We're Clealy Watching Too Much Alvin & The Chipmunks

Last night Paige says, "Let's play Simon Says. I'll be Simon."

Curtis chirps back, "I'll be Theodore."

Ode to Creed (the creepy guy on The Office, not the crappy band)

Sometimes a guy's gotta ride ride the Bull, am I right?

Watching a re-run of "Conflict Resolution." This is, of course, the best part:

Michael Scott:	Okay, Ryan, you told Toby that Creed has a distinct old man smell.
Creed:	I know exactly what he's talking about. I sprout mung beans on a damp paper towel in my desk drawer. Very nutritious, but they smell like death.

Hello, Severed Head

It's not at all frightening to turn on the light and walk into your inlaws bathroom and see a head and some sort of clamp staring back by you.

Little Geniuses

Egghead.


Buckethead.

Our little reading and spelling wiz, Paige, has recently decided to turn her attention to mathematics.

Tonight in the car she said, "Dad, can you asks me some maths?"

"Sure. What's one plus four?"

Curtis, never one to be left out of the loop, starts spouting out random numbers and then says "Dad, it's my turn."

"Okay Curtis, what's one plus two?"

"Kickball."

There you have it.

O (Nu Metal) Pioneers

It's nearly midnight on Pioneer Day Eve. Seems like a perfect time to recommend some Deftones.

Here are a couple of impressive tracks from their new record, "Diamond Eyes." (Feel free to check out my review here.)

Diamond Eyes. (How can you not love that awesome part in the chorus where it goes all low and de-tuned.)



Rocket Skates. Pure metal mayhem. (Warning: skews a bit mature.)

Punk Rock Dad?

Sometimes kids put a real cramp in your county library swagger.

The Ever Prudent Four-Year-Old

I couldn't have been more excited about the new (used) guitar that arrived in the mail today. Until I talked to Captain Bringdown Paige, that is.

At first, she was very supportive. ("Wow, that's a nice guitar, Dad. Dad, that sure is a cooooool guitar, Dad.")

But then her fiscal responsibility kicked in.

"Why did you buy that new guitar, Dad?"

"Uh, I needed a new guitar, I guess."

"You already have two guitars. Did they break and that's why you need a new guitar?"

"Well, uh, er. What's that up there? The Goodyear Blimp?!" [Followed by the sound of me sneaking out the window, peeling out of the garage, and hopping a plane to lack-of-accountabilityville.]

Teenage Bottlerocket, Streetlight, and a Bunch of CDs

Kids aren't stinkier these days. I think it's just that teenager odors are less appealing to me as I grow older. Go figure.

I made it to two sweaty concerts in two sweaty SLC weeks, dragging my friend Kaleb to Streetlight Manifesto and Brett to Teenage Bottlerocket. Both were good, but seeing TBR for the first time was especially fun (though I can't underestimate the coolness of hearing Tomas Kalnoky sing "Dear Sergio" for the first time, more than a decade after I first met the song).

I've been writing about Streetlight for years, but if you like Ramones-esque pop punk, you better check out TBR.

Here are my reviews from the shows:

Teenage Bottlerocket
(And here's an interview with TBR)
Streetlight Manifesto

And here's some CD reviews for you:

Eminem - Recovery
LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
Hole - Nobody's Daughter
Tony Sly - 12 Song Program
Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
Stone Temple Pilots - Stone Temple Pilots
Crime in Stereo - I was Trying to Describe You to Someone
Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
David Bazan - Live at Electrical Audio
Minus the Bear - Omni
The Hold Steady - Heaven is Whenever

A Legitimate Journalist? Who, Me?

Luckily, I'm one of those vain, techie nerds who has a Google alert set up for my own name. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have seen that I accidentally wrote an article for the Salt Lake Tribune.

My friend Chris recently finished writing his first graphic novel. (Something I am very, very jealous of.) So I interviewed him about it for IN. The next thing I knew, the Trib, who owns IN, picked it up.

I was pretty excited to see it online and quickly looked to see if it was in print as well. (Now that I'm a big-deal PR guy, I actually have a subscription to the paper. Blecch.) I couldn't find it, so I'm guessing it was just internet filler.

Nevertheless, I was pretty excited to get my first major newspaper byline and I'm happy that Chris is getting a little extra coverage about his quite-excellent novel Pocket Hole.

Check out the Pocket Hole blog here.

Paige On Religion

Paige: I'd rather be watching YouTube

I think I've already written about how Paige despises Family Home Evening. Here are a few more religious gems she's thrown out there lately:

"I'm scared of ghosts. Even Holy Ghosts."

"Jesus is not allowed!"

"Don't let Heavenly Father take my stuff."

And today, I asked her what she learned about in primary.

"I don't remember."

Did you have a lesson about Jesus? About sharing? About Joseph Smith?

"It was as about leprosy."

Dirt & Water

It's amazing--with all the of the electronics and treats and distractions necessary for us to complete an hour-and-a-half drive without the kids killing each other or driving us crazy--how a pile of dirt, some rocks, and water to throw them in, can keep kids entertained.

God & Dutch Soccer

Former Dutch Missionaries Unite!

We all know that The Big Guy Upstairs didn't bless any of us with a lot of baptisms over there in the Lowlands. But I'm sure he didn't ignore all those prayers. The way I see it, he was just saving 'em up for us and planning to let us cash them out this Sunday at kick off time.

Nou jongens, laten wij bidden.

Joseph Smith, The Sphinx

Years after first hearing about it, I finally made it the very strange Gilgal Gardens in Salt Lake. Traci and I spent a warm, 8th anniversary evening wandering through therandom religious imagery and rocks carved with Bible quotes and LDS hymns.

I still need to finish the virtual tour, so I can figure out what I was actually seeing but I'd definitely recommend checking it out.

(No Interview With) Streetlight Manifesto

A couple of years ago, I had a chance to do an interview with one of my fav bands, Streetlight Manifesto. It was one of the most enjoyable interviews I've ever done and, as such, I was going to write a detailed blog about it. But with details, comes my desire to avoid them. The band rarely does interviews, which made the experience even more memorable for me.

They're playing here again tomorrow night and their publicist reached out to me about covering the show. I was stoked about the opportunity to interview with them again, but alas, I was told they're not doing interviews. (Instead I'll be reviewing the concert.)

I decided to write a show preview anyway. Here's a little trip down one of my many musical memory lanes.

(Forever indebted to Ty's A&R work in discovering Catch 22.)

Streetlight Manifesto - Everything Went Numb (YouTube)

--

Streetlight Manifesto

July 7, 2010

In The Venue

Everyone has at least one "record that changed my life." I've certainly got a bunch of 'em but there's only one that almost changed my life.

I was 18 when I first heard Catch 22's "Keasbey Nights." From the opening notes of "Dear Sergio," I was hooked -- the rapid-fire vocals, the tight horn section, and the bulletproof vest-related singalongs were perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Promptly after releasing the record, singer/guitarist/songwriter Tomas Kalnoky decided to leave the band. Catch 22 soldiered on without him and, before heading out on their first national tour, they posted a message on their website that they were looking for a new singer, guitarist, and trombone player. (Had I been better at any of those positions, I definitely would have applied.)

By the time the Catch 22 made it to their Salt Lake City show in the basement of the now-defunct Club DV8, the band had filled all of its empty slots. After they burned through their set, I stole a chance to grab an interview with the band (my very first interview) for the Utah State University school paper.

I asked them something along the lines of "So you've got a bunch of new guys in the band now, eh?"

"Yeah, but we're still looking for someone to drive the van. You got a license?"

I did have a license. And summer was right around the corner, so I wouldn't miss a lot of school. And maybe if the guitar player got sick I could fill in, and maybe if the singer ... and ... and ... and...

I was still thinking of my reply long after the van took off without me. And I kept thinking about it for the next two years. Every time I was questioning my life path, I'd ask myself, "Why am I doing this? I could be a greasy roadie right now."

Though their follow up to "Keasbey" was OK, Catch 22 just wasn't the same without Kalnoky. By their third record, I had lost faith in the band.

And then it happened. After years of silence, Kalnoky re-emerged with Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution and then Streetlight Manifesto. The records picked up right where "Keasbey" left off. I couldn't have been happier.

But then I was.

In 2008, I had the chance to spend a half hour or so on the phone with Kalnoky. We chatted about the rift with Catch 22 (now mended), his aversion to doing interviews (preferring to let the music speak for itself), and the band's upcoming plans (a goal to release eight albums of cover songs between Streetlight and the Acoustic Bandits).

As an added bonus, I was invited to hang out with the band in the tour bus before their show at the Avalon. The guys couldn't have been more friendly. But as I was taking in the moment, I couldn't help but glance at the driver's seat a time or two. I had just one thought.

I could be driving this bus.

The Orange Crush

Great voetballers, horrible singers. Hup, Holland, Hup!

I don't know why I keep trying. I DVR the Holland games and then act like I'm going to be able to go all day without hearing about the result. It's never worked.

It didn't work the first game of the Cup, when I walked over to my friend Brian and he greeted me with, "Hey, how 'bout that Nederland victory."

It didn't work against Brazil when every one of my friends texted me congratulations.

It didn't work today when I avoided all human contact, internet surfing, and text message receiving. I made it all the way to 4:30 when my very sports-averse cubicle neighbor leaned over to me and said, "Hey, are you excited that your team won?"

Well, I am now.

--

I have been hesitant to call this "Holland's year," for fear of getting my feelings hurt. But we're now just one game away. One 90-minute match.

And no one's going to spoil the ending for me. Sunday afternoon, I'll be watching the game live. Fantastisch!

(Feel free to stop by my house to watch it with me. Don't forget to wear your orange.)

Sacre Bleu!

Here's what happens when I watch World Cup (hup Holland hup, btw) and work on my Gospel Principles lesson right before bed...

I dreamt I was called on a mission to France. And P.S., I would be "serving" as a member of the French national soccer team. I told them that I hadn't played soccer competitively since the fourth grade. But you know what they say - "Whom the Lord calls, he qualifies." Right?

Ole!

You Down with G.O.P.? Yeah, You Know Me

What's my reward for sitting through a debate about who can out-conservative whom and why global warming is just pretendsies? Literally one second of local TV time.

If you want to check it out, skip to 1:48 of the video clip, or just look at the screen capture above. That's my whole performance.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=11182133

Footloose

A 50-year-old pizza guy pulled into the neighbor's driveway while Curtis and I were playing in the front yard. He had the windows rolled down and he was blasting "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." This, of course, made Curtis instantly start dancing.

"I dancin', Dad. I dancin.'"

"Yes, son. Yes, you are."

My boy.

Classy Chassy

Now that I have a big boy job, I have to dress the part. That's why I bought these two new ties today. At Harmon's. That's right, Harmon's. The grocery store.

I'll race you suckers to the top of the corporate ladder.

The Karate Kid

Curtis's transition into Nursery has been a bit rocky, but it seems like we're making some progress. He's crying a little less when I sneak out each week but we're still having some troubles with his behavior.

Traci is the primary song leader and does singing time with the Nursery kids every other week. Last week, Curtis walked up to her during a song all sweet-like, kicked her in the shin, and then sat back down.

He's a real treasure.

I Pooh in Blue

This commercial almost makes up for all the hours of Nick Jr. I've had to suffer through over the past few years. I wonder what Mr. Huggies CEO thought the first time the advertising agency pitched this idea.

P.S. I'm fairly positive this is the style Curtis will be rockin' this summer.

I entertained myself during church today by singing the hymns in a Bob Dylan voice.

Hoop Dreams

After years of not touching a basketball, I suddenly have the desire to get my game on. I figured to get back into shape I'd better start with someone at my skill level. Here's me taking five-year-old Ryan to school.

Um, Music Reviews

Lots o' Record Reviews lately:



Good Morning, Magpie - Murder By Death (A rockin' punk-meets-bluegrass--or punk grass, as the kids are calling it--record.)
High Violet - The National (There's nothing as good here as "Fake Empire," but a solid release, nevertheless. Recommended.)
If I Had a Hi-Fi - Nada Surf (Pretty good for a covers album.)
Enemy of the World - Four Year Strong (A surprisingly good emo album, in the vein of Taking Back Sunday. Recommended.)
Red Light Fever - Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders (Foo Fighters drummer makes some solid '70s rock. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of '70s rock.)
What is Love? - Never Shout Never (If you were a 13-year-old girl you'd be madly in love with this band.)

Losing My Religion

My faith has been shaken. A few weeks ago, I asked all of my loyal Manifesto readers to help support me in my quest to get the most Toothy clicks. (A big thanks to everyone who clicked, btw.) Though I felt a little guilty asking, I figured the videos would at least provide some mild amusement. And then my old high school friend, Jeff "Hoover" Hoffman dropped the bomb.

He said, and I quote:

"This is a total rip-off of my 4th grade video project. I was the original Toothy. I'll have to see if I can find the old VHS it's on and get it uploaded. Then the royalty checks can start pouring in."

I, of course, did not believe Hoover. "I'll believe it when I see, Hoover. You dirty dog," I responded.

Hoover never backs down from a challenge. It couldn't have been two days later that Traci came home from work with the clunky old VHS tape that had been delivered to her straight from the Hoffman family archives (the clip was sandwiched between a made-for-TV movie and grandma and grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary.)

I watched it. The story checks out.

Without further ado, here's the 10-year-old Hoover starring as Toothy, the main character in this Hollywood-quality production. It's his evil-cavity-father, however, that really steals the show.



What can I say? I'm a fraud.

In Sacrament Meeting

Once again, Curtis makes a mad dash toward the podium from our seats in the back.

I grab him by the back of his elastic waist.

He yells, in the quiet of the meeting,

"Dad, let go, let go, LET GO MY BUMPER!"

Dear Lance Bass, It's Like Looking in a Mirror - Celebrity Encounter #2

Who would have thought that a quick visit to Solvang, California (as close as I ever gotten to my Danish roots) would result in a brush with celebrity.

Back in the day, I was often mistaken for gay N*Sync astronaut, Lance Bass. So you can only imagine my reaction when I looked him right in the face at Paula's Pancake House.

I was walking to the bathroom, minding my own business, when I saw him out of the corner of my eye. (I was on heightened celebrity alert after seeing Luke from The OC the night before.)

I quickly returned to Traci.

"I'm 95% sure I just saw Lance Bass," I said in my Lucille-Ball-on-The-Simpsons whisper-voice.

"What? No you didn't."

To prove it, I took my handy little Flip camera and did some undercover videography. (I just looked at it. It's bumpy and you can see everyone but Lance Bass.)

Since I couldn't convince Traci thusly, she took matters into her own hands. Or rather, she took herself to the bathroom.

"It's him," she confirmed with ear-to-ear grin.

If you don't believe me--or Traci--go ahead and judge for yourself. Here's the shaky footage:



Yep, Lance Bass eating pancakes with a group of dudes in Solvang, CA on a Saturday morning.

He was gone by the time we left, so we were unable to say, "Bye, Bye, By-ye" to Mr. Bass.

Lance Bass and receding-hairline-me are no longer doppelgangers. My life is over.

At The Pharmacy - Celebrity Encounter #1

I didn't want to go the CVS Pharmacy to buy makeup remover. After my homie Rhett's wedding rehearsal dinner in Los Olivos, CA, Traci and I stopped at the Albertsons to pick up some breakfast supplies for the next morning. I was ready to head back to Rhett's parent's ranch in Lompoc but Traci thought it best to be a good guest and spare the white towels from the black mascara.

And that's when we saw him. Luke from The OC. Standing at the cash register next to us with a buddy. Buying massive amount of Smirnoff Ice and Bud Light. At the pharmacy. On a Friday night. In Buellton, CA.

Here are all of the things I thought about saying to him in the time it took the cashier to ring up all of the alcohol.

--Luke [I would call him Luke because I don't his real name - Chris Carmack - off the top of my head], we loved you in The OC. It was totally our favorite show. [True story.]

--Luke, I'm sorry you're dad turned gay at the end of the first season. [True.]

--Luke, you know it was all your fault that Marissa overdosed in Tijuana. [True again.]

--Luke, I loved you in Bring it On Part II [Lie. This is actuality the worst of the Bring it Ons.]

--Luke, I loved you in that movie where you were trapped on the desert island with Amanda Bynes. [True, but I wouldn't say "I'm sad you had to be in a movie with her after her head turned into a giant pumpkin. She was so cute in that movie when she snuck onto the boy's soccer team."]

Instead, Traci and I just looked at each other and said the following with our eyes:

--He's shorter than I thought

--He still has that '90s hair

--Why's he buying all this alcohol at the pharmacy?

This was pretty much the best Friday night in Buellton ever.

Girls and Boys

Sometimes Paige says cute little things to me. Out of the blue today, while we were driving in the car, she said, "I like sitting by you, dad."

Curtis, not one to be left out, shared his feelings as well. "I like pizza, dad."

In Rock 'n Roll Lately

Paramore

Album Reviews

Congratulations, MGMT - Though they've put out some great singles, this band--and this album especially--are pretty disappointing.

Pearly Gate Music, Pearly Gate Music - Both slow and mopey (a la David Bazan) and '60s hippie rocky. Pretty good.

Goodnight Dannii, Drew Danburry - Probably Provo dude's best record. He gives most of his music away for free at drewdanburry.com. Check it out for sure.

Permalight, Rogue Wave - Rogue Wave get dancey on this one. Highly recommended.

The Last Place You'll Look EP, We Were Promised Jetpacks - The EP is okay, but not nearly as good as their debut LP. Start there.

Habits, Neon Trees - These Provo-ites are going to be the next big thing with their Killers-esque new wave.

Interviews

Paramore - The phones at my work went dead the second I was supposed to do the interview. I ended up having to put my little recorder up to the ear hole of my cell phone. Nothing recorded, thus making it a bit tricky to pull quotes.

Drew Danburry - He's playing his last full-band show at Kilby tomorrow night if anyone wants to go with me.

DVR Disappointment

The DVR let us down. Instead "Pregnant at 70," it actually recorded "Wild Child: The Story of Feral Children." Though I can't stand Traci's Whoops, I'm Pregnant-type shows, I actually got sucked into the stories of children being raised by wolves and neighborhood dogs. And I had nightmares all night long.

I am happy to see that Traci has DVRed "Pregnant at 70." I was afraid I would miss it.

Hallucinations of an Enormous Tooth

We did two days of shooting for the Toothy commercials. On the second day, I bought lunch for the crew lunch at my work's cafeteria. It only caused a little commotion having a giant tooth going through the salad bar line, but it really did a number on the guy making the sandwiches.

Toothy can't talk, of course. So I would say, "Toothy, do you want ham?"

He shakes his head.

"Turkey?"

Nod.

"Pickles?"

He holds ups two of his four fingers.

(It took us about five minutes to order one stupid sandwich this way.)

At one point, the sandwich guy looks at Toothy, and then looks at me and says, "Uh, you're seeing this too, right? I have made decisions in my life that would make seeing a giant, talking tooth a little bit trippy. I'm kind of freaking out right now."

---
Do me a solid and watch some of these videos:

The New Guy
The Phone Call
The Stalker
The Vending Machine
The Psychiatrist

Very Little Robot in My Rock

Once again, Paige puts me in my place.

Just a few bars into me singing "One More Time," she says authoritatively, "Dad, you're not Daft Punk."

And in case I didn't get the message, she adds, "You're not Daft OR Punk."

In Desperate Need of Some Help (And, Yes, I'm Crying Wolf)

It's nice when you have a job that is willing to take advantage of your extensive mascot-handling experience. I've had many crazy experiences since becoming the owner of Toothy, the giant tooth, that I'll share soon.

Until then, I need you to watch (or at least click on) the videos below so I can win a marketing competition at work. (And, in so doing, destroy my idiot friend Kaleb.)

So click, pretty please.

The New Guy
The Phone Call
The Stalker
The Vending Machine
The Psychiatrist

So Nervous I Could Die

Tonight marks the beginning of the end. The final season of The Hills. I can't even explain the emotions I'm feeling right now--anticipation, excitement, nostalgia, sadness. And I'm a little hungry because I haven't eaten breakfast yet.

I have a feeling that this is going to be Justin Bobby's year.

Still Married...

...Despite having the same fight that will eventually end our marriage. I continue to argue that The Last Unicorn is the best movie of all time. Traci feels (strongly) that it is the worst movie ever made. Agree to disagree. Staying together for the kids.

Just hearing the theme song makes me tear up.

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Two Years of This Kid

And we still like him.

Dear Amazon

The fact that you recommended I buy the new Train CD shows that you don't even know me at all. And you said we were friends.

Recent Rock 'n Roll-isms

Let's see. I've interviewed some bands.

LIGHTS, the Canadian synthpop-tress who is opening for Owl City on Monday night.

OK Go, the band most famous for making YouTube videos, including this wacky contraption.

And I've written some reviews.

The Album Leaf - A Chorus of Storytellers (Dreamy, instrumental synth tunes. Good but not great.)
Midlake - The Courage of Others (Downtrodden and flute-filled, I was surprised by how much I liked this one--at least the first half.)
MXPX - Left Coast Punk EP (More of the same from MXPX. I really love "Shanghaied in Shanhai.")

Abs

Curtis showing off his physique at the Target.

Outsmarted

Paige hates to clean up.

Last night, I tried to make her pick up all of the markers and paper that she'd left all over the kitchen table so we could eat dinner. I told her that if she didn't, she'd have to go into time out. Not only did she refuse, but she ran off to her bedroom. A few seconds later, she returned with yet another marker and piece of paper and started drawing.

"Paige, I told you it's time to clean up!" I said, as I grabbed the marker out of her hand.

"But, da-add. I was drawing a circle with an X on it that says 'No time out!'"

You can't blame her for trying.

Things to Say

Curtis's speaking skills are really starting to come along. While it's nice to be able to communicate with him a little better, it's also annoying when you have to hear "Want fries, Daddy. Want fries NOW, Daddy!" for a half-hour straight while you sit in the parking lot of Famous Footwear, waiting for your life to pick out a pair shoes. We can't drive anywhere without that kid wanting fries.

On the Back Porch

Paige and Grandma having a harmonica jam session.

Broken World

I was sitting in cubicle land, wearing my shirt and tie, when the excellent Millencolin tune "Broken World" popped up on the iPod shuffle.

The chorus goes like this:

I'm gonna get out of the broken world
I'm just about to discover new land
Get out of the broker world and start a band.

With his Swedish accent, it sounds like Nikola Sarcevic is singing "get out of the corporate world and start a band."

I hear ya, brother.

Millencolin - Broken World (YouTube)

The Secret Identity of Silversun Pickups

I generally only post full interviews here if I've talked to a band I really like or have had a really good chat. I got both with Silversun Pickups.

If for some reason you haven't yet checked out this band, you're missing out.

Here are some places to start.

Lazy Eye
Panic Switch



Silversun Pickups
April 5, 2010
E Center

It would seem that attending your first Grammy Awards ceremony would be accompanied by any number of highlights -- mingling with celebrities, hanging out with great musicians or, you know, being recognized as one of the best band's in the world. Nah. For Silversun Pickups' singer and guitarist Brian Aubert, the best part of the evening was assuming a false identity at an afterparty and talking to Daft Punk about "Tron."

"The Grammys weren't even something we were romantic about," Aubert says. "I don't mean that in a snarky way, I just mean that it wasn't even on our radar." And the band certainly wasn't ready for the barrage of ridiculous interviews that came with it. "I think I was asked who my favorite Hollywood crush was." Though it was a tough call, Aubert chose Tina Fey.

"[The Grammys] were getting a little boring, but the Kings of Leon had a very wonderful afterparty that actually saved the entire night," Aubert sayss. "Daft Punk was there and I got to talk to them for a half hour. I realized halfway through that the reason they were talking to me for so long is that they thought I was Caleb from Kings of Leon."

He admits that he didn't do anything to correct their misconception. "[Instead], I talked to them about 'Tron' as much as I could," he says with a laugh. After continuous questions about the remake of the classic '80s sci-fi film, one half of the French electronic duo finally said, "You know we're not responsible for the movie. We're just responsible for the music, so I don't want you to be mad at us if the movie stinks." Aubert told them he was well aware of that fact and just kept asking questions.

"Finally, after a half an hour they asked me a question that only Caleb could answer. I kind of did the French exit and left." There's clearly no shame in Aubert's game.

In a way, The Grammys summed up in one night what Silversun Pickups have experiencing for the past three years. Despite having no aspirations beyond playing the music that they love, the L.A. four piece has garnered a whirlwind of critical acclaim and commercial success with their two full-length albums.

"We never thought we'd ever be on the radio," Aubert says. "So when things started getting on the radio for [our debut album] 'Carnavas,' we thought it was a fluke." The band thought the attention would quickly die off but their second album, "Swoon," has made an even bigger splash. (Their first single "Panic Switch" reached the top spot in Billboard's Alternative Songs category.)

"When bands ask for us advice about how to get on the radio we just don't have it," Aubert says, baffled. "The only advice is to think you're never going to do it."

"Swoon" is very much the anti-radio record. The songs are long, winding and filled with tension. The dark, shoegaze-y melodies are better suited for the Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine '90s than the Miley Cyrus 2000s. The record demands repeated listens and gets better with each one.

"The making of the record was such an intense period. From beginning to end, it took us about a year. We just racked our brains and scraped every metaphor until there were no more metaphors left," Aubert says of the Swoon sessions. "We didn't even think it was going to get done at one point -- it seemed like such a mountain. And then right when it was finished, it went to radio right away. Once that happened, it became a roller coaster. It's just been so fast, such a whirlwind. It's been amazing. We've been amazed that things have continued on so well and things have only gotten crazier."

The craziness has included worldwide touring, ranging from intimate club settings to massive arena rock ventures like their current outing with Muse. "Of course we really love doing our own shows where we can get into all the different dynamics of the records, but we also like opening shows like these because it's a whole other experience. It keeps us fresh because we're just part of this big circus. You don't think of it as trying to prove yourself. You just think, 'There are 18,000 people here, one of them's going to like us.'"

Despite the nonstop touring, the band is still enjoying the moment. "I think we're still having a love affair with 'Swoon.' In a weird way, it's still very new to us," Aubert says. When that newness wears off and the band begins to feel that they need to reinvent the record on stage, that's when they know it's time to start working on a new record. "That hasn't happened yet. When that happens, you shut down and go home for a while and live for a bit. When you have the chance to actually listen to yourself, when things are quiet and kind of mundane and normal, that's when your brain starts to speak. But here, it's hard to hear yourself." And then he adds, with another laugh, "There are a lot big amps."

Spring Time in the SLC

This is why I don't put my winter clothes away until June.

A Good Year for Punk Rock

Though it seems like they may have gone the way of the buffalo, there's still some pretty good punk rock coming out these days.

Alkaline Trio took a break from gothing-out on their new record This Addiction. Here's the title track:



Paige and I are both in love with this Motion City Soundtrack, despite listening to it thousands of times to together. Here's "A Lifeless Ordinary (Need a Little Help)":



And let's not forgot Bouncing Souls 20 year anniversary record Ghosts on the Boardwalk. So good.

I Got a New Job

I have to wear a tie.

Another Mopy Music Recommendation: Rocky Votolato

Despite never having heard his music, I decided to interview singer/songwriter Rocky Votolato for two reasons:

1. My friend Noah is a fan
2. He plays at the Velour in Provo a million times a year

The result was that I met a really nice fellow and I found out Noah (sometimes) has good taste in music .

Here's my article.

And here's the opening track from his highly recommended new album, True Devotion.

Dear Mr. Obama

Because I've been up to my eyeballs in extracurricular work lately, the Manifesto has been sorely neglected. For my first post back, I'd like to offer up this plea to our president.


Now that's democracy at it's finest! Thanks to Kaleb for the pic.

After coming home from a 7 am meeting on a snowy Daylight Savings morning, it's nice to see your kids all cozy in the bed, watching Yo Gabba (and learning how to beatbox).

This Week's Reviews: AA Bondy, Lights, Cub Country

Another decent week for music. I love this A.A. Bondy record. If you like the ultra-slow/quiet indie country stuff, you'll want to give it a listen.



Those hoping for a girl version of Owl City should check out Lights. She's from Canada. I'm sure you can guess how I feel about that.



And here are the links to my reviews:

A.A. Bondy - When the Devil's Loose
Lights - The Listening
Cub Country - Stretch That Skull Cover and Smile

Alkaline Trio Show Review / I am Not a Stripper

Alkaline Trio
In the Venue
February 24, 2010

I was not hired as a stripper for last night's Alkaline Trio show, despite what the band may have thought.

Going to concerts is infinitely more difficult once you have kids. Despite having to make some complicated babysitting arrangements, I thought I had everything worked out so I could check out Alkaline Trio, one of my long-time favorite bands. As it got closer to showtime, however, plans got disrupted a bit and I thought I might miss it. And the last thing I wanted was to drive to the club just to have to turn back around because it was already over. Then the light bulb turned on--though I had never met him, I had the tour manager's cell number!

I texted the following:

"Carlos, this is Spencer from In This Week. Has Alkaline gone on yet?"

This seemed like a pretty straightforward question. But I guess I was wrong.

"Are u the stripper?"

Whah?

I responded that fortunately, for everyone's sake, I was not.

With no further response from Carlos, I headed to In the Venue, hoping I hadn't missed the show. Though I tried to concentrate on just making it to the venue on time, I couldn't help but wonder what Alkaline Trio would be doing with the male stripper they were apparently expecting.

When I got to the club, I was happy to see that the band had just started. The boys were pounding through "Dine, Dine My Darling" from their new record, and though they were playing in front of their usual heart-and-skull backdrop, something didn't seem right. What was with all the balloons and party hats? It turns out, rock stars have birthdays, too.

Matt Skiba was happy to celebrate his 34th birthday with his Salt Lake City fans, especially because it meant plenty of birthday shots between songs. He handled the liquor just fine, but he really got thrown off his game when, five seconds after starting a new song, the house music came on (Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison," no less) and his band abandoned their instruments. His face lit up when the band's crew delivered him a Batman cake, with candles blazing. His joy turned to a bit of fear when he saw the male Hot Cop approaching him for a lap dance.

"I saw a cop on the stage out of the corner of my eye," Skiba said after the encounter, with a smile. "I thought I was getting arrested for swearing or something. I didn't realize it was Officer Sexy."

After the impromptu birthday celebration, the band returned its focus to music, rocking through eight albums of material. The largest chunk came from 2003's "Good Mourning," including "We've Had Enough," "One Hundred Stories," "Continental," and "Fatally Yours." But the definite highlight of the night was "Nose Over Tail" from the band's debut EP, when Matt Skiba shouted "I want to make it really," and the crowd enthusiastically responded in unison, "I'd love to rub your back."

Sounds like the end of a great birthday. Stripper or no.

At Family Band Practice

Curtis was playing drums and Paige said, clutching her microphone, "Nice beat, Curtis. Nice beat."

Fanfarlo 2.0 + This Week's Reviews

I'm now to the point where I've written for IN long enough that I'm interviewing bands for the second or third time. Last week, I did my second interview with British band Fanfarlo, who are playing here on Saturday.

I talked with the mandolin-playing girl wearing the superflous bowties. You can read the interview here. She gets bonus points for making reference to Dr. Tobias Funke.

If you like Arcade Fire, you should definitely check 'em out.

Also, here's this week's album reviews:

Phantogram - Eyelid Movies (Recommended, if you like Massive Attack)
Ke$ha - Animal (Recommended, if you like Bring it On)
Drew Danburry - Goodnight Gary (Recommended, if you like long beards)

Another One off The List: Matt Skiba

Last week, I was able to talk to another one of my favorite bands. I spent about 20 minutes on the phone with Alkaline Trio front man Matt Skiba. (This was actually my second interview with the band. I interviewed drummer Derek Grant last year.)

I've found that I am actually much less nervous to talk to my rock and roll heroes than bands I've never heard of. Since I own all the AK3 records and have seen them live a bunch of times, it's not hard to come up with a list of things I'd like to ask them from a fan's perspective. If it's a band that's new to me, I have to do a lot of research just to avoid sounding like an idiot.

Mr. Skiba, with his smoker's voice, was very cool and easy to talk to. He was the first rock star to ever start the conversation by asking me where I was and what the weather was like. A small guesture, but I found it very endearing.

We chatted about the band's punk rock beginnings, their recent gothic leanings, and the record label they just started. Very cool, very personable.

My article is here and if you want to listen to the full, 20-minute interview, I've included it below.

Matt Skiba Interview [WMA]

Like Looking in a Mirror

Thanks to an old VHS tape at my mom's house, Paige is now enamored with the Fisher Price Little People. (I couldn't find any clips of the show in English, but here it is, dubbed in Italian. I'm bummed. It still has the lame opening song, but not the super creepy, Aaron Neville version.)



It's not surprising that Paige's favorite character is Maggie, the girl with the curly hair. (Especially since she looks like a miniature version of the five-year-old Traci.) Every time Maggie comes on the screen Paige says, "There's Maggie. She looks a bit like me. She's got currrrrly hair."

She's said this so many times that I barely even notice it anymore. But it did throw me off when she told me who I look like.

"I think you look a bit like Michael."



Michael? Really? Huh.

7th Inning Stretch

This weekend, our family room turned into a baseball diamond (in addition to a mess). Paige found the baseball bat that I bought her last summer and decided it was time to play. After about 5,000 pitches, she was getting pretty good at hitting it--or rather, I was getting really good at throwing the ball the directly at the bat. Not surprisingly, she exclaimed with delight, "I'm really good at baseball!"

"You sure are," I responded.

"Do you know what's my favorite sport?"

"What?"

"Golf."

Hannah Montana on My iPod (And I Dont' Like It)

Paige's 15-year-old aunt has outgrown her Hannah Montana CD, but was kind enough to pass it on to Paige. Now Paige is singing and dancing right along. While this is certainly annoying, it has also reopened a recent wound.

I was so excited when I had finally saved up enough money to buy a copy of some recording software called Cubase. That means we would not only be able to finally finish the Johnny Tightlips album that we started three years ago, but it would actually sound good.

You see, the new version of the software comes an autotune feature. I had beautiful dreams of taking my crappy voice and electronically manipulating it into the angel voice I imagine it to be. (Or possible just goinging the T Pain autotune route.)

After spending several late night hours trying to figure out to use it, I realized the reason I couldn't get the auto to work was beacause I DIDN'T HAVE THE FEATURE!!

When I was researching my Cubase purchase, I quickly realized I'd only be able to afford the "Education Edition." But I compared it side by side with the full edition and it looked like it'd have everything I'd need. Apparently, I was wrong.

So, I sit with Paige, listening to Miley Cyrus's perfectly-pitched voice and just want to kill myself. Or Miley Cyrus. Or both of us.

New Reviews: Temper Trap, Story of the Year, Surfer Blood

The Temper Trap - Conditions (Highly recommended)
Story of the Year - The Constant
Surfer Blood - Astro Coast (Pretty good, worth checking out)

Stupid Manifesto, Ruining Bring it On

No more internet for me tonight. Apparently, I can't blog and watch Bring It On at the same time. I'm only 20 minutes in and I'm already lost. Which ones are the good cheerleaders? Why is the main girl falling in love with the guy from the other team? (Doesn't she understand that their could be disastrous consequences when the team goes to regionals?) Why are they saying things like "cheer-barrassment?"

I'm starting it over from the beginning.

Alright, Jay-Z, You Got Me

So, lately I've been questioning Jay-Z's claim of being the greatest rapper alive. I finally checked out his "On to the Next" video and, though I am still not a huge fan of the song itself, I definitely have to give some props for the video.

Tonight, Hova earns from me the coveted "rapper with the creepiest, unrap rap video" award. Congratulations.

I fear that I will have nightmares about my sneakers bleeding milk tonight.

Bring It On - It's Getting Soooo Broughten

Tonight is a special night. It's the fifth installment of Bring It On night. That's right, the fifth. Though episodes two and four were a bit disappointing, I have high hopes for this one. I think the only reason it went straight to DVD was because it was too awesome for the theater-going crowd to handle.

Review to follow...