One of those band-related posts.

Yes, I know some of you readers aren't in marching band...try to bear with me.

So today was one of those long days. Drumline from 7:15-4:45 or so. It was a pretty good show; first place, our score went up, and the judges had only good things to say about the basses. But it was the conversation afterwards that got me thinking.

I mentioned to Perry (our drumline director, for you uninformed souls) that I was going to the University of Maryland (with every passing day I feel more certain of that) and joining its 275-member marching band. And then he told me a story of a former Mirage (aka Souderton's drumline, for you uninformed) member who took everything in band really seriously. And he hated college band (oddly enough, at Syracuse, one of my top schools)--it was too lax, nobody bothered to learn warmups, etc. etc. I've heard that story before...I've just thought that I'd be able to adjust and appreciate college band for what it is--a good time with a bunch of kids playing really loud. There's no real alternative--I'm a sax player mostly, and drum corps (basically marching band on steroids--unofficially, "Major League Marching Band") don't accept woodwinds. And I don't have the chops (skills...gosh, people, LEARN MY MARCHING BAND LINGO) to play drums in corps...

Perry thinks otherwise. Yeah, I wouldn't be marching a major corps (for you band geeks, do I REALLY look like I could march for Phantom Regiment or Blue Devils? Yeah...no.) But I could be in a small corps.

That was a bit of a shock. I'm realizing that my life is just missing something without marching band or drumline, despite all the trials and tribulations that come with them. And if college band is really all that bad...

Part of the reason I want to go to Maryland so badly is for the band--I'd eliminate schools from my search solely because they lacked marching bands. But what if college marching band is really all that terrible? Could I really live without marching band? Doubt it.

Suddenly, marching corps is sounding like a better and better idea. And I've always liked playing drums more than sax anyway. Yeah, there's the money thing (it's EXPENSIVE), but honestly...band and drumline channel my focus and energy like nothing else in my life. And I'm a competitive person--it doesn't get much more competitive than drum corps. I know I can't cut it in the music industry, but performing music for a crowd is thrilling. So I'll consider marching a corps.

I never thought I'd see the day that I could seriously consider that.

Sorry for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about.
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Now playing: Living Sacrifice - Nietzsche's Madness

Moments

So I was listening to Tourniquet on my way home from school today. (Shuffle is a great thing.) And a song came up I haven't listened to a year (according to my Last Played column in iTunes.) And it was totally awesome. Early in the song, I was remembering how cool the one part that came towards the end was. And when that moment hit, I was still as amazed as always.

See, I've held the belief for a while that music is all about moments--those split seconds where an earth-shattering revelation hits you (if the band has a really good lyricist) or every note just falls perfectly into place. So why not blog about it? These are some of the best moments I know to exist in music. We're not necessarily talking the best overall songs (though there is a loose correlation)--just the best parts, no more than ten seconds.

Tourniquet--The Skeezix Dilemma, Pt. 2 (The Improbable Testimony of the Pipsisewah
Yes, the title is obscenely wordy. (It's supposed to be an allegory for war between God and Satan...I think.) But the song is remarkably epic. It's one second short of ten minutes long, but you can't forget the beautiful, somber cello intro that starts it. Especially when at 7:43, that melody returns, this time soaring triumphantly on Aaron Guerra's guitar in double-time. I LOVE when bands incorporate previously used melodies like that, and in the context of the song, this is the best instance of that phenomenon.

Underoath--Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear
More than three minutes of ominous buildup and group chanting. Then it all cuts away but the chants and drums...then Aaron Gillespie wails "Still get us home!" and everything comes back in a maelstrom of musical perfection. It sends chills down my spine.

Anberlin--The Haunting
Again, about two minutes of acoustic buildup before the whole band erupts with one of the greatest stanzas Anberlin's ever created.

And Then There Were None--Reinventing Robert Cohn
Unlike any of the previous three bands, I can't consider ATTWN a personal favorite (though they certainly have potential). And unlike the previous three songs, this song is low on climactic drama--it's a dance track with some heavy guitars laid in. But when the singer's last repetition of "It just isn't there" fades away and your speakers nearly collapse from the following chorus, it's hard not to get drawn in.

Boston--Foreplay/Long Time
The acoustic guitar riff from the chorus is already catchy enough. And then they have to go and make it electric and throw the rest of the band in. Listen to that and try to convince me that Boston's not one of the best classic rock bands of all time.

The Classic Crime--The Beginning (A Simple Seed)
This song has TWO priceless moments. First: in the middle of an insanely catchy verse, Matt MacDonald pulls out a ridiculously corny but perfect line: "I've found the cure for my landlocked blues, it's coming home to you!" with just the right amount of passion. Then later he outdoes himself: after repeating "I let her go!" over and over, he fades away and lets a simple piano part take prominence in the midst of a raucous jam session. Awesome.

Dead Poetic--Glass in the Trees
I'm sure some of you know this. Brandon Rike laments his dead friend: "I took a vow to never forget you/ if you're still here then we'll wait for you to come back home!" Few singers can deliver that with such believable passion.

He is Legend--Either They Decorated for Christmas Early or They're All Dead
This whole song is just about perfect--but I'm just going to highlight the bridge that comes in after the last somber verse. Kicking the tempo up to double-time gets me EVERY TIME.

So on and so forth. I just realized now that this list is almost too long to be effective. But anyway: if you don't know these songs, FIX THAT.

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Now playing: Flobots - Cracks In the Surface
via FoxyTunes
(YES I HAVE IT.)

Daylight savings time. Argh.

Daylight Savings Time. Why?

Is it really important that we have one more hour of sun? (Why is DST in effect in June when there's already a ridiculous amount of sun, and the night is the best part of the day?)

All I know is that it deprived me of an hour of sleep on a night where I could have used a lot more of it. Darn you, DST. (Also, darn you, irony. See my last post.)

I vote in favor of a system that constantly 'falls back' an hour every six months. That way, we are periodically rewarded with a glorious hour of sleep...without having to pay it back in the spring! And how cool would it be to wake up in the middle of the afternoon and come back from school and IT'S MIDNIGHT-ISH OUTSIDE...

I think our heads would explode. And scientists would flip out at all the lost time. But still. It'd be fantastic.

Happy Pi Day, all.

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Now playing: Gorillaz - Three Hearts, Seven Seas, Twelve Moons
via FoxyTunes

(Just got it from Carter. Not sure what I think about it yet. I also got Constellations by August Burns Red--FINALLY.)

The Evils of Coffee...and band names!

I hate coffee. It tastes like liquid dirt. (Yes, that would be mud.)

I also think that natural selection will have erased this trait of mine from existence in 100 years or less. (I know that's abnormally fast. I'm making a point.)

I probably SHOULD enjoy coffee. Well, I do enjoy coffee from Starbucks where there's more dairy products than cacao beans. But otherwise, it tastes so bad that I can't drink enough to let the caffeine do anything. This is a problem. I'm an AP student which means I've got another semester of late nights staring at an online Calc textbook written in a language that only vaguely resembles English. And college will, doubtless, bring at least four more years of this self-induced sleep deprivation.

Here I must confess: my definition of "sleep deprivation" is six hours or less. When I grew up, staying up late was never a big deal to me--I went to bed as soon as I was tired. Only in the past two years or so did that really start to change. (Well, I still go to bed when I'm tired...and when my Calc and Lit homework is done.)

So maybe I'm not as good as running on four hours of sleep as the rest of my peers. (Honestly, how do you DO that?!) But I find myself with a strange thought.

Sleep is a cruel master.

Think about it. It only exists for us when we do nothing else, and it's one of the best parts of a long day. But thinking about how much/little sleep you're going to get at the end of the day only frustrates and disappoints and makes sleep more elusive. The more you think about sleep, the less likely you are to fall asleep. And with each passing year I sleep less (even this past summer was filled with early rising to go to colleges).

So either natural selection will make it easier for us to sleep, or we'll be able to function on less...I feel like those who can use more of the day to get work done will earn more money and rise to the top in a 21st-century version of natural selection. (Or maybe the sleepers just won't get any food and die off. In that case, I'm really screwed. Also, I'm totally addicted to parenthetical statements. Sorry.)

Just some thoughts for you.

Here are some less serious thoughts. I've been keeping a running list of things I've said in everyday conversation or things that just popped into my head that I think would make great band names (not that I plan on starting a band or anything...it just seems cool.) So go ahead, comment away on the ones you like, or start your own list of what you'd potentially name a band. (By the way, these are my Top 10. The rejects included less serious names, like A Sudden Craving for Mutton. I have no idea how that came up in my head.)

1. This Night Surrounds Me (sounds kinda emo, but I like it a lot. Indirectly inspired by Emery's song "Dear Death, Part 1" which has the line "Esta' noche sera' mia" which translates to "This night will be mine," but 'sera'' sounds like 'surround'...it makes sense to me.

2. The Victory Sporadic (Inspired by another band named A Constant Sporadic...I'm jealous of how cool that name is.)

3. Silver Thunder (What I name all my Rock Band/ Guitar Hero bands.)

4. Constant Chapter (Origin unknown. It's right next to "Constant Crash" in my original list.)

5. The Chorus of Failure (What I used to label the sound of multiple people losing The Game at once.)

6. In Hopeless Protest (Not sure where I got that.)

7. Afterhand (Why is there 'beforehand' but no 'afterhand'?)

8. Red Dawn (One of the longest-running candidates for a band name, [yes, I've been making up imaginary bands in my head for years], up there with Graysong and Paranoia 5. Where that last one came from, I have no clue.)

9. Thoughtspace (Just a cool word.)

10. The Albatross Company (Sounds like an indie band, no?)

...Yeah, I'm really weird.



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Now playing: Passenger - Table For One
via FoxyTunes

this post is huge. sorry.

I'm giving up my grand dreams of only posting big epic thoughts. I'm in high school, darn it. I don't want this to turn into a petty emo-fest, but hey, I'm an adult really only because the law says so. And I think that's my problem--I've wished I was an adult for so long. I don't look back on childhood fondly. I've longed for independence and freedom and being surrounded by the 'mature.' Why? Because I hate immaturity...most of the time.

Ever since elementary school, I've hated the 'immature' kids. I thought I was so high and mighty because, at the risk of sounding arrogant, I was smarter than the vast majority of them. And then I came to Souderton and the problem only amplified itself. And then I found people that were smarter than me...and I finally started to enjoy school. But lately I've realized I've placed way too great a value on what is 'logical,' what is 'appropriate' for 'adults,' what fits the mold I've made for myself.

Dang. Why did no one stop me? I feel like I've missed out on a lot of happiness. Yes, the loudmouthed, cocky types still annoy me. But there's different sorts of immaturity, I think. Like most adjectives, there's a good and bad side to it. And being like a child has its perks, I think.

(Sorry. I'm prone to Montaigne-esque tangents.)

In other news...my goal of eliminating drama hasn't changed. And finding more people suffering emotionally only hurts me more. I know there are groups out there that work to help the suicidal and the clinically depressed--they're awesome. I wish I could do that. But why not cure the root problem--why can't there be an effort of a similar magnitude to give high school kids a proper perspective on life? Yes, life as a high school kid should be enjoyed, and you shouldn't force perspectives on yourself that aren't natural (see the previous rant!). But I hate to see people so hurt by the little things in life. I'm no psychologist, so I can't say that I'll make a living out of it. But maybe, just maybe, if I somehow get the resources to do it, I'll start that group. I'll take my efforts to save the world from teen angst to the next level...and find the people that can actually communicate my ideas without sounding like a jerk, because I get frustrated far too easily.

Last thought: the last time I looped one song on iTunes, I was writing my college application essay (which was about "Alexithymia" by Anberlin)...but I've listened to "Prayer of the Refugee" by Rise Against seven times as I wrote this post. There are four songs to which I'd give a perfect score if I was writing a review of the album (for those of you that don't know, www.epinions.com/user-beekd91 is me, and I get paid more when you read my reviews, I think...they don't say how the money works...anyway, I give each song in an album a score out of 100 at the end of each review). They are "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey, "Either They Decorated for Christmas Early or They're All Dead" by He is Legend, "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay and "Solace" by Project 86 This song might be the fifth. You should go listen to it now.

(What's up with my layout? I can't see the cool gray graphic in the background...is it just me?)

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Now playing: Rise Against - Prayer of the Refugee
via FoxyTunes

once again, project 86 for the win.

This is yet another reason why Project 86 is one of my favorite bands.

Project 86--"Sad Machines" (italicized lyrics are my attempts at added emphasis)

An ageless question, universal
They're asking why
Creation destined cries flood the night in pain
They say if You are real then take it away
But man will only look to You lying on his face

Now we lie awake
With shut eyes so to forever forget this

There cries, this agony, injustices, suffering
Symptoms of a larger disease
Inside of me and you and me
So try to close you eyes and make it fade away
But open and you'll see
This stain is you, this stain is me

Now so many wonder why it is
So much has gone awry in all of this
And being makes you sigh that you exist
But you can't escape this
Seemingly undeserved is your lot
But generations past and you forgot
We chose to eat our fill and fell to naught
This pain is here reminding us to turn and leave
To come back home

Pointing to show us the way

songs of the year / political musings.

(Forget what I said about pre-post disclaimers. You guys are intelligent enough to figure out what I'm talking about for yourselves.)

To continue what started in the last post:

30. “I May Be Rude, But I’m the Truth”—Cobra Starship
29. “Rust (The Short Story of Mary Agnosia)”—Anchor & Braille
28. “Piggy Bank Lies”--Emery
27. “A Stick, A Carrot and a String”--mewithoutYou
26. “The Butcher”—Project 86
25. “Unnatural Selection”--Muse
24. “Dark Angel Dragnet”—Project 86
23. “A John Hancock with the Safety Off”—Project 86
22. “The Angel of Death Came to David’s Room”--mewithoutYou
21. “Cave In”—Owl City
20. “Roswell’s Spell”--Chevelle
19. “Timothy Hay”--mewithoutYou
18. “In Shallow Seas We Sail”--Emery
17. “The Weight”--Thrice
16. “This Circus”--Chevelle
15. “The Bird and the Worm”—Owl City
14. “Allah, Allah, Allah”--mewithoutYou
13. “Forget Love, I Just Want You to Make Sense to Me Tonight”—Anchor & Braille
A brief footnote: this is also the winner for Song Title of the Year.

12. “A Sin to Hold on To”--Emery
11. “Hot Mess”—Cobra Starship
10. “If My Heart Was a House”—Owl City
9. “Shameful Metaphors”--Chevelle
8. “The Fox, the Crow and the Cookie”—mewithoutYou
Another footnote: this is also the winner for Best Video of the Year. (Watch it, it’s absolutely hilarious.)

7. “Circles”--Thrice
6. “Dear Death Part 1” and “Dear Death Part 2”—Emery
Yet another footnote: Yes, I’m listing these two separate songs as a collective. Neither can be fully appreciated without the other, and Part 2 immediately follows Part 1 on the album anyway. But when you put them together, the simple, haunting Part 1 makes the driving, energetic Part 2’s final words seem even more powerful. The end result is brilliant.

5. “Reinventing Robert Cohn”—And Then There Were None
4. “To Sand We Return”—Project 86
3. “In Exile”--Thrice
2. “Hello Seattle (Remix)”—Owl City
1. “The King Beetle on a Coconut Estate”—mewithoutYou

You know a song’s the best of the year when listening to it sends bona fide chills down your spine. Listen carefully to this song all the way through, and at 5:22 the lyrical genius and songwriting brilliance is overwhelming (especially for diehard fans who know the lyrics to “Four-Word Letter, Pt. 2” by heart). I won’t attempt to describe all that goes on in this song here. I’ll let you have the pleasure of figuring that out for yourselves.

And now for something completely different. It's been bugging me for weeks, but I've had other stuff to write since then.

So I was at my grandmother's 80th birthday party in Tavistock, this really swanky country club in New Jersey. To my immediate left is my uncle Ray. He's a great guy. He's got a good sense of humor and we can talk for a while about anything. Except, apparently politics.

My parents have known for a while that I'm not as conservative as they are. For the most part, they're fine with that. I've gotten a few jokes (especially whenever something goes wrong that could be blamed on Obama), and I've had the word 'liberal' used as an insult (which is pretty funny in retrospect), but it's all in good fun, and my parents don't think any less of me as a result. (I assume.)

But somehow my uncle and I got on the topic of politics. It was awful. My uncle is apparently even more conservative than my parents. The very notion of the government helping the poor was disgusting to him--he thinks that's the church's job. (Okay, yeah, the church should help, but that doesn't mean the government can't.) I was getting mercilessly grilled by him the whole time--and not in the way that my teachers would grill me where they're trying to show me holes in my overly idealistic logic. I honestly felt like he thought I was subhuman because I wouldn't align myself with the Republican Party.

This should never have happened.

George Washington told us never to have political parties. It took us a few months to disobey him. And now look where it's gotten us. We look down at members of opposing parties because they're members of opposing parties. Liberals think conservatives are greedy, backwards, idiotic Bible-thumping roadblocks on the way to progress (come on, who hasn't thought something like this about Bill O' Reilly?). Conservatives think liberals are godless Communists intent on destroying the moral fabric of the nation and depriving it of its work ethic.

There's a word for that kind of stereotyping: MORONIC.

This has to stop. I'm sick of the party system. It only divides. I know I'm not the only one who's been bashed for liberal views, and I know I look at many conservatives with my nose in the air. I'm just as guilty as anyone. But we have to make a commitment to end this. Your political alignment does not make you any more or less of a human being. It does not make you any greater or worse in the eyes of God. It means only you think governments should operate a certain way. So let's stop pretending that it means anything more.