Grandview "There is much artistry in the way the album is constructed, every detail is accounted for." [Promo]

DISCLAIMER:  I am going to fanboy pretty hard about this artist.  But I completely believe the AT LEAST 90% of such praise is completely warranted.  Ok, let's do this.

Grandview is a small time band out of Boston, MA.  They are in the same touring group as The Color and Sound, The Dirty Looks, Pray for Sound and Somos (there's free music in some of these links).  I have a friend in New York state who is into the local music scene (he's in a band up there) and this is how I was introduced to all these wonderful artists.  But what inspired me to write this post is Grandview's newest release.

Now, while I love the indie pop music from The Color and Sound, the post-rock from Pray for Sound and the pop punk from Somos, Grandview takes these ideas and mixed them into something new.  Now, maybe you're saying "Come on, indie pop punk emo alternative rock isn't anything new."  And to that, I say "you are correct."  But the new scope that Grandview creates on the genre(s) is a wonderful experience.

This is one of those albums you plug in and just listen to without doing anything else.  Experience the lyrics and the emotion of the instruments.  Considering this is their first LP, Grandview is already mature in a way few bands will ever be.

There is much artistry in the way the album is constructed.  Every detail is accounted for.  The album, entitled "Everything Between Paint and a Wall" starts with the song Paint and ends with the song Wall.  The tracklist is constructed in such a way that you feel a spectrum of emotions in the correct order.  And, while listening to it, I had the "repeat album" option on.  Not only does each song flow seamlessly into the next, but there is a transition from the last track to the first track.  This album transitions into itself.  That's as impressive as The Dear Hunter's album Act I transitioning into his next release, Act II.

I find it a beautiful experience, and I hope you will at least give them a listen.  You can stream the entire album on Grandview's Bandcamp Page.  You can buy the 11-track album for $5, and this page also offers some free (or name your price) releases.  Be sure to give those other bands a listen as well, I know you won't regret it!

Coca-Cola's Super Bowl commercial, and the media-driven culture war fad.

Anyone watching the Super Bowl knew this was going to happen.  Coca Cola's ad (below) features "America the Beautiful" sung in seven different languages.  The artistic point of the ad, it's message, is simple:  America is beautiful because we are a melting pot.  But, as many of you probably know, that particular bottle of multicultural Coke was hard from some to swallow.

Glenn Beck has publicly stated that the ad is a political divider of the people:

"It's in your face, and if you don't like it, if you're offended by it, you're a racist. If you do like it, you're for immigration. You're for progress."

Fox News's Todd Starnes also weighed in on the negative side of what many claim shouldn't be a debate.

Coca Cola is the official soft drink of illegals crossing the border. #americaisbeautiful
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) February 3, 2014

So was Coca-Cola saying America is beautiful because new immigrants don't learn to speak English?
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) February 3, 2014

Yet, many say it's a beautiful and artistically done commercial.  They believe Coke has no hidden agenda, they're simply bringing back "Buying the World a Coke."  Of course, I lie somewhere in the middle.  The marketers at Coke are very good at what they do.  I think they wanted to stir the pot.  Not because they are pro or anti-immigration.  Because people would be talking about their advertisement.  And look at social media and news publications now!  All they want to talk about is how beautiful the ad is and how ignorant that Fox News is.  So, Coke got their wish:  press.  But they've opened up a bigger can of worms.

All of the anti-conservative information you see above came from a New York Daily News article with so much spin it made me dizzy (if you get motion sickness, be weary of following the link).  The focus of the article was bashing famous conservatives for disagreeing with the message of the advertisement.  They, meaning author Ethan Sacks, named two contributors to Fox News and wrote what I have written above.

Clearly using what we can only assume is an ad he appreciates (lest he be called ignorant), Sacks attacks the right-wing media.  He subtly, but effectively, wrote Fox News enough times in his article for us to know he's generalizing the feelings of Glen Beck, and a man who wrote "Dispatches from Bitter America" and projecting them onto an entire news organization.

It's a controversy, alright.  People fighting on social media.  News outlets using what they say is art to attack another.  Racism, intolerance, melting pot, assimilation, hate, love, acceptance.  Do we let immigrants in?  After all, that's what this country was founded on.  But "united we stand, divided we fall."  Do we force everyone to learn English and use it in public, still allowing them to appreciate their native tongue, so we can stand together?

No matter what your beliefs are on all of this, it doesn't seem like the media is using the controversy to do anything good.  All they want to write about is hateful tweets.  And Coke can sit back and watch as their advertisement creates a culture war fad, driven home by the media.  Hell, even I'm giving Coke free press by writing this.  But no more, let's leave the faux culture war alone, and focus on real immigration.

In case you didn't know, an immigration deal is currently in the works.  This is what we should all be reading, arguing about, and writing about:  real immigration law with real long lasting consequences.

What you don't know about Phil Robertson (and what he actually said) [Feature]

Yesterday I woke up to the biggest Facebook feud I've seen in years.  This time, it seems someone has said something offensive about homosexuals, and it wasn't Chic-fil-A.  Nope, Phil Robertson, one of the stars of the largely (and unnecessarily) merchandised television show, Duck Dynasty.  And apparently, the man is also racist!  And our freedom of speech is being taken away!

Now, because these outlandish claims were on Facebook and my guess was no one had read the actual GQ Interview, I went ahead and did my homework.  And guess what I found out?  Phil Robertson isn't too bright.  But before I get ahead of myself, I want to go through the GQ article step by step.

The first, and possibly most, important thing Phil says in the interview is a quote that hopefully most people interested in the so called "scandal" have seen.  It's the one about, without getting too anatomically specific, in what ways women are more desirable than men, and how illogical it would be to be homosexual.

“It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”

So there that is.  It's not necessarily a pleasant comment, but it's not anywhere close to the anti-Semitic tirades that Mel Gibson went on.  However, this comment was apparently unprompted.  I'm not sure if it can be attributed to bad journalism on the part of the article's author, Drew Magary, or if Robertson just said it out of the blue.  But this quote seems to be what people are risking their Facebook social lives on.

A Lot Like Birds (and nothing like fish) [Promo]

A couple years ago, I went through a post-hardcore phase.  I began listening to The Devil Wears Prada and We Came As Romans.  I had friends introduce me to Memphis May Fire and Of Mice & Men (which I still believe are two of the best bands in the genre).  But I've only recently stumbled on A Lot Like Birds.  And I instantly loved them.

It's not a "Party Problem" it's a "Government Problem". [Feature]

Today marks our 10th day in to the Federal Government's shutdown.  And if you don't fully understand it and want to know more about it, the Washington Post has a pretty good article explaining it and it's effects.  But I'm not here to discuss all of that in detail, I'm here to discuss the overarching source of our current crisis, and how the American people aren't helping.

As children, we learned fairly quickly how to blame others for the wrongs we had done.  Little Johnny points the finger at Little Susie for the broken vase, and whatnot.  This is what's going on in Washington.  We as Americans have been complaining for years that the parties' polar actions are harmful, and they should get along.  Compromise it's something we've wanted for a long time.  Obviously we haven't reached that point yet, the government is shut down and millions of people are out of the job.  People who, mind you, had as much say in the shutdown us voters did.  But Representatives and Senators are still getting paid, thanks to convenient laws that guarantee their salaries no matter what shape our government is in.

Who's Backing Up the Internet? [Feature]

10 years ago this may have been a silly question to ask.  But today the internet is a larger part of our lives than the television.  We use it to see what's going on throughout the international community through various news applications and websites.  It helps us to stay in touch with friends who are thousands of miles away.  We listen to the radio and watch television on it.  It helps us to find new entertainment, new charities to help, and allows us access to more information than ever before in the history of humanity.

Through the countless videos, pictures, statuses, and ideas posted to the many social networks, we as a race have successfully uploaded the human experience.  And whether it's pictures of cats dressed like Hitler, or Mackelmore's new music video that supports gay marriage, we can use the internet to feel the entire range of human emotion.

So if we use the internet to get from point A to point B, and it's such a pivotal part of our every day lives, what happens if it all goes away?  Some people worry about an information apocalypse, nothing short of the fourth Die Hard movie.  While it seems laughable and highly unlikely (I mean if anyone ever did threaten to destroy all digital information, Bruce Willis would swoop in and save the day), it's better to be safe than sorry right?

In San Francisco, California stands the headquarters of The Internet Archive.  Funded by Brewster Kahle, this nonprofit's goal is to collect as much of the internet as possible and store it on their servers.  They have backed up millions of books and billions of web pages.  The service is open for anyone to use.

And this isn't the only service out there!  Do a quick search, and a bunch of them turn up!  So there's no need to fret about the loss of an internet.

The Best Albums I've Ever Heard, Volume 1 [Feature]

Music is is one of my passions in life.  Evolutionary Psychologists and other professionals who study music call it "auditory cheesecake".  They believe that the brain just naturally loves music, the sounds, the mathematics behind it, solving it's intricate complexities.  Music is also one of the most relaxing things in the world.  The song "Weightless" by Marconi Union has been studied by scientists at the Mindlab instutition.  Listening to this song "induces a 65% reduction in overall anxiety".  This is the equivalent to a day at the spa and a cup of tea.

Anyway, where was I?  Oh, yes.  I've listened to enough music now that I believe I can make a sound judgement on what the best albums are.  In my library, at least.  And I can't write about all of these albums in one article, and who knows what amazing masterpieces I've missed?  So, this is The Best Albums I've Ever Heard, Volume 1.

LOVE by Angels & Airwaves
This double album has been rated one of the best produced in the world.  It's concept?  The connections we make in life are what define us.  It's beautiful, powerful, fun, and feel-good.  The music may not be complicated at it's core, but it's multi-layer instrumentation is masterfully executed in a way that makes this album fun to listen to time and time again.

Any Man in America by Blue October
I won't take too much time reviewing this rollercoaster of emotion, considering I already have in this publication: <http://thespandrel.blogspot.com/2011/09/any-man-in-america-blue-october.html>
But what I will say is that his divorce made the lead singer really take a step back and get some real perspective on his life, and all of his emotion was poured into this album.

CANINES by CANINES
This acoustic experiment from Joel P West is charming to say the least.  He explores everything from homelessness to post-breakup depression, honesty and lies.  Even though most songs are sad, they are so beautiful I cannot help but smile every time I listen to the album.  It is an emotional ride that I am happy to experience over and over again.

Well, I think that's enough emotion for any one person to experience.  If you want more amazing albums before I post Volume 2, feel free to shoot me an email.  I'm always happy to share the magical work of others.  And as a bonus, in each volume I think I'm going to include a few albums that are a bit happier, and are still some of my favorites.

Monster Monster/Monster EP by The Almost - Mostly fun albums, and I find it is amazing summertime music.

Let's Build Something to Break by After Midnight Project - A great and original rock album, strong and fun.

Aranda by Aranda - This self-title has a classic bluesy feel, amazing rock, the kind of music you don't really hear anymore.  It helps that they have a sense of humor.

Homesick by A Day To Remember - While it's not my favorite post-hardcore album, this one is definitely hard to beat.