I’ve never understood the point of having celebrities sing the national anthem before sporting events. To me, the whole affair is tired and has easily run its course. Why does it always need to be performed a cappella? Who decides who gets picked to sing the tune? What defines a good performance? More importantly: Who cares?

Rather than muse over whether or not Tyler did a good job as a rock ‘n’ roll musician singing the tune of an old British gentleman’s club, I’d rather wonder about how the Aerosmith frontman’s skin hasn’t sloughed off his face yet. I mean, just look at it. Ew…

At any rate, I suppose everyone’s going to have an opinion on it so I may as well give mine. Do I think it was good or bad? I think it was good, and here’s why. I think that it was a raw, honest rendition of a song that has been performed in the same manner for decades. I thought it was a good effort, and as someone who has experience singing in a dry environment like the cold New England air, I can personally attest to how near impossible it is to achieve high notes that are just barely in your vocal range, even with enough preparation.

I may be cutting Steven Tyler a break because I can empathize with him, or I may not take this sort of thing as seriously as other people. At any rate, I do think it was nice to hear something different out of such a tired tradition.

In 2007 Brien released his first album of acoustic original songs and has been consistent with letting more material out each year since then, consisting of originals and demos.  In preparation for his newest album, titled Through the Darkness, We Will Find the Light, there are two songs that he has let me check out and share with you, Avid Reader.  As he explains it: the music is a journey through all of our trials and triumphs in life.  Citing some of his influences for this ongoing project as The Cure, The Smiths and Depeche Mode, you can feel the emotional qualities not just in the lyrics but through the instrumentation.

“Mistakes” reflects upon how we pay for wrong turns we make on the road leading to now.  Sometimes we are left cold and by ourselves, yet if we decide to open up to others, then we don’t have to be alone.  Maybe there is some light at the end of each wrong tunnel or choice we make.

“Winter Solstice” takes to task the greyest of seasons and how it affects the mentality of many people.  Being stuck indoors is taxing and, unless you hibernate, those months are not easy.  By holding on to memories that made you happy earlier in the year, and realizing that this will pass, everything gets brighter after the solstice.

If you’d like to hear these songs and more, then check the website or catch him live.  Whether he’s accompanied by a full band or just his acoustic guitar, all of the songs take on a different life when performed live.  He’s come a long way since his time in Antimony – and if you get a chance to talk with him, tell him Fizz says hello.

Take, for example, the song “Aneurysm” by Nirvana. Typically played in standard tuning, with the chords F#, C, B, A, and D, the song is quite an easy one to get a handle on. If you tune your guitar in Drop D tuning, however, it becomes a whole ‘nother beast. This is the way I learned it, by ear.

You see, in drop D tuning, instead of creating a shape with one’s fingers that would make an arthritis patient cringe, you can simply barre the three bass strings to create a power chord. When I first discovered this, I thought it cheating to do such a thing. Nay, it isn’t “cheating” in the traditional sense, but it also isn’t widely accepted as a good way to learn to play songs.

When picking up an instrument, it’s typically best not to use any shortcuts, although, if one finds themselves (for lack of a better term) stuck, one might explore alternative ways to play a desired tune. This will keep the interest alive while going through a rough phase in learning, and even teach various styles of playing.

In addition to Drop D tuning, there are various other tuning styles one can choose from. It really is a whole different world out there, as when I say various other tuning styles, I mean so many that I didn’t even bother to count them because it would’ve been an effort in futility.

The point is to learn the standard method first, if possible. If that’s not possible, or if you’re not quite comfortable yet, there’s no shame in using a workaround.

Having seen Pearl Jam and then watched the movie, hearing the music brought me back to those concerts and many others I have attended.  You can hear the band finding a groove and working up the crowd, but you can also hear the crowd riding that groove and working up the band to push themselves on stage.  For example: the song “Betterman” was written by Eddie Vedder for his mother and it might be one of the saddest songs in their catalog.  Yet the live cut on this album from Madison Square Garden two years ago is daunting to listen to.  The entire crowd sings the song while Vedder gently plays the notes and the full band kicks in.  The intimacy that you feel when the crowd joins in brings all of the songs together.

The first CD contains many of the tracks that were used in the movie while the second CD has several demos and then live versions of the actual song.  One of my favorites is “Times of Trouble” which would later become “Footsteps”.  Each track brings you to a different period in the band’s life and you can feel that tension riding over the guitars, drums and vocals.

For me, I jumped into Pearl Jam full time around Binaural and also love No Code – which was the album that many folks were jumping out at.  From there it has been a tough relationship, and I find they are still a consistent group making albums not just for themselves but for the folks that take a week off work to follow them around on tour.  From Green River to Malfunkshun to Mother Love Bone to Mookie Blaylock to Pearl Jam, this is history, this is evolution baby.

I’ve been reviewing last year’s posts and noticed a theme throughout several of them: I mention the musician Beck quite a lot. To be honest, I referenced him five times.  Then I started thinking to myself, as I often do, Avid Reader; why did I mention him so often?  The answer is pretty simple: he’s my favorite artist of all time and has held on longer than others who have had this prized position.  He’s the reason I dig for export albums and why I’ve built such a collection.  Everybody has “the one” — an artist they seem to always turn to for inspiration or to gauge other artists by –  and I’m going to share my story with you all.  If you happened to think this post was going to be about James Brown’s funk groove, I hate to disappoint you.

Growing up, we identify with the music we hear most often and, as far as my own research dictates, this is the noise playing in your parents’ car.  For me it was the Beatles and other icons of 50’s and 60’s pop.  I heard Billy Joel early on and thought I would identify with him for the rest of my life.  I liked his songs, they were always on the radio and plenty of other people liked him too.  I was set.

Billy lasted for a few years until a friend created that fabled mix tape and sent my world on its ear.  Kurt Cobain had been dead for two years before I discovered him and sent Billy packing.  Here was a guy that spoke about alienation, anger and a whole bunch of other mumbled stuff I couldn’t decipher.  He guided me through high school and early college, and I pulled everything I could from his songs.

A light turned on one day: Kurt was dead.  This meant his music had an ending point and there would be nothing new.  I’ve heard bootlegs, the Outcesticides, early demos, and plenty of other things, but I needed someone who would put out albums once in a while.  Then I realized there was someone else that I had been following for years who always managed to boost my own creativity with each release.

Beck was the soundtrack for my school projects and papers, and why I started watching Futurama again.  His albums challenged my way of thinking and how I listened to albums.  He was multi-dimensional, whereas Billy and Kurt seemed one-sided. Beck was also putting out new material every few years.  I’ve developed a wider taste in music and I have him to blame.  For me, Beck is the one whether he produces albums or puts out his own material.  I bet your story is similar to mine; you just need to find someone you can grow with or who will make you grow too.  Who is your one and what’s your story?

This set of tunes comes from Vancouver, British Columbia instead of someplace in New Zealand.  We should be happy that Shalini Kumar is pursuing her dream of recording music rather than becoming a successful accountant living on a farm on the opposite side of the world.  I’ll never know how her number crunching skills are, so I’ll just have to tell you that she can sing very well.

I’ve stated before that I’m a sucker for well crafted pop songs, and this EP has five great examples.  When a sad subject can make you tap your feet and bounce, you know someone is doing their job; which is why I like “Feeling Lonely”.  Another interesting piece is how she incorporates other instrumentation into her music that reaches further than guitars and drums.  Piano and string arrangements intertwine to help create a soothing backdrop, and you can hear the complexity grooving underneath the sweet vocals that want to whisk you someplace far away or take you somewhere dark and personal.

There are not a lot of songs on this EP, and my favorites are “Feeling Lonely”, “Freeze Up” and her best track, “Book of Dreams”.  She has lofty ambitions to make it into the world of music, and you can’t help but cheer her on as she races toward her goal.  It is refreshing to hear and see artists that don’t rely on costume changes, skimpy clothing and bad reputations in a tabloid to bolster their careers.  For more information on Shalini check her website.  Anyone that likes pomegranates, Mozart and violent video games can’t be all bad.

I’ve had the ability to sample several microphones in my day. From the industry standard Shure SM58, to the wireless Sennheiser SKM 300-865 G3, to even the Blue Yeti, I’ve sampled my fair share. My current favorite is the Shure SM57. A directional microphone, typically used for recording instrumentals, the SM57 gives a subtle boost to the power of the sound over the SM58 which I prefer. It also has a nice look, and that helps.

This past weekend, however, I got to play around with a brilliant microphone which I’m considering purchasing for myself – the Shure Super 55 Deluxe Vocal Microphone (can you tell I really like this company?). With a classic look and feel, the Super 55 brings us back to a simpler time, when music was about the painful expression of a man’s lonely heart and smoking was a socially acceptable habit.

Griping the microphone in the palm of one’s hand gives one a sense of nostalgia, and the brush chrome body of the microphone is surprisingly comfortable. A sturdy and weighty microphone, it’s perfect for that ever-necessary mic stand sway.

The sound the microphone produces, even without any artificial sweetener, is crisp and clean. The microphone’s engineering makes it really good at preventing feedback, even while in close proximity to the PA. The blue foam on the mic does a decent job at softening those hard consonants, while giving the mic a touch of class (as if it needed any help).

At 250 sweet bucks, this is a hefty investment. If you’re just looking to muck around, the SM58 or SM57 may be a better choice. However, if you’ve got a particular need (a need to be heard, and well), I can’t think of a better microphone to be your window to the world. Except for maybe this one.

F’d Up, David Comes to Life – the story: a man name David falls in love with a girl, who loves him back, and she dies.  He meets another girl, falls in love but she does not love him back, so she leaves him.  Feeling terrible about his life, he questions everything, and just as he is about to break,, he realizes that knowing these two girls and realizing he can love so much is more important than anything else, so he decides to start fresh.  With growling vocals, slick guitar and drum work, this is a hardcore punk rock masterpiece that Green Day should listen to for more inspiration.

tUnE-yArDs, WHOKILL – Merrill Garbus might be the only person I can think of that can rock an electric ukulele.   Blending tribal drums and rhythm with vocal loops, catchy beats and synth is pretty damn cool.  This album is a step outside the pop box and one hell of a listen if you want something different.

M83., Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming – a French DJ creates some awesome beat-laden techno that could also double as the soundtrack to a Steven Spielberg movie.  If you don’t believe me then just watch this video for some proof.  Did you get a great pair of headphones as a gift?  This album would be perfect to zone out to on a new pair of ear goggles, or to play over a good stereo.

There you have it, folks, the last entries on my year end list before 2012, I promise.  Go out and return all those other lame gifts and then pick up a few albums that will rock you.

So there we were, at a local duckpin bowling alley, in the middle of our cover of “Ball and Chain” by Social Distortion when suddenly large amounts of static noise coursed through our lines and filled our PA speakers with the shrill cry of electrons making sweet, sweet love. Prior to this event, there had been a bit of static noise in different moments which I’d originally attributed to a bad mic cable as it seemed to go away when I held my cable still. In fact, I was planning on replacing the cable immediately following the song during which we had our little “interruption”.

At any rate, after some investigating, and a nice DJ intermission courtesy of one of the crew, we found the problem to be a combination of a bad circuit in the building and dirty power. I suppose when you run a four-hour show in a sketchy bowling alley, you’re inevitably going to run into some sort of trouble. We figured out which circuit we could plug into that wouldn’t cause power failure for the whole building and carried on.

The crowd didn’t seem to mind, which was nice. It also helped that most of them were friendlies, so that’s a bonus. At any rate, I suppose when you’re putting on a decent enough show, even with a slight mishap, if you’re keeping the crowd entertained, they’re less likely to turn on you. It also helps that, when you’re playing at a bowling alley, people can also keep themselves entertained.

I’ve seen some technical mishaps at shows I’ve gone to. Some have been graceful, but some have also been downright painful to watch. This is one of those things you just have to take in stride because it’s going to happen sooner or later and there is no amount of prep work that will prevent something completely unexpected. That’s what it’s called the unexpected. Besides, throwing a tantrum just makes you look silly.

As everyone knows, and if you don’t then read up, our greenish villain was in the process of ruining the Yuletide when who should appear?  Little Cindy-Lou Who, no more than two, that needed a cup of cold water to help her sleep.  Thanks to Cindy-Lou’s insatiable need to hydrate herself, she foils the Grinch’s plan and pretty much guilts him into bringing back everything he stole and helping with dinner.  I know I took a few liberties back there, but you catch my drift, and everyone lived happily ever after.

Well, that is until little Cindy-Lou grew up, realized Whoville wasn’t all it was cracked up to be and couldn’t hold the attention of a precocious twenty-something, so she moved all the way out to Los Angeles and wrote a song about it.  Ok, so I took some liberties back there,, too but that is the premise for this little ditty by New Jersey’s own Laura Warshauer.

In the song Cindy-Lou has grown up and she misses Mr. Grinch around this time of year and she’ll always love him and hold a spot in her heart for him.  The song is by no means a creepy tune; rather, it is an interesting take on a classic story.  Warshauer was the recipient of BMI’s and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame’s “Holly Prize”, named after Buddy Holly and awarded to one singer/songwriter each year, which is a high honor to be bestowed.  Her voice floats over the guitar while her clever tune plays out and it starts to make sense how she was awarded this prize.

If you happen to be looking for something a little different this year for your holiday music collection, you can find her tune in a few places to stream, download or view a quick video.  Don’t be a Grinch and give this one a spin, you’ll be surprised.

STREAM/DOWNLOAD “I LOVE YOU MR. GRINCH”: http://download.themusebox.net/laura_warshauer/i_love_you_mr_grinch.mp3

WATCH THE “I LOVE YOU MR. GRINCH” VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTaw7WRTrkI&feature=channel_video_title

(Photo: U.S. Marine Corps)