Florence and the Machine.

Summer brings many things, and one of my favorite gifts is the time I am granted to spend hours sitting around and listening to music. For awhile, my computer was being a total boner kill (well, metaphorical since I'm a girl..), and I couldn't run iTunes without my computer crashing out moments later. So for a few weeks, I relied heavily on online mixes. I've found that these were a great source of some music that I had never heard before, one of them being Florence and the Machine.

The first song was 'Kiss With A Fist.' A playful yet rock-edged song that, according to FATM's myspace page 'is NOT a song about domestic violence. it is about two people pushing each other to psychological extremes because they love each other.' Either way, the song is snarky, with a lyrical style similar to that of Miss. Lily Allen's. Considered a summer anthem by many, the chorus chants, "blood sticks and sweat drips/break the lock if it don't fit/a kick in the teeth is good for some/a kiss with a fist is better than none."

Upon further listening, I also came across her haunting, yet powerful cover of Cold War Kids's 'Hospital Beds.' And after continuing to listen, it is obvious the musical diversity that Florence Welch possesses. From the dancey and verging on disco track "Howl" to the orchestral background of 'Cosmic Love' that would make Yani proud. No matter the musical styling of the song, each one is fully showcases her vocal range and strong beauty of it.

If her vocals weren't enough, she also has a sense of style that seems to change regularly. She goes from being dressed down in plaid and t-shirt's, to being dolled up in vintage dresses and glitter. Surely, she is a style icon in the making, and it is well deserved.

She can be seen in the July 2009 issue of NYLON magazine (which also offers up a full free playlist of music), and she is releasing a new CD titled 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) on June 21st.

FRIDAY NIGHT: VAGRANT SOUL W/ BLACK SLATE GHOST

Dear people of Alpena and surrounding areas,

Time to do some supporting of local music and check this out Friday night (June 11th) in Alpena.

DETAILS:
Doors open at @8
980 Golf Course Rd
Being held at The Church
Vagrant Soul w/ Black Slate Ghost
18+...If you're 21, it's BYOB
Cost: $5 cover charge

See you guys there.

With a new season comes new posts.

I found it to be sad when I couldn't remember what the password was for this blog. I have also been finding many inspirations since I got out of school, and this has always been my perfect outlet for that. I was also kind of surprised when someone stopped me the other day and asked me if I was still doing the OddNotes. People are still remembering it, and when he said, "that was pretty much the only blog I read" I figured that something must be done.

The past few weeks have been crazy. I graduated high school. I'm making new friendships and building more and more on the ones I already have. But now, diction is taking over my brain, and I feel like I haven't done enough writing to keep myself satisfied. I have my paper journal and my personal blog for my personal matters, and now I'm reviving this for all of the amazing musicians, artists, and designers I have been discovering lately.

As if this summer isn't enough, I'm moving to Chicago at the end of August. Hopefully, I'll be leaving with a new camera in tow so expect some style shots, concert pictures, etc. I really plan on picking this thing back up. Just be patient, and it will be better than ever!

Movies!

Wow, so I haven't updated this in quite a few days, and it's almost embarrassing. My high school career is over with next Sunday, and after that, I plan on having much time to watch movies, listen to music, and find more people who need exposure. For now, I'm going to post something from my personal blog to get the ball slowly rolling.

Over the weekend I ended up watching eight movies, it was crazy, and I think the most movies I have ever watched in a three day period.

• Mama's Boy.
• Pumpkin

•Into the Wild. I always find myself being really inspired by this kind of thing. The true story of a guy who donated all of his college fund to charity, destroyed all forms of identification, and just hit the road. I think that doing what he did would feel so liberating. Not having to worry about paying bills, and being able to see the country in it's purest and most natural form. If he had survived, he would've been able to tell so many amazing stories, no doubt. There was also a pretty good cast. Emile Hirsch was brilliant, and then Vince Vaughn, Jena Malone, and Kristen Stewart were also some pretty good additions.


•Earth. I saw this movie in the theater with a new friend it was great. I'm a big fan of the Planet Earth show. Again, more showing off what a beautiful planet we live on. Some of the animals on that show, I didn't even know existed, and it always broke my heart when a little baby animal died. And I think it was ALWAYS a baby animal that died, except for one instance. Also, watching it on the big screen was pretty sweet. I think I need to go and be a hippie now or something.

• Donnie Darko (I watched this while house sitting with friends. Never gets old.)
• Margot at the Wedding. I'm not a huge Nicole Kidman fan, nor am I a fan of Jack Black. I can never take his serious roles seriously, and I didn't see the point to this movie, other than making the audience feel good and awkward.
• Silence of the Lambs.
• Winter Passing. I really loved this movie, though that might have something to do with the fact that Zooey Deschanel was in it...

Expect more content soon. Also! Check out our sponsors on the side. Both of them are awesome and deserve attention and support. If you're interested in sponsoring on The OddNotes, e-mail me at theoddnotes@gmail.com for rates & more information.

Snakes & Suits tour: Concert Experience (Empires, This Providence, The Academy Is, Evan Taubenfeld)

March 29, 2009, House of Blues Dallas

This show ended up being pretty spontaneous for me; I knew about it, but I didn't know if I was going to go until the day-of. Since I hadn't bought tickets ahead of time, there was good chance they were going to sell out. I called the box office at one point, and when the lady told me they only had “a few” ticket left, I hauled ass to Dallas from my college in Denton. After getting lost in downtown Dallas (as I always do) I finally found HoB. I parked illegally, went to the box office, and was nervous as hell when I asked if they still had Academy tickets. Obviously they did, or I wouldn't be doing this write-up.

When doors finally opened, the first thing I did was go to the Empires merch table and ask the merchie if I could talk to one of the band members about getting a press/photo pass. (Security cockblocked my camera because it's an SLR and therefore 'professional'.) Tom came out a minute later and we spoke, but he said I would have to talk to the tour manager, and he went backstage again to ask around. Well, I never heard back from them. I was stand by the rope that blocked the backstage doors, and there was a bouncer there. Since I already had my mind set on getting my camera in, I began to pester him. Finally after about 30 minutes of talking to different people and repeating “I'm with a blog called The OddNotes” a good 15 times, I got my photo pass. I include this whole story because it was a big moment, not only for me but also for The OddNotes. Our first official press pass!



Now onto the show. The first act was a scrawny blonde dude named Evan Taubenfeld. I had never heard of him before, but I figured I would get some shots anyway. Evan absolutely blew me away! His songs are witty and sweet; I was immediately hooked (especially when he sang the lyric “then Katie, I couldn't get enough, she was just like pumpkin pie.”) He was funny, often telling jokes between songs and even talking between verses! Some might find this obnoxious, but I found it to be such a breath of fresh air, since so many artists take themselves so serious on stage. (I later found out why I liked his music so much, and why his style had a familiar ring to it: he used to be Avril's lead guitar player, and co-wrote many of her songs!)




Next up was Empires, who I was most excited to see. Sure, I wanted to see The Academy Is..., but I had seen them before. Empires, on the other hand, hadn't been to Dallas before. I had been sending them messages and comments and tweets, all demanding Dallas! And let me tell you, they did not disappoint. Their performance was energetic and fun, with many people in the crowd singing along. They had a decent set, playing many songs off of their album, along with a cover or two, ending with Tom and Max laving the stage for Sean to perform “Hayley” solo.

This Providence played next. I'm not gonna lie, I've never really listened to them, so I'm not really a fan, so I don't have too much to say. I will say that they did sound really good live, and their songs were quite catchy. If you're a fan and haven't seen them live yet, I'd recommend it; I'm not a fan but I quite enjoyed their set.




And now last but definitely not least: The Academy Is...! I have seen TAI several times in the past, so I kind of knew what to expect. As always, they were amazing. I use the word “they” lightly, however; the one reason I didn't enjoy the show was that it seemed like the was a William Beckett show, not a TAI show. He played guitar and sang solo for almost the entire set, joined by Adam Siska on bass for only 3 songs. I was disappointed because when they play electrically, Mike Carden and Michael Guy Chislett play guitar, with Siska on bass, Andy Mrotek on drums, and William only singing (and sometimes picking up a tambourine.) For the acoustic show, however, William was the one playing guitar. In short, I felt like the guys who usually play guitar should have been up on that stage as well, making it more of a TAI show and not just William. Band setup aside, Beckett performed wonderfully, as he always does. His voice was clear and perfect enough to melt some young teenage hearts, I'm sure. He had a wonderful set list, comprised of an even mix of songs from all three TAI albums, and even played “The Fever,” which was never formally released. (He said he played it because someone in line before the show had asked about it.) Every time I see The Academy I am blown away by their sound and Beckett's pure genius, and this show was no different.







See more of Katie's pictures from the show at her flickr!

Apologies.

I just wanted to make a post real quick to apologize for the intense lack of posting around here as of late. I have been super busy with school and life and other things, so I haven't had a ton of time to dedicate to this blog (unfortunately.) I only have TWENTY-ONE school days left until I graduate from high school. After that, good things can start to happen.

I am moving to Chicago at the end of August, so I will be surrounded by things and people to write about. Also, I plan on being more 'free' this summer, so there will also be some stuff coming up from that. For now, keep anticipating Favorite Song Friday, as well as some band recommendations here and there. You only have to deal with the monotony for four more weeks, I promise!

For now, if you want to read what I've been doing day-to-day, you can read my new personal blog HERE.

Have a good one!

-Courtney Kaz

Favorite Song Friday - Carolina Liar.

Show Me What Im Looking For - Carolina Liar
I was actually debating with myself on whether or not I should post this song. I try to keep the things in here a little bit under the radar, and after being blasted all over the radio and vh1 and whatever else, this song has been whipping around in the mainstream. However, this song is too catchy to not post as my favorite song of the week. It's a great pop song. The lyrics are mediocre, yet uplifting in some strange way. I am also in love with the last few chorus' with the choir added in and stronger drum beats. I'm not sure if I should really advise people to listen to this song though....it's annoying how easy it is to get stuck in your head.

-Courtney Kaz.

Would you like to advertise on the OddNotes?

As you can see on the side, I've started a small section for advertising. If you are a small business owner of some sort and would be interesting in advertising on my blog as well, please e-mail theoddnotes@gmail.com for more information & minimal rates.

-Courtney Kaz.

Margot and the Nuclear So & So's, Cloud Cult, and Ice Palace.

I've put off writing this for a few days. For some reason. I think I can chalk it up to my usual procrastination when it comes to blogging, but one day, the fire will come back!

On the 14th, Tuesday, I made the four and a half hour trip down to Grand Rapids, Michigan with my best friend and mom for the Margot and the Nuclear So & So's show with Cloud Cult, and Ice Palace. UNFORTUNATELY, I don't have any pictures from the event. My camera is mostly unreliable and wouldn't handle live shots very well. So here's the blow-by-blow.

Ice Palace was the first band of the night. If you're a reader, you already know that I really just started getting into this band, but they're very easy to like. What I enjoyed the most about the band was that even though some of their songs were mostly downbeat and laid back songs, there was still the opportune 'rock out' time, where it got very dancey and fun to move to. Complete with a guest appearance from Hubert from Margot and the Nuclear So & So's, Ice Palace had a solid set.

One reason I wish I had a camera for this band was because of the excellent style of their keyboardist/vocalist/trumpeter Amy Hager. Ripped fishnet stockings, colorful sneakers, a burgundy skirt, tank top, and an awesome printed gold scarf. Kind of grungy, but effortlessly cool looking.

Cloud Cult is a band that I have already seen before, so I wasn't too sure if I should've gotten too excited about it. Though as their set went on, I felt bad for thinking that it would be anything less than amazing. Since this band is just as pleasing to the eye as they are to the ears, they practically move mountains when they play. Watching their on-stage artist is just as captivating as the rest of the band. The music was beautiful as always, and I truly can't get over the symphonics they mix in with the rest of the band. I'm glad that my eyes weren't the only not-dry ones in the house, but the quirkiness of the vocalist's sleep mask and the fact that hardly anyone in the band was wearing shoes was enough to make me smile. A+ once again for Cloud Cult.

Margot and the Nuclear So & So's has been my favorite band for a long time now. They've inspired many of my personal writing pieces, so the fact that I was able to finally catch them in Michigan at an All-Ages show had me so stoked. Despite the fact that Richard Edwards seemed to be pretty fact, and that his guitar string broke half way through, it was an amazing set. Personally, I was happy that they played almost all of my favorite songs by them. The occasional dance moves from some of the members was appreciated and amusing. They originally closed with 'As Tall As Cliffs' and my hands stung so bad from the 'clap-clap-clapclapclap' that goes throughout it, but it was perfect in so many ways. It was the last date from that leg of their tours, and every member from every band came out on stage to clap and dance along. Then, they played a much appreciated encore of 'Barfight Revolution.'


What a perfect way to spend my last day of 17. My friend also assured me that it was a great First Concert experience for her. I definitely hope to catch all three of these bands again someday.

-Courtney Kaz.

Favorite Song Friday (Empires)

I Want Blood - Empires

Empires is definitely one of the most underrated bands out there. They released their debut album, Howl, for free last year on their website (click and the album is still downloadable. From this album is I Want Blood. Sean van Vleet is a powerhouse with his vocals. The lyrics to this song are just a tad disturbing, and his voice perfectly delivers the impression of a 'desperate and a little delusional' man. I really do have a feeling that this band is going to blow up within the next year, and just by listening to this song, you can see the raw potential and talent that they have.

-Courtney Kaz.