RSS Feed

April, 2011

  1. Marathon Songs

    April 28, 2011 by Meagan Freeman

    I was inspired by last week’s episode of The Appetizer. Our chef and host, D. Grant Smith, presented a smorgasbord of musical flavors, as usual, but this time he focused on long and short tracks. We have more great long and short tracks coming up in next week’s episode. Guns and Roses, Green Day, Jimi Hendrix, and many, many more, make sure you don’t miss it!

    Last week’s episode got me thinking, I prefer really long songs, especially when I’m working out, so once I get in my zone I’m not interrupted by a random song change. Anyways, that enough about the crazy ways my mind works.

    Today I searched through my iTunes library and sought out the longest songs I own. Don’t worry, you don’t have to exercise, just turn up the volume.

    1. Jimi Hendrix’s Machine Gun: 12:36

    This song was written to express the frenzy and protest of the Vietnam War. The point is stressed by the sporadic bursts of gunfire. Of course, the crazy guitar arrangements are worth the twelve minutes alone.

    2. Pink Floyd’s Echoes: 23:31

    This song was recorded before the popularity of Dark Side of the Moon. Some people consider this one of the best Pink Floyd songs, what do you think?

    3. Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile: 14:59

    Okay, I know I already listed a Hendrix song, but I have say I am huge fan. This song defines psychedelic rock. Many people think this song is called “Voodoo Child,” because of the way Jimi pronounces it. This song definitely belongs on a road trip playlist.

    That’s enough about me, what the longest song in your music collection? How about the shortest? Also, don’t forget to tune in to The Appetizer for more long and short tracks.

    The Appetizer is heard weekly
    Saturdays at 3P on 91.3 KVLU-1 in Beaumont, Tx
    Saturdays at 9P on 89.7 KACU in Abilene, Tx
    Sundays at 9P on 90.5 KTRL in Stephenville, Tx

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: ,,,,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  2. A Musical Roadtrip, Anyone?

    April 26, 2011 by Meagan Freeman

    As summer approaches, I look forward to all the extra spare time I’ll have, so I can attend the summer music festivals and concerts. There is a concert for any type of music lover, especially during the summer.

    Of course, there are always something going on at local clubs, coffee houses, and the like. Here in Abilene, we have the occasional indie shows at local concert venues, such as Monks Coffee House and Play Faire Park, with the occasional big-name concert at the Civic Center.

    But for those willing to drive the few hours to Dallas, the music menu is endless.

    Of course, I always like to find my most unusual opportunities.

    For those who are willing to go to great extremes to experience a great concert, the inaugural Kanrocksas Music Festival will be kicked off this summer. Held at the Kansas Speedway on August 5 and 6, organizers are making room for about 100,000 fans. This music festival will feature a variety of musicians and genres. A rather eclectic blend of artists and bands are set to perform, making this an opportunity to experience many different types of music in one venue, like Eminem, Muse, Flaming Lips, A Perfect Circle, Kid Cudi, the Black Keys, Primus and the Arctic Monkeys, just to name a few. Organizers say even more acts will be announced soon.

    Despite not being a fan of some of these musicians, I won’t mention which, I think it would be a great opportunity to see all walks of musical life come together for one festival. It would at least make for a very interesting road trip. For  those interested, here is a Kansas City news story.
    Of course, you don’t even have to leave the house to have a satisfying musical experience. Simply stay connected to The Appetizer.

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  3. Our Music Community

    April 25, 2011 by DGrantSmith

    What’s awesome about living in the 21st century is that when we use the word “community,” it has a different meaning than it did 20 years ago. Now a community is a group of people with similar interests, beliefs, and passions that interact with each other, regardless of distance or geography. The Internet makes this possible, because my friends on the east coast are a part of the music community we all engage in. My other friends on the west coast are a part of that community too. We’re a part of our local music and arts community as well, but living 1000 miles or more away doesn’t keep anyone out of the loop. We talk fairly often about musicians we get to talk with and hear live as if the shows in New York that my friend saw last week was right down the street from me, or the latest Tx act I caught last night was someone they could go hear tomorrow at another show. Technology has made our world smaller, and our community closer, which is such a wonderful thing.

    Matt Morris

    Last weekend we hosted Matt Morris, an incredible young musical talent. I was blessed to get to host him in an exclusive interview session at Flyboy Music Studio the night before his show at the Paramount. His voice is one-of-a-kind, and his songs are deep, introspective, and more than your average pop tune. I’m looking forward to presenting that conversation and the 3 songs he played with us in the studio to our listeners in a few weeks. If you caught the show at the Paramount, you certainly won’t want to miss the session we’ll feature on The Appetizer. If you missed the show, you’ll hear what you could have enjoyed live. That’s coming soon. If you want to read a review of the concert, check out my friend Jeremy’s article on it here.

    My friend Matt Dyson writes about a lot of great music. Though he lives many hundred miles to the east of me, we’re still engaged in the growing indie music community. I encourage you to surf over to his blog and read about what he’s listening to, who he’s speaking with and more. His site is called Dysonsound and you can read it here.

    Another great music blogger is Heather Browne out of Colorado. She writes a lot about indie rock bands, particularly The Head and the Heart, but several other great up and coming acts too. She also has songs to listen to. Her blog is called Fuel Friends and you can check it out here.

    Let us know what other great blogs or articles are out there in the music community. And please pass this blog on to your friends. Let the community grow. That’s what it’s all about. Thanks.

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: ,,,,,,,,, | No Comments

  4. Exclusive Studio Session with Matt Morris

    April 22, 2011 by Meagan Freeman

    Today singer and songwriter, Matt Morris will be joining The Appetizer for an exclusive studio session. He is in Abilene to perform as part of The Historic Paramount Theater’s concert series. Morris is a talented musician with a great story and past. To get ready for Morris’ arrival in Abilene, we would like to share a little about him.

    Matt Morris has an intensive background in the music and entertainment industry. As the son of country singer, Gary Morris, he traveled and performed as a child with his father. He also co-starred in “The All New Mickey Mouse Club,” along side Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and others.

    His ties with Justin Timberlake has led to Morris’ songwriting for Timberlake, and being signed onto Timberlake’s record label.

    He has also written songs for other pop icons, such as Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson. According to his official website, his perspective on songwriting is tied to the personal relationship he has with the artist:

    “To write for another person is to channel that person’s artistic vision. I work to become aligned with their intentions, and allow my words to speak as close to their perspectives as possible.”

    Besides writing for other artists, Morris has a successful music career of his own. His songs reflect his belief in the importance of living a meaningful life.

    In his single, “Living Forever.” (which is available for free download on Morris’ website) he talks about looking past the problems and loving like life lasts forever. The video is worth taking a look at.

    He talks about compassion in his song, “In This House.” He sings of love in his song, “Just Before Morning.”

    Morris is a master at music with a purposeful message.

    Start looking forward to the exclusive Matt Morris studio session with The Appetizer.

    Also, don’t forget to get your tickets for Matt’s show tomorrow. Tickets are available at 325-676-9620.

    Make sure you become a Facebook friend and connect with The Appetizer. We are giving tickets away to random Facebook fans! What are you waiting for?

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: ,,,,,,, | 6 Comments

  5. Concerts And Tickets

    April 20, 2011 by DGrantSmith

    Me with William Fitzsimmons

    As I’ve written several times over the past few months, there’s nothing that beats the experience of the live concert venue. This is especially true when you have an artist whose recordings feature a full band and the concert is a solo acoustic act with possibly one accompanying artist (such as with our hosting of William Fitzsimmons with Jake Phillips and Andrew Belle with Graham Bechler). And it’s even more special when you have an acclaimed artist who hasn’t toured or performed in a while come to your town for a special performance (as we had in 2010 with Iron & Wine). This amplifies the anticipation and the experience all together.

    But there is one thing that can stand in some people’s way from going out to the concert hall or venue and experiencing this one-time event. Strangely the object in the way isn’t space or distance. It was so interesting to talk with people who came to see Iron & Wine last year who traveled across the country to see him perform, some coming from Kansas, another man from South Carolina. To me, that’s incredible dedication to an artist. Last month, there were several people I was privileged to connect with that traveled from Galveston annd San Angelo to see Andrew Belle on a Thursday night. So the distance away from the venue isn’t as big of a reason to keep someone from attending a show as I might have thought. Or maybe these music fans are the exception and not the rule.

    The largest thing I can see to stand in one’s way from attending a show is ticket price. This is understandable, especially considering where I live. Those of you who live in my city or region understand that paying $30 for a ticket to a concert is way out of our usual idea of what a concert should cost. We’re not used to it. Whereas residents of Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, etc. are used to national and international indie and pop artists playing large venues and tickets costing $30 are pretty cheap. Most of those shows run about $40-$60. People in those cities are used to that being the nature of going to see your favorite band, or even one you happen to be fond of, live and it being worth the cost to shell out the dough.

    We’re working to change the nature and culture of the Abilene concert life, so that artists like Iron & Wine, Ingrid Michaelson (who we’re in talks with for a possible Abilene show), The Decemberists, The Weepies, and so on will want to come and play here. To do that, we have to have fans and music lovers attend these concerts. It was so cool last week to host Austin’s best act from SXSW, The Bright Light Social Hour, at Playfaire Park. Over 200 people came to that outdoor show. Tickets were fairly cheap at $7. Bringing in similar artists or bands of more notoriety costs more money. Putting them in an indoor venue that can seat over 800 people costs more too, hence a higher ticket price when you have Matt Morris this Saturday at The Paramount Theater.

    I know with high gas prices, the economy still being where it is (and not good at that) and other factors you might want to stay home this Saturday and not go to a show. But Abilene and West Texas being a place where bands that you want to hear live actually coming and performing in our town is dependent on you as much as me. So, I’m giving away tickets to see Matt Morris this weekend. All you have to do is be a fan of The Appetizer on our facebook page. Winners will get a ticket and it will be waiting for them at the Will-Call window at the Paramount this Saturday the 23rd. If you win, bring a friend and go halfsies on the price (a 2 for 1 deal if you will). Let’s pack the place out and show that we really do want live music in our city. Thanks.

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: | No Comments

  6. Seeing & Hearing vs. Just Hearing

    April 15, 2011 by DGrantSmith

    There’s a certain power in the art of seeing. This is the power that has launched the motion picture industry into one of the highest grossing industries in the world, and keep it strong despite economic downturns, recessions, depressions, and other problems. Combining the beauty of sound and sight is a remarkable thing.

    This is what makes the live concert so powerful because it takes something you’re already familiar with, or somewhat familiar anyways, and adds a new level of depth to the experience. It’s also what can break a young artist’s career if they can’t put together a dynamic and strong live performance. I’ve seen bands perform in large and small venues that sound amazing on their recording, but just sucked in concert. It soured my view of them. And then I’ve seen other bands that were decent to pretty good on cd who blew everyone and everything off the stage. Their show solidified to me how fantastic they were as performers and entertainers and I have followed their music closer since then.

    As I mentioned before, we’ve been really privileged in recent months to host some amazing talent, all who sound great both on their recordings as well as in concert. Last night it was so cool to experience The Bright Light Social Hour at Playfaire Park in Abilene. I’d listened to their music, was familiar with their sound. But the concert experience added so much depth and intrigue to my love of their music that now the appreciation and my like of them is greater.

    Matt Morris

    Next week we’ll do the same with Matt Morris. I’m really excited about Matt coming to town because I’ll get to spend some time with him before the show in an interview session at Flyboy. Matt has a fascinating career, the son of a legendary Broadway and country music artist, who has found his own voice and place in the mainstream music. He’ll be performing Saturday April 23rd at the Paramount Theater. Tickets are available at the box office or by phone at 325-676-9620. Listen to Matt below, but DON’T miss this great concert experience because listening is only half the blessing.

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 2 Comments

  7. Indie Music + West Tx = Awesome

    April 14, 2011 by DGrantSmith

    Bring on the indie music!!!!

    Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock or don’t get out much at all, you have to notice that there are a LOT more emerging indie bands that are performing in Abilene and West Texas over the past 2 years than in the past decade. It started with Iron & Wine in 2010 (and a BIG thanks to Barry Smoot for making that happen). Hot Club of Cowtown was a cool show too, both of those at The Paramount. The Rocketboys keep coming back to Abilene and bring some great bands with them from Austin and beyond. This year we’ve hosted The Civil Wars, David Ramirez, and Andrew Belle (a BIG thanks to Josh Mcqueen for making that happen), all at Monks Coffeehouse. Last week, Aaron Gillespie did a show with Tim Palmer (a great local talent).

    Abilene's Hungry, Mother

    Tonight we’re hosting The Bright Light Social Hour, Hunters & Gatherers, and Hungry Mother tonight at Playfaire Park (a BIG thanks to Luke Preston Powell for making this happen). This is going to be a fantastic show, and at a really easy price. The weather will be nice, it’s an outdoor gig, and there’s put-putt golf involved. What else could you want. Our previous post had a track from Bright Light to get you interested. If you haven’t heard Hungry, Mother (Abilene’s own act), check them out.

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

    Next week we will host Matt Morris (son of Gary Morris) at The Paramount Theater. The Appetizer will have a special session with him that we’ll broadcast later. Get your tickets while they’re still around at 325-676-9620.

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,, | No Comments

  8. Bright Light Social Hour Concert

    April 12, 2011 by DGrantSmith

    It’s been a great year for concerts already. For people interested in attending local gigs in your area, I keep getting great reports of emerging artists who are traveling through large and small towns and putting on great shows. I’ve seen and been a part of quite a few in the past 3 months. And for those of you who love larger week-long concert series (like SXSW), this year has been great for that too. Since The Appetizer is based in west Texas, most (if not all) of the concert posts we’ve done thus far are about shows in our area. Feel free to comment and let me know of some other great venues across the country and I’ll post that info.

    We’ve been blessed to host some great acts over the past several weeks including The Civil Wars, David Ramirez, William Fitzsimmons and Jake Phillips, Andrew Belle and others. This week, there’s another great lineup coming to the Abilene area that shouldn’t be missed. Performing at one of Abilene’s historic attractions on Thursday, indie rock sensation Bright Light Social Hour will take the stage with Hunters & Gatherers and local act (and Appetizer band) Hungry Mother. The show will take place at Playfaire Park on Thursday starting at 7:45PM. All acts are based in the great state of Texas.

    Bright Light Social Hour is an Austin band who’s been named the 2010 Band Of The Year by the Austin Chronicle and won 6 awards in the 29th annual Austin Awards at SXSW. Their live shows are widely acclaimed. Check out a taste of their brand of indie rock in the player.

    Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

    .

    Hunters and Gatherers are another Austin based indie rock act. Their sound is more acoustic-rock driven, with zests of 70s rock sparsed among the tracks. Their debut album was recorded by Elliott Park and Jeremy Strom at Flyboy Music Company. You can hear their music here.

    Hungry, Mother is an Abilene based act led by Walker Lyle, Lori Sims, Brett Ellis, Ben Fike and Luke Preston Powell. Their debut album contains 5 folk styled tracks. The live versions contain more guitar and instrumentation from the band. It promises to be an experience not to miss.

    Tickets are $7 at the gateway. Come out, hear some great music and even play a little put-put golf. Playfaire Park is located at 2300 North 2nd Street in Abilene.
    More information available at AbileneNightOut.

    The Appetizer will be there in full force. Come out. I look forward to connecting with you.

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: | 4 Comments

  9. Emotional Music and Alternatives

    April 11, 2011 by DGrantSmith

    I appreciate the opportunity to say things here and have you read them. Yes, you, the individual. We may know each other or may not. Either way, I appreciate you. Thanks for taking the time to come to this blog and invest in what I write. That means a lot to me.

    I honestly don’t have a lot to say right now about music. I’ve blogged before about how music is therapy for people, and how different types of music can be therapeutic in different ways. This morning was a little rough for me with some difficult conversations. Part of it is just the job of being a manager. Another part of it is just facing some realities of life, and for me seeing some of my worst faults play out in other people. That’s a very deep thing to dive into and I won’t do that here. But I mention the topic because I can’t find music to provide a therapy for this stuff. Maybe it exists. For now, silence and contemplation are the best medicine, because I learned a lot from the difficult and trying talk earlier today. I learned a lot about myself, other people, how groups of people work best, and how life is. Maybe I’ve going to clarify all this stuff later but not now.

    Nirvana was my prefered choice for "angry music"

    Used to, I’d go through tough stuff that involved people, be it a friendship, working situation, or something with a team mate and the stress from the conversation(s) would leave me wanting something to take my mind off the issues or fuel the anger I felt towards the situation. It’s easy to find music that fits with your anger. It’s everywhere. My choices for angry music usually involved thrashing guitars, screaming vocals, and (admittedly) some profanity in the lyrics. That music just fueled the emotion, but it didn’t bring any clarity to the situation or how to fix it or even help me deal with my responsibilities in the problem. It helped me stay mad. Maybe there’s a place for that kind of angry music. Counselors would probably argue that angry music is unhealthy in most forms. Maybe so. But just bottling it up doesn’t do much good either, so perhaps an avenue that lets you really vocalize the deep dark stuff isn’t so bad in some ways. It’s certainly not healthy if that’s the only avenue you take to deal with tough stuff.

    I don’t listen to much angry music anymore, mostly because I don’t like being angry. But I do still gravitate towards more progressive rock if I’m agitated or upset. Yet, I still move towards deep music about pain and hurting people when I feel upset, and there’s no genre or category that has the monopoly on those emotions. Johnny Cash, Tracy Chapman, Brandi Carlile, Nirvana, Lyle Lovette, Bruce Springsteen, Tupac, Strung Out (a great metal punk band if you haven’t heard them), Green Day, (and the list goes on) are all artists who have powerful songs involving hurt people, being misunderstood, being angry, being taken advantage of and all wanting some outlet to express themselves and be known. And they’re all producing very different forms of music.

    This is why, for now, silence is the best medicine for me. That’s a strange thought if you really think about it because it’s my job to invest in music most of the waking hours of my day. I should be exploring some form of music either to play on The Appetizer, to fill some piece of programming or to fill some void in the uncertainties of my emotions. But I’m not, and I don’t think I can right now. The opposite of filling that with music is letting my mind and heart talk a bit over the beautiful overtures, chorus, and verses of silence. To quote a parody song writer, whose name escapes me at the moment: “Silence, music’s original alternative. Roots grunge.”

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,,, | No Comments

  10. How Music Is Painted

    April 8, 2011 by DGrantSmith

    Painting by David Choe of Jimi Hendrix

    Over the past 2 weeks of The Appetizer, we’ve been exploring this notion that we can experience music in similar ways that we experience color. In doing so, I’ve challenged and encouraged listeners to view music in new ways, using the imagination. All too often in appreciating music, I find myself not taking in the beauty of the song, be it the story in the lyrics, the use of harmonies and melodies, the instrumentation, etc. But if we allow our imaginations to engage in the listening process, we can have a completely different experience.


    This week, in further diving into this subject, I’m gong to present a new piece of the big picture and that is of a painter painting. When an artist paints a picture, usually it’s something intangible that they’re making tangible. Regardless of the medium, their creativity flows out in a way that takes some basic colors and blending them to create new ones. I’m not much of an artist or painter. In the little time I’ve spent doodling with art, I learned that most colors are derivatives of red, blue, or yellow (except those that are derivatives of black and white). This is where we’ll travel this week, in painting music with red, blue and yellow.


    What exactly does that mean? Well it was a bit difficult for me to put together in a tangible way for how basic use of instrumentation, poetry (or lyric), and melody are blended to create a musical work of art. In my attempts to accomplish this proposition, I’ve assembled a group of songs this week from a variety of styles, genres, and artists that involve the basic colors of red, blue, and yellow. Who does that include? How about Something Corporate and The Arctic Monkeys with an alternative take on painting, Neko Case and Bess Rogers with an indie pop picture, Johnny Lang and Pearl Jam crafting a guitar driven painting, and the blend of painters from Neil Young to Blindside. It promises to be an hour of creativity, and hopefully a painting experience unlike anything else you’ve had before. Join us.

    The Appetizer is heard weekly
    Saturdays at 3PM on 91.3 KVLU-1 or online at http://dept.lamar.edu/kvlu/listm.html
    Saturdays at 9PM on 89.7 KACU or online at http://kacu.org
    Sundays at 9PM on 90.5 KTRL or online at http://ktrl.fm

    Category Blog, Music, People | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, | No Comments

Older Entries