Rehashing Old Business...

I’ve been back in Palm Springs for almost a week now and still having lots of neck, shoulder and arm pain.  The upside - relatively cheap and powerful drugs.  Unfortunately, I’m still not up to snuff re: my typing skills.  So, I decided to repost some older reviews of some of my most favoritist artists for the next few days, just in case you missed them first time around.  

Hopefully I’ll be back on the horse in a few days and ready to pummel you with new material.

S.

Patrick Doval (originally posted 11/27/09)

Digging through my Myspace Friends’ Friends I found this recording/video artist named Parick Doval and instantly fell in love with his sound.  So much so that I went right to itunes and purchased his two collections: Deliverance and Fractured.  Very retro-eighties proto/pre/post - or whatever - goth, psychedelia ala early New Order, Cure, Siouxsie, etc.  His videos likewise possess that same naive early MTV quality - they dare to be artsy as opposed to the banal, unabashed lifestyle porn that most video ‘artists’ currently strive to embody.   

I especially appreciate his use of the bass as a musical instrument (rather than as a tool for irritating one’s neighbors at 3am - Uh oh, am I showing my age here?).

He’s unsigned, and his recordings are, as with most unsigned artists and their very limited budgets, a bit raw.  But I think that actually works in his favor, lending his music that uncluttered, underproduced sound that made bands such as Bauhaus and Joy Division so distinctive.  

Standout songs:

Ashes of Life:  Reminds me a lot of post-Joy Division-New Order (when they were still fresh and original).  Although Patrick’s vocals foil the comparison, being more dramatic and vibrant than Bernard Sumner’s deadpan monotone.  The video is also a lot of fun.  Can’t get the freakin’ song out of my head.

Don’t let me go:  Sounds like it could be a lost track from some early Cure album, say Seventeen Seconds or Pornography.  Extremely haunting and moodily melodic.  Another one I can’t stop thinking about.  

Many Faces: More aggressive and Industrial than the others.  Reminds me a bit of Gary Numan’s more recent work.  

Also:

Empty Road

Turbulence

Caged

OK, no matter how much I write here, it won’t do justice to Doval’s music.  I urge you to check him out.  Really great, compelling material.

For more info on Patrick you can visit these sites:

http://www.myspace.com/patrickdoval

http://www.reverbnation.com/patrickdoval

http://www.youtube.com/user/patrickdoval

Download Patrick Doval at 

Back to the Music

I was still stuck in my hotel room most of the day yesterday, so I don't have a lot to share re: the SXSW festival.  But I wanted to write at least a little something about music this morning because, since writing about my pinched nerve, my Google AdSense has begun only displaying ads re: health issues, especially nerve injuries.  And that's sort of creeping me out right now.  I hope that simply providing a header with the right keywords will remedy that   : /

I'm Really bummed at the moment that I missed so much of the festival - I'm certain my neck/shoulder nerve issues arose due to my insistence upon driving from SoCal to Texas - next time I'm going to bite the bullet and fly.

Once my shoulder and arm are back in working order I do plan to devote a blog entry to my other interesting experiences here in Austin, such as the afternoon I spent at the local Urgent Care unit and the hours upon hours wasted in my room watching the news coverage re: the healthcare debate.  And, of course, the local news coverage of the festival that's been so near, yet so far away, will find its way into my blog, as well.

I am feeling much better today and am planning to spend the day with some artist and musician friends of mine here in Austin.  And I will definitely get downtown, at least for a while, to experience these final two days of the festival today and tomorrow.

S.

What a Pain in the Neck!

Last time I checked in here I was on my way to Austin and the SXSW festival.  I've been in Austin since Tuesday 3/16, but have yet to actually make it downtown for the festival.  I apparently pinched a nerve in my neck and have been laid up in my hotel room in considerable pain since my arrival.  Finally went to the E-room yesterday and got some killer drugs which, while not alleviating all my pain completely, are definitely helping me quite a bit.  It's been very difficult to type with my neck and shoulder hurting, which is why I haven't checked in sooner.

I will get down to the festival today and tomorrow and will comment on what I find down there as soon as I'm able.

Thanks for your patience and support!

S.