Friday, June 27, 2014

First/Last-The Eastern Sea


"The Eastern Sea is an Indie rock band from Austin, Texas, which originally started as a bedroom project by singer Matthew Hines and eventually morphed into a band. They have released two original full length albums and a full length Christmas album."

The band hits Pittsburgh Saturday night at The Smiling Moose for the all-ages early show touring behind their latest album, "Plague". I want to thank vocalist Matt Hines for taking the time to participate in this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
The soundtrack to ‘Good Burger’.


Your last album bought?
Metronomy “Love Letters”.


Favorite album of all time?
Three way tie: Neil Young “Harvest”, White Denim “Last Day of Summer”, Scott Walker “Scott 4”.


Least favorite/most disappointing album?
Limp Bizkit “Chocolate Starfish and Hot Dog Flavored Water”.


First concert attended?
Diamond Rio at the Austin Rodeo.


Last concert?
The Men and Cloud Nothings at The Mohawk in Austin.


Favorite concert ever?
Phoenix at Madison Square Garden in 2010. (Daft Punk played their encore).


Least favorite concert?
Weezer at Free Press Summerfest in Houston.


Any thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
First time we ever played in Pittsburgh we drank a bottle of gin and cut our own hair with safety scissors. Ever since then, I've had an amazing soft spot in my heart for your city.


Thanks, Matt. Pittsburgh = drunken haircuts. I can live with that, I suppose.




FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on a link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The links helps to support this site and will allow me to keep writing about local music.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

First/Last-Drag Me Home


"22 bands from Pittsburgh's east end. 22 artists. 10+ writers creating works that act as snapshots of life in Pittsburgh. Tell yr friends."

My bud Ricky Moslen has curated this fantastic Pittsburgh music-art-lit 'zine/comp and will be celebrating tomorrow night for the release show. Check out the Facebook page for full details. Please support local local music as I thank Ricky for taking the time to put this together and for participating in this edition of First/Last.


The first album you ever bought?
Smashing Pumpkins “Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness”. I was in 6th grade.

Last album bought?
I paid for all of the CDs to make this compilation. Does that count?

Favorite album of all time?
This always changes. I'm just gonna lump all of the Bedhead + The New Year albums into one huge emotionally gut-wrenching album and say that.

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
After watching 'Some Kind of Monster,' I would've expected Metallica's “St. Anger” to be a lot funnier... instead it was just really boring.

First concert attended?
Probably Raffi or something. First rock concert was Oasis in '98, though.

Last concert?
Guerilla Toss/Radon Chong/Outlander/Lovely Little Girls at Howlers just the other night! Guerilla Toss put on an insanely fun and warped live show, and Radon Chong is truly one of the most impressive local bands out there. Weird night overall.

Favorite concert ever?
Either Refused's set at the Fun Fun Fun Fest last year or Boredoms with Jim O'Rourke at the Bowery Ballroom in 2004.

Least favorite concert?
Honestly can't think of any at the moment... trying to keep positive vibes :)


Favorite thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh’s been my home for most of my life. Despite the amazing neighborhoods, restaurants, sports teams, bars, record stores, public parks, Kennywood, etc, the best part of Pittsburgh probably remains the people. Cool folks.

Thanks, Ricky. I really do love and admire what you are doing with this. Showing Pittsburgh the incredible amount of musical talent we have in our own back yard is obviously very important to me as well!


FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on a link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The links helps to support this site and will allow me to keep writing about local music.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

First/Last-Matthew Ryan


"Matthew Ryan's In the Dusk of Everything marks a distilled reclamation of his more primal Americana/Folk roots.  With the bluntness of punk and the evocative rhythm of poetry his lyricism shines amongst these twelve deceptively simple songs of perseverance and closure via a clarity that operates in layers amid a world of struggle, beauty and sublime epiphany. The timelessly modern and spare qualities of these songs move with an earthy cinema with Ryan’s vocals front and center, while the music ebbs and flows like stark scenery in a grainy but saturated film."

As Matthew readies new music to be released this year, he performs this upcoming Saturday at a benefit gig for musician Matt Klutka. My thanks to Matthew for taking the time to participate in this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
I took a bus by myself to Kmart when I was a kid with some money I had earned from chores. Last time I'd been there with my Mom I noticed a bin full of LPs that seemed reasonably priced. I was about 11 or 12. I had seen U2 on MTV at this point, I believe it was ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ live at Red Rocks. It was the first time it was ever cool to be Irish. My family was proud of our blood. But there was always an almost stiff chinned apology for it. As a kid that's just something you feel. You don't understand it. But these sorts of things are handed down in such mysterious fashions. U2 made me feel unequivocally proud to be Irish. As a kid from a rough area they gave me a strong sense of right and wrong and implored a certain heroism. Those feelings meant the world to me in contrast to what I observed in the city where I grew up in, a city in transition or more to the point, decay. People sometimes inhabit rather than fight the struggles that persist around them. In Chester, PA where I grew up, there were many casualties to a changing economy, corruption and the hardness change can affect. Anyway, when I was rifling through the LP bin at Kmart, there was “Under a Blood Red Sky”. It was set at a bargain price, I believe it was $4.99, maybe $6.99, somewhere around there. And just like that my life was changed. Between the bus ride and the album I was broke, but I can only recall rare instances when I felt so damn happy. Art can tilt the world into a different light, open up new strength and community. I don't think that work and result via the arts should ever be overlooked when discussions of the value of art are thrown about, particularly in these days of new "intimacy" through the internet and its evolving epidemic of loneliness.

Your last album bought?
The last album I bought was a repurchase of “Horsebreaker Star” by Grant McLennan. Just a beautifully written album. A little too clean sounding, but ‘Coming Up For Air’ is one of my favorite songs ever written. Reminds me of so many friendships. We all reach that age when we start losing people in our lives. If you're lucky you get further in before that starts happening. Such permanent losses leaves you with a yearning for simple things like phone calls and conversations. Hopefully it teaches us to commit to those that are with you in the now. Sadly Grant is gone too. I love his voice. His writing. His strong and brave vulnerability.

Favorite album of all time?
Hard to say. The easy answers are “Blonde on Blonde”, “Achtung Baby”, “Sandinista”, Leonard Cohen's “Songs of Love and Hate”. But all the music that I've listened to has shaped the entire cinema of what I want from a song. So for different reasons I would throw The Jesus and Mary Chain in there, or The Ramones. Shane MacGowan. Paul Buchanan and the gang in The Blue Nile. Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Even Glasvegas, Frightened Rabbit, Gaslight Anthem's “59 Sound”. They all remind me of what I love about music. Steve Earle's “El Corazon”, Lucinda's “Essence”. Sinatra “The Capitol Years”. “Mule Variations”. It just goes on and on. The Replacements' “Let It Be”. The Stones, The Pretenders, Woody Guthrie, Tom Petty's “Hard Promises”. You know what I mean. It's hard to single one out.

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
My least favorite albums are the ones that value success and insidious innocuousness above all else. These types of albums should come with warning labels. Maybe saying something like "This music will lobotomize your heart, mind and soul."

First concert attended?
Bob Dylan with The Alarm opening up in the late 80’s I believe. My dad took me. It was cool.

Last concert?
I haven't been to a show since opening for Paul Weller last summer. God he's great. Was so much fun. Hard to see another show too soon afterwards but I'm due. Marah gets to Pittsburgh pretty regularly, I'm gonna catch one of theirs soon. Great rock n roll band. Reckless and beautiful.

Favorite concert ever?
Probably The Cure on their ‘Disintegration Tour’ way back when. It was so unapologetic and cinematic. The Pixies opened and they were great. I was right near the front and I loved it all. I was also at an age where I didn't have as many defenses, I believed everything I was seeing. As we get older we have to walk that line between what our ethos will allow and remaining open to being surprised. It's a tougher waltz than I thought it would be.

Least favorite concert?
No use getting into that, except I've seen some bad ones. Sometimes by accident, sometimes out of curiosity. Though I have to say, I've never seen an actual artist give a horrible concert. With artists it's always some version of the truth as they see it on some particular night. Now that can be dangerous, and Dylan and Van Morrison are notorious for confounding people. And I love that. Even Kanye West, I love that his talent and expression is challenged by his ego and emotions. What I like the least are machines that seem dedicated to smiling and waving flashing shiny objects with one hand while digging through the pockets of their audience with the other hand. What confuses me even more is that they're are huge audiences complicit in those medicine show.

Favorite thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
Been here a couple years now. It's a tough city to understand. It's very welcoming, but very sectioned because of the hills and rivers. I'm not in my 20’s anymore so it's been a slow process of getting to know it intimately. But I love the way it looks and feels. It's a rarely unique place in a country that finds itself more and more at war with homogenization. It's part of what attracted me here. I can't express just how beautiful it is here, the intersection of the past and the future. There's friction and hope here and you can feel that in the people and the landscape. The next album is strongly influenced by that heat I see here, it's called “Boxers”. It's a record about and for fighters. A lot of that Pittsburgh guarded optimism that comes off as grumpy pessimism is in these songs. There's a stark humor here, I love it. It's amazing how a place changes you, it forces you to define yourself and it seeps into you. Still haven't gotten used to french fries on everything, but I'm getting there. I do love potatoes. I mean, it's like soul food to me.


Thanks, Matthew. I second that Marah love. Been a long time fan.



FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on a link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The links helps to support this site and will allow me to keep writing about local music.

Monday, June 23, 2014

First/Last-Wind and Waves

Logo courtesy of Angelica B. (design) and Aura T. (coloring)

"Wind and Waves is three piece band from Monongahela about 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. It was formed by violinist Joanna P. and multi-instrumentalist Adam KM. They started playing music together at their local coffee shop's open mic nights for a few years before having the idea to start an original music project. Bassist Zac S. was added to the lineup after a lengthy impromptu conversation in late 2012. Focusing on original music they began to write and develop a unique type of indie-folk sound due to their very different musical tastes. Joanna is classically trained violinist. Zac is an excellent bassist rooted in 90's and contemporary rock. Adam a self-taught "we'll see how this sounds" instrumentalist who started his musical interests playing drums."

The indie-folk trio hailing from Monongahela are regulars at Little City Coffee and are working on finishing up their first demo tracks by the end of Summer. I want to thank Zac (Bass), Joanna (Violin) and Adam (Multi-Instruments) for taking the time to participate in  this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
Zac: Limp Bizkit “Chocolate Starfish and Hot Dog Flavored Water”.
Joanna: Avril Lavigne “Let Go”.
Adam: Weezer “Green Album”.

Your last album bought?
Zac: Death Cab for Cutie “Cath...”.
Joanna: Josh Garrels “Beyond the Blue”. Recently saw him in Philadelphia, amazing show.
Adam: Death Cab for Cutie “Codes and Keys” and The Ryan Anderson “Mistakes Included”. Ryan is an awesome pianist and friend who was also the blacksmith at Pittsburgh Ren Fest.

Favorite album of all time?
Zac:  Outkast “Speakerbox/The Love Below”.
Joanna:  Eisley “Room Noises”.
Adam: Against Me! “The Disco Before the Breakdown” and

Reinventing Axl Rose”, Weezer “Blue Album”, Avett Brothers “Four Thieves Gone”.

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
Zac: N/A: I love all music!
Joanna:  Evanescence “Evanescence”.
Adam:  The Killers “Battle Born”.

First concert attended?
Zac: Coldplay.
Joanna: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. I was either 9 or 10 years old. They are one of the best in the world both now and then.
Adam: New Found Glory. I was about 15 and then had my first performance at a school talent drumming in a band called Choking Hazard. We played "Threesome" by Fenix TX.

Last concert?
Zac: Snarky Puppy.
Joanna: Eisley.
Adam: Last national act was Father John Misty, amazing show and truly entertaining and inspiring. Last local act: Household Stories EP release show with The Red Western, awesome awesome bands.

Favorite concert ever?
Zac: 30 Seconds to Mars/Slipknot.
Joanna: I have two, Handel's Messiah, not too loud, no sore feet since we were sitting in church pews and The Birthday Massacre (electronic-ish music).
Adam: There's a few! Misfits in Pittsburgh, 2006: It was the first day I was ever in Pittsburgh, my birthday and the day I met the love of my life. Weezer in Columbus, 2010. Against Me! In Pittsburgh, 2011!

Least favorite concert?
Zac: Bob Dylan, I couldn't understand what he was saying.
Joanna: Max Bemis, content of the music was vulgar and gross and I kept wondering why I was there.
Adam: Blink 182 in Honolulu, 2004: It was, eh.

Favorite thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
Zac: Love the City, but in moderation.
Joanna: Don't go into the city often but when I do it's usually to the Strip District or the Cultural District Downtown. I own a coffee shop called Little City Coffee in Monongahela so I like to make my own tour of Pittsburgh's coffee shops and enjoy the people and what they offer.
Adam: The food! Polish, Russian, Italian and everything in between. I always love trying new food. Also busking in South Side and the support we've experienced from musicians and people in the local music scene.


Thanks, guys. Really looking forward to the new demos. Gonna have to head to Monongahela real soon.



FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on a link, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The links helps to support this site and will allow me to keep writing about local music.