BenGraver.com

The Tell-Tale Drum Machine

Ben — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 04:04:16 +0000

Music. What is it, just organized sounds, or something deeper than that? Is the rhythm of life woven into our subconscious by our mother’s heartbeat in the womb? How is that a few simple chord progressions can cause an emotional spark that rocks us to our core?

The Heart Is A Drum Machine is a documentary that gives insight into a few of these questions with personal interviews with singers, musicians, actors, producers, even cardiologists. One of the scenes that inspired me featured two deaf musicians, describing the use of vibration and internal rhythm in their creative process. Another discussed the selection of a Beethoven song carried by the NASA Voyager missions. Music’s been such a big part of my life, I really enjoyed seeing others describe their relationship (and obsession) with it.

I remember being 14 and flipping out over records. It’s something you don’t want to lose… if you could take that and carry it with you forever, I think you’d be a much happier person.

– Jim Adkins, Jimmy Eat World

All in all, it was a perfect complement to a rainy Friday night. Puscifer‘s (Maynard James Keenan) version of the Elton John classic “Rocket Man” appeared during the credits, which you can check out below. The documentary is available on DVD and Netflix’s Watch Now.

Cath Addict

Ben — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 18:17:24 +0000

This song has been stuck in my head for weeks.

Sonic Emergency

Ben — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:28:16 +0000

I’ve been a huge fan of BT since my friend Matt introduced me to his genre crossing stylings almost ten years ago. Since then BT has gone on score Hollywood films, produce huge pop hits, create mobile music applications, and push the boundaries of electronic music.

Earlier this year he released his sixth studio album These Hopeful Machines, and from the first listen it completely blew me away. Quite easily could top my list of favorite albums of 2010 at this point. He always discovers a way to seamlessly mix electronic beats, rock energy, and pop vocal melodies into cohesive songs you can’t stop listening to. Not to mention the dude can actually sing, which is a rarity among his peers.

You can check out his latest single “The Emergency” below. You can’t go wrong with any of his back catalog either.

Update: BT just released a beautifully shot music video for the song as well.

New Beginnings

Ben — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 06:30:47 +0000

I will be the first to admit that blogging isn’t my strong suit. Among my group of friends who keep one, posts are usually made on a semiyearly basis to simply escape ridicule. Alright, semiyearly is probably being a bit generous. Either way, I once again find myself eager to give it another try. I figure I can narrow my subject matter to a few topics I am passionate about or make me laugh, and just roll with it.

Many things have changed in my life in the past year, the least of which involved moving across the country with two suitcases and a plane ticket (something that seemed implausible a few years ago). It’s been a very rewarding experience that has expanded my worldview and caused me to grow as a person, as cliche as that sounds.

Adaptation is a profound process. Means you figure out how to thrive in the world.

– John Laroche, Adaptation