Christmas Eve

    On Saturday, Mom, Dad, Nick, and I went up to Fort Collins. We had lasagna, spinach salad, rolls, and plenty of desserts, including my favorite Chocolate Chess Pie. The kids showed little interest in dinner, as they had their minds set on presents. After dinner, we moved to the basement by the fire and the tree. Only minutes later, we were surrounded by a wide variety of toys and books.

White Ranch

    Last weekend, Nick and I went to White Ranch with Amanda, a recent transplant from the Midwest. We started at the top and did an relatively easy 4 mile loop. White Ranch has several trails and loops of varying difficulty. Just west of Golden, the open space provides nice views of Denver and the Front Range.
     It was warm and sunny, but there was still a considerable amount of snow on the ground. This is rather rare for Colorado. We have seen more snow this side of the Continental Divide in the last three months than any of the ski resorts. Likewise, we have had many bitter cold days, leaving all small roads in town an icy mess. Transportation has been rather icky around the metro area. I'm really missing our typical warm and dry Colorado Fall and Winter.

Best Albums of 2011 - Guest Blog by Nick Chignoli

       I would like to welcome Nick Chignoli as my first guest blogger. Each year he compiles his own musical best of list. Throughout the year he reviews various albums and writes about other pop culture related topics in his own blog: My Mind's Got a Mind of It's Own. 

It's that time of year again.  Same rules apply...
-No live releases or reissues.
-No jambands, bluegrass, or bands that I have traveled extensively to see.

-No bands I have an invested interest in.

-No rating hierarchy, just great albums side by side.

*NOTE:  Sometimes I struggle with interchanging a producer's name with his stage/production name, sorry for any confusion.

Anyways, Here you go:

 

Middle Brother: S/T-     Members of Deer Tick, Dawes, and Delta Sonic came together late in the evening, in a tiny bar, during the 2010 SXSW festival.   All parties involved felt the resulting magic needed to be captured on tape.  In early 2011, armed with their new official moniker,  Middle Brother released a beautiful album of folk rock and Americana tunes.  Throughout the album, each band members influence appears equally and organically.  In an era where textures and synths are increasingly valued (respectively), it is refreshing to hear bear bones folk.

Portugal, The Man:  In the Mountains, In the Clouds-  The major label debut from glam-rock Alaskans proves to be a successful endeavor.  Portugal incorporates all the great pop hits, and grandeur of its 70s influences (most notably, T-Rex.)  Unlike many modern bands who's catalog is an homage to bands and genres past, In the Mountains, In the Clouds sounds relevant; devoid of the schtick and cheese.  The albums poppy chorus' will stick in the heads of the most idiomatic listeners for days, and it's tactful layering will impress the most cynical critics.  

      Yuck: S/T-     On their debut album, the London Band does an amazing job capturing the 90s alternative concept.  As much of the indie world is aligning with the synth of 80s pop, it is refreshing and unique to hear a band identify the fuzzy distortion and grit of the grunge era.  The lo-fi garage rock sound is so authentic, the listener could easily imagine it on the Singles soundtrack.  Though it is yet to be determined, Yuck's album may also pose as an important fulcrum in the direction of rock.  Never before has a band so accurately captured the sound of the early nineties with such critical acclaim.  The opportunity is ripe for this sound to be the new tangent of the "hip."  

    Toro y Moi:  Underneath the Pine-  2011 just may well be the watermark and, downfall, of the chillwave movement.  Coffee shops and dinner parties are now oversaturated with mediocre bands creating benign melodies over temperate synth sounds.  Chaz Bundick (Toro y Moi), a pioneer of this subgenre, opted to not rest on his laurels and drown in the reverb sea.  The resulting product is this 2011 masterpiece,  where Bundick adds color and panache, along with a band, to a style of music that typically celebrates sparseness.  Underneath the Pine transcends all the traditional rules of chillwave, and allows Bundick to make his own.   Toro y Moi uses lush textures and and vibrant dance rhythms to create something that the chillwave movement that has long been devoid of: Fun!  Truly one of my favorite albums of the year.

Radiohead: King of Limbs-  The release of a new Radiohead album is always a big deal, and this was no exception.  King of Limbs has been Radiohead's most highly scrutinized album to date.  Many fans were critical of the band's minimalist, electronic, production, along with its concise 37minute time elapse.  The fact is that no Radiohead release can live up to its expectations, and no band since the Beatles have had the excruciating task of having to continuously release masterpieces to a tremendously demanding fanbase.  King of Limbs has beautiful melodies and vocals, and evokes emotion as well as any Radiohead album.  It is unfair to fault the band for going off on a different tangent, as this is the trait that made the band the darlings that they are.  If some listeners do not like this album, they will like the next one....."if you think this is over, then you're wrong."

*NOTE:  Those upset over the length of the album can be comforted that the band has since released four new tracks via internet.

The Decemberists:  The King is Dead-   It's been a long road for The Decemberists to release an album this great.  The Portland quintet went spent the previous two albums delving into increasingly avant-gard projects before deciding to strip down to the basics. For their efforts, the band compiled an amazing set of simple, alluring world folk songs.  For this album, the proggy concepts of the past were abandoned in favor of acoustic guitar and harmonica.  The Decemberists wore this traditional sound well, and have been critically rewarded for it.

tUnE-yArDs: W H O K I L L-  Merrill Garbus, brainchild of Tune-Yards, is hip...really hip.  Aesthetically, she easily blends into the crowd of the most pretentious coffee shop,  and she creates music with the same elitism.  It is painfully non commercial, and not accessible upon first listen.  But after a few turns, the sing-songy feel of the album becomes contagious and eventually get heads bobbing.  The addition of a band for this album really helped out the sound, as Tune-Yards now sounds like a full musical experience; the instruments converse with each other, and expunges the unintentional isolation that often accompanies one person solo projects as this.    

 Fleet Foxes:  Helplessness Blues-  There were no surprises with Fleet Foxes sophomore release, but that is a good thing.  The band has already set the bar for modern, harmony driven, folk rock, so they have nothing further to live up to.  So, what does a harmony heavy, beautifully folky, band do for their to keep their momentum?  They make an album that is more harmony heavy, and more beautiful.  The influence of CSNY and Joni Mitchell still shine through the sun soaked acoustic guitars, but Fleet Foxes are clearly cultivating a style all their own, and its only a matter of time before new bands cite this album as THEIR influence. 

Steven Tyler: (It) Feels So Good-  I haven't heard a song off this album, and I just saw the cover for the first time....it made me laugh out loud.  I thought I would share it.

The Roots: Undone-  After a disappointing release by Atmosphere, I was left with a noticeable void of conscientious, introspective, hip-hop.  That was finally filled in December, with The Roots 13th studio release.  This album is The hip-hop (BAND's) first foray into concept albums; a reverse tale, beginning with the death of a street hustler, and subsequently unwinding the story that lead to his fate.  The tone of the album is more subdued then the aggressiveness of previous efforts, but the emotion is just as powerful.  Another home-run by the hardest working, and most prolific, hip-hop group in the game.

Blitzen Trapper: American Goldwing-  It seems that most artists draped under the expansive indie rock umbrella keep attempting to push the envelope.  While, in and of itself, that is not a bad thing, it leads to a muddying of talent, and the artist's emotion is exchanged for hipster convolution.  Portland based Blitzen Trapper have recognize this problem, and combated it.  The band utilizes to classic rock tact to create an album that is truly amazing.  Heavy on guitar, and with melodies as contagious as the plague, this album sticks in the listeners head for days on end.  There are few albums in 2011 that perfect the art of collective songwriting as American Goldwing.  This album has a drive that is lacking in the intelligent music scene, but still avoids the schtick of top forty rock bands.  EASILY one of the best albums of 2011!

Washed Out:  Within and Without You-  Washed Out, Brainchild of Georgia based producer Ernest Greene, is one of the latest electronic based chillwave acts to hit the semi-underground music scene.  His debut LP, Within and Without You, was met with some criticism by chillwave purists, as the production forewent the haziness of chillwave for the polished sounds of classic electronic.  Praise should be given to Greene, however, as he opted to tweak his sound, and separate himself from the ever-expanding list of similar artists revered in the indie music scene.  This album still holds true to the dreamy beach vibe chillwave fans have come to expect and appreciate (he did not do what Toro y Moi did)  but the warm sound is more accessible to casual listeners.  

Real Estate: Days-   Music of this nature must be approached with tact and subtlety, and this New Jersey rock outfit does so flawlessly.   There is no sophomore slump with this album.  Real Estate incorporate spacy, languid, guitars, and soft echoes to make an album that seamlessly transitions from beginning to end.  The catchy hooks and lyrics celebrate simplicity, and it easily comes through to the listener.  However, after listening closely to the melodies, and clever layering of its instruments, it can be seen that this album is nowhere near as simplistic as it sounds.  Real Estate put in LOTS of work to sound this relaxed.

Wilco:  The Whole Love-  After releasing a string of albums that redefined Americana rock,  the world has come to expect a lot from Wilco.  Despite being good albums, fans harshly called the band's work ethic into question, misinterpreting quality (rather than genius) for complacency.  Wilco released another great albums to similar reviews in 2011.  However, The Whole Love shows the band taking more chances than they have with their previous couple of efforts.  The clearest example of this is the opener "Art of Almost," where the band utilizes glitches and pecking keyboards that departs from their expectant sound.  The album is still unmistakably Wilco, featuring tight melodies, folky guitar, and alt-country aesthetic, but the band pushes itself farther than they have as of late.  It may not reach the greatness of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but the attempt is appreciated.  

Bon Iver: S/T-  Justin Vernon (AKA Bon Iver) is no longer heartbroken.  After becoming famous by retreating to the snowy woods of WI., and writing brilliant songs of lovelorn for his epically minimal debut,  For Emma, For ever Ago, Vernon has made peace and is ready to move on, both emotionally and musically.  The first thing listeners will notice on this album is the transition from folk to experimental pop.  He has put far more focus on his band, rather than the man and his guitar.  Furthermore, his soft voice remains, but the words are different.  They are far more indirect.  In For Emma..., Vernon was clearly pining for love, but for Bon Iver, he seems to be longing for something more existential.  He sings about geography and intoxication;  Vernon is clearly looking outside himself.  Bon Iver is no less brilliant than its predecessor, and is still emotional despite its increased musical complexity.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.:  It's A Corporate World-  The two members of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (Johsua Epstein and Daniel Zott) came together due to a mutual, nerdy, love of electronic production.  Their debut LP (They have previously released an EP, and all three songs have subsequently been released on this album) is a shining example of electro pop.  It's A Corporate World is a collection of simple lyrics and melodies, combined with relatively skeletal bleeps mixed with a drum machine , that create a brimming lush sound.  It's A corporate World's sum far exceeds its parts, and shows the beautiful simplicity of pop structure.

Kurt Vile: Smoke Ring For My Halo-  Few artists have reached the critical acclaim with as little mainstream success as Kurt Vile.  Through his eccentric lyrics and Folk guitar tinged with psychedelia,  Vile creates a masterpiece.  His eclectic classic rock influences are all on full display throughout the album, as he pinballs from soft fingerpicking, to distorted power chords, to simple acoustic melody.  He also employs charmingly cynical lyrics (complaining about not wanting to get off the couch) to capture the zeitgeist of the times.  Production-wise, Smoke Ring is also a masterpiece.  The juxtaposition with a man and a guitar, and the effects he utilizes cannot be ignored.  Vile's lonlieness and isolation comes through in the sparseness, and is exacerbated by the expansive reverb of his voice. The guitar effects, and competent backbones of the songs add a warmness to it, so its not a total downer.  This album makes perfect representation of the times; bouncing wildly from optimistic to pessimistic, and from apathetic to dynamic: "I've got it made....most of the time."

The Field:  Looping State of Mind-  Sometimes gimmicks work.  Axel Willner (The Field) has a schtick that has paid off.  This one man Swedish electronic project has created a beautiful album, based on the titles suggestion.  The album is nothing more than series of looping electronic samples, but they are incorporated beautifully.  Each song seams together to create a melange of Ambient and minimalist house, creating a unique style of IDM soundscapes.  Though Willner's approach to music may be simple, Looping State of Mind blooms with the sound of tactfully placed layers and textures. 

The Woods:  Sun and Shade-  Many would think releasing five albums in as five years would exhaust a band.  That is certainly not the case with Brooklyn based workaholics, The Woods.  This band are some of the forefathers of the freak-folk movement.  This latest release, Sun and Shade, continues the bands consistent output of folk songs laden with psychedelia.  It's use of reverb, jangly guitars, and extended instrumentals sound just as welcome in the 60s golden era as present day indie meccas.  The band's sound, however, is authentic, and devoid of cliches.   Most of the song structures on Sun and Shade are crafted in the folk vein, lush with CSNY harmonies and conciseness, so the songs are still accessible and easy to listen to.  Twice in the album, major psychedelic instrumental breaks occur, but other than that, the spacey sounds are relegated to the background of traditional songwriting to give the album and beautful, ethereal vibe.  Another great album by a great band.

 M83:  Hurry Up, We're Dreaming-  Anthony Gonzalez had a specific plan when coming up with his latest album.  Inspired by Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness, he wanted a double album, and he wanted it "epic."  He certainly achieved that with his blockbuster 2011 release, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming.  The album starts with a five and a half minute intro,  building steam, before the anthemic "Midnight City."  The song creates the mood of the album, which is big sounding retrolectro pop.  The album adds multiple short segue tracks, giving the listener a much needed break between grandiose songs.  Often, within the shoegaze genre (the closest subgenre M83 can be classified as), less is more.  It is amazing to hear the ambition painted within the songs of these momentous songs.  Anthony Gonzalez certainly achieved his goal, and in the process, created one of the best albums of 2011.

The War on Drugs:  Slave Ambient-  Though relatively unknown, this indie/folk/psych/rock band has created one of the best (and my favorite) albums in years.   Slave Ambient employs amazing American rock and roll music, but adds more texture and substance.  Subtle electric instrumentation and synths make for a sound of Springsteen deep in lysergic trance.  Often in modern indie music, bands go two ways:  They either sleek up, or strip down.  The War On Drugs have done both. The backbone of their sound is accessible and straightforward, but layered with complexities.  It is folk, but flourishing with energy.  The sound is intricate, but not pretentious. Though it fits into any urban coffee shop or used book store, Slave Ambient is not a polaroid of flash-in-the-pan 2011 hipster culture; this album can easily stand the test of time ...an incredible masterpiece of an album.

Yoga with Blythe

Last spring, I shot this video as a fun side project with help from my friends Blythe and Staci. Along with shooting all the footage, I designed all of the audio (except of course the music). I turned it in for my Fundamentals of Audio final and received an "A".

Note: This video is for educational purposes only. It is not for commercial use.

Christmas Spirit & Thanks to Our Mothers

   This is the first year Nick and I have had Christmas decorations in our apartment. My Mom helped out and bought us a 3ft tree, which is perfect for our humble abode. Also, we got some simple red and gold ornaments and white lights. I even draped some white lights over our window. Last year, Nick's Mom gave me a beautiful ornament for Christmas, but we had no tree to put it on. This year it serves as our topper. So, thanks Mom and Mary Jo. You have made our home feel a little more warm and merry this holiday season.

Ghost Pixel

     As I mentioned previously, the Michal Menert show at the Belly Up in Aspen had a very impressive LED rig. It was ideal for showcasing animated clips, which were manipulated live by Tom Ludlow. Ludlow serves as creative director for a team of designers, who produced the clips. The designers include: Brian Long, Zack Citro, Jason Wyatt, John Camalick, Zack Shammy, and Josh Theil. Each of these gifted artists are part of a designer collective called Ghost Pixel. These guys have given motion graphics a more meaningful and prominent role in the live music scene. The vivid, prismatic, and fast-moving visuals helped transform Menert's music into a full-sensory experience. On a personal level, Ludlow has been a good friend of mine for years. He has partly inspired me to pursue an artistic path. I have seen him work hard to manifest his own success. He, and many of the designers on the Ghost Pixel team, graduated from my school, The Art Institute of Colorado. With forward-thinking and artistically innovative minds, Ghost Pixel is a group to keep an eye on.

Michal Menert

     The last week of November, I went to two Michal Menert shows, camera in hand. The first show was at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver. 

     Michal Menert has easily become one of my favorite musicians. He was born in Poland but began his music career in Fort Collins, CO. He worked side-by-side with Derek Vincent Smith in the production of the debut Pretty Lights album, "Taking Up Your Precious Time", which has been very well received by fans and critics. Menert has since moved on to release a solo album titled "Dreaming of a Bigger Life", which can be downloaded for free. Because of Menert's upbringing and years of experimentation with music, he has a particularly unique sound. It would be a mistake to label Menert as dubstep based solely on his incorporation of low-end sounds. As a genre, dubstep has largely moved to an unemotional clamor of deep bass and teenagers on drugs. Menert successfully rises above the overindulgent genre, by weaving together obscure samples of various music styles from all over the world, giving his sound a more layered and emotive quality. Overall, Menert's original sound sets him apart, and has enabled him to rise quickly in the electronic music ranks.

Brother

   Today happens to be my brother Jason's birthday. I even baked him a cake and but didn't end up making it to his place due to the snowstorm and various illnesses. It makes me sad to have to eat his cake without him, though Mom is pretty happy about it.
  

    Happy Birthday Jason! I am sorry I could not celebrate it with you. Thanks for being such a great big brother. I would not be the person I am today without you.

Mount Sopris and Carbondale

Last weekend, we went to Carbondale. Friday night, we took a bus into Aspen to see Michal Menert at the Belly Up. The music venue was easily one of the nicest I've been to. My jaw about dropped when a girl with an "X" on her hand walked in wearing her finest white fur coat. The stage was equipped with a full length LED screen. My friend Tom, aka VJ Ghost Pixel, was thrilled. He impressed us all with his carefully designed and tactfully orchestrated visuals. However, I will not get too much into this part as I will delve deeper into it later.

   On Saturday, we went for a drive around the area and did some sight seeing. The most dominating feature of the landscape is easily Mount Sopris. It has twin peaks, both with an elevation of 12,965ft and an impressive 6,250ft gain from the valley below. We admired the gargantuan beauty from a hill outside of town. After, we left the expansive valley and drove south along the Crystal River. We stopped in Redstone, a tiny and picturesque mountain town. We continued past Redstone into Marble, which is a particularly interesting town. A great deal of the nation's and world's marble came from this isolated mountain community. It is a strange sight to see large chunks of unfinished marble lying around casually.
   Of course, I should not overlook Carbondale. It was easy to fall in love with this small historic community. Resting in the valley along the Roaring Fork River, the town used to be largely agricultural. Likewise, it has been a large resource for coal. Today, however, it has developed into a tourist's dream. Much less ritzy and well-to-do than neighboring Aspen, the town has its own vibrant music and arts scene and would never disappoint an avid outdoors man or woman. The citizens have over time protested the development of large chain stores, and it is dominated by locally owned businesses. I could easily see myself ending up there.
    Reluctantly, we returned to Denver on Sunday, eagerly planning our next trip back.

Mount Galbraith

Yesterday, Nick, our friend Lindsey, and I went hiking up Mount Galbraith. It was ridiculously windy, but it was pretty pleasant otherwise. We even ran into some deer.

Golden Gate Canyon - Black Bear Trail

On Saturday, Nick and I went hiking with three of his friends from Chicago. Two of them just moved to Arvada, and the other was just visiting. We made the short drive northwest of Golden to Golden Gate Canyon State Park. We parked at the Ralston Roost trailhead and took the Black Bear Trail. The day started out overcast, but the clouds burned-off to a mostly sunny sky. There were some chilly gusts, but they felt nice as we were climbing up. We hiked a little over a mile to the top of a hill. There were giant piles of boulders all over. We stopped here for a little bit and took a rest. Then, we headed back down.

   After the hike, we drove up to Panorama Point.