abnormalanthology

[abnormalanthology]

“On The Bound” Fiona Apple

Sony Studios, New York, NY

11/03/99

[abnormalanthology]

A little collage I made that I think is a pretty good representation of the width of my musical aesthetics. It’s a universal truth that young adults feel this sort of cognitive dissonance about the way that they present on the outside verses the way they feel on inside. I am no exception. The left side is more of how I am perceived by others, and right is how I see myself.

[abnormalanthology]

Smashing Pumpkins at Blind Pig - Champaign (IL), 6/8/1992

[abnormalanthology]

I present to you, Sibylle Green.

The best way I can describe this is haunting, but in the best way. Such a fascinating story behind the making of this album as well. Sibylle made this in the early seventies while just playing around home recorder, just trying to find some way to cope with the extreme depression and hopelessness that she felt at the time. But after that, she simply stored it away and forgot about it, until her son discovered it and got it released in 2006 as a surprise for her. It immediately resonated with people and has had a steady cult following ever since.

What I love about this album is how real and relevant her lyrics feel, and how the wistfulness carries into the perfectly lazy singing and simple instrumentation. Below is an excerpt from my favorite song off the album, "I lost something in the hills".

Now I lean on my windowsill And I cry, though it's silly And I'm dreaming of off and away

Oh, I know farther west, these hills exist Marked by apple trees Marked by a straight brook That leads me wherever I want it to

Well I lost something in the hills I lost something in the hills

If you want to learn more about her story, here's the link to an interview she did with her son a few years back.

Happy listening!

[abnormalanthology]

CONCERT REVIEW!!

Back in September I went to see Greta Van Fleet. This was actually my second time seeing them because I was so blown away the first time that I just needed to experience that again. I would say that they are pretty widely known, but if you don't know, Greta Van Fleet is a grammy award-winning rock band of brothers Josh, Jake, and Sam Kizka and their friend Danny Wagner that formed in 2012. They initially got recognition for their similarity to Led Zeppelin, especially the lead singer Josh who's voice is practically indistinguishable from Robert Plant's. Under the rock umbrella, they fall mostly under hard rock, blues rock, and psychedelic rock due to their insane virtuosity and reoccurring themes of social justice.

One of the things that I love most about going to Greta Van Fleet concerts is that the atmosphere. The fans are called the "peaceful army" and that couldn't be more true. It feels like everyone there is someone that you could just instantly become friends with. The demographics of the fans is also quite interesting since I find that it's majority young women and middle aged dads. It's a beautiful crossover of generations bonding over the purest joy: great music. Also, Josh Kizka does really good crowd work and makes the show feel very personal. He also has some very funny traditions that he has picked up over touring. One such tradition being starting shows by saying "if you've got 'em smoke 'em" after which the entire venue proceeds to smell very strongly. He also is known to take shots with members of the crowds and wear glittery bell-bottomed jumpsuits, which many of the fans mimic.

Another aspect that keeps me coming back for more is the insane talent of Jake Kizka. Jake is the lead guitarist and a big part of the show is him going on up to ten minute long solos that are absolutely mind blowing. I've included a video of part of one of them, but if you have any experience with concert-going than you know that the videos never fully compare to actually being there in person. He has won numerous awards two of them being "guitar player of the year" and "best guitar solo of the century" by Guitar world and Total Guitar respectively. The way that he flows so effortlessly from one riff to another is magical to experience. He plays with such passion and energy that I'm honestly shocked how his fingers aren't bleeding by the end of the show. This concert made me feel nostalgic for what I imagine going to rock concerts in the 70's would have been like.

Overall, I would give this experience a 9.5/10. The set list focused mainly on their newest album, but included many of the highlights of their previous albums as well. The crowd was energetic but not rowdy, and toned down the noise during solos. The only reason I took off a half a point was because my seats kind of sucked, and I feel like the best way to experience it would be from the pit.

[abnormalanthology]

Obsessed with The Beths right now!

The Beths review for The Weekend Australian

[abnormalanthology]

Saw them in concert opening for Greta Van Fleet back in 2022! These guys are definitely true rockers and need to be talked about more!

Baby Pottersmith (left), Demi Demitro (guitar) and Jonny Fig of The Velveteers - Kia Forum; Inglewood, CA (10-8-22). @TheVelveteers

Photo: Jeff Bliss

[abnormalanthology]

~*~*~*~Album review~*~*~*~

While exploring my Spotify a couple weeks ago, I discovered the song "Sisyphus" by Andrew Bird. I was immediately drawn in by a whistling riff with mysterious flat blues notes that sounded like it could be right our of an old country-western film. The song as a whole carries on that southern feel, but also incorporates folk-rock elements to create a sound that felt so novel. So, I thought I'd explore the rest of the album- My Finest Work yet- to see if Andrew Bird could be my new musical obsession.

Doing some background research into Andrew, I found that he has been making and releasing music since 1996, with this album being his twelfth out of sixteen! With so many albums, he has really tried it all in terms of genres ranging from various swing to indie rock to folk. My Finest Work Yet, released in 2019, is categorized as indie-rock with and 'undercurrent' of folk, which confirmed my initial impression from "Sisyphus", but I feel that folk and country play a more central role in the creation of the sound.

As I listened I took notes on each song, and some key features that were reoccurring were things like whistling, strings, cello plucking, and prominent drums. It turns out that he is actually known for his whistling- quite ironic with a last name like bird. He also grew up playing the violin, which explains why these are both sonic signatures of his songs. Andrew himself has a very jazzy voice that is reminiscent of Father John Misty, Bon Iver, and Vance Joy. Much of this album also reminded me of Bob Dylan in the way that it commented on society's lack of empathy in "Archipelago", the tragedies of global warming in "Manifest", and how we are setting future generations up for failure in "Don The Struggle". It's one of those situations where the first time listening you're thinking about the catchy chorus, but by the second and third listen the actual meaning behind the lyrics hits you, adding a whole new element to the listening experience.

Overall, this album gets four and a half stars out of five for me. I absolutely love how Andrew bring genres together in a new and innovative way, and the fact that he uses his platform to share his perspective on society. The half point is taken off just because I am in a phase right now where I am attracted to more punk-rock sounds, so the more composed and vibey nature of this album is just not what is in my current rotation. I will definitely be listening to this again in the future though, and am excited to explore the variety of his discography!

[abnormalanthology]

preacher’s daughter film poster ✂️

drawn in procreate <3

@mothercain

[abnormalanthology]

part one smashing pumpkins 90s/2000 magazine covers

[abnormalanthology]

For the first official post, the spotlight will go to Jelly Crystal for their single "Don Lemon". I discovered this last week and instantly fell in love. The best way I can describe this sound is if chill coffee house music was produced by Dan Auerbach. The tone is set by the groovy baseline that continues throughout, adding in drums that follow the rhythm of the bass to accentuate. Then the moody, dreamy main vocals come in, along with ethereal harmonies sprinkled in. Pretty much until the end it is a consistent vibe, but then a dark, grungy guitar solo takes over the song and leads us to the end. This has been on repeat for me, and with only 100,000 listeners, I hope it will also be a new favorite for many more.

If you like the vibe of this song, they just put out a new 8 track called Prince that has that same bluesy-funk sound.