Vintage Classics: Granian

Formed in the mid-90s, the group Granian, named after the now solo Garen Gueyikian, isn’t entirely a single musical entity.  In a way, they are the folkier version of Dashboard Confessional pre-plugging in of amps, in that, essentially, they fly solo but still draw inspiration, and more importantly, gets some very musical helping hands from friends with a knack for writing kick-ass, heart churning melodies and riffs, and blessed with the abilities to cross bridges, climb musical ladders, and fill in those pesky and permeable mile-wide gaps in the creative process. 

An obvious fan of nostalgic 90s alt-rock and grunge era bands like Live and Guster, Granian not only borrows tricks from their flannel-happy predecessors, but also pays some serious homage to that now dead era in music by channeling the all-too-known lovelorn angst, and “f*ck your world” panache so musically notorious in those formidable years, but never seems campy in the crappy tribute band sort of way.  His lack of dance disco beats and post-punk sensibilities that are insanely popular among the MySpace set should be revered, not scoffed at, for his crunchy guitars and dead-on lyrics are more than enough to fill the shot glass worth of space in rock kids’ tightly fashion-core pants.  In fact, they could outfit an entire army of pissed off scene queens and princes of post-punk.  Don’t be surprised though, if you catch the band dancing alongside you at a Fall Out Boy or Head Automatica show as he and his iPod are self-proclaimed fans. 

Granian’s 2004 release, “On My Own Two Feet”while not entirely a technical rule-breaker, is entirely fun for what it is.  Songs about exes and finding oneself can sometimes border on embarrassingly brooding or painfully pretentious, but these guys make it sound simple enough to relate to and confusing enough to, well, relate to.  Gueyikian has a knack for the whole Impassioned Singer/Songwriter thing but doesn’t sacrifice sentiment for profit. 

Most of the songs from their albums were practically made for radio airplay, filled to the riffs with hooks for miles and fashioned into perfectly proportioned on-air packages, but, like most indies, they will ultimately find their true fans on little-town college campuses and mp3 blogs alike . . . not that there’s anything wrong with that.  Plenty of “It Bands” owe much of their notoriety to internet media and hyped-up word of mouth, so if such a fate awaits Granian, they should be kissing their cable modems and blessing their blogs before bedtime.

With four albums under his belt, Granian plays over 100 shows a year and has shared the stage with Matchbox 20, Guster, Dispatch, Howie Day, Pat McGee Band and O.A.R.

Granian’s latest studio album, “On My Own Two Feet”, was produced by Mike Shimshack, and features Nir Z (John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Genesis) on drums. The album reached #1 on both CDBaby.com and Awarestore.com and the group’s four independently released albums have sold thousands of copies to date.

Presently, Granian went on a hiatus in 2006.  Founder and leader Garen Gueyikian started a new band Kill The Alarm which can currently be found per their website and on Myspace.  While a reunion is unknown, we luckily have 4 albums and many other great live recordings to help quench our thirst of a truly great band.

 

Here is a sample of the addictive sound of Granian:

Comic Spotlight: Mitch Hedberg

Mitch Hedberg was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on February 24, 1968.  He began his stand-up career in Florida, and after a period of honing his skills there, he moved to Seattle and began touring.  He soon appeared on shows like MTV’s “Comikaze,” and in 1996, “Late Night with David Letterman.”  The latter appearance eventually brought him his big break, and he finally began to get recognition nationwide for his unique comedy stylings.  Recalling the famous “one-liners” of comedy greats like Groucho Marx and Steven Wright, Mitch won the 1997 grand prize at the Seattle Comedy Competition.  Shortly thereafter, the next year saw him appearing on Fox’s hit series “That ’70s Show,” and, in 1999, he completed his own independent feature film, Los Enchiladas!, in which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in. In the following years, Mitch also recorded two comedy CDs entitled “Mitch All Together” and “Strategic Grill Locations.” Both of the albums were released through Comedy Central’s record label.  Additionally, he appeared at the 2001 Montreal Just For Laughs comedy festival to rave reviews. Sadly, Mitch’s promising career was cut short on March 30, 2005 by his death from a drug overdose. Even though we still have many great moments to remember him by, he will always be sorely missed by all.

Here is a clip of the great Mitch Hedberg:

*@#k Huck!

You know, there are some things that really get me upset!  But none more than blatant ignorance!  And apparently Republican Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee is full of it! 

Just to make some things clear, I am neither Republican nor Democrat.  In general, I usually vote on candidates that best represent the issues in which I believe. Instead of voting by “party lines,” I choose to remain independent and focus on the politician who best represents my beliefs.  With that being said, in the past, I actually tended to skew a little more right than left, but, recently, I have found that extremely hard.

In short, I think George W. Bush has done an awful job.  In fact, I believe even the most staunch Republicans will admit that now (I guess the Dixie Chicks were right!).  Now, don’t get me wrong, I think Bill Clinton was just as bad too (All you hardcore Democrats . . . don’t try to take credit for stuff in his term that was already proposed and implemented many administrations before he even stepped foot in the door . . .).  I guess the only thing that confuses me lately with the Republican party and its constituents is the fact that they believe supporting someone even more conservative will help them win next year’s election.  In other words, people are just living in a stupid, ignorant, dark world if they believe a more conservative person helps us deal with the problems that are going on in the here and now (war, global warming, gay rights).  Truthfully, it is just mind blowing!  If you don’t know what I am talking about than look at this recent post by the Associated Press.

Huckabee wanted to isolate AIDS patients  

By ANDREW DeMILLO, Associated Press Writer Sat Dec 8, 5:13 PM ET

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Mike Huckabee once advocated isolating AIDS patients from the general public, opposed increased federal funding in the search for a cure and said homosexuality could “pose a dangerous public health risk.”

As a candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in 1992, Huckabee answered 229 questions submitted to him by The Associated Press. Besides a quarantine, Huckabee suggested that Hollywood celebrities fund AIDS research from their own pockets, rather than federal health agencies.

Huckabee said Saturday that his comments came at a time when the public was still learning about HIV and AIDS and promised to do “everything possible to transform the promise of a vaccine and a cure into reality.”

In 1992, Huckabee wrote, “If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague.”

“It is difficult to understand the public policy towards AIDS. It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents.”

The AP submitted the questionnaire to both candidates in the 1992 senate race; only Huckabee responded. Incumbent Sen. Dale Bumpers won his fourth term; Huckabee was elected lieutenant governor the next year and became governor in 1996.

When asked about AIDS research in 1992, Huckabee complained that AIDS research received an unfair share of federal dollars when compared to cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

“In light of the extraordinary funds already being given for AIDS research, it does not seem that additional federal spending can be justified,” Huckabee wrote. “An alternative would be to request that multimillionaire celebrities, such as Elizabeth Taylor (,) Madonna and others who are pushing for more AIDS funding be encouraged to give out of their own personal treasuries increased amounts for AIDS research.”

Huckabee said in a prepared statement released by his campaign Saturday afternoon that he called for quarantine when there was a lot of confusion about how AIDS is spread. He said he wanted at the time to follow traditional medical practices used for dealing with tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

“We now know that the virus that causes AIDS is spread differently, with a lower level of contact than with TB,” Huckabee said. “But looking back almost 20 years, my concern was the uncertain risk to the general population — if we got it wrong, many people would die needlessly. My concern was safety first, political correctness last.”

When Huckabee wrote his answers in 1992, it was common knowledge that AIDS could not be spread by casual contact. In late 1991, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 195,718 AIDS patients in the country and that 126,159 people had died from the syndrome.

The nation had an increased awareness of AIDS at the time because pro basketball star Magic Johnson had recently disclosed he carried the virus responsible for it. Johnson retired but returned to the NBA briefly during the 1995-96 season.

Since becoming a presidential candidate this year, Huckabee has supported increased federal funding for AIDS research through the National Institutes of Health.

“My administration will be the first to have an overarching strategy for dealing with HIV and AIDS here in the United States, with a partnership between the public and private sectors that will provide necessary financing and a realistic path toward our goals,” Huckabee said in a statement posted on his campaign Web site last month.

Also in the wide-ranging AP questionnaire in 1992, Huckabee said, “I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk.”

A Southern Baptist preacher, Huckabee has been a favorite among social conservatives for his vocal opposition to gay marriage. In 2003, Huckabee said that the U.S. Supreme Court was probably right to strike down anti-sodomy laws, but that states still should be able to restrict things such as gay marriage or domestic partner benefits.

“What people do in the privacy of their own lives as adults is their business,” Huckabee said. “If they bring it into the public square and ask me as a taxpayer to support it or to endorse it, then it becomes a matter of public discussion and discourse.”

Doing a little upgrade!

Sorry, I have been away the last couple of days, but I have been working on some really cool upgrades to my computer and my blog.  Hopefully, I will have them all finished really soon.  In the next couple of days, I will be posting some new messages in a category called “Upgrades” . . .  so, stay tuned.  I think you will find them really cool.  Anyway, until then, enjoy some stories and some other articles I have been working on . . .

Later,

JC  

Fuzzy Memories by Jack Handey: Car Splash

The Real “Graveyard” Shift

In an interesting announcement yesterday, the World Health Organization stated that they will add “working the night shift” as a possible carcinogen.  In other words, the WHO believes that working the night shift could possibly be a major factor in causing cancer.  Additionally, the American Cancer Society also stated that will add “shift work” to their list of known and probable causes as well.  Essentially, these organizations believe a recent study so strongly that they are ready to add “working the night shift” to a long list that already includes: anabolic steroids, ultraviolet radiation and diesel exhaust.  The reason behind this strong belief is based on a recent study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which if proven to be correct, could seriously affect the health of millions worldwide.

In this study, scientists suspect shift work is dangerous as it disrupts the circadian rhythm, the biological clock.  Additionally, the hormone melatonin, which can suppress tumour development, is normally produced at night.  Therefore, when night shift workers remain awake and in light, the body shuts down its melatonin production.  Furthermore, sleep deprivation may also be a factor. Basically, not getting enough sleep makes your immune system vulnerable to attack.  Specifically, according to the study, women are more prone to breast cancer, and men are more likely to develop prostate cancer.  Thus, as I stated earlier, this new discovery could affect nearly 20 percent of workers in developed countries that work night shifts.
   

This Is Why I Love John Mayer!

You know, sometimes musicians are so full of themselves that they would never take a stage where they are not the center of attention.  In fact, most musicians would not even show up to a club unless they were headlining the event.  But you see, this is where John Mayer differs.  To add to his already astonishing musical talent and flexibility, John is extremely humble.  Many times, most of them reported from various media outlets, John Mayer has been found in various bars, clubs, and music scenes supporting local and upcoming acts by either participating in their “set” or just watching as a fan.  I guess, for me, that speaks volumes for his character.  To just support the musicians that have taken the same road as him is simply genuine.  Thus, let me show you a little clip of a show from The Village UnderGround in NYC were John Mayer recently appeared with The UnionN.  The great thing here is not only did The UnionN take the time to learn John’s “Waiting on the World to Change,” but he fully embraced it by coming up on stage to help them out (watch how awestruck some of the audience members get).  Furthermore,  the man has SKILLS!  Watch him throw in Alicia Keys’ “No One” in the middle of the number . . . genius!  This is improvisation at its best!

Note:  You see him sort of hiding in the background at a table when the clip first begins . . . what’s even cooler is you see the lead singer sort of look to John after they start playing his music as if to say, “Hey Man!  You feel like joining us?”

What’s In A Name?

Time for some weird news from around the world:

Funny Names

Convicted of murder in a home invasion, Mr. Andrew S. “Junebug” Warrior (the “S” stands for Sweetie) [Tucson Citizen, 6-30-07]

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(Tucson, Ariz., June). Discouraged by school officials from attending a Catholic school because of his name, the 5-year-old Max Hell (Melbourne, Australia, July). [Fox News-AP, 7-9-07]

*     *     * 

Arrested for stealing three rolls of toilet paper from a courthouse, Ms. Suzanne Marie Butts (Marshalltown, Iowa, June). [KETV (Omaha, Neb.), 6-9-07]

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Leading a fight in the Kenai Peninsula Borough (Alaska) Assembly to defeat a term-limit rule, Assemblyman Gary Superman (Soldotna, Alaska, September). [Anchorage Daily News, 9-21-07]

Inspiration Through Grief

“Untitled” by Laura

There is a grief that ages the face and hardens the heart
Yet softens the spirit…
 
A grief that casts shadows on the eyes
Yet broadens the mind…
A grief that keeps the pain and has no words
But increases the understanding…
 
There is a grief that breaks the heart and wounds the soul,
That lasts and lasts and can shatter in a minute,
But will inspire for a lifetime.

Not Another Terminator

Recently, Fox has been airing promotions for the upcoming “Terminator” series, The Sarah Conner Chronicles.  Really!  Do we really need another “Terminator” thing?!  Does anyone actually care?!  My guess is this series is bound for a Saturday afternoon time slot where B-rated TV shows find a home.  Anyway, I did notice something interesting about the series . . . Thomas Dekker looks just like Riley Smith.  Heck, they have even gone through some of the same “hair’ phases, and both sport a mole in the exact same place on their cheeks.  Hmm . . . definitely related . . .

 

Left: Thomas Dekker (Heroes and the upcoming The Sarah Connor Chronicles) Right: Riley Smith (Not Another Teen Movie and Fox’s Drive)