The Premier

(All off The Live Like You're Dying EP)
The Premier - The Great American Novel In Three Easy Steps
The Premier - She Doesn't Bother With Goodbyes
The Premier - Top Ten Reasons To Lose Your Faith In Mankind
buy it on their website at thepremierrock.com
You can also stream the whole thing at their Purevolume

It's about time I got around to these guys. Know, I know that a lot of you (from my area) may know of the Premier. The real question here is, have you heard the Premier?

Cause honestly those are two completely different situations. Of couse the band is made up of some of the nicest guys from lansdale (read: philly) PA, but did you expect them to write, record, and produce (all by themselves) some exceptional music? I will admit that I was hesitant to buy their "Live Like You're Dying EP" soley based on past recordings and lineup issues from years past. I will say that this self-produced record is one of the best of 2005, period.

The EP, recorded, mixed, and mastered by guitarist/songwriter Nick Steinborn runs on multiple levels, and has the potential to appeal to a number of different music lovers. It is the catchiest of the best pop/punk, the smartest of indie rock, and has the lyrics of the fastest reading angsty teen novel mated with the heavily stylization of 1930s private eye radio programs (lyrics provided by bassist Danny (Soupy) Campbell). Three of the four members of the band split the lyrics between themselves, each approaching the lyrics and medodies with their own sort of style. The guitar work is progressive enough to remain interesting, but retains the heart that much of the truely progressive genre sacrifices for technical skill. Don't expect dream theater hemi-deci-whatever-quivers or soaring Mars Volta vocals, cause you'll get neither. What I mean by progressive here is that where other pop/punk bands settle for power chords and colorless second chords, The Premier guitarists Dave Hughes and Nick Steinborn build interesting inversions and true guitar counterpoint, something usually only seen in more mellow independent bands such as Death Cab for Cutie. The Premier however, maintains layered guitar work while still managing to rock out pretty hard. Drummer Matt Brasch's pitch perfect (obviously an avid tuner) drums provide a lush rhythmic landscape for the rest of the music to be built upon.

Even their website http://www.thepremierrock.com has an interesting theme to it.

What Transit Can Do For You

For the past two weeks I've spent about 10 hours a week on the train riding to and from the lovely Temple University for the beginning of my sophmore year. Spending this much time on the train gives me time to sit back and absorb ridiculous amounts of music I would normally have to cram into my busy schedule. Usually I set my mp3 player to shuffle and see what kind of crazy mix it makes. More often than not, the songs don't really have a flow that one would normally want, but every once in a while something inside that little plastic and metal box seems to click, and suddently you're listening to a fabulous impromptu mix. This morning was one of these days. I tried to remember all this songs, and these seem to stick in my mind.

Nickel Creek - When In Rome
Sufjan Stevens - The Lord God Bird
The Platters - Earth Angel
The Premier - The Great American Novel in Three Easy Steps
Radiohead - Idioteque
Iron & Wine Calexico - He Lays in the Reins
Neutral Milk Hotel - The King of Carrot Flowers Pt.1
Mae - The Everglow
Neutral Milk Hotel - Two Headed Boy
All Time Quarterback - Cleveland
The Dandy Warhols - Gospel

There are some I forgot, and maybe they'll come back to me in the near future

By the way, tomorrow (9/13) is a great day to buy some CDs. Tomorrow sees the release of:
Sigur Ros - Takk
Devendra Banhart - Cripple Creek
Nada Surf - The Weight is a Gift
Iron & Wine Calexico - In The Reins

In other news, Death Cab's Plans was number 4 last week on the billboard charts, selling somewhere around 90,000 copies. I wish the album was deserving of those numbers. They really need to start pushing Transatlanticism or We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes.

Serena Maneesh

Check out this band from Norway. They're called Serena Maneesh. Imagine The Velvet Ungerground had a child with Brian Eno. Now imagine this child was born and raised in Norway and was named Serena Maneesh. their Self Titled record is worth all the hype they (hopefully) are going to get.

the only song you can hear online is a streamed one from the label's website http://www.honeymilk.no

I wish I had time to say more, but I have to get to class (and sit in the back of the room and listen to Serena Maneesh). Ahh Physics......