EPIC CONCOCTION

The State Of Music

What do you get when a UK based blog publishes a blog series that took nearly a year to complete, becomes its own label to release The State Of Music featuring indie artists from 50 US States, donates the proceeds to a non-profit fighting for social change and ending homelessness through soccer? We are about to find out because last week my internet friend Dom Paczko announced that Choose My Music Records will donate all of the proceeds from The State Of Music to the non-profit I work for Street Soccer USA.

For the past year I have been in New York living the NY grind to pay rent with up to 4 jobs at one time but I have never been closer to finding true fulfillment in my life. Three nights a week I traveled from Brooklyn to Randall’s Island to a homeless shelter where I coach a soccer team of homeless and formerly homeless men and women. Soccer is what brings us together. Community, Family, Self-Esteem, Mental/Physical Health and Love is what binds us. Now our program is expanding to East NY to take soccer to the youth in the community. Buying one or all 5 of these volumes will support SSUSA as we continue to grow the game and the power to change!

My other dream job is working for Paper Garden Records where I met Dom and Choose My Music Records. He is always showing our bands and PR projects some love. His taste in music and passion for helping others is right in line with mine so here we are. Connecting my passions in soccer and music to make a positive impact is a dream come true.

Now to the music! (well just a taste because there is too much good music to handle at once)

Flashbulb Fires

Cars & Trains

DEERPEOPLE

Ports Of Spain

Dog & Panther

The Duke Of Norfolk

Canon Blue

We Can’t Enjoy Ourselves

Two months ago this Brooklyn band played a show with Snowden at Glasslands. I was so excited about the night, not because I had a clue who We Can’t Enjoy Ourselves were, but because I have been a huge fan of Snowden since 2007 and highly anticipated the release of a new album. This show was promoted as an album release show on the poster so I went prepared to buy some vinyl. Showed up late. Missed the opener, We Can’t Enjoy Ourselves, but still had time to meet my band crush Sarah Barthel (Phantogram) and told her I loved her just before Snowden took the stage, both of these things were enough to make my night pretty awesome. After the show I went up to the merch booth to find out that it was not the Snowden record release show but WCEO’s record release show. A couple of minutes speaking with the lead singer, Giovanni Saldarriaga, about their debut record plus a few beers led me to blindly buy their 12 inch “Make A Mess Of Sacred Ground.”

I experienced no buyers remorse but quickly became pretty upset that I missed their set. Luckily I was able to catch their next show at The Knitting Factory a couple of weeks ago. Perfect timing too because Exfm had recently asked me to help out finding an opener for their showcase, which happens to be tonight! I asked if they wanted to play. They said yes. And that is how it came to be that I love WCEO and you can too, just show up at Pianos tomorrow night around 8pm. If you enjoy The Smiths or The Mystery Jets or just having a good time dancing then you should totally come hang out. The Cold Fronts, Thieving Irons and my dear friends il Abanico will be playing as well. Join the Facebook event.

Scroll down or click the little deal in the bottom left corner to stream the song they closed their Knitting Factory set with, “Devil in The Old Folks Home”, where they croon like birds with their heads cut off. Giovanni’s words. Not mine. They got jokes on stage so come prepared to laugh and dance or just head nod and do the ole knee spasm move.