More Music, More Coffee, More Important Things

I'm gonna follow suit and start off with a bit of a shout out to some friends of ours. We really have some talented friends (especially Grace Tuttle, who's Jamnesty photos we're using), so if you've got some time, check out the box to the right, you will not be disappointed.

Next on the list, Amnesty International! I think these guys are great. People, in general, are dicks, but Amnesty goes out of its way to protect against human rights violations for everyone (even if you are a terrorist/mass murder kind of guy). I really think it's a good organization (which is why I'm a member) and I'm glad that Jamnesty turned out well, and after Folabi spoke it really seemed like people cared about what was going on, so I think it's safe to say Jamnesty was a success.

Anyway, my favorite act was these two guys, Mike Pilger and Jordan Balaber. They played two Grizzly Bear songs, and then played one of my favorite songs ever, Fireworks by Animal Collective. Maybe I am a little biased (because they played songs that I know and like), but I really thought they were the best there. The mandolin really added a lot to these songs, and they had some spot on harmonies. During Fireworks, they had some really good energy, and even the large bro/ho population of our school seemed to be enjoying it. They had some really cute/goofy banter (they're best friends) and they really were a great pair. Also, Jordan Balaber's got some pretty cool tunes on his myspace



My next favorite were these two, a brother and sister pair, who hail from the Czech Republic. Her name's Kristyna Gocova, but I feel really bad, because I don't know his name! (he doesn't go to our high school). They played some Czech songs, and they were really good. She's an amazing singer and he's quite good himself. It was really interesting to me to hear the Czech lyrics, and even though I didn't understand them (they did give a brief summary of what the songs were about) the music and the way they sang gave you an idea of the feeling and the emotions behind the songs. They didn't play this at Jamnesty, but during their audition, the covered the song A Mighty Leviathan of Old, by Vandaveer, and I thought it was better than the original.



Last but not least, Lara Sagatov and Ben Draper. They played some covers that I didn't know the names of, but there last song was a song that Ben wrote, and it was pretty good (there was a good backstory to it as well). They're both great singers, and they had some pretty excellent harmonies on some of their songs. Lara also played banjo, which really helped their performance stand out I think.


While we didn't cover all the bands, none of them were bad, and everyone did a great job. It was quite a success, and we're looking forward to next year's (I'm trying to convince daniel to play with me).


-Alec

Music, Coffee, and Important Things

Hello, my friends.

First things first, on the right side, we've added a little tab for our friends on the internet, so maybe give them some clicks. And regarding the titular subject, JAMNESTY! Jamnesty is our school (JMHS)'s Amnesty International club's big spring fundraiser. For those who aren't familiar with Amnesty International, it's an organization that promotes human rights around the world, and works to spread awareness of human rights crises; noble, right? Jamnesty is a kind of music-coffee-house event that features student bands, free coffee, ambiance, and this year, a guest speaker.

This is Jamnesty's third year, and by some miracle of publicity, we managed more than 300 guests. Thanks is due to the astounding talent of the musicians that performed, and the efforts of everyone involved in its preparation. A special thanks to Folabi, the guest speaker, and the Director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office of Amnesty International, so pretty darn important. Other awesome folks: Mr. Douds and Mrs. Jones, the teacher sponsors, and Sydney Zwicker and Quinlan Maggio, the presidents.The whole thing was a big hit, and a load of fun for everyone.

So how about a music review? I know Alec is better than me at these, but it's my turn to post, so I'll give it my best shot. We both picked a few to cover, and rather than cover them in the order they played, I'll start with an act that is very special to me.

I should say, Alec wasn't really the head guy for the act, Dan Nothaft was, and they performed under the band name "Concrete Cloud," so that should give you an idea of their sense of humor. At any rate, they were far from professional, but Dan on vocals, harmonica, and keyboard was maybe my favorite performer of the night. I was pretty fond of his original song "Seaglass Woman," wherein he forgot a verse but masterfully recovered. I hope Alec can do a better job of comparing it to some known band, but I found it reminiscent of a band called Beulah. What really did it for me was their cover of Like A Rolling Stone. I'm telling you, folks, Dan Nothaft channeled Bob Dylan like a router channels the internet. To say it in a less weird way, he was super. I felt it, you guys.

Another musician I feel deserves major recognition is Sash Callsen, the opening act, and a vocalist/guitarist for the closing act.

As I recall, he sang a cover or two, and an original song that I seriously dug. He's got a different, sort of high, sort of nasaly singing voice, but it is in no way annoying. I wish I could talk about it in a more intelligent way, because I'm not doing him justice, but he was just a great act to listen to; very relaxing and clearly passionate. If I manage to get a hold of any kind of recording, I will not hesitate to post it.

The last act I'll talk about now is a delightful group of ladies going by Strictly Ornamental.

They started with a cover of an Acid House Kings song, This Heart is a Stone, a fun little diddy and I think it is well described as exactly what you want this band to sound like. The song was very cute, with lighthearted lyrics and some playful glockenspiel action. I greatly enjoyed the singer's (Zoey Jeong) voice; it was vaguely boyish, and sweet and emotive. They followed with a cover of Incubus' Here in My Room, which I actually liked a lot more than the original; and closed with Best Imitation of Myself, by Ben Folds Five. I hope it will suffice to say that while they are a bit of a "girl band" if you know what I mean, they are a very good one. Honestly, I'd like to talk a bit about everyone, but that would be selfish and tiring.

I would like to finish by saying a big ol' thank you to our buddy Grace Tuttle, who provided all of these snazzy pics. So maybe patronize her Flickr, yes? Link's over on the right.

It's all yours, Alec

-Daniel