2014 was a very good year in music. I wouldn’t say it was great, but it was very good. There were only a few perfect albums, but there were countless attempts that came close to hitting the mark. It was the year of introspection. It was the year of the singer-songwriter. It was the year of stories (as is evident from my… Read more →
As I’ve said before, this blog no longer focuses on album reviews or news or anything of that sort. The sole purpose of ILSUDH2 is to share my ‘live’ music experiences. I do my best to recap the shows I go to, but I just don’t have the time or energy to do much else these days. That being said,… Read more →
When Sam Herring spoke of breaking the artifice last night, before closing the set out with “Little Dreamer”, I couldn’t help but wonder what he meant. Everything about Future Islands is honest. Their songs and stage presence are pure life. There is something primal about what they do – something essential. Everything about the band, and the face that represents… Read more →
On March 8th, 1994, two bands released their defining albums. Trent Reznor brought his industrial project to the mainstream (and dancefloors) with a song about fornicating like an animal, while Chris Cornell solidified himself as the voice of the heavier side of alternative rock. Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden both had a following before these albums were released, and some would even say The… Read more →
The photo above best represents the image in my head of what The Knife would look like on stage. My skewed perspective came from the media that surrounded the album that first introduced me to the masked Dreijer siblings. The visual companions to Silent Shout were extremely dark and they portrayed Karin and Olof as anonymous figures in a variety of… Read more →
Thoughts are fleeting. The rich narrative that builds in my head during any given show is usually gone within 24 hours. Like spring snow melting down to nothing more than wet spots reflecting the sun, the details of any given performance dissolve down to nothing more than flashing lights and snippets of feelings that have long since past. That is why it… Read more →
The 3rd Annual Winter on the Rocks was perfect. Although it didn’t start out that way. I couldn’t help but question my own intelligence as I navigated Red Rocks Loop in the dark. The temperature outside was a cool 25°F as my headlights reflected off the fog back through my windshield. The Upper North Lot was a desolate wasteland when… Read more →
2013 was a great year in music. I’d argue it was among the best in the past 10 years. The diversity among the overachievers was remarkable. Representative artists from hip-hop, pop, rock, metal, hardcore and electronic music all brought their best to the table, but it was those albums that obliterated genre definitions that really stood out. Those undefinable sounds… Read more →
We were on our way to the mountains for the weekend when I was first exposed to Sleigh Bells. I had downloaded a bunch of blogged-about tracks that week and hadn’t had a chance to listen to them, so I threw them on a playlist for the drive to Summit County. Everything was going smooth until a track called “Crown… Read more →
Back in December of last year I threatened to shut down this blog, or give it a break at the very least, and although certain aspects of life have gotten in the way of regular updates, I have somehow found time to keep it alive. I might not go to quite as many shows as I have in years past,… Read more →
Back in December of last year I threatened to shut down this blog, or give it a break at the very least, and although certain aspects of life have gotten in the way of regular updates, I have somehow found time to keep it alive. I might not go to quite as many shows as I have in years past,… Read more →
