I have consulted once again with the music appreciation committee to bring together a mixtape with the theme of “spacing out”. Drug use implications aside, the music is meant to give one a feeling of weightlessness, allowing one’s mind to wander, leaving the body still and relaxed – possibly in a reclined position.

The idea for this mixtape came to me at the close of a difficult winter quarter. While listening to “Asleep From Day” by the Chemical Brothers, I experienced a strong feeling of relaxation, and I wished to share this feeling with others.

One of my lifelong dreams was fulfilled this weekend. A check has been placed in the box beside one of the items on my figurative list of things to do before I die. I feel that, were I to go to sleep tonight and never wake up again, my life up till now would have been worth it thanks to the events of last Friday and Saturday.

I got to see the Protomen perform both acts of their Megaman-inspired rock opera with my friends Jeremy and Devin. It was glorious, epic, and amazing.

After consulting with a music-savvy team of shy romantics, I have selected 15 songs for those of you who plan to spend Valentine’s Day on your own. The selection reflects my own musical tastes, but as a perpetual third wheel, I feel my experience on the subject should support the choices that I have made. So queue up the playlist get comfortable with a warm blanket and a nice book – and maybe a box of tissues and some junk food.

The Helio Sequence’s 2008 album, Keep Your Eyes Ahead, may make the duo sound like another keyboard-and-guitar Sub Pop indie group, and that is because it is. That said, the album shines with sincerity and a sort of boyish charm that is worth the listen.

Lately, I’ve been on a jazz kick. Actually, I’ve always been a lover of jazz, as evidenced by such hobbies as swing dancing and playing the saxophone. To say that I am an avid connoisseur of the genre, however, would be a stretch of the truth.

In reality, I am not very knowledgeable about the evolution of jazz over the years. That said, I can say that jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara’s 2006 album Spiral is worth a listen by anyone interested in the music style. Accompanied by bassist Tony Grey and drummer Martin Valihora, Hiromi presents a mostly light-hearted collection of jazz tunes, integrating rock and electronica elements where appropriate.

Some time ago, I learned about The Protomen. The premise behind the band intrigued me: They perform a rock opera based on the plot and characters of the classic video game franchise “Mega Man”. While one might expect a huge nerdfest that lacks real artistic merit, what is found instead is a solid act that [...]

Winter break is here, and so comes an end to my hiatus from this blog. I’m going to try something a little different for a bit: Each week, I’ll have updates post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Mondays will be reserved for music-related posts and Fridays will be reserved for movie-related posts. The music won’t [...]

It’s been a few weeks.
A lot has happened in that time: I’ve started my final year of college, gotten into a new quarter of classes, and kicked off the start of a new year for the student-run publication I help maintain.
Still, I feel I owe you (you being, in this case, whatever meager audience this [...]

So, thanks to the wonder that is Pandora, I came upon this awesome song and had to hear more from the artist. I got the album and fell in love with it – since then, I keep going back to it and listening straight through, from start to finish. I thought I had come upon [...]

Got back from seeing Metric in concert a little bit ago.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it. I’ve got a few of their albums, and I like what I had heard from their new one, but I haven’t really gotten into them. I like a number of their songs, and I like some [...]