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This is one of my all time favorite drum parts. It sings as well as drives. We all do that, sing and drive. Hopefully we all do that :) Anyway, a beat that has always spoke to me and will to continue to for a long while.

#elvis costello #chelsea #i dont want to go to chelsea #drums #drum part

New Parquet Courts video for "Sunbathing Animals"

#parquet courts #brooklyn #new york #new song #sunbathing animals #punk #punk rock #music blog #music

Amazing musical, but just an okay movie (And all the other Les Mis movie attempts). Les Mis is such a beautiful story, but why hasn't it translated to the big screen that well?

Here's some personal backstory. My 3rd grade music teacher introduced my class to Les Mis (3rd GRADE!! looking back, that is some pretty heavy materiel for a 3rd grader). It quickly became my favorite musical, and remains such to this day. My Mother also claims Les Mis as her favorite. We have seen the live show 2 or 3 times and saw the 2012 film version together. The film version just didn't hold up. Don't get me wrong, it was great to see the costumes up close, the songs loud and well produced. But if you've seen the live stage show, you know that the movie doesn't hold a candle to the original. I get the Hugh Jackman can sing, and the Russell Crowe thinks he can do anything, but they aren't broadway singers. I will however say that Anne Hathaway did a great job as Fantine. I teared up during "I Dreamed a Dream". You could tell she was giving 110%. I'm not saying that Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe half assed it, I'm just saying they were wishful casting. The producers and director probably thought in pre-production that they would be perfect for the film version. I can only imagine that once they got the ship moving, they realized the short comings of both, and had no choice but to continue.

I don't want to spend too much time on the shortcomings of the movie. At the end of the day the story is beautiful and deserves to be shared with a new generation and I appreciate the effort put forth by everyone involved with the movie, because at the end of the day, sharing this story of love, justice, and perseverance, is a noble cause.

-Matt

#les mis #les miserables #anne hathaway #hugh jackman #russell crowe #fantine #movie #2012 #broadway #musical #jean valjean #french #french revolution #youtube #do you hear the people sing

This was one of my favorite songs growing up. Notice the faces :)

#simple gifts #mormon #mormon tabernacle choir #bells #orchestra #lots of people #music blog #music

Top 3 List: Best Background Music

Let me start off by clarifying that this is my personal Top 3 list. Music is subjective and therefore there is no such thing as a definitive top 3.

All caveats aside, here's my list.

Number Three: Jazz

As mentioned in my "Recent Revelations" post on Sunday, Jazz is perfect for cooking and doing general household chores. Jazz has a way of penetrating your brain and giving it a cerebral massage. Jazz sounds like how my brain works sometimes. I'm a thinker. I think a lot... a lot a lot. It's my best and worst quality. In Jazz (especially the kind of Jazz I like), there is a lot going on. Sometimes there are obvious patterns, but sometimes it sounds like chaos. I often have to force myself to try and understand what is happening when it doesn't make sense right away. Long story short, the tunes always end up making some sort of sense. Jazz makes you work a little bit. What I'm getting at is that since Jazz seems to mimic how my brain operates, it subconsciously helps me operate and reach a zen state when ironing, doing dishes, or swiffering.

Number Two: 90s Hip Hop

I'm a cool dude, but not the coolest. I would say that I'm above average in the "Cool" category. There is one thing in life that, when consumed, I feel like the coolest. That thing is 90s Hip Hop. 90s Hip Hop is saturated with soul. Maybe that's why I feel cool when I'm listening to it, there is always a theme of empowerment. They reveal truths about the human condition, but in a way that is motivating and positive. Truth be told, my 90s Hip Hop is limited. I like a specific brand. Here are the main artists I have on repeat:

A Tribe Called Quest

De La Soul

Jurassic 5 (Not 100% "Early 90s", but the sound is on par)

Digable Planets

Eric B and Rakim

EPMD

Arrested Development

I have a friend who I grew up with. He is the youngest brother of my best friend in the world. We have been able to hang out the past few times I have gotten to go back home to Ohio. We only recently found out about our mutual love for A Tribe Called Quest. Anywhere we drove to together, Tribe was playing. Every once and a while we would catch each other's eyes, share a moment, and giggle. We felt cool, and we knew it.

*Notice his shirt

Number One: Instrumental Hip Hop

I'm not sure I have come by music that is as versatile as Instrumental Hip Hop. It is the perfect bed for absolutely anything. Here are some instances I have enjoyed instrumental hip hop.

- Playing video games. I play about an hour's worth of video games a week. I celebrate the entire LEGO catalogue. I love the low pressure, puzzles, and light heartedness of the Lego games. And let's be honest, I've heard the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Lord of the Rings scores quite a bit. Turn down the TV, turn up the beats. I'm not a very physically ticklish person, but LEGO Instrumental Hip Hop sessions tickle me.

- Cooking food and doing Household Chores. This is interchangeable with Jazz for these activities.

- Hanging out with improvisors. I have many friends who do improv comedy in LA. Many improvisers love a good free style session. I have spent many nights with the Jurassic 5 "Quality Control" Instrumental album, free styling. Now mind you, we aren't ready to go do a free style battle, we are just a bunch of white, theater, comedian types free styling. Usually about Star Wars and girls.

I think this is cool. Check out the original Album cover.... get it?!

One more note. I once saw a bumper sticker that said, "Drum Machines have no soul". I see what they are getting at, but I disagree whole heartedly. I assume they are referring to DJ music, EDM, Pop Music, or Hip Hop/Rap. To defend Hip Hop I would say that some of the most soulful and honest expressions of art I have found have been in Hip Hop beats (especially early 90s boom bap) .

You get the point. Instrumental Hip Hop to me is possibly the most versatile type of music ever created.

I would love to know what your favorite background music is. Message me! Thanks y'all!

-Matt

"From boom bap to EDM, we look at the line between hip-hop and not, and meet a defender of the genre that makes you question... who's in and who's out."

Great Radiolab Podcast discussing "Real" Hip Hop.

A Note About: Vampire Weekend

Hey Everyone, just a quick note about Vampire Weekend.

Good for them! Modern Vampires of the City is a great album. You know why? Because they know who they are and what they sound like. Therefore they made an album that was progressive and familiar at the same time. A beautiful balance that almost every band strives to achieve. Congrats to them on their recent success.

-Matt

#vampire weekend #modern vampires of the city #new album #progressive #note #band #indie #indie rock #hipster #music blog #music #pop #listen 365

Captain America theme covered by my friends in Animfantastic.

#animfantastic #animation #captain america #winter soldier #theme song #cover #youtube #music #music blog

Recent Revelations: Chapter 1 - JAZZ

Hello Listeners,

This is a new segment I will call "Recent Revelations". The concept is simple. Whenever I feel the need to share a recent music related revelation, I will add a chapter to the "Recent Revelations" library. Easy enough, right? Cool.

I couldn't think of a more fitting first chapter for this segment besides Jazz. I mean...jazz, baby. I'm going to start by giving you some backstory. A month and a half ago I left my animation production job after 5.5 years. Never mind the details, the end of the road had come. I need to also mention that at the studio where I worked, we had a commissary kitchen that fed us both breakfast and lunch (and dinner if necessary). Needless to say, after leaving I found myself with a lot more free time and food to cook than I had become accustomed to.

Historically, I've never been the biggest fan of Jazz. I understood the basic concepts early on in life, but it felt too unorganized for my little brain to comprehend. Prolonged periods of listening to jazz would induce varying degrees of anxiety. It remained a world I was aware of, but not ready to consume. Flash forward to now. I'm the drummer in a very creatively satisfying band and we are getting better with every rehearsal and show. Music is meaning something new to me. I'm understanding it on a different level, a spiritual level. It's making more and more sense everyday. Jazz for me is like that bottle of wine you have been saving for years, for that special occasion. And like wine, I have listened to good Jazz before and enjoyed it. But not like this, this is the best wine I have ever tasted.

It started when I would go to cook food. Since life has now forced me into having to cook every meal for myself (that sounds terrible as I re-read that, but the honesty feels good), there are more opportunities for listening to music. I had recently raided a friend's collection of Jazz and took anything with a name I recognized. Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, and Jimmy Smith to be exact.

I also picked up some Weather Report and Jimmy Smith from Amoeba Records in Hollywood.

I love instrumental music in general. Sometimes lyrics and vocal melodies get in the way of what I want to hear, which is a bunch of different instruments and rhythm! So when faced with the question of what to listen to while I prepare, cook, and consume my food, Jazz felt right. It is finally time to stop testing the waters and jump in.

Listening to Jazz while cooking was the key. You have time to experiment with different albums, styles, and sounds. The music would seep into my subconscious while I tried to figure out what the hell I was doing with a knife in my hand, pushing me forward from one task to the next. Before you know it, it's time to eat. I am currently single, so I ate alone... but not really alone, because I would let the Jazz continue playing. I poured myself a glass of wine almost out of instinct, and sat at the dinning room table, and ate.

Weeks have turned into a month and a half. I average about 3 - 4 Jazz nights a week and here is where I'm at with things. I think Jimmy Smith is amazing. That organ sound penetrates me to the marrow. I can't get enough. And you want to know the good news?! JAZZ IS SUPER CHEAP!!! At most places you can get 3 - 4 vinyl records for $10. I've even bought a few CDs for the car, each no more than $4. Yesterday I bought "Jimmy Smith (The Blue Note Re-Issue Series) Double LP for $6 at Atomic Records in Burbank, CA. SIX DOLLARS, TWO RECORDS...SIX!!

I also bought this CD at Amoeba Records in Hollywood for $4!!!

Both are delightful and on repeat.

This is where I currently lie with Jazz. I am guaranteeing I will have more Jazz related revelations in the future, and will be writing many more posts about the subject. There are so many metaphors that can be used to describe Jazz. I think that's because there is no definitive answer to what Jazz is. It just is. Kind of like life. I like to say that "Jazz is life, and life is Jazz".

-Matt

Album covers are all the rage online this week. First we got to see the back of iconic cover art images, and then got to see them slapped onto Google maps. Now we get to see one dad’s recreations of classic album art using his kids. Lance Underwood’s Tumblr, QT Albums, is pretty adorable, with his k