This next week I will be going to three shows. Tonight, Breathe Owl Breathe at the Bottom of the Hill. Saturday night, Stornoway at the Independent. And Tuesday night, a little known band out of Ireland, U2 at the Oracle Arena. It's a solid lineup. I'm pretty excited about Breathe Owl Breathe. They are from East Jordan, Michigan, which is apparently near the top of Michigan, close to one of those big lakes. My guess is that this is a forested area or if not forested then close to a forrest. Their sound is forresty -- mellow, folksy, melodic but with enough electronic additions to make it contemporary and "cutting edge." It's actually not at all "cutting edge" because that term is stupid. But they do that thing where they sound retro and new at the same time. They have this one song, "Across the Loch." A loch is a Scottish word for lake, which makes sense given that Breathe Owl Breathe come from "lake country" although they may or may not be Scottish, I don't know, but would be willing to bet something insignificant not.
(Quick aside: as I'm writing this I'm eating a bag of Jolly Time Healthy Pop Popcorn which is getting all over my fingers and all over the keyboard. The whole bag is only 3 Weight Watchers points. I know this because "I'm fat." Of course I'm not fat. I weigh 213 pounds and I'm a 6'1 dude, but I'm one of those dudes who thinks he's fat. Jesus, how pathetic -- I think that makes me a metrosexual. Seriously, I could definitely loose 20 punds (ha!), my sister keeps telling me that men with bellies (me) have heart attacks and die all the time. But I know I'm not fat. That's crazy! Abbey won't let me say "I'm fat" because it is detrimental to my self-image, it makes me depressed and then I eat more fat.)
I once listened to "Across the Loch" 35 times in a row. I'm not totally sure about that 35 number, but it was damn close, and it makes the damn point. It's this amazing song that makes you feel like you are underwater and you have special perceptive receptors in your brain, and your brain is open and the music from the song goes through the water directly into the synapse between your most sensitive and intelligent neurons. The song has this repetitive (a difficult word to spell) guitar riff and then some shakers and one chorus that goes, "I was afraid of loosing you, I was afraid of loosing you," which is genuinely sad. I'm sad right now listening to the song again. I don't know if listening to a song 35 times in a row is a good thing. But sometimes I feel like I want to feel sad, which sounds weird but is also true, and weird.
Let me just say that I'm not a big fan of the name "Breathe Owl Breathe." I mean I like breathing, I love breathing, and I'm also a fan of owls. But it's so self-aware that it's a bit trite in my opinion. But I think if you make really great music, your band name isn't that important. I mean it's important but not that important. Jesus, there's a topic for further discussion. Oh, by the way, all 20 of you that I'm forcing to read this should feel free to email me your thoughts, disappointments, angers, suggestions for improvements at my email or for those of you reading who don't know me, you can email existentialporcupine@gmail.com.
So tonight Breathe Owl Breathe at the Bottom of the Hill. Frankly, I hope it's good. (That's a horrible use of frankly that is wrong, but I read someone write a good frankly yesterday i think and it sounded so smart, so I'm smart! because frankly, i use frankly.)
love to all, spread it around, seriously, man! (exasperation)
Anthony
ps - oh shit the link!: http://g-rad.org/breatheowlbreathe/ this is a blog in the year 2011, not providing a link is just classless. (mudge, if you read this far, you are funny, but not for reading this far, just in general. : )
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