Did another band interview as part of a video series here at Wesleyan--this time, I interviewed Xiu Xiu, a really awesome avant-garde group from California. Here's the video.
In a nutshell, very raw, at times emotional lyrics, along with a variety of different types of sound and sound texture.
Check them--and especially this kind of controversial music video to their song "Dear God, I Hate Myself"--out.
"House Sparrow," by Xiu Xiu from Dear God, I Hate Myself (2010)
"Brian the Vampire," by Xiu Xiu from Fabulous Muscles (2004)
--A
Friday, November 5, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Bear in Heaven Video
The video from the live show Bear in Heaven played at Wesleyan a little while back, along with clips from the pre-show/post-show interviews; I'm mostly edited out, but I get a word in here and there.
--A
--A
Thursday, October 7, 2010
99 Problems?
I just found this song in Rolling Stone and had to blog it immediately. It's a revamped version of Jay-Z's "99 Problems". The song just has this amazing country western vibe that really works for it. I feel like this song was created to eventually be done in this style. I wish there was a little more to it but I guess this is all we are going to get. It doesn't follow the original to the T but i think i like that. It's more of a re-imagined version of the song. It feels like you are hearing it for the first time and barely conjures of images of the original because it is just so markedly different. I cannot find to much about the band Hugo, who play the song, but it is hopefully not the last of them, their sound is very classic but new wave in a way. Enjoy the track.
"99 Problems" by Hugo (2010)
-S
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Don't bother leaving, we're already gone
Bear in Heaven's second album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth, came out just about a year ago and got the oh-so-great honor of getting a Pitchfork shout-out. Did I say "a shout-out?" I meant "recognition as 'Best New Music.'" Long story short, they rule, and their live set is dope. They played a show here at Wesleyan this past weekend, and here's what they said:
--------------------
Bear In Heaven Did we mention last nights show at Wesleyan was off the charts? Finally some serious crowd surfing.
Sunday at 13:33 via Facebook for iPhone
For now, here's these:
"Beast in Peace" by Bear in Heaven
"Dust Cloud" by Bear in Heaven
--A
--------------------
Bear In Heaven Did we mention last nights show at Wesleyan was off the charts? Finally some serious crowd surfing.
Sunday at 13:33 via Facebook for iPhone---------------------
I got to interview the band before and after they performed--chatted about shoes, glitter, Ionic columns, and toilet paper, to name a few topics of conversation. When the video's all pretty and edited (which may not be for a bit), I'll be sure to throw up a link.
I got to interview the band before and after they performed--chatted about shoes, glitter, Ionic columns, and toilet paper, to name a few topics of conversation. When the video's all pretty and edited (which may not be for a bit), I'll be sure to throw up a link.
For now, here's these:
"Beast in Peace" by Bear in Heaven
"Dust Cloud" by Bear in Heaven
--A
Monday, October 4, 2010
Down with the moral majority
Green Day is a band that my favor waxes and wanes constantly for. Sometime I love listening to them, and others I'm just tired of them and would rather not hear them ever. I guess it's the same with a lot of bands (great example: No Doubt). Anyway one of my favorite Green Day songs is "Minority." I think the song is really good and works in a lot of interesting musical compositional components.
The song starts out with this little ditty like acoustic riff. And then breaks in to their classic sound with the layered punk guitar and driving drum beats. There is also a little higher melody that drives the background-I am having a lot of trouble discerning what instrument plays it though (accordion?) but it really adds to the track in an interesting way. Enjoy!
"Minority" by Green Day from Warning (2000)
-S
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Sunday Sountrack
Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, a lot of things have just come up and I've been away from my computer. I'll get back to my regular posts starting with this Sunday Soundtrack.
"Gold Dust" by DJ Fresh (Flux Pavillion Remix) *Song Of The Week*
"Occident" by Joanna Newsom
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen
"Sam" by The Smiles And The Frowns
"Skinny Love" by Bon Iver
"Girls And Boys" by Blur
"Little Brother" by Grizzly Bear
-S
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Don't forget about my loving
I'm digging the CSN&Y stuff right now, I found a bunch of their CD's with various combinations of the four members on it however I've also been looking at some of the covers of them done as well. By far the best I've come upon so far is "Got It Made" by Sandmen.
-S
It's got this great vocal harmony with a really simple guitar accompaniment. For some reason this song is just feeling really good right now, incredibly simple and easy but it just sounds so good. Sometimes you just have to go back to the basics which work. The guitar tune is a little folksy and their voices harmonize perfectly and compliment the guitar nicely. Not really too much else to say about it, enjoy!
"Got It Made" covered by The Sandmen (Stephen Stills Cover)
-S
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The more I see the less I know
Kind of a depressing day weather wise. I guess I'd make it a little happier by posting something on the more upbeat side. The song I found, not even sure how, was Michael Franti & Spearhead doing "Say Hey (I Love You)". It randomly came up in my suggested on YouTube and I have a sneaking suspicion that I talked about Franti the other day with a friend.
-S
The song rocks the reggae beat, in combination with the piano and bounce beat it really provides a great base for super-upbeat lyrics. It is extremely good, and the lyrics overall are just really sweet, not too much substance too hold on to but just straight forward, and a jam when the instrumentals are meshed with the lyrics. Hands down the lyric that sealed the deal for todays track was this one: "I've been a lot of places all around the way/ I've seen a lot of joy and I've seen a lot of pain/ But I don't want to write a love song for the world/ I just want to write a song about a boy and a girl." Bravo Michael Franti & Spearhead, bravo.
"Say Hey (I Love You)" by Michael Franti & Spearhead from All Rebel Rockers (2009)
-S
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday Soundtrack
It was a great week
"Say Yes" by Elliot Smith *Best Song On This Soundtrack*
"Belt Loops" by The Films
"Nobody Could Change Your Mind" by The Generationals
"Jacksonville" by Sufjan Stevens
"Twin Falls" by Built To Spill
"A History Of Lovers" by Iron and Wine
-S
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Desert Island Pt. VI
Emma Markham's Desert Island Mix (I couldn't find all the track-I tried my best to find at least a version of each song)
-S
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Good News! WKCO
I'm getting a show on WKCO 91.9FM in Gambier, OH
It'll be Tuesdays from 1-3PM and of course will stream online @ http://wkco.kenyon.edu/wkco/
Still working out the details but it should be a good time, and I'm really looking forward to broadcasting again...so stay tuned.
-S
Desert Mix Pt. III
Nick Anania's Desert Island Mix
"Two Headed Boy, Pt. 2" by Neutral Milk Hotel
"Freelance Kamikaze" by Casey James And the Staypuft Kid (Could not find this track)
-S
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
New Project
So I decided to start a new little project. Over dinner tonight some friends and I were discussing what songs would populate a "Desert Island" mix tape. I worked for a little while on mine and realized there were a lot of aspects that needed to be taken in to account. First off was figuring out how much I could put on such a tape, we settled with 80.0MB +/- 1MB, that leaves room for roughly between 17-20 songs. Then there is the question on what should really be on there? Should I forgo the number of songs for songs that are up to 6-minutes long, a true ballad but maybe a waste of space.
The average length of a song on my mix ended up being around 3 and 1/2 minutes which I'm satisfied with for 19 songs. The next question is what are you really looking for? I mean do you want songs that mean something to you, or just songs you can vibe with and just enjoy no matter how childish-are you picking songs that you will become sick of, or could you listen to them 1,000,000 times and never tire of them. What you have to realize is that this playlist doesn't represent your music taste-it is just what you boil down to after a while.
What follows is my first attempt at a mix, as the week progresses I will post other peoples desert island mixes, on Sunday I'll do a little best of.
-S
Monday, September 20, 2010
That WAS a crazy game of poker
Haven't had the chance to post about this band, other than in passing (particularly for their use of horns). O.A.R. was one of the first concerts I ever attended, and one of the better ones too. I have a little trouble describing their style, they are on the brink of so many genres it is hard to tell sometime where they are at. They float on a line between sounds like reggae, indie rock, jam bands, among other fairly prevalent sounds.
The first song I came upon was "The Wanderer" which epitomizes their reggae, punch rhythms, but doesn't even begin to sum up their overall sound. Their sound really moves all over the place but they tend to carry a familiar pattern. Strong throaty vocals, horn interludes, some fine harmonic guitar notes among other little musical motifs. If you don't already know this classic college rock band then you absolutely should.
"The Wanderer" by O.A.R. from The Wanderer (1997)
"Black Rock" by O.A.R. from The Wanderer (1997)
"Hey Girl" by O.A.R. from Souls Aflame (2000)
"Shattered" by O.A.R. from All Sides (2008)
-S
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sunday Soundtrack
Finnally I can eat, most of these are live versions so enjoy!
"Standing In The Shadows Of Love" by The Four Tops
"Harrisburg" by Josh Ritter
"Taxman" by The Beatles
"John The Revelator" by Gov't Mule
"Ball Of Confusion" by The Temptations
"Mistletoe" by Jukebox The Ghost
"Gonna Never Have To Die" by Guided By Voices
-S
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Standing on our tiptoes
Fasting for Yom Kippur so I had to stay in tonight and not party-how I compensated, (500) Days of Summer and listening to music in my room. Fun discovery, Scottish band We Were Promised Jetpacks, brought to me by Gena from my hall.
-S
The song begins with a rolling repetitive guitar lick that drives the melody. I'm a little more partial than most to accents in music-cue Noah and the Whale. The song doesn't really promise anything too great-nothing novel that seems to take you out of the realm of what you have or haven't heard before, but it is really great chill song and you have to take it at that face value. Best verse on record- "Waiting for my brain to start/trying to work things out/it's thunder and it's lightning/And it's all things too frightening," in lead singer Adam Thompsons Alt-Rock whine. Enjoy the track-definitely a good find.
"It's Thunder And It's Lightning" by We Were Promised Jetpacks from These Four Walls (2009)
-S
Friday, September 17, 2010
Pavement-L.C. Pavillion
I went to go see Pavement last night so I couldn't post anything substantial. I know I already did a Pavement soundtrack at some point in the past (must of been a really slow day). Anyway, I'll just post. So I'll just post a Pavement song that I hadn't heard before. A friend I went with really wanted to hear this track, and what do you know, they played it. I think because they've been gone so long they pretty much play all hits (thats a relative term with a band like Pavement). I know they played my personal favorite "Stereo". The song they played was "Stop Breathing" which I was surprised with how much I loved. So enjoy.
(Pictures To Come)
"Stop Breathing" by Pavement from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
-S
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Like I'm drunk behind the wheel
Got to give it up for a 90's classic. Not sure why I'm so obsessed with this song but I just think it's one of the best songs I have ever heard. I don't think the lyrics are especially brilliant nor is the music particularly noteworthy. It just evokes some weird emotional response when I listen to it. The song is "Out Of My Head" by Austin based band Fastball (fun fact they were originally called Magneto U.S.A.-glad they didn't go with that). The song is incredibly simple-the organ works really well with the piano and drums (the acoustic version is pretty good too-I'll post both). Enjoy the song.
-S
"Out Of My Head" by Fastball from All The Pain Money Can Buy (1998)
"Out Of My Head" by Fastball (Acoustic)
-S
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sick Day Soundtrack
Holla if you skipped class todayyyyyy...!
-S
"Dragonfly Across an Ancient Sky" by Helios
"Boy with a Coin" by Iron and Wine
"Postcards from Italy" by Beiruit
"Used to Be" by Beach House
"Primitive Man" by Fruit Bats
"Left Bank" by Air
--A
ADDENDUM:
"Sunshine" by Atmosphere from Sad Clown (2007)
-S
I once had a life, or rather, life had me
The other song I wanted to post was a song by Sleigh Bells, a band I've posted before on a soundtrack but never actually written anything about them. This song is pretty unrepresentative of their other work, which is fine I can just like a few songs by a band, I don't have to love the entire discography. Regardless, the song is "Rill Rill" which has really awesome instrumentals. Little did I know though that they sample, or at least rework, another bands music for this, the very stylish, Funkadelic. The song is awesome and I think reworks the track in very interesting way making it much more pop-y. The original song by Funkadelic was a pretty good gem to find out of all of this as well, and gives the instrumental and entirely different feel.
"Can You Get To That" by Funkadelic from Maggot Brain (1971)
"Rill Rill" by Sleigh Bells from Treats (2010)
-S
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Million miles
I was a little torn between songs to post tonight, one was stuck in my head all day and the other led me to a little interesting fact so I will split the difference and post 1 of them tonight and the other tomorrow (a first for me considering my song selection is pretty spur of the moment). The song for today then I guess is "Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles" by Captain Beefheart. The song is just oozes the classic rock sound.
-S
This kind of, I'm not really sure if this makes sense, re-uptake guitar part just sounds amazing and I'm in love with the lyrics and Captain Beefhearts voice (real name Don Glen Vliet). Its got this smokey Motown vibe that really works for this song. I don't have a very extensive knowledge of his work but I really dig this song. The lyrics, once again, are what really get me in this track. The intro reads "I look at her and she looks at me/In her eyes I see the sea/I can't see what she sees in a man like me/She says she loves me." As kind of a romantic, I love this line and really enjoy this entire song.
"Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles" by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band from the Clear Spot (1972)
-S
Monday, September 13, 2010
I'm still in love with Emily Kane
This is a song that I heard about a little while back but didn't actually give it a listen until recently. The song is "Emily Kane" by German/English band Art Brut. The song has a very late 80's punk feel. What gets me going about this song is the lyrics. They aren't especially detailed, or even beautiful, its not the way they are sung, its the content. The story just makes me smile for some reason. "Every girl that I've seen since/Looks just like you when I squint/I know you said it's for the best/I still don't understand why you left/So much about you I miss/Everytime I see a couple kiss/I hope this song finds you fame/I want school kids on buses singing your name" That verse just kills me. The song just perfectly captures the feeling of being 15 and in love. The rhythms rocking and the song holds you just right, love it. Emily Kane actually attended one of their shows after hearing the song-Eddie Argos, the lead singer was extremely embarrassed when he met her back stage-saying he never would have played it if he knew she was going to be there.
"Emily Kane" by Art Brut
-S
Sunday, September 12, 2010
That's a condiment cup
Doin' o.k.
"Middle Distance Runner" by Sea Wolf
"Riches and Wonders" by The Mountain Goats
"Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ" by Titus Andronicus
"Punk Rock Girl" by The Dead Milkmen
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" by Kanye West
"Party and Bullshit" by Notorious B.I.G.
-S
Friday, September 10, 2010
We are moving backwards in time
This is a band I had actually seen live before I even knew anything about them. Turns out they are from my neck of the woods too. They kind of have this psych-rock/indie rock sound that just makes them really enjoyable to listen to. The band is Apollo Sunshine. When I first heard them they were an opening band for Matisyahu at the Hatch in Boston with Atmosphere (two of my favorites). I remember they had like 5 die-hard fans just singing all their lyrics-they even had this great guitar solo where, lead guitarist Sam Cohen, gets on his knees and plays off of the feedback of the amp. At the time I was like-this is piss poor-but now I've kind of gotten in to them and would really enjoy seeing them again.
The song that I just recently heard though was "Hot Air Balloon" off of their album Katonah. It has a really weird vibe to it shifting really quickly-in a styalistic sense. Some of the melodies are a little out their and I can see some being really turned off by it but it is just so good. Parts are heavy on the electronic-almost Gameboy-like synth. Others are layered with marimbas and guitar. The vocals that in my opinion make them who they are are almost absent on this track. But this entire song is just this crazy journey that I really dig. The intro is one of the catchiest melodies I've heard in a while and really just sucks you in. Enjoy!
"Hot Air Balloon" by Apollo Sunshine from Katonah (2003) (Sorry I could only find a sample-this song is probably worth seeking out harder)
-S
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Drivin' round town with the girl I love
This song is amazing. I just called my brother and he suggested it to me. I was a little weary at first about the song based on the title. I assumed it would be just like one of those Top 40 songs that I just couldn't give a shit about. The song is called "Fuck You" by Cee-Lo Green. The song is just so amazing though I can't even tell you. It just has this classic but revamped Motown feel that you just don't hear out of popular music anymore.
-S
The lyrics are pretty great-contrary to the title. It's kind of hokey but my favorite lyric reads "Now I know, that I had to borrow/ Beg and steal and lie and cheat/Trying to keep ya, trying to please ya/'Cause being in love with you ass ain't cheap." Now I know it isn't exactly a Shakespearian sonnet, but you have to hand it to Cee-Lo Green, it's a great lyric. His voice just has that gospel feel on the track too which just works so well with the all-female chorus. The song is a complete diamond in the rough and definitely worth a listen.
"Fuck You" by Cee-Lo Green from
-S
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
I'm a boss king
This song is from a band I've already posted but its just so different from the last one I posted that I just had to. The song is "Boss King" by Blitzen Trapper. It is a little deceiving in its composition.
The song starts out with this classic guitar part mixed with harmonica that I'm such a sucker for. And as I said with my last post about Blitzen Trapper they rely heavily on that Beck-like sound of experimental alt-rock. It especially screams Beck around the 1-minute mark. It just has the Guero sound-heavy on the tambourine and bass drum to make this Mexi-Cali sound. It also has that all over the place sound that just really works for them. Its a head-banger, its folk rock, its all experimental. Enjoy!
(Sorry very anti-climactic, I had to link it from Last.Fm not from YouTube, tomorrow I promise)
-S
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Three song set
Trying something a little newer to embed songs. Going to be toying around with it for a little while, so hang in there for just a little bit while this gets figured out.
-S
Here's a little 3-song set while we try some new things:
"90210" by Wale from Attention Deficit (2009)
"Skeleton Key" by Margot and the Nuclear So and So's from The Dust Of Retreat (2006)
"We Sing In Time" by The Lonely Forest (Live-2009)
-S
Monday, September 6, 2010
Leave go my golden arm
Another simple song. I feel like the music that I've started listening to is extremely simple in the composition with a far more complex lyrical style. Heavy on the lyrical value and light on the base. More of a Bob Dylan type of song (not that his music wasn't amazing).
The song is "Put A Penny In The Slot" by Fionn Regan. The song is characterized by a punchy guitar with a very simple melody. Regan's voice ends up being fairly dry and emotionless, but with a playful lyrical tone. The story takes you on this little journey that leads you through the song. Apparently the song is a lyrical allusion to the later years of the Depression through the 1949 book "The Man With The Golden Arm." I don't really know that much about it so I won't pretend. Enjoy the song.
-S
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Sunday Soundtrack
The pleasant end to a much needed weekend, here's a couple of hits-done by others.
"Paper Planes" covered by The Pale Young Gentlemen (Go to the Related Links Section)
-S
Saturday, September 4, 2010
My day be like ooh ahh
Not sure if I posted Sufjan Stevens before but I really love his music. His music is just incredibly simple with easy beats and light guitar. He works in strings and piano and just blends it to form these delicate songs that just kind of melt in your ears (not in your hands?).
Anyway the song that I've been listening to recently is "Casimir Pulaski Day." It is so sad, definitely up there with "Tears In Heaven." The song is about a relationship between a guy and a girl who is dying of cancer. The lyrics are incredibly straight forward and its set to a simple guitar piece. Its really excellent-enjoy.
-S
Friday, September 3, 2010
Man I'm not as sharp as you
Great little acoustic-y ditty. The song is called "Safe Travels" by Peter and the Wolf. The song has a vocal style that pretty closely mimics what would be the love child of Bon Iver and The National with the dark far-away sound that both the latter bands tend to rely on.
What really makes the song interesting though is the acoustic guitar mixed with the ukelele making a very light and airy sound. Another odd device that drives the song is the oddly assorted and placed backing vocals. All in all the song is pretty short in its composition-at least for 2:27 its pretty short. Here's the track, enjoy.
-S
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Soggy
Sorry to do yet another playlist...but this is a Wednesday people, I have to get my sleep...
"Beat City" by The Flower Pot Men (A personal favorite)
-S
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Driving-Off-to-College Soundtrack
Quietish tunes for an early morning (for me) car ride. (Two of these artists are friends/alum from my very own high school! I'll leave you to guess which ones.)
--A
You're lovely
Having hall mates pays off again. The girl down the hall showed me the band Say Anything and their song "Alive With The Glory Of Love." It's a little bit whiney at times-its got that crazy alt rock angst. The song really rolls and has that rocking "fuck you" attitude that I really don't listen to that often, but now that I think about it I like that head banging feeling.
Its kind of has that 90's anthem feel as well. Along the lines of "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind. Sorry again for the short posts, I haven't really been feeling to inspired lately-or maybe college is just overwhelming.
-S
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Knowing someone you love don't feel the same way about ya
I don't think I've posted Kid Cudi before on this blog (maybe in passing). As of now, he is one of my favorite rappers. What I like most is his grounding in the indie rock sound. His music is very reliant on the track as opposed to relying heavily on his lyrical content (which is pretty amazing as well).
Take for example my newest Kid Cudi obsession, "Erase Me." The songs lyrical content is pretty great but it has that classic rock sound if you strip away the vocals. It would be a pretty good stand-alone stadium rock track. Or even his more famous song: "Pursuit Of Happiness." It has a base with the indie rock scene-the collaboration with MGMT and Ratatat helps expand the fan base and the range of his musical ability.
Not really sure where I was going with this post, but I sure do love listening to Kid Cudi.
-S
Monday, August 30, 2010
Hell, I wanna scream
Kind of a short post for today-it's been a long weekend and I need something to ease myself in to another week of classes. The song is by a band I have already posted before but I found a newish track by them. The song is "I Think I Love You" by The Guggenheim Grotto.
The song is odd for them a little bit of a departure from their softer melodies in to this country twang sound. What really gets me are the lyrics which are beautifully written (albeit a little sappy) but it is just so great. "You see it's not that I do or don't believe, it's that I just don't believe in God and aliens and love at first sight." It just sounds beautiful when paired with the steel string guitar and the drums. Mike Lynch who takes the vocal duties on this track just has a voice cut out for country music (and from an Irishman no less!) Enjoy the song and enjoy the week.
-S
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
I think you're the older brother
I found this song today and am quietly obsessed with it. The song is called "Older Brother" by California band Pepper Rabbit. The band releases their new (and first) album Beauregard on October 26th-and after hearing the first song off of the album via HypeMachine I think its going to be really excellent.
The song starts with this little eukelele solo mixed in with drums and a glockenspiel possibly. Overall the instrumentals in the song are very minimalist but it just makes it all the more clean in its composition. Then comes the vocals which are just amazing-its faded a little in the background in to an echo effect (much like the effects used by The Shins). I have not yet had a chance to really read an process the lyrics-the liner notes are still nowhere to be found. The song has this real sway to it that really demands your attention. The song lyrics from what I can hear are pretty sad. What really gets me is the refrain "And I think you're the older brother that I never had, I wish I could reach out and touch you, don't worry I'm not sad, I know you're just where you want to be" That line is just so beautiful-hopefully all of their songs will carry this lyrical weight-my anticipation for the album to come out is palpable right now.
-S
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Such a constant ache in me
Back from a long hiatus in posting! Anyway, I may have mentioned my habit of choosing one or two songs from the masses of albums I download, and letting the rest molder un-listened-to on my computer. If I haven't mentioned it, well... there it is. The plus side of the situation is that sometimes as I idly scroll through my iTunes library, I happen upon something quite nice.
That's what happened with "Complimentary Me" by Elizabeth and the Catapult, a Brooklyn-based trio. Ran across it today during some idle scrolling and was a fan from the get-go. The song's opening definitely sets the tone, with an upbeat harmonica/guitar intro that introduces the folksy, almost western feel (not unlike the stylings of London band Mumford and Sons).
It steadily gets better from there, with Elizabeth Ziman's positively lovely voice and the rollicking, toe-tapping choruses. Ziman's singing has this great clarity, with a slightly breathy edge that borders on that crack-y, riff-y, country-western vocal style (reminds me a little of Flroence Welch of Florence and the Machine). Her lyrics are sweetly perplexed, warmly sad, and altogether charming.
The only thing that bothers me about this song: in the context of the lyrics--"Oh dear me, what a strange peculiar thing that I should always see someone just like me"--doesn't she mean, Complementary Me? Hmm. We'll never know.
--A
Any way you can be found
I gotta say, the more and more music I listen to, the more similarities I find in bands of a specific genre or time. Now, some would say that songs with in a genre should be inherently similar. But often it is not in such a way that makes you think it's so similar you've heard it before. It's almost as if a formula has been laid out and just recycled over and over.
In this case, the song is "Abandon" by French Kicks (another find by fellow editor A). The song just sounds so incredibly familiar that you can almost predict its patterns, its lulls, its crescendos. On the other hand, though, it feels good every time I hear it. I don't mind the patterns; when something works, it truly works. The more I listen, the more it comes into its own... but I just feel as if I've heard it before-and that's fine, it just drives me crazy.
The song starts out with this electric guitar solo coupled with a syncopated clap that grabs you right away-cue drums-cue keyboard... now we are really vibing. However, it doesn't seem to do much from there (but like I said it works). The singer, Nick Stumpf, has this crazy loftiness to his voice (think Fleet Foxes). Granted this isn't the greatest track I've ever heard-but it is jam-worthy and slowly gaining steam on my play count right now.
-S
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Bones bones brittle little bones
This is a pretty feel-good/end-of-the-summer track from Canadian band Islands. I think I've mentioned Islands before (at least in passing or in a playlist). I first caught wind of Islands through a CD swap and frankly, wasn't all that impressed. They were a little generic and, overall, did not do it for me.
However "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby" is a pretty polished and up-beat pop track (credit to fellow editor A for digging it up). Fresh doesn't even begin to describe how the track feels. It kind of has the Brett Dennen happy thing going, and it kind of gives me a toothache in the same way Dennen does (because its way too sweet in its composition). The song also has that same "Electro-Socket Blues" (a Rogue Wave song) thing going in terms of the content of the song. "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby," as far as I can discern, is about eating disorders. The lyrics actually lean towards brilliance: "total void tells me stories/sometimes they make me sorry," sings Nick Diamonds, Islands frontman.
The song is great-enjoy the last bit of summer.
-S
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
He wants to eat to live
Finally the whole new people/new music thing is paying off. The band is called Man Man. At first I was not sure what to think about them. They were described as a vaudevillian viking drunk jazz band-still not sure what that means (my best guess was a combo of Mika, Sigur Ros, and Soul Coughing). Sadly (or maybe thankfully) it fell in to none of those categories.
The song is called Rabbit Habits, and to be perfectly honest I didn't really get the whole intro to the music video so I won't even post it (that is how incredibly uncomfortable it made me for some reason). It has the piano and brass section combo going for it that sounds if anything like this uplifting early morning street music feel. As for the vocals they really just rock this track. I'm not sure what it is about their singer Honus Honus (a pseudonym). His voice just gets you and pulls you in, and, from there, never lets go. Besides those two kind of weak points I'm not sure what it is about the song that really just pulls me in. Enjoy!
-S
Monday, August 23, 2010
Well all I want is to just be free
Couldn't think of what I was going to write about. I haven't really interacted with too many people when it comes to conversations about music. So I'll play a song that I heard about a while back and have been meaning to download/post.
The first song I heard a couple weeks ago on a drive for some late night fast-food. The DJ gets on and says he is going to play a song that was forgotten by the passing of time. It is a pretty archetypal rock song from the late 60's. The song is called "Pushin' Too Hard" by The Seeds. It has the slightest tendency to sound a little bit Doors'y. The lyrics aren't really much to marvel at but its the guitar that sticks out. The rhythm section is pretty basic throughout the song but the lead guitar has these tiny little surf-rock interludes that adds a flavor to the song that takes it out of the realm of the ordinary. They also use these really pleasant harmonies towards the end of their chorus which makes the song what it is.
Now this is a band that I know very little about so I had to trust my personal music bible-wikipedia. Despite what teachers say it is an extremely useful source for finding band info and biographies. What they say is that the band is from the L.A. area which makes sense considering their surf-rock sound. But whats more interesting is the fact that they are considered one of the founders of the garage and punk rock sound (as made famous by the Seattle area music scene).
See, its bands like The Seeds that really make doing this interesting. I find out information that I would normally never have use for or the need to find. I always thought the punk rock sound was an invention of the late 70's and early 80's but it was pioneered as early as the late 60's. That is why I do this-to learn and hopefully help the 10's of people that read this learn a little something.
-S
Sunday, August 22, 2010
I don't do too much talking
First day of college is done-and I am tired as shit. I won't get in to it too much as I have been away for the whole summer (those playlists don't really count in my book as posts). The only note is that the girl down the hall listens to Tegan and Sara, Death Cab, and The Mountain Goats so that could be a goldmine of new music but I assume the radio station will afford me the same opportunity.
Some may say I've already posted this song but I could not pass up an opportunity to post this version. I promise I am not obsessed with the song, I just think it has really stood the test of time.
I guess the first post to kick off the summer will be ripped straight from one of the blogs that I read. This comes straight from DailyBeatz (its ok to repost one of their songs considering they scooped me by only a few hours on some song a couple months back.) The song is a remix of a Nico song (of Andy Warhol superstar "fame"). I first heard her music in the movie The Royal Tenenbaums, the song was These Days, the cinematography was great, and more so I found Nico's voice haunting. So as you can assume I was excited to see someone had remixed the song. In this case by Japanese Electro/Acid-Jazz artist Shinichi Osawa.
The song begins the same with the same iconic rhythm guitar but then quickly diverges into an entirely different experience that runs rampant with vamping and excessive loops. For the most part that is the only change but a tiny change like that coupled with the drum beat and a few synth affects turns the song into another genre and another league. It is with this that I think a song can be given a face-lift to go better with the times. By no means is this a club beat and remix, but it gives it a fresh feel with a song that after a while sounds a little dated. Enjoy the track and be sure (if you haven't already) to listen to the original.
"These Days" by Nico remixed by Shinichi Osawa
(I could not find it on YouTube but here is the link to the DailyBeatz post)
-S
Fun Fact: The song was originally written by Jackson Browne and done by Gregg Allman and Elliot Smith as well (all three versions are very different interpretations)
Monday, August 16, 2010
Last Day Off
My summer ends this coming Saturday then it is off to Ohio.
MY SUMMER SOUNDTRACK Pt. IX
-S
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
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