Author Archives: quartertonality

About quartertonality

A graduate of the Masters program in Classical Guitar Performance as well as Music Theory/Composition at the State University of New York at Fredonia Adam is active as a performer, composer, educator and copyist. He is currently working on research concerning the guitar works of Leo Brouwer and Anton Webern, has recently completed a new edition of Webern's Op. 18 and is working as an assistant of a colleague that is researching works of Arnold Schoenberg. Adam is currently a PhD candidate in Music Theory at the University of Oregon. Formerly a member of the Ethos New Music Society which is responsible for the promotion of new music on the Fredonia Campus and elsewhere in Upstate New York (and beyond) through the production of student concerts of newly composed music, guest lecturers, symposia and concerts by new music ensembles like "eighth blackbird", "Auros" and "Continuum". I write reviews for groovemine.com as well as tympanogram.com. This site will collect everything that I write for those sites, as well as posts that are exclusive. Mostly reviews of albums and EPs of new independent music with sample songs and a few links to help you purchase the albums that are reviewed. Album reviews typically delve pretty deep and can range anywhere from 700 to 2,500 words depending on how much there really is to say about the album. I try to analyze the music in as many ways as I can before writing and typically will listen to anything that is reviewed at the very least 10 times before committing anything to writing. I'm a bit insane.

Favorites albums of 2011

(Originally posted on Tympanogram.com on December 22, 2011) It’s hard to tell whether this was a really great year for music or if I was just paying attention more than last year. That sums up my feelings at the end … Continue reading

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Video: RACES – “Big Broom” (live)

(Originally posted on December 20, 2011 on Tympanogram.com) One of the tracks that I kept coming back to this year was “Big Broom” by RACES. At the time when I first came upon it there were only, from as far … Continue reading

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album preview: of Montreal – Paralytic Stalks

(post originally appeared on December 19, 2011 on Tympanogram.com) I’ve been a fan of of Montreal since hearing the Icons Abstract Thee EP that came out following their amazing, pace-setting album Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?They also hold the … Continue reading

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Rah Rah – “Parkade”

(This post originally appeared on Tympanogram.com on November 18, 2011) It’s only been 2 and a half months and I’m already realizing all of the things I miss about living in Western New York. One of them is that Toronto … Continue reading

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Introducing: A Happy Death

(This post originally appeared on Tympanogram.com on November 16, 2011) It’s really great to be a music blogger. I get the chance to listen to a ridiculous amount of music that I would normally not have any clue existed. Sometimes … Continue reading

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New release: Hurricane Bells – “Tides and Tales”

Things just keep getting better over at the Hurricane Bells camp, and that’s saying something considering their first major appearance was on a platinum selling album. Hot off of a successful Pledge Music fund raising project, Steve Schiltz, lone permanent … Continue reading

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New release: Churches – “Save Me”

Churches is the new recording project of Caleb Nichols, the frontman of Oakland’s Grand Lake, former bassist of Port O’Brien, and touring member of WATERS and Release The Sunbird.  On his first single, ‘SAVE ME’, Nichols teams up with WATERS … Continue reading

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Album review: We Were Promised Jetpacks – “In the Pit of the Stomach”

Sometimes it just feels great to have some loud music blasting into your ears. It’s better if the sonic assault isn’t something that is relentless, rather persistent but giving and taking in all the right places. The band has a … Continue reading

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Album review: Chad VanGaalen – “Diaper Island”

As a musician, and as someone that listens to a ridiculous amount of music, sometimes I am listening just for sounds. Sometimes the melodies and whether or not they are catchy take a backseat to the atmosphere that an album … Continue reading

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Album review: Wild Flag – “Wild Flag”

The much anticipated album from indie rock “super group” Wild Flag has finally arrived, giving everyone something to shout about. One could practically hear the reviewers proclaiming the, at that point unnamed project, “Best of the Year” after Carrie Brownstein … Continue reading

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