2012: The Year In Review

January

In January I got real excited about the music of 2011, which was kind of a start to the album reviews I would do later in the year. I also went and checked out Parachute which was pretty fantastic. It was also the month where I had to break by far the most meaningful and difficult news to the 29 or so followers: The impending breakup of my former band (which was also what this blog used to be about). As well as leaving me feeling more than a little lost musically, I had to also wonder: just what was I going to do with this blog? What was there to write about anymore? Should I even keep at it?

February

February was an interesting month - it was all about endings and beginnings for me. As I ended my 3-month stint working and prepared for the changes of university I got a little bit retrospective with this post. On top of that I moved into the hostel, and had a deep and meaningful revelation about giving.

March

This was a sweet month I spent meeting everyone in the Hostel and making plans for the year. I also finally reached 30 followers! Ok for everyone out there with blog followers in their hundreds, that's not too much of an achievement, but I was pretty stoked about it! I also got a bit of attention with a sweet post about justice, which was unfortunately linked with the Kony craze going on at the moment. But despite being slightly misinformed on that fact, I don't regret anything I said. I also wrote my first song of the year "I Can't Say".

April

Chilled out in the holidays, tried to learn blues, bought a new guitar, blogged about Saturdays and about my favorite guitar models. That was pretty much April for me...

 May 

In May I blogged some more about guitar models and went to watch The Avengers (such a good movie!!!). Unfortunately I got a little bit gutted about life & my musical direction - which was kind of ironic seeing as May was when I also got my second song for the year - "Breathe". This song out of any I've written highlighted my desire to want to make something new and "blaze a new trail", as well as musically telling of my experimentation and growing fascination with ambient music.

June

In June I finally took the first steps in re-creating my musical direction with a change of blog address and launching my Youtube channel (which unfortunately has been shamefully neglected of late). On top of that I was in the thick of it at Ucol spending long days practicing for our rock gig (Cream & Tool are not the easiest bands to cover!!!) and recording/mixing music. This was an important month for me too, as I discovered a band which now rank up in my top 5 artists - Imagine Dragons. I also went a bit nuts reviewing their incredible EP.  

July

We had our mid-year performance at the Globe in July, which was were I took this photo. Somehow, despite being spectacularly busy, I managed to blog the most this month, with a grand total of 14 posts. Some of my the best from July were my musings about My Favorite Guitarists, Life being awesome and my review of Sigur Ros' Valtari. 

August

I didn't post much in August (probably because I was worn out from July!) but it was still a pretty good month. I went up to Mt Ruhapahu with some friends and pretty much had the best day ever. I also was hugely surprised when the reggae song I'd written,"We Are Still One", won the best song award at our gig and we got to record it the next day. 

Oh and I got a year older...

September

In September I blogged about two topics which have had a large impact on me: Love and Insomnia.  I also got a physical copy of Night Visions by Imagine Dragons and went on a bit of a rave in my review.

October

October found me rekindling my love with lists in this post. I also found out that writing about 31 things takes up a whole lot of time! I also wrote another list, this one on things you can get up to in the holidays, and had a bit of fun at Ucol jamming everyone's favorite style of music - country. 

November

November was a good month. I wrote one of the coolest songs of my life with "Prodigal" and had fun performing it at Murpheys Brewery, despite tuning problems (a guitarist's worst nightmare!). Despite having problems with writers block, I managed to blog a bit. I somehow managed to create a post that was retrospective, tinged with sadness and yet hopeful for the future with "I spent all November saying goodbyes". We also had our final performance for the year at the Regent, which despite epically failing this one intro, was the best night of my life and some of the finest stage work/musicianship I've been privileged to be a part of.

December

Well the last month of the year is well and truly upon us - in fact in one day it will be over! It hasn't been without it's share of adventures though, what with moving into a flat, working long days, surviving the end of the world and Christmas. I also managed to find the time to start my current feature "19 Things I Like About..." with this post.

There's so much I could say about it, but it's late and I'm mega tired so everything from now on will probably be a blur as I zone out and my fingers keep typing random words.... hgahghahg9aiidz;dkakznvoanga 0jgoaerkzg[a p[jga[jga gja-

Ok that was a joke but seriously I've always wanted to do that on my blog. Haha.

What I shall briefly say before we part ways is thank you so much for following/ reading my adventures through 2012. Your support really means a lot, and I hope you've enjoyed reading my posts as much as I have writing them!

Catch you on the flipside,

Jordan

19 Things I Like About.... Intros!

As I contemplate the fact that this could quite possibly be my worst blog title yet, I have to remind myself that the post content is more than cover my misgivings over the name: "19 Things I like about Intros". Ah well, it could be worse I guess. At least I haven't delved into pun territory yet!

Before I dive into it, I should probably explain the title: by "Intros" I am referring to an introduction. While this could be from a book, film or a piece of music, the one thing all of these have in common is how it is begun. Some things start off simply, while others the beginning is more like an assault on the senses. Yet all these introductions listed have touched me in some way. And in the next nineteen paragraphs, I shall attempt to explain why.

19. The Opening Scene of Inception.

Despite being one of the last people to watch this movie (for some reason it had been out on dvd for a couple of months before I got around to seeing it), I absolutely loved this movie. The first couple of minutes are incredible film-making at it's very best: I was completely hooked and also slightly confused before the title had even came onscreen.


18. "Perth"















This track from Bon Iver's self-titled second album is the perfect introduction to one of my favorite records. It has all the little touches and flourishes that make Justin Vernon's music such a joy to listen to: ambient textures, incredible vocals, and great instrumental lines. With it's quiet soundscape, meandering melodic guitar line, a few light vocals, and some percussion near the end of it, listening to the first 52 seconds of this song can only be compared to viewing a work of art.


17. The first paragraph of "Gone"

"One minute the teacher was talking about the civil war. 
And the next minute he was gone.
There.
Gone.
No "poof". No flash of light. No explosion."

- Michael Grant

This is one of my favorite books out there. With it's simple opening it just pulls you headfirst into the story, and from there on it's practically impossible to put down.


16. "Little Talks"

This song is my new favorite! It's an uplifting-yet-thoughtful anthem from relative newcomers to the music scene Of Monsters And Men, and it's probably one of the coolest songs you've heard all year. The intro to this song sets the mood, with three guitars and a bass pounding out the chord structure while some sort of accordion plays a catchy tune over the top, and everyone can't stop themselves joining in on the "Hey!"'s which accompany it. Even though it's more of a dance-y type song, it's still got a haunting, epic feel to it - yet another reason for me to love Icelandic music!


15. Slash on "Sweet Child Of Mine"

That guitar intro...


14. The opening scene of "Up"

Ok, it's kind of weird me saying this, but I'm a sucker for little kids films. Especially the ones from Pixar - they somehow manage to be funny, meaningful and awesome all at the same time which is lacking from a lot of real-life movies these days. Up is definitely one of my favorites, with it's fantastic tale of a grumpy old man, a rare bird, a boy scout and a whole lot of balloons.
As for describing the opening scene, I think this quote sums it up best: "5 minutes long and with not very many words - and it's still a better love story than Twilight!"


13. The intro to "Babe I'm Going To Leave You"

This was the first Led Zeppelin song I truly liked on it's own standing. Jimmy Page's acoustic guitar playing in this is nothing short of furious, with it's Spanish-sounding licks and a classical twang. I love the songs opening for it's simplicity: just that beautiful sounding guitar playing on it's own until Robert Plant's voice comes on. And then it's a straight soul from there - until it busts out one of the coolest rock choruses ever. Who thought an acoustic song could have so much to it?!


12. "It's Time" 

This song was what introduced me to one of my best discoveries of the year: Imagine Dragons. The intro to this song is ALL about that beat: in fact the lead singer said when he wrote this song the only thing he started out with was the beat. Love it! On top of that though, the mandolin line played over the top is pretty darn cool, and would have to be one of the catchiest little tunes out there!


11. "Heart Of Gold"












Simplicity at it's finest. I dream of being able to play this on the guitar and the harmonica (actually the whole reason I bought a harmonica in the key of G was so I could learn this harmonica solo haha).


10. The opening of "Motion Picture Soundtrack"

Every time I listen to this amazing intro from Radiohead, it's just like I'm watching the most incredible motion picture ever.


9. "Jump"





















Van Halen clearly knows how to rock better than a lot of bands around in the 80's, and they proved it with this hit of theirs. Quite coincidentally it has one of the sweetest synth lines ever. Man I love 80's synths!!!


8. The title sequence of "The Walking Dead" 

I gave my brother the first season of this for Christmas, seeing as we're both addicted to this incredible tv program. Now I know zombies and gore aren't everyone's thing, but this is actually such a fantastic series. I managed to convince a few people at the hostel this, despite their misgivings.
Now I'm no expert on videography but from what I remember in Year 12 English, this opening sequence has quite a few great points which make it stand out. The photography is absolutely stunning, as you can see in the above image. Love the use of shadows, and how whatever filter they have on makes it seem almost dusty. The music is awesome too, it's real dramatic and suspenseful and slightly creepy - puts you on edge just like the show does! The director, good old Frank Darabont, clearly pulled out all the stops with this one.


7. "Money For Nothing" 

This is one of the finest intros to a rock song I've ever heard. The first time listener would hear it like this: the first minute where Mark Knofler is singing "I want my MTV" - "What on earth is this?". Then when the drums kick in - "Those fills are sick!". Then the guitar riff starts - "That is such a sweet riff! This song rules!" 


6. The Harmonics of "Horizons" (Genesis).

Those first four notes are the sweetest thing ever, and probably helped me more than any other song to be inspired to use harmonics more in my guitar playing. They also inspired me to to learn this classically-inspired piece for my solo performance this year.


5. "Grace" by U2.

The start of this song is so chilled out, it practically makes me fall asleep. Not really a good thing to happen considering it's already quarter to one in the morning.....


4. Opening paragraph of "The Hobbit".

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

Love the descriptive language used in that - one of the reason this was, and still is one of my favorite books ever. Still have to go check out the movie! 


3. "Therapy" 
















This piano-driven opening, backed by a delayed guitar line and a tight rhythm section, leads the way perfectly into what is surely one of Relient K's finest songs. I was pretty gutted they didn't play this one at Parachute!!!


2. "Ny Batteri" by Sigur Ros.

Before the out-of-this world vocals even come in, the 2 and a half minute intro of this song has just about reduced you to a wreck with how hauntingly beautiful it is. The trumpets lead it all in, blowing softly away and introducing a bass riff that grooves out an incredible melody while the synth, bowed guitar and drums all just work in behind it.

Words really don't describe how awesome this introduction is... hit play on that video!!

1. "Where The Streets Have No Name"















This is quite possibly my favorite song intro EVER. Unlike most bands in the 80's who just dived straight into a rock anthem, U2 decided to go the opposite way with this one, despite the stadium rocker this song is by the time it reaches the chorus. The first time I heard this song I remember standing still in shock with how different and incredible it was. The way that guitar works it's way out from underneath the synth line causes hairs to rise on my back every single time I hear it.


What's some of your favorite openings/introductions? Let me know in the comments below! You never know, your one might be so awesome that I might have just have to expand this post to "20 Things I like about Intros"!!! 

19 Things I like About... Christmas!

It's that time of year again! So I'm going to just quickly list a few well known things about the "silly season" that we all know and love.

1. The Christmas tree.
I know this is going to sound weird, but this is my first year away from home and our flat budget doesn't account for a Christmas tree - and I've missed it!

2. Presents!
Ok, so we all like it when we get something special. But to be honest, I seriously reckon giving is better than receiving! That look on their face when you give them something that they really like - it's priceless!

3. Christmas carols.
Yes I know they're pretty much the cheesiest thing about Christmas. AND they get overplayed to the days in shopping centres and on the radio. The thing is, I'm sure everyone has got a soft spot for at least ONE Christmas carol (mine are Good King Wenceslas and Joy To The World).

4. Christmas albums!
This one goes hand in hand with Christmas carols I guess. Personally though I like the ones that feature new songs as well as the old classics. My favourites are "Let It Snow Baby... Let It Reindeer" by Relient K (the first album of theirs I listened too!) and Seabird's "Over The Hills And Everywhere" - their versions of the carols are SOOOOO good!

5. Christmas shopping.
...

Actually there's not to much to like about that one. Apart from the feeling when it's done! That counts, right?

6. Christmas cake
Arggghhh just remembered I haven't had tea yet... so just thinking about cake is making me hungry!

7. Christmas decorations.
We used to have this hilarious one at our house. It was this elf with the funniest legs ever - they were thin and pointy and looked sort of like needles. And his face was creepy as. Every time it came out of the box we'd just laugh at it for ages because it was so ugly and funny.
Then one Christmas we discovered Mum had thrown it out. Worst. Christmas. Ever.
It still makes a good story, even though we've never been able to find a decoration quite like it.

8. That feeling you get on Christmas Eve where you can't sleep because you're so excited.

9. Wrapping presents.
Totally awesome. I need to get some wrapping paper and do this actually.

10. Upside Down Christmas.
Traditionally Christmas is described as being in a wintertime scene, with snow all around and people staying inside by a log fire. Or something like that.
Well here in New Zealand at the bottom of the world, we have things a little different. Yeap it's summer here! So it's more like a bbq, family-picnic-outside kind of deal down here.
Not that we do that because it's usually raining here. Gotta love this part of the country.

11. Catching up with the family.
Yeah it's cheesy I know, but Christmas time especially seems to be a time where the family comes together. And as weird as mine is, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again.

12. Nana's pavlova.
This one is busted out at every single birthday party/ special occasion it can. And Christmas time is no excuse. It's actually one of the best things I've ever tasted. No joke! Still one of my favourite deserts. EVER.

13. Random traditions.
Ours is making the Christmas cake and punch together. Then having a HUGE feed on Christmas Day. Glorious. :D

14. Nativity scenes.
These are just awesome. One year we decided to make one ourselves and it actually turned out pretty well too.

15. Santa Claus.
... isn't real so he doesn't count. On to 16!

16. The sight of presents under the tree.

17. Christmas concerts.
One of which I was supposed to be playing at this weekend, but unfortunately couldn't make it due to work commitments. Pretty gutted, cos these are usually quite cool!

18. Christmas movies!!!
Ok, so after a while you get sick of having your tv screen filled up with these every couple of hours (one solution could be to turn your tv off haha). But even though a large percentage of them are cheesy and a bit little kid-ish, there's still a bit of a soft spot for them. After all, if you can't be a kid again at christmastime, then when can you?!

19. The Reason for the Season.
I love how Christmas is ALL about Jesus. When you strip away all these traditions and extra pointless little "decorations" on top of all it, Christmas is just a day where we celebrate the birth of the greatest man who ever lived. Where we remember just what God has done, and is doing for us. We remind ourselves of all the circumstances and amazing things which happened in and around his birth, and it is a joyful occasion where we can rejoice in our salvation. And you get at least one sermon from your local pastor about the REAL meaning of Christmas.
The Puritan government under Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas in England in the 1640s. Needless to say, it didn't go down well with the people. I'd like to think that it was more than just the festivities that were missed. After all, it's so good to celebrate the reminder of Jesus' birth yearly. It keeps us grounded and reminds us not to take it all for granted.
So this Christmas, while you enjoy all the little things we know and love, make sure you take some time out to think on where it all began.... in a manger in a small town in Israel over two thousand years ago: this is where Christmas should start and end for us.

Until the end of the world...

This month has gone by so fast. Feels like only just yesterday when I was finishing off at Ucol, but after tomorrow I'll have been at my job for 3 weeks! How crazy is that?
Unfortunately due to being so stupidly busy with working full-time again, shopping for Christmas, general flat stuff (doing dishes for 3 people takes longer than you'd think!) and trying to keep up the guitar practice, I've found that I haven't really haven't had much time to blog. And even now there's at least 5 things I could be doing instead of blogging: get rid of my hayfever, breaking into my flatmates room to steal back my phone charger, jamming the keyboard, drying the dishes, playing guitar....

On top of all this, I just remembered something.
Tomorrow it's the end of the world.
Supposedly.

While I think the whole idea of the world ending on the 21st December 2012 is laughable at best, at the same time I'm slightly hesitant to completely shrug it off.
Not that I believe in the whole "Mayan-calender-runs-out-and-we-all-die" thing.
But...
The thing is, we don't know when we're going to die. Really, any morning we could just not wake up and then it truly would be the end of the world for us. It even says this in the bible "There is a time to live, and a time to die." The problem is we don't know what time the second one's going to occur, and even if we did, it probably still wouldn't help us out at getting on with the first one.
So really, I can't say whether or not the world's going to end tomorrow, because I don't know. In my future, tomorrow I could wake up, go to work, get real exhausted and then have a great evening hanging out with Beka.
Then again, tomorrow maybe something else might happen.
It's funny thinking about the end of the world. Because by then only a very few people would have ever viewed this post, and all these words I spent ages typing up won't even matter anyway. Because there will be no internet to broadcast my messages to the world. And even if it miraculously survived, there'd be no civilization around to read it, so like many things before it, it would pass into obscurity.
It'd be lucky if it even survived to be turned into some sort of post-apocalyptic urban myth.

All I'm saying is until tomorrow, how will we ever know?

Personally though, I'm trusting in God that this planet continues to spin. There's not really much point in me spending all this time worrying about something that's completely unlikely to happen.
And I'm hoping. Hoping that the earth keeps going. Because I'm only 19 and there's so many things I want to do, and places I want to visit. I want to go to Italy, and visit Venice, the city of waterways. I want to jump out a plane with nothing but a parachute keeping me from a few tons of soil making my acquaintance. I'm pretty keen to write a hit single. I want people to hear my music and be moved by it. I'd like to get a girlfriend (I don't know how I'm still single haha). I would love to go on a missions trip and try seeing the world through different eyes. Touring the United States of America with my future band is on my bucket list.
Mostly though, I want to tell someone my story and for it to mean something to them.

World, please don't end tomorrow - I have to much to do.

Jordan

19 Things I Like About... Palmerston North!

First of all sorry that I'm a bit late in my running feature!!! Pretty gutted about that cos I had a good one planned... :P But in my defense I was completely unprepared for how I spent the evening. I ended up sitting in the inside of a pub doing door sales for a bunch of bands I'd never heard of, which was really random way to spend four and a half hours on a Friday night! I was just there helping out a friend of a friend as they had no one to do it for them, so I volunteered my time. It actually wasn't too bad, despite the complete lack of things to do. The music was alright too - there were 3 reggae bands playing and they all seemed pretty competent at what they did. It was a pity more people didn't turn up!

Anyway, it gave me heaps of free time to think about today's post: 19 Things I Like About Palmerston North!

Palmerston North gets a pretty bad rep around New Zealand. It's been called at various times "a hole", "the most boring place ever!" and a probably a lot of worse names. But while these things are true, to some extent (it can get pretty boring and a lot of the scenery is not very fantastic), there's also a lot of great things about Palmy that people overlook.

1. The people!
Course this one's got to be my number one! Everyone I've met in Palmerston North (apart from the thugs who tried to steal my longboard) has been real cool! I've been lucky enough to have met such a great group of people at the hostel, at UCOL and at church, and they've all been super supportive and just awesome to hang out with! Met some of my best friends this year. And they've all been from/came to Palmerston North!

2. The Square
It's actually a pretty nice place, as you can see in the photo above. I'll always remember visiting it in one of the first weeks living here this year and climbing trees with my mates from the hostel. Good times!

3. Ten Pin Bowling
One to solve those problems of having nothing to do in Palmy: go bowling!
I haven't been for a while, but it's always heaps of fun.

4. Laser Tag
WHAM! Another thing to do! This one's on the outskirts of the city so it's harder to get to if you're car-less, but it's super fun so worth checking out. Only problem is the games go by so fast!!!

5. Palmy Parkour

Parkour is like the ultimate urban sport, and it's so cool to watch! There's a great bunch of guys who do it in Palmerston North, and some of them are pretty pro! I joined up for a while and started to learn, but then I got to busy/lazy to go along to the jams. Might try to take it up again this summer though, cos it's so much fun! As well as being super impressive!!!
Hurts your legs though haha. You've got to be pretty fit to do what some of those guys can do!!!



6. The Music Scene?
If you're into it, and on the lookout, there's actually quite a few decent gigs going on around here. Practically every Saturday night there's a band playing in some pub, trying to make it and giving the punters a good time. Some of them are pretty good too, and I know a few personally. The Blue Grizzly Band is pretty choice if some bluesy rock is your cup of tea. Venus In Transit is an up-and-coming punk rock band which kinda sound like Paramore and are worth checking out. And then there's my personal favourite, a progressive rock band called Beneath The Heavens who have the musical skills to become New Zealand's Dream Theater... haha well maybe not quite Dream Theater status, but they are pretty darn good!!! So don't just sit there, go check out some local music at some point! You may be surprised at the wealth of talent in this town.


7. The walkway by the river
Ok, so it's nowhere as good as the one by the sea up in New Plymoth, but still, it's pretty nice. Went for an awesome 6am run along there early this year. Still need to go check out how it is for longboarding though!


8. Church!
Ok, so clearly this one might not be to everyone's taste, but still. There's some pretty awesome churches in Palmerston and it's worth acknowledging that fact! There's my awesome home church Crossroads which is such a thriving and interesting place to be. Salt Church is also a pretty happening place, and then for a nice welcoming family vibe you can't beat Hokowhitu Baptist. 10 to 1 you'll be invited home for lunch by at least one person!


9. Cafes/ Restaurants.

George Street in particular is full of them! My personal favourite is Cafe Cuba, the food (especially the milkshakes) there is SO GOOD! Then there's Bethany's, which makes the finest garlic bread out there! And there's a couple of other good ones around.


10. The Esplanade.
It's such a nice park!!! There's fun things to do, like the spinning hamster wheels or the flying fox. Or you can just have a picnic with mates and throw a frisbee round. Happy days! It's also got a few really nice rose gardens and the like.


11. The Regent.
This is such an awesome venue!! Definitely go see at least one concert there, and a play. I played there for my final performance with the UCOL guys, and despite introducing the wrong song and embarrassing myself in front of a whole bunch of people, it was the best show of my entire life (to date)! Playing on a stage that big in front of such a responsive crowd was one of the best moments I've ever experienced. It was awesome!
Stuff like this happened. 'Nuff said.

12. Theatre.
If you're into this, there's always quite a few decent plays happening around Palmerston. The ones at the Globe are particularly good, went and checked out a couple of those last year. The bigger productions at the Regent are usually quite impressive too.

13. Buskers!
Ahh yes, local music at it's finest. Hate it or love it, there's actually a few good ones around. My favourite is a duo of a violinist and guitarist. They play some mighty fine Irish jigs haha. And I've been known to hit the streets myself from time to time.

14. Movies.
The cinemas in Downtown are pretty choice - went and checked out a few good movies there this year (The Hunger Games, The Dark Night Rises, The Avengers), as well as a few terrible ones (Jack and Jill, Dark Shadows).

15. Music shops.
All three of them. Still, it's 3 more than Dannevirke had. Been loving going in to get new gear, strings, or just have a browse at the beautiful guitars up for sale (which are all unfortunately out of my budget.)

16. Concerts/ Events.
There's usually a few happening in the Square every year. Got a Christmas one coming up soon, should be choice!

17. Bus Services.
Gotta love the free bus service if you're a student. I personally didn't use it that much, what with UCOL being only 15 minutes walk away. But it was awesome when I did use it!

18. Beneath The Heavens.
I'll mention them again, because they're awesome. Go download some of their tunes for free from: https://soundcloud.com/beneath-the-heavens

19. The Baptist Student Youth Hostel.
One of my favourite things about this year was staying in this place. Awesome food, awesome company, and all round good times. I honestly couldn't rave on about it enough! We were all really looked after/ out for by the owners, and it's such a great service to students! Was definitely a huge highlight getting to stay in such an awesome place with so many awesome people. Here was were I found 3/4 of my flatmates too! So that sort of set me up haha.
Hope next year's students enjoy it!!!!

Jordan

Friday Night Feature: 19 Things I like about....

Ok guys, so seeing as I finally have some internet on me, I thought what better way to spend it than to start writing something a little bit new: a little weekly feature I've came up with called "19 Things I like about..." . Which in a nutshell is where I pick something I've been really enjoying, whether it's music, films, books, people, or anything else which happens to cross my mind; and I write about that particular things, specifically stating 19 things in particular I like about it. Why nineteen? Well because it's the first number that popped into my head, and also it happens to be my age. Sounds good? Let's get started then!

This weeks topic: Radiohead.

Why I like Radiohead:

I had heard the name Radiohead bandied around a lot, and even listened to a few of their songs before this year, but for some reason never really got into them. Maybe this was because a lot of their music was simply weird, but still. This year I got a book about them out from the library and it was a fascinating read, and on top of that a friend really encouraged me to listen to them properly.
So I did, and next thing you know I end up with 5 of their albums. So you could say I'm a bit of a fan. And here's why.

1. In Rainbows


Not only does their 2007 album sound really good, the marketing strategy behind it was absolutely awesome, and something I really respect and is quite a rare thing to do in the music industry (especially if you're in a band this big). What was this strategy? Give the album away for free.
Ok, so the trial period didn't last long, and now if you want a legitimate copy you have to pay for it on Itunes or buy an actual cd. But still, the fact they did it at all is pretty darn awesome.







2. Johnny Greenwood's guitar playing

Actually this man's guitar playing is probably one of the first reasons I listened to Radiohead. His name was mentioned in one of those books about the worlds greatest guitar players, and seeing as he sounded real interesting, I thought I'd go have a listen.
Seriously, this guy is so underrated! Maybe it's because he prefers to make interesting sounds rather than do flashy, scale-based guitar solos, even though that's actually cooler in my opinion. But whatever it is, you can't deny that he's got some mad skills. Listen to the solos in "Paranoid Android", and "Just" if you don't believe me.

3. Stop Whispering

This was the first Radiohead song I listened to which I actually really enjoyed. Taken from their debut album, Pablo Honey, this is one of the few standout songs from the album, and, I'd venture to suggest, one of their best songs ever. I'm actually really surprised at the lack of success this song had as a single, considering it has such a good tune and is definitely one of their more accessible songs. From the plaintive vocals down to the tightness of the rhythm section and the overall lyrical message to "Stop whispering, start shouting", this is an underrated gem in the Radiohead catalogue.

4. Buzzy Time Signatures

Now as much as everyone loves tapping their feet along to a basic 4/4 beat (just cos it's the most instinctively natural one), this year I've been trying to experiment a bit more with my music by listening/playing to songs with different time signatures. And Radiohead are great for this, because they do it in spades. Whether it's the oddly synchopated "Morning Bell", the tempo changes in "Paranoid Android" or the general weirdness of "Pyramid Song" (for the life of me, I can't figure out what time signature they're playing in that one!!!!), it is such a great way of changing things up and making each song sound different and unique. Definitely something more bands should take into consideration.

5. Thom Yorke's vocals

Described as "a British vocalist who actually knows how to sing" in "Exit Music: The Story Of Radiohead", Thom Yorke is a singer who does as much experimenting with his voice as the rest of the band do on their various instruments. Whether it's his trademark, almost nasal delivery, or his ability to hit some incredible notes, he definitely has a very unique voice and a great range. However his vocal delivery, like most good things, is a bit of an acquired taste... I personally like it but it's probably not everyone's cup of tea.

6. Pyramid Song - Live

This version is totally awesome, and was what really got me into the song. I love the piano sound, and how Johnny's playing his guitar with a violin bow. Like a boss. The cd version is probably about only half as good compared to this!




7. Kid A

Ok, to be honest if you listen to just one song of this album you'll probably think it's some of the weirdest music you've ever heard, and chances are you probably won't enjoy it too much either (unless that song happens to be Everything In It's Right Place or Idiotique, which are both so awesome you can listen to them at any time.) I mean you get a rock band making an album using electronic techniques/instruments? What kind of crazy idea is that?
But the reason this album is included on here is because the overall sound of it is INCREDIBLE. If you crank this up through a set of good headphones, all the sound layers which come through are real amazing, and some of the effects they use are pretty unique. The album works best as a whole though. Enjoy a good fifty minutes of some of the weirdest and coolest music you'll ever here.

8. Guitar noise in "Just".

At 2.26 in the song precisely. Whatever that effects pedal is, I want one.

9. Paranoid Android

I would love this song for the riffing alone. But then ON TOP of that it puts one of the best solos I've heard for a while, a real nice quiet middle section with some great vocal layering/harmonies and then it's back to some more furious riffing! What's not to like? It's real awesome how they did it too, taking 3 different song parts and mixing it all up. Like "Kid A", it's something you think isn't going to work, but then it surprises you by doing so.

10. There There Lyrics

There There is such a great song (apart from the slightly annoying drum intro), that it's hard to find one particular thing about it that I like. But probably one of the main reasons this song sticks in your head is the great one-liners which pop up through it. "In the pitch darkness I go walking in your landscape" introduces the lyrics, and it's such a great way to start. This song also includes one of my favourite lines of words ever: "There's always a siren singing you to shipwreck." Love it!

11. The Mellotron

 I'm a fan of any musical instrument slightly out of the ordinary, and it doesn't get much better than this. This piano-type instrument gives such a unique sound and can be heard throughout Radiohead's work, most notably in "Exit Music" and "Airbag".

12. The Bends

This is probably Radiohead's most accessible album, and definitely my favourite. It's back when they fully embraced their Brit-rock guitar sound, so there's lots of great moments on this album. Oh and it has 7 of my favourite Radiohead songs on. Pretty decent effort!

13. Their name change

Originally this band was called "On A Friday". It's actually quite funny, because that's such a terrible band name - it's just real average, as if it's the name of a random jam-band who never make it out of their home town. And then they go and call themselves "Radiohead". Which is SUCH a good band name!!!!

14. Let Down

This melancholy tune from Ok Computer is one of those songs that you can just listen to over and over again. It sort of follows in the same vein as "Stop Whispering" in that respect, but also bears some similarities with "No Surprises" as well as standing as a great song in it's own right. Go check it out, you won't be disappointed!

15. One worldwide hit single.... still an incredibly famous band.

Awhile ago, we had to research pop music in New Zealand, and I could only find one of Radiohead's songs which had entered the charts over here (yeap, it was Creep). And yet this band still continues to be an influential and famous band. I think they're up to their 7th or 8th album now - that's proof enough of how enduring this band really is.

16. Motion Picture Soundtrack.

The song stays true to it's name - it really does sound like it's documenting a film. Quite impressive stuff, even if lyrically it's not so cool. But like everything from Kid A, the overall sound is the best part. Even if that minute of silence at the end of the song is kind of pointless.

17. Their acoustic songs.

Everyone loves a good old ballad! But I must say, only Radiohead can pull out all the stops in providing a melancholy, meandering, yet slightly hopeful, and overall beautiful acoustic song. "Fake Plastic Trees" happens to be one of my all-time favorite songs (2nd place on my Itunes proves this!) and "High and Dry" and "Exit Music" are great too.

18. My Iron Lung



Rated  52nd on Rolling Stone's list of greatest guitar songs (full list here), it's easy to see why this is one of my favorite songs! From the simple, clean yet crackly guitar intro to the menacing distorted tritone chords behind the solo, this is one great song to learn on guitar! I've been working through it, and think I've finally got the hang of it. Still, some parts are a little difficult. The second solo, in the rocked up bit has some fiendishly difficult parts!!!

19. Anyone Can Play Guitar.

I love the title of this song. But I think that it's so ironic that, despite being a good song, it's actually not too impressive guitar-wise. Oh well, we'll forgive them considering it was off their first album. And also because apparently a cook and a painter or some other random person helped play the guitar intro. Hmm maybe they were just trying to prove their point?



If that isn't enough reasons to go listen to Radiohead, I don't know what is!
Will catch you guys next week, in the next installment of 19 Things I Like about....

Feel free to drop in some potential suggestions, if there's anything you really reckon I should talk about! Or comments about how awesome Radiohead is would be met with approval.
Actually just comments in general would be awesome! :D

I've spent all November saying goodbyes...

I don't really know where to start with this one.

Mostly because I'm expecting my less-than-awesome internet reception to completely die any minute now so I should probably make this short. The problem is, I could probably write a couple of novels on this one.

I want to just say it's been a great year. No, that word doesn't really do it justice but it's the best I can come up with in a short amount of time. I've been incredibly blessed in so many ways this year, what with were I was living, what I was studying with, and even just who I was hanging out with! It's funny how you sort of plan out how the year is going to go at the start, and then by the end it everything kind of went in a different direction. But I reckon overall it's been a better direction, as everything's only been upwards from the start of the year.

Not to say that there hasn't been some rough times. It's inescapable, but that's just life I guess. There's been some nights where I've wondered just what I'm doing here. There's been times when I lost direction, or lost sight of the things I stand for. But they have been much fewer and far between than previously.


This year I've met some of the coolest people ever. Whether they were from the hostel, church or UCOL, they were all super awesome to hang out with and really made me feel welcomed into the "big" city. It was actually the most at home I've felt for a while now, and I think now I realize that it doesn't really matter whereabouts you actually reside: the people make the place far more than any building ever will.

Lately though it's been feeling like everything's coming to an end. As everyone has been heading off in various direction, it feels kind of weird staying behind. Like they're gone, but I'm still carrying on, and I'm still trying to run on legs that are slowly disappearing on me. 

But it's time for something new. You can't keep a good thing going for too long, otherwise it just becomes stale. And as I kickstart yet another new experience for me (just discovering the joys of flatting haha), I know I'll never forget the friends I made, the sweet jams I've had, the mountains I've climbed (literally haha), and the good times I've had in 2012.

Catch all you guys on the flipside (aka 2013)! Bring it ONNNNN!!! 

 Jordan

To the common dark - Album Review

Ever since I heard the stunning ode to raise money for wells in impoverished countries simply titled "Water", I've been a huge fan of Luke Thompson's blend of folk, country and acoustic music into a style that is distinctly original. It was then with great pleasure, and a fair bit of surprise, that I recently found out he had a new album out and was giving it away online for free.

Now in today's digital age, where practically anything musical can be obtained both legally and illegally from over a dozen websites at once, and words like "Torrented", "ripped", and "burned" are almost built in to my generation's subconsciousness, it is rare to find artists who are actually sincere about their reasons for giving away music. Half of the time I feel it is because they're thinking "Oh, the kid's will probably rip it off somewhere anyway, so I might as well just save myself the bother." or that they're only doing it to promote something else, like a tour or something. Not that I'm complaining because, hey, free music is FREE music! But with Luke Thompson it seems like there's someone who's actually got the right perspective on it. In a little disclaimer on his website, he states (and I quote) "Lately I have come to realize that I don't make music for money... Sometimes I make money from music, but that's not the main reason why I make music.... The main reward is when someone shares with me how they connected with a song, or felt the same way as I did.... That's why this album is free."

In saying that though, after a few listens I respect that artistic decision so much more because honestly this album is worth gold. Mixed in along with Luke's amazing voice and the ever-accompanying tasteful guitar is a huge pile of great lyrics and some incredible instrumentation which just pops out at the most unexpected moments. Take for example the haunting trumpet leads at the end of "The Forever Song" and "Penny For The Boatman" or the banjo & fiddle-driven "Walls". Even though it's hard to pick a favourite from this album, as everything song brings something fresh to the forefront and takes you on another journey somewhere (like all good folk music should do!) there are a few standout tracks.  "No Redemption", though reminding me somewhat of one of his older songs (I can't pin down which one though!) is one of those tunes which is just perfect; it's rambling tune and minimalist accompaniment make it stunning enough that the beautiful harmonica solo at 3.24 is just the icing on the cake. Plus it has some of my favorite lyrics too: the lines "It's strange that even the greatest man of all could be a madman in the end" and "I can't just sit here singing, because if singing's all I ever do then I'm a fake" are just incredible.
"Green Green Grass" is another highlight, with some lovely acoustic guitar playing and a great chorus with some more tasteful harmonica thrown in there. Lyrically it's a tale of searching for something new and going onto greener pastures, which is something I can definitely relate too. 
I was also pleasantly surprised by the opening track "On A Slow Boat To China" because I'd heard it before at a show he was playing at a few years ago. Pretty stoked it made it onto this album, because it was such a good tune and it's awesome to hear it again. With a tinkling piano opening, and one of the more catchy choruses on the record (you'll have this one stuck in your head for a while, but in a good way!) this one's definitely a winner.

Overall, this album was such a good find. While the whole acoustic-folk vibe does get a tiny bit repetitive if you listen to it too much, Luke Thompson does a great job of making sure every song is fresh both lyrically and instrumentally. This is an absolutely incredible record which is awesome to chill out to, or listen to in depth so you get the full experience. But why take my word for it? Go download it at http://www.lukethompsonmusic.com/ and see for yourself.

Rating: 5/5

Write this down, if you can.

I've changed the title for this blog about six times already. I think in a way that gives you some representation of how uncertain I am at the moment.
It's kind of strange that I don't know where to start, because there used to be a time when I could just write anything. And now it feels like that time is an age ago. Earlier this year I tried writing a short story, just to see if I could still do it. It took me a few hours, and when I got tired of writing, and ran out of ideas, I read through what I'd wrote and it didn't even make sense, let alone carry a sense of purpose. There was no way I could carry on. After that, it lived a lonely life in a stack of pile on my desk, waiting for the day where I would pick it up again and finally get to the ending.
That day never happened, and instead my 'story' found a place in the rubbish bin.
Unfortunately, it's not been the only one to hit the fan this year. In an attempt to "write the best song ever" by taking a page out of simplicities book (rather than my usual lengthy, complex lyrics) I ended up writing quite a few terrible ones. And I'm left wondering why I wasted so much time on something that never fell together.
I think another lyric I wrote sums it up perfectly "I've spent nine months getting nowhere, with my head in the clouds and my ideas in the trash can."
It's not that I can't write. Anyone can write, given the capacity and the right tools. The question I've been asking myself lately is whether I can write anything of worth.

For not posting for weeks, I could apologize and say I was busy. I could say I was tired. I could say I had music to practice, and this had to take a backseat.
All these are true. But there's one more reason: simply that I didn't know what to write down.

Prodigal

I really think the beauty of this song is the simplicity. I think if there's one thing I've learned this year, it's you know a song is good if you can strip it all back and it still takes you somewhere, and that's what I was trying to do with "Prodigal" From the rambling, country-esque acoustic intro to the nostalgic and reflective narrative, it all came together in about two or three hours on a Saturday afternoon after buying a harmonica. It's really almost ironic how I've spent the year searching for the perfect lyrics, getting deep into ambient sound textures and abstract yet meaningful ideals, yet throughout the simple story-telling words of this song weave some of the best lines I've ever written. Sometimes all you're after is just waiting for the right time to come out.
And even though it didn't sound 100% perfect at the gig on Thursday, it was amazing to perform one of my songs again - as I said at the show, something like this is really close to my heart. Got a few good comments afterwards which was real encouraging too - one lady said she loved my song and was blown away by my songwriting, which I was totally humbled by. That's why I do this, in the hope that it'll connect to people in some small way.
Hope you enjoy.



PRODIGAL

I'm not far from home, but homes far from me/ Forty odd miles and a distance unseen
I never roamed far, but I roamed far enough/ Got forty large piles just trying my luck

Driver pick me up and drop me off/ Take me anywhere I want to/ Pin me up, we'll drink it off/ Forgetting what we once knew

It's too late now/ That the winds have blown/ I forgot the road that takes me home

I thought man made the money, maybe money made the man/ Forty cents left and my friends all ran
I never taught faith but faith tested me/ Got forty odd doubts yet I still believe

Driver pick me up don't let me down/ Take me anywhere You want to/ Hold me up, I'll settle down/ Remember what I once knew

Is it too late now/ Or have new winds blown/ Show me the road that takes me home
          
                 (c) Copyright Jordan Gowan and The Falling Movement Music 2012

31 = AWESOME!

Ok, so it's not quite the 31st of October yet, but it IS only 1 day away. And besides the number 31 is totally awesome. Not only is it the date of my birthday, but I just checked the followers list and now I finally have 31 followers! Thanks Stephen!!!!! You have no idea how long I've been waiting for that "30 followers" sidebar to creep up.
But I guess in the last couple of months there hasn't really been anything much worth following. So today I thought I'd do something different for a change, and post 31 reasons why YOU should keep on reading The Falling Movement!

1. There's usually photos to look at! Like this pretty sweet picture of a whole lot of 31's. Or 13's if you read them backwards....
I'd love to say that I was the insanely creative person who took these pictures and compiled them all together, but unfortunately I have to give all the credit to Google Images this time.

2. I can make a lot of average things sound interesting when I really want to. Even just talking about my day makes for a few good yarns usually.

3. I'm from New Zealand. 'Nuff said.

4.  Blogging is so much cooler than Facebook.

5. I have a fetish for writing lists (like the one you're reading now), which always seems to work well because it means I can say a whole lot of stuff and include numbers like 31. Actually, maybe not - this has probably been my longest list to date. But some of the others have been pretty decent - this one's a particular favorite: http://thefallingmovement.blogspot.co.nz/2012/07/my-top-15-guitarists.html

6. One day I want to write for a living. And I think that's worth getting behind!!

7. I post slightly nerdy musical posts on occasion. If that's your thing, then there's another reason to stay! If not, keep scrolling and you're bound to find something you like!!!

8. On occasion I do spontaneous awesome random things, and chronicle the events Like for example I was supposed to be writing this post last night, but at 11.30 my mate messaged me on Facebook and was like "Hey, want to come to the beach?" So I ended up out at Himitangi at 1.30 under the light of a full moon walking across the sand, staring at squashed blowfish, doing the Gangam Style dance (or trying too), and almost getting "trapped" by a super big wave with 3 really good friends. It was such a good way of spending the night!!!!

9. One day soon, I'm going to post about zombies.

10. 31 followers can't be wrong!

11. I really, really, really like music. And I post about it heaps!!! In fact, it would be an interesting challenge to sift through my blog and find how many posts don't talk about/include the word music. Bet it would be a very small percentage!!!
Any takers?

12. Speaking of music, I've written some pretty rad music reviews about artists/albums. Here's a few of my best: Four, The xx, Valtari.

13. I get really excited about this cool band Imagine Dragons who are making a few waves in the music scene at the moment.... http://thefallingmovement.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/album-review-night-visions.html

14. Spontaneous rhyming: http://thefallingmovement.blogspot.co.nz/2011/04/mumerings-of-assent.html

15. One day I might just post up some short fictional tales. And that could be interesting.

16. Sometimes I start getting a bit deep and it's interesting to see what topics come out: love, running, other things....

17. God totally makes my life! And that's worth raving about in multiple posts.

18. There's totally enough links in this post alone for you to be reading for ages. And we're not even up to number 20 yet!!!

19. My blog is kind of like a "Message in a Bottle".
(Actually I only said that because I'm listening to The Police right now...)

20. If you don't keep reading, then this guys coming to get you!!
Haha I joke, I joke....

21.  As noted in the previous reason, I have quite a good sense of humour :D

22. I write songs and usually some, if not all, of the lyrics get posted up here. I love getting feedback from other bloggers about them, and it's just awesome being able to share my words and music with people in this extremely personal way. My best (so far) have been Symphony Of The Heart, Love is More Than This, and Breathe. For more, go into the LYRICS list in the sidebar! Check it out!

23. Speaking of songwriting, I wrote this awesome as BRAND NEW song last weekend, and the lyrics are definitely going to be posted up here in the next couple of days. Get excited!!!

24. The 25th reason is simply because this blog is awesome!

25. This blog is awesome!

26. The whole reason I changed my blog to it's current, awesome name is to promote this on-off side project I've got going called The Falling Movement music. The reason behind the title is because the words "falling" and "movement" have so much meaning and have been themes which run through both my life and my music.

27. And on occasion, music does get released! So far just one instrumental track has been put out onto the world wide web, the song in question found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxOGFh67Ss&feature=g-user-lik. But rest assured, there's more coming your way!



28. People from Alaska have read my blog! :O

29. I do try to dish up healthy servings of inspiration and meaning. Not just always blog about random stuff. Though that's always fun.

30. I stayed up till 12.12 writing this (wow what an exact time!) Now that's got to be worth at least one comment, if not three or four! Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaseeee? :)

31. 31 reasons weren't actually to hard to find (though I do apologize for 24 & 25, I got a bit tired there sorry) and that must mean we've got something good going on here!

Cheers for reading/ following guys!!!

Part 2: In which I attempt to make noise come from an old guitar, dress up like a nerd, and other stuff happens.

The old guitar in question happened to be this beast. We got it years ago for my younger brother to learn on. It arrived in a beat up case from a family friend who said it was left handed, but clearly didn't know a thing about guitars because it was actually just right handed as usual. Anyway, despite the fact that it looks pretty fantastic, the fact that the tuners on it were so darn stiff and the general construction was pretty sloppy (got to love high action haha) means it's almost impossible to make it sound any good, despite me replacing the strings on it about a year and a half ago.
However, it's ridiculously photogenic, probably about a hundred times more so than me, so it was always our favorite thing to take with us when we did photoshoots.

 

Those days seem like such a long time ago now. I went home for a day over the long weekend with Beka who drove down from Auckland like the crazy awesome person she is. And I was chilling by the fireplace and I saw it lying there. And so like any guitarist worth his salt, I couldn't keep my fingers to myself and picked it up and had a bit of a jam. 

It brought back so many memories. The time when we got it and laughed for ages cos it wasn't actually left handed. The time we took it to the beach, and to the railway station. The day this photo was taken, on a tree that doesn't even exist any more.

It's funny how inanimate objects can hold that many fragments of the past...

Anyway even though Dannevirke was super cold, it was real nice seeing the family again. Especially my Nan and Pop who were there visiting from Australia. I hadn't seen them for years and years cos we never got over to Oz much, and so it was awesome just getting to hang out there with them for a bit. Unfortunately Nan wasn't too well, but we still managed to have a few chats, and she gave me some legit good advice about writing and just life in general. Pop seemed in real good health though, and we had a sweet as conversation about music and how much The Eagles rocked. Made me so super keen to get into it and never give up my dreams, no matter how hard it's going to be. Which was good because things have been so slow to start I sometimes wonder if they'll ever happen at all... but they will!!! 

After the good, if slightly odd, times in our hometown (it's never the same going back), we headed back to P-Town for a friends 22nd. Now me and Beka had to be super sneaky, cos she knew I was coming but not Beka so I had to make up lame as excuses like "I'm getting dropped off by a friend" and "I've been super busy tonight, but I'll be there as soon as possible". It got a little bit intense when we almost got spotted before we even got there, but somehow we made it to the front door without ANYONE other than me knowing she was there. Great surprise right there haha.

Anyway, the party turned out to be pretty fabulous. It was one of those themed parties, so we were all dressed up like preps (whatever they are). I actually made a pretty decent effort if I say so myself, acquiring a pair of red suspenders and fake glasses on the way. I felt a like a bit of a hipster, and even more of a nerd, but it was totally worth it! It was such a good night out in town! For once there wasn't too many weirdos (well apart from this one guy) and we just had a sweet time dancing and hanging out. We even hit up Murpheys were a real band was playing which was a lot more like my scene finally haha. But even the crappy club music wasn't too bad once you were getting into it (still, it belongs in clubs and nowhere else haha). And the first place we were in was playing Imagine Dragons! So we were pretty much guaranteed an awesome night!

However it's slightly ironic now that I think about it. I've always been slightly nervous of being nerdy just in case I end with glasses when I'm 25 and am always on the outside in society, or something like that. I guess there's certain behaviour patterns which I've been scared of reflecting just in case I become something I'm not. But on that Saturday night, I didn't even care. I could act nerdy, dress nerdy, be who ever I wanted. But I'd still be me. 

Man, it's hard to believe that two years ago I dreamed of having that kind of confidence. And it's not like anything magic just happened. There's still heaps of days when I don't have any at all. But God has blessed abundantly this year, and how can I not have assurance when he's given me so much to be thankful for and is making me into something far better than I ever deserved to be....

Cheers for reading guys, hope you had as much fun over the long weekend as I did! Leave a comment about what you got up to and we can chat and be friends and stuff. You don't just do that on Facebook you know!!!