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2008 Wrap-Up (Alexa) – A Personal, Anachronistic Best Tracks of 2008

Editor’s Note: Each of the writers from Aural States was given free-reign to make an optional year-end post, filled with lists, oped, whining, whatever…this is what one came up with:

2008 has been a life-changing year for me in many ways, especially music. I remember being very intimidated by any genre that pushed experimental or noise and now it’s what I live for. Every season, new styles come back around from previous decades: saddle shoes, bell-bottoms, and grungy flannel shirts. Our generation is the melting pot of the past. Can’t we say the same for music?

And with the rapid advances in technology it’s only getting better through sampling and digitally modified sound. I guess that is my biggest realization this year—If music is sequential and cumulative then every vibration is the offspring of this movement of time and each second is a new opportunity for the creation of sound. Everything is possible at the present moment. We may find some to be more pleasing to the ear, to the brain, but it is only natural that we embrace it. We must celebrate all that is euphonic and aural.

Here are my picks of the most important tracks for my 2008 (Ed Note: Some tracks are not from 2008, and we know that.  Thanks). Have a great New Year! Read the rest…

2008 Wrap-Up (Zack) – Reflections and Predictions

Editor’s Note: Each of the writers from Aural States was given free-reign to make an optional year-end post, filled with lists, oped, whining, whatever…this is what one came up with:

2008 is on the books, and since we celebrate the passing of the calendar year on a certain upcoming day just about a week after the Winter solstice, it’s time to reflect on what has passed, to celebrate the good and make amends or at least clean the slate on what wasn’t so good.  2008 threw us some real curve balls, in my opinion, and I think I’ll always see it as a year of upheaval, some of it quite unpleasant.  Hopefully 2009 will reap the benefits usually unearthed after such drastic change.

Self-Obsession: Read the rest…

2008 Wrap-Up (Greg) – The Dreaded List of Albums

In line with tradition, here is my unordered, incomplete list of awesome albums from 2008.  Things seem a bit folk heavy for me.  Interesting.  Do share your thoughts.

Baltimore

Small Sur – We Live in Houses Made of Wood

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

MP3: Small Sur – Roots

A subtle beauty, a gentle giant of a release from a local treasure.  Bob Keal is calling us all back to nature; it’s a wondrous journey. Read the rest…

2008 Wrap-Up (John) – Happy New Year from the Morlocks!


Editor’s Note: Each of the writers from Aural States was given free-reign to make an optional year-end post, filled with lists, oped, whining, whatever…this is what one came up with:

To anyone out there who has read a rare post of mine, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your readership and wonderful taste in music. For anyone out there who is wondering why I don’t post more often, I discovered that it’s because most of the music I listen to was released prior to 1973. I did finally discover Vampire Weekend this week, but I needed a lot of help. I would also be remiss if I did not thank Greg for his guiding vision and the great care he takes as an editor to clean up all of the horrifying formatting in my posts.

This year has brought a lot of exciting new changes to auralstates.com, and I’m thrilled to be invited to use this space to take more credit than I really deserve in helping shape the public face of auralstates.com. This site is Greg’s baby, but I occasionally take some time to write a little CSS or update to the newest version of WordPress. Actually… I am reminded now that 2.7 is available.

There’s a world going on underground!

2008 Wrap-Up (Nolan)


Editor’s Note: Each of the writers from Aural States was given free-reign to make an optional year-end post, filled with lists, oped, whining, whatever…this is what one came up with:

My cat gave me Videohippo’s Unbeast the Leash for Christmas, I’m not sure if that’s a statement about her sense of fulfillment in her life or not. Either way, it’s now my soundtrack to Christmas. I’m sitting around, 3:30 on December 25th, still in my pajamas. I’ve eaten a disgusting amount of cinnamon buns in the last week, and I haven’t shaven in three or four days. A little bit of me wants to die. Four cinnamon buns. FOUR.

And it’s perfect. This melancholy, slightly nostalgic music set to my yearly dose of Christmas nausea. Read the rest…

Live Review: Confront Bartók’s War-torn Burlesque Quartet – Cavani by Candlelight

Cavani String Quartet is a rare all-female ensemble. Going strong for 25 years, they don’t overwork the red evening gowns or blow-dried curls. Instead, they dart bows with accuracy and elegance, indulging in much sul ponticello.

With Cavani, the Candlelight Concert series of Columbia, MD strutted out with some daring — before garnishing with usual string quartet fare: a Mendelssohn takeaway treat. Read the rest…

Album Review: CANNOT BE STOPPED – Mountain (Unsigned)

Journal: December 22, 2008. Time: 2:35 AM

A group of friends and I drove from Baltimore to New York City today. We had no purpose there, just to have a good time in the Big City. Going on the trip was a bad idea for me either way because I couldn’t get to sleep last night. It’s my fault completely; sleeping in until 3:00PM every day has its downsides.

Being opposed to classic rock radio, I brought my iPod and its device to play it in the car. Being opposed to “pretentious indie music,” my friends used the device to play their own music.

5 hours up to New York, 5 hours back. Christmas music. I couldn’t sleep in the car because the music was too loud. At some point on the way back, they shifted taste from Christmas music to pseudo-indie pop, the sort of stuff you hear radio DJs call “underground”. Ok Go, Postal Service, the like. Of course, all of it was too loud for any decent conversation to take place.

I was cold, tired, and disillusioned in regards to my peers as I scraped the ice off of my windshield to drive home from my friend’s house. It reminded me of when I had to scrape the paint off of the side of that dilapidated house in Baltimore this summer. I loved working construction. Anyway, I sat down inside of my 1989 Toyota stick shift and selected music to listen to on the ride home. I decided to go with CANNOT BE STOPPED. It reminded me of how much progress music has made from Christmas tunes. Read the rest…

Photos / Live Review: Imperial China, Pandas, Caverns @ the Ottobar (2008.12.22)

IMG_0994

Photo credit: Greg Szeto

Two of DC’s premiere noise-makers trekked up to Baltimore for a decently populated, Monday-before-Christmas early show at the Ottobar.  I walked into a brightly lit Ottobar (the likes of which I have only seen at closing time and the occassional dance party) scarcely past 8:30, and Caverns were already mid-set.  Luckily, I walked in to the closing strains of “Dance you son of a bitch,” one of the best cuts from the forthcoming Kittens! EP.  Caverns sounded a bit off, slight tuning issues with the guitar and some rhythm irregularities.  But the last two songs of their set really locked in…particularly set closer “This Are Syntax.” Read the rest…

Live Audio: Imperial China @ the Ottobar (2008.12.22)

IMG_1078Imperial China
The Ottobar
Baltimore, MD
December 22, 2008

Source: Peluso CEMC6/ck4(card)>PS-2>AD-20>NJB3
Transfer: NJB3>PC>SF-7>Wav>FLAC
Taper: Jeff Mewbourn (jm292@yahoo.com)

Notes:
Lineup:At Last Atlantis>Caverns>Pandas>Imperial China>Albatross
*last song is cut (power failure)
Sound: Rob Girardi
SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC

Download the full set as a ZIP file formatted in: FLAC or MP3

Streaming MP3s after the jump. Read the rest…

Live Audio: Caverns @ the Ottobar (2008.12.22)

IMG_1000

Caverns
The Ottobar
Baltimore, MD
December 22, 2008

Source: Peluso CEMC6/ck4(card)>PS-2>AD-20>NJB3
Transfer: NJB3>PC>SF-7>Wav>FLAC
Taper: Jeff Mewbourn (jm292@yahoo.com)

Notes:
Lineup:At Last Atlantis>Caverns>Pandas>Imperial China>Albatross
Sound: Rob Girardi
SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC

Download the full set as a ZIP file formatted in: FLAC or MP3

Streaming MP3s after the jump. Read the rest…

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