Album Review!

This site need not only be for visual delicacies. A CD review every-once in a bit doesn't sound like so much of a bad idea, now then does it? Off we go..



Albums have strange timing. Some show up and you listen to because you feel like you might have to. But sometimes, you can listen to an album many times and still not fully appreciate it, or perhaps it just wasn't the moment for you to discover what that album truly has to offer.

Nowadays, with the advent of online purchasing, pirating, ring-toning it can be down right difficult to find and entire album that is worth listening to. This past week I came across a wonderful offering by the relatively new The xx.

Self-titled, the album begins with an 'Intro' track that really sets the pace for the next 12 songs. A distant guitar sends off a lonely, but warm guitar line. Coupled along with drums that open up a landscape that you're not entirely sure where it will end up, but dammit, you must follow. Pulsing through-out with moans, and ahhs from both Romy Madley Croft (female lead vocal, lead guitar) and Oliver Sim (male vocals, bass guitar) add to this beginning that, rarely seen on enough albums, completely sets a tone.

Through-out the next 11 songs, the pace never really picks up, you never really want it to though. As tracks flow by with the liquidity of a stream, Croft and Sim sling lyrics back and forth with the softness and straight forwardness that makes one almost feel as though they're voyeur on the wall of two people very much in love. Not only are the lyrical deliveries that in tune, but combination of lead guitar and bass behind both of these members, adds a definite touch of chemistry that you just don't see very often. Sometimes, one could tune out the lyrics and have a sense of what the song is conveying just by listening to the dance of these two instruments through out this album.

This theme continues through-out the album. Reminiscent of Isobelle Campbell & Mark Lanagan's collaboration of soft-crooning, this album takes on much more of a personality and attitude. It's not often that not only does a band combine lyrical chemistry along with their instrumental match-up. This album plays as a definite must-have.

Updates!!fir

Yea, of course. Blame it on hibernation. Blame it on a lackadaisical attitude to the freezer that was our winter.

Not to say that there hasn't been adventures, travel, and perhaps a new perspective or two on the way things operate along the way. Anyway, I've come to realize that this outlet does not have to always be about primarily pictures. There are so many other interests and possibilities to utilize. More of that idea later. Let's get back to the primary focus. Here, a touch of what's been happening since the last post.

Enjoy, more in a bit.

Swimming Pools and Bar-B-Ques

I truly am doing my best to stay warm this winter. Not so brutal as has been reported, but a touch chilly I'd like to think. It's got to be worse somewhere, right?

Pish-posh, weather aside. Going back to pictures in my archive I strain for the warmth of the sun. This selection of photos was from an impromptu Sunday evening back in June of last year. For reasons unknown to most a touring band was not able to play at the venue booked for that evening. Fortunately for those present, it turned out to be a great evening of wading pools and live music.

Slowly guests began to trickle in as the band began to play. A note here, a chord there. Before long entire songs rang out over the neighborhood in the summer dusk. Some in attendance chose to sit back in a somber evening relaxation as others took up the dance. That is what 8:30 in any random evening in June can become. The haze of the afternoon gives way and solace to the night sky. It was sort of a special ambiance, what along with the sounds of an old-fashioned quartet singing off into the night with the crickets filling in any void. I caught myself taking a step back to perhaps what could have been any summer evening fifty, one-hundred, or even one-hundred and fifty years ago.

This day and age can be easily lost in our technology driven, constant have-at-it atmosphere that is all but forced upon us. One can't choose to take for granted an evening like that. Any chance to take a step back in time, surrounded by friends, and a real performance can be cherished and sought after. Enjoy the photos, and not to worry, this snow and sub-zero will soon give way to harmony and crickets.

Snow Day!!

Hooray El Niño winters. Sometimes brutal yes. But also they allow for some really incredible days, such as 12+ inches of snow in a normally snow-barren Mid-Atlantic region. Days like these are the ones that no one takes for granted. Your normal everyday routine drive through the city quickly becomes the antithesis of and the camera comes out. Enjoy.

 

 

Bio Ritmo @ Balliceaux

Richmond. We are known for many things and I'll tell you two of those: Music and Restaurants. I had the great pleasure of seeing a home-town staple with a new favorite. Bio Ritmo performed an incredible two set performance at the decadent new eatery/venue Balliceaux. Only being my second visit to the building, I'm still taken aback at the level of thought placed into the planning of their lay-out. If I had to describe, I'd call it a F.L. Wright inspired design mixed with a touch of classic Richmod architecture. Very clean lines. Dark, mellow wood. Exposed brick, painted white. Well done. The combination with one of the best acts in town turned into a classic night, it wasn't till well into the second set did the dance floor clear enough to get a good Latin dance on, despite the craving for it from all sides. Top notch, keep it up Richmond.

The way we'll always be?

I find myself in quiet retrospection this evening. Trying to maintain the same 90 minute a day discipline for this activity is becoming more stringent than I once thought. But after reviewing peers' blogs, especially today, I realize it must be done. Illness be damned. Just have at it. Another task is finding photos to post. Perhaps it's a touch more difficult because as one who captures photos, I have yet to know what exact style I wish to purvey.

This evening caught me going back a couple of years to the first month or two in which I found myself in ownership of my first digital SLR. I had a good point and shoot, but felt it was time to expand after several years of that. Albeit, I loved the aspect of convenience, portability, immediacy, etc. But eventually you have to step up in some fashion. Not the greatest of cameras, a simple Nikon D40. But this did create many options I did not have before. One open doors leads to the next, yes? These four are simply what occurs when you have a camera in your hand at every moment for 2 months. The digital age is a double-edged sword. Yes, you have immediate feedback. On the other side, everyones a photographer nowadays.

The first was shot pretty late at night. From what I remember it may have been my first open shutter frame. I think I let it go for 10 or 15 seconds. Not trying any fancy tricks, but just trying to capture all the colors I saw that night. A lot of humidity in the air really carries existing light on occasion.

The next came from the Shenandoah valley, mid-spring or so. Everything was so lush and green. I was stopped on an old country road, probably dating back to 18xx? I'm still not sure how much I enjoy macro shots, but its still satisfying to capture an image that, to you, feels perfect.

Again, I return to the beach. Partially because I spend so much time there. Myself, like so many others out there, receive a certain calm and resetting from the ocean. Being in, or around, or on. It just levels me out in a way I'm not sure I can find elsewhere. This image could have been laying under the umbrella, awaiting sleep or just coming from a time of rest. I don't remember and it doesn't really matter now, but I know at that moment it was serene.

Finally. An image of the man that shaped at least 60+% of who I am today. My Ol' Man. On the water, in his element and happy. Not the easiest of lives he's led and I think his working had says it best. No words, just a photo. Love you, Dad.

Enjoy.

July Juxtaposition

Well. I caught myself peering through my back-up drive, and whether subliminally or not, I got lost in some photos taken this past summer on the July 4th  weekend.

For the most part a normal summer weekend. Crowds, minor waves, and a good bit of fun. But I believe caught my attention throughout the entire weekend was the fireworks. Normal, I know. Everyone loves fireworks. But this year I had court side seats and a voyeurism into what goes on behind the spectacular show that puts crowds across the globe stand in awe. 

On first glimpse, I really wasn't paying attention to the crew poised and circling the ignitions methodically. This is also what caught my eye. As you can see in the daylight picture, they had an array of equipment. Ranging from blast cylinders to large trucks to bring in all the gear. 

Once the initial blast went, the crowd looked upward. These figures did not. I could spot how many there were by a small glow about half way up each figure. Barely seeing their faces, I was still able to see that the bearer of each cinder was peering down, eyes locked onto each ring that emitted an explosion. For obvious reasons I first thought had first thought to myself, they've seen the show before, why would they worry about what was in the sky. 

After a few moments passed I saw the way the group moved. It was almost like viewing a ceremony of sorts. If I had to describe it.. they almost moved like druid priests. Slow, deliberate paces around an alter that was in the middle of the circle created by the group themselves. One couldn't help but ask the question, what all is involved in this show of low-level explosions? Were they following a strict OSHA protocol or is there an old, ancient ritual to celebrate the Black Match? I dunno, I don't ignite the fireworks, I just push the button. Enjoy.

Not each of the photos is directly related to the pyrotechnics, but is definitely a good representation of a solid 3 day weekend spent in Cape Hatteras. Full moons and a dead pelican.