My five desert Island Tracks

What's up everyone in music land!

Let's say i am stuck on a desert island and i had just enough power left on my ipod for 5 songs. Which songs would i want to hear as my last?

First of all i want a list of songs that are all different and that all have a different meaning for me! 

So, "less talk more rock" as they say, here they are:

1. Wheel - John Mayer

This tune is very calm and viby! It has a great guitar solo that is based on feel more than technique which i really enjoy. Every time i hear this song i get goosebumps and i can not get enough of it. With a calm half time based groove, spacey guitar tones with big echoes and a low and punchy bass-line. This song is really a trip!

2. The Last Suppit - Lettuce

I just simply love groove, groove and more groove! This song is one of the best modern funk tunes i have ever heard. Great horn lines and a sick drum groove just do it for me. The guitar takes care of the melody and the phrasing of this melody is fantastic. Add a little bit of "whah-whah" and you are ready to get people dancing. Of course i can not forget the great drum solo section!

3. Long Road to Ruin - Foo Fighters

I just had to add a nice straight forward rock tune to the list! This song is amazing in this field and  just keeps me energized. The Foo Fighters are simply my favorite band of all time, enough said!

4. Big Bird In A Small Cage - Patrick Watson

The story behind this song is amazing. Once a guy said to Patrick Watson that if you put a big bird in a small cage it will sing you a song. Patrick took this weird story and wrote this great song about it. This song is just very happy and it showcases Patrick Watsons "buckley esque" voice in the most perfect way possible. Patrick Watson is really a singer/songwriter genius and i think the whole world should know that this musician is out there!

5 Child Song - Cinematic Orchestra

This orchestra if more far away from being classical than any orchestra in the world. This orchestra is actually a sophisticated jazz/electronic based orchestra. Containing some of the most best jazz drumming, string arrangements, hammond and rhodes piano sounds and guitar sounds in the world, this is a great ongoing musical project. This song in particular is one of the most beautiful songs every written and i can not leave anywhere without it!

With these songs i think as my last i believe i can die happily! Nah, nevermind, there is too much music i love, i'll probably never die happily if i have to choose five songs as my last. 

Sometimes i wish music did not make my life so complicated and full of choices!!!!!!

Cheers,

Drew

Concert Gebouw, Amsterdam, Beethoven concert!

Hey Everybody in music land!

I recently had the honor of visiting the Concert Gebouw in Amsterdam to enjoy some great classical music. My family and myself go there more often and it has almost grown into a family tradition. But this particular time my father and i went alone. We got treated to a great night provided with Beethoven's genius compositions. The concert was magical! The performance of the orchestra was mesmerizing and top class. The one thing that stuck in my head was the perfect volume within the venue. With no PA involved the volume and sound of the orchestra was amazingly soothing and organic. It made the music really honest. The symphony itself was actually fairly modern (to be honest i forgot what exact symphony it was). Some of the sections where almost "film score like". What i am trying to say is that to my ears the music sounded like it could be added to a movie. With all the different "vibes" and dynamic ranges within the music the concert was like a story. It had a clear beginning and a end, visiting all different kinds of places in between (musically speaking). From intense dark sounds, to lighter sections that really felt like a magic carpet ride.

This was a great concert and i recommend anyone to visit classical concerts a couple of times a year. You can really get lost in the music and just relax. What else does a stressed high school student need!?

Cheers,

Drew