Dirty Glitter 2013 In Review #7: Terraplane Sun, Great White Buffalo, Trixie Whitley & Vanaprasta

The year's almost at an end, rock stars but here's another Dirty Glitter with Brody Ramone-review. We're up to part 7 my High Voltage Magazine-recap of artists to re-discover, the artists and songs that I selected for play. Are you ready? Here we go:

Dirty Glitter 5/30/2013 Edition:

Terraplane Sun: "Get Me Golden”
How can five guys who occupy space in the beachfront city of Venice, CA possibly tap into a river of south of the Mason-Dixon line-sound blended with California sun and soul without sounding- what’s the word…ridiculous? Well, that’s Terraplane Sun for you. Ben Rothbard, Johnny Zambetti, Cecil Campanaro, Lyle Riddle and Gabe Feenberg describe themselves as “blues indie rock folk dance soul”; their sound is a little vintage, a little timeless and a lot of awesome as they truly do flesh out blues, indie rock, folk, dance and soul with full blown musicality and a refined rawness that translates wonderfully from record to their live shows which- whether they're rocking a local show or on tour with Imagine Dragons- are flat out electric and virtuosity on on display. Here's there's sunshine of a track, "Get Me Golden," which was featured in the 21 Jump Street redo and in a national CitiBank commercial.

Great White Buffalo: "Thanks For Nothing"
For some reason what Graham Bockmiller, Stephen Johnson, Blake LaGrange, and Rich Carrillo aka Great White Buffalo do seems almost effortless and in its ease is the pleasure of listening. Hopefully that makes sense because with Graham's textured vocals, the choice hooks and melodies and the lyrically well-crafted songs, Great White Buffalo are just a little too solid for their own good. They've followed up last year’s four-song Tightrope EP with a self-title one composed of six tight as a drum rockers produced by Grammy winner Phil Allen (Aerosmith, Adele) that stand up to anything that any indie rock band- LA based or otherwise- has dished out in the past year. to check out those songs, see their Bandcamp for further. In the meantime, get to grooving and rocking with Great White Buffalo and "Thanks For Nothing."

Trixie Whitley "Never Enough"
Trixie Whitley may only be 25 years old but her life experiences have brought a wisdom far beyond her age. Born in Belgium, she's the daughter of the acclaimed late bluesman Chris Whitley and those genes have passed on some immense talent as she's been a DJ, a dancer, a waitress...most before she was even old enough to vote. A multi-instrumentalist equally comfortable with a guitar or behind a drum kit, Trixie's fiercest tools are her songwriting and her voice which is stunningly soulful, haunting, emotive and- also- belies her age. So much so that the one and only Daniel Lanois (who has produced Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel and some of U2's best work) tapped Trixie to be the voice of a collaboration project called Black Dub. Her full length debut album, Fourth Corner, was released in April and shows off what makes this lady so darned special. From that album, this is "Never Enough."

Vanaprasta: "NineEqualsNine" (honorable mention) (I. Love. This. Band. So. Hard.)

Vanaprasta is Sanskrit for a person who lives in the forest as a hermit after giving up most material desires. It’s also the name of one of my absolute favorite local bands. Based in Echo Park, CA, Vanaprasta are all about dynamic musical elements that shape-shift from psych guitar rock to disarming soul to blues progressive and shamelessly back again carried by Steven Wilkin’s flexible and arena-worthy vocals: he was, after all, an opera singer as a child. Along with Taylor Brown, Collin Desha, Cameron Dmytryk and Ben Smiley, these guys are ambitious with Pink Floyd-ish experimentation to Zeppelin-ish guitar to full blown prog, and yet they aren’t afraid of tripping a little weird. While indie rock is their game, this track, “NineEqualsNine,” is a game-changer due to the lush and sensual current of R&B that runs through it and the song title is indicative of their fascination with numbers, shapes and patterns in life. They’re in the studio working on album #2 as we speak (and I cannot wait for it) but this track is from their 2011 debut, Healthy Geometry. 

Music, Magic & Beer = Bedrocktoberfest: Interview w/ Kamran V. of Bedrock LA

Bedrock LA is called a ‘musical mecca’ for good reason: it’s pretty much one-stop shopping for the musical needs of the many whether it’s rehearsal space, recording time or pesky amp repair. And the place is massive. Huge, even. Yet it’s cozily nestled in a residential area of the Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park supporting and servicing local musicians and those just passing through.

By the time you read this, the first annual LA Weekly Bedrocktoberfest (which took place on October 5th) featuring performances from RZA (Wu-Tang Clan), Liam Finn and Vanaprasta along with the magical stylings of Rob Zabrecky, David & Leeman and Jon Armstrong will have come and gone and that’s fine: we were there and it was a good time. But other than the heady scent of beer, what remains is the heart of and the intent behind such an eclectic fun-fest: Music and community. Marvelously and stylishly clad in what looked to be fairly traditional lederhosen, Kamran V. (Bedrock LA and Bedrocktoberfest co-founder) was more than happy to talk about the idea and spirit of Bedrocktoberfest.

HV: Tell us about Bedrocktoberfest.
Kamran V: It is music, magic and prost meaning beer. We've had a longstanding, great relationship with LA Weekly and we've had a long, good standing relationship with all of the artists that are here.

HV: I've heard that from several who rehearse here, work here. So this seems like a natural progression.
Kamran V: This is just for fun. Truly just for fun. Beer, magic, music: It just all fits together.

HV: How did the magic come into play?
Kamran V:: The magic was a result of multiple things. So you see there's "Magic Is Real." Some friends Cyrcle, they're artists made that mural [Magic Is Real] in 33-1/3 days which happened to be my 33-1/3 birthday which happens to be the RPM on a record, and we said you can do whatever you want and they put that "Magic Is Real" and we felt like it represented what was happening inside. The musicians doing their magic or whatever, and then the LA Weekly has been doing a lot of things with magic which is kind of cool.

Bedrock LA Mural by Cyrcle: Magic Is Real

When we were brainstorming this idea we thought oh that's kind of a unique idea, what if we did magic. We've had actually magicians here before in the pinball room just for fun, and there's this natural sort of kinship between magicians and musicians even though magicians are typically more geeky and musicians are typically cooler, but we're all geeky. I just realized maybe it's this mode of being that magicians and musicians share that brings this kinship. It's just like when you're in this kind of creative activity you sort of wear your character on your sleeve. Like when you're a musician you are that musician, like you can't really fake it, and magician-wise, same thing. You embody that character. You are it. You can't just change it up, otherwise it feels un-genuine. So maybe that mode of thinking sort of leads to this. And for all of that long-winded explanation, it feels natural.

HV: I got this this Liam Finn when I was talking to him earlier and he was just so impressed with rehearsing here yesterday and how laid back, how easy going and how communal things feel around here that he's almost not ready to go back home to Brooklyn. One of my favorite things about this part of town is that Echo Park and Silver Lake have become a very communal hub.
Kamran V: Absolutely.

HV: Where in most music areas it was so dog-eat-dog. One of the best things I've seen the past few years is how bands have supported each other and how local businesses have been supporting the music and Bedrock is a really good hub of musician support. Which it's your job, but at the same time there's no law that says you don't have to be dicks about it.
Kamran V: Yeah it's a privilege; it's totally a privilege. Everyone that works here, they all do creative work. I mean I think pretty much everyone that works with us was a client first. Like they actually just rehearsed here or did whatever here or some of them were interns. That's why no one's a dick because they know how it is and for us the culture of the company- for lack of a better way to put it- that's highly important. I mean we pride ourselves that people are nice, that it's pretty clean, that stuff works, that it's comfortable and easygoing like Liam said. There's air conditioning and parking...

HV: There's pinball machines.
Kamran V: There's pinball machines. Molly's got all her pinball machines here, so it's just much like the way the magic that are Bedrocktoberfest, all that stuff, it just is a natural thing. We want to provide a service that we would want to partake in, also. It’s really important that we are part of that creative community in a meaningful way and the business community in these neighborhoods, like you mentioned, in a meaningful way because we're all lucky to be here at this time. It's really incredible.

Pinball Machines @ Bedrockberfest: Photo by Timothy Norris

And what's neat about it is, at least from my point of view, but I feel like the way these neighborhoods kind of came up now there is some gentrification. I feel like it's generally very inclusive and it's not a neighborhood pushing out locals. It's the locals and the new people coming in and embracing each other and doing something unique, so it's kind of interesting. It doesn't always happen that way.

HV: The last time I was here, I remember going upstairs and seeing a lot of construction going on. So now you’re up to 100 rooms?
Kamran V:: About 100, yeah.

HV: That's impressive.
Kamran V: Yeah well it's just demand. We're 100% full. I mean every time someone leaves, right away someone comes in.

HV: That's great.
Kamran V: And it's a really good problem to have, obviously. We just grow the business side in different ways, mostly because people ask for stuff. Like what's enabling this festival is for the past couple of years we've grown our rental division and we have all this gear now and that way we can do something like this on our own. LA Weekly is our partner, but we're taking care of all the production part.

HV: And you do that for other festivals, too.
Kamran V: Yeah, we've done that. I mean we don't do massive things. I mean we're not that kind of company, but we do smaller things. It’s cool. Of course you have a ton of local bands who rehearse here. Liam [Finn] is debuting brand new stuff with his new band. That's really what we want this to be, bands that are that comfortable with this place and the people that are in this neighborhood to just do it, just because. There's no agenda, it's not that I ask them to do that. They just are doing it just because it works. Like I just hit up Liam and I say, "Hey man”, I hung out with him about a year ago when he was about to get into a new record and I said, "Hey I hear you’re doing a new album, wanna out here and do something?" "Sure." He came out. He came here when we first opened this place. We borrowed gear for a gig. I found him when I was doing Spaceland recordings and did a couple of albums with him and it just worked...it just happens. We're so lucky, it just happens.

Liam Finn: Photo by Timothy Norris

HV: And you've been here since 2009?
Kamran V: 2009, we've been here about five years.

HV: What have been some of the great albums recorded here?
Kamran V: You know what, it's mostly rehearsals. We've done a lot of recordings. Fitz and the Tantrums actually did some demos for their new record here. Vanaprasta’s done a lot of recording here. Divine Fits did all their preproduction here, they actually picked the band here.

HV: I remember when Divine Fits were here.
Kamran V: Beck did all this stuff before the Serge Gainsbourg Tribute that he did at Hollywood Bowl. Eagles of Death Metal are working on their new record right now here.

HV: I thought I saw Jesse [Hughes] wondering around.
Kamran V: Yeah, Jesse is running around. I mean there's 100 rooms here turning over. Naked and Famous just did all their pre-production here. They had a room and Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Nine Inch Nails, Beck, Neon Trees, M83) was here producing that record.

This isn't the fanciest studio in the world, it seems to be where…like the point of inspiration for those things and people sometimes will track here, sometimes they're just rehearse here, sometimes they'll do pre-production here. We're just here to do whatever they need.

HV: Magic happens here.
Kamran V: The magic [laughs]. We're here for the magic.

NOTE: Mark your calendars, kids: Bedrocktoberfest 2014 is already in the works: Saturday, September 27th!

Bedrock LA: Facebook
Bedrock LA: Twitter

Los Angeles Gets A Dreamer's Dose

Dreamer's Dose

June 21, 2012

Despite its pitiful battery life and because it’s always with me, the iPhone is my tool-of-choice for interviews and just as we began, a notification on it popped up which one of the guys in Dreamer’s Dose noticed.

Jesse: “I think you got a text.”
Me: “That was Instagram.”
Josh: “What’d you Instagram?”
Me: “You.”
The collective: “Ohhoho!! Okay! Let’s have that! We’ll take that!”

Obviously this relationship is off to a fine start.

Actually, this relationship is off to a rather shady start: we're chatting in a corner of a dark alley behind the esteemed Troubadour in West Hollywood where they just opened the night ahead of two other notable LA bands; Crash Kings and Vanaprasta. It's my first opportunity seeing Dreamer's Dose live. For the most part, I'm a creature of habit my first time with a band: but for the occasional polite applause I'm remain fairly still because I'm watching, listening, and feeling. And also keeping an eye out for particulars that irk or excite me. What was up on that stage 20 minutes ago has shifted from aggressively bludgeoning yet sharply nuanced alternative rock into four amiable young men with varying degrees of unchecked animation. It's charming.

Andrew

“My name is Josh Conway. And I am the drummer in Dreamer’s Dose.”
“I’m Andrew Stogel and I’m the singer in Dreamer’s Dose.”
“My name is Jesse Perlman and I play lead guitar in Dreamer’s Dose.”
“I’m Levi [Dylan] and I play bass.”

For approximately 2 ½ years the band was called Blowing Up the Moon, but recently Josh, Jesse, Andrew, and Levi altered their moniker to Dreamer’s Dose; the name so fresh it doesn't even have its own Facebook page yet. If you feel the urge to question what musical veins have had a somewhat significant influence on the gang of four, you need look no further than a line from the Queens of the Stone Age song, “Medication”:

“Is this the dose you’ve been dreamin’ of?” Andrew semi-sang the line along with affirming that “Our music is the dreamer’s dose.”

Andrew & Levi

What they dose out is a sound that honestly belies their ages: heavy enough to break your skull to if  headbanging is your thing, yet oddly artful (their almost blasphemous definition of their sound follows later). Granted, anyone can (and in LA “anyone” does) pick up the four basic instruments (drums, bass, guitar, voice) and thrash, bash, and hash out sounds and call themselves an honest to goodness band. It doesn’t take much. But Dreamer’s Dose, while still formative, has managed to solidly master the heft of psychedelic and grunge density sans the annoying propensity to drone and be painfully predictable. So far. They’re loud. Loud is good. Jesse’s guitar is a raucous buzzsaw that gets a world of support from Levi’s notes below, and drummers like Josh are interesting in that he and his highly physical output are impossible to ignore. Andrew?

I tend to tweet a lot when at shows and about two songs into Dreamer’s Dose’s set, it went like this:
“There's a pretty good chance that a bit of the essence of Layne Staley has found its way into @DreamersDose."

That and something about them being way too young to sound that good....which brings us to the age thing.

Jesse

Jesse: “The rhythm section is 18 and...”
Andrew: ”...the ‘better’ section is 17.”
Levi: “We’re hanging out with minors right now.”

That’s right: Levi and Josh are 18, and Andrew and Jesse are 17. No matter how shitty you're inclined to let that make you feel, once you get over it, you have to acknowledge that these guys are flat out talented. Talented enough to have just finished recording their 12-song debut album titled At Least We’re Happy with the venerable Alain Johannes (Eleven, Them Crooked Vultures, Eagles of Death Metal) which is due out this year and I call dibs on a listening session.

Interviewing the youthful exuberance that is Dreamer’s Dose is fairly pleasurable; they talk a lot to and over one another in their effort to express almost every thought and, although that presents difficulties for an audio version of an interview, it’s priceless to my mental files. Almost as priceless as this collective description of their sound:

“Afro-beat classical, two-step, hip hop. With mariachi.”
Jesse: “I think in our future we have some dubstep in us.”

The only genre that three out of four wholly shot down was “pop rock.” For reality’s sake, let’s just call it alternative, neo-psychedelic grunge and nobody will get hurt or go to Hell.

Andrew: “There’s a psychedelic side to it, like a “love all” side to it. For the flower child and accepting on the album. Some of the other songs are darker on the album like the song “Boys and Girls” which deals with suicide.”

Josh & Andrew

The words “sex rock" were floated out: Yes I heard that, but part of me wishes I hadn't. In the end, respect for the goodness of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Radiohead, Queens of the Stone Age, and a strong love for Elliott Smith also rose its head so it seems there's much hope for these young guns. I suspect that to be the case because I walked away from the evening with one pervasive (albeit inelegant) thought about Dreamer's Dose: they do not suck. And I appreciate that in a band.

Signed....
@dharma69

5 You May Have Missed, Version 2011

Another year almost at an end and there’s been a lot of music to dig into. Doing our High Voltage due diligence, Chelsea pointed out 5 of her favorite albums that may have escaped your notice in her 5 Albums You May Have Missed in 2011; check it out. Here are 5 more albums that rocked my ears that I believe are worthy of your attention.

Vanaprasta- Healthy Geometry
Released: November 11, 2011

#1 of my year (actually they tied w/ Cold War Kids "Mine Is Yours," my friends; that says a LOT). It took three tries to get this thing right for this eclectic five-piece band from the Silverlake section of Los Angeles and they created something ambitiously beautiful with ridiculous fine guitar work. The album title/track refers to the shapes and patterns that form in our lives making us who we are and what we’re destined to become with relationships explored from multiple angles. Steven Wilkin sings with epic range and lungs of fire to where you can all but smell the burn of sex in the room when he rips “G-“ a new one, but there are so many shifts in this 9-track album that it truly can be labeled  “progressive.” Nothing stands still, much is elemental- even sensual (“NineEqualsNine,” "Come On")- as these five guys tap psych rock, R&B, soul and keys-driven pop to bust out a debut they can be truly proud of.  Swing. Hit. It's outta the park, people. Are these guys signed yet? No? WTH?

The Features- Wilderness
Released: July 26, 20011

If these guys are under your radar, then you’re missing out on Nashville's the Features- not breaking radical new ground- but more reinforcing what they do best: serving up their signature sound in layers of vintage and lo-fi sound (as well as rhythm and blues) that make the melodies in songs like “Content,” “Rambo” and “Offer Up” mature indie gems along with a groovy danceable one in “That’s How It Starts.” Matt Pelham’s vocals are warm and rangy and as on point as his lyrics are: Dig into “Big Mama Gonna Whip Us Good,” a damned thoughtful fist of global warming in the face of non-believers. The Features are yet another example of the UK latching onto quality long before the US gets a clue but, hey, we’re dumb like that sometimes (often). If you’re a fan of the Whigs or Kings of Leon, lean your ears towards the Features.

Rival Sons- Pressure & Time
Released: June 28, 2011

Blues/rock ala the bell bottomed 70’s lives on in the form of Los Angeles’ Rival Sons’ second full length album, Pressure & Time. Front man Jay Buchanan possesses a lungful wail that stretches the corners of classic rock, gospel and soul simultaneously while the band throws down meaty rhythms and grooves thick with the appreciation of Detroit funk cut by rips of edgy electric guitar. It's sexy: guys will go all air guitar and girls will dance like it's their g-string clad day job. Theirs is the sound of keeping a vintage torch alive through fresh blood and it translates with authority in title track “Pressure & Time,” “All Over the Road” and the ballading of “Only One.” Fans of the Black Crowes, Led Zeppelin, Cream and/or simply the pure punch of raw and classic rock and roll, this one’s for you.

Explosions in the Sky- Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Released: April 26, 2011

Not everyone has a head for the instrumental album, but if you possess that wonderful “open-minded” bone in your body, take Explosions in the Sky for a ride. Literally. Find an open road, put it in your car, and let the beauty of guitar squalls, indecipherable sonics, and creative veers into the atmosphere be your guide. They’re from Austin, TX and take the business of experimental/instrumental rock as seriously as any. At 46 minutes and 6 tracks, Take Care,… is a lofty aspiration of soundscape and those aspirations are achieved on high in moments of sheer guitar delicacy to the sounds of science to outright crash and bombast. Take a step into EITS with “Last Known Surroundings” and chances are you’ll stick around for more.

Active Child - You Are All I See
Released: August 23, 2011

No love from me for Neon Indian and James Blake is cool in my book, but the sheer dreaminess (as well as actual instrumentation) quotient gets upped by a factor of five in the hands of Pat Grossi aka Active Child. Babies could very well be made to You Are All I See and I wouldn't be a bit surprised. Seriously though, sexy time is in effect with this album of electronica/synth-washed pop, all warm and incandescent with every falsetto choirboy note out of Rossi’s mouth and pluck of his harp. Yes, harp. Just when you feel as if things are all angelic and holier than not, “When Your Love Is Safe” and “Playing House,” form intimate space and when he declares that he's "in your church tonight"…get a room. And feel free to worship there. 

LA Local Love: Vanaprasta Kick Off November Satellite Residency

So now that Vanaprasta have gotten that pesky business of an album release and an album release show out of the way for their full length debut, Healthy Geometry (proof that both actually occurred courtesy of 98.7 FM), tonight they set up house for a month of free music Mondays at the Satellite in Silverlake. Plan your attendance accordingly as they've seen fit to stack each residency night with quality acts, many of them locals.

11/7: Vanaprasta w/
Future Ghost
Rocco Deluca
Beatnik Jr.
New Child
DJ sets by 98.7fm

11/14: Vanaprasta w/
Empires
Twilight Sleep
Outernational
DJ Sets by Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger of Silversun Pickups

11/21: Vanaprasta w/
Rainbow Jackson
Hands
Incan Abraham
DJ sets by Golden Touch

11/28: Vanaprasta w/
Chasing Kings
Voxhaul Broadcast
Summer Darling
DJ sets by Buzzbands.la

Told you.

And yes, it really is for FREE.

It All Takes Shape...

While I write this, I’m eating string cheese (bet you thought I was going to say olives). Why string cheese? Because it’s tasty, as well as nutritious, and we women need our calcium.

In the vein of accomplishments, new beginnings, dreams realized, and such, here we are (you and I) at the start and restart of High Voltage Magazine. It’s a brave new world and I have no righteous clue how I stumbled into the position to have this dynamic platform to launch my voice from, but now it’s so. You all have Chelsea to thank (or curse) for that.

If you’ve seen the brand spanking new and damned sexy print Fall edition of High Voltage that just came hot off the presses (oooh, is that Fitz & the Tantrums on the cover?), then you’ve seen the culmination of our work. Asses were busted to bring this thing to you and you’d better love it like your first-born, dammit.

So let’s roll with it, this new beginnings thing and the week is off to a fine start right down to the release of new music. Vanaprasta, a band for whom I have borderline epic feelings for, dropped their long-suffering debut CD Healthy Geometry into the ether. Goddamn. A CD that makes me feel and see magic in the words, hear potential in the shapes, and think naughty thoughts all while appreciating each individual’s contribution to their impressive walls of sound. Flipped my world, this album did and I'm not mad at them. See the pretty album art?

I'm talking about this album at this particular time because the overarching theme to this very non-shitty body of work are the patterns in and of our lives as we move through this existence. We feel our way through, succeed, fuck up, break bones, make love, beg for mercy while sometimes giving none, sleepwalk, then wake up and do it all over again. It's what we do and it makes for the powerful beings that we are.  For so many reasons this album means a lot to me right now, will be a constant in my consciousness because I believe that it was meant for me and, for that, I'm grateful. Much is shifting beneath my feet at the moment, and Healthy Geometry is the sound of the movement. Music, in general, gives me cause to be grateful so being here at High Voltage is surely the right place to be. 

If you're a music fan, thanks for reading us and know that I'll do my batshit-crazy best to inform and entertain you in this Concert Whore-space. If you're a musician, thank you for being and giving me a shit ton of light in my life, as I couldn't imagine this one without what you do. 

And cheers to High Voltage: back and beautiful.

Vanaprasta Go For The Soul With "Nine Equals Nine"

Silverlake's indie rockers Vanaprasta have rolled out a new track, "Nine Equals Nine", from their forthcoming album, Healthy Geometry due out on 11/1/11.  The album is a keeper, and no you can't have a copy yet, but in the meantime let's talk about this new track.

The first time that I heard this thing called "Nine Equals Nine", I was sitting on a stool at Bootleg Theater.

Just like consuming alcohol, sitting during a rock show is one of the last things that I'm prone to do; music moves, makes the mind and body do the same, and sitting down is just not conducive to connecting my mind and body to the music.  But this night was odd; I felt mellower than usual, intentionally hadn't left home all day, and literally got in my car at 11:50pm in order to catch Vanaprasta's midnight set at Bootleg. Their set began and it was good, so very good but when the first 60 seconds of "Nine Equals Nine" flowed out, perhaps it was best that I was sitting down.

As a sound "Nine Equals Nine" made me cock my head to the left (the thinking, rational side), then to the right (the intuitive, feeling side): I was so confused. Barely taking my eyes off of the five guys onstage Steven Wilkin- vox/keys, Collin Desha- guitar/vox/keys, Taylor Brown- bass/vox, Cameron Dmytryk- guitar, Ben Smiley- drums), I leaned over to my musicphile friend, Kevin, and asked him what the hell this song was. He didn't know. He walked away and returned less than a minute later with the answer: "Nine Equals Nine".

As is, Vanaprasta is a tad musically schizophrenic and my linear head knows this- accepts this-, as it's just one of their assets, but my emotional heart was still surprised by the old soul presence in this song. Due to its overwhelmingly shitty nature, current day R&B has little place in my life anymore, but the warmth and echoey groove of "Nine Equals Nine" underneath Steven Wilkin's truly reverent vocals had cut into the flesh of my psyche and made it bleed want. Simultaneously soothing and energizing, here was a rock song tapping into many fluid dynamics of my past (Teddy Pendergrass, Jeffrey Osborne) laced with an inward/outward mystical trip ("Make sure to thank the sky for being blue, yeah.").  My heart and body were moving and, dammit, I was sitting down. 

Vanaprasta gives you "Nine Equals Nine".