Real Life: Sometimes ya just don’t feel up to it.

Sadly, life just happens every now and again.

Rather than go to Faderhead tomorrow, I feel like having a calm night with friends. So, there will be no Faderhead review.

However,

I will still write a review. I just haven’t decided what to write about yet.

In the mean time, I would recommend giving Seattle’s The Head and the Heart a listen. Their self-titled debut was released in 2010, but I didn’t happen on them until my father brought them up in conversation a few months ago. It’s a long stretch from my usual electro madness, but we’ve already addressed that I enjoy all genres of music. Obviously inspired by folk and gospel, the indie project makes for mean competition for acts like Mumford & Sons. And if you’re a sucker for sweet harmonies, this is definitely one for you to check out. “Sounds Like Hallelujah” and “Lost in My Mind” are my favorites from the album, but I implore you to listen for yourself and tell me what yours are. ^_^

<3kortney.marie

FEED ME! (03/20/2012, House of Blues Dallas)

Whatchoo know ’bout electro house and dubstep, bro? …Obviously not as much as Jon Gooch, better known as Spor or Feed Me.

The build-up to our main event was made simpler with a nice, energetic set from Brazil’s duo, Felguk. While they’re certainly a crowd-pleaser, no one was prepared for the sheer massive SIZE of Feed Me’s stage set…never mind the crowd in front of me, shoulder to shoulder, all trying to find footing to dance then deciding to jump instead. Feed Me’s set took us all on an adventure as the sound meshed up with a light show run through those GARGANTUINE teeth. Mind you, this was possibly the most astonishing and pleasing use of Dallas’s House of Blues stage I’ve seen in a very long time. There’s so much space that goes unused during shows like this, but Feed Me knew precisely how to use it to his advantage. Add that to seamless transitions, crowd interaction, and humorous anecdotes, and it was quite the show! The bass hit hard, the beats were sick…and the crowd emerged from the Fountain Room a sweaty and hot mess.

Don’t forget to support your favorites by going to their shows and buying their music!

<3kortney.marie

Next up: Faderhead! 03/25, The Church Dallas

Oh, herros! (Wolfgang, Beardyman, and upcoming topics)

So it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?

What have I been up to for the last three months? General life changes and challenges, a new apartment being one of them. I’ll not dwell on about the rest because it’s in the past now, and we have music to talk about here. ^_^

On February 19th, I had the pleasure of going to see Wolfgang Gartner at the House of Blues in Dallas. Unlike the She Wants Revenge show I saw in November, there really wasn’t much time to decipher and write down the entire set, let alone the proper order. I decided that really didn’t matter anyway. He’s my favorite house producer/DJ, and I had good company along for the ride. It was an incredible show, and despite dealing with pneumonia, I managed to dance for the entire set, which lasted nearly two hours. From “Circus Freaks” and “Devil’s Den” (a collaboration with Skrillex) to “Undertaker” and “Space Junk,” it was a nice little tour through the man’s style and abilities.

Now then…a little taste of what’s upcoming:

03/20 – Feed Me, HOB, Dallas

03/25 – Faderhead, The Church, Dallas

04/17 – JUSTICE, Fox Theater, Oakland

(This means reviews of the shows in a much more timely manner, I promise.)

This guy, Beardyman…he’s amazing.

http://youtu.be/S45uCyM5c3w

“Oh” is a track featuring Foreign Beggars…and honestly, if it doesn’t make you want to dance, you may need to check your pulse. (Hey, if you’re a zombie, remember “ain’t nobody perfect.”)

<3kortney.marie

“some people think i’m bonkers

but i just think i’m free”

(-“bonkers,” dizzee rascal)

"Megalithic Symphony," AWOLNATION (2011)

“Dance, baby, dance like the world is ending.”

(“Knights of Shame”)

Self explanatory, that quote is. If I were going to sum it up in one quote…well, I quite honestly couldn’t. The lyrical content of this album alone is enough to discuss for hours, catchy, unique, and even laughable at times. Add to that dance-worthy beats and bass lines, soulful guitar riffs, and catchy melodies and you have yourself a great piece of modern musicianship. There are some albums that, from top to bottom, take your bad mood and give it a good, hard kick in the face. Megalithic Symphony is one such album. Empowering, energetic, and unapologetic, this is one to keep on deck for those house parties that get a bit dull after midnight. (Turn it all the way up to eleven for bonus power and offense to your neighbors…perhaps they’ll even join your dance party. =D) It’s also one to listen to right out of bed if you want to shake the funk off your day before it even starts. It’s even a bit political without shoving it down the throats of the masses. Kudos, AWOL, this is a highlight discovery of my 2011.

Don’t forget to support your favorites by buying their music and going to their shows!

<3kortney.marie

“if you need love, turn around, do the helicopter

if you’re sick, baby girl, i would love to be your doctor”

(“Burn It Down,” AWOLNATION)

She Wants Revenge. 11/06/2011, Dallas, TX

I don’t want to be a broken record, but let’s make sure this is clear: This is one of my favorite acts in the world and a strong creative influence.

Before I go on with my thoughts on She Wants Revenge tonight, I’d like to mention the two other acts I saw. I’d never heard of Hussle Club prior to this evening, but they were a catchy and perfect note to start the night off. The night ended with Peter Murphy, and I have no words to describe how incredible he was. All in all, I lucked out with this show. It’s safe to say anyone there would have said the same as this tour has been a big topic of conversation between myself and friends across the nation. This tour will continue until mid-December. If you can go see them, please do. Support excellent music and revel in the bliss of hearing it live. =)

As I step into the venue, I can’t help but start dancing in an excited and ridiculous manner: The Prophet Bar (Dallas, TX) was the perfect place for an intimate show, a bit different from seeing SWR at the House of Blues (Dallas) three years ago. The Hussle Club has left me in the perfect mood, and now I’m grinning from ear to ear, bouncing in the crowd like a child getting to meet Santa. In a few short moments, She Wants Revenge will hit the stage, and I’m running down a list of desires and hopes for what the set list could entail. What would they play from “Valleyheart?” What surprises had they chosen from their previous albums?

The set begins with “Written in Blood,” a track from their second album, This is Forever. I couldn’t have been more thrilled, and it was a perfect start for this set. After, they delve right into their newest release, Valleyheart, essentially pulling out a sample of the album’s emotional spectrum: desire, despair, love, lust, hope, loss…and that undeniable urge to dance (at least a little bit). “Up in Flames,” a catchy little song with taunting lyrics and gritty and danceable guitar and bass lines, which was followed by, “Reasons,” and all I can say about “Reasons” is that it’s my favorite song, lyrically speaking, from the new album. I find myself humming it constantly, and it was incredible to hear it live. “Little Stars” came rushing in, a brief glimpse at the aftermath of the “cursing, crying, and drawn out fights” mentioned in another of their songs called “Broken Promises for Broken Hearts” (which I’m surprised did not make it onto this set list). “Sleep,” a release from the EP A Hundred Kisses, gave me chills just like it did when I saw them three years ago, and it was a welcome treat. Speaking of chills…the version of “These Things” that followed was so beautiful I nearly cried. The tempo was slowed significantly, and the song had a much more stripped approach. Justin Warfield’s voice rang beautiful melancholy notes through the venue as many in the crowd stared…some of us sang along. The song on it’s own was already one of the most vulnerable, and I wish I could have recorded this one particular song from the set to listen to later. “Red Flags and Long Nights,” a crowd favorite, followed, and then we were graced with what Adam (aka DJAdam12) called “a favorite” from This is Forever: “Rachael.” And it showed. Anecdotes aside, these guys were really enjoying themselves, and this song captured it very well. “All Those Moments” was a beautiful interlude, and Adam’s interludes are always strangely appropriate whether on your headphones or live. It was beautiful. The show could have ended right then and there, and I would have been utterly satisfied and thrilled…but it kept going. Asking us all to dance our asses off, SWR busted into three crowd-pleasers meant to get the hips and feet going: “Take the World,” “Out of Control,” and the infamous “Tear You Apart.” Valleyheart, This is Forever, and She Wants Revenge, respectively, a whirl through the most danceable and/or requested singles…and yes, it ended in some danced-out, sweaty bodies, myself included. I was glad I’d worn denim for the occasion rather than the little black dress that seemed so appropriate. =)

I had a blast…and this was a refreshing boost for my creativity.

Love SWR? Support them by going to shows and buying their music!

<3kortney.marie

Next up…I have no flippin’ idea! Suggestions?

"Transmissions" (Triple SP)

If you check out their website (www.triplesp.net/), the “about us” section has one statement that stands out among everything else:

“The concept was hatched about forming a project that focuses on writing music we could personally identify with.”

Triple SP writes music that everyone can personally identify with, from gut-punching lyrics to energetic guitar riffs to catchy bass lines and steady drumbeats. Their songs cover the spectrum of human struggle, and “Transmissions” is an adrenaline punch to the mind and soul. While I had intentions of writing a much longer review for this album, I don’t believe there is much else that need be said about the power and soul of this album. It gets added to a list I’ve started for 2011 centered around albums that leave me with a feeling of “radical self-empowerment,” and having missed their shows one too many times, I am bound and determined to make the next one come hell or high water.

If you’re in the DFW area, keep an eye out for these guys and go catch them if you can. And if you’re not…well, go buy the album and sit tight for a bit. I imagine you won’t have to wait long for these guys to hit a city near you!

❤

kortney.marie

Next up: She Wants Revenge, “Valleyheart”

"All I Lost Was You" (Who is this Michael Barnes guy, lady?)

Let me preface this by saying that I am both a lyricist and vocalist. I have been writing since I was a child, and I was trained by the best choral directors in this state, if not this nation. I am well-versed in sight-reading; I can find my way around a keyboard or piano, my vocal range and tone can bring a room to its knees and make grown men cry…but my writing has been, to say the least, difficult to incorporate. Though published, and despite my modesty, fawned over by those I feel close enough to share it with, mixing the two has been the ultimate challenge. In the midst of a very rough time in my life emotionally, I’ve been gradually slipping into some harmony with my voice and its sound with my lyrics, some semblance of potential…and then there was an album called “All I Lost Was You.”

The album is a result of one man’s devotion, one soul’s foray into true creation. Michael Barnes…the end-all to the album. Written, played, produced by ONE person.

Even without that aspect, it’s sure to have something every person can relate to. I’ve laughed, danced, sung along, and even cried. I hear this is a year of “radical self-empowerment.” There is no better album to fit such a year, personal affairs aside. “All I Lost Was You” tells a story about finding self-respect, heartbreak, revenge, and despair. It is VERY personal…and I really don’t know how else to explain the raw and true nature of it.

I could continue this, go track by track, but this is definitely a more personal journey than I’d rather chatter about here. Michael Barnes is the real deal…go fall in love with him before everyone else does.

www.myspace.com/michaelbarnes

www.vampirefreaks.com/mbarnes

http://michaelbarnes.bandcamp.com/

Mr. Barnes:

This is a very personal thank you from someone who needed to wake the hell up and start pursuing her own dreams instead of telling herself it wasn’t worth the pain.

The rest of you? Go. Listen. Now. I promise you’ll be pleasantly surprised and in awe. I’ve got about three years worth of editing to get to. And for the love of God, buy the album if you like it.

<3kortney.marie

Next up? Triple SP’s 2011 release: “Transmissions”

Intro: Who’s this lady? Why is she always talking about music?

Hi there, reader.

My name is Kortney Marie. I reside in the Dallas area, and I work full time at a call center to pay my bills. I’m a night owl, and I dig on sunrises right before I sleep. I am a published poet and lyricist and an accomplished vocalist. When I’m not working, I spend my time making jewelry, writing, singing, cuddling with my cats, and listening to music.

As a musician, I find myself dabbling in a variety of genres, both for my own work and as sources of inspiration. While I would not call myself the ultimate authority on music, I will say with confidence that I know what I’m talking about when it comes to the topic, and that knowledge has come with a lot of discovery and research on my part that others only obsess over in work or school. The discovery is my favorite part these days; nothing beats the rush I feel when I happen on something new and exciting.

With that kept in mind, I figure I should channel this passion into something productive, maybe even to help the bands I adore or work with expand their fan bases. As I’ve been growing as a musician and writing more reviews, I figured I needed a place to share them. They’re mostly just thoughts on what’s pouring out of my speakers at the time, but those thoughts, I’ve found, can give perspective or just send someone off to listen to something. Music is the ultimate language of the universe because it can transcend any and all communication barriers…and that, my friend, is why I feel compelled to tell you about it.

I can’t promise that my posts will be frequent or brilliant…but they’ll be here for you to happen on whenever you like, and I hope they’re helpful or at least intriguing. =D

<3kortney.marie