Today Manhattan was hit by the snowpocalypse that has been affecting the rest of the east coast for the past few days. Schools in Manhattan, especially universities, are notorious for refusing to close due to inclement weather. Columbia University has proven its stubbornness today, refusing to close despite the dangerous weather alert and predicted 10-18 inches of snow. One by one colleges and high schools throughout New York City closed. Even NYU had closed by 2:00PM! All hope for a glorious snow day seemed lost as Columbia students trudged through the slush and snow up the (extremely slippery) stairs on both Morningside and Barnard campuses. Finally, the university recognized how silly they were being and canceled all classes, meetings and activities as of 3:00PM and Columbians were free at last from studying in Butler Library and note taking in lecture halls to engage in snowball wars and sleigh-riding on Low Plaza...at least for a few hours.
Super busy this semester that is. I've got classes, work, rehearsal, concerts upon concerts and a radio show on top of all of that! Which reminds me what this post is all about.
I have a radio show here at school. It's called Beethoven was Deaf and it's gonna be pretty awesome! Tune in Thursdays 10AM-12PM. http://server.wbar.org I'll be taking requests and giving away free tickets to shows periodically so make sure to listen in!
So, no one really reads this thing, but they're not to blame because I don't really write...ever! One of my new year's resolutions is to try and become more dedicated to this blog. I think I'm going to go for at least one post a week to get started, but I will also blog whenever something interesting happens. So, with that being said, here is my first post of the new year.
Since I've been gone, I've done quite a few things. 1. Seen the Cribs for a second time (they're brilliant!) 2. Had a photoshoot around the city! Photos to come in the future 3. Got addicted to the British teen drama Skins 5. Got a Radio Show
Hopefully I can come up with some interesting posts in the future.
Alright more Cribs! You can never have too much--or at least I can't!
I was editing photos I took at the Cribs gig when I happened to create a pretty cool looking picture of Johnny Marr. After getting some good feedback via facebook, I decided to make a set of poster-like photos in the same style (one for each member of The Cribs) Please click on the pictures to see them full size for best quality. : )
The Cribs are an English alternative rock three-piece turned four-piece with the recent addition of Ex-Smiths guitarist, Johnny Marr. The original trio consists of the Jarman brothers of the UK. The brothers have been in the music business since 2001 and have released four albums since their start. Their latest release, Ignore The Ignorant, features Manchester’s own Johnny Marr (The Smiths, Modest Mouse) who was made an official member of the band in 2008. With this addition, the band has become more than your average indie rock trio plus legendary session guitarist, they have become a united group producing pure alternative, English based rock.
Back in the “dole days” of 1980s Manchester, a new genre of music emerged mainly due to the influence of a particular group: The Smiths. Based on the song-writing partnership of Morrissey (vocals) and Johnny Marr (guitar), The Smiths constantly violated pop music conventions. Morrissey's lovelorn tales of alienation and witty, outspoken lyrics gave renewed literacy to pop music. His crooning found an audience amongst youth culture bored by the pervasive synthesizer-pop bands that characterized the bleak years of the early 80s, while Marr's elaborate overdubbed melodies helped return guitar-based music to popularity in Britain. Critics hail The Smiths as the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the 1980s British music scene with Spin Magazine naming their third album, The Queen Is Dead, the “best album of all time”. The group has developed a fanatical cult following and has majorly influenced subsequent artists.
Ryan, Gary and Ross Jarman from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, UK make up The Cribs.The brothers started out as a small act on the local circuit in 2001 and released their self-titled debut album three years later after signing to Wichita Records. The first album features a blend of garage and indie rock with all instruments being played by the three brothers. The album met with limited success and mixed reviews by the press. Despite the non-charting debut album, The Cribs have continued to release albums of ever increasing popularity between 2004 and 2009. Their latest album, Ignore The Ignorant, reached #8 in the UK Charts.
I admit I hadn’t really heard of The Cribs until Marr appeared on the scene. As a huge fan of The Smiths, I’m always eager to hear any new material by my favorite gunslinger. After listening to Ignore The Ignorant, I was hooked. The Cribs offer everything a truly great rock album needs: strong, intelligent lyrics, good melodies, catchy rhythms—to say the least, they’re brilliant. Marr’s influence is evident on the album, but doesn’t overpower The Cribs’ own distinct sound.Rather Marr’s trademark layered guitar melodies meld flawlessly with The Cribs’ low-fi rock n’ roll sound to produce an exceptional range of songs.
There’s only one problem: after listening to and adoring all four Cribs albums, especially the latest masterpiece, I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around the idea of Johnny Marr being in a band with three men twenty years his juniors. In my mind, it still felt so much like collaboration. Despite the band’s insistence that Johnny Marr is a regular, full-fledged member of The Cribs, I still found myself referring to them as “The Cribs with Johnny Marr” or “Johnny Marr and The Cribs.” I accepted and loved the four-piece studio unit, but couldn’t imagine them as one cohesive group.
This past Friday (13th November), The Cribs finished a short 3-gig-stint in the US promoting the release of their latest album. I was lucky enough to attend their final show at The Bowery Ballroom here in New York. For those of you unfamiliar with the Bowery Ballroom, it’s an intimate 550-person capacity venue with standing room and an upper level for people who don’t feel like being crushed against hundreds of sweaty, ecstatic fans—in other words: the ideal venue for seeing your idol and favorite up-and-coming band perform.
The Cribs’ performance was superb in every way. From Ross (drummer) playing his kit while standing on top of it, to Johnny’s flawless guitar work, to the twins, Ryan (guitar) and Gary (bass), switching on and off on vocals, the show was greater than great. The moment The Cribs took the stage; the entire crowd erupted in a euphoric throng feeding off the band’s wild energy with sheer rapture. Launching into a thrilling rendition of “We Were Aborted” and “Hey Scenesters!” to kick off the show, they were answered with an exultant crowd devotedly chanting the choruses right along with them. The Cribs plowed through a 19-song set-list, engaging the fans with banter, brilliance and sheer chaotic energy every step of the way.
Judging by the band’s studio work, I was expecting a terrific gig, but one thing took me by surprise. I came to the gig expecting to see “The Cribs with Johnny Marr” or “Johnny Marr and The Cribs,” but what I got was—well, The Cribs. Yes, Johnny Marr was there in all his legendary glory, but he wasn’t disconnected from the brothers Jarman in any sense. Surprisingly, what I saw on the stage was not a good three-piece with a good guest guitarist, but a genuine fantastic four-piece group playing and existing in complete synergy.
So after listening to the perfect meshing of talents on Ignore The Ignorant and seeing the band responsible for said talents live, it’s clear that The Cribs are fantastic whether they be three members or four. Johnny Marr is considered among the greatest guitarists of his generation and I’d say The Cribs are among the best groups of the current generation. Marr's integration into the group adds a certain maturity to The Cribs; fine tuning their inherent abilities through skillful production work and style. In turn, The Cribs allow Marr to live out his enduring youth and enjoy playing guitar for the sake of it; something I think Marr has always been about. Fortunately for us, these two epic forces have united as one rocking entity. Boasting a terrific back-catalog and a thrilling new EP and guitarist, The Cribs will no doubt continue their upwards trajectory. Rock n’ roll.
If you missed The Cribs this time around, have no fear! The Band has confirmed details of a full US tour to kick off in January 2010. The dates are continuing support of their fourth record Ignore The Ignorant, which was released in the US last week.
US Tour Dates:
Chicago Lincoln Hall, January 13th
Ferndale Magic Box, 14th
New York Irving Plaza, 16th
Boston Paradise Rock Club, 17th
Washington 9.30 Club, 19th
Atlanta The Earl, 20th
Dallas Granada Theatre, 22nd
Austin Parish, 23rd
Pomona Glass House, 26th
San Francisco Bimbo 365, 27th
Portland Wonder Ballroom, 29th
Seattle Showbox Theatre, 30th
So I spent all night writing this review to try and get it in my school newspaper, but they don't take non-staff reviews....UGH! At least I have a blog to post it on! And good news: I'm now in touch with the paper and they want me to become a member of the staff. All's well that ends well. Special thanks to Matt for editing my review with me!
So this is my very first blog post...ever. Pretty exciting! Not really.
Why am I writing this? Mainly for myself though you're welcome to read it if you'd like. To me, a blog is sort of like a diary--a public one, but a diary nonetheless. It's a place to write down my thoughts, experiences, feelings and the like. In other words: a place to just let it all out--and what better place to throw things out there than the endless abyss that is the internet?
So in this blog you'll find random thoughts, rants, reviews, opinions, occasionally something creative, pictures, memories, inspirations, ambitions, dreams, desires and a portrait of the life of me. Charlie.
What makes me not-so-average? You'll have to keep reading for that.
