Eclectic Grooves

Hi everybody! I am happy to announce that the third episode of I Hear a New World is available for download at: http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/ Just click on the link above and hit play on the latest episode, or download it to your hard drive to listen to it at a later time. Please make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you know when a new episode has been posted. You can subscribe by clicking on "RSS Feed" or "Archive Feed" under the section "Subscribe to This Podcast". For some reason, the embedded podcast is cut off, so you are only able to listen to the last two podcasts on Eclectic Grooves. Basically, the embedded podcast widget from Podomatic does not show the entire widget. The arrow button functionality is missing which prevents you from selecting the podcast you want to listen to beyond the last two episodes. If any of you know anything about HTML, embedded widgets and the limitations of certain templates, maybe you could shed some light on...

Hi everyone! I just wanted to make a short post about my latest podcast that is available to download from Podomatic. This week's episode is meant to be listened to as a companion to my last three posts on Musicfest NW, as it features music interspersed with commentary about the bands I checked out. You can listen to it online by clicking on the play button next to the podcast on the top right of the page. You can also download the podcast by going to this page: http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/ After you have listened to it, please let me know what you think. If you dig what you are hearing, please tell your friends to visit my page and download the podcast. Your feedback about the show and any suggestions you have will be considered in future podcasts. I am also taking suggestions for themes to explore as well as song requests. I am really having a great time compiling the songs and researching the stories behind the songs. One of my lifetime aspirations has been to work as a ...

September 6, 2008- Saturday The Strange Boys- Satyricon- 8:00 p.m. I hadn't heard of The Strange Boys before listening to their songs on Myspace a couple days before Musicfest 2008. I was so impressed with their brand of lo-fi garage tunes that I decided to check them out at the Satyricon on Saturday evening. It seemed to be the best bet for catching the band in all its retro-garage glory. I arrived about ten minutes before they were set to come on, and I think they started the show a little early to appease the eager crowd. My initial reaction was: "Damn, these kids weren't even thought of when I was born". But damn if they couldn't emulate the classic 60's garage rock like it's nobody's business. Their stage show wasn't very exciting and they didn't have much of a stage presence, but the music packed a powerful punch and got the crowd moving. It featured mainly short bursts of adrenaline-fueled garage rock mixed with slow tunes that showcase...

Before I recount the details of Musicfest from Friday evening, I wanted to let you know that I finally created a podcast on podomatic.com. Thanks to those of you who have already subscribed to it, and for those of you who haven't- What are you waiting for? I have it featured just below the "About Me" section on my blog. You can listen online by clicking the play button or click on "Visit this podcast" and it will take you to a page where you can subscribe to the podcast. This is a convenient way to keep up on when the podcast has been updated. It is my first official foray in podcasting- a mix featuring my commentary and insights about the artists featured on the program. Here is a description of the first episode taken from my podcast page which can be found here. Please support my cause by subscribing to the podcast and offering constructive feedback about the show. If you have any questions, please let me know. This episode was directly inspired by the Sonic...

I know that I said I would have this up on Sunday, but I have been too wiped out to even think about posting anything. I don't know if I'll be able to post these reviews of Musicfest in consecutive days, but I'll do my best. September 4, 2008- Thursday No Age/Battles- Wonder Ballroom- 5:30- 7:30 p.m. No Age has been receiving a lot of buzz on the internet lately, especially receiving accolades from the "tastemakers" at Pitchfork and blogs such as Gorilla Vs. Bear and Anacusic. I downloaded their latest record Nouns from Anacusic, and my initial feeling was that it was yet another example of the media overhyping some "next best thing" that wasn't worth the attention. To my ears, it sounded like noisy garage punk with a penchant for catchy melodies. It wasn't groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination, but I couldn't help feeling curious about what they could bring into a live setting. I arrived at the Wonder Ballroom around 3:30, expect...

Hello everyone! I finally had to break down and buy a wristband for this year's Musicfest NW. It was a hard decision, but having the opportunity to check out a lot of great bands won out in the end. For those of you who are wondering what shows I'll be checking out, please see my planned out schedule below. Come on! You know you want to see the man behind Eclectic Grooves! I plan on featuring a full story on my experience at this year's Musicfest, that will probably take place after the festival ends on Saturday. I wanted to feature this coverage last year, but I couldn't find the time or energy to make it happen. So, let's cross our fingers. I tentatively planned to check out the Scottish instrumental rock band Mogwai, but I couldn't get motivated to leave the house last night. Today, I plan on being more committed to checking out the bands I've outlined below. If you are curious, I'll be the guy wearing a brown Minutemen "Econo" shirt with je...