Theater. Unfortunately, this kind of unnerving ignorance is fatal. Yes, I am slightly kidding. The only treatment is to listen to the Britney Spears discography, taking several doses of Pepto-Bismol along the way. Then listen to just one song by Dream Theater. My case is rested.
*Disclaimer: I didn't listen to the whole thing, since the first four tracks were so bad. If there's a gem later on, my ruling stands. A band with so much experience has no business crafting these kinds of songs.

I've got about three posts almost completed, so detain those equestrians.

The Marine Band is amazing

Last Monday the U.S. Marine band played at the Wharton Center and it was an incredible concert. It was directed by Colonel Michael J. Colburn with Major Jason K. Fettig as the Assistant Director.

"The Fairest of the Fair", march by John Phillips Sousa- Apparently this awesome band leader wrote this after spying on some lady. It's a nice march, but not genius.

"A Fugal Overture, Opus 40, No. 1"- by Gustav Holst. I've played "First Suite in Eb" and "Mars" in band class.

"Colloquy" by William Goldstein. Trombwnage!! The nation was in the throes of Depression and this twenty-year old composer wrote a piece featuring trombone to lift spirits. Master Gunnery Sergeant Bryan Bourne made it look easy. The piece was not one of my favorites, but was delivered standing without music. It involved seamlessly stratospheric notes. He became the principal trombone in '91, I think, but he's not the section leader for some reason. Gunnery Sergeant Chris Clark is.

Now here we come to the highlight of the concert, and one of my new favorite pieces for band. "La Fiesta Mexicana" was written by former Director of Composition at MSU H. Owen Reed. He wrote it in 1949 after staying in Mexico for half a year. It's a phenomenal work of art. The arranging is so creative, the transitions so seamless, that I was prepared to denounce every other genre for its lack of artistry and creativity. I've only had that sensation twice before: In my younger years I shunned all secular music; and now as I come to realize that progressive metal is the greatest type of music being produced today.
After that musical onslaught, John Phillips Sousa sounds like an idiot. They played the official Marine Corps. song, written by JPS in 1889. "Semper Fidelus" was obviously going to be in the lineup.
After a short Intermission, the group returned with my second-favorite piece: “Three Dances from The Three-Cornered Hat.” Pablo Picasso designed the sets and costumes for The Three-Cornered Hat. Isn’t that something? Stephen Sondheim is evidently important, because the announcer lady that the audience presumed to be an orator and doter upon the group’s talent actually gave an admirable vocal performance. I didn’t actually know any of the songs though…
Following the obligatory national march and stand-up-veterans-anthem thing, my family departed, glad we didn’t stay home to watch Chuck that night.