I guess you call that painting in a cave.

Watch the Get Up Kids Reunion show on Myspace before it’s too late

theinvisiblegardener — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:49:45 +0000

The Get Up Kids (Vagrant), who are two days away from releasing their 10th anniversary edition of Something to Write Home About, have posted their Liberty Hall performance from March (2008) on their myspace page. It will only be available for viewing for a limited time.

The Get Up Kids are currently on a country-wide tour, click here for dates near you.

you can pre-order the CD/DVD here (US)

or here (Europe)

TheInvisibleGardener’s Dustin Winter to be published

theinvisiblegardener — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:06:24 +0000

A congradulations is in order to Dustin Winter, photographer for this blog, after becoming a finalist in Photographer’s Forum’s 29th Annual Spring Photography Contest, where he will be published in the “Best of College Photography 2009″ edition.

Here is the winning photograph:

Congradulations!

and don’t forget to visit Dustin’s flickr account

Tim Kasher (Cursive) Acoustic Performance

theinvisiblegardener — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 02:31:18 +0000

Tim Kasher of Cursive (Saddle Creek Records) played a few old and new songs acoustically at tripwire. I think they are nicely played. You can watch that performance here.

So Many Dynamos at Off Broadway, St.Louis

theinvisiblegardener — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:50:49 +0000

November 13, 2009 So Many Dynamos are set to play Off Broadway in St.Louis. I’m still not sure if this will be the last St.Louis show with (former) guitarist Ryan Wasoba, or the first in St.Louis with new guitarist Nathan Bernaix…but it’s sure to be a good show either way.

Off Broadway
3509 Lemp Ave
Historic Cherokee Lemp District
St. Louis MO, 63118.

Sing For China Show CANCELED

theinvisiblegardener — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:08:43 +0000

As some of you may know, the St.Louis Sing for China benefit show was canceled as of 6:30pm tonight. Details are still unknown at this point, and I’m unsure if they will reschedule sometime during the rest of the tour. For all of you that went tonight, I know Off-Broadway sends its sincerest apologies. For those of you not in the area, the rest of the shows are still on as of today.

Sing For China: Fight Aids with Art

theinvisiblegardener — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:47:14 +0000

Tomorrow I will be attending the Sing For China: Fight Aids with Art concert in S.Louis, Missouri at Off-Broadway (one of my favorite stl venues!) Modern Sky Records (China) is producing the tour–its a great cause.

All proceeds will be donated to China Aids Orphan Fund, the tour will feature three of China’s biggest indie-alternative bands: Hedgehog, Queen Sea Big Shark, and Casino Demon. WILL be an excellent show, hope to see you there!

Here is the St.Louis Info:

Address:
Off Broadway
3509 Lemp Ave
Historic Cherokee Lemp District
St. Louis MO, 63118.
Doors @ 7:30pm, Show @ 8:00pm
21 & Over:$8
Under 21:$11

For those of you not in the stl area, check to see dates here.

Oasis…No-asis?

theinvisiblegardener — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 01:08:28 +0000

I just have one question…What’s up with my favorite bands losing members?

Earlier this week So Many Dynamos announced that guitarist Ryan Wasoba was leaving the band but being replaced by Nathan Bernaix of Target Market. Unlike SMD, however, Oasis claims that they are breaking up…what does that make? The thirteenth time? But this time it might be true because this time it is actually Noel Gallagher who decided to leave. In the past it has always been his brother, Liam, who wanted out.

The Gallagher vs. Gallagher fight happened backstage moments before performing at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris. Fellow Festival singer Amy MacDonald posted a Twitter Tweet saying, “Oasis cancelled again with one minute to stage time! Liam smashed Noel’s guitar, huuuge fight!” Besides the festival, Oasis was scheduled for a European tour.

Noel issued a statement/apology via myspace saying, “It’s with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer. Apologies to all the people who bought tickets for the shows in Paris, Konstanz, and Milan.”

I’m reluctant to think that Oasis is really really over (is this just another wolf cry?). But one thing is certain, fans are itching for a Noel Gallagher solo album if Oasis does end. After all, the majority of Oasis’s songs were written by him.

And “that’s the story.”

To end I’d like to share a youtube video of my favorite Oasis song, It’s Getting Better (Man) (Be Here Now)

So Many Dynamos: The Loud Wars

theinvisiblegardener — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:57:22 +0000

If the opening lyric to The Loud Wars is true when it says, “The record doesn’t lie,” then not only does So Many Dynamos release a musically pleasing album, it answers the age old question: Where do our prayers go? Unfortunately, like most deep thoughts the answer isn’t so clear, it’s simply “a place in the atmosphere…”

But this record is anything but simple. Whether it’s the time signature in “Glaciers” (which I’m still not sure if I know exactly what time that is…), the teeter-totter guitar riffs in “Friendarmy,” or how certain songs contain snippets of other SMD songs performed backwards, this album is a buffet of the weird, the new, and the great. Of course this album did have the help of some of music’s bigger names. Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie) produced the album, Alex Newport (The Mars Volta) mixed it, and it was their first release by Vagrant Records (The Get Up Kids, Thrice). So Many Dynamos is no stranger to interacting with established acts, since 2003 they’ve performed with bands like The Postal Service, Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, and Cursive.

The Loud Wars has been described as referencing everything from video games to inspiration from “Cinemechanica” and “Q and Not U.” In an interview for Altpress.com (former) guitarist, Ryan Wasoba said that the album is like their debute album, but I don’t know too many fans that can completely disregard 2004′s When I Explode and 2006′s Flashlights. One thing is for sure though, this album does stand apart. For me, the big strength is in the lyrical content. Earthquakes… lava…and the Gateway Arch-you name it, it’s there. After listening to the album I find myself counting my fingers and toes just to come back to reality.

As I mentioned in the last blog, Ryan (guitar/keys), has left the band, but we can honestly say he went out with a bang…he and the boys created a great album.

So Long to a So Many Dynomite

theinvisiblegardener — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:44:47 +0000

When I was in High School, one thing was understood—either you were in a band, or you dated someone who was in a band…Me? I opted for choice “a.” I played (acoustic) violin with Starscream for nearly all of High School and into College. As a graduation gift, my family bought me an electric violin which furthered my opportunities into the realm of recording. The luckiest break I got during this time was when my all-time favorite semi-local band, The Floating City, asked me to play on their CD.

The Floating City, based out of St.Louis, MO, was known for their Radiohead-esque flare. Incorporating everything from cell phones to bowed guitars; I really respected them. They were regulars at a living room type venue on Lemp Avenue called The Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. Director of LNAC, Mark Sarich, had an ear for organizing shows, they were always loud, rambunctious, and genius—but nothing was more genius when he discovered the following lineup:

The Floating City, Target Market, So Many Dynamos.

Listeners were in for a musical apple pie when these three bands played together, which was actually quite frequent, but exciting nonetheless. We all had it in our minds that The Floating City was the “bigger” band and So Many Dynamos and Target Market were more like novelty cousin bands to TFC..

But oh, how these tables have turned- out of those three bands, Target Market and So Many Dynamos are the only ones still going strong.

Not only do they have three albums out, but the third, The Loud Wars, was released by Vagrant Records

(Dashboard Confessional, Saves The Day), produced by Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, and mixed by The Mars Volta‘s Alex Newport; not to shabby for a couple of boys from the little town of Edwardsville, IL. They’ve found themselves a huge following around the country because of extensive tours, part of which included opening for Death Cab for Cutie. In many ways, they have inspired all of us from the southern Illinois area, but alas, a change has occurred- guitarist Ryan Wasoba is leaving the band.

News hit the band’s recording blog on Tuesday, but Wasoba had been sure of this decision for a while. In the blog Wasoba writes, “A few months ago I was hit with the unfortunate realization that I no longer wanted to be in a touring rock band…”

I have complete faith that the new guitarist, Nathan Bernaix (ironically from Target Market) will continue the success of SMD, but it’s still a sad moment for the musicians of St.Louis like me who remember sweating on a couch at LNAC in between sets of So Many Dynamos and The Floating City.

Of course this isn’t an end to SMD at all, but as someone who sat on those couches, I had to give my final good-bye to the SMD that I’ll always remember…

We all wish you success Ryan Wasoba—love, St.Louis

I can hear it from the interstate

theinvisiblegardener — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 02:35:11 +0000

Sometime during my sophomore year in High School amidst learning to drive my 1996 Dodge Neon, I purchased Itzhak Perlman’s Greatest Hit’s CD. I was learning Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumble Bee.” It was an intense time in my life as a young violinist, and it was important for me to live, breath, and sleep music.

Perlman did that.

Like that Dodge Neon, however, my violin studies came to a screeching halt around my freshman year in college, and yet I listen to that CD even today. Why? Because I still live, breath, and sleep music.

This is one reason I’ve decided to write a music blog. My taste in music ranges from Mr.Perlman to everyone from Conor Oberst to Dolly Parton and ABBA to U2. Along with music reviews I plan to incorporate art reviews and post my favorite “hot spots” around the St.Louis area, but first and foremost this is a music blog so expect to read reviews and updates from my favorite musicians, bands, and especially live shows.

I’ll also be posting my own photos along with photos my partner-in-crime and good friend Dustin Winter took. He has spent years photographing musicians like Sigur Ros, Reel Big Fish, and So Many Dynamos (and many more). He’s been close friends with UK based band, Ash, for quite sometime now. His knowledge of the music world is beyond impressive and I am lucky to be able to bring him aboard this ship.

I consider music to be a great priority in my life, but also believe that music is both subjective and personal, so if you have a tip on a great band/ musician you don’t think we’ve heard of, want us to review your band, or even disagree with one of my reviews, feel free to comment…and of course follow this blog.

Much love,
Rachel Bray