IndyMcGrath: Juggling Musical Sources in the Digital Age
I never learned how to juggle, but I have always admired the skill. I always viewed it as the perfect mix of maintaining composure while overcoming distraction. Focusing in on the touch, building routine, gaining speed and then ultimately mastering the art. Muscle memory serves as an essential element in the skill set of any juggler. Memorizing the patterns, the feel, and the object is primary. Often, jugglers challenge themselves to handle different objects with opposing size and textures. These are the true pros. They are sincere risk takers, always looking for a challenge. These artists never settle, absorbing innovative ideas and experiences. The “like riding a bicycle” perspective is truly impressive as I build a true appreciation for the composed multi-tasker, the juggler.
In an era where music can pump through our speakers in a matter of seconds we all have to be jugglers. The searching, downloading, streaming, spinning, Spotifying, Turntabling, etc. makes it a constant challenge to maintain routine and memory. So many awesome avenues to discover artists and reaffirm our relationships with existing bands is truly amazing. We now reside in an era where our listening experience is not directed, but merely suggested. The choice to tune in or out is ours. Technology has created a new type of personal DJ. We are the hunters, we are gatherers, and we are jugglers.
Keeping a notepad by my computer, taking pictures of my Sirius radio, and texting recommendations to myself are all methods I must juggle in order to document the firestorm of tuneage that pours down upon me each day. My advice is to focus on a documentation process that works for you. Gradually add a new blog or online stream source while building your personal documentation process. This musical juggling might not be as impressive as hurling a flaming bowling pin in a circular motion to the average outsider. However, we musical jugglers can appreciate the art that comes with constantly unearthing new sounds.
My latest documented success came courtesy of a fellow Turntable.fm user. I introduce you to the Belgian-Australian experimental rocker Gotye. When I heard “Somebody That I Used to Know” blare through my headphones in some indie turntable hotspot, I fell immediately n love. This song was a perfect mix of sadness and rhythm. Add New Zealand singer-songwriter Kimbra on the second verse/harmonies and I was hooked. Discovering this one beautiful song caused me to immediately purchase his 2011 release Making Mirrors from iTunes. While this song is truly the gem of the album, the rest is certainly something to take note of. Upon further discovery, I found out by my local record store that this was not cut on vinyl and is only available in the U.S. for a $33.00 import fee. This truly marked an occasion where the avenue of digital download proves its value.
Please take the time to watch this radical video for “Somebody That I Use to Know”. Your avenue is Thought on Tracks and your platform is YouTube. Grab your pen, legal pad, and write this down. Congrats, you are now a juggler.
Written by Brett McGrath
Video: Alabama Shakes “Hold On” & “You Ain’t Alone”
The Alabama Shakes will be playing at Radio Radio on Wednesday, December 14th. Tickets are $10. I suggest you act swiftly Indianapolis, as this will likely be the last time you will ever have the chance to see this band for such a moderate price. And it’s sure as shit the last time you’ll ever see them in a venue as small and intimate as Fountain Square’s Radio Radio.
This Athens, AL quartet is winning over crowds all over the country of late. Their performance at Jack White’s Third Man Records during Next Big Nashville’s Soundland music festival in September was a consensus critic favorite. A couple of weeks ago, they followed suit by knocking the socks off of a packed Bowery Ballroom as part of CMJ Music Marathon in NYC. The New York Times’ Jon Pareles had this to say:
“But some of CMJ’s best moments this year looked even further back: toward roots-rock, far away from laptops, concepts and surface cleverness. The Texas bluesman Gary Clark Jr. played sets that were simply incendiary, following bleak sentiments with slashing guitar solos. And a band called Alabama Shakes, led by a bespectacled songwriter and guitarist, Brittany Howard, harked back to the fervor and smoldering drama of 1960s Southern soul and left its audience screaming for more. They were working CMJ the old-fashioned way: making converts with sheer live impact, now letting the Internet multiply the word of mouth.”
Pareles drives home the point that this band is beyond buzzworthy. This is whiskey drenched, headboard rattling, soulful rock n’ roll. Watch below for evidence. The top video was recorded at Pegasus Records as part of the Live from the Shoals video series. Watch “Hold On”:
Below is a music video for the song “You Ain’t Alone” featuring footage from The Alabama Shakes’ performance at Chattanooga’s Track 29. The video was directed by Joshua Shoemaker. Both songs are featured on the band’s debut self-titled EP: Album Stream – Alabama Shakes. Do not sleep on this show Indianapolis. Get to Fountain Square on December 14th or risk kicking yourself come Christmas.
Written by Rob Peoni
Thought on Tracks 
The Roots Release First Single and Video from Upcoming Album ‘undun’
On December 6th, legendary hip-hop crew The Roots will release their 13th studio album undun. If “Make My”, the album’s first single featuring Mississippi emcee Big K.R.I.T., is any indication, we can safely expect the same genre bending beats and thought-provoking rhymes that have served as the foundation of this group’s storied career.
“Make My” is an immediate repeat listen, opening with a shaky, ear-tingling synth hook that dissolves into a simple, sleepy snare-driven back beat. The album is the group’s second release since becoming permanent residents of NYC. The Roots perform nightly as the house band for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. However, the show’s afternoon tapings allow ?uestlove and friends to immerse themselves in the city’s music scene in the evening.
undun follows Wake Up!, their 2010 collaboration with R&B singer John Legend. Though I enjoyed this effort thoroughly, I’m excited for a return to the original formula. The Roots released a video this week that featured the first glimpse of the undun cover art and a black and white Manhattan photoshoot. Check out the new video and stream the first single “Make My” below:
Written by Rob Peoni