Tag Archives: Trouble in the Wind

Guilty Pleasure of the Week: Banjos just got a little bit cooler

July 3, 2012 Stephanie Amadeus 3 Comments

Trouble in the Wind. Photo courtesy their website.

I know it’s technically almost the middle of the week but this is perfect timing to try something a little different, in the form of alt-country groovers Trouble in the Wind, who have masterfully placed their own laid-back, melodic emotion into a quaint version of folk music. Their sound is almost reminiscent to the far out, hippie generation of the 70s that makes you want to pull out the flowers and the peace signs, and I’m diggin’ it.

Lead singer Robbie Gira brings a modern tone to the music with his almost effortless vocals, while the band (including banjo, accordion, and an upright bassist) flow out a steady instrumentation that keeps your ears happy, even if you can’t always make out the words.

This band is…underground cool. And the reason why this band is the definition of underground cool (a term that I just made up right now)? They’re naturally packed with emotion, superb musicianship, and just enough melody to get their songs stuck in your head in the best way possible. They know their genre, and yet they’re not quite like everything else that you’ll hear out there. And on top of all of that, I’ve had the pleasure to hear them live, and they pull out all the stops in person, too.

If you’re in San Diego, check out Trouble in the Wind at the Belly Up this week. Flowers and bell bottoms not required. But also, let me know what YOU think about their style.

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Is there more to Invisible Children than indecent exposure?

April 19, 2012 Stephanie Amadeus Leave a comment

I could riddle this post with a lot of puns and innuendos about special packages from Invisible Children (I think that’s illegal in … well, all 50 states) or unveiling the naked truth about this organization. But instead, I’m going to ask you to answer a question: What do you really know about Kony 2012?

I’ll be honest, here’s what I know:

I know there’s someone snatching children up in Africa, and it isn’t Peter Pan or Angelina Jolie. I know a lot of people don’t understand the use of film as propaganda, (which is ironic, considering how many products we buy or point of views we change from just watching a film.) I know someone may have had an incident in Pacific Beach…yeah.

I’m not an expert on Invisible Children and what they do, and I’m sure neither are you. Unless you’re a huge philanthropist, then you kind of rock! For the rest of us, however, there’s still room to grow and to give, which means shedding light on these important issues instead of, ahem, shedding clothes. (Okay I promise, that’s the last one!)

One of the best feelings that music can bring is a sense of unity on a subject or topic. They don’t call it a universal language for nothing. With that in mind, when production company Ladies in Boots announced a charity show on April 24th to help bring awareness to Invisible Children, they knew that the event would give the perfect platform to help answer some of those questions that you have. Coupling the folky yet soulful music of Katie Leigh & the Infantry, The Paragraphs and Trouble in the Wind with a full presentation of Kony 2012: Part II should make the night both fun and informational.

But if you’re really not convinced yet, why not hear about the whole situation from someone who has actually been there? Guest speaker Papito has lived through the conflict, and will give an account that is sure to answer any other questions that might be lingering in your mind about what is happening in Uganda.

So, do you want to answer the question I posed earlier? What do you know about Kony 2012? Invisible Children? What kind of finances does Invisible Children acquire? What is really going on in Uganda?

And most importantly, how can you help?

Why not start by checking out a really great show full of really talented musicians on April 24th at the Griffin San Diego. More information can be found on the Facebook page for the event. At the very least, you’ll have a good time. But hopefully, in addition to this, you’ll learn more about Invisible Children and finally answer any of those questions you had about this issue.

I know I have a lot of questions that I want answered. How about you? If there’s anything that you’ve really wanted to ask, now is the time! Let us know your questions, or post them on the Facebook event wall!