TayKuy

New American Music Union

2008-08-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

This was written for and originally printed in the Herald-Dispatch.
It’s rough being a college student with a terrible sense of financial planning, a love of music and a commitment to reconcile the two.
However, as a true music fan, I sensed an opportunity to see Bob Dylan, the Raconteurs, Spoon, The Black Keys, The Roots and Gnarls Barkley at the New American Music Union, and I was already Pittsburgh-bound.

Read the rest here:
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/entertainment/x2021817700/New-American-Music-Festival-a-joy-to-experience

Black and White Portraits in the Sun

2008-01-28T08:28:00.001-08:00

Here are a few black and white portraits of Erin Stockhausen, taken with my new Canon EOS 40D. Enjoy!

Surprise of the New Year: Old School Abbey

2008-01-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

I admit, it is hard to impress anyone by calling a band the surprise of the year when we are just entering the second month of the year, but you must understand I attend a lot of live shows. Old School Abbey opened for Chris Barron, the long lost former Spin Doctor, at the V Club last Saturday. The show was packed full of an energy that must have intimidated Barron, who was only playing his second show since his vocals were suspended by medical issues.

Old School Abbey carries the attitude and look of the unsung hero. They play like veterans that have known each other for years, but broadcast the spirit of a fresh young band digging for something that the world of music has been expecting for years. The sound is fresh and danceable, but also makes an excellent soundtrack for barroom chill out.

Tinges of Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, Keller Williams, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, and a whole host of acoustic solo rockers drip all over the sound Old School Abbey, but a delightful electric twist adds a new sort of energy. Twin acoustic guitar rhythms layered underneath reinforce the organic quality of a band that seems to be ready to break out at any moment.

The vocals are masterful, but not classic. Not for a moment will you sense that anyone in the band has been through vocal training, nor will you ask any of them to sing Amazing Grace at your funeral. Contrarily, Old School Abbey sounds the way rock should—unpolished and bustling with energy. OSA is the sort of group who will probably be ignored all too long by mainstream radio, only to find out that when they do make the big time, everyone has already passed a copy of their albums to most of their friends.

Impressed as I was by Old School Abbey’s live sound, I could not wait to hear the studio work. Girl Like You is an impressively solid album with at least one powerful ballad, Lay Down, a track that earned enough respect to grace the Relix Magazine sampler CD. The song has a very Hotel California vibe and just as gracefully navigates slow and winding verses with a powerful chorus that is only overridden by a well thought, well placed guitar solo.

OSA finds their sound just as fitting on a preteen’s iPod as it does from a bar full of smoke and liquor. They will pass your time on a long drive, and they will bring the crowd to your campsite at your next music festival. OSA drives a sound from Beckley to the masses and speaks in a language that breathes as clearly into the ears of the music aficionado as the pop radio crowd. OSA is based in Beckley, with sights on the world. You can get your fix for Old School Abbey on iTunes or MySpace, you may check them out at http://www.oldschoolabbey.com/.

Marshall Winter 2008

2008-01-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some snow photos from some snow we recently got here at MArshall Univerisity in Huntington, WV:

V for Versatile: The V Club

2007-12-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

Following my usual habits, I arrive at the V Club far earlier than any sort of crowd has developed. I find that this is where you see the true character of the bar, when club hoppers have yet to start their outings of jumping from one bar to the next. I slip into a side door that turned out to be the band's entrance without a bouncer guarding the way. No one caused any static, but I went to the bouncer on the opposite and paid my fare.
After I was able to settle up with my entrance fee, I felt much more relaxed about scanning the bar. The bar was not what you typically found in the Huntington area, with sprawling standing areas and darkened dance floors. The V Club is something much more matured. The bar is centered in the room with plenty of bartenders to keep those riding the stools filled with whatever libations they seek, but most of the visitors chose the seats along the outside edges of the bar.
The lighting was dim, but by no means was it a darkened atmosphere. The V Club reminds you of a chilled out lunge where hipsters go to avoid the typical partygoers. The lineup at the bar had perhaps one of the most diverse age groups that I had seen at any recent bars. The pinnacle of the bar was the stage. It is not a large stage at all; in fact any band with only a handful of members will find themselves practically shoulder to shoulder. Herein lies the beauty of the V Club, the delicate balance of bar, lounge, and intimate rock house. The live musical acts nearly find themselves amongst the crowd when they take the stage. Crowds of people do not flock to the stage staring and grappling at the band, because to do so just would not feel right here.

The cool thing to do is to sit and enjoy the music, and chat amongst friends. It is tempting to say that the V Club is more like a coffee shop plus alcohol minus coffee, but the bands do get a bit too loud for that. The V offers you a chance to relax without being wired, and listen without being bored.

Sadly, not every event remains so chilled. I have yet to see a packed day at the V Club but Marshall Student, Robin Bailiff said, "It was such a cluster fuck, we barely had room to move around. I did not like it all that much.” Yet, Ken Lester Graphic Designer from Huntington had a different opinion. “People love the 80’s night and its outstanding 80’s atmosphere. They bring in a lot of bands from in state and out of state, with a great sound.”

The acoustics at the V Club are outstanding; with little mixing issues that typically irk me at these sorts of clubs. One of my favorite acts is the acoustic soldier, Jeff Ellis, a Huntington native who regularly plays the bar. Cabin, and indie band from Louisville will play this week, and the bar has housed such greats at Marc Ford, the former guitarist of the Black Crowes.

An outdoor patio area is currently in the works for the V Club, offering a beautiful outdoor drinking area that is most pleasant in the warmer months. Relatively new to the bar scene, the V Club is quickly becoming the refuge from the typically harder edge of the Huntington music scene. I have personally witnessed acoustic performances, classic rockers, blues virtuosos, and even a Latin guitar band all at the V Club.

If you are seeking a chill place to unwind while listening to some of the greatest acts to come through the state, the V Club is hard to rival. The mission of the V Club seems to offer an oasis from the frat boy attitude of most bars and they are daftly taking the music scene back to its heart and soul.

Essentials

WHERE:
741 6th Ave HUNTINGTON, WV,
United States

SERVICE: Partial Food and Full Bar

ENTERTAINMENT: Rotating band schedule, Open Mic and Theme Nights

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFO: http://www.myspace.com/wvvclub

A Review of the South Charleston Memorial Ice Skating Rink

2007-12-22T22:37:00.000-08:00

The South Charleston Memorial Ice Skating Rink is not only one of the only places in best Virginia with year round ice skating, but also a mecca for competing West Virginia Figure Skaters. Large competitions are frequently held on the well-groomed ice within the arena, along with a host of hockey and general skating activity.

The smoothly raked ice offers excellent opportunities for high quality seed skating, and lessons are also offered year round. A short six-week period is used for maintenance, but other than that skating is always available. The Charleston Figure Skating Club has been
actively using the rink and even offers live shows; the next one available will be The Nutcracker.

If all you seek is an evening of entertainment, the SCMISR also provides frequent opportunities to skate with your sweetheart or friends. A lobby area offers up an arcade and a concession stand should you find yourself flat on the ground a few too many times. I find nothing more soothing after a long skid across some cold ice, then a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

The location of the rink is ideal, providing excellent shopping opportunities in the South Charleston area, particularly helpful if you just want to drop off the kids somewhere to go shopping, or if you want a nice restaurant meal to be followed by some romantic ice
skating.

Perhaps one of the biggest concerns that you may have at the rink is being showed up by some very talented young figure skaters. In preparation for various levels of competition it is not hard to find world class figure skating coming from boys and girl as young as
eleven. It really is awe-inspiring, and there is no cost to watch a practice.

If you feel you are a budding superstar yourself, the rink offers small personal level lessons that will have you confidently skating around the rink in no time. One of their latest pieces of equipment, who was being used by some children during my visit, was a special harness that can help you nail that perfect lift your partner to the sky moment, without a sudden intimate encounter with the ice below.

Ice skating in Charleston is one of the most premier spots that I have visited. I am usually accustomed to a run down ice skating rink on the outside of some small town, so the arcade, concessions, and overall comfort of the rink make for a truly memorable experience. One of my early dates with my current girlfriend took place here, and we had a blast.

The South Charleston Memorial Ice Skating Rink is not a seasonal, open for a few months, let's give it a shot type of establishment—this is a professional skating rink that happens to extend open arms to the amateur and recreational skater.

7 Ways to a White (and Green) Winter: Hitting the Slopes on the Cheap

2007-12-21T18:27:00.001-08:00

The time is coming soon. Snowfall is beginning to present itself all across the state, and if you are anything like me you are eyeballing those skis that have sat in the corner for far too long. Similarly, you may also be worrying that in addition to the rear side bruises typically associated with the ski/snowboard season, your wallet can suffer even harsher injury. So here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to hit the slopes on the cheap.

1.) The Ultimate in Cheap- Get a few friends, some used ski’s, an ATV, some rope, and a hill—Bam—instant ski slope. It’s not luxury, but it’s cheap.

2.) Seriously- Find deals online here a few highlights for the West Virginia Ski Season.

Snowshoe Mountain- Offering deals such as Couples December, Family Christmas Packages, Subaru Demo Days, and Early Season Packages which are all available now on their website at some very attractive price schemes. http://www.snowshoemtn.com

Canaan Valley- Currently features excellent deals for the military during the midweek, great senior ski packages, and a “Romance Package” for that special someone. Make sure you check out their web-exclusive discounts currently featuring November deals and “Wonderful Wednesdays”

http://www.canaanresort.com

Timberline- With a well developed snowboard park, this place is already a college favorite, but student discounts make it even more appealing. Plus shopping online for your ski packages can save up 10 percent here.

http://www.timberlineresort.com/

3.) Pack the Food- This should be obvious if you have done any traveling, but you can save a lot of money by bringing your own food. Some places even let you grill out in the parking lot—tailgate! Also, there is a nifty product out their that uses former military technology to chemically heat a prepared cup of Hot Cocoa. It’s amazing.

4.) Ski in Flocks- Group discounts are the best way to make out of the skiing deal without losing a lot of cash. Sometimes, organizing the trip is even more lucrative, canceling your costs completely.

5.) Ski Frequently- Season passes can be like little presents from heaven, the skiing quickly becomes much cheaper, and you have an excuse to go skiing. Who can stop you if you have to ski 2.3 more times to make that season pass pay off?

6.) Watch Those Lodging Costs- Sometimes it may be cheaper to stay just a little bit away from the ski resort. The price of driving just a few miles or less down the road will probably save you a good chunk of money, even if you are not quite as comfy.

7.) Be A Ski Bum- Hey, if it’s what you love, by all means ski for a living. It can be an excellent way to pick up some cash during the season, and what job could be more fun than skiing all day for free? I have a friend that does this, and every time I visit his resort, I watch as my jealously fuels his burning sense of self-satisfaction. That burning sense of self-satisfaction could be yours.

Something Brewing in Moorefield

2007-12-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

Leaving the college town of Huntington and going home to a place like Moorefield, WV has its peaceful moments, but it also means going without a few things that I have become accustomed to being at my disposal. For instance, going home used to mean that good coffee was a good drive away. Enter Jinyuan Duan, or as anyone who has spent anytime at Aroma’s Coffee House knows him, JD.

When JD took over the former video rental store last year, minor renovations would not do the trick. The previously white washed walls are now covered in rich warm tones, a full service kitchen is hidden by displays of local art and food products that line the shelves of the store, and heavy wooden furniture completes the classy style of Aromas Coffee House. Considering the prior status of cupped lightning in Moorefield, a decent splash of the stuff would earn my respect, but JD had much more planned.

“We want the customer to be able to come in and experience the delight of fresh, in house roasted coffee,” JD tells me as I wait for a fresh Sumatran blend. He points to a corner of the store where the coffee is roasted each morning. “If customers are enjoying themselves, so am I, why have money when you can have fun?” The Sumatra coffee is perfect, a smooth medium roast with a delicate body, perfect for an afternoon meal.

Choosing among the menu items is a difficult task, my own experience tempts me towards the delicious Panini sandwiches or wraps made with fresh ingredients and stacked heartily. Yet, curiosity pulls me towards the pizza homemade with Aromas very own tomato sauce and dough, or the soup of the day, perhaps even a seasonal salad made from local organic greens. I had the Italian—salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese, avocado spread, and roasted peppers on an olive oil grilled Panini bread—a meal fit to fill the stomach, and I was no less than stunned by the wonderful palate pleasers being matched in the hills of Moorefield.

If JD is asked what Aromas is about, he just says, “We want to have the best coffee shop we can, while providing an atmosphere for all ages and professions to enjoy.” If you were to ask me, I would say that Aromas is about choice. Aromas offers a variety of vegetarian and organic options, the coffee variety is intimidating, the food choices are vast, and there is even a special menu just for the various types of tea that are served at Aromas.

JD is probably also one of the most flexible art venue operators, “We allow musicians to play whenever it fits their schedule,” says JD. Though the active musician market in Moorefield may be thin, JD does give a shot to those interested in playing. Physical art is also given an opportunity at Aromas Coffeehouse. Last summer the shop teamed up with the Hungry for Art League to create coffee paintings, an art project that used JD’s very own coffee as the ‘paint’ for their artworks.
The location of Aromas Coffee House may seem to be somewhat illogical, yet JD assures me their is a reason that he has come from mainland China, with a background as a computer engineer, to start a coffee shop in Moorefield, WV. “Why Moorefield? (Laughs) why not? The people are very friendly which was one of the most important things to me, but Moorefield also has a potential to be a hub of traffic from D.C. to areas south.”

If some weary traveler ventures into Aromas Coffee House they may rest assured that they will be experiencing the high quality coffee of the city, melted into the warm small town charm of Moorefield, WV. You can also bet that before the fresh scent of roasting coffee hits your senses, JD has already shouted out a hearty greeting welcoming you to his nook of West Virginia.

An Interview with the Redding Brothers

2007-12-19T20:39:00.000-08:00

Approximately one year ago, The Redding Brothers, West Virginia natives based in Nashville were releasing their new full-length album, The Physics of Immortality. They played to a very enthusiastic crowd at the Charleston Civic Center, releasing their new music upon the world before setting off on tour. Now they are back in their hometown and I get the opportunity to sit down with them in a very familiar place, the studio of WMUL in Huntington, WV.

Micah, Gabe, and Josiah Redding entered the studio with an acoustic guitar, a djembe, and a ton of energy from coming off of their recent tour. The band filled venues across the nation with their interpretation of original 90’s style alternative rock, and they wanted to play a few stripped down songs in preparation for their West Virginia return.

The band navigated several acoustic versions of songs off the Physics of Immortality album, and even a few songs that were from other stages of the Redding Brothers. With a new song being released every week on ReddingBrothers.com, a lot of national attention, and road tested brotherly love in hand, the band answered a few questions between tracks.

TayKuy: How’s it feel to be playing back in your hometown?

Micah: It’s pretty cool, because you are more relaxed coming into it, instead of coming into a new state to prove yourself. Whatever it means to prove yourself, slay a dragon or whatever. (Laughs)

TayKuy: So, how would you describe the Redding Brothers sound?

Micah: Well we have been in these arguments with people, because we say we are a three piece rock and roll band, but everyone wants to classify us.

Gabe: Strangely they all contradict themselves.

Micah: We’ve heard indie rock, Canadian rock, very different stuff.

Gabe: we get compared to the Barenaked Ladies a lot, which is kind of weird, but we are really not that funny.

TayKuy: Your vocal harmonies are spot on, does that come from a lot of practice or do you feel it came naturally?

Gabe: Well we obviously have played a lot, we grew up together and spend a lot of time playing music.

Micah: Music people will say that it’s because we are related that we are able to do those things.

TayKuy: How do you write your music?

Gabe: It’s really kind of random, but for the past 33 weeks, we have been writing recording and releasing one new song every Saturday at midnight so we relase pretty regularly.

Josiah: Sometimes we have to schedule it, like before a show, but it will often come together naturally

Micah: We hoped that by putting out a lot of stuff we could break creative barriers and take the music to new places.

TayKuy: Meet anyone interesting on the road?

Micah: Well we saw Bill Clinton, Joey from Full House…

Gabe: and the Geico Caveman. He was doing stand-up comedy. He’s an okay comedian, he’s probably better in the commercials.

TayKuy: You guys are pretty well entrenched in your own world of music, so exactly what would you be doing otherwise?

Gabe: I’d be a hobo.

Micah: This is like one of those scenes in a music where it fades off into a “what if” scene. (Gabe Interjects: I’d be wearing a paper hat serving fries…) WE would probably just be adventuring the world. (Gabe: Living in an $18 tent from Wal-Mart.) Even before we were a band we traveled a lot. You get used to a lot of things other people aren’t. Like not eating, sleeping on the hood of our car, or in the car.

TayKuy: What’s the future for the Redding Brothers?

Micah: We have ideas that we are working on but those are top secret now. We feel that we have a strong album out now so we want to push that for a while. The song of the week is going on for several more weeks, and we have ideas for further down the road, but we are pleased with our album out now.

Gabe: We want to make sure that when we release it is as good if not a lot better than Physics of Immortality.

The Redding Brothers completed the interview with more information than I have room to print, and also played a personal acoustic set. Including a song worthy of recording that they free styled there in the studio…Complete with vocal harmony (sort of). The trio of brothers is back in the Huntington area for a while, and they are making quite the splash. The band is probably one of the most solidly put together rock bands in West Virginia, with obvious practice and chemistry. Download their song of the week, get tickets, or browse their discography at www.reddingbrothers.com

Current Album: The Physics of Immortality

Online: http://www.reddingbrothers.com

Lineup: Guitar/Vocals: Micah Redding

Drums: Gabe Redding

Bass: Josiah Redding

From: Nashville, TN

Beware of that Demon Beat...

2007-12-18T19:27:00.000-08:00

I recently sat down to weigh the idea of going home for the holidays. I must admit that my feelings were mixed, but it also reminded me of one of my greatest recent musical discoveries. Over Thanksgiving, I ran into a high school acquaintance of mine who was very excited about his band’s new release, Heavy Nasty. The name of the band is The Demon Beat, the name of the acquaintance is bassist Tucker Riggleman. Along with drummer, Jordan Hudkins, and guitarist/vocalist, Adam Meisterhans, The Demon Beat forges a solid rock sound that plays as well live, if not better than it does on disc.

The first thing that many music critics will do to an upstart band is a comparison of them to some sort of musical marriage of two or three different bands, but listening to The Demon Beat conjures up a full blown orgy of musical inspirations. The vocals sound like Jack White, Mick Jagger, and Roger Daltrey, the guitarist alternates between Led Zeppelin, Lynrnd Skynrd, Queens of the Stone Age, Wolfmother, and the Fratellis. Tucker sounds like he is divining the spirit of The Pixies, The Doors, The Ramones, and so many other punk rock bands, with high energy drums charging right along the whole way through.

The sound of the band probably comes from its foundations as a two man band. Tucker told me that “Adam and Jordan started about the time I came in as a freshman, and I knew that they were playing music that I wanted to be a part of—and I thought they could use a bass player. When I started playing with them it really gelled.” Gelled indeed; the power trio formation is one that is underused in modern rock music, and the guitar and vocals seem to take turns across each track, as if they were having a conversation with each other.

This simple, yet talented sound not only screams classic rock, but also makes rock that’s cool to dance to—Don McLean would be proud. Even with head swaggering tracks like “King of London” or “Hootenanny”, the album still manages to effortlessly transition to rock epics like the nearly ten minute masterpiece “The Empire”. Rarely in recent history has a band made an album solid enough to smoothly transition between hard rockers, and epic balladry.

The eclectic influence of the band may have killed a lesser band; merging a large pool of influences is by no means a small feat for any group of musicians. The influence on The Demon Beat is draws from a wide source of influences, some unexpected, “we are all huge Weezer fans” says Tucker. Yet somehow the band’s production comes off as very distinguished, and at no point do you feel like you are listening to more than one group of artists.

The band is presented by Skull City Records, based in Shepherdstown, who also promote the fabulous newgrass band, The Fox Hunt. The production on the album is done masterfully and only in very rare moments does the mix feel anything less then perfect. I can honestly say that it is the first album that was handed to me by someone I knew, and did not experience waves of fear about the consequence of repeat listening.

If you are a fan of that bygone era of late 60’s rock and miss the power that three very talented musicians can crank out, you need to find The Demon Beat. Seek them out if you find yourself a fan of early Kings of Leon, Wolfmother, or The Fratellis. Hunt them down if you need rock music with a soul. Now, the bad news…

“Adam is currently pursuing some things in Austin, TX.” Tucker laments, “but it’s good for the band, he will be back sometime around Christmas and The Demon Beat will be playing again. We are looking forward to planning some larger shows soon and a new EP is coming out soon too.”

The name of The Demon Beat comes from the phrase that many used to denounce the virtue of early rock and roll music when it was on its rise, and now it is a symbol of its return. Imagine that—rock music being reborn here in the hills of West Virginia, by three boys in love with rhythm, soul, and a whole lot of grit.

The 8 in 2008 That Just May Rejuven8 The Music Industry

2007-12-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Coming Soon: Albums That Just May Rejuven8 the Industry

This past year bore witness to great success for Chris Daughtry, Maroon 5, and Amy Winehouse. In case you did not know, that is bad news. Radio has been saturated with dull, lifeless, cookie cutter studio efforts. Here are 8 albums coming out in the first half of 2008 that have the potential (mostly with my approval) to return the music industry to a place where Daughtry is properly scoffed upon.

1.) Radiohead- In Rainbows (January 1) - Sure, I downloaded the album within a few moments of its early online release, but it’s a physical copy. I also doubt that Radiohead will be able to resist the temptation to throw in a few bonus tracks, or maybe a DVD to make this album irresistible to fans that already have the digital tracks. Not to mention that if there is one band that benefits from the bit rate of the CD versus a digital download, it is Radiohead.

2.) The Magnetic Fields- Distortion (January 15)- Originally a one man synth-pop band, the Magnetic Fields have now assembled a live act that will be on a limited upcoming tour, but not before releasing their new effort, Distortion. Eschewing their synthesizers in the last album in place of a wealth of instruments, it will be exciting to see which direction the band takes on this album.

3.) The Mars Volta- Bedlam in Goliath (January 29) - The geniuses of progressive rock have turned out to be quite the entrepreneurs. Coming to Amazon.com on January 2-29 is Goliath the Soothsayer, a video game based on the story that inspired their upcoming album. The Mars Volta has taken many directions across various releases but it is safe to say that Bedlam in Goliath will be a concept album, and will continue the typical Mars Volta formula—progressive rock + jazz + 80’s punk + Latin + funk + punk + 70’s psychedelic—that we have seen on previous releases.

4.) Counting Crows- Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings (January ?)- The new album by the band made famous by singles such as “Mr. Jones”, “Hanginaround”, and “Accidentally in Love” faces the paradoxical dichotomy of the typical rockers weekend. The Saturday sinning and the Sunday morning repenting are pushed into a microphone, and out comes a CD split into one half loud and rocking, and one half soft and acoustic. I bet the Top 40’s are drooling over this one.

5.) Nada Surf- Lucky (February 5)- One time majors (before being dropped by EMI) have spent the past several years churning out independently released albums with growing success. Relative veterans of the independent genre, Nada Surf are one of the most important bands to the indie scene itself. “See These Bones” an early release from the new record shows a band that has matured and grew in their songwriting capability.

6.) Mountain Goats- Heretic Pride (February 19)- To put it simply, the Mountain Goats are weird. The lead man, John Darnielle has until recently been famed for his lo-fi recording methods and…uniqueness. The songwriting is truly where the Mountain Goats shine. Their catalog includes concept albums, scattered themes, and several song series’. The new album is a studio effort and should offer more interesting storytelling from the singer, songwriter, and narrator, John Darnielle.

7.) The Black Crowes- Warpaint (March 4)- Did you “Shake Your Moneymaker” or do you look on strangely when “She Talks to Angels”? Yes, this is the same band, back in the studio with a new guitarist and keyboardist. Band member Chris Robinson says that the title, Warpaint, stands for “"the revolution that could take place in all our souls." If that quote, or the historical significance of the band is not enough to get you excited about this album, before Melody Maker folded into NME magazine, they called the Black Crowes “The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World.”

8.) Kaki King- Dreaming of Revenge (March 11)- Rolling Stone called her the first female guitar god. I have been following her for the past several years and though her guitar skills are not as well showcased in her later work, she is quite the musician. Even if you have not heard the name, you may have heard some of her work already. She takes a guest slot on the new Foo Fighters album, the soundtrack to Into the Wild and stars as a set of hands in August Rush. Kaki King’s new album promises to head in new directions, some that Kaki herself was not expecting, "Some of the songs became '70s groovy sex music somehow."

Other Exciting Albums Coming in Early 2008

January

Super Furry Animals- Hey Venus!

The Whigs- Mission Control

Ringo Starr- Liverpool 8

February

Sheryl Crow- Detours

Lenny Kravitz- It’s Time for a Love Revolution

Raveonettes- Lust Lust Lust

Nas- Title TBA

March

Be Your Own Pet- Get Awkward

Dido- Title TBA

April

The Breeders- Mountain Battles
The Lemonheads- Title TBA

Unspecified Early 2008

Antiflag- Title TBA

Coldplay- Title TBA

The Cure- Title TBA

Franz Ferdinand- Title TBA

Jack Johnson- Title TBA

R.E.M- Title TBA

Moby- Last Night

Q-Tip- The Renaissance

I'll Be Home for Chirstmas: The Survival Guide

2007-12-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

“I’ll be home for Christmas” crooned Bing Crosby in the early 1940’s. He made the holidays seem so spectacular, beautiful, and delicate. Yet, if you know anything about his controversial personal life, you may suspect just how excited his family was to see him over the holiday season.

With all of the hype of going “home for the holidays”, many people completely overlook the ugly side of making that ritualistic journey home to a shiny decorative white Christmas every year. One of the worst things in my own experiences would be the long pilgrimage home. The soundtrack to the gloom of visiting all of your old haunts, of seeing all of the people you left behind, of numerous degrees of traffic torture, is cruelly speckled with so much sickening cheer that it is amazing if “Merry” comes anywhere near your emotional state. Can you honestly think of any other situation where radio stations get by without updating their 15 song play list for decades?

The pained drive home aside, Christmas does offer the rare opportunity to visit all of the people from a bygone era. That old friend that never left your side in high school, that jolly first employer, or even the old high school infatuation or two. Lurking beneath these wonderful visitations are the ghosts of Christmas past; ex-partners, high school bullies, and that teacher that completely jaded you for the rest of your life.

The key to avoiding this mess probably lies somewhere deep in Santa’s gift bag, but I did not find it beneath my tree. The best attempts I have found to dodge these people is to hide behind the store counter, because families inevitably send you out on some sort of food gathering mission, or you have to find a gift for that Uncle you were certain would not show up. I suppose the best method is to feign automobile breakdown shortly upon your arrival home.

Then there is the conflict of dear old mother’s Christmas celebration; if she watched just a hint of television she would know that some Christmas items have become quite taboo. She probably does not even know that Santa Claus lost a whole lot of weight to meet the approval of healthcare lobbyists.

I do offer you one valuable tool for returning home regardless of the season. Take out a piece of paper, or open your word processor, and then proceed to list every accomplishment you have achieved since your last visit, and then make up a few. Commit this to memory. This list will be invaluable not only during the family gatherings, but also crucial to running into those demons from your past. If you can rattle off how great your life is going, you may be able to pretend that they never set the spark for its ruination.

I feel that all of this cynicism is coming from a dark place deep within the cockles of my heart, but do not let me kill your Christmas. I personally find the holidays to be some of the best meals I will have that year. The people that I reacquaint myself with have virtues that far outweigh that math professor that almost stranded me in high school forever. You know, even the music is not all that bad (it is, but humor me, please).

There is a very strange voice in my head that keeps telling me that Christmas is one of the best times of year (probably the same voice that tricks me into tasting candy corn every Halloween). There must be something to this “home for the holidays” thing, and in fact I am certain there is, but let it be known it is by no means purely sweet.

So, have a merry Christmas, hug your family, give Santa some cookies, and check to make sure your car CD player is loaded with something other than Christmas with Willie Nelson.

The Golden Compass Points Southeast, No, South, Oh No, It's Pointing Us All to Hell

2007-12-15T20:10:00.001-08:00

The Golden Compass will point you to nowhere other than flames and eternal damnation—or at least that is what the far, far, far Christian right would like you to believe. The most astonishing part of the recent uproar of protest against the Golden Compass is that most of those opposing the movie know dreadfully little about the movie, or the book it is based upon.

The Golden Compass challenges typical church organization and the part that is really agitating the crazies—God dies in the end. Phillip Pullman is the author of the Golden Compass, and from the best I can figure, an atheist that is either a shrewd publicist, or a masochist of grand proportions. He has been quite loud about his anti-Christian beliefs, and he had to know that he was going to upset someone.

I guess that means that some of the blame is on Phillip Pullman. Judging mainly by the quality of his writing, he is a reasonably intelligent man, and thus had to have known the fury that was to be wrought about him. The crazies gave it to him, and his movie profited from the free press. It must have been one of the worst boycotts of this scale in recent history.

Now, before I rant on the misgivings of boycotting a movie on the basis of religious intent, I must give a little bit of credit, and explanation as to who I am addressing. Crazies are not Christians. Crazies are extreme Christians that believe what is passed along the chains of social networks that they have established only amongst themselves, as a rule, they are pretty narrow minded. This does not apply to Christians who merely do not want to see the movie. It applies to anyone that feels that they need to do anymore than say “no thanks” when someone asks if they want to go see the Golden Compass.

Several factors have led to this mass stupidity, but I will focus on only a few, but I hope it is some of the important ones. I will deliver them in no particular order, partially because I am in a hurry, and partially because I think the inverted pyramid blows—its boring, its not fun to write, and in its physical form would be incredibly difficult to balance. Let us now take the crazies to pasture.

Sheep theory seems to be in full blown effect here. Someone with a lot of power and twisted and transformed the idea of Pullman and his writing to not only the point of disagreeing with Christianity, but single-handedly attempting to bring it to its knees. Most of the people that have told me they are boycotting the movie really do not have any sort of idea why there is anything at all wrong with The Golden Compass. This is the sort of logic you may expect from a group as complex as Meg White’s drum beats.

This behavior is semi-excusable in the situation of panic. I propose that the boycotters of The Golden Compass are panicked, but at something within. It would seem that anyone that believes that viewing these movies may weaken their religious beliefs, probably do not have a strong faith in the first place. A message is simply a message, until the receiver of that message translates it into action. That explains why I have not been shot by some Dirty Harry fan boy (Is there such a thing?). Regardless of the creators’ intent, the user determines the truth and actions resulting from the message.

This brings me to another point, is this really the first movie that crossed enough Christian lines to garner so much attention? At least this movie has made its message fairly obvious about its motive, and should be all the easier to ignore. I guess someone with a good deal of influence decided that this movie should get some negative attention. Baa.

Remember that game some of us played when we were kids…I believe it was called Gossip or something along those lines. Basically one kid would make up a few sentences and pass it around silently to see what the other end produced. It was usually ridiculous. The boycotters of the Golden Compass seem to be involved in the same game. In the series of books, it actually ends when an angel pretending to be God, and using that power for evil is murdered. God is referenced in the book, but as being a genuinely fair character. I should have mentioned that earlier, the crazies that should hear that part probably will not read that far.

There is a more famous book where people do not kill an angel pretending to be God, but God himself. Remember the Bible? Jesus Christ was killed by man, and was a physical incarnation of God. Pullman is obviously no fan of corrupted religion, and is an admitted atheist, but how can one claim a book that even includes a God character has atheistic themes, is that not counterintuitive?

Also related to poor dissemination of the information involved in this story is the attribution of various quotes to Pullman. You may be surprised to find that he did not say many of the most offending comments you may have read. When in doubt, look for a citation. I will not refute each misappropriated quote, but will say that anyone that intentionally passes on false information about someone, they may want to reassess their own morals, values, or ethical stance.

The question that troubles me the most involves the source of Christianity to bring out these crazies in great numbers. When Mel Gibson, a vehement anti-Semite (I hear he may have recovered, so we will give him the benefit of the doubt.) created Passion of the Christ that portrayed Jewish folks in a very poor light, the Jews did not mass mobilize a boycott on his movie, nor did we see any Christians defending their Jewish friends by putting a pinch in Mel Gibson’s pocket.

The Golden Compass is probably slightly ahead of its time. Free thought is not exactly in vogue quite yet. The problem stems from narrow minded Christian extremists, and a particularly brave author. My personal comes in various tolerance levels. If you agree with me, go see the movie. If you are not sure, go check out the movie with an open mind and be wary of the evil that is trying to “get you”. If you disagree with me, there is probably nothing I can do to help you, but you should at least ask one of your sinner friends to sneak in and videotape the polar bear fight scene—it is incredible.

Operation Christmas Break Expansion

2007-12-15T18:29:00.001-08:00

In an effort to improve my "net ratings", I have given myself a mission. That mission is to post some sort of writing each day here on my blog. I am hoping that I will not only improve my visitor counts, but also even give me a reason to post, hopefully sharpening my writing skill. So, please check back frequently to enjoy the fruits of my craft, now through January 10thish.

Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjaming, and Seether Concert Review

2007-11-28T05:31:00.001-08:00

Three Days Grace headlined the touring hard rock troupe that stormed Huntington’s Big Sandy Superstore Arena, but Breaking Benjamin and Seether really stole the show. The fans were ecstatic and perhaps one of the most diverse of any show I have been to this year. Hardcore rockers, metal guys, teeny boppers, punks, and the whole gamut of scenes had representation on this special Friday in Huntington.

Hard rock band, Red, opened the show, but proved to be little more than background music to the crowd shuffling into the arena. By the time the crowd had packed the arena and started to really get into the music, Red had run out of time. After the stage was cleared the crowd shifted from “rock fist” throwing moshers to chatty fans awaiting the next performance.

Then a heavy bass drum shook the crowd, the lights dimmed, and a flag bearing the album art of from Seether’s new album, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, dropped from the ceiling. The band funneled highly energetic tunes into the crowd who picked up on the lyrics from their new material as well as their old singles. The band has an obviously Cobain-like apathetic style of playing that rarely strands from the microphone until incredible angst calls for it.

Seether played a solid show that is a testament to their recovery from a host of hardships ranging from drug addiction to a family suicide. Music from their back catalog really pieced together the show, as they prepare for next year when they plan to headline again. Until then Seether will travel the U.S. opening for two of the hardest rocking bands currently in the industry.

One of the best shows of the night came after the spectacular but short lived Seether set. Breaking Benjamin took the stage and lit up the crowd with random samplings from across their bloating catalog of albums. Breaking Benjamin also received some of the best crowd reaction as they jumped across the stage and even took an opportunity to walk amongst the crowd.

While Burley, lead singer, worked the crowd, the rest of Breaking Benjamin invited Shaun Morgan of Seether out on stage to sing a dead on, no frills cover of Change in the House of Flies by the Deftones. Breaking Benjamin fans were not disappointed as the band reeled off hit after hit from their new and old albums. However, I did have one problem with the Breaking Benjamin set.

Every member of the band except for their drummer left the stage and cleared for a drum solo. What began as a high potential flurry of rhythm soon began to sound like an amateur practice session. A twenty minute practice session that gave me way too much time to start reconsidering the ticket price of the concert.

The band returned and then redeemed themselves before allowing Three Days Grace to take the stage. The headliners certainly started with a power show, but played long after they exhausted both their singles catalog and any song that sounded different than any other.
Three Days Grace could certainly work the crowd, and they played a tight show, but their live performance showed the limits of their catalog, perhaps even more clearly then their albums have, but I must digress to credit them for keeping most of the crowd happy.

The concert as a whole was well orchestrated and all three bands played very professionally. Red seems to be a struggling young band, Seether was a headliner stuck in a opening act, Three Days Grace seemed to be tired musicians who knew their catalog was thin, but played it the best they could. I can only justify the way too long drum solo by Breaking Benjamin by assuming that someone else in the band was suffering from a hang over, and needed a rest from an otherwise amazing show.

TayKuy Interview With Seether

2007-11-28T05:30:00.000-08:00

I recently got the opportunity to talk to Seether’s John Humphrey just a few hours before the band took the stage at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena. A full length audio podcast of my interview is available online at www.marshall.edu/wmul.

TayKuy: Who are you listening to right now?

Seether: Well, we all have iPods, so we listen to various things right now there is not whole lot of new stuff that I’m lovin’, but one of the most recent things that I have purchased from iTunes was Iggy Pop and the Stooge’s album Raw Power. It’s just a raw unadulterated freakin’ visceral album. I had it on final, but I had to upgrade to digital.

TayKuy: Where you fan of Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin before you went on tour with them?

Seether: I have to be honest, I just started learning their music when we started touring. Of course I had heard the singles from Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace on the radio, but I didn’t own any of their CD’s. It is cool to go out and buy these albums and listen to them now that we have this personal connection with the band.

TayKuy: Are you pretty close to the other bands?

Seether: Yeah there is a lot of camaraderie between us and the other guys, it’s a great tour to be on and we have a lot of fun. For Halloween we were in Fort Wayne Indiana, we all got dressed up and had a lot of fun.

TayKuy: You’re not headlining this year’s tour how has that made the touring experience different?

Well it’s cool it’s not on our shoulders to be selling out these places. It can be a little intimidating when it’s your name on the marquee. It makes it your fault. If you don’t sell out the pressure is on you. This has been really low key for us, it was all about warming up, we had been away form live performance for about year, and we wanted to get our feet wet and get back into it. Next year is going to be a rollercoaster ride.

TayKuy: Do you have any other big tours coming up?

Seether: We are going to be supporting Three Days Grace in Canada and we are talking with Flyleaf to co-headline a tour in the spring.

TayKuy: Seether spent some time playing in South Africa, where some of the band member came from, what’s the differences in playing there and playing in the U.S.?

Seether: It’s not American, a little different country but the people and fans are really very similar, music is the international language. We supported Collective Soul and Metallica in some huge stadiums over there and they were in these huge rugby stadiums that are bigger than any of our football stadiums, which held fifty to sixty thousand people. It was amazing, and being a homecoming band, we sometimes got better reactions than the other, maybe even bigger bands because it was this case of hometown boys done well.

TayKuy: Anything crazy happen on tour so far?

Seether: No, pretty low key, except for Halloween, we had a blast. Talk to us after the tour, we always do this big hazing with silly string, whipped cream, and who knows what kind of liquids and other things. The last show is always a pretty crazy night.

TayKuy: While you were preparing for the new album you ran into a lot of troubles, including some finger pointing by Amy Lee in one of her songs, a family suicide, drug rehabilitation and even some medical problems, how did you get through all of this and manage to put together an album?

Seether: Shaun (Morgan, lead singer) has been doing really well with all of these problems, and we support him all the way. IT was a crazy year for all of us, what helped us all was getting together in May for rehearsals for this new album. It was really the best therapy for all of us.

TayKuy: With No Jesus Christ, you guys went into a direction that you had released in previous albums, how did that song come about?

Seether: WE were fortunate that in production that song came back to be more like it was in its original form. Our producer did an awesome job. It was one of the tracks that we as artists just wanted to put out without worrying about whether or not it was going to be a single or not. There was an edit that really cut the song but, it just was not cool at all. I think it’s one of the heaviest greatest rock tracks that Seether has ever done.

TayKuy: The lead song off of Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces, Fake It is also pretty unique; can you tell us a little bit about it?

Seether: It started out on this cheesy little “Alley Cat” swing setting that was on Shaun’s keyboard. It was kind of light-hearted and when we started tracking it we didn’t know it would go the way it did, but it really turned out great.

TayKuy: So, what is it like making a video?

Seether: Well, making a video is not the ideal situation. We work great in the studio and we love touring, but the video is a hectic 16 hour day, with a lot of sitting around and waiting for a shot. We do really like the video of Fake It, and we are quite proud of it.

Seether: Finding Beauty In NEgative Spaces Review

2007-11-28T05:29:00.000-08:00

Seether’s tour with Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace will be complemented by material from their new album released just a few months ago. Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces is a solid rock album from the droning angst of the opening track “Like Suicide” to the uncharacteristically progressive “No Jesus Christ”.

The band comes back with a storm of angst as lead songwriter Shaun Morgan recovers from Amy Lee’s musical attacks on his personal life, rehabilitation, and the suicide of his brother. Their drummer even suffered from a back injury that delayed their progress. Yet, through all of the hardships Seether was able to produce a fairly solid album.

Seether’s Nirvana influences come out even stronger on this album than they have on previous releases. It would be easy to select a single off of Finding Beauty, but “Fake It” stands out as one of the most relatable tracks. Several of the songs are pop radio material, but Seether manages to keep its hard rock edge on every track.

The band has showed some signs of maturity, but mostly stay nestled in their predictable land of cleaned up grunge music. In fact most of the album has a sound that feels like the a band was lifted from Seattle in the early nineties and was allowed to record on modern studio equipment.

I would recommend either picking up a copy of Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces or awaiting a mass proliferation of a handful of what will surely be Clear Channel favorites. There are some tracks very worthy of a listen that you will not hear on the radio, so realize that if wait for the radio play, you may very well be sick of it before you can give the album a fair listen. The album is definitely a good, catchy listen, but offers little that is revolutionary.

6.5/10

Colbert 2008: In the Pursuit of Truthiness

2007-11-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

With I Am America and So Can You fresh off the press and a hit satire news talk show on Comedy Central, Stephen Colbert has certainly been getting a lot of attention. Yet, in line with his characters large ego, he was not about to let the presidential race steal his thunder. Just a few days ago, Colbert announced on the Daily Show that he may announce his own run for presidency on a more prestigious show. It was just a few minutes afterward that on his own show he announced that he would be running for the primary in South Carolina.

In a flurry of wrist spraining chaos, web users across the country started weighing in on the issue. Facebook kicked off a 1,000,000 Strong for Colbert group that reached and exceeded its goal of one million members with eight days. In comparison, the same group started for Barrack Obama took over 9 months just to peak over 381,000 members. News sites from both sides are either praising the option of a fresh new style of candidate, or trying to list all of the reasons that Colbert can not legally run for President. Google Trends has indicated a sharp spike in the number of searches related to Colbert, and there seems to be no end to the amount of journalistic treatment he is receiving.

Of course, the big question is whether this is all just another elaborate Colbert satire or if he is serious about his Presidential run. Comedy Central has a legal team that is ensuring Colbert’s television show and his campaign is kept separate. The public reaction is far from unanimous; some believe that Colbert’s run is good for American politics.

Marshall Student and aspiring political columnist Josh Parsons offered, “I think it is a wonderful opportunity for the nation. We must be able to laugh at our selves, before we can realize ourselves.” Parsons, age 20, continued expressing his doubts on Colbert’s odds, “Will he win? I am certain, he will not. Yet, his running, to me, is the important thing, not his achieving the White House.”

It is unclear whether or not Colbert will be able to win, but he does indeed force us to think about the election and what it means that no particular candidate truly stands out amongst the selection. The popular media has recently reflected an attitude of seeking an alternative typecast for the presidency in various big screen performances. Chris Rock played a black comedian president in the film, Head of State, and Man of the Year, features a comedian talk show host (Robin Williams), running and seizing the presidency. Sound familiar?

One of the strengths of Colbert’s campaign is that most of his appeal is in the youth demographic, a group historically known for low voter turnout. If all of Colbert’s fans go to the polls, he may not only win votes from those that would have voted for other candidates, but also those of voters who would not have shown up otherwise.

It is not hard to imagine Colbert’s fan base jumping onto the bandwagon, as this will not be his first time trying to influence his audience. On his show, he announced that Wikipedia was the definitive source of truth, and if one desired, could change it. He challenged his viewers to change the fact that African Elephant populations had not dwindled, but tripled. He was successful; his audience was so efficient that Wikipedia had to shut down the editing features for that particular article.

These actions raise another question; how far will Colbert go to retain his television character? Certainly it would be unreasonable to maintain the policies that he pretends (Hopefully…) to believe in during his show when he gets to the White House, but will he campaign as a pseudo ultra right wing conservative? If not, how will he balance this image with that of his television program? Colbert has been infamous for retaining his character outside of the show—from television interviews to dinners at the White House.

Colbert has hit one obstacle on his way to the presidency. On the evening of November 1, 20007 he was denied a place on the democratic and republican ballot in South Carolina. This may have been on e of the biggest mistakes the political machine could have made. With looming fears that he would steal votes away from “real” candidates it seemed like a rational choice, but now Colbert Nation and his legion of followers are casting some serious doubts on the democratic system. Perhaps this was Colbert’s motive all along.

Colbert still has options though. He may run as independent or as a write-in, but in doing so he must do so with the knowledge that he is no longer trying to be the top democratic nominee, but will probably be competing head to head with them. Running as an independent would surely mean that Colbert would take in some votes, but no one knows if it would be enough to win. What is certain is that he would probably sway the election towards the republicans if he did not win himself. Is he willing to accept responsibility for putting a candidate in office that he strongly disagrees with? It may just be a ploy to keep his career as a satirist alive.

You have our attention Colbert. Will you get our vote?

WMUL 88.1 The Cutting Edge of YOur Radio Dial

2007-11-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Sitting at the “edge” of your radio dial in Huntington, WV is 88.1 WMUL, Marshall’s Broadcast Radio Station. Broadcasting since 1961, WMUL has some considerable experience and community value. The station is run entirely by students with a faculty member serving as an adviser/manager of the station.

What will you hear on WMUL? The answer is everything that you will not hear everywhere else. Of course, the news and sports coverage is there just as at most local stations. The truly unique area of WMUL lies in the variety of programming. Marshall serves a market in Huntington that is often ignored by commercial stations in Huntington.

That is not to say that they are avoiding competition. The news and sports programming that runs somewhat parallel to other stations is often praised for its depth and precision. WMUL stands as more than just a novelty or instructional function at Marshall. It truly is a community station run by students who will be the future of radio.

When you run a station that does not aim to turn a profit, you have to measure your success by means other than the bottom line. If you were to ask Marshall University’s station about their success, they have plenty of ways to prove their worth. The Huntington local media is riddled with the success stories of Marshall students attending radio award shows.

The radio program has been at Marshall for over 45 years, and since 1985 has been under the direction of Charles “Chuck” G. Bailey. In the years since 1985 WMUL students have turned out over 700 national and regional awards, more than 300 of which were first place. Some of the awards even include AP awards—meaning that they go up against commercial stations too.

According to Dr. Bailey “The awards represent that incoming students are entering a successful program. Marshall is not as abrasive and competitive as some other Universities. If you come here and love radio, you will get the same opportunities as everyone else.” The staff at WMUL is not full of employed radio station veterans, but instead hungry young radio fans that want to be on the edge of their field. All of that talent and energy, and the listeners are not subjected to one commercial.

A lot of attention at WMUL is often directed towards the award winning sports coverage at Marshall. The staff is a knowledgeable group of sports fan that dish out scores, live announcement, and in-depth interviews with players and coaches. The sports department covers everything from Marshall Sports to high school athletics in a timely and in depth report every Wednesday on WMUL’s Sport Night.

Some of the most interesting programming from WMUL comes from the music lovers of Marshall University taking the microphone. DJ shifts revolve from Jazz to Alternative to Religious, but what stands out is some of the specialty music programming. Production Director Adam Cavalier told me that, “Music is what keeps us on the air, it’s our groundwork....”

Shows such as the Mixtape Fantastic, Slice of Heaven, Rudebwoys, Up All Night, The Metal Guy and the Michael and Taylor show produce shows mixed with talk and music that entertains in between presentations of music that you just do not hear on mainstream radio. One show that has generated a lot of buzz on campus has been Snob Rock Live.

Snob Rock Live is fronted by Terry Bartley and brings in local musicians to perform live material or be interviewed alongside of their album material. The show is streamed on Thursday’s from 6-7pm. IF you are not in the Huntington area, you can catch the WMUL live stream at www.marshall.edu/wmul.

The live stream is on for most original content. The license for online streaming does not currently allow all of Marshall’s programming to be streamed live due to copyright issues, but all of the talk shows, sports, news, and original entertainment are streamed daily.

Podcasts are also available for up to four weeks after broadcast to viewers who could not catch some of their favorite programming. Online Director Deven Swartz, says “I’m currently working on adding a level of interactivity to our web presence that will be more in line with WMUL’s cutting edge image.”

Dr. Bailey claims that what makes WMUL unique is that “…we offer what is not available anywhere else. It is the student’s point of view coming from kids representing their school, and that can’t be duplicated. It gives the listeners a different perspective then a commercial broadcast would. I mean, some of the reporters talk to the players before the game, but here you get to here the reactions, of their classmates, their roommates, their friends, or even their girlfriends and boyfriends.”

WMUL is certainly an amazing performer in the radio market and an essential piece of Huntington, WV offering up some of the highest quality and diverse programming in West Virginia. High quality music, documentaries, news, sports, and talk shows are all found on the airwaves, and now on the web, brought to you by Marshall University students.

WMUL. 88.1. The Cutting Edge of Your Radio Dial.

The Art of Flinging Yourself Into A Gorge

2007-11-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

The third weekend of September means two things to this West Virginia outdoorsman. One is my dad’s anniversary the second is the biggest kayaking party in the world held right in Summersville, WV. My fellow kayaking partner, my father, perhaps made one of the worst scheduling decisions in kayaking history, but his mistake did not prevent me from attending the 2007 Gauley River Festival.

This year’s warm weather provided one of the best environments for celebrating the 1983 derailment of a hydroelectric plant that would have inhibited one of the worlds prime kayaking spots. Now posting over 5,000 attendants per year, kayakers the world over came to enjoy the music and vendors that populate Summersville’s Veteran Memorial Park.

The surrounding rivers of the Gauley and New are some of the greatest paddling found on the East Coast. This means that Gauley Fest has no trouble generating a nationwide and even worldwide audience.

Kayakers need no introduction to the wonders and advantages of Gauley Fest, but the Gauley Festival of today offers up entertainment even for most squeamish of outdoorsman. The music fills the air of the campground and festival ground, which started on Friday with the Half Time String Band. Their sound is definitely bluegrass with just enough newgrass flavor to captivate the new young music audience of West Virginia. Bucktown Kickback and Anonymous also put on a more modern show with full rock flare.

The festival definitely provided plenty of sound for the musical connoisseur, but kept to its purpose of river conservation. American Whitewater and the West Virginia Rivers Coalition gathered up plenty of money to keep up their traditions of providing safe and clean whitewater to the boaters of West Virginia. Dealers were also on hand to sell kayaks at end of the season prices, a definite bonus to any new kayaker.

Yet, if river conservation was the only activity that Gauley Fest offered it would not be all that much fun for anyone. If a paltry three bands were all that were offered at a three day festival, it would not suffice either. Gauley Fest offered West Virginians much more than that.

Star kayaker Eric Jackson, who also designs a sells a line of Jackson kayaks gave away a ton of gear from atop his RV. Some of the gear had a number written inside, and four of those lucky numbers won four kayaks courtesy of one of the largest freestyle icons in the sport.

Beer and food flowed from vendors and dealers, mostly free. A mock strip joint was set up by Dagger, a kayak designer, to provide girls an adequate source of post-event regret. A keg of beer from Oktoberfest was distributed in exchange for contribution to river conservation and wines were brought back from Chile to promote kayak excursions along their remote rivers.

After the liquid (and maybe other) inebriants had affected several in the crowd some interesting competitions began to surface. GrabYourNuts.com sponsored a bull ride competition complete with a manually controlled mechanical bull. The winner got not only a prize package but also an opportunity to meet “world renowned activities expert Jansen Weatherly”.

The most interesting event of the night went unnoticed by many of the festival attendees. Bliss Stick held a mock fear factor competition for a free kayak with a few minor caveats. Round one: Swallow a cocktail of earthworms, mealworms, and dirt. Round Two: Eat a live goldfish. Round Three: Stand on a peg and stand as long as possible while the crowd pelts you with water balloons. The contest actually ended with a tiebreaker of swallowing as many goldfish in one minute as possible. Talk about no free rides…

The festival also brought out the typical oddballs. One of my favorites was a rather portly man donning only a thong bikini as he stumbled about the grounds. Only that festival atmosphere would allow such hilarity and humiliation to last for that long.

When the evening finally settled and everyone had calmed down, they got rowdy all over again. The festivities closed with a large bonfire of the extra cardboard laying about the festival grounds. Drunken festival goers jumped the flames and shouted out love of the event they look forward to every year. Some laughed, some cried, some charred their feet so bad they could not walk.

If Gauley Fest interests you I hope that my review has enlightened and expanded your knowledge of just one of West Virginia’s hottest festivals. If it does not interest you I hope that you will at least know not to get married on the recurring date of the best party of the year that is unless you marry a fellow partier.

So here’s to the Gauley Fest warriors from West Virginia to Australia, stay wet and I will see you next year!

A Functional Use of HDR Photography

2007-10-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

I was finally presented with the chance to use HDR photography as a functional tool instead of an artistic, frivolous toy. I used multiple exposures to uncover the subtle change throughout a highly dynamic color scheme taken from the New River Gorge Bridge. This shot would not have been capable at the time I took the shot due to a very, very bright day, so the multiple exposure brackets really shows off the colors of the sky and the varied leaves and earthen wonders. Unfortunately there is some significant problems in the skies. I attribute this slightly to cloud movement on such a windy day, but mostly to the fact that the tripod was locked up in the back of my truck. My favorite thing about this HDR shot was that it did not look surreal. The composition is, honestly, pretty much boring, but I this taught me a lot about HDR.

Huntington, WV: Blues Traveler Reinvents Themselves

2007-10-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

Recently the Huntington music scene has been the stage for a 90’s rock reunion tour. Within the past few weeks, within a couple of miles of Huntington I have seen the Gin Blossoms, Seven Mary Three, and now Blues Traveler.

Many people are familiar with the contemporary pop hits “Hook” and “Runaround” from their 1994 album Four. Since then the band has been mixed up with various solo projects and have dealt with the death of their bassist, but with a new release out and one on it’s way, Blues Traveler is still going strong on the wings of a dedicated fan base following their progress from the beginning.

The Huntington Music Hall witnessed something very different then the radio pop wonder of Blues Traveler, and instead the audience was treated to a free for all jam that grooved for over two hours. The music was precise and navigated very carefully by the Travelers with a ton of energy. The band bounced around the stage like metal stars while playing their instruments like classically trained artists.

The live experience put on by Blues Traveler was charged by an audience that obviously loved the band. Fans were jumping about and dancing to the music put on by the band. The venue was charged with excitement about the new material that the band were about to play. Of course, they played their standard pop hits, and the bulk of their show was from their newly released album, Bastardos, but the best of the concert came from material from their new album, Cover Your Self.

The new material features old Blues Travelers songs selected by fans to be covered by the band itself. The result was a mostly acoustic, completely different spin on a decade of material. The album stands a symbol of the bands ability to reinvent itself and is likely the reason that they are still going strong.

Unfortunately, the opening act was not as impressive. Lisa Bouchelle, who travels with Blues Traveler, put on a heartfelt-at-least-she’s-trying effort, but her vocal styling was comparable to a super concentrated Sheryl Crowe. The highs were too high, and the vocal wavering tended to get out of hand, but it is hard to tell if it was an artistic or technical mistake. Lisa’s lyrics were touching, but really did not offer much in the way of innovation.

High pitched squeals were not only suffered by Lisa Bouchelle, it seemed that the harmonica solos were plagued by the same issues when Blues Traveler took the stage. If you have never heard a harmonica blow the treble end of a speaker, it sounds similar to a rabid cat in heat, if you have never heard that before either, just imagine nails on a chalkboard hooked up to a PA system. John Popper, lead singer of Blues Traveler, demonstrated excellent showmanship by adjusting his playing style to accommodate the technical misfortune.

The show was an excellent opportunity for memories of the nineties, but also showed a fresh new face on a classic favorite band. Perhaps the most promising thing about this show was as a sign that Huntington is finally reviving its dying music scene. With the HYAMP gone, the Monkey Bar is proving to be a formidable replacement, capable of bringing in large acts and drawing the crowd to make them profitable.

Huntington has long been a mecca of hard rock and metal, but a few hopeful shows are proving that the Huntington market wants more.

My First Wedding

2007-10-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

HEy, just wanted to let everyone know that I shot my first wedding yesterday, viewable here: http://taykuyphotoart.photostockplus.com/event_129442

Gateway Music Festival Headliners Seven Mary Three and Nappy Roots

2007-10-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

The prime artists this year at the Gateway Music Festival were Nappy Roots and Seven Mary Three. Both bands are considered past their prime by popular media, yet both had a very strong show. I do not feel the need to extensively review these two bands as they have already made quite a splash in the music industry.

Seven Mary Three looked worn and weary when they took the stage, but played as hard as they ever did. Nappy Roots in typical hip hop fashion looked as fresh as ever and performed a high energy live show. The two Gateway headliners promise a great future for later festivals. I attempted to capture the wonder of Nappy Roots and Seven Mary Three's live shows in a photo record, here is my attempt:

Seven Mary Three:

Nappy Roots:

Gateway Music Festival Featured Band Series: Kidd Russell

2007-10-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

For more information on Kidd, visit his website: Kidd Russell

Kidd Russell is the answer to every cubicle dweller that saw Office Space and was encouraged to quit their day jobs, but still need someone to continue to motivate them. It is almost as if Scott Adams wrote the music himself and I am sure a few Dilbert cartoons would illustrate the same frustrations of Kidd. The music is still far from a novelty or comedy genre, the raps and beats are tight as expected from anything that Chicago would allow to grow to fame. With about a year off from his office job and beginning the rap game, Kid Russell already has an impressive career, opening for acts such as GLC, Common, Nappy Roots, and The Roots.

The music sounds a lot like Common meets Kanye with the anger and vengeance of Eminem. The beats are mixed expertly behind each story told by Kidd Russell and frequent mic partners, Jimmy Con and Jaswell Race. The music has its hard rap moments but also slows down for some truly spectacular moments. The beats are of a high quality and remind one of a Rocafella produced record, with high quality and a smooth studio sound.

Kidd Russell’s live performance is fresh and well led, if not at times a bit shaky. Yet, if it is shaky it is from the honesty of the artist. He does not bring a set of gimmicks to the stage, but instead lays down his music and tells you what he is trying to say despite the music clearly speaking for itself. His crew is obviously just having a blast fresh off of boring day jobs as they begin their lives as rap stars. Kidd Russell is storming the Chicago scene with rap that relates to the white collar worker who is frustrated with the bureaucracy that he or she has to face everyday.

Kidd’s fresh studio production is Untied and he offers up one message throughout the entire album and that is “go and live your dream”, because it is obvious that is what he is doing. Quit your job and pursue your dream and the money will follow. The album is smooth and non abrasive despite the obvious frustrations of Kidd and crew. The music is tight and never relents from the edge which gives them the strength to keep constant spin on the CD player.

Kidd Russell is an amazing rapper; able to fill his album with every emotion from comedy to anger, and when he wants to smooth out and make an R&B track he brings in the right artist to accent his own sound. Kidd Russell is ready to break out of Chicago and play the world and armed with a well produced studio album, all he’s got to do his sit and wait for the right ears to hear his sound and spread it across the world.

Gateway Music Festival Featured Band Series: Justin Smith and the Folk Hop Band

2007-10-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

More information on Justin Smith and the Folk Hop Band

Justin Smith and the Folk Hop Band is not satisfied with revolutionizing a genre, they created their own. The sound is unlike anyone else as the band fuses elements of hip hop and acoustic rock. A full band echoes a solid sound as Justin raps over top delicately placed background vocals and acoustic melodies. The music tells us stories from his worldview and with impressive spirituality. Coming from a grassroots fan base in South Carolina, Justin Smith is bringing sincerity back to Hip Hop.

The group sound is hard to describe. The positive folk style rap sounds a lot like Kanye West or the Black Eyed Peas (after adding Fergie, but before she stole the band). The musical side is a lot like Jack Johnson, and if you wanted to compare his style to a commercial product, it is a lot like the Black Eyed Peas/Jack Johnson collaboration Gone Going. The band brings much more to the table than sweet music; they have a powerful spiritual and community message. Female background vocals provided by Elise Testone give each song a simultaneous pop and soul feel. When Daniel Strickland chimes in his own vocals it sometimes comes off as a very Linkin Park feel in their dynamic. The band is about as eclectic as a band can be without losing their own signature sound.

Live the band has a solid rock performance that gives their rap styling a platform to stand upon. This saves them from that flat live sound suffered by so many hip hop artists. They play with power and give off a cool, save-the-world through-music vibe. The positive vibe of the music is inspiring, yet refuses to be preachy and the occasional poppy single gets everyone in the crowd singing along before the second chorus. As Justin says in “Watered Down”, “I love my music like I love my drinks, if it gets watered down go ahead and pour it down the sink.” Justin Smith and Folk Hop are a genuinely awe inspiring live act without watering down their mission.

The new album by Justin Smith titled Sinner’s Prayer is full of repentance from one who has sinned. This is not a religious album for the pious, but those who have been or are down with the sinners. The band plays to all of their talents vocally and instrumentally and the mix is solid. The stand out track is Good Morning Beautiful and it has a sweet radio love song sound that makes the girls weak in the knees. “There Was A Time”, and “Who’s That Man” are rife with sociopolitical messages and the medium for delivery is structured flawlessly.

Justin Smith and the Folk Hop band have mass appeal without selling out their soul. They have potential not only to be hip hp stars, but revolutionaries in the vein of Kanye West, Common, Mos Def, or Talib Kweli. They bring positive vibes to an oppressed culture that wants a better life. Justin Smith is as honest and true as though you were talking to him as a best friend. Sinner’s Prayer is one of my favorite new albums and has already enjoyed a nice reception on my own radio program.

Gateway Music Festival Featured Band Series: The Jane Rose Band

2007-10-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

More information about the Jane Rose Band.

The folk rock genre is making an attempt at a comeback and few bands are working harder to reproduce that signature sound of a singer/songwriter as Jane Rose. Her music is honest and open with a very candid stage performance. The music is not overpowering as the vocals carry you through the very personal stories from a very talented vocal personality.

Heartbreak is written over many of the songs in the Jane Rose catalog, but there is hardly any moping. The music is written in the style of early classic songwriters like Bob Dylan or Joni Mitchell, but with a sound closer to Sheryl Crowe or Alanis Morissette. The sound is fresh and borders on the sound of a female country group, but never loses site of its folk rock core. Drums and bass are held down tight while Jane sings and howls over the music never losing the emotion that first inspired the song to be written.

The band performs well live and it is obvious that these musicians have been on both sides of the media spectrum. Several of the band members are also photographers for various publications and the poses they throw to the cameras make them a photographers dream. The band is hardly arrogant though, as the stage presence represents the music honesty and humility. The Jane Rose Band is the kind of band that you can put in front of a huge crowd; ready to go wild, or a band for your local church picnic.

The studio as been very kind to the Jane Rose Band and it is apparent on their LP, Talk About It. The album is chock full of songs that sound they should have already been written by some classic folk star, but still sound new and exciting. The album sounds fresh off the shelves of a Starbucks feature stand, but it becomes unexpectedly rocky in places that lift the album to a special place in my library. Another studio release may be a while off, but I can not wait to hear more from these folk rockers.

The Jane Rose Band is another band in the trend of playing to younger audiences who will share the album with their parents. The music captures a beautiful moment in each stanza of Jane Roses’ music and that is irresistible to any age group. The band is cheery, but does not ask you to dance. It is pained and edgy, but it does not ask you to cry either. Jane Rose just wants to tell you a story, and her band wants to make her story a little catchier.

Gateway Music Festival Featured Band Series: Program the Dead

2007-10-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

More information about Program the Dead can be found o ntheir website: Program the Dead

Program the Dead rocks hard the way that the early classic rockers intended it, with a little punk flair thrown in to the mix. The band sounds like the Stooges mixed with the Rolling Stones with more energy bundled into a show than any enthusiastic fan could expect. The band has an attitude that makes you think that they have already cemented themselves as legends despite their indie status.

The sound is hard, raw, and gritty. The vocals stress themselves over top of hard blistering rock and roll that reminds one of the 70’s rock scenes, but never lets you forget that they are a very modern band. The band never turns down their energy level, making it very easy to get sucked into their album. Despite the classic style of the music, it still remains very fresh and provides a unique listening experience, especially for a younger generation.

The live show is active and bouncy as the lead singer leaps and dances across the stage as if he himself has become possessed is his own music. The rhythm section of the band chugs off without fail, pulsing off a beat that leaves you with no choice to bob your head. The band members are rock stars through and through and even the nonmusical stage appearance appears to be coming from a front man seasoned in the ways of exciting a crowd. A Program the Dead performance delivers a solid sound with impressive vocals and instrumentation, but the real cornerstone lies in the bands style and ability to bring their individual talents together.

The studio sound of Program the Dead is as chaotic as you would expect. Imagine if the Ramones took on Mick Jagger as a lead singer. The sound is not studio clean, but that is probably on purpose as it does add to the gritty feel of the music. Program the Dead is also seeking to release a new EP soon that will offer up even more delicious tracks of 70’s style grit rock.

Program the Dead will rock you hard relentlessly, and leave you with a big smile on your face as you realize that maybe rock and roll is not dead after all. This is a band truly worth checking out. The band and the music is in your face and truly takes rock back to the fringe from which it came.

Gateway Music Festival Featured Band Series: SameSoul

2007-10-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

More information on the band and lead guitarists solo work can be found here: Samesoul Derick Howard

Samesoul is a fresh new band coming onto an under populated jam band scene with a fresh new sound. The band is currently working on producing their first album with much anticipation from several fans. Chris Jesse lays down raspy clean vocals in the manner of a well established blues singer. The music is well developed and the talent of Derick Howard, lead guitarist oozes in each song. Joe Devito on the bass and Joel Storm on the drums keep that funky, bluesy, organic vibe flowing throughout each song.

The band seems to borrow a lot of their sound from the jam bands before them. Quick, intelligent lyrics echo Trey Anastasio’s work. At times, the coal track sounds a lot like Gov’t Mule with a lot less gravel. The music also recalls the work of Stevie Ray Vaughn on many of the tunes. The band has obvious gel onstage and hopefully this translates into a well done studio recording.

Samesoul plays live with enthusiasm and talent. Each member gets a chance to stand out in typical jam band style, but no one dominates the show. The band mates laugh and thoroughly enjoy their opportunity on stage, giving the fans a real treat during their performance. They are not your typical flashy musicians though; they keep their talents in check and show it off discreetly on stage.

If you can not wait for an album from Samesoul, the lead guitarist, Derick Howard has already released a solo album; showcasing his ability has a musician on his own. He provides sweet vocals with astonishing guitar rhythm and flourishes with his own drum loops taking advantage of drums outside of the typical kit. The sound is definitely reminiscent of SameSoul and each track plays off as the effort of a hardworking musician who at times barely has to try to make a beautiful sound.

SameSoul is a band with a future that is heading toward the jam circuit. Do not look for them on the Top 40 radio, but instead out in the festival fields of America with a solid core fan base. They are less a band for the people and more a band of musicians for musicians. The songs are fun and catchy, so a breakthrough may not be that far fetched, but the true beauty of this band is the capability to turn any song in their catalog into a jam track that stretches the beauty into a masterpiece of musicianship.

Gateway Music Festival Featured Band Series: Chamberflow

2007-10-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

More information about Chamberflow can be found on their website here: Chamberflow

With Louisville, KY now securely in their pocket, Chamberflow is undoubtedly seeking to sweep the nation with their unique sound. The band has a very clean alt-rock vibe that reminds listeners of a more energetic Lifehouse or a less message intensive Switchfoot. The band does conjure up the image of a Christian pop rock band with their sound though as far as I can tell, this is only coincidental. Swooping vocals with stop pause guitar riffs give the band a very uplifting, inspirational feel. Chamberflow brings the underplayed style a new rock edge and more energy per song than most bands pack in an album.

The music of Chamberflow is creative and fresh but does not steer far away from that catchy sing along popular radio sound. The music is like a soundtrack to a summer packed with road trips and just “hanging out”. The sound is incredibly tight, with a heavy, solid sound that really comes off as quite fluid. Guitarists, Brenden Kavanaugh and Justin Smith, know exactly when to flourish a song with a well thought string of guitar fill at every point in the album. Overall, it sounds like a mash up of the Foo Fighters, Switchfoot, Storyside: B, and a hint of Building 429.

In concert, Chamberflow knows how to play to their audience. Brenden maintains eye contact with various audience members as he belts out his gravelly yet sweet vocals. The music drops into a heavy mode when the emotion calls for a harder sound, but still manages to keep a heartfelt honesty throughout the band. The band’s fashion sense eschews the typical rock star outfits and instead lands somewhere near the typical “college boy” look. The look only makes the well thought music that more genuine as you get the sense that you are hearing a musical diary entry as opposed to a musicians attempt to generate cash flow.

The latest studio child of Chamberflow is their EP “Balance” loaded with potential radio hits. Innocent has already been released with a music video and has enjoyed some radio popularity in local markets. The album has a cohesiveness that makes up for the low number of tracks, and every song makes for a strong listen. The musical disparity between songs such as “Innocent” and “Anna” show that this band is not a mere formula band, but a talented group of artists with more strong albums to follow. Chamberflow is bound for success in a market of radio listeners who want catchy riffs and hooks, but also seeking diversity amongst an album.

Chamberflow is an amazing live band and their sound is captured quite well on their studio EP. I will continue to play their music from my personal library, but also will be watching for them to release a full length album. If you get a chance to see this band live, you will not be disappointed.

Gateway Music Festival Featured Band Series: The Redflecks

2007-10-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

More information about the fan can be found at their website here: Redflecks

Female fronted rock bands are few and hard to come by, so when one does it is easy to compare them to those that came before them. The Redflecks offer much more than the novelty of a female rock band, so let us get those comparisons out of the way. The music sounds sort of like The Cranberries meet Radiohead, but as far as vocal styling, the band is much more reminiscent of the 90’s band Poe. Elaborate musical compositions combined with dramatic dynamics guide the audience through a pleasurable, calm, warm sonic experience.

The Redflecks are a progressive rock band that pushes the rock genre to an envelope that is rarely achieved by indie bands today. The band plays to the vocals of lead singer Amy in a way that seems pop at first, but upon a deeper listen, experimental fluxes abound. The bass is held tight by Nicole’s heavy and active bass lines while guitarist Ben plays beautifully clean guitar notes over the top. The drum track is held down by Peter in a manner that drives the music constantly forward. None of the band members come off as showy or flashy, but instead blend together to lift the vocals to a higher level

The Redflecks play an endearing live show that remains full of energy while maintaining a sense of lucidity. At the Gateway Music Festival 2007, the band kept a livid live sound, despite a less than clean PA setup. The music came off as thoughtful and powerful at the same time. Bassist Nicole seemed to leak cool all over the stage, as Amy almost whispered her sweet lyrics over an exuberant, professional sounding background noise.

The Story Can Not End, the first full length Redflecks album brings the bands live sound to an entirely different level. The music is perfect for those tiring of a male dominated rock world while throwing out the all too over used power chord. The album calls for multiple repeat spins that never let down the listener. The music is so thoroughly genuine that it makes you feel as warm and cozy as your favorite childhood blanket. The album also boasts what many indie and commercial albums seem to struggle with—cohesiveness. The album as a whole is as legitimately connected as any song itself. This is a true virtue for a progressive experimental band, and The Story Can Not End is an excellent introduction to what is sure to be an excellent discography someday.

The Redflecks have consistently proved themselves to be a powerful force onstage, and now with The Story Can Not End, have proven themselves a well rounded prog-rock group. The Redflecks are destined to be a group that will find a place in the hearts of pop craving preteens, music geeks, and everything in between.

Gateway Music Festival Featured Band Series: ZO2

2007-10-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

More information about ZO2 can be found on their website- ZO2

Remember when rock and roll had a hard edge and was about little more than being cool and energetic? ZO2 calls for a return to this spontaneous, fun, hard, showy attitude of music. America’s answer to the Darkness puts on a show reminiscent of an guitar wielding 80’s band, and it is no coincidence that ZO2 has opened for bands such as Kiss and Poison on their tour together. The band fuses the music scene gathering new fans of a refreshing sound and the old eighties headbangers alike.

The music is as sharp as a knife, kept simple with only three band members, but it does not seem that any one of them ever takes a break. The heart thumping rhythm is thrashed over by a squealing distorted guitar sound that shows off the talents of a rocker that has studied his classic metal riffs. Unlike most metal bands today, ZO2 is not overtly dark. They bring back the light hearted hedonism that was ever so popular in the eighties, and they do it in style.

ZO2 is a whirlwind on stage. I have seen several concerts where I am impressed by the activity of the band, but ZO2 makes me suspicious of some sort of device that is feeding intravenous cocaine directly into the band members. The action never stops as they wail and scream each note be it guitar or vocal, and a surviving drum kit post-show, is a real testament to the maker of that kit. Yet despite all of the visual and auditory chaos the band keeps a tight sound that would impress any music aficionado. A ticket to ZO2 is less like a concert, and more like an experience—a really good, hardcore, mind blowing experience.

The albums by ZO2 suffer from what any amazing live bands experience. The sound just does not translate as well in the studio. This is not to say that Tuesdays and Thursdays and Ain’t It Beautiful will not leave you unsatisfied. Both albums offer up a delicious taste of classic metal worship. The vocals are piercing and demand attention, the guitar riffs are chunky when they need to be and sharp as a razor when called for, and the rhythm is solid and loud. They are definitely the perfect albums for a long drive, and much more compact then fitting the live concert in your trunk. Yet, some songs will make you long for that live experience and that will sustain the band for years to come.

ZO2 has redefined the metal scene by taking back a few decades. The music is raw yet polished, heartfelt and hedonistic, and will leave you drooling for more. Tight leather pants, ripped t-shirts, and long hair has never been this cool—well, since the eighties at least. If you are a teenager, grab a copy of one of their albums, you are going to love it, although you may also find yourself hiding it from your eighties loving parents. I would recommend either CD, but I would trade it for a live ZO2 show any day.

Gateway Music Festival Featured Band Series: Cabin

2007-10-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

More information can be found at Cabin's website.

Cabin came out of nowhere in the Louisville, Kentucky scene and left its audience in a daze of wonderment. The sound is less like a typical song track and more like a soundscape painted by some masterful genius. The genius behind the sound of Cabin is Noah Hewet-Ball who spurred the creation of the band. His lyrical masterpieces are delicately placed within a deep wall of sound that is intricate without becoming pretentious. If the band must be typecast it is very easy to compare their musical styling to Radiohead. The intricacies of the music translate well from Govern the Good Life and I Was Here to a spectacular live stage performance.

The band takes advantage of soft guitar driven melodies laid over a steady bass and drum foundation with keyboard and violin flourishes. The beautiful noise that results makes the perfect soundtrack for a lonely dim lit bedroom relaxation. The sound stands perfectly well by itself, but with endorsement by Sufjan Stevens, the band is slated for popularity without a pop sound. The freshness of the band keeps the album from being shoved to the side, but the discrete but clear message keeps the album on repeat.

Cabin defines its own niche in the music market by foregoing typical genres to create its own brand of progressive rock. The vocals come off as vocalizations of an intelligent young person with as many musical talents as dreams. Do not be surprised if while playing Govern the Good Life, you drift into your own dream world narrated by fuzzy over processed guitars and the smooth crooning of Noah’s very Thom Yorke vocals.

A live show by Cabin is everything that is expected from a band that shuns the rough edges of rock and roll and embraces sonic dream engineering. Every note echoes the emotion of their well thought out lyrics. In a style reminiscent of Kurt Cobain’s early nervous shy guy stage performance, Noah speaks very little between tracks and does little more than introduce the song. The music is in no need of a loud mouthed introduction, because it speaks for itself. Cabin’s performance at the Gateway Music Festival was nothing short of awe inspiring as they managed to follow the heavy alternative group Philpot. Not only were they able to slow down the music, but also the pace of the festival itself.

The full length album, Govern the Good Life, is a masterpiece in itself, inspiring listens of the newly released EP, I Was Here. Both albums maintain the same progressive rock feel while switching to heavier moments when the lyrics dictate it. A Cabin album has an overall feeling of wholeness that inspires full length listening. Choosing a single would hardly do justice to an album that deserves a thorough listening with a hot cup of coffee.

Cabin is already following the tracks of the cult indie band. Though their style will most likely never attain extensive radio play, the band will never be short of dedicated fans awaiting the next sonic diary entry of Noah Hewert-Ball. The ability to maintain this sound live will no doubt foster a continued growth of the band capable of bigger and more intricate work.

Gateway Music Festival Featured Band Series: Philpot

2007-10-01T18:39:00.001-07:00

To find more information Philpot visit their website here: Philpot

Philpot is amongst the new trend of bands coming from the Midwest. The band was formed and tweaked in Indiana and have been cutting their teeth in a flower shop that serves as a rehearsal room. The band broadcast a sound that has been described by the New York Press as “bizarre punk-blues-raga rock.” Their new album Hate Writes Better Than Love offers up an impressively original sound that is free of the governing of any particular genre.

If anything is constant in their sound, it is a hard rocking, guitar frenzy with keyboard supplements with lavish vocal supplementation. The band rarely slows down and an active live performance only solidifies the bands credibility in the music scene. The feeling behind each and every piece of lyrics is met precisely with dripping emotion by lead singer Kentz Ward. Even when the band does occasionally slow down the music, they manage to retain just enough edge to keep the song rocking.

Philpot is just one of the bands on the alternative that you feel cool to know about. They are destined to explode into the music world and they seem like the kind of guys that are going to keep to their style. A standout vocal style with tight bass and guitar riffs make every song catchy and memorable without coming off as kitschy or cheesy. This is by no means a pop band, but the tunes are definitely radio friendly.

The live act that the band put on at the Gateway Music and Arts and Festival was an energetic display of band in their youth. The band never lost their cool on stage and presented themselves as already established rockers. No amateurish mistakes perpetrated the tight sound that the band came to exhibit. Philpot by far deserved a more prime spot in the band lineup and will probably see much bigger gigs in the future. I count myself as quite fortunate to be able to see the band at a time in their career when front stage was not a shoving match. Their performance at the previous Gateway Festival will probably be one of their last shows were lawn chairs will be anywhere near clear sight of the band.

Hate Writes Better Than Love has earned its own place in my personal frequently spinned list, though it rarely makes a full round at any given time. The band keeps a strong sound with several stand-out songs that would make great single cuts, but it is this consistency that may be the albums downfall. The band rarely makes enough change in the sound to keep my attention span for too long, particularly the first few tracks. Yet, just a few bands later, I find myself digging up the Philpot album again. I recommend they are added to fan o alternative rock looking to expand the sound of their collection.

Philpot has made a deep impression both in the studio and in their live act. Watch for this band to continue expansion as the sound matures and the band expands their song repertoire. In the meantime, Hate Writes Better Than Love is definitely an overall solid indie-alternative album.

The Gateway Music and Arts Festival 2007: The Hype That Should Have Been

2007-10-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

This little piece of text about the Gateway Festival is simply a teaser introduction. I will be publishing a review of various bands at the show daily. Once I get each band reviewed, I will do a sum total of the Festival in a larger more detailed, and definitely more coherent article. The story that follows was merely banged out in a few minutes. The bands that are to be reviewed coming up over the next few days include:

Philpot, Cabin, ZO2, Seven Mary Three, Program The Dead, Redflecks, Sons of Roswell, Samesoul, The Jane Rose Band, Nova Red, Chamberflow, Justin Smith and the Folk Hop Band, Kidd Russel, Villebillies, and Nappy Roots.

If you are in a band, and recieved my business card, but do not appear on this list, drop me an e-mail at taylor.kuykendall@gmail.com so that I don't ovrelook you. Thanks!

The Gateway Music and Arts Festival of 2007 held in Mt. Sterling promised original music and delivered in a way that most festivals today have forgotten how to do. The only problem was that as far as a crowd goes, Gateway was nearly a bust. This may not be so great for the concert host or promoters, but as far as an intimate experience with a ton of bands goes, the Gateway Festival delivered.

I arrived Friday just in time to catch the beginning set of Philpot at 6PM. I could tell that it was going to be a great weekend already. We set up our tent and prepared for the band that would be the first headliner of the show, Seven Mary Three. The band played a knockout show despite everyone in the crowd only wanting to hear ‘Cumbersome’.

Day two showcased more hip hop and featured the Nappy Roots. They played an electrifying show and brought several new artists that they wanted to introduce on stage with them. Day two also witnessed a fairly empty crowd space, but that helped to make the concerts more comfortable per listener I suppose.

The basic setup of the venue was a three stage ongoing concert schedule that allowed you a fifteen minute gap for each band; meaning that theoretically you could listen to each band for fifteen minutes, even though most sets ran between 30-45 minutes. A total of 72 bands played over the course of the two days. Camping was quite comfortable, some campers having well over 20 square yards of space to their selves.

The Gateway Festival was perhaps the event of the year that no one attended. The potential was high, and if losses were not too great, hopefully the event will happen again next year. I scoped several great bands and will be sharing them here soon.

While you are waiting for the rest of this article to be posted, make sure you check this pro-legalize marijuana governor hopeful said to everyone at the festival. Warning" Grauitious insanity.

The event website can be found here: http://www.gatewaymusicfestival.com/

A Change of Scenery: How the Ataris Are Staying Alive in Obscurity

2007-09-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

An article written for Graffiti Magazine...

What is a band to do when they are no longer at the top of the charts? The answer for most bands is to give up and find a day job. When the Ataris changed their sound and were not received as well as previous albums, they ditched the huge tour and hit MySpace. Their show at the Hurricane Community Center in West Virginia was a testament to what the band has been doing since their breakout album, So Long Astoria.
The first obvious change is the sound of the band. With their new album Welcome to the Night the Ataris released a wall of sound more reminiscent of the Foo Fighters. In an interview with guitarist John Collura, he said of Welcome to the Night,
“We matured. This is not Kid A by Radiohead, it was not that innovative, but it is an innovative album for this band.”

The new styling seemed to work well for the band as far as the sound on the album, but that did not translate well to the small venue equipment that they played through in Hurricane. The sound was often muddled and came through weak on the intricate parts.
Even throughout the sound issues, the Ataris plugged through keeping up a high energy level that would be expected of a pop punk band. They played some their new material, but seemed to please the audience more with their throwbacks to previous albums.
Pandering to their highly devoted fan base, the show was sealed by personal conversations with the fans afterwards. The Ataris signed autographs and posed for shots with anyone that attended the show.
An excellent choice of opening bands also made for a great show. Particularly of note was the band Fairweather Fan of Huntington, WV. Even the Ataris were impressed by their act and if the crowd by their merchandise stand was any indicator, Fairweather Fan will not disappear soon.
The band came up with idea of a MySpace tour to get back to the fans. The bands that worked the hardest to promote themselves were given the opportunity to rock out as openers for the famed Ataris. With a solid sound, Fairweather Fan may very well be the next big touring band.

Collura expressed his excitement before the show, “…we could be playing with the next big thing. That is what is so great about this tour. Sometimes we come out and are disappointed in the openers, but sometimes they are just stunning.”
The Ataris claim to have learned from their mistakes and plan on releasing a new album soon that they hope will put them back on the charts.
“I do think The Ataris next record will sort of pick up where End is Forever and Blue Skies, Broken Hearts - Next 12 Exits... left off. “ says lead singer Kristopher Roe.
This is exciting news for the many fans that were more than disturbed by the sudden change of sound from the Ataris. Growth is usually considered good for a band, but the bottom line is whether the sound is profitable. As Collura put it, “rock stars don’t get pension plans.”
Then again, I also know that if The Ataris do achieve their former level of fame, we will not see them in Hurricane, WV again. Throughout the concert the energy level was high and intimate at the same time. Awestruck fans within reach of the band members really did solidify the Ataris as a band with grassroots flare.
My personal opinion is that Welcome to the Night really rocked and I would recommend you pick up a copy, but it is still not nearly as fun as So Long Astoria or Blue Skies and Broken Hearts…Next 12 Exits. Look forward to more hot music from the Ataris, and if you get a chance to see one of your favorite bands in a crowd of fifty or less, snag it.

Taylor Swift Comes To Huntington

2007-09-27T14:08:00.001-07:00

Taylor Swift brought a unique show to Huntington, WV Wednesday night. She not only played a very energetic show, but also played to a very excited crowd in Huntington, WV.
The amazing part of her show was that she was so personal to the audience. She even stayed afterwards and signed a ton of autographs. I was lucky enough to get a press pass, but due to some lighting errors could not get absolutely clear shots. They aren’t that bad though, check it out!

Some Information About Taylor Swift from Wikipedia:

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is a Platinum-selling, American country music singer-songwriter. In 2006, she had her first hit at 16, "Tim McGraw", about a summer love. Since then, she has risen to fame, with an especially large Internet following. She has a soft and clean voice that appeals to most country music fans.

She won CMT's "Breakthrough Video of the Year" award in 2007 for her hit "Tim McGraw", and was also nominated by the Academy of Country Music for "Top New Female Vocalist".

Early years

Taylor Swift was born in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Swift's influences include her grandmother, who was an opera singer,^[1] and LeAnn Rimes^[2]. She began performing in Wyommissing, Pennsylvania. At the age of ten, Swift began to perform around her hometown, singing at karaoke contests, festivals, and fairs. Her first exposure to the music business consisted of recording demo tapes at a studio. At age 11, Taylor made her first trip to Nashville in hopes of attaining a record deal by handing out a demo tape she had made of her singing along to karaoke songs. She handed this tape to receptionists at every label on Music Row.^[3] Taylor returned to Pennsylvania without a record deal but remained confident in her ability, writing her first song, "Lucky You". Her big break came at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, when her rendition of the national anthem moved the crowd. ^[4] Within a few months she was featured as a rising star in an Abercrombie & Fitch campaign. In Nashville she wrote songs with local songwriters. The family decided to move to Hendersonville, Tennessee, an outlying Nashville suburb.^[5] When she performed at Nashville's premier songwriters' cafe, The Bluebird Café, she caught the attention of Scott Borchetta. Scott signed her to his new label, Big Machine Records.^[6]

2006-present: Rise to Fame

Swift's first single, "Tim McGraw", was released to radio in Summer of 2006. The video debuted in July 2006 on Great American Country. On October 24, 2006, her self-titled CD was released. The CD, on which Swift wrote or co-wrote all of the songs, peaked at #19 on the sales charts and sold more than 61,000 during its first week. The song "Tim McGraw" peaked at #6 on the chart week of January 27, 2007. The video set a record by appearing for 30 consecutive weeks on GAC's fan-voted weekly Top 20 music countdown show,^[7] and the video reached #1 on CMT's video charts.

Since her success, she has appeared on Good Morning America and at the 2006 Academy of Country Music Awards. She also won "Breakthrough Video of the Year" on the 2007 CMT Music Awards with "Tim McGraw". Her pursuit of country music stardom was the subject of "GAC Short Cuts", a part-documentary, part-music video series airing since the summer of 2006 on the country music channel Great American Country.

Swift sang the national anthem and performed at various events since then. One of her biggest mainstream performances was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on February 13, 2007, where she performed her single, "Tim McGraw." Swift also appeared on Ellen, singing "Our Song."

On May 15, 2007, Swift performed her Gold single, "Tim McGraw," at the Academy of Country Music Awards. She sang the song to Tim McGraw in the audience, and introduced herself for the first time to him. Taylor has been an opening act for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on their Soul2Soul 2007 tour. She is currently touring with Brad Paisley and has opened in the past for George Strait and Rascal Flatts as well.^[8]

More recently, she was named a presenter and performer at the prestigious American Women in Radio and Television event in New York in June 2007. Her second album is about to be recorded and planned for a 2008 release, the same year she is scheduled to graduate high school through her home-school program.^[9]

On August 30, Taylor was named one of 5 nominees for the 2007 CMA Horizon Award. The CMA Awards will be televised on November 6.

Turn the Page: Welcome To West Virginia

2007-09-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

TayKuy's Take on Gauley Fest

Gauley Festival 2007 World's Largest Whitewater Kayaking Festival

2007-09-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

This article was written for Graffiti Magazine.

The surrounding rivers of the Gauley and New are some of the greatest paddling found on the East Coast. This means that Gauley Fest has no trouble generating a nationwide and even worldwide audience.

So here’s to the Gauley Fest warriors from West Virginia to Australia, stay wet and I will see you next year!

The Ataris Come to Hurricane, WV and interview with Lead Guitarist John Collura

2007-09-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

This was written for Grafitti Magazine, based out of West Virginia.

It was only four years ago that the Ataris said "So Long Astoria", and now they are saying hello Hurricane, WV. The Hurricane Community will be filled with the sounds of the pop punk group September 25. The band is plowing down a list of obscure venues schedule exclusively through MySpace.

Formed, in L.A. in 1995 the Ataris experienced a quick climb up the charts with singles off of their sophomore album, "So Long, Astoria". I recently had the opportunity to lead a forty minute interview with lead guitarist, John Collura. He had plenty to say about the bands new style of playing small venues, their new album, "Welcome to the Night", and his mixed feelings about the release of "Boys of Summer".

Graffiti: So, most of your tour consists of small venues with local talent. How has that affected the way you tour and what kind of show you are playing?

Collura: It has been a really tame tour thus far, but we have really enjoyed the exploration side of playing these small towns. It really gives perspective as opposed to playing L.A. shows. Most people from L.A. don't even know about Iowa or West Virginia, let alone be there. We get to see these real Americans coming to our tours. I believe this will actually be our first show in West Virginia. We also get to listen to these bands we never heard of and it's just so exciting to think that they could be the next big thing. We have seen a lot of talent on this tour.

Graffiti: So, are you nervous about coming to West Virginia? There are a lot of negative stereotypes about what happens on these "back roads"?

Collura: Nah, you have those stereotypes for almost every state and we find that you can find some really great people no matter where you go.

Graffiti: Are there any downsides to living the dreams of every guitar wielding teenager who wants to grow up to be a rock star?

Collura: Of course, now don't get me wrong I appreciate where the fans have put us so far, I don't want to get a job, but it's a lot of work bro. Some days the band just wants to choke each other…we don't get pension checks or 401K's and it can be tedious at times. I have been doing this for more than a decade now.

Grafitti: So Long Astoria seems to have established you the band's popularity, but in Welcome to the Night, the sound is changed immensely, what happened?

Collura: We matured. We are not the same band able to relate our problems to that of a high school student anymore. This is not Kid A by Radiohead, it was not that innovative, but it is an innovative album for this band. You just go into the studio and we never really know exactly how it's going to turn out. We went in just wanting to record this big wall of sound and I think we achieved what we were aiming at.

Graffiti: How do you feel about the Don Henley cover "Boys of Summer" being grabbed up as a single?

Collura: Well, as a band it's not the single that you want. We threw it on as an afterthought, thinking maybe it could go on a soundtrack or something. Then it just kind of took off. We constantly get people coming up to us saying that they love "Boys of Summer" and we just say "Thanks—but we didn't write it." On the other hand, I am a big baseball fan and every time the home team comes out they play our "Boys of Summer". My mom thinks that is just the coolest f**king thing in the world.

Graffiti: So what will be the future sound of the Ataris?

Collura: I feel that we have to keep growing. When I listen to music, I am a fan of bands, not genres, so I want to keep switching it up. I want that wall of sound like Radiohead, Jimmy Eat World or the Foo Fighters. It is so fun to play that big rock at live shows. I love trippy stuff, but I really love the sound of a straight up rock song. The new record needs to come out soon. That is just how the industry works. If you aren't prolific, you get dumped, and the band, the management and everyone else that's helps has too much in this for that to happen. I want to see everything go great for them too.

Making the Most of a Festival Experience

2007-09-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

Another travel column written for the Parthenon at Marshall University...

The buzz of summer is dead and in that spirit so are some of the biggest travel opportunities for students. The festival is the ultimate travel experience for the budget strapped student seeking to expand their summer experience. Yet, if certain precautions are not taken, what could be a valuable experience could end up being an unprepared nightmare.

There are multiple types of festivals to choose from but there are a few standard items that are imperative no matter what event you choose to event. The first thing to consider will be the length of your stay. Some festivals may only run throughout the day, in which case little preparation is required, but if you are staying overnight or longer you will need a few more supplies.

Make a list of all of the supplies that you need and if a ticket is necessary keep it somewhere that is easy to find. Directions found on the Internet may take away from the exploration aspect of the new place, but you will not have to worry about missing the festival because you are lost.

First, decide where you will be laying your head down at night. This may include an air mattress in the back of a vehicle or a tent and sleeping bag. Make sure you pack whatever it takes to be comfortable so that you are not grouchy and incapable of enjoying yourself at the festival.

Once you wake up you will probably be hungry so make sure that you have brought some means of food, as often festival vendors will not be preparing breakfast. The two options here are whether you bring prepared foods or food to prepare. Make sure you check the festival ground rules before bringing that fancy new grill or propane stove. The best bet is usually to bring food that is ready to eat.

With a full belly, the most important tool you can have is a rough schedule of events to carry around so that you know what is going on. Missing your favorite band or contest can be a major spoiler on any trip. These are often provided on site but it is safer to jot down a rough copy from the festivals website before hand.

Some festivals will provide a convenient website that outlines what it recommends to bring. Some common items are coolers with beverages of choice, sunscreen, extra clothes, towels, toiletries, a flashlight, and entertainment items. One convenience that I try to bring to a festival is a portable DVD player. It is great for drowning out the noise of festival goers that decide to keep a later night than what you have planned.

The best way to attend a festival is with a large group of friends. This saves costs and ensures a better time during the downtime of festival activity. If you do opt to go alone, make sure someone knows that you are going and when you plan on coming back.

When you are not attending the festivities it is also vital to keep all of your supplies locked in your vehicle. A stolen camera, laptop, or wallet can sour a good event fairly quickly.

Make sure that the wallet that you have secured is also full of money. Many vendors will not accept debit cards, and if an ATM is on site it will likely come with exorbitant fees. You never know what kind of items some of the vendors will have, and by no means should anyone walk away feeling down about a missed purchase.

An open mind is one of the most important things you can bring to these events as it is likely to be a loud, party scene, chock full of illegal activities that you can not really avoid. If you are not into that sort of thing, make sure you are prepared to be around it. If it is Ozzfest be prepared to get bruised up in a moshpit. If it is a festival celebrating the memory of Jerry Garcia prepare to choke on the smoke of illegal substances. If it is a Christian festival, do not be upset if pamphlets about Christianity are shoved about in your face.

Now, I would like to talk a little about some festivals coming up soon and some special considerations for each one. Every festival is different and you want to prepare differently for each one. I hope you find one that interests you and captivates enough interest that you just can not help but party.

The Gateway Festival in Mt. Sterling, KY will be featuring two major bands this year, Seven Mary Three and Nappy Roots. In addition a full list of local bands will be playing. It offers overnight camping and will be a full of activities on the concert grounds. This is on my calendar as a can not miss event and for the price and distance, will be hard to beat.

The culinary appeal of Marlinton’s Road Kill cook-off just may be irresistible for some, but interesting to all. The cook-off is a competition of local chefs with only one rule: one of the ingredients must be an animal found dead along the road. If you want to see why West Virginia is viewed from the outside as backwoods, come check out this festival September 29.

The third Saturday in October will see Fayetteville, WV hosting its annual Bridge day celebration. The typical camping and food fare will be there, but unique to this festival will be a show of jumpers taking a BASE dive off the New River Gorge Bridge. The event attracts extreme sport enthusiasts the world over and will certainly offer up the opportunity for a quality drain of adrenaline.

This is just a small sampling of local festivals and I believe is an excellent showcase of entertainment diversity. If none of these appeal to you www.festivals.com offers up an opportunity to search by date and location for a festival that suits your needs.

The festival is one of the greatest travel experiences that one can hope to attend. A large area packed with activity that keeps travel costs down and fun levels high, is a college students dream. So go out and have a blast!

Former Black Crowes Guitarist Marc Ford Plays The V Club

2007-09-20T22:33:00.000-07:00

Marc Ford, former guitarist of the rock outfit, The Black Crowes, played a show at The V-Club in Huntington tonight. I dot some pretty cool shots.

A little information about Marc Ford:

From Wikipedia:

History

Guitarist Marc Ford began his career with the blues-rock outfit Burning Tree in the late 1980s. A power trio featuring Ford on guitars and vocals, Mark Dutton on bass and Doni Gray on drums, Burning Tree released their self-titled debut album on Epic Records in 1990. A commercial failure but a critical success, Burning Tree allowed Ford and Co. to tour extensively throughout most of 1990 and 1991. Despite opening slots for such notable acts as The Black Crowes, the band failed to gain the attention Epic Records was looking for and was dropped from the media giant soon after.

In late 1991, Marc Ford sat in several times with The Black Crowes in-concert, performing The Allman Brothers Band's classic hit, "Dreams." When The Black Crowes severed their relationship with their original guitarist Jeff Cease, Ford was asked to fill the vacancy. Ford agreed and he was quickly tossed into the mix for the band's 1992 second album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, which hit Number 1 on the Billboard charts and earned a double platinum certificate for sales. Ford would go on to perform on the next two Black Crowes releases (1994's amorica. and 1996's Three Snakes and One Charm), two unreleased albums (1993's Tall and 1997's The Band) and a slew of concert tours. His addition to the Black Crowes sound, which features a healthy dose of slide guitar and southern twang, helped define the band as one of rock music's premiere acts. His fluid and soulful technique connected with Black Crowes fans worldwide, and his lead playing resonated up and down the Black Crowes song catalog. Ford's ability to adapt to core songwriter, Rich Robinson's music and crunchy rhythm guitar sound, solidified he and Robinson as the preeminent guitar duo of the 1990s.^[1]

Ford was dismissed from the Black Crowes in the fall of 1997, following the band's stint on the summer-long Furthur Festival tour, leaving fans wondering what direction the Crowes might be headed. Black Crowes leaders Chris and Rich Robinson cited Ford's excessive drug use as the reason for his firing, but Ford himself is quick to note that he was not the only one with a drug problem. His absence from the Black Crowes was noticed with the band's 1999 release By Your Side, which lacked his guitar flourishes that defined a large part of their overall sound.

After his departure from The Black Crowes, Ford formed a solo band, Marc Ford and the Uninvited, and continued to make live appearances in the United States for the rest of the year. In 1998, Ford sat in numerous times with renowned jam band Gov't Mule before joining the Chris Stills Band for a summer tour. Upon the conclusion of that tour, Ford quit the Chris Stills Band to form Federale, a joint venture between himself and Luther Russell. The band gained attention from minor label Interscope Records, and a record deal was almost immediately in the works. Federale toured briefly, opening for acts like Gov't Mule, but disbanded after Interscope Records was bought out by Universal Music Group and their commercial viability was called into question.

During 2000, Ford joined the Pink Floyd blues tribute band Blue Floyd, which originally featured Allen Woody (guitar, bass), Matt Abts (drums), Johnny Neel (keyboards) and Berry Oakley Jr. (bass). Providing their own bluesy take on Pink Floyd standards, Blue Floyd was a great success and allowed Ford to remain the public eye while he contemplated his next move.

Ford left Blue Floyd at the close of 2001, opting to again to go solo. In January of 2002, during one of his many regular appearances at the Malibu Inn in Malibu, CA, Ford welcomed Chris Robinson to the stage for a set of obscure-yet-memorable covers. This performance marked the first time Ford and Robinson had performed with one another since Ford's dismissal from The Black Crowes nearly five years prior. Robinson again joined Ford at the Malibu Inn two weeks later, confirming that they had made amends. Ford even co-wrote "Sunday Sound," a track featured on Robinson's solo debut, New Earth Mud.

Following his acoustic-based stint at the Malibu Inn, Ford decided to form a full-fledged electric band. Featuring fellow Blue Floyd member Berry Oakley Jr. (bass) and newcomers Gootch (drums) and Chris Joyner (keys), Marc Ford and The Sinners hit the road in early 2002. During the tour, Ford would often take time out (with and without The Sinners) to record tracks for his then-unnamed solo debut. In 2003, Marc Ford and The Sinners gained some helpful attention from country/rock singer Lucinda Williams, who became somewhat of an ambassador for the group. She secured the band a deal with Lost Highway Records and Ford began finalizing his material for the sessions.

The Lost Highway deal did not come to be, however, as the band's representative at the label was fired and things subsequently fell through. The Sinners still had an opening slot on Lucinda Williams' ongoing tour, a slot that was fairly open-ended. Without a label backing them up, however, it was almost financially impossible for The Sinners to hit the road. Instead, Ford accepted an invitation to join Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, relegating The Sinners to an indefinite hiatus.

Ford toured with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals for the majority of 2003, from which their live EP Live at the Hollywood Bowl was drawn from. Ford continued his association with Ben Harper and his band through the close of 2004, when he was called to rejoin The Black Crowes for their "All Join Hands" reunion run. This reunion would serve as the platform for one of the greatest rock and roll comebacks in recent years. It would be the first time Ford would take the stage again with the band and Black Crowes fans were beyond ecstatic when the news broke in March 2005. Ford never severed his ties with Harper, however, appearing on his 2006 album Both Sides of the Gun and performing a handful of shows in support.

[edit] Recent

On Sept. 5, 2006, two days before he was due to hit the road for the fall leg of the ongoing Black Crowes reunion tour, Ford's lawyer notified the Black Crowes management via fax that, effective immediately, the guitarist would no longer be a member of the band.^[2] The following day, Ford put out a press release announcing that he had left the Crowes in order to protect his hard-fought sobriety and that he had recently produced albums for emerging artists The Pawnshop Kings and Ryan Bingham.

Shortly after his sudden departure from The Black Crowes, Ford reunited with his Burning Tree bandmates for three gigs at The King King in Hollywood, CA. Following the impromptu dates, Ford enlisted Doni Gray to be his bandmate, along with Muddy and Elijah Ford, for a new studio album he had begun preproduction on. Touted by the guitarist as a more guitar-based recording, Weary and Wired was released March 13, 2007 on Shrapnel Records subdivision Blues Bureau. Coinciding with the release of Weary and Wired was Ford's feature interview on the cover of jam-band oriented music magazine Hittin' the Note (Issue #52).

A run of tour dates in Europe were announced in early March 2007, with no definite word on whether or not a stateside tour would follow.

[edit] Discography

The Scarecrows Featuring Marc Ford with The Scarecrows (David Pedroza Music, 1988; released 2005)
Burning Tree with Burning Tree (Epic Records, 1990)
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion with The Black Crowes (American Recordings, 1992)
Tall with The Black Crowes (Unreleased Album, 1993)
amorica. with The Black Crowes (American Recordings, 1994)
The Very Crystal Speed Machine with Thee Hypnotics (American Recordings, 1994)
Three Snakes and One Charm with The Black Crowes (American Recordings, 1996)
The Band with The Black Crowes (Unreleased Album, 1997)
Live...with a Little Help From Our Friends with Gov't Mule (Sanctuary Records, 1999)
Live...with a Little Help From Our Friends, Volume 2 with Gov't Mule (Sanctuary Records, 2002)
It's About Time (Anko Records, 2003)
Live at the Hollywood Bowl EP with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals (Virgin Records, 2003)
Lovers and Thieves with Scott Thomas (Halfpipe Records, 2003)
Songs From the Material World: A Tribute to George Harrison with Various Artists (Koch Records, 2003)
There Will Be a Light with Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama (Virgin Records, 2004)
Live At The Apollo (DVD) with Ben Hareper and the Blind Boys Of Alabama (Virgin Records 2004)
Both Sides of the Gun with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals (Virgin Records, 2006)
Freak n' Roll...Into the Fog (DVD) with The Black Crowes (Eagle Vision, 2006)
Freak 'n' Roll...Into the Fog (CD) with The Black Crowes (Eagle Records, 2006)
The Lost Crowes with The Black Crowes (Rhino, 2006)
Weary and Wired (Blues Bureau, 2007)

Arlen Escarpeta of "We Are Marshall" Visits Marshall University

2007-09-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Students and other Huntington members formed a line to get the autograph of young movie star Arlen Escarpeta as he signed copies of "We Are Marshall" on it's release date. I was fortunate enough to snag a few shots while he was signing. Here is a little information about Escarpeta:

Wikipedia:

Arlen Escarpeta (born April 9, 1980 in Belize) Arlen has appeared in various American television programs and films, including the TV series American Dreams and the 2005 film American Gun.

Productions Courtesy of IMDb:

Actor:

Midnight Son (2008) (post-production) .... Russell
Privileged (2007) (post-production) .... Deshaun
The Ten (2007) .... Todd
We Are Marshall (2006) .... Reggie Oliver
The Substance of Things Hoped For (2006) .... Patrolman Powers
"7th Heaven" .... Detention Student #2 (1 episode, 2006)
... aka 7th Heaven: Beginnings (USA: rerun title)
... aka Seventh Heaven
- The Magic of Gershwin (2006) TV Episode .... Detention Student #2
"Cold Case" .... Clyde Taylor (1 episode, 2005)
- Colors (2005) TV Episode .... Clyde Taylor
American Gun (2005) .... Jay
"Judging Amy" .... Anhel / ... (2 episodes, 2001-2005)
- Getting Out (2005) TV Episode .... Anhel
- Look Closer (2001) TV Episode .... Driver
"ER" .... Santiago Tabajas (1 episode, 2005)
- Refusal of Care (2005) TV Episode .... Santiago Tabajas
Show & Tell (2005) .... Michael Wilson
"American Dreams" .... Sam Walker (60 episodes, 2002-2005)
... aka Our Generation (Australia) (USA: working title)
- It's My Life (2005) TV Episode .... Sam Walker
- No Satisfaction (2005) TV Episode .... Sam Walker
- California Dreamin' (2005) TV Episode .... Sam Walker
- Commencement (2005) TV Episode .... Sam Walker
- Starting Over (2005) TV Episode .... Sam Walker
(55 more)
"Boomtown" .... Cantrel LaFontaine (1 episode, 2002)
- Pilot (2002) TV Episode .... Cantrel LaFontaine
"The Shield" .... Sonny (1 episode, 2002)
- Circles (2002) TV Episode .... Sonny
High Crimes (2002) .... Guard #2
"Boston Public" .... Scott (1 episode, 2000)
- Chapter One (2000) TV Episode .... Scott
The Playaz Court (2000) .... Reggie

From the Parthenon:

The University of New Hampshire Wildcats were not the only visitors on the field at Joan C. Edwards stadium this weekend.

Arlen Escarpeta, who played Young Thundering Herd quarterback Reggie Oliver in "We Are Marshall," returned to Huntington on Saturday to join Reggie Oliver and support The Herd in its attempt to defeat The Wildcats.

Today, Escarpeta will make various promotional appearances in Charleston with the West Virginia Film Office and the West Virginia Division of Tourism.

Students who did not get a chance to see Escarpeta at the game or other events can see the actor Wednesday. He will sign copies of the "We Are Marshall" DVD from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the Memorial Student Center plaza. The DVD will be on sale at the Marshall Bookstore for $21.99.

"Arlen Escarpeta brings Hollywood back to Huntington whenever he visits Marshall University," Bill Bissett, chief of staff and senior vice president for communications, said.

"As his acting career continues, it is a testament to the great experience that everyone connected to the filming of 'We Are Marshall' that this young man would come back and share this release of the film's DVD with us," Bissett said.

Last weekend, Escarpeta and Oliver signed copies of the "We Are Marshall" edition of Huntington Quarterly as well as other memorabilia Saturday morning before the game during Huntington's annual ChiliFest. Later in the day, they attended a student tailgate and joined the football team in the Thunder Walk to the stadium.

Escarpeta also is spending time this week promoting "We Are Marshall" and working with the West Virginia Film Office and the West Virginia Division of Tourism Charleston and Huntington areas.

Monday, Escarpeta participated in a video conference at West Virginia State University to teach people about the film industry.

Another Story from the Parthenon

The DVD release of "We are Marshall" was celebrated with an actor's special visit to Marshall Wednesday.

Arlen Escarpeta, who played Young Thundering Herd quarterback Reggie Oliver in the movie, said "family" is one word to express the city of Huntington and Marshall.

"Huntington, to me, is like one big family," Escarpeta said. "It doesn't matter where you come from. If you are in town, if you go to Marshall, you are welcomed to this family."

He said a lot of people are "very, very friendly" to him, but a couple of people are intimidated by him, Escarpeta said.

"There is no reason to be (intimidated). I don't look at myself as a big star, I look at myself as a hard working actor," Escarpeta said.

Student Body President Dominique Elmore said this is a great opportunity for students to meet an actor from the movie that Marshall is so proud of.

Escarpeta, who left school himself to pursue his acting career, said he enjoyed the atmosphere of being on a college campus.

"I am 26. I am young just like the students here on campus," he said. "So any time I get to go to a college campus, I always look for time to meet the new people."

Elmore said she had a chance to hang out with Escarpeta with some other friends during last weekend's Marshall football game.

"He is very nice and so down-to-earth," Elmore said. "He is very inspiring. He did so much outside of signing the DVDs. He really wants to interact with everyone."

Brittany Davies, sophomore English major from Elizabeth, W.Va,. said she bought a DVD this morning to get an autograph.

"It is really exciting to have a Hollywood actor come to a small town in West Virginia to show the support for this film and their appreciation for the school," Davies said.

Escarpeta said the town and the people in Huntington made this movie different.

"Everything for this movie is so much bigger and so much more important," Escarpeta said. "It makes you want to work harder. It really really does."

Jessica Preece, senior elementary education major from Kenova, W.Va,. brought eight DVDs as gifts and for her friends who could not make it today to get his autograph.

"This is the second time to see him. He is a great guy," Preece, who had a chance to chat with Escarpeta, said.

Pam Haynes, director of the West Virginia Film Office, said Escarpeta did not accept any appearance fees. The other travel-related expenses are paid by several sponsors, such as the West Virginia Division of Tourism and the Marshall University Alumni Association.

Bill Bissett, chief of staff and senior vice president for communications, said the Marshall University Office of Communication paid $500 to cover part of Escarpeta's plane ticket.

"He has been so patient and so great everywhere he has been," Bissett said. "And he created the tremendous amount of excitement, not only for the DVD but also for the Marshall University."

The Delivery and Dissemination of Modern Media: Are You(Tube) A Part?

2007-09-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

This is another piece done for my journalism class...

The vision of YouTube started out as simple as many web startups. It was created to allow the users of the new “Web 2.0” an opportunity to upload and share their own video content. Yet, YouTube became much more then any of its founders ever intended. It would seem that many of the Internet generation are not only employing YouTube for their entertainment repertoire, but also replacing conventional media with user generated content from YouTube. It is easy to label YouTube as a flash in the pan phenomenon, but we must consider the impact that YouTube will have on future media. How will we regulate YouTube in legal matters, and most importantly to survival in this economy, can it be capitalized upon?

Despite the splash that YouTube has made on the media industry, one press release went fairly under the radar in early 2006. I was fortunate enough to receive this press release as a host of a radio program on WMUL. YouTube had decided to launch the YouTube Awards 2007. This would give users an opportunity to select from a group of hand picked videos in several categories for nomination. This outraged many users as it viewed the new owners, Google, Inc, as pushing YouTube away from its grassroots, user generated content platform, into a commercialized media machine. This of course also indicated YouTube’s willingness to adapt to a profit-turning organization and showed to the media corporations that YouTube was to be taken seriously.

This opened the arena for ad supported content and it was not long before advertisers were excited to post an investment. According to PCWorld magazine, YouTube will be incorporating ads that are eighty percent transparent in the bottom twenty percent of the screen for fifteen seconds. This is a great scheme for making money, assuming that users will stay, but a quick scan of the feedback on the blog post that announced YouTube’s campaign is evidence for nothing less than complete outrage from the YouTube community. Many feel that this encroaches upon their art as uploaders, and subtracts from their experience as viewers. YouTube may see more conventional broadcasting advertisement more effective, as I feel that they would benefit more from ads placed before the video, or even maybe a little product placement or incorporation for high traffic content providers. So, will YouTube be commercialized? The answer is that it is already heavily saturated with commercial advertisement and support.

Copyright management is perhaps one of the most stressful tasks at YouTube’s headquarters. The BBC slated trouble ahead when Google took over a stake in YouTube with all of its current copyright issues. Yet, Google has signed deals with CBS, Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, NBC and Warner Music Group with special permissions to approved content. Google has already made it clear that will tolerate no copyright infringement and, to its legal benefit, has opted to side with any offended parties who bring suit.

My personal experience with YouTube has ranged from a telephone interview with a YouTube executive to uploading my own content, to viewing the content already available. I feel that the phenomenon that is YouTube will continue because Google has been very conscious of avoiding legal issues while maintaining profitability. I personally enjoy the thrill of watching my viewer count rise on my own uploaded content and use it to promote my journalism endeavors. I watch because of the originality that YouTube seems to encourage. I believe that a solid marketing scheme, legal awareness, and the preservation of user generated content will allow YouTube to flourish—ad based or not.

The Public’s Right to Censorship on the Public Airwaves: The Opinion of a College DJ

2007-09-13T20:10:00.000-07:00

This is another assignment for my JMC 101 class. As a DJ myself, I feel that a request to be censored is unique and more valuable than a proponent who simply wishes to censor others.

I enjoy my airtime on WMUL for the same reason I enjoy writing. I believe that to hear what you want to hear, to read what you want to read, you have to produce the content. This is my primary reason for dabbling in so many media avenues, but I also realize that as a secondary goal I seek recognition for my tastes and must try to align them as closely as possible to the public. This includes ensuring that I will not offend my target audience. I feel that this is not only a good marketing strategy, but also a responsibility put on radio to provide a non-offensive medium to a vast, open, unscreened audience. I believe that those who violate decency standards on the public radio waves should be punished for three major reasons. First, is as a protection to radio stations that wish to employ extreme characters in their talent staff, second the radio is a public medium and respect should be granted to those who will suffer from obscenity, and third as a means to protect the sanctity of obscenity.

Radio stations have long struggled with pleasing its listeners who desire, cutting edge, push the limits radio and pleasing more conservative listeners. A recent scandal of the radio shock jock is of course, Don Imus, who according to Entertainment Online inspired African-Americans across the nation to threaten a boycott on CBS and MSNBC. Don Imus put CBS and MSNBC in a tough spot in having to determine what to do to please their listeners. If decency standards had not been in place, both companies probably would have faced free speech contests from Imus. Yet, because we expect our public airwaves to be non-offensive and censored, CBS and MSNBC were empowered to take action against Imus’ actions and keep its dedicated listeners.

The main objection to censorship for the protection of our youth is that that job should be done by on an individual level with each parent according to CommonDreams.org, but I believe the notion of a parent being able to consistently censor a child in this generation is a utopian fantasy at best. I know as a child, I was rarely screened for television and radio programming by my parents. This is not because they did not care, but because most of the time I was entertained by such media, they were working. I used to find a thrill in seeking indecent material, and as a result probably grew up a lot quicker than I would have before. Youth was terminated by an increasing exposure to obscene materials. Now, approaching parenting age (kind of) I hope my future children will be able to enjoy the media without me having to approve of every program they enjoy.

The last idea is sort of controversial in itself. I believe we as a society need to sanctify indecency. We need an outlet to express pain by being obscene at times. Hip hop mogul, Russell Simmons told Times news, in response to whether obscenity will always exist, “I hope so. I hope there will always be an outlet for pain in these communities. It's something we have to address.” When our broadcast mediums bombard with us obscenity we become increasingly immune to it, and must search more ways to express our pain and emotion when conventional methods fail to stir reactions.

I do not believe that ideas and thoughts should be censored as a means for power. We should select our messages in a manner that protects the nations youth from ideas that will forever mark them against their families values. This does not mean not exposing them to new ideas, but it should prevent cursing for the sake of cursing which promotes non-creative expression. I want radio stations to be able to enforce their standards with back-up from the law. I want children to be protected from foul messages simply intended to shock audiences, and yes, when I curse I want it to mean something, and drop some jaws.

New Writing Avenues

2007-09-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it appears that a lot more content will be floating around from ol' TayKuy. I have recently worked out some partnerships for writing/photography through the following and I am super excited about them:

Graffiti- GrafWv.com
HuntingtonNews.Net
The Parthenon

So watch out for photos and stories, and if you have any ideas or suggestions drop them on me taylor.kuykendall@gmail.com

Not to mention the radio show is back... Thursdays at 8pm! WMUL 88.1 Michael and Taylor Show

Pushing Daisies: ABC’s Attempt to Please the Tired AND the Accepting

2007-09-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

This is an assignment for my media literacy class. The show actually looks quite good, I recommends you check it out.

Pushing Daisies promises viewers a new and whimsical viewing experience set to the beat of the tried and true crime drama. According to ABC’s website the new series is about a young man, Ned, who has discovered that he has the ability to bring the dead to life with a single touch and curse them to death forever with a second stroke. This newly found talent is discovered by a police detective that desires to use his talents to investigate crimes and collect the reward for solving the case. The twist that will capture an audience worn thin on the American crime drama is a love interest forever captured between Ned’s first and second—indeed, last touch.

One of the most obvious factors a show should be considered for success would be its content. This show packs plenty of originality and enough quirkiness to draw an audience. First, the crime drama basis of the show will bring viewers of long time favorites such as CSI, while the creative, artistic, and technology minded viewers will be drawn to a clever use of high color saturation and astounding visual processing. There is of course a catch-all feature of the show to capture any remaining audience members—a love story. The touching tale of lifetime lovers that will never be able to enjoy the sensations of one another’s skin will certainly draw a crowd. The show may be able to stand purely on its own originality and departure from conventional television shows. The hook may just lie in this story that keeps viewers wondering if the couple will ever get to consummate their love. Will there be some sort of wonderful exception to his powers, or as suggested by lead actress Anna Friel in USA Today, maybe “it's a nice way to end the whole thing: Sleeping Beauty, the wrong way around."

Regardless of the content of a television series, the amount of money that a television network is willing to spend on advertisement of show plays a very heavy handed role in a shows success or failure. ABC has indicated a great deal of confidence in Pushing Daisies by sinking a ton of money into its advertising budget. CTV.com reveals a multitude of advertising campaigns from handing out free daisies across major cities accompanied by a promotional tag, to primetime radio and television commercials, to pop-up magazine ads, and even some promotional cemetery screenings. The promotional spot being run on television even mentions the word “buzz”. The show should almost unavoidably attract a large first time audience, but will it be able to hold up against competitors on other networks?

Time slot analysis is not a study of coincidence, but a measure of a networks’ confidence in a new series. With this in mind, Pushing Daisies must be heavily backed by those at ABC as they will be competing with Kid Nation, Back to You, Deal or No Deal, and ‘Til Death. All highly anticipated shows, some with an already established audience. The show has a good shot at maintaining ratings because none of the other networks seem to be aiming at a similar demographic.

Pushing Daisies is a genuine risk for the ABC lineup. The story has potential to be engaging, but is inherently different then anything else on broadcast television. Only time will tell if originality and technical whimsies will hold an audience that has become used to the flat videography and rehashed stories of crime drama. ABC certainly has been willing to drop a lot of money in advertising, which is not only a predictor of success, but an ingredient. A fairly non-competitive time slot will also assist Pushing Daisies in early success, but it will have to prove itself before being moved into a more “prime” location. I will be watching and hoping for the success of Pushing Daisies, if only for a break from the melancholy plagued by television these days. The show has all of the facets of success and I believe it will be well received by a large audience.

Works Cited

Levin, Gary. "ABC seeks that magic touch with 'Pushing Daisies'." USA Today. 20 Aug. 2007. 30 Aug. 2007 .

"Pushing Daisies." ABC. 2007. 30 Aug. 2007 http://abc.go.com/fallpreview/pushing daisies/index.

"'Pushing Daisies' gets strange promo push." CTV. 30 Aug. 2007. 30 Aug. 2007 .

Lonestar, Trick Pony, and Walking Out Blind

2007-09-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

The opening party to kick off the Marshall vs. WVU game started with Lonestar, Trick Pony, and Walking Out Blind. The concert was held free of charge thanks to Chesapeake Energy at Pullman Square in downtown Huntington. Here are some pictures from the event:

Travel Photography: Take Better Photos On Your Trip

2007-09-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

This is the second piece I am submitting to the Parthenon for my bi-weekly travel column. Read the Parthenon online here: Marshall University Parthenon

The school semester has just begun and many of you may be thinking that a travel article is nothing more than a novelty in a world where you are just now sinking your teeth back into school organizations, friends, and of course—class work. I agree wholeheartedly. Right now, just waking up in time to go to class after staying awake long enough to write a paper is weighing most heavily on my mind, but that doe not mean you should just let your travel skills go dull.

Yes, there are skills involved with traveling and the one that I wish to address first is travel photography. Most people are merely content with snapping off random photos of themselves and group members during their excursions, but does this really capture the memories?

I know there are a lot of different types of cameras out there, so I will focus mostly on the subject matter of your photos. If you want to avoid technically challenged photographs I would recommend you explore that elsewhere as an accompaniment to this article.

The first essential tool for capturing some great pictures would be to make sure you are carrying extra batteries, memory cards, and/or film. It can be quite frustrating to run into that perfect subject just when one of your expendable items fills up or runs out.

With your equipment ready and stocked, make sure you first research the travel destination that you are attending. Last year, on spring break I took a road trip to Alabama to visit my girlfriend’s family. It was originally a twelve hour drive, but with all of the roadside destinations found using Google Earth, I was able to extend the trip to about eighteen hours.

Instead of a bland highway trip, we found several waterfalls, monuments, and even got a tour of a candy factory. Each provided unique photo opportunities and enhanced the trip in general.

Most information you will be able to find about your destination is readily found on the web, but looking to books and magazines may also provide additional information. The most valuable tools one may find for exploring these areas is by far an informed local, so do not be afraid to ask a few questions when you stop for gas or food.

Once you have arrived at your destination, I must insist that you do not view the camera as a mere record of your arrival. Two of the biggest mistakes I see in student travel albums are pictures taken of the travelers with a hint of the attraction in the background, and pictures that are obviously the result of point by point camera use. When I say this I mean, arriving at your destination, taking a picture and tucking the camera away.

You will get much better shots by avoiding both problems. Take a lot of pictures, and of course include yourself and your travel mates in the shots, but the focus should be the destination, if you wanted a self-portrait, this could have been done in a studio.

The issue of bland pictures may be avoided by spending some time in your location. As you become more engrossed in your surroundings, various photographic opportunities will arise.

Walking away from the crowd of tourists standing at the same spot often yields better angles that are often overlooked. There is a reason that everyone may be standing there, so get that shot too, but definitely look for the shots that are missing from everyone else’s album. A quick jaunt down a rock strewn bank will often carve a much more lasting memory in your mind and in your photographs.

Another often overlooked opportunity is the locals in their daily lives. A picture of craftsmen doing their work or some candid shots of unknown strangers will often yield a wonderful photograph with more memories attached. The photo may even connect you to a story or more information about the area.

An important point of this approach is that you absolutely must ask for permission to photograph a stranger. This not only prevents bruises and scars from being your most vivid memories, but will also serve as an outlet for opening up conversations with the people of your destination. Any conversation with the local community will yield a different understanding and perspective of the place you are visiting.

Do not look at photographing these people as if they were models. So many amateur shots simply record a posed image of a person. Take pictures of your companions and locals enjoying local customs and food and the album will record more memories than faces. Including a bit of the surroundings will often give a portrait a fresh life and a story to tell.

Focusing on aspects special to the travel destination will also reveal more interesting photos within themselves. Often tourists merely snap pictures of the grand scheme of a destination, but if you get a little closer and more involved, you will soon be finding yourself taking pictures of not only the grandiose structure of unique buildings, but also the finer details.

Often the beauty of these structures lies in the architects’ astute attention to detail and not merely in size. Always keep a sharp eye for things that have been photographed the least amount of times.

Finally, do not grab onto any one these tips and use it exclusively. The most stunning travel albums will include close-ups, landscapes, people, and panoramas. Use your large sweeping views to capture an overall sense of place, but compliment that with close-ups of life in that portion of the world. Use strangers to capture the sense of locality, and use your travel companions to attach you to that place.

Use this article as a guide for taking better albums, but practice to your individual style also. Ultimately the album is yours and should reflect your experience, but you may surprise even yourself in the quality of an album when a little more awareness is used.

Remember to do your research, and photograph with awareness. I would even be quite flattered if you cut out this article and carried it with your camera. In addition to my wisdom, you get a neat little portrait of me. You can find a few examples of photos from some of my travels at www.taykuy.com. Happy travels and happy shooting!

The Gin Blossoms

2007-09-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

I went to the Gin Blossoms concert last night and captured some amazing video and images! The lead singer got VERY close to us in the front row. He even used my cell phone! The band played a very tight show and was highly energetic. Check out a bit of my media from the show:

The Wreckers...

2007-09-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

So... My girlfriend, Erin, and I went to the Sternwheel Regatta in Charleston last night. We stood front row to Michelle Branch's country act, The Wreckers. I got this cool video and a few pictures, but what I am really excited about is tonight.... The Gin Blossoms! In the meantime here is some media from the concert....

Keeping Busy in Huntington, WV

2007-08-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is my first of a series of travel column for the Marshall University Parthenon.

Supplementary Links

Huntington Herald Dispatch Community Calendar
Big Sandy Superstore Arena
The Monkey Bar
Pullman Square
The Funny Bone
Keith Albee Theater
Marshall University Artists Series
Huntington Museum of Art
Ritter Park
Tri-State Skydivers

Story

This little sliver of todays newspaper will typically feature more local travel opportunities then anything else. Not this week. This week is dedicated to the newcomers of Marshall University, so I want to share a little knowledge about Huntington, WV and what you can do to escape a life filled with class and sleeping.

First a treat for the music fans. It may not seem like a prime destination for large musical acts, but Huntington does draw quite a crowd of musicians. The local scene is filled with plenty of acts ranging in genres from country to hardcore metal to hip hop. You could just hope that you happen upon one of the fliers, but web resources will provide the best information and the best way to find this is knowing the venues. Google it.

The Big Sandy Superstore Arena is the place for the larger music acts. Here you will find the bands and artists that are on the charts in their respective genres at that time. The Monkey Bar is a much smaller venue, but brings in small acts more frequently. The artists found here typically have a slightly harder edge, and may be from a time past. Bone Thugs N Harmony played a show last year, and Flavor Flav will be hosting an event this year.

Pullman Square is a sort of entertainment staple to Huntington serving to glitz up a downtown area with otherwise scattered entertainment. The movie theater is here along with a coffee shop, icre cream place, book store, comedy club, video game store, and a handful of food and shopping places. The Funny Bone is a comedy club in the upper deck of Pullman and is often overlooked by students due to low advertising. The low advertising means you have to check out their website for scheduling and check frequently, it changes and you would no want to miss a good act. You have to be over 21 or be accompanied by someone that is to enter, so it may be worth befriending an upperclassmen to get in to the comedy club. I am sure you can find other uses for a 21 or over friend anyway.

There are several theaters scattered about with a high concentration within walking distance along 4th Avenue. Shop around and you may just be able to catch a movie you missed in its first round in theaters, but at a steeply discounted price. Film festivals typically take place somewhere in this area especially at the Keith Albee Theatre.

If you never notice a show at the Keith Albee that interests you, go to one anyway. Every time someone talks about a theater you can act completely snobby and talk about how beautiful the Keith Albee is in it's classic architecture and over the top decorating. Look about two inches higher than the other persons head, it makes you look snobbier. While you are feeling so sophisticated you may consider browsing a museum.

Beauty abounds at the Huntington Museum of Art where you can browse traditional museum fare of of various artwork. What sets this museum apart is a nature trail and a plant conservatory in supplement to the artwork. Guys, looking for a good place to take a date? Marilyn Monroe will be featured in upcoming weeks at the museum, allowing even the most stubborn men to enjoy themselves.

A short hike/ride down the hill will take you to Ritter Park where many students go for recreation. Wide open fields and walking trails make this an excellent are for spending a sunny day. Make sure that you visit when the roses at the rose garden bloom in the spring. On the other side of town, Rotary Park provides less of an urban style park with a complete setup for Frisbee golf.

If you, like me have come from a place that is extremely rural, you may miss the outdoor side of life that come with growing up in a one stoplight town. Those itching for the real outdoors can find recreation just a few minutes away at Beech Fork State Park or Grayson Lake State Park. both parks are close to campus and provide a way for students to get outdoors and be active with both lake and land attractions. Grayson has some premier cliff-diving areas and Beech Fork has excellent hiking.

Those into the more extreme side of Huntington's outdoors do not have travel very far. A fifteen minute drive to South Point, Ohio will lead you to Tri-State Skydivers. If jumping out of a plane is not your idea of an adventure, the area south of Charleston is abundant with rivers to kayak or canoe. The Marshall University Whitewater Club provides the resources to try your hand at kayaking in the pool if you don't feel like tackling the big water just yet.

One aspect of the town that seems to draw the most Marshall University students is the nightlife. Saddle Ridge provides a country style atmosphere while Club Cali provides a more urban feel. This choices fall anywhere in between those styles and you will be hard pressed to find one that does not suit your style. Of course, I will leave that sort of exploration to your own devices, I do not need to get any nasty letters from your parents.

Armed with a general knowledge of Huntington and the surrounding area will be helpful, but sometimes you may just want to walk about campus. While it may not be always be humming with activity all over campus, if you poke around enough you will be able to find something to do. Once again I must stress the use of the web to find schedules. Dependence on fliers will result in a lot of boredom!

Sports will provide a lot of opportunity for entertainment. I don't have to tell you about football, basketball, or baseball games, but there are some non-traditional sports that you may enjoy participating or observing. Rugby, lacrosse, and soccer are just a few of the alternate sports that are available. The cost of mostly all of these events will be incredibly easy on the wallet, often costing nothing at all.

Intramural sports are provided to those who do not wish to dedicate as much time to the sport, or perhaps just need a little practice before hitting the professional league. Gullickson Hall is typically the center for this activity and information on different teams will be there.

Those who do not believe in sports will find other means of entertainment scattered about campus. The Birke Art Gallery is on campus and provides an excellent stage for displaying Marshall artwork. Various music departments of the University will also perform throughout the year providing plenty of opportunities for a few hours of entertainment. Fans of theater will be pleased to find a delightful schedule of attractions at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center. I personally will be looking forward to the performance of The Little Shop of Horrors coming in October.

Of course there are also personal interest groups all over campus. If you want to join a campus ministry you will have no trouble finding someone that will help you sign up. Want to try your hand at being a DJ? Stop by WMUL in Smith Hall. Activities ranging from writing for the school paper to play sword fighting can be found at the University.

There are more things to do in Huntington and at this school than I have space to explain, but I will be posting various information about Huntington and the nearby area on my website. (www.taykuy.com) Most of this information will be links so that you do not have to Google as much as I did as a freshman. Now that you armed with basic entertainment in Huntington, my proceeding articles will contain information for traveling on your extensive free time. Think of this as a guide for the blah space. This will keep you from becoming too attached to Facebook (Extensive use is linked to lameness, be careful).

My First HDR Photography Shoot

2007-08-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

In honor of my good friend Chuck Hill leaving for Morgantown and myself preparing to head to Huntington, I decided to immortalize him in HDR Photography. I took the shot while we were doing our last hangout at the town park.

Those who know what HDR Photography is may choose to skip down to the pictures, but for those who do not know, here is a condensed version. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, which refers to the range of colors in the shot. One way to achieve an HDR picture is to take multiple shots of the same subject at different exposures, and then combine them, and the a little tone mapping.

The result is a picture with a high range of colors and thus more overall detail. HDR is not very flattering for skin tones, but I made Chuck hold still and I shot the pictures anyway. As you can see in the shot below he is slightly orange...

Reference Image:

HDR Shot:

Why Do People Have Sex?

2007-08-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

Cindy Meston... Is this the best you could come up with!? She spent five years and a lot of money to come up with a study of why people have sex. You can read it here. How does one justify a five year long study and a good deal of money and multiple researchers about why we have sex? Guess how she found out--she asked. That means she has been paid, probably a fairly decent salary to conduct a....WEB POLL. I mean sure she came up with 237 reasons to have sex and then let people ranked it from 1 to 5, but what has she accomplished that Cosmo magazine couldn't accomplish? Well, thankfully Yahoo News caught this story and let me in on the sad state of the American university research sector.

On a positive note, perhaps I should share a photo.

This was my first attempt at Infrared Photography, taken at Ohiopyle Falls, PA. You can see that a very slow shutter speed was used, just as standard for IR photography. I thought it was interesting, but I ma by no means satisfied with current IR results... I am working on it! My next experiment which I plan to post will include HDR photography. IF you don't know what that happens to be, make sure you return to check it out. I also am going to make an attempt to recreate the style of the movie 300 in a photo so look for that too.

My New Endeavor: True Blue

2007-08-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

Two posts. Two posts about coffee. I can't help it, I love the stuff. Now in honor of that love, I am preparing to take on a new job with a coffee roaster in Old Fields, WV. I have a meeting tomorrow to discuss the possibilities of a marketing representative position with True Blue Roasters. The coffee is all organic and fair trade certified. You can read more about it here: www.trueblueroasters.com/

Another cool link to check out while I am in the process of actually getting something interesting posted would be www.mikeandersonrocks.com I met him via Anderson's Corner (Peep the last name) while working there this summer. It's got some neat stuff, and while your checking out the Anderson family look at the store's website, also done by Mike: www.andersonscorner.com

That's enough about someone else, back to me! Check out this little piece someone wrote about me!

He obviously has a very keen eye for detail and snapped these photos during a very short visit and walk around the farm. We see these things every day, but his photos somehow manage to bring out detail which we can overlook simply because of their familiarity.

The photos are very well done. Inspiring in fact. When Taylor emailed and said he be out around sunrise for the best light, I felt I was not dealing with a typical college age young person but instead a very motivated and focused young person continuing to learn by pursuing their interests and passions on summer break. Its enough to restore your faith in Generation Next.

That made me feel good... Check out the full post here.

Trout Provisions

2007-07-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

RELATED LINKS:
Trout Provisions
Wardensville

I recently visited a new set of shops in the Wardensville, WV area. You can read about it here:

A scent of freshly brewed organic coffee fills the senses as soon as you walk in the door. The bright colors of newly picked local produce greet you at the door. In the other room, over the light chatter of the coffee drinkers, a pianist can be heard playing a Steinway piano. Upon further exploration, the room is filled not only with musical art, but visual art in the form of paintings, crafts, and sculptures. It may sound like a chic hangout found in a large city, but some will probably find it surprising that the exit of the building leads you to Main Street Wardensville.

A group of former Hardy County weekenders who planted roots three years ago following four years of regular vacationing from Washington, D.C. have constructed Trout Provisions, a shop very unique to Wardensville.

Carolyn Wapnick, formerly involved in technology education, Susan Aplin, a former retail executive of Williams-Sonoma, Kelly Williams involved in real-estate, and architect Michael Beidler are bringing a whole new kind of shop to Wardensville. Armed with a newly purchased historic building on Main Street, the quartet has set out to add a new flavor to Wardensville.

The renovated building has become three different stores. Trout Provisions is a market carrying dry goods, organic produce, wine, beer, artisan cheeses, kitchen tools, housewares and unique gifts. Inside of that is Coyote Coffee, a full espresso bar with various beverages, bakery items, and free wireless Internet access. Next door is Mountain Craft—a gallery of local artists with a wood furnace lounge area for enjoying the coffee.

Anyone that has not recently visited the Wardensville area may be amazed to hear of such a development. Wardensville police chief, Jeff Driskill, has been active in the creation of a new visitor center in Wardensville and is marketing the town as "The Gateway to West Virginia." In recognition of the sprucing up of Wardensville, structures as diverse as Wardensville Video to the Old Methodist Church, and even a few residential homes are receiving a facelift.

Yet, one would be hard pressed to find a shop as unique as the trio of Trout Provisions shops. The main store promises to sell unique items overlooked by other local shops. Along with an array of local organic food options, Trout Provisions will also be offering wines and microbrewery beers as take-out items.

These are not the usual items that you would find in this area, but that is the point. "We are not seeking to compete with local businesses, we hope that what we do complements the area," says co-founder Michael Beidler. Carolyn Wapnick added, "We just wanted to create something completely different."

Coyote Coffee, the espresso bar within Trout Provisions, will be offering an array of fair trade certified coffees with their own roast dedicated to their Wardensville shop. The coffee is completely organic and is guaranteed to provide the best deal to coffee farmers who provide natural, shade grown coffee. Susan Aplin reassures, "We are not doing anything too complicated with the coffee; we aren't trying to be Starbucks."

The adjoining room offers up a feast of local art with a lounge for enjoying your fresh coffee. Mountain Craft will be a gallery that represents artisans from across the area in several artistic mediums. Woodcrafts, paintings, photography, sculpture, music, pottery and many more categories are all represented in the store.

Local artists seeking to obtain display space are more than welcomed to seek out space in the store. Open mic nights within the shop will provide an opportunity for local musicians to draw a crowd and be heard inside the Mountain Craft lounge.

Astute locals may recognize the piano sitting in the corner of Mountain Craft. It is a century old Steinway that was once used when the room above Mountain Craft was appropriated to silent movie showings. Attention to detail will also reveal several more historical curiosities. Some of the tables are even made from the old ceiling planks of the historical building. Beidler hopes to "preserve the historical integrity of the building, while adding an extra dimension to Wardensville."

These changes may sound like a town gearing up for tourism, but according to the owners, this is not their primary purpose, according to Beidler "Wardensville is growing, and we want to offer them something new. We are looking forward to tourists and those with second homes, but we would really like to cater to the community."

The community will probably see many more changes like this as Corridor H makes a new area much more accessible to tourism. The visitor center will allow information to be shared with newcomers, and plans for hiking and biking trails are in the making.

What other developments will Wardensville see in the near future? Only time can tell, but in the mean time we can enjoy coffees from around the world, an art gallery that could rival a big city offering, and the freshest produce from the local area, right along Main Street Wardensville. With the new addition to Corridor H, Moorefield is much less than a half hour drive.

A Few Modeling Shots: Brady Baumgardner

2007-07-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

I took some time the other day to photograph Brady Baumgardner of Romney, WV and ended up with a few good shots. Remember, if you need some awesome and affordable senior pictures or glamour shots, or family portraits or anything just drop me a line: taylor.kuykendall@gmail.com Here are a few of the shots from Brady's session:

Churchview Farms: Support Your Local Farmer

2007-07-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

Most produce in the US is picked 4 to 7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves, and is shipped for an average of 1500 miles before being sold. And this is when taking into account only US grown products! Those distances are substantially longer when we take into consideration produce imported from Mexico, Asia, Canada, South America, and other places.

1500 miles! Think of the ecological consequences of that shipment. Even worse, consider the health risks of preservatives and the economical blow to small farmers. That is why my feature photos for this post come from a local farm outside of Romney, WV. Churchview Farms in Three Church's was kind enough to allow me to take a morning stroll about the farm and here are a few of the pictures that I came up with:

Moorefield 4th of July Photos

2007-07-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

I wanted to allow the town to view the pictures of the 4th of July event that didn't make the paper. If you saw me point a camera at you and you STILL don't see your picture here, drop me a line at taylor.kuykendall@gmail.com I had to trim some of the pictures out of here. I had over 500! Now, before you enjoy these pictures allow me to explain one more thing.

The pictures below are at a low resolution quality and at a degraded image quality. This is to help prevent some image theft from my site. If you are interested in a personal copy of the photo, I will sell the full sized, full quality image for $5. That gives you unlimited reproduction rights to the photo, I give you a digital copy and you are free to do what you want with it.

The difference in size and resolution may be pretty obvious, but allow me to demonstrate the diffference in the quality of the photos.

The Quality of the Pictures Posted

The Quality of the Picture Once Purchased

With that being said, directly below are the pictures of the event, I recommend that you click the slide show and then on the right side of the screen select slide show so that you can see the pictures a little clearer.

4th of July

2007-07-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July in Moorefield, WV was the usual small town holiday. Most of the town showed up to the park for various festivities. The most exciting portion of my evening though was during the fireworks display I caught this picture of my sister, Kelsea Kight:

A Return to Rural West Virginia

2007-07-05T00:29:00.000-07:00

I suppose the creation of this blog is quite overdue. I have been home for almost a month now and I have shared hardly anything with anyone. Well... A quick update...

I have a girlfriend in Alabama. She is wonderful.
I work at a jewelry store. It's called Anderson's Corner. It is here http://www.andersonscorner.com
I write and photograph for The Moorefield Examiner, a local paper. It's fun, but I don't produce as much as I would like.
I sell my photographs. It is fun. I'm not as good as I would like to be.

Here is one of my favorites for now. It is on sale in the Moorefield shop of Anderson's Corner.

People Photography

2007-07-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

Nature Photography

2007-07-04T20:35:00.001-07:00

Man-Made Photography

2007-07-04T20:25:00.000-07:00