More HyperHeart

More of the Hyper-Active Heart. Branching out. Category: Music I left a big chunk of time off of the last blog I wrote. Mainly 1994-present. It just seemed that by 94, I had found the direction that I would follow. After knowing about the Melvins for 3 years, listening to my own friends in No Talent, and doing the slightest bit of branching out by attending Lollapalooza in 1993 and 1994, I thought the musical sunset was setting. I expected a LONG sunset, but I figured I'd finally found what I needed to hear. Between the 93 and 94 Lolla tours, saw the following acts: Beck, Green Day, Sonic Youth, Hole, Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill, Smashing Pumpkins, what I think was an early version of Ween, and so much more. Some of these bands I still follow. Some, not so much. But for an 18 yr old, these were great times. Two nights of music, camping in a field with thousands of strangers, and just walking around after the show, talking to people around campfires, smoking whatever, and drinking till that lucky ole sun came up. What a time. Unfortunately, at that young age, you don't see the future. You don't even think about it. How was I to know, that in 1993, the Melvins would play an additional fifteen years? Without any sign of stopping? If you forget about the one time tour stoppage, the Kevin era, nothing has ever really slowed them down. How lucky am I/we, that my/our favorite band has been steadily producing an album a year, for 24 years? That's fucking insane. But beyond the Melvins. In the early/mid 90's, the Melvins led me to other bands. I already mentioned Nirvana, AIC, Skinyard, Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, Dinosaur Jr .and others. I then found TAD, Coffin Break, Zeke, and so many others. Between 1994 and 1998 I was steadily watching the northwest scene, while at the same time, ruining my life. A series of bad relationships, and other problems kept me from music and friends for a few years. In 1999-2001 I remember getting to see the Melvins again and again. A return to triumphant times, and bleeding ears. I followed that with another terrible time in life, followed by more music followed by the wosrt time of my life. 2005 was a year that I wish I could erase. Completely wipe it from history. 2005 was also the first time I filmed a show. The Melvins and Jello Biafra. November 5th, 05. Olympia. The final return to music. I taped a beautifull show. Noise, riffs, and Jello's weary rants. I didn't care. I was seeing the Melvins the way I was meant to. Me, and them. Live. Loud. Beautifull. Since that time, I've taped many a Melvins show, traveled to Cali to see them a few times, and spent 5 days this last July on the road watching them. I also filmed Triclops, who want to use my footage in a video. A major book publishing company has bought some pics from me to use in a new book on the art of Kurt Cobain. Hell, that paycheck basically funded my 5 day Melvins trip. I learned of Harvey Milk, and Brothers of the Sonic Cloth. Filmed both on their last Portland stop. BOTSC want the film to maybe include in a future video release. Harvey Milk requested a copy too, but probably more for personal use. I finally got to see Boris live. Words cannot explain what they do with music. Melt Banana entered the picture. Such a fun band to watch and hear. BATTLES. Fucking BATTLES. These guys are a band I will NEVER pass up if they're in the Northwest. There really is so much more. For having found out about so many bands with the last year, I feel like I did in high school again. Discovery, discovery, discovery. Keep looking, the bands and music you hear in your head are out there. And if they aren't, start that band. Get shit rollin'.

Some videos I recently put up on youtube.

Melvins!!





Triclops!!







Big Business!!

Hearts Vs. Hearts

The Music, the Science, and the Hyper-Active Heart
Current mood: inspired
Category: Music

There has come to be a kind of second wind in my life lately. Lately being about two years ago I guess. Getting out of a terrible realtionship and a family affair that just about introduced me to suicide, I finally learned to become my own. I realized what was important to me, I thrived on it, and I probably took it to far.

Music saved me. Cliched it's true. But it really did. It's been a part of my life since I was seven years old. I can remember the very first song I ever loved was a Helen Reddy tune. I wish I could remember the name of it.

The summer of 1983 I was with my mom at a garage sale and I found two tapes of bands I had heard of. Wham, and Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here". Guess what I listened to more at the age of seven? Yep, fucking Wham. Around nine years old I still had the tapes and had started to constantly play "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" over and over. Suddenly 'Wham' took a back seat. Between listening to "Wish You Were Here' over and fucking over, I had started to find other bands. Some good, some not so good. Ramones, AC/DC, the Clash. Mc Hammer. Jesus. Can't Touch This swept the nation.

When I was fourteen, my uncle Scott took me to see AC/DC live. Turning point. I was a year old AC/DC fan by then, and knew nothing of the power that was about to meet me of a live, loud, rock show. I remember hearing Sin City and asking him "What song is this"? I had only known Brian Johnson. Finding Bon Scott and the original AC/DC blew me away and started my quest on obbsssion with bands and their history.

Junior High found me still loving AC/DC, and being introduced to Metallica, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Kiss, UFO, T. Rex, Thin Lizzy, and countless others. I remember this time of school being a haven for bands like "The Human League, Bon Jovi, and Def Leapord. They bored me to tears. Something loud, interesting, and unusual took hold.

My junior year of high school is when I found the light. Besides having already been introduced to the likes of the Who, Hendrix, the Doors, Cream, and the Sonics. I had ventured much farther into the Pink Foyd catalog as well. But then the big break came in the early 90's

The Melvins. My friend Benn first turned me onto them. Bullhead was my first Melvins album. A total noise-riff mind fuck that made everything else seem so standard. Nothing I'd ever heard before. Beauty, melodies that crushed, and feedback that made sense. The first band that ever used vocals like an instrument. Everything fit. Everything finally congealed for me. And to top it off, a band that was from my own town! Benn had also at this point started a band called 'No Talent'. The best band in town bar none. Heavy, and full of melody, Benn was a songsmith from the get go. I had the pleasure of watching probably hundreds of No Talent shows throughout high school. They even opened up for the Melvins a few times when we were all in 9th grade. I still have a recording of their set from the RCKCNDY, and listen to it often.

The Melvins became a love for Nirvana. Nirvana became a love for Sonic Youth. Sonic Youth became a love for Dino Jr. And on and on. Suddenly, a shitload of bands I never knew, but had been around forever began popping up. Melvins, Nirvava, Sonic Youth, Dino Jr, Jesus Lizard, Tad, Gruntruck, Alice In Chains, Mudhoney, Fugazi, Skinyard, Coffin Break, The Minuetmen, Poison Idea, Green River, Dead Moon, Earth, and a fountain of others that I was so close to, but so far away from. The introduction of the Melvins into my life really brought me into the future of music. This finding of these bands led to me studying hem, and finding their influnces. The Wipers, The Descendants, Sex Pistols, The Damned, X, TSOL, Agent Orange, and so many others. Kiss, Judas Priest, the Who, and Rush already were on my radar, but they were influences too.

Around my senior year, and the few following years, I branched out. I found the Butthole Surfers, the Flaming Lips, and Ween. Three bands that have taken up far to much of my time and money. Music never seemed to stop growing. Finding new music and bands became an obsession. In 1993 and 1994 I travelled to many a show and skipped a day of school my senior year to see Nirvana, the Melvins, and the Breeders in Salem, Oregon. I went with my best friend Martin, and we left around noon time to get down for the show. I remember getting in, and walking around the lobby area and Dale coming up to us and saying hi. We were the only people there to have on Melvins shirts. He chatted with us for about ten minutes, and then left to go get ready. This show was a defining moment in my life. I was up front all night. The Melvins were not as appreciated as they should have been, and Nirvana was just coming off of recording and releasing In Utero. I walked out of the Salem Armory with a knot on my head courtesy of a Doc Martin to the noggin, and a bite mark in my forehead from a crowdsurfer. All acidental, but all painful and fun.

Since 1994, I have expanded rapidly. The Melvnis obsession still holds true, and I've managed to find bands in the last 14 years that continue to amaze me. I know 1994 till now is a long stretch, but I've seen so much that I can't explain. L7 blew me away. Babes In Toyland were amazing. Sonic Youth live still makes my skin stretch.

In the last few years I've seen newer bands like Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Harvey Milk, Boris, Torche, Big Business, Triclops, and so many others. Most of these bands have been around for so many years, but I've finally taken notice of them. I'm only 32 years old, and I feel like I haven't seen shit yet. Hundreds of bands, hundreds of venues, hundreds of concerts, and I'm convinced I still haven't scratched the surface. I plan on continueing to travel to see my favorites, buying what I can to remind me of what I love, and always appreciating what I've had so far. Music is blood. I give some and I take a lot. Thankfully there are many donors out there.

More to come......

Ryan