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Went away, holiday Wish they'd linger on They'll think what they will We'll stay where we have gone

-“Stranger Things” by Local Natives

Satellite Stories | Helsinki Art Scene

Daily Routine (9/16/17) - A collision with fate

It is odd the way life works out. I didn’t forget about DR yesterday, the post I had got deleted. Well actually, I was in a rush and didn’t have a chance to be at my computer so I had to type it out on my phone. Right when I was about to post it, the app crashed on me, deleting the entire post. I was so irritated by it that I just decided I wasn’t going to post it. I now see that this was a good thing though. 

The subject matter of the post was very ranty as I was annoyed at a lot of people and I just wanted to vent. Looking back, I now know that that is definitely something I don’t want on my blog and it was very in the moment, as the problems I was complaining about were solved about an later after it was deleted. But I find it funny how fate works out like that. How you think a problem will be solved by something only to have it set you back further. Patience is key in situations like this, as simply just waiting can make things make a lot more sense than they would if you try to attack them head on. I’m glad I was reminded of this lesson yesterday. 

Yesterday was also full of other surprises. I went to a house show for a few local bands - some from Richmond and others from Williamsburg. House shows are my favorite concerts to go to. You’re within spitting distance of the band playing and you can see each and every detail of their set; Their reactions, their stage presence, and not to mention, the full brunt of their sound (it’s loud as hell). It’s an experience you don’t get by seeing a band at a stadium or even a club. It’s personal and real - especially if you’re friends with the people playing. 

The reason I found this show to be a surprise though, is because I was able to have a great time without worrying about any of my past relationships. I was able to meet many new people and just be myself without any worry. It’s taken me awhile to get to this point and I’m proud of myself for being who I am now. Aside from personal surprises, I also saw a lot of people that I met at a music festival I went to this summer. They’re the kind of interactions where you don’t think you’ll ever see them again, but then they show up again in a place where you least expect it. So that was a pleasant surprise. 

The only thing that did suck about the show was that the cops shut it down, so the last band didn’t get to play their set. They had to wait through over 2 hours of live music only to not get to play. A pity that our society values being able to sleep at night without any loud noises over the creative arts. That is a rant for another day though. 

I have now decided that this was my favorite local show I’ve ever been to. Not only because of what I talked about above, but the actual musical content. The first band (who I didn’t know beforehand) had an irresistible groove to it that was still able to bring the punchiness of indie rock. They had great stage presence and people were able to dance to it quickly - which is always a good sign considering how hit or miss local bands can be. The next band, Talk to Plants, were the band I went to the show for. This was my third and favorite time seeing them, as they played a good mix of their old cuts and new ones from their upcoming LP. Their unique psychedelic-folk-rock sound translates well in an intimate setting, especially when you’re able to see that they’re having just as good of a time as you are. This is evident in the photo I chose for this post. 

Kind of a long post today I know, but I felt it was necessary since I didn’t have one yesterday. Send me your local music. Any genre or style - just as long as it’s local to where you live. I would love to hear all of it. 

Bad Suns.

THE SYMPOSIUM SELF TITLED RELEASE

    Skipping class, smoking cigarettes, sneaking out and going to the beach, it seems like the entirety of my sophomore year was soundtracked by The Symposium. Composed of guitarist Sam, singer Charlie, drummer Brian, and bassist Benny, the Chicago bred band has been the soundtrack of my life since discovering their debut album, Drugs, released in 2014. Drugs, though released almost 3 years before their new self titled album, introduced their laid back blend of stoner pop rock.

    The Symposium, appropriately released on 4/20, took that established sound and elevated it with more developed sounds and insightful lyrics. The first of the two singles released for their new album, “Red River,” was absolutely infectious. With it’s slow tempo and sleepy vocals it conformed to the band’s previous style whilst also giving subtle hints about what the future held in store. The second single, “Synth Song” continued with the mellow feel and true to it’s name was synth heavy. Both tracks have this effortless quality that enables them to be played in any situation for any amount of time while still retaining their initial captivity.

     Accentuating the psychedelic side of the album, “Soft Love” is almost reminiscent of early Tame Impala with it’s dreamy guitars and dazed lyrics. The song ends with a distinct outro, a quality shared among most of the songs on the album. “Nino 2” has that same gossamer quality while throwing in some distorted elements. The track is an easy listen with an optimistic melody and relatable lyrics.

     “The Physical Attraction,” is the embodiment of the slacker-pop movement. With it’s disdainful lyrics urging people to “take your time, listen to the song we wrote and it could change your mind when you hear it on the radio.” The song expresses the want for a break in reality, to just play video games instead of dealing with the the complications of relationships and adulthood. Featuring high reverb and lengthy instrumentals breaks, its outro brought a more grounded, undefined element to juxtapose the dreamy tune.

     The closing track, “Starfall,” uses the trademark ethereal vocals from the psych side and some intense guitar solos. This track has this effortless cohesion that effectively showcases the best of both genres. The outro circled back to the first track “Streems,” dripping in dreamy vibes and keeping the album in a continuum of sorts.

    Sofian Zapf on Bandcamp encompasses my thoughts on this album perfectly: “holy fuck yo this shit is crazy.” It’s true, with their garage rock and dream pop the band has created the perfect casual masterpiece. Just as Drugs seems to be the background noise to all my best moments sophomore year, I know that The Symposium will hold that nostalgia soon.

LISTEN TO THE SYMPOSIUM HERE

written by SAMANTHA SULLIVAN

Daily Routine (9/14/17) - Coffee Break

I went to a local coffee shop called The Lab at Alchemy (Alchemy Coffee for short). You will probably see me post about this place often, as it is one of my favorite coffee shops in Richmond. Today’s experience at The Lab wasn’t really any different from any other day (except for the barista thinking I ordered a mocha instead of a normal coffee - only mildly infuriating). I ordered my coffee and muffin and sat down to be productive. 

Productive in a sense at least. 

I usually go to coffee shops to do homework, usually reading from my various textbooks or writing a paper on my laptop. Alchemy is different though. For some reason I can’t do anything academic while sitting in this quaint college student hangout spot. I’m not sure if it’s the people coming in and out, the buzz of drinks being made, or just being so close in proximity to people (if it’s crowded, space to breath can be pretty tight). It may be that I always have associated the place with de-stressing, but I add in stressors that prevent me from working. So now Alchemy is no longer a place where I can do “work” in an academic manner. I now see at as a place to unwind, and let my creativity sprawl in a different way

Creative writing.

I have determined that Alchemy is now my go to place when I want to write. Poetry, short stories, journal entries, and other forms of short prose - I feel safe and comfortable writing it there. Which leads me to this picture I’ve included. It’s an off kilter shot of my coffee mug and personal journal where I write all of my ideas for everything. I try and write in it at least once a day, whether it be a journal entry or something creative. Shown above is a series of short poems I came up with while listening to the song “Visiting Friends” by Animal Collective. In short, it’s a hypnotic, ambient, and drawn out acoustic guitar track with odd voices and sounds sampled into the background. While repetitive and long, the song is able to put me into an odd feeling where I make can write these unique dialogue poems that I’ve never been able to do unless I’m listening to this song. I now have 4 full pages of content while listening to this song. I’ll post them separately someday, probably with edits and rewrites in order for them to flow better. I also transcribed a short story that I wrote in my journal into a word document. It’s currently a mess, but I’m happy that I did it. I’ll post that story someday too when it’s ready.

It was quite a time at The Lab today filled with lots of creative energy and much needed de-stressing. I hope to be able to find a lot of other places in Richmond that have the same effect, hopefully free, as money can be tight for a college student. Honestly, any place that can get the creative juices flowing is fine by me. If you’re an RVA native and you write, please comment/PM with your go to places (oddly specific and far reaching I know, but one can hope). 

Varsity | Chicago based indie rock band 

http://varsity.bandcamp.com/

Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/VARSITYtunes/photos/a.137322233136142.1073741824.137321859802846/438824446319251/?type=3&theater