New Band Alert

This past Friday, Abby and I went to fabulous concert at Kilby Court involving two great bands and more snow than I care to think about. How, you might ask yourself, did we know that going to Kilby on this particularly snowy Friday would be worth the cold and wetness of it all? Well, the answer is simple: we're hardcore. Actually, there is a bit of a history behind the madness. It all started out with googling Bjork . My brother and I found some whacked out picture from a blog and I have been obsessed ever since. It's hilarious.Anywho, this kid's blog recommended his cousin's band called Vampire Weekend. I watched the music video and decided this band was, in fact worth my time. Abby found out about them from her friend Matt Coleman who said that everyone who was anyone was listening to Vampire Weekend and that she should too.

So, We went to this sweet show and even the opening band was good. We got to meet the bands and they were good people and everything and they signed stuff for us, the whole shebang. I lost my camera, but if I had had it with me at the concert I could upload some sweet pics. Unfortunatley, it is indeed lost and this couch picture will have to suffice.

of Montreal: Selling Out isn't Possible

I found this article on and it gave me a new outlook on music. I'm the kind of person who loves music sooooo much that when there's a song that I love that's on the radio or on a commercial, I freak out and then I just don't really feel the same for the band that I once loved. I actually first heard the band 'Of Montreal' on a steakhouse commercial, and then my friend introduced me to their music. I really like this article and it changed my views on selling out or going comercial. Enjoy!

Selling Out Isn't Possible
by Kevin Barnes

Are you a sell out? Yes. Don't let it bother you though, cause apparently I am also a sell out, and so are your parents and everyone you've ever known. The only way to avoid selling out is to live like a savage all alone in the wilderness. The moment you attempt to live within the confines of a social order, you become a sell out. Once you attempt to coexist you sell out. If that's true, then selling out is a good thing. It is an important thing. If we didn't do it, we'd be fucked, quite literally, by everyone bigger than us physically who found us fuckable.

The pseudo-nihilistic punk rockers of the 70's created an impossible code in which no one can actually live by. It's such garbage. The idea that anyone who attempts to do anything commercial is a sell out is completely out of touch with reality. The punk rock manifesto is one of anarchy and intolerance. The punk rockers polluted our minds. They offered a solution that had no future. Of course, if the world would have ended before Sandinista! was released then everything would have been alright. It didn't. Now we have all of these half-conceived ideas and idiot philosophies floating around to confuse and alienate us. I think it is important to face reality. It is important to decide whether you are going to completely rail against the system or find a way to make it work for you. You cannot do both -- and if you attempt to do both you will only become even more bitter and confused.

When I was younger, and supported my parents, I chose to float between the two. A lot of people choose to do this. There are so many confused young people running around now polluted by this alloyed version of the tenets of the punk rock manifesto. Of course they're confused. It isn't possible to be in chorus with capitalism and anarchy. You must pick one or the other. Very few people are willing to do it, though. The worst kind of person is the one who sucks the dick of the man during the daytime and then draws pictures of themselves slitting his throat at night. Jesus Christ, make up your mind! The thing is, there is a lack of balance. When capitalism is working on a healthy level, everyone gets their dick sucked from time to time and no one gets their throat slit. It's impossible to be a sell out in a capitalist society. You're only a winner or a loser. Either you've found a way to crack the code or you are struggling to do so. To sell out in capitalism is basically to be too accommodating, to not get what you think you deserve. In capitalism, you don't get what you think you deserve though. You get what someone else thinks you deserve. So the trick is to make them think you are worth what you feel you deserve. You deserve a lot, but you'll only get it when you figure out how to manipulate the system.

Why commercialize yourself? In the art industry, it's extremely difficult to be successful without turning yourself into a cartoon. Even Hunter S. Thompson knew this. God knows Duchamp and Warhol knew it. Some artists are turned into cartoons and others do it themselves. I prefer to do it myself. at least then I can control how my cock is photographed. Why should it be considered such an onerous thing to view the production of art as a job? To me, the luckiest people are the ones who figure out a way to earn a living doing what they love and gain fulfillment from. Like all things in this life, you have to make certain sacrifices to get what you want. At least most of us do. If you're not some trust-fund kid or lotto winner, you've got to slave it out everyday. People who wanna be artists have the hardest time of it 'cause we are held up to these impossible standards. We're expected to die penniless and insane so that the people we have moved and entertained over the years can keep us to themselves. So that they can feel a personal and untarnished connection with our art. The second we try to earn a living wage or, god forbid, promote our art in the mainstream, we are placed under the knives of the sanctimonious indie fascists. Unfortunately, there isn't some grand umbrella grant that supports indie rockers financially and enables us to exist outside of the trappings of capitalism.

The thing is, I like capitalism. I think it's an interesting challenge. It's a system that rewards the imaginative and ambitious adults and punishes the lazy adults. Our generation is insanely lazy. We're just as smart as our parents but we are overwhelmed by contradicting ideas that confuse us into paralysis. Maybe the punk rock ethos made sense for the "no future" generation but it doesn't make sense for me. I like producing and purchasing things. I'd much rather go to IKEA than to stand in some bread line. That's because I don't have to stand in a bread line. Most people who throw around terms like "sellout" don't have to stand in one either. They don't have to stand in one because they are gainfully employed. The term "sellout" only exists in the lexicon of the over-privileged. Almost every non-homeless person in America is over-privileged, at least in a global sense.

Obviously, I've struggled with the concept. I've struggled because of the backlash following my songs placement in TV commercials. That is, until I realized that the negative energy that was being directed towards me really began to inspire my creativity. It has given me a sense of, "well, I'll show them who is a sellout, I'm going to make the freakiest, most interesting, record ever!!!" ... "I'm going to prove to them that my shit is wild and unpolluted by the reach of some absurd connection to mainstream corporate America."

I realized then that, for me, selling out is not possible. Selling out, in an artistic sense, is to change one's creative output to fit in with the commercial world. To create phony and insincere art in the hopes of becoming commercially successful. I've never done this and I can't imagine I ever will. I spent seven years not even existing at all in the mainstream world. Now I am being supported and endorsed by it. I know this won't last forever. No one's going to want to use one of my songs in a commercial five years from now, so I've got to take the money while I can. It's the same with pro athletes. You only get it while you're hot and no one stays commercially viable for long. It's not like Michael Vick is going to be receiving any big endorsement deals anytime soon. As sad as it may seem, one of the few ways most indie bands can make any money whatsoever is by selling a song to a commercial. Very very few bands make enough money from album sales or tour revenue to enable themselves to quit their day job.

Next time you see a commercial with one of your favorite bands songs in it, just tell yourself, "cool, a band I really like made some money and now I can probably look forward to a few more records from them." It's as simple as that. We all have to do certain things, from time to time, that we might not be completely psyched about, in order to pay the bills. To me, the TV is the world's asshole boss and if anyone can earn some extra bucks from it and they're not Bill O'Reilly, it's a good thing.

WTF!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I think it's funny and sad how people have used the colloquial texting in our everyday speech. For insatnce the infamous Cingular commercial with that little bratty girl saying "IDK my BFF...Jill?" So, just to be a smart-ass, I've started saying "WTF!?!?!?" I used that little explosion on a sales girl at Urban Outfitters. I don't know if she knew that I wasn't serious, but she kept laughing. She was hurling away for a good 5 minutes while ringing up a unicorn keychain and some hot-pink glasses that I was buying. I was thinking to myself "dude, either she's been smokin' too much 'urb' out of the 'Urban Outfitters' or I'm just really funny...." hmmmmmm.

anyways, that's my story. you can tell it at parties but please put "abekah" as the source; therefore, our love will spread out to many other parts of this world.

Of Montreal: the new Prince/David Bowie?

I have one word: WOW. I went and saw Of Montreal with my good friend, Matt Coleman. The concert was at "In the Venue" and I'm tellin' ya, the place has changed (and it turns into a gay club after concerts apparently; I have a good source)! We got there for the second opening band. I forgot their name, but they were awesome. Basically, they just rapped to this techno beat. They also had a stuffed animal that was a dog in a motorcycle outfit. I really have no words. It was that amazing.

I've noticed that there are three different types of people that go to concerts: 1. the person who jsut stands there looking bored and pissed off while leaning on you because they, ironically, want their space 2. get all roudy mosh-pit style...even to mellow music (aka Peter, Bjorn, and John; Of Montreal) and 3. the coolest people that dance in their own little space and closing their eyes by singing. Picture this: matt and I were surrounded by 1s and 2s and we were basically the only 3s. I was kind of miffed, but it wasn't as bad as RS where people were just RUDE. And there wasn't as many people.

OK: OF MONTREAL!!! They came onstage. Their opening song was a cover of Prince's "I Would Die For You." That's when I realized Kevin Barnes (the lead singer) is the NEW Prince. He wore this eighties style green blouse with a ruffly front (where one could see a hint of chest hair) and awesome shoulder pads. oh! and he was wearing really cool sparkly blue eye shadow. He also kept stripping onstage and apparently he went in his birthday suit at a Las Vegas concert, but he got in touble. :) Kevin also talked about how "Saturday's Warrior" is one of his favorite movies and that he bought it for a friend. For the encore, they played "Party's Carshing Us" which was AMAZING. Overall, the concert was highly pleasable. In other words, I loved it. They was so fun to watch and the music was great. I think everyone should become Of Montreal fans because they are absolutely spectacular.

At least I think I know my ABC's...

well, I gues that I have to do this because my SISTER is making me...sheesh:

A- Attached or single? I'm single
B- Best Friend? There are so many I can't even begin
C- Cake or Pie? both. yellow cake, cherry pie, AND peach cobbler
D- Day of choice? Wednesday becasue that's when gossip girl AND ANTM is on! YAYA!
E- Essential item? Ipod and chapstick...I'm obsessed with both
F- Favortie color? I'm not really sure. maybe voilet and olive green?
G- Gummi bears of worms? neither, but for sure cinnamon bears. duh
H- Hometown? Salt Lake City. oh man
I- Favorite indulgence? food and facebook. and gossip
J- Janaury or july? I don't really like either, but I guess I was born in july, so july
K- Kids? no, thank goodness! I just have a lot of nephews. that's good enough
L- Life is incomplete without? loved and being loved
M- marriage date? I don't know...I was thinking 12/12/12? no, maybe to cliche?
N- Numbers of brothers and sisters? 4 bros and 4 sis'
O- Oranges or apples? oranges fo sho
P- Phobias or fears? SNAKES!!! especially on planes!
Q- Quote? You're only funny if you offend at least one person
R- Reason to smile? to know that someone is thinking about you
S- Season of choice? Fall! YUM!
T- Tag three friends: BEKAH, OLIVIA, SOMEONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO DO THIS!!
U- Unknown fact about me? I'm not clever under pressure. sorry.
V- Vegetable? brussel sprouts
W- Worst habit? I annoy people really easily
X- X-ray or ultrasound? um, X-ray?
Y- Your favorite food? lemoned salmon
Z- Zodiac sign? LEO RRAAAWWRRR!

if only we knew how to play

A few nights ago, Abby and I discovered the wonders of the (plastic) guitar. Check it out.




We'd make a pretty sweet show.

Regina Spektor 411: "the don't"s at concerts...

K, so last night I went to one of the most memorable concerts ever (at least in the top 5). I saw Regina Spektor live. You know how some musicians don't sound that good live, but they sound really good on their CD probably because they have really good producers? Well, RS is not one of them. She sounds EXACTLY the same live.
So, the last time I was at "In the Venue" was when The Strokes came last year. Back then, or at least it seems, the venue was pretty small. I mean it could fit a lot of people, but it was remotely smaller than other places I've been to. Well, this year it was HUGE, and there were about 700 hundred people. I don't know if it's just because I havn't been there for so long or what...it was CRAZY SAUCE.
I know I'm just blabbing away but now here is the good stuff. Here are the most memorable moments of the night (the good and the bad ones):

1. People putting up their gard: When you would try to get closer to the stage and people would literally block you from moving forward. In the olden days, concert crowds were usually like jello: they would sway and you could get to where you would want to go. But now, man, it's like a frozen custard that doesn't thaw out. (I'm sorry for making food analogies, but I'm really hungry) For example, I tried moving past this girl, and she put her back right onto me so I couldn't get through and I could see over her shoulder that she had about a good three feet of room. I'm tellin' ya SLC people are pretty rude.
2. Oh! You know what's even ruder? People drunkingly yelling throughout the whole show. Even RS had to say "will you shut the F&@% up? I'm trying to play here!" I can't believe that happened. I'm almost embarrased to say that I live in this town sometimes...
3. Also, when you're standing by a girl who probably heard about RS three months ago COMMENTING ABOUT EVERYTHING!!! RS would play a song and the girl would whip her head around to talk to her friend and say "Do you know this song? ...well I do" and then start singing (horribly I might add). There was one time where RS was playing "Apres Moi" and the girl adds "ya she's singing in french...now she's singing in russian...or german. I can't tell." I don't know. I'm so lost when it comes to people's minds and their abilities...
4. On a better note, there was one part in the show where right in the middle of singing "Better," one could hear a train rolling by. RS said she "usually hears subways rumble under her ass, but this (the train) is more classy."
5. For her encore, she sang "fidelity" and "Hotel Song" where the opening guy (I forgot his name) beatboxed while she sang. It was soooo cool and awesome.
   

Overall, it was a fun night; I got to listen to some amazing and inspiring music and also rant about people who don't know when to shut up (both vocally and physically). But I'm kind of sad that she didn't play "The Consequence of SOunds." Doesn't matter. I love you REGINA!!!!

~abby martin

holl-o-ween

Okay, Halloween. Not as exciting as I remember it being back when I was a wee child:dressing up as a Disney princess and wandering from house to house asking for candy in exchange for my costuming efforts.
Anywho, I wanted to go down to Salt Lake to watch America's Next Top Model with Abbsidale but alas, my plan was foiled and I ended "dressing up"--meaning searching my closet for anything semi-costumey--as an overzealous 50's housewife. Very fitting, as Miranda and I decided we would spend our Halloween building a cake.



Lucky for us, Provo is not so lame as one might think. We are privileged enough to have not one, but two concert venues! Tonight, our venue of choice was Muse, where we saw local bands The Black Tie... something or other... and Neon Trees. Not so awesome but entertaining nonetheless. Also, we met boys who were probably in high school. How else do you explain living in Spanish Fork and digging around in your mom's make up to look dead? You don't. It means you're in high school and you're trying to pick up on college girls dressed as a housewife and a librarian.

obscure references for a quizzical mind

Bonjour! This is the coolest blog you'll ever find. It is basically all about abby martin and bekah birdsall's beautiful thoughts and feeling about life that hopefully some people will be able to comprehend or laugh at. either/or, we don't really care. we love you all! thanks for checking it out! :)