A Song For The Day

Rolling in the Deep :: Adele

2011-03-08T15:32:00.001-05:00

I love this song. I cannot adequately express how much I love Adele's music in general. I was hooked on her first album, 19, when it came out a few years back and I am just as impressed by her most recent album, 21.

Adele's voice is just incredible. I know some people have compared her to Amy Winehouse and found her lacking, but I don't think this is the case at all.

I should get back to work so I'll keep this brief. Check it out, Rolling in the Deep.

Red Cave :: Yeasayer

2010-09-24T10:59:00.016-04:00

So apparently there's this band Yeasayer and I thought I wasn't super into their music so I didn't really pay much attention to their stuff.

Then I go to an LVC event and one of the houses sings an acapella version of Red Cave and I am hooked. The song is in my head for days, and I can't figure out where the song came from. Is it an old folk tune? Is it from some communist song book? Then I finally hit on the right combination of search words and find out that it's by Yeasayer off their old album "All Hour Cymbals," how embarrassing for me!

Regardless, it's an excellent song. The song is structured in a round, and there's something almost primal about It reminds me of singing with your head thrown back at the top of your lungs under a starry night sky on a crisp fall night around a fire with your nearest and dearest. For you listening pleasure I've included links to both a live version of the song and the actual recording. I was tempted to provide you with multiple versions of the song live, but then I remembered that I am not the only one who can use youtube, and you might not be as hooked on the song as I am.

Lyrics

I went out past the willow and the well
caught my breath upon the hill
at the edge of the domain

and I went down
and further down
and when I got up,
I'm at the red cave

and with that sound
as if I had been put under a spell
she led me to her whirlpool
warm despite a winter's day

Mary's house in the hollow of the
white hazel rapid whirlpool
and the church of the red cave

I'm so blessed to
have spent that time
with my family and the friends
I love with my short life i have met
so many people I deeply care for

I'm so blessed to
have spent that time
with my family and the friends
I love with my short life I have met
so many people I deeply care for

The Ooks of Hazard :: Kids (MGMT Cover)

2010-09-20T11:26:00.002-04:00

I really enjoy this group! One of my students sent me a link to see the video, and then it was passed on again to me by a fellow staff member. There's something pretty magical about a bunch of older folks covering MGMT's popular hit, "Kids" ON UKULELES!

Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy this song and hopefully this group will put out some more fabulous covers and originals :) Until then, I'll keep listening to this one.

Bitches Ain't Shit :: Dr. Dre (Adapted by Bacchantae)

2010-09-15T07:59:00.003-04:00

It's not often that I can listen to rap music that is highly misogynist and get a laugh out of it, but the women over at Columbia University that form the A Capella group Bacchantae have gotten quite the chuckle out of me this morning.

I happened upon this post over at Sociological Images this morning and felt it appropriate to return to the blogosphere with this share.

This group managed to take a song so violent towards women and put a mirror up in the face of misogyny. They make a mockery of the objectification of women and perhaps the more people who listen to this genre of music can find a way to listen to something that doesn't support being a jerk - to put it nicely...

I hope they get just as many views on YouTube as Lady Gaga got for "Bad Romance"!

Enjoy :)

Shape Up :: Total Babe

2010-09-14T14:43:00.001-04:00

Shape Up by Total Babe

Well hey there world. We've all been sadly remiss in our blogging. I figure life happens, people get busy, blogging drops by the wayside. However, the time is ripe for our grand return to the blogosphere. Who knows, maybe we'll even venture out into the twitterverse.

Today I bring you the tune "Shape Up" by local Minneapolis band Total Babe. These folks played at the Twin Cities Avengers Glamboree fundraiser back in the early spring and totally stole the show. Since then, they've been busy getting rave reviews in all sorts of places, from the City Pages to Bust magazine. If you happen to be in the Twin Cities, they'll be playing at First Ave with Jeremy Messersmith and Chastity Brown coming up on September 18th at 6pm.

"Shape Up" has an amazingly catchy hook, but as a deficient whistler I'm impressed by anyone that can whistle a tune. Listen for the perfectly complimentary violin arrangement, a common thread through all of Total Babe's music. For more metaphorically minded musical descriptions, scroll on down through the Total Babe myspace page and read all those rave reviews.

Life is Good Blues - Laura Viers

2010-03-14T00:37:00.010-05:00

I've heard her name dropping all around me lately, and in the last 24 hours I've fallen head over heals into her music and can't seem to find my way out. This is the first I've seen what she looks like. It has been hard to imagine the face of someone who is thinking and composing the way she is.

This one is killing me I'm learning to play it before it succeeds.

Jailer :: Asa

2009-06-12T00:07:00.004-04:00

I'm rather surprised at how awesome some of the music is at Starbucks. Every once in a while, I catch myself jamming out to their playlist. And then the barista fucks up my shit when they ask for my order--"welcome to Starbucks, how can I help you today?" I mean, you can help me by letting me finish out my last step ball change, for real...

But in seriousness, I was pleasantly surprised a few weeks ago when Starbucks gave me Asa's "Jailer" as a promotional gift (yay recession!) The song has a really good political message, but it doesn't make me want to sob in the way that Tracy Chapman does.

Check out her live performance below or the offical music video:

Lyrics:
Am in chains you’re in chains too I wear uniforms, you wear uniforms too Am a prisoner, you’re a prisoner too Mr Jailer

I have fears you have fear too I will die, you sef go die too Life is beautiful don’t you think so too Mr Jailer

Am talking to you jailer Stop calling me a prisoner Let he who is without sin- Be the first to cast the stone Mr Jailer

You suppress all my strategy You oppress every part of me What you don’t know, you’re a victim too Mr Jailer

You don’t care about my point of view If I die another will work for you So you threat me like a modern slave Mr Jailer

You don’t care about my point of view If I die another will work for you So you threat me like a modern slave Mr Jailer

If you walking in a market place Don’t throw stones Even if you do you just might hit One of your own Life is not about your policies All the time So you better rearrange your Philosophies and be good to your fellow man jailer

I hear my baby say I wan be president I wan chop money From my government What he don’t know Be say Mr Jailer

Don't Know Why (You Stay) :: Essex Green

2009-06-03T13:58:00.004-04:00

Essex Green is an indie-pop band based in Vermont. This song, "Don't Know Why (You Stay)" played on Pandora and caught my ear.

It's got catchy lyrics, some rhythmic syncopation, and I love the subtle harmony on the chorus. Happy Wednesday!

Jonté :: Bitch You Betta

2009-05-28T14:42:00.013-04:00

AND GENDERFUCKING?

A friend sent me this song, and I immediately knew I had to blog about it. He needs no introduction, however. You know Jonté through his choreography in Beyonce's Freakum Dress.

The only accurate description I can give Jonté is fierce. There's all sorts of gender-transgressive work being done here in both dance and dress. His HX magazine interview in late March 09 described him and his choreography as unapologetically fem. Nigel Lythgoe, famed for his homophobic, transphobic, and sexist comments as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, would explode if he ever saw Jonté's artistry.

Now after watching the music video 28 times, I realize there's nothing particularly spectacular about the song, or his vocal skills. Full disclosure: I haven't heard his other songs, but the excerpt of Candy Sweets on his Myspace page sounds promising.

What I love about it is the shameless genderfucking throughout the video. The only time he presents as male is in the 16 seconds at 1:00 through 1:16. That clip shows male dancers, wearing "dude clothes," moving in what is traditionally recognized as masculine dance. But even those precious 16 seconds is queered in the way he says:

back up cuz i'm black and i'll give your ass an attack bitch, you try and come on crack your face can make you look wack cuz you really up to that i am really cute in that i am in high heels you're in flats

I mean, yes, he really did just say, "I'm in high heels, you're in flats." And come on, he's in bright blue skinny jeans! My favorite example of his gender-transgressions is at 1:56, where he's donned a pink, nearly bottomless, 1-piece, thing (I don't even know how to describe it!), doing the infamous Beyonce booty-bounce, talking about how he's going to "make your pussy pop." At 1:56, he has two women in flower-print bathing suits drumming on Jonté's crotch, heralding an orgasmic (CGI) explosion.

What's interesting is that Jonte has appropriated this hyperbolically feminine gender expression, which is no barrier to his song and dance servicing the sexual needs of his female partners. To me, it reads as a clever critique of representations of girl-on-girl love. That despite the theatrics, costumes, and the flying cats, the final thing the clip cuts to is the orgasmic CGI explosion--marking sex as the focal point for your attention, not the caricatures of femininity and lesbian sexuality.

To some degree, however, I have to also believe that not all is queered. Jonté, in fact, protects part of his hetero or homo normative identity at 1:00 - 1:16 by presenting (in both dance and dress) masculinely. When he says, "back up cuz i'm black, and i'll give your ass an attack." I mean, butt sex? or is it vagina sex? With a nebulous audience, Jonté can enjoy an unidentifiable sexual identity, which demonstrates the limits to which he participates as a genderfucker. Secondly, his appropriation of feminine gender expressions can be read as an affront to female identities. But more importantly, in the pussy-pop clip, Jonté is still a male bodied individual providing sexual pleasure (i.e., "i'm gon' make yo pussy tickle") as opposed to approaching sex as a mutual experience.

And I've not even thought about how "bitch" is used in the song, or how Jonté is racialized in the video. Nonetheless, the song is fun even past its layers.

Caroline Smith and The Good Night Sleeps :: Closing the Doors

2009-05-21T11:35:00.003-04:00

Caroline Smith and The Good Night Sleeps :: Closing the Doors

For those of you who enjoy good female vocal leads and instrumentals that make you wanna dance with someone, this is your group. I have been hearing Caroline Smith and The Good Night Sleeps on 89.3 The Current for quite sometime now, but I always confused them with the musical stylings of Ingrid Michaelson. However, this morning, I was paying attention and learned the real name of the group who has been signing a song I can't get out of my head as of late. I also learned that they're based in Minneapolis - which means I am so going to see them when they're next in town :)

Thus begins our summer music circuit. I hope you all enjoy this new group as much as I do!

Happy Thursday!
The end.
Love,
Meggo

The Major Lift :: Years

2009-05-20T12:27:00.004-04:00

"The Major Lift" is purely instrumental track that just reeks of optimism. This song had me from the first brass fanfare. I'm a french horn player on a year long sabbatical, so I'm a complete sucker for a great brass line.

"Years" is a project by Ohad Benchetrit of Broken Social Scene and Do Make Say Think. I'm not sure the best way to describe the music. Words like orchestral-avant-indie-rock come to mind.

Here's "The Major Lift," the next embedded player down has all the tracks of the self-titled album "Years" in it.

Enjoy!!

The Major Lift - Years

Years

Animal Collective :: My Girls

2009-05-20T09:37:00.004-04:00

Animal Collective :: My Girls

This isn't the first time we've blogged about Animal Collective, but it's been a while, so hopefully you'll enjoy this particular jam. I have heard this song a couple of times now on The Current, 89.3 and today it has brought me out of my blogging hiatus. This song is really great for a variety of reasons, which I will list now!

1. It is incredibly simple - from the repetitive lyrics (which only have 3 versus), to the uncomplicated melody, to the basic background beat, to the texturing of the background keyboards.

2. This video is weird and that is why I enjoy it, plain and simple :)

3. The genre of music they create has been labeled as "freak folk" and "noise pop".

4. Instead of saying "wife" or "husband", they say "spouse" and I like that. It also rhymes with "house", which is probably why they used it...or is it???

So, please enjoy this song - and add it to your list of summer jams '09!

The end.
Love,
Meggo
---

---

Animal Collective :: My Girls

Is it much to admit I need
A solid soul and the blood I bleed
With a little girl, and by my spouse
I only want a proper house

I don't care for fancy things
Or to take part in a precious race
And children cry for the one who has
A real big heart and a father's grace

I don't mean to seem like I care about material things like a social status
I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls

Pretty Wings :: Maxwell

2009-05-15T21:17:00.002-04:00

It's true, I'm a recent Maxwell convert, thanks in no small part to my dear colleague and friend, Paula-Raye. My god, this man just has the sweetest voice.

After an 8 year break, Maxwell dropped "Pretty Wings" in late April 2009 in preparation for his July 4th album release: BLACKsummer'snight (pre-Order here).

The song "sings"--if you will--for itself, telling the story of the purest form of innocent love in spite of life's reality. It's refreshing against today's pop, auto-tuned contrivances a la T-Pain. And even more so, the lyrics carry a narrative in the way only a neo-soul artist can tell. Maxwell reminds me of the time when talent mattered. Not to mention the fact that the music video was so well-done.

The man has me hooked. Hope you enjoy it!

Lyrics:
Time will bring the real end of our trial
One day there'll be no remnants
No trace no residual feelings within ya
one day you won't remember me

Your face will be the reason I smile
But I will not see what I can not have forever
I'll always love ya I hope u feel the same

Oh you played me dirty your game was so bad
You toyed with my affliction had to fill out my prescription
Found the remedy I had to set u free

Away from me
To see clearly the way that love can be
When you are not with me
I had to leave, I have to live
I had to lead, I had to live

Chorus
If I cant have you let love set you free
To fly your pretty wings around
pretty wings your pretty wings
your pretty wings your pretty wings around

I came wrong You were right
Transformed your love into a lie
Baby believe me I'm sorry I told you lies
I turned day into night
Sleepless, I died a thousand times
I should've chose you
Better nights Better times Better Days
I miss you more and more

Repeat Chorus

Pretty Wings Pretty Wings
Pretty Wings Pretty Wings
Pretty Wings Pretty Wings
Pretty Wings Pretty Wings

For the Taste :: Black Blondie

2009-05-14T12:01:00.002-04:00

Black Blondie is a local Minneapolis band that plays alternative/experimental/R&B music (that's a self-description off of myspace, folks).

Highlights:
Lead singer Samahra's amazing vocals, snarly lyrics and riot grrl attitude.
Drummer Kahlil Brewington's extremely effortless sounding rhythms that subtly push the songs forward, completely setting the tone of the songs blending perfectly with bassist Liz Draper and Tasha Baron's sexy keyboard/organ/synth parts she creates without using samples.
The songs meander through genres, sometimes reminiscent of 60s motown, then shifting into 80s synth pop, sliding into eerie gritty ambient R&B.

Okay. I'm done exploring pitchfork-y descriptions of music.

I think Black Blondie are awesome, and you should check out their new CD "Do You Remember Who You Want to Be?" OR if you are free and able to get over to the Electric Fetus, they are playing live at the Electric Fetus tonight, May 14th at 6:30pm. You can also catch them next weekend at the Memory Lanes Block Party, right by Pi (rest in peace).

Black Blondie

Sabali :: Amadou & Mariam

2009-05-10T22:20:00.004-04:00

Ooh, so I'm a naughty music blogger. I've been all caught up lately in my other blogging project, Affairs of Living. Since food is only slightly more vital to life than music, that blog has been taking priority lately.

But I'm back! And I will try to write more often! Hell, I'll try to write at all. I don't think I've posted since sometime late last year... yikes.

Okay, there's a lot of great stuff out there right now. The Decemberists, Beirut, White Rabbits, Grizzly Bear, Hot Chip, Andrew Bird, P.O.S., Camera Obscura, The Bird and the Bee, oh my where to begin, and that's just a start.

I'm going to choose something just slightly less expected, and go for a song from the latest album from Amadou & Mariam, the legendary husband and wife duo from Mali.
Fellow blogger Aimée introduced me to Amadou & Mariam last year; she sent me back from Decorah with a burned copy of their 2005 album Dimanche à Bamako for the ride home. I fell in love and listened to it oh-so-often.
Then not long after, I started hearing tracks from their latest album, Welcome to Mali, and it was just released in March. While I really dig the whole album, I'm highlighting the first track, "Sabali". It is so beautiful. I love the way the way it builds, the sparkling electronic beats with the light, shimmery vocals, leading into the crazy arpeggios and trancy vocals. Watch the video, Mariam so beautiful, and get lost in the sound.

I hope you enjoyed!

Feeling Good :: Nina Simone

2009-05-04T22:11:00.001-04:00

Amazing!

Birds
flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Reeds driftin on by you know how I feel

(refrain:)
Its a new dawn
Its a new day
Its a new life
For me
And Im feeling good

Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom in the tree you know how I feel

(refrain)

Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, dont you know
Butterflies all havin fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
Thats what I mean

And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me

Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel

Road to Nowhere :: David Byrne

2009-05-04T00:09:00.001-04:00

David Byrne is simply amazing. This is a live version of an old Talking Heads song "Road to Nowhere."

Do Me Wrong :: Roll Deep feat. Janee

2009-05-01T16:40:00.003-04:00

I'm not one to look into the cultural histories of music. If a song has an interesting beat, or intriguing lyrics, then I'm in--which is why this song caught my attention. It's electronic backdrop mixed in with hip-hop/rap vocals was hot, but it also made me wonder. It turns out that Roll Deep is the poster child of what seems like the latest evolution in music: grime.

Grime is a UK based form of music that grew out of house and trance. Like house and trance, grime relies on electronic sounds, and synths. Unlike house an trance, however, grime has a lower and slower bass line and is popularly produced by London's hip-hop and rap scene.

Now what's striking is the re-appropriation of culture happening here. Kenyon Farrow writes that house music originated in underground scenes of urban black Americans in the '70's. But through the 90's, Russell Simmons, and the other godfathers of modern day hip-hop stripped house of the soul that it was so characterized with, and replaced that with the now popular sounds of rap: intensified beats, bass, and rhymes. That sound was picked up in Europe, which was then restripped and refitted with a crooning female vocalist, and electronic beats and synths, which is what we hear in today's U.S. gay clubs--a space often less visited by our black gay brothers and sisters.

Grime appears to be yet another fold within this history of music. Black rap and hip-hop artists seem to be reclaiming house music to create yet another vein of artistic innovation. Even more interesting is the way this sort of cross-pollination of culture and ideas has spanned across so many identities: from poor urban African Americans, to middle class gay white men, to Western Europeans--identities that have not always socially or politically aligned with each other. It's just so interesting that we can find pleasure in the luxury of music across groups of different people--people who often times hate each other. Well, I suppose that's a different post.

Anyway. I hope you enjoy the song!

When Love Takes Over :: David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland

2009-04-30T23:45:00.006-04:00

I first came across this song on Concrete Loop a few days ago, and immediately new that gay men will be tripping over their own fabulosity to dance to this song. The product of a trans-Atlantic collaboration between the U.S. not-quite-diva Kelly Rowland, and the creative genius of French DJ David Guetta, the song relies on the same tired beats, rhythms, and synth foundations that have made techno nearly indistinguishable from within the genre.

But the song is in ascendance. Any song that croons over the complications of love laid on a bed of danceable beats is a win for gay men, partly because this is the narrative of the western [ho]mo: that no love is greater than their own dance party. Well, that's true for me at least.

Watch out--this song will spread like wildfire. Enjoy!

Lyrics:
Its complicated, it always is

That’s just the way it goes
Feels like the way it is so long for this
I wonder if it shows
And under water now i can breath
It never felt so good
Cause i can feel it coming over me
I wouldn’t stop it if i could

Chorus
When love takes over yeaaah
You know you can’t deny
When love takes over yeaaah
‘Cause something’s here tonight

Give me a reason I gotta know
Do you feel it too?
Cant you see me here on overload
And this time I blame you
Hmm looking out for you to hold my hand
It feels like I could fall
Now love me right, like I know you can
We could lose it all

Chorus
When love takes over yeaaah
You know you can’t deny
When love takes over yeaaah
Cause something’s here tonight

(tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight ....)

I'll be loving all the time, it's true
Cause I want to make it right with you

When love takes over, when love takes over
When love takes over, when love takes over ...
Over, over, over ....

Chorus
When love takes over yeaaah
You know you can’t deny
When love takes over yeaaah
‘Cause something’s here tonight

Alarm :: Mucca Pazza

2009-04-30T11:34:00.004-04:00

Possibly the coolest marching band ever. Hat tip to my friend Z for sharing them with me.

Mucca Pazza is a self-described circus-punk marching band from Chicago. They have electric guitars, violins, mandolins and accordions in addition to the typical marching band fare of trumpets, saxophones, tubas, trombones, and drum line. They also have cheerleaders?

While the videos are awesome and definitely show the hijinks and shenanigans that Mucca Pazza gets up to, I recommend checking out their website for some high quality audio delight. You can also check out their myspace page if that suits your internet surfing style better. I highly recommend them for listening at work, on the bus, while cooking and while blogging at work when you're supposed to be doing other things. Their repertoire ranges from Balkan-brass to covers of 60s television show themes as well as themes from Shostakovich and Bartok.

For those of you who are fans of the TV show Weeds, Mucca Pazza's song "Borino Oro" was featured in an episode in season 4.

Fan made music video for the song "Alarm"

Performing at Lollapalooza

At Rothbury.

Here's their NY tour video.

Beats Antique

2009-04-26T14:58:00.001-04:00

http://www.beatsantique.com/

Pulling on a Line - Great Lake Swimmers

2009-04-16T10:31:00.003-04:00

This song makes me wish I could play the banjo. The video also makes me wish that when I ran around in the woods, there were lamps with funky lampshades on them.

This is the song "Pulling on a Line" by Great Lake Swimmers. They're folksy-indie rock Canadians. I can't find the lyrics already posted online, but the lyrics aren't hard to pick out.

Bad Kids :: Black Lips

2009-04-13T21:56:00.000-04:00

I love these guys! You can sing along.

Roxette

2009-04-12T21:46:00.002-04:00

I stumbled across some old Roxette videos on YouTube... holy hell they were good! They prove that all awesome pop-rock music comes from Sweden. I am totally in love with these guys again.

Their wikipedia has some interesting facts about them- for example, they tried for a good five years to break into the US market, to no avail. How did they get in? An American exchange student from MINNEAPOLIS brought their single for "The Look" from Sweden to KDWB (that shitty pop station we have here). KDWB started playing it, people started calling in saying "What was that???" And they passed the tape on to other radio stations. This was all before "The Look" had even been released in the US. So yay for the strong Minnesota-Scandinavia ties.

Here are their four number one hits:

"The Look"

"Joyride"

"Listen to Your Heart"

"It Must Have Been Love"

Roxette - New Music - More Music Videos

Love of Our Lives :: Indigo Girls

2009-04-03T13:54:00.004-04:00

Love of Our Lives :: Indigo Girls
Poseidon and the Bitter Bug

I know that it has been FOREVER since I last posted, but with the great news of marriage equality in my home away from home state, Iowa, I just had to celebrate with a little Indigo Girls action - from their newly released cd Poseidon and the Bitter Bug (which is pretty fucking awesome if you ask me)...

I am newly refreshed from my blogging haitus, so expect more delicious tunes to come!

Until then, enjoy - on loop, with the windows down and the speakers blaring!!!!!

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

Love of Our Lives :: Indigo Girls

I open my hands to see what you've got.
My days slip like coins into a slot they are gone.
The shadows lie long.
I've been banking on a broken machine, left unattended like most of dreams.
Rusted components of an unmarked song.

We've been staring down the brilliant dream, the sun burns our eyes.
We've been fighting for the love of our lives.

All around us things come apart.
Broken pieces broken hearts.
Fix me, oil me, match me with the next best thing.
Person to person or nation to nation.
Heels dug in, no communication.
Wily time sneaks her weathering.

We've been waiting to be held by binding ties.
We've been fighting for the love of our lives.

And when it breaks down, I beg you don't go.
I circle your ship, I'm ready to blow.
Try to outflank you with an army of words, I strategize.
I am fighting for the love of my life.

Iron, water and oxygen, scotch and soda or any combination.
Starts the reaction.
Is there no mastermind of modern day who can blueprint a plan to make love stay.
Sturdy and weatherproof, ushering in a new revolution.

At the drawing board the hopeful ones still try.
How can we help it when we're fighting for the love of our lives?

White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes

2009-04-02T14:01:00.003-04:00

So I know these guys might be old hat for many of you, but I just heard of them and heard then last night and now I can't get this song out of my head!

I was following the pack
all swallowed in their coats
with scarves of red tied ’round their throats
to keep their little heads
from fallin’ in the snow
And I turned ’round and there you go
And, Michael, you would fall
and turn the white snow red as strawberries
in the summertime

You Oughtta Know :: Beyonce????

2009-03-27T18:56:00.001-04:00

I approve of this cover!!! Oh wow.

Destroy Everything You Touch :: Ladytron

2009-03-24T21:26:00.002-04:00

Ladytron - New Music - More Music Videos

Not Fair :: Lily Allen

2009-03-22T10:28:00.001-04:00

Lily Allen's ode to partners who are sweethearts but selfish in bed.

oh he treats me with respect he says he loves me all the time
he calls me fifteen times a day he likes to make sure that I'm fine
you know I've never met a man whose made me feel quite so secure
hes not like all them other boys they're all so dumb and immature

there's just one thing that's getting in the way
when we go up to bed you're just not good it's such a shame
I look into your eyes I want to get to know you
and then you make this noise and its apparent it's all over

it's not fair and I think your really mean
I think your really mean
yes I think your really mean

oh your supposed to care but you never make me scream
you never make me scream

oh it's not fair and it's really not ok
it's really not ok
it's really not ok

oh your supposed to care but all you do is take
all you do is take

well I lie here in the wet patch in the middle of the bed
I'm feeling pretty hard done by, I spent ages giving head
then I remember all the nice things that you've ever said to me
maybe I'm just overreacting, maybe your the one for me

there's just one thing that's getting in the way
when we go up to bed you're just not good it's such a shame
I look into your eyes I want to get to know you
and then you make this noise and its apparent it's all over

it's not fair and I think your really mean
I think your really mean
yes I think your really mean

oh your supposed to care but you never make me scream
you never make me scream

oh it's not fair and it's really not ok
it's really not ok
it's really not ok

oh your supposed to care but all you do is take
all you do is take

Love Lockdown :: Kanye West

2009-03-22T10:01:00.003-04:00

I'm kind of into Kanye West's new stuff, from 808's and Heartbreak. It's such a departure for him, it's so stark. People have criticized him for singing instead of rapping, and for using weird vocal-distortion effects, but I really like it.

I think Kanye West is a total egomaniac, but he truly is an artist, and I can respect him for what he does. He makes me think of Peter Gabriel for some reason.

This video is pretty stunning. It makes me think of ancestors and blank canvasses and love and stuff. Oh yeahhhh.

Kanye West - New Music - More Music Videos

I'm not lovin' you the way I wanted to
What I had to do, had to run from you
I'm in love with you but the vibe is wrong
And that haunted me all the way home

So you never know, never never know
Never know enough, 'til it's over, love
'Til we lose control, system overload
Screamin', "No, no, no, n-no!?

I'm not lovin' you the way I wanted to
See I wanna move but can't escape from you
So I keep it low, keep a secret code
So everybody else don't have to know

So keep your love locked down, your love locked down
Keepin' your love locked down, your love locked down
I keep your love locked down, your love locked down
I keep your love locked down, you lose

I'm not lovin' you the way I wanted to
I can't keep my cool, so I keep it true
I got somethin' to lose, so I gotta move
I can't keep myself and still keep you too

So I keep in mind when I'm on my own
Somewhere far from home, in the danger zone
How many times did I tell ya ?for it finally got through?
You lose, you lose

I'm not lovin' you the way I wanted to
See I had to go, see I had to move
No more wastin' time, you can't wait for life
We're just racin? time, where's the finish line?

So keep your love locked down, your love locked down
Keepin' your love locked down, your love locked down
I keep your love locked down, your love locked down
I keep your love locked down, you lose

I'm not lovin' you the way I wanted to
I bet no one knew, I got no one new
Know I said I'm through, but got love for you
But I'm not lovin' you the way I wanted to

Gotta keep it goin', keep the lovin' goin'
Keep it on a roll, only God knows
If I be with you, baby I'm confused
You choose, you choose

I'm not lovin' you the way I wanted to
Where I wanna go, I don't need you
I've been down this road, too many times before
I'm not lovin' you the way I wanted to

So keep your love locked down, your love locked down
Keepin' your love locked down, your love locked down
I keep your love locked down, your love locked down
I keep your love locked down, you lose
You lose, you lose, you lose, you lose

Right as Rain :: Adele

2009-03-19T12:32:00.007-04:00

Brief post today. Adele is a very very talented 20 year old musician from England who's been on the rise. Her first album, 19, is a wonderful collection of indie soul music. Most of the songs are about heartbreak; even so they aren't terribly depressing musically. "Right as Rain" for example, makes me want to dance around the kitchen when it plays even though the lyrics are fairly sad. In addition to "Right as Rain" I've included a bonus video of the song "Melt My Heart to Stone."

Who wants to be right as rain
It's better
When something is wrong
You get excitement in your bones
And everything you do's a game
When night comes
And you're all on your own
You can say I chose to be alone
Who wants to be right as rain
It's harder when you're on top.

Cause when hard work
Don't pay off
And I'm tired there aint no room in my bed
As far as I'm concerned so
Wipe that dirty smile off we
Won't be making up I've cried my heart out
And now
I've had enough of love

Who wants to be riding high
When you'll just crumble
Back on down
You give up everything you are
And even then you don't get far
They make believe that everything
Is exactly what it seems
But at least
When you're at your worst
You know how to feel things.

See when hard work don't pay off
And I'm tired there ain't no room in my bed
As far as I'm concerned so
Wipe that dirty smile off we
Won't be making up
I've cried my heart out
And now
I've had enough of love

Go ahead and still my heart
To make me cry again
Cause it will never hurt
As much as it did then when
We were both right
And no one had blame
But now I give up
On this endless game.

Cause who wants to be right as rain
It's better
When something is wrong
I get excitement
In my bones
Even though
Everything's a strain
When night comes
And I'm on my own
You should know I
Chose to be alone
So who wants to be
Right as rain
It's harder
When you're on top

Cause when hard work
Don't pay off
And I'm tired there ain't no room in my bed
As far as I'm concerned so
Wipe that dirty smile off we
Won`t be making up
I`ve cried my heart out
And now
I've had enough of

No room in my bed
As far as I'm concerned so
Wipe that dirty smile off we
Won`t be making up
I`ve cried my heart out
And now
I've had enough of love

Right under my feet there's air made of bricks
Pulls me down turns me weak for you
I find myself repeating like a broken tune
And I'm forever excusing your intentions
And I give in to my pretendings
Which forgive you each time
Without me knowing
They melt my heart to stone

And I hear your words that I made up
You say my name like there could be an us
I best tidy up my head I'm the only one in love
I'm the only one in love

Each and every time I turn around to leave
I feel my heart begin to burst and bleed
So desperately I try to link it with my head
But instead I fall back to my knees
As you tear your way right through me
I forgive you once again
Without me knowing
You've burnt my heart to stone

And I hear your words that I made up
You say my name like there could be an us
I best tidy up my head I'm the only one in love
I'm the only one in love

Why do you steal my hand
Whenever I'm standing my own ground
You build me up, then leave me dead

Well I hear your words you made up
So I say your name like there could be an us
I best tidy up my head I'm the only one in love
I'm the only one in love.

white as diamonds : alela diane

2009-03-11T10:20:00.004-04:00

I am getting so ready and excited for spring. I'm done with winter, apparently winter isn't done with me though.
I was recently at the LVC mid-year retreat, and started thinking of songs that remind me of spring. This is one of my recent musical acquisitions, Alela Diane of Nevada City, CA. This song is off her new CD "To Be Still" which was released this February.
She reminds me a little of Joanna Newsom. Her voice doesn't really doesn't like Joanna Newsom's, but her music does.
This particular song reminds me of watching snow melt and fall off pine trees like rain while geese fly by overhead.

I’ve known mornings
white as diamonds
silent from a night so cold
such a stillness
calm as the owl glides
Our lives are buried in snow

Ouuuuhh whooooa whoooooa (2x)

I was sifting through the piles
in my hand a tangled thread each patient tug upon the snarl
is a glimpse of what has been

Ouuuuhh whooooa whoooooa (2x)

Burdened bands gain strong hands
gaping holes where diamonds should be
must have been morning that stole them
a glint of white in the pocket of winter

Ouuuuhh whooooa whoooooa (2x)

And some hearts are ghosts settling down in dark waters
Just as silt grows heavy and drowns with the stones

Some hearts are ghosts settling down in dark waters
Just as silt grows heavy and drowns with the stones

Ouuuuhh whooooa whoooooa (2x)

I’ve known mornings
white as diamonds
silent from a night so cold
such a stillness
calm as the owl glides
our lives are buried in snow
our lives are buried in snow

Silver Spring :: Fleetwood Mac

2009-03-10T20:39:00.002-04:00

Last Wednesday I was able to go to see Fleetwood Mac at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. I feel like any review of I could write of the concert would fall short of how fantastic it was, so I think I'll just take this opportunity to share with you all my favorite Fleetwood Mac song. It was also the second encore and last song of the night: Silver Spring.

As with a lot of other classic rock bands, I never had much exposure to Fleetwood Mac besides hearing them on in the background at the bowling alley. I got my real introduction to this band through my job only about a year ago. I write the closed captioning for TV shows, and once in a while I get to do something awesome like a video of Fleetwood Mac's 1997 tour. While captioning it, I actually had to pay attention to their lyrics rather than just nod my head along to the songs I kind of knew, like the infectiously upbeat Don't Stop.

Listening to Silver Spring for the first time, I realized this band can jam so much into a six-minute song. It starts with the wistful tinkering on the piano before Stevie Nicks starts singing lyrics that evoke true disappointment in a failed romance. If that was all there was to the song, it would still be pretty, but kind of flat. Instead, there's also this strong, righteous anger that says "We could have been great together. How dare you dump me?"

This is the only breakup song that has ever made me sigh out loud but say quietly to myself, "I know exactly what you mean."

Silver Spring
You could be my silver spring
Blue green colors flashing
I would be your only dream
Your shining ocean crashing
And did you say she was pretty?
And did you say that she loves you?
Baby I don't want to know

I begin not to love you
Turn around, see me running
I say I loved you years ago
Tell myself you never loved me... no
And did you say she was pretty?
And did you say that she loves you?
Baby I don't want to know
And can you tell me was it worth it?
Really I don't want to know

Time casts its spell on you
But you won't forget me
I know I could have loved you
But you would not let me

Time casts its spell on you
But you won't forget me
I know I could have loved you
But you would not let me

I'll follow you down 'til the sound
Of my voice will haunt you
You'll never get away from the sound
Of the woman that loves you

I'll follow you down 'til the sound
Of my voice will haunt you
Was I just a fool?
You'll never get away from the sound
Of the woman that loves you

I'll follow you down 'til the sound
Of my voice will haunt you
Was I such a fool?
You'll never get away from the sound
Of the woman that loves you
Give me just a chance

And a fan video of the original recording. It's kind of silly, but sadly, all the live videos I could find were pretty low quality.

camp out :: an horse

2009-02-27T14:21:00.003-05:00

I have a new musical love, the band An Horse from Australia. They are both rather attractive people. For those of you in the Twin Cities, March 3rd at the 7th street Entry is where you should be to listen to them in person. Which I would highly recommend, and I really hope I can be there as well. I haven't ever seen them, because they haven't toured in the US yet. But, if you watch them on youtube or look at their myspace, you can see that they often wear flannel shirts, so that's cool and extremely adorable. Did I mention they're from Australia and thus have wonderful Australian accents?

Enough caffeinated silliness. An Horse sounds kinda like Tegan and Sara, and actually have toured with Tegan and Sara. An Horse is the duo Kate Cooper and Damon Fox. Kate rocks out on the guitar and Damon plays the drums. Kate tends to provide lead vocals and Damon backs her up. The video I'm including is an acoustic version of their song Camp Out. It's from their debut album "Rearrange Beds" which comes out on March 17th. If you just can't wait, it's already on iTunes. You should go to their myspace and listen to their other stuff as well. As a bonus video, the bottom most video in this post is an interview of An Horse by Sara Quin.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name :: Cheers

2009-02-27T00:50:00.001-05:00

Loved it! I was just in the Westside version of Cheers, the "Cozy Cantina." Excellent.

Stand :: Get a Life

2009-02-23T00:12:00.003-05:00

"Get a Life" was this crazy show that was on in the early 90s, on Fox back when Fox was barely even a network. When Fox first started, they would put anything on the air! Remember "In Living Color"? Remember the "Tracey Ullman Show"? And of course the super-controversial-at-the-time, "adult" cartoon show that is "The Simpsons."

"Get a Life" was on for just two years, 1990-1992. It starred Chris Elliot as this super demented man-child. I loved the theme song when I was a kid- I would sing along and it was just great. It was not until many years later that I realized the theme song was "Stand" by REM. How did such a crappy, low-budget show get an REM song as their theme?? I have no idea.

Anyway, I found the opening credits on YouTube... and guess what?? I guess the show was set in the Twin Cities. I had no idea. But he is delivering issues of the Pioneer Press (St. Paul's second-rate daily).

Enjoy!

Chris gets run over. Like all the time.

The Monster Song :: Psapp

2009-02-19T11:30:00.004-05:00

Last weekend I was at the MBLGTACC '09 conference in Bloomington Indiana. Aside from the excitement of hawking free temporary tattoos and stickers in the exhibit hall, doing a workshop at 8:30 in the morning for 3 to 5 people and getting to see some very dear friends, I got a new CD! Hurray for me!

During one of the workshop sessions, I ditched out with my friend T and he took me to this excellent record shop he had discovered earlier. It was in an old house that also had a coffee shop in it that made peanut butter cup coffee drinks. Very tasty. If you are ever in Bloomington, IN go check out Soma coffee shop and the record store in the basement.

Anyways. So my acquisition at the record store was Psapp's new album "The Camel's Back." My prior exposure was Krista's blog post last October about them. As was mentioned in the October Psapp post, their song "Cozy in the Rocket" is the Grey's Anatomy theme song. So there's the tie in for TV/Movie month.

This song is called the Monster Song and has a really excellent music video to go along with it. Psapp makes really quirky electronic music, and I really enjoy Galia Durant's voice. So. Enjoy the Monster Song. For an added bonus, check out their myspace page, where you can listen to lovely tracks like a cover of "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat" and how to pronounce "Psapp."

Lagaan :: Chale Chalo

2009-02-17T14:58:00.004-05:00

Lagaan :: Chale Chalo

For those of you who know me, you will know that I love Bollywood movies - specifically the movie Lagaan. This movie was my first ever Bollywood movie, and was the first time that I had ever seen how cricket was played :) Lagaan is set in the 1800s in a rural village in India, during the British colonial rule. Each village is responsible for paying a food tax (a Lagaan) each season, however, this particular year the village is experiencing a drought and cannot afford to pay the Lagaan AND have enough food to feed the community.

Faced with this reality, a young man from the community challenges a cocky British soldier to a cricket game - if the villagers beat this soldiers team in a game of cricket, they will not have to pay lagaan for 2 years; if the soldiers win, the village will have to pay double lagaan.

Here's the catch - the villagers don't know how to play cricket. The young man has to convince his community that they can learn the game and beat the British and be free of Lagaan - which is a daunting task when you see all the people he's trying to get to be on his team!

This would not be a Bollywood movie if it didn't involve a love triangle and some serious pining - so the plot is twisted when the head British soldier's sister (played by The L Word's 'Helena') sneaks off to teach the villagers how to play cricket.

I won't spoil the rest of the movie for you, but that's the basic plot. The score is by A.R. Rahman (who aslo scored Slumdog Millionaire) and it's fucking incredible - stylistically, musically, compositionally...even if it is a little cheesy at times. Bollywood wouldn't be Bollywood if it didn't incorporate a little bit of fantasy and cheesy humor though - and once you can appreciate that, you can start to understand the true beauty of Bollywood movies.

This is a really great movie, so if you've got a few hours, you should Netflix it and enjoy!

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

P.S. I have included a rough translation of the lyrics so you can get a hint at what the song is all about.

(Baar baar haan, bolo yaar haan
Again and again, speak my friend
Apni jeet ho, unki haar haan) - 2
May victory be ours and defeat be theirs
Koi humse jeet na paave
May no one be able to defeat us
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Mit jaave jo takraave, chale chalo
May whoever confronts us be defeated, come 
Bhale ghor andheraa chhaave
Even if pitch darkness shadows us
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Koi raah mein na thaam jaawe, chale chalo
May no one halt in the road, come
Toot gayi jo ungli utthi
The accusing finger upon us has been broken
Paanchon mili to ban gaye mutthi
Because we five have come together like a fist
Eka badhta hi jaawe
May our unity only grow
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Koi kitna bhi bahekaave, chale chalo
However much anyone tempts us, come
Koi humse jeet na paave
May no one be able to defeat us
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Mit jaave jo takraave, chale chalo
May whoever confronts us be defeated, come 

Koi na ab roke tujhe, toke tujhe
May no one stop you or question you
Tod de bandhan saare
Break all ties
Mila hai kya hoke tujhe nirbal, tu hi bataa
What have you gained by being helpless, tell me

Kabhi na dukh jhelenge, khelenge
No pain will come upon us, we will compete
Aise ke dushman haare
In such a way that our enemies will be defeated
Ke ab to le lenge, himmat ka rasta
We will now take the courageous route
Dharti hilaa denge, sab ko dikhaa denge
We will shake the earth, we will show everyone
Raja hai kya, parja hai kya, oh oh oh
Who is king, who are the ruled ones
Hum jag pe chhaayenge, ab yeh bataayenge
We will shadow the earth, now we will show
Hum logon ka darja hai kya, ho oh oh oh
What the status of our people is
Baar baar haan, bolo yaar haan
Again and again, speak my friend
Apni jeet ho, unki haar haan
May victory be ours and defeat be theirs
Ab darr nahin mann mein aave
May no fears now enter our minds
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Har bedi ab khul jaave, chale chalo
May every shackle be opened up, come

Chalaa hi chal, haanf nahin, kaanp nahin
Just walk on, don't gasp, don't tremble
Raah mein ab to raahi
Now on this path, oh traveler
Thakan ka saanp nahin ab tujhe dasne paaye
May the snake of fatigue be able to bite you now

Vohi jo tera haaqim hai, jaalim hai
It is the one that is your cruel master
Ki hai jisne tabaahi
Who has caused destruction
Ghar uska pachhim hai, yahan na bas mein paaye
His house is westward, he cannot stay here
Dharti hilaa denge, sab ko dikhaa denge
We will shake the earth, we will show everyone
Raja hai kya, parja hai kya, oh oh oh
Who is king, who are the ruled ones
Hum jag pe chhaayenge, ab yeh bataayenge
We will shadow the earth, now we will show
Hum logon ka darja hai kya, ho oh oh oh
What the status of our people is
Jo hona hai, ho jaave
May whatever is to happen, happen
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Ab sar na koi jhukaave, chale chalo
May none bow their heads, come
Koi humse jeet na paave
May no one be able to defeat us
Chale chalo, chale chalo
Come, let us move on
Mit jaave jo takraave, chale chalo
May whoever confronts us be defeated, come 
Baar baar haan, bolo yaar haan
Again and again, speak my friend
Apni jeet ho, unki haar haan
May victory be ours and defeat be theirs
(Toot gayi jo ungli utthi
The accusing finger upon us has been broken
Paanchon mili to ban gaye mutthi)
Because we five have come together like a fist

Thank You For Being a Friend :: Golden Girls

2009-02-16T00:41:00.003-05:00

Back in my halcyon days of cable, I had a routine every day of coming home and turning on Lifetime (Television for Women!) and watching a full hour of "The Golden Girls." I don't know what the schedule is now, but at that time you could probably watch six hours of GG a day on Lifetime. But for once, they played something a lot because it is GOOD.

I loved this show when I was a kid, I loved it in college, and I love it now. When I was a kid, I loved how it showed old people being sassy with each other. As an adult, I really came to appreciate the messages it sent about friendship, women, power, and life's ups and downs. Your partner may leave you, your partner may die, but you will be ok as long as you have your friends and some coffee and cheesecake. Isn't friendship what it all boils down to?

The show also had a lot social commentary, both implicit and explicit. The four main characters showed how women of diverse backgrounds could come together and form friendships. You had the Southern belle (Blanche Devaroux), the New York intellectual (Dorothy Zbornak), the immigrant (Sophia Petrillo), and the earnest Minnesotan (my favorite, Rose Nyland (nee Lindstrom). The show also took on a lot of emerging issues of the 1980s- there was drug abuse, AIDS, kink, homosexuality, safer sex, racism, all kinds of stuff. And the messages were always positive and progressive.

Probably my favorite memory of watching "The Golden Girls" was when my friend Kjersti and I sat down to watch some serious movie one night in college. She had taped the movie off of TV and we were excited to watch it. About half way in, that familiar "Thank you for being a friend!" with shots of a plane and Miami came on! It was so funny, she had taped an episode of GG over this serious movie. And the best part? We got really excited about it and watched the whole episode.

Here's the theme song. I couldn't find the exact opening credits, but this is a song over a tribute to Estelle Getty (the woman who played Sophia, she died this past year).

Enjoy!

swagger like us :: MIA, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, TI, Kanye West

2009-02-10T10:18:00.002-05:00

I didn't watch the Grammy's, and I'm actually a little sad after I found out about this performance, and Radiohead's performance. I guess that's what youtube is for, right? There's really not much to say about the song, other than MIA is a badass. It's a catchy song, I've had it stuck in my head since yesterday.
The song was written by Jay-Z and TI, using a sample of MIA's song "Paper Planes," which I've included below "Swagger Like Us" as a bonus prize.
I've heard rumors MIA is going to retire early. I do hope she takes time to be with her kid and all that, but I also hope she keeps making music. Hopefully the next few years we'll hear more from her.

Freeze and Thaw :: Jayber Crow

2009-02-09T10:05:00.002-05:00

Freeze and Thaw :: Jayber Crow

So, I know that we started to do themes each month this year, but I can't contain my excitement! Jayber Crow, a dynamic duo out of the Twin Cities (and 1/2 Luther Alum), just put out a new music video to go with the release of their latest album Two Short Stories on iTunes!!!
Not only is the song pretty amazing - this video is awesome and homemade, by Pete (the mandolin player). I have been playing this song pretty much non-stop since the weekend, so to find that a new video was released only spurred my non-stop loop of Jayber Crow's music.

I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I have been - especially with all the snow melting these last few days...

Enjoy!

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

Twilight :: Numeriklab

2009-02-03T09:20:00.004-05:00

NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Theme Song:
Twilight by Numeriklab

No - this song is not about the popular vampire book series turned movie craze (Twilight). Instead, this is the theme song to my very new, very favorite TV show called: NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service). Like many of you, I enjoy watching TV shows that deal with mystery and crime solving - where the good guys always get the bad guys (i.e. Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, etc.) , and the writing is always a little bit cheesy and predictable - where the chief says to the ADA, "You gave him bologna and he made himself a sandwich!".

However, NCIS is an entirely different show altogether. This show is based in Washington DC's Navy Yard and has this really great team/comradery dynamic that, I would argue, totally blows Detective Stabler and Dectective Benson from Law & Order: SVU out of the water. Plus, this show is actually really funny - AND - intelligent. Sure, the plot is pretty formulaic just like every other Crime/Detective show, but the dynamics that all the characters have with each other really keep this show going. Not once has there been a main character introduced that I haven't enjoyed, whereas in other shows, there's always your favorites and your not-so-much-favorites-at-all...

Anyway, the theme song is pretty short and kinda jazzy (not in the literal jazzy sense, but more of a do a little dance to the theme song jazzy). I found an extended version as well...so take your pick!

The End.
Love,
Meggo.

Short:

Not as short:

Twilight - Numeriklab

Standing Tall :: Perfect Strangers

2009-02-02T00:02:00.003-05:00

I believe that February is "Music from TV and Movies," am I correct?

I will give you a bit of inspiration for the day- this is the theme song to "Perfect Strangers," a show that was perfectly stupid but had a really great theme song.

"Standing tall/ on the wings of my dreams / rise and fall/ on the wings of my dreams..." pretty cool! Plus I would like to say that this show inspired me to work with immigrants and refugees. Is that true? I dunno. But I loved this song when I was a kid... I think I am a bit of a Balki- I like to show up at the houses of random people in other countries and proclaim myself to be their cousin. Also, I have difficulty with revolving doors.

her morning elegance :: oren lavie

2009-01-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

My song of the day comes from a singer songwriter playwright artist Oren Lavie's album "The Opposite Side of the Sea." He sounds similar to Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake without sounding like he's merely copying Cohen or Drake and without sounding like an angsty teen. Oren Lavie was born in Israel. He moved to London, then lived in New York where he wrote many of the songs for "The Opposite Side of the Sea." He then moved to Berlin where he recorded the album. As a side note, I wish I was able to do stuff like that.

Anyways, I was introduced to his music through youtube video, for his video "her morning elegance." It's a very well done stop motion video with a really interesting concept. His website is also a lot of fun to look through.

Sun been down for days
A pretty flower in a vase
A slipper by the fireplace
A cello lying in it's case

Soon she's down the stairs
Her morning elegance she wears
The sound of water makes her dream
Awoken by a cloud of steam
She pours a daydream in a cup
A spoon of sugar sweetens up

And She fights for her life
As she puts on her coat
And she fights for her life on the train
She looks at the rain
As it pours
And she fights for her life
As she goes in a store
With a thought she has caught
By a thread
She pays for the bread
And She goes...
Nobody knows

Sun been down for days
A winter melody she plays
The thunder makes her contemplate
She hears a noise behind the gate
Perhaps a letter with a dove
Perhaps a stranger she could love

And She fights for her life
As she puts on her coat
And she fights for her life on the train
She looks at the rain
As it pours
And she fights for her life
As she goes in a store
With a thought she has caught
By a thread
She pays for the bread
And She goes...
Nobody knows

And She fights for her life
As she puts on her coat
And she fights for her life on the train
She looks at the rain
As it pours
And she fights for her life
Where people are pleasantly strange
And counting the change
And She goes...
Nobody knows

Something Sweet :: Acting Normal

2009-01-28T16:02:00.003-05:00

Acting Normal
(in a line)...

This particular local group has become a new favorite of mine - mainly because my friend Susan Tanabe (last one on the right) is in it :P But also because they are REALLY GOOD! It has been a long time since I've seen a group of people that really just know how to jam and have a good time on stage, and these folks sure do know how to entertain! Accompanying the sweet vocal stylings of lead singer, Michael Valentine and Susan (standing next to each other) are a trap set, hand drums, a cello, keyboards, and guitar (with the occasional mouth trumpet - my personal fav!). I am very excited to go to more live shows by this group, but also to buy their EP when it comes out in March (hopefully!!!). Valentine and Tanabe's vocals blend very well together, and you can tell that this particular group experiences many moments of musical communion with one another.

Valentine's voice sort of reminds me a little of Death Cab For Cutie singer Benjamin Gibbard, specifically in that 'I can listen to this guy sing for a long time and not get annoyed because he's actually genuine rather than whinney, plus he's super cute and very talented' sort of way. :D What sets Acting Normal apart from most other local bands is that not only are they very talented musicians that work well together, they have a very tight sound. They are very well put together and not just your average thrown together garage band.

If you're ever in the Twin Cities area and can happen upon a show of theirs, (they've performed at Acadia a few times already this year...) you should totally make it happen.

Unfortunately, I can't embed any of their music on this site, so you'll have to click HERE to check out a couple of their songs - my personal favorite is the first one called Something Sweet. To find out more about Acting Normal, click HERE (I recomend checking out their site for all their funny promo pictures as well - they are funny!)

So, I hope y'all enjoy.
The end.

Love, Meggo.

(Me and Susan rockin Pirate faces and hooks.)

Speak New Words: Walk in Harmony :: Bethany Deline

2009-01-21T21:59:00.005-05:00

Bethany Deline

Ukulele Player, Dancer, and Designer Extraordinaire

In case you haven't guessed already, this is my wonderful new friend, Bethany Deline. Not only is she at the U of M design school with me, but she also has a dance background and a sparkling smile. Aside from automatically being cooler than the rest of us by being from Canadia, she has also written and recoded several lovely tunes. Although she has been finding time recently to write, the music that she has up on her website currently is an eclectic mix of covers and original stuff, all with a Bethany twist. The ukulele is an instrument that can stand on its own and goes well with images of sandy beaches and warm summer days, but (I feel) is a difficult instrument to pair with others. It is so simple and sweet sounding that it would just sound wrong with big drums or rich strings. However, Bethany uses her voice, simple clapping, guitar, and even tapping to add depth and dimension to her stuff. Tapping is my clear favorite, but not simply because it is a dance form. The tapped rhythms are able to be so much complex than a clapped one, and the sound is so light and bright that it compliments her ukulele beautifully.

This particular tune, even though she begged me to use a "better" song, displays the spirit of her music well and it's more fun since there's a video that goes with it! :) The people that make those "Responsibility: pass it on" commercials could take a lesson from Bethany. So take a listen!

For more of Bethany, check out her myspace HERE and her personal website HERE.

Galaxies :: Laura Veirs

2009-01-15T23:48:00.002-05:00

I stumbled upon Laura Veirs a while back when I got "lost" on youtube. Galaxies is my quintessential "sad song." Everyone has one, right? I'll be listening to Laura come that dreaded day: 2.14.2009. Yipeee!

At any rate, Laura Veirs is a Seattle based indie folk artist. If I weren't so tired, I'd probably pretend to be more of a blogger and write something. But I am tired.

Have a listen!

LAURA VEIRS - GALAXIES
Uploaded by huntylch

When you sing
When you sing
Stars fill up my eyes

Galaxies...
Pour down my cheeks
Galaxies…
They flood the street
Galaxies...

When we dance
When we dance
Eels and sea grass float on by

I’m ten thousand leagues...
Beneath the sea
I'm ten thousand leagues…
Beneath the green
Ten thousand leagues...

When we kiss
When we kiss
Bears and boulders vibrate through the air

Gravity...
Is dead you see
No gravity…
All I need...
Is beating red
No gravity…

No gravity (no, no, no, no, no, no, no gravity)
No gravity (no, no, no, no, no, no, no gravity)
No gravity (no, no, no, no, no, no, no gravity)
No gravity (no, no, no, no, no, no, no gravity)

Rachel Harrington

2009-01-13T12:45:00.005-05:00

Today I'm straying from the theme of local music, and instead sharing some really excellent folk/bluegrass from Oregon. Rachel Harrington is a really excellent singer-songwriter, and I'll let her website bio speak for itself.

"Reared among the Pentecostal pines of Oregon, Rachel Harrington has been doing things in the wrong order for quite some time. She’d had extensive radio play before performing her live show, and she was opening for Grammy winners and nominees before releasing her first record."http://www.rachelharrington.net/home.html

My housemate and I were washing dishes last night and she played some songs off of Rachel Harrington's second cd, "City of Refuge." You can listen to some of those tracks at Rachel's myspace page. I highly recommend listening to the track Karen Kane over on myspace.

Her voice reminds me of a little Lucinda Williams, a little Gillian Welch, and a little Pieta Brown. Videos on youtube mostly feature her and the talented mandolin player Zak Borden who sings with her as well. So here are three enjoyable videos I found on youtube. I also recommend checking out her myspace to hear some of her songs that are a little more fleshed out musically, including some really tasteful use of panning if you're using headphones.

Big Star :: Haley Bonar

2009-01-04T20:00:00.008-05:00

I love, love, love St. Paul folk singer Haley Bonar and was a little disappointed when Meggo beat me to the blogging with "Something Great" a few months ago. I've been wanting to pull something together about my other favorite song of hers, "Big Star," (also the name of her newest album) for a while, and I figured that our local music theme month was a good time.

Do you remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine dates a guy who's obsessed with the song "Desperado?" He actually "shushes" her so he can hear the whole thing. "Big Star" has been doing that to me lately. This song always makes me stop and just kind of put everything on hold for a while. I've actually pulled my car over when it came on the radio to listen it from beginning to end.

It's a heartbreaking song about the fickleness of fame and celebrity (I think). I especially love the little hints of the electric guitar just in the background of the chorus, just kind of bleeding through Bonar's singing. It makes my frigid Minnesotan heart ache.

"Big Star" Link

You can dress yourself up

Put on a little bit of makeup

Go out and get a haircut

And stumble out into the morning

They'll all hate you tomorrow
When no one buys your single
When you fall they'll look the other way

They're going to buy you airplanes

Fly you all over the oceans

Give you all the loving that you need

Gonna be a big star

Waiting

On a big wish

I'm making

They're gonna call you "baby"

Treat you like a symbol

Of something that they'll never understand

I'm gonna read your stories

Spend springtime in the gardens

Tell my children all about the days

But I can't make you happy

I can't make you money

I can only fold your laundry

Gonna be a big star

Waiting

On a big wish

I'm making

Everywhere :: Common

2009-01-04T01:10:00.002-05:00

Going against highlighting local musicians, I'm blogging about "Everywhere" on Common's newest album, Universal Mind Control.

I first fell in love with Common after hearing his song "Be (Intro)". It's one of those songs that I like to come home to after a stressful day dealing with what Staceyann Chin describes as "that bell hooksian urge to kill motherfuckers who say stupid shit to me." It's unbelievable how much Common can say about race, gender, and justice in a two and a half minute album introduction. And (despite some of the controversy surrounding one of his songs on interracial relationships) that's what I like most about Common--he believes music is a vehicle for change, and he lives it.

Common has been a vegetarian in support of animal rights. He has stood up against anti-gay lyrics after receiving criticism from some in the LGBT community. He was a notable supporter of Barack Obama in the "Yes We Can" ad campaign. And (a shameless plug for my organization), Common has worked with Campus Progress to speak about the intersection of hip-hop and the progressive youth movement at Clarion University's Hip-Hop Symposium. (oh, and he's sexy as hell).

Born Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr., Common was a celebrated underground rapper in the South Side of Chicago. He studied at Southern University of Baton Rouge, LA and Florida A&M University before breaking into the mainstream for his album, Be. (See details on his wiki page.)

With that said, it's a bit unfortunate that Universal Mind Control lost some of the activist flair that brought Common fame from his underground followers. "Everywhere" features Martina Topley-Bird, a British singer with Independiente Records in the same vein as Bjork. But I love "Everywhere" -- it has this indie pop feel with a hip-hop twist.

Enjoy!
-Vincent

p.s., who else thought his cameo in Wanted with Angelina Jolie was a little awkward?

Lyrics:

Chorus:
How did you know I've been waiting for this time to come?
And though it tastes like forever,
it may not stay long.
Everywhere is summer. (x4)

A shaman since before my birth
And I came down to rock the Earth.
My mission condition:
I give you, you listen.
I'm syncing in time in parallel.
In binary, no 3rd return.
I'm planning intention.
With all the redemption.

Chorus:
How did you know I've been waiting for this time to come?
And though it tastes like forever,
it may not stay long.
Everywhere is summer. (x4)

Common:
No pop, no pop, no pop, no pop.
We gon' do this thang till the sky just drop.
Lock in to ya mind away we rock,
In a rocket is the 87th astronaut.
Top of the soul, dove and I got in a hole.
At the moment they were sayin
"It was outa control"
Strap in to your mind
Why eyes see some recline
Youll see in time your season to shine.
When the stadium is dark
MCs are defined.
Get ready, on your mark, put your feet on the line.
The race is on to space beyond
You gon' get there by doin what you want
Sometimes the most famous feel all alone.
So we drift to a place that we call our home.
I was known as being spaced and outta my dome.
now I know, its all Ive known.

Chorus:
How did you know I've been waiting for this time to come?
And though it tastes like forever,
it may not stay long.
Everywhere is summer. (x4)

I'm In Love with a Nun - Peter Oyloe

2009-01-04T00:00:00.001-05:00

Peter Oyloe is a very talented musician and actor who hales from Decorah, IA. He now lives and works in Chicago and though his badassity increases all the time (he just one the prestigious Jeff award for Best Actor for his work in the play "Equis") he's a sweet and grounded guy when you talk to him.

Here's a link to my fave song from his album "Words and Music"

I love it because this whole album features lots of Decorah musicians and I see Iowa dirt roads and bluffs in my mind when I listen to this.

Check out his website too. It's nifty.

But I was elated to find that there's a youtube video of his music too - I'd never heard "I'm in Love with a Nun" before. I'd have to say my favorite line is the one about Jesus being her "main squeeze".
Happy New Year, bloggies dear!

Shallow Grave :: Roe Family Singers

2009-01-03T12:29:00.002-05:00

My first band of choice for Local Music Month is the Roe Family Singers, one of my favorite Twin Cities bands. What started as the husband and wife duo of Kim and Quillan Roe has expanded to an 8-member crew of old-timey fabulousness, complete with autoharp, washboard, banjo, saw, mandolin, harmonica, bass, fiddle, and dulcimer, just to name a few! Their sound comes from a different time and place, heavily influenced by old American folk, bluegrass, and roots music. If I imagine a family vacation to old Appalachia with the Carter family, it sounds a lot like the Roe Family Singers.

You can catch the every Monday night at the 331 Club, a great little corner bar up in NE Minneapolis. Playing a combination of their own songs and covering classic old-timey tunes from Hank Williams to Joan Carter Cash to old American folk, they are always a total pleasure to watch. And they are darn nice. Really. I've met members of the band, and these are good people. Always free and always guaranteed to please, I totally recommend hitting up one of these shows. The Roe Family Singers will also be playing the opening weekend of the Art Shanty Projects on Medicine Lake (January 18, 2 pm, Black Box Shanty). If you've never been, the Art Shanty Projects are a funky, fun, and frosty art event that isn't to be missed! I can't think of anything more quintessentially Minnesotan.

I'm choosing the song "Shallow Grave", from their 2005 self-released EP Andronicus. There's nothing quite like a song about a jilted woman killing her husband, especially when it includes the bone-chilling whir of a saw.

Support those local artists!

XOXO
Kim

Imperfect :: Jen Wood

2009-01-01T21:23:00.006-05:00

I love watching movies, especially after a night like last night! Happy 2009! I spent the day recovering on my couch, watching old movies including one of my personal favorites, "But I'm A Cheerleader" circa 1999. This time watching it, I was particularly struck by the films theme song, "Glass Vase Cello Case" by Tattle Tale. So I went exploring for the song online and found Jen Wood, one half of the Tattle Tale duo, and local Seattleite. Upon further exploration of her music, I feel like I've found a gem in Jen Wood!

So, in the spirit of celebrating local music, LISTEN TO JEN WOOD! Musically, I think she's somewhere between Brandi Carlile and Maria Taylor. Jen has Maria's calm vocal styling, but sings about love and life in the same honesty as Brandi. (And yes, we know each other on a first-name basis).

Here's one of my favorite songs: Imperfect, released on her second album "No More Wading."

Enjoy!
-Vincent

p.s., She's makin my gaydar go off. thoughts?

Lyrics:

I love my words
that have spilled into song
all of my words
that have come out wrong
I often lose my grace and spit it aloud
I often lose my face and put my foot in my mouth
sometimes it seems easier to leave everything unsaid
but it only gets worse if it stays in your head
and I look back and listen to the words that I've said
and yeah, I must admit I disagree with some of them

So don't peer over my shoulder as if I'm hiding a flaw
I never said I was perfect
so, why don't you back off?
so, don't peer over my shoulder as if I'm hiding a flaw
I never said I was perfect
so, why don't you back off?

A Night in the Box

2008-12-31T11:32:00.003-05:00

Local music. So I reached really deep into my musical library, and I found A Night in the Box. They are a really energetic indie bluegrass/rock/folk group that puts on really great live shows. They're actually playing tonight at the 331 Club New Year's Party. Or you can catch them at the Acadia on January 23rd, The Kitty Kat Club on January 30th, or at the Cedar on February 8th.

If foot stomping, hand clapping, guitar driven, banjo and violen laden music is your thing, A Night in the Box delivers pretty excellent electric bluegrass. Most of the songs are catchy, and make me feel like putting on my best button up plaid shirt and singing along.

I couldn't find much of their stuff, even on imeem, so I recommend checking out their myspace page. In particular, I really recommend listening to "The Hustle" on myspace.

A Night in the Box

Clandestino: Esperando La Ultima Ola... :: Manu Chao

2008-12-31T11:13:00.013-05:00

I've been toting this album around with me since 1999. Nearly a decade has gone by, and I still love it.

I was introduced to Manu Chao while studying in Salamanca, Spain for a month with a group from my high school. There is nothing quite like a group of Midwestern 16 and 17-year-olds taking class during the day, running amok at night, and going on excursions around the Iberian Peninsula on the weekend. The memories from this trip are so amusing, as are the memories from when we returned. Upon returning to Wisconsin, one of the goody-two-shoes students told her mom that many of us took part in Spain's lively nightlife and delicious sangría (¡qué sorpresa!). Outraged and disappointed that such a seemingly upstanding group of students would participate in such activities and negatively represent our fine educational establishment, mom called our teacher, and the rest is history. I will never forget that day in class when our señora, a fiery Chilean woman, said to us, "¡Oye! You are all bastards! You should leave the National Hispanic Honorary Society!" I had never been called a bastard before, and who better to do it first than my high school Spanish teacher? In the end, no one confessed, none of us left the honorary society, and the goody-two-shoes tattler graduated as one of our class valedictorians. ¡Qué grandes recuerdos!

Anyway, Manu Chao (born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao) is from France, but of Spanish heritage. His parents fled Spain for France during Franco's harsh dictatorship, and he spent his childhood in the suburbs of Paris. While Manu Chao hadn't received much attention in the U.S. until the last few years, he has been a mainstay in the European music scene for almost 20 years. Manu Chao started making music in the '80s, and was the part of a few different bands, most notably Mano Negra. Clandestino, released in 1998, represents Chao's departure into a solo career. Since then he has released additional solo albums, and has collaborated with multiple artists and musicians.

I'm totally drawn to Chao's unique sound, it always picks me up and makes me smile and daydream of travel. He draws from many different languages (French, Spanish, English, and Arabic, to name a few) and from a huge variety of musical influences. A little rock, a little electronica, little reggae, a little punk, a little schmaltz, he samples and mixes and creates a wacky patchwork of international sounds, rhythms, and melodies. His lyrics are honest, covering love, life, and questions about the future, and often revealing his left-wing political ideology. I imagine that having parents that fled Franco's dictatorship, and growing up in 1960s Paris amongst intellectuals and artists would do that to a kid. In fact, one thing I found out while writing this blog is that Manu Chao is close with the Zapatistas, the armed and infamous socialist Mexican revolutionary group. Interesting.

From energetic and raucous to quiet and lulling, Clandestino's tracks flow seamlessly from one to the next. And truth be told, I like the album as a whole - while I do enjoy seperate tracks, I think the tracks really are strongest when they are listened to as an album. One of my favorites, however, is "Lagrimas de Oro". Check it!

Lagrimas De Oro - Manu Chao

Spanish lyrics:
Tu no tienes la culpa mi amor
que el mundo sea tan feo
tu no tienes la culpa mi amor
de tanto tiroteo

vas por la calle llorando
lagrimas de oro
vas por la calle brotando
lagrimas de oro

Tu no tienes la culpa mi amor
de tanto cachondeo
tu no tienes la culpa mi amor
vamonos de jaleo

ahi por la calle llorando
lagrimas de oro
ahi por la calle brotando
lagrimas de oro

llego el cancodrilo y super chango
y toda la vaina de maracaibo
en este mundo hay mucha confusion
suenan los tambores de la rebelion

suena mi pueblo suena la razon
suena el guaguancon
baila mi mama
suenan los tambores de la rebelion

suena mi pueblo suena la razon
lagrimas de oro
suena mi pueblo suena la razon
suena el guaguancon

tu no tienes la culpa mi amor
lagrimas de oro...

English Translation!

It really isn't your fault my love
That the world is so unfair
It really isn't your fault my love
of the shooting everywhere

walk the street weeping
teardrops of gold
You walk the street dropping
teardrops of gold

It really isn't your fault my love
of all this taunting
It really isn't your fault my love
we are always fighting

Here on the street weeping
teardrops of gold
Here on the street dropping
teardrops of gold

the crocodile and the super kid have come
and all the trash from Maracaibo
In this world there's much confusion

Sound the rebellion drums
Sound of my people, sound of reason
Sound of the music
Dance my mother

Sound the rebellion drums
Sound of my people, sound of reason
teardrops of gold

Sound of my people, sound of reason
Sound of the bus that's leaving...

It really isn't your fault my love
teardrops of gold

Happy New Year! Next up - local music month. I have my first band all picked out...stay tuned!

XOXO
Kim

The Meaning of 8 :: Cloud Cult

2008-12-31T10:06:00.005-05:00

To celebrate the last day of 2008, I would like to segue into the new year, by starting off January's Song of the Day theme: Local Artists! I know a bunch of us have already posted on Cloud Cult (ahem: Brenda, Dylan, Myself, Kelsey, etc...)...But - They really are freakin awesome :) and so is The Meaning of 8. This is most definitely an album that I never get tired of listening to, and I think that is mostly due to the fact that there are so many layers to Cloud Cult. This album is also a go-to album for any mood I may be in because the end result is always the same - I feel extremely happy and hopeful and instantly better when I listen to it. I've been lucky enough to see them play live a couple of times already this year, and I really encourage all of you to check them out when they come to/near your town.

Until then, you should have a little listen - if you have those big head phones that cover your ears and can find a comfortable place to sit/lay down that faces a window you can look out of while listening to them, I would suggest it. It will change the way you hear music.

Some of my favorite tracks from this album include: Chemicals Collide, Take Your Medicine, Chain Reaction, Purpose, and Thanks.
No more jabbing! time to listen! :)

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

The Meaning of 8

Rhythm Nation 1814 :: Janet Jackson

2008-12-30T10:36:00.005-05:00

As many of you already know, I LOVE Janet Jackson. Meggo Trivia: Who owns every single album she has put out since her music career began in the early 80s? Answer: Me. I owe my appreciation of Ms. Jackson (if you're nasty) to my mom and her feminist taste in pop music during my upbringing (Madonnna, Janet, Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benetar, Stevie Nicks...you get the drift). This particular album was one of the first cassette tapes (along with Madonna's True Blue album) that I took from my mom's personal collection to play in my room so I could pretend I was an entertainer in front of my mirror with a hair brush. There's just something about Janet's music that makes me want to get up and DANCE. But this particular album is a favorite of mine for many reasons that move beyond my love of dancing around in front of mirrors and lip-syncing.

Not only does this album include R&B, Rock, Dance-Pop, and Funk styles, it was conceptualized to be a social justice album, which Janet intended to deliver a socially conscious message to people - strong enough for people to notice and take that first step of activism, listening. I would like to think optimistically and think that the fact that this album made history by becoming the ONLY album to have 7 top 5 hit singles ("Miss You Much", "Rhythm Nation", "Escapade", "Alright", "Come Back to Me", "Black Cat", and "Love Will Never Do (Without You)") AND the ONLY album ever to achieve number one hit singles in three separate calendar years (89-91) as evidence enough that Janet's message got through to SOME people...

Here's to Janet and one of my all time favorite albums!
The end.
Love,
Meggo.

Here's my favorite music video for this album:

Janet Jackson - New Music - More Music Videos

Creed:
Music / Poetry / Dance / Unity

Pledge:
We are a Nation with no Geographic Boundaires
Bound together through our beliefs
We are like-minded individuals
Sharing a Common Vision
Pushing toward a world rid of color lines.

With music by our side
To break the color lines
Lets work together
To improve our way of life
Join voices in protest
To social injustice
A generation full of courage
Come forth with me

People of the world today
Are we looking for a better way of life
We are a part of the Rhythm Nation
People of the world unite
Strength in numbers we can get it right
One time
We are apart of the Rhythm Nation

This is the test
No struggle no progress
Lend a hand to help
Your brother do his best
Things are getting worse
We have to make them better
Its time to give a damn
Lets work together, come on now

People of the world today ( Rhythm )
Are we looking for a better way of life ( Rhythm )
We are a part of the Rhythm Nation ( Everybody sing it )
People of the world unite ( Rhythm )
Strength in numbers we can get it right ( Rhythm )
One time
We are apart of the Rhythm Nation ( Whoo )

Say it People, Say it Children ( Rhythm Nation )
Say it if you want a better way of life
Say it People, Say it Children ( Rhythm Nation )
Say it if you want a better way of life

(Rhythm)
People of the world today
Are we looking for a better way of life ( Say it )
We are a part of the Rhythm Nation ( Whoo )
People of the world unite
Strength in numbers we can get it right
One time ( Sing it up now )
We are apart of the Rhythm Nation (Rhythm Nation sing the story)

Say it for the People( Rhythm Nation )
Say it for the Children
Say it for the Babies
Say it for the People( Rhythm Nation )
Say it for the Children
Say it for the Babies
Say it for the, Say it for the, Say it for the.....
( Rhythm Nation )

We are apart of the Rhythm Nation

Random Trivia thanks to Wikipedia!: The album's title was a composite of Jackson's pledge, "We are a nation with no geographic boundaries, bound together through our beliefs. We are like-minded individuals, sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color-lines" and its supporting creed, "Music, Poetry, Dance, Unity". 1814 referred to the year "The Star Spangled Banner" was written; in addition, 'R' is the 18th letter of the alphabet and 'N' the 14th, hence Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814.

Top 5 Christmas Jams

2008-12-25T13:08:00.003-05:00

On this Christmas Day, I thought I'd share my top 5 most favorite Christmas songs.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
Love,
Meggo.

What are your favorite Christmas songs?

Red Letter Year :: Ani DiFranco

2008-12-23T05:28:00.001-05:00

Red Letter Year - a title that plays on the phrase 'red letter day,' which means a day of special significance - is truly a great album. With Todd Sickafoose, Allison Miller and Mike Dillon (among some other pretty fabulous string players) in her newly formed band, DiFranco has really never sounded better. Her voice and her guitar sound clearer than ever before, while maintaining the rawness and attitude she is most known for. The general flow of the album takes you back and forth and around the bend - by the end of it, you feel as though you've been on a road trip with DiFranco and Friends!

What makes Red Letter Year so impressive, to me, is that this is the 35th officially released album that DiFranco has put out (not including collaborative work) in less than 20 years - and she manages to make each album not only unique, but musically/artistically sound. Regardless of whether or not you dig her musical stylings, all of DiFranco's albums are raw, true, and have the ability to pull you in (if you let them) and speak to the plethora of experiences we go through in our daily lives. Be it love, loss, frustration, anger, joy, heartache, despair, or hope - DiFranco can bend your heart strings just as well as she can her guitar.

(Can you tell I am a fan?)

So, back to the topic at hand - Red Letter Year. This album brings back all the sides of DiFranco that I love most - but with a touch of happy/hopefullness in all the songs! What a great album to go with the upcoming inauguration of President Obama in less than a month! I really love this album and all that it speaks to, so I hope that you have a decent chunk of uninterrupted time to devote to letting this music pour over/around/in you like a faucet on a sponge.

Here's a list of my top 5 favorite tracks (although I truly do love the ENTIRE album!):

Red Letter Year
Present Infant
Smiling Underneath
Way Tight
Round a Pole

Here's to a Red Letter Year...

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

P.S. The portrait of DiFranco came from HERE.

Red Letter Year

Staring at the Sea : The Singles 1979-1985 :: The Cure

2008-12-22T10:07:00.003-05:00

Another great album from my adolescence was this "greatest hits" (right!) collection from the Cure. Not that this album came out when I was adolescent; rather, I was about ten years too late. I really liked early Cure stuff, though! It is sparse and fatalistic, just a little bit of that punk aesthetic mixed in. My love for the Cure goes up until the "Friday I'm in Love" era, and that is where it ends.

"I'm alive / I'm dead / I'm the stranger / killing an Arab..." holy hell. What great lines, delivered in that droll Robert Smith style. I think Smith had a really nice way of composing songs about love, too. Love is something to cherish and relish in the moment, be we all know it can be gone in an instant... "The day I start is the day you change, and fly away from me..." ("The Caterpillar").

TRIVIA: What book inspired "Killing an Arab"? Post answers in the comment section.

If You're Feeling Sinister :: Belle & Sebastian

2008-12-21T00:05:00.000-05:00

It would come to no surprise to anyone who knows me that "If You're Feeling Sinister" by Belle & Sebastian is one of my favorite albums. Sometimes in the course of your life, everything that is going on around you sort of leads you to a particular album or group, and that is what happened to me. My sophomore year of college was basically hell. Everything in my life was terrible, and every day, I only thought about how much I wanted to die. I have very little memory of that horrible, depressing year of my life, but I do remember a beautiful thing that helped sustain me: this album.

I remember clearly setting the CD player to "Play" and looking out my dorm room window at the world somehow going on with life while I was stuck. "Make a new cult every day to suit your affairs.... kissing girls in English at the back of the stairs..." God, how I loved that album. And I still love it today! Those opening lines were like a balm on my poor wounded soul. Stuart Murdoch's voice was like a big bear hug. It's a really dorky thing- between Erika and I, we can probably sing every line of every Belle & Sebastian song.

In music-dork circles, this is considered one of the best albums OF ALL TIMES. It's so good that B&S actually re-recorded the album live in concert and sold it exclusively on iTunes a few years ago. Interesting trivia- there are at least TWO bands named after Belle & Sebastian songs. What are they? Post answers in the comment section.

So Jealous :: Tegan & Sara

2008-12-16T13:55:00.002-05:00

this past weekend, i had the pleasure of hanging out with some pretty fantastic people at a pub called the blue door (which is flanked by several antique stores, so if you've got a hankering for antiques, a good beer selection, and some pretty stellar variations of a Juicy Lucy, you should check this place out!!). somewhere during our conversations, we ended up talking about working out - which was subsequently followed by music that you work out to. while i have a hard time running to music when running outdoors, i have found it is easier for me to bear running on treadmills during the arctic months of Minnesota winter while having my ipod plugged into my ears. while we were going over various genres of music that help one's workout routine, tegan and sara's album "So Jealous" came to mind.

i have found this album to be soooo good for a variety of reasons, but here's my work out tailored list:

1. i'm a slow runner and the overall laid back pace of this album allows me to run to it without feeling like i can't keep up
2. the songs are catchy enough for me to forget that i'm running, so i can just jam out my work out
3. if played from start to finish, each song provides a more 'natural' random setting for your workout, instead of having to pay attention to a treadmill/olyptical machine's 'random' setting
4. if played from start to finish during your workout, you can guarantee yourself a 45 minute workout!
5. by the end, i feel like a rockstar.

what's your workout jams?
the end.
love,
meggo.

So Jealous

All I Want (from Blue) - Joni Mitchell

2008-12-14T10:08:00.005-05:00

As we celebrate the year-oldness of our beautiful blog by showcasing albums we love, I knew from the first mention of the idea that Sundays wouldn't be complete without some mention of "Blue" by Joni Mitchell. And the touting of this album isn't a hard task because I'm not the first to do it, and I certainly won't be the last. I could even talk about the first track by it self and that'd be enough cuz the album as a whole is such a cohesive bunch of songs and what happened to me on first listen to that was a small version of what the album as a whole did to me and...probably a lot of the music scene when it came out.

It was recommended to me by the drummer and leader of the church band I was in. He told me I'd love Joni Mitchell and to start with the album "Blue". I knew it was from his generation, and I knew he had excellent taste. So 17 year old me found it and gave it a listen.

I had never been told about Joni's sweet voice or innovative guitar work, so the surprise of that from a 30 year old song felt like a time warp and a private concert from a young singer who wasn't young anymore. And with lyrics like "I wanna talk to you, I wanna shampoo you, I wanna renew you again and again", it was like I was being sung to by a part of my own brain that I hadn't listened to before. I hadn't started writing songs yet, but this was one of the first songs and albums where I started listening as a writer - because the writing is so damn good!! First hearings of songs are pretty important for me across the board - but this one kinda shifted my reality and I knew it as I listened.

So then there's the rest of the album - lighter sounding songs like "Carrie" and "California" left me wanting the adventures and wisdom of my early twenties to come sooner if they could be anything like hers. And then ballads like "Blue" and "River" made her voice warble in my ears and I wondered why I wasn't alienated by the strangeness of it. I knew that it was the only appropriate sound for the thoughts she was offering. And her piano work as well as her guitar playing sounded like the base and grandmother music of so much music that I liked. I knew that all the Lilith Fair ladies were possible because of what Joni Mitchell had done.

Watch this video if you have a second. In case you don't, I'm typing Joni's documentary interview highlights below:

"During the making of "Blue" I was just so thin skinned and delicate that if anybody looked at me I'd burst into tears. I was so vulnerable and so naked in my work."

"My individual psychological dissent coincided, ironically with my ascent into the public eye. They were putting me on a pedestal and I was wobbling! So... since I was a public voice and was subject to this weird kind of worship, that they should know who they were worshipping."

"I was demanding of myself a deeper and greater honesty. More and more revelation in my work in order to give it back to the people where it goes into their lives and nourishes them and changes their direction and makes light bulbs go off in their head and makes them feel...It isn't vague! It strikes against the very nerves of their life and in order to do that you have to strike against the very nerves of your own."

Night Train :: Amos Lee

2008-12-12T11:26:00.002-05:00

I had never heard of Amos Lee until my friend Krissy told me I had to listen to his new album, which I believe is called Supply and Demand. The whole album is awesome, but for some reason, I am particularly attached to this song. It's so peaceful and sleepy, but it doesn't drag at all. It will stick in your head until you feel crazy.

This is a live performance, but it sounds almost exactly the same on the record. Enjoy!

Album of the Year :: The Good Life

2008-12-10T14:33:00.004-05:00

This week I decided I'd post an extremely well executed concept album, "Album of the Year," by The Good Life. The record chronicles the rise and fall of a relationship, with each track representing a month.

The first title track starts in April and summarizes the entire story of a man and his bartending girlfriend. The next two tracks, "Night and Day" and "Under a Honeymoon" outline the beginning of their relationship. "You're No Fool" is about other people speculating on whether or not the guy is cheating on his girlfriend. "Notes in His Pocket" is about supposed instances of his infidelity. Neither song outright states that he cheated, but hint pretty heavily. The next tracks, "You're Not You " and "October Leaves" are about the dissatisfaction both feel in the relationship. "Lovers Need Lawyers" is the man defending his actions to the woman. "Inmates" is sung mainly from the woman's perspective and chronicles the end of their relationship, ending with the woman dumping the man. The next track, "Needy," is from the perspective of the man, he whines about why the woman left him. "A New Friend" is from the man's perspective about how his ex is seeing someone new. The final track, "Two Years This Month," talks about how the guy hasn't talked to his ex-girlfriend in two years.

Musically, the album falls pretty squarely under the rubric of indie-rock. While the record is really excellent all together, not all of tracks can stand alone. Notable tracks that I listen to outside of the context of the album are the title track, "Under a Honeymoon," "Lovers Need Lawyers," and occasionally "Night and Day" and "Needy."

If you've got some spare time, specifically 53 minutes and 22 seconds consecutively, I highly recommend sitting down and listening through "Album of the Year."If you're one of the people that knows me in real life, I can lend you a copy. Or you can listen online below. Thank goodness for Imeem.

Album of the Year

Despite Our Differences :: Indigo Girls

2008-12-09T07:24:00.001-05:00

i can't believe we've never posted anything on the Indigo Girls and we've been going strong on this blog for a year now! the Indigo Girls have been one of those bands that not only added to my daily soundtrack, but really added meaning to my daily life. sure, they are iconic. sure, they have their stereotypical groupies. but, the Indigo Girls have stayed true to their roots, to their fans, and to themselves in writing their music and engaging in musical communion for so long.

when i miss the FAM (my family of choice), all i have to do is find an Indigo Girl song, hit play, sit back and reminisce about times where we all lived within 10 mins walking distance from one another and could go to the apartment to watch a movie, make dinner, and just have crazy fun. there are a plethora of indigo girls albums i could choose to talk about that reflect that time of my life, but today, i will write about the first album that was released after we all parted ways.

Despite Our Differences, released in 2006, is not just any old Indigo Girls album. I would classify this one as one of their most defining albums because they have managed to stay together for over 20 years and still create such magical music.
i think what i have come to appreciate and value the most about the Indigo Girls is their ability to be individually unique as artists, but also to complement each other so well together. this particular album exemplifies their musicianship very well, so hopefully you all will enjoy it as much as i have over these past couple of years.

some of my personal favorites from this album are: Pendulum Swinger, I Believe in Love, Rock and Roll Heaven's Gate, and Last Tears, but overall, i really do love the whole thing.

the end.
love,
meggo.

Despite Our Differences

The Cold the Dark and the Silence - Sea Wolf

2008-12-07T00:00:00.002-05:00

I heard this song for the first on the Morning Show on MPR. I feel very lucky that my job at the bakery is enriched by a daily dose of really good music. So whilst kneading breads and scooping cookies out, this song came on and the lyrics caught my ear several times before I actually paused to listen.

I love how encouraging the singer is. I get this very clear image of a pioneer couple out on the prairie having an argument and this guy's trying to calm his lover down, telling her the cold, the dark and the silence aren't that bad. He'd be a good guy to have around in the middle of a Midwestern winter.

I went home and browsed the whole album (Leaves in the River) and loved the whole thing. On a shelf it wouldn't look out of place among Kings of Convenience, Sufjan Stevens, and the Shins. Some would argue that there's a surplus of soft singing, guitar and tamborine accompanied guy bands out there, but I say there must be a reason for it - maybe that's what the world needs right now - and I can think of a song from each of the above that has done my heart good to hear. So go have a listen and add a little Seawolf to your collection - among my other faves besides this song are the title track, "Leaves in the River" and "Middle Distance Runner"

Sea Wolf is actually one main guy named Alex Brown Church with a rotating bunch of musicians playing locally around L.A. He had been writing songs for the and "Irving" but they didn't really fit the band's style so he went off on his own.

Please don't lie, don't lie to me
that you're not afraid, my love.
I know you well enough to know
you can't be alone.

If you were to roll, to roll down your window
you'd find the wind, the ice, the trees
that sway like skeletons outside.

But when the cold, the dark, and the silence come
it's like a sudden rush of water through your heart and lungs.

Please don't fight, don't fight with me
and fold your arms like it's the end.
Can you smell the sweetness of the soil and snow in the wind?

So we're lost, we're lost out here on the plains, my love.
It's only wind and ice and trees that wave from above.

But when the cold, the dark, and the silence come
it's like a sudden rush of water through your heart and lungs.

When the cold, the dark, and the silence come
it's like a sudden rush of water through your heart and lungs.

Don't lie
Don't cry
It's over
It's only the leaves, the trees
I'll never leave you alone
In this car
In the dark, with the air getting so much colder.
It's so clear outside here, in the moon and winter air.

But when the cold, the dark, and the silence come
it's like a sudden rush of water through your heart and lungs.

When the cold, the dark, and the silence come
it's like a sudden rush of water
it's like a sudden rush of water
it's like a sudden rush of water through your heart and lungs.

The cold, the dark and the silence.
The cold, the dark and the silence.
The cold, the dark and the silence.
The cold, the dark and the silence.
The cold, the dark and the silence.
The cold, the dark and the silence...

Blood on the Tracks :: Bob Dylan

2008-12-05T08:00:00.001-05:00

Choosing one album to write about has been almost more difficult than choosing one song - perhaps because this, as of yet, the only chance we've had to write about an entire album, so it feels more important to choose something really good... I thought a lot about formative albums in my life: The Beatles' The White Album; Luck of the Draw or Nick of Time by Bonnie Rait, anything by Peter, Paul & Mary; Weezer's blue album; Ani DiFranco's Out of Range or Educated Guess; and of course, Middle of Nowhere, and later, their third studio album, made while trying to leave their major label, Underneath, by Hanson. I also thought about writing about Jayber Crow's EP The Farmer and the Nomad or their new disc, Two Short Stories, because I've thoroughly enjoyed their music for as long as they've been making it. These are all worthy albums, but as I remember sitting around the record player with my dad when I was a child, I think it is most important to pay tribute to the granddaddy of modern folk-rock, Bob Dylan. As a singer-songwriter, I can't think of another modern musician more important. A song I wrote in college makes reference to the days when I "danced to Dylan records and watched them turn." I continue to find inspiration in his music every time I listen.

Blood on the Tracks, released in 1975, is a long-time favorite album of mine and my dad's. I spent many nights falling asleep to these songs - either listening to the record, or listening to my dad playing "Buckets of Rain" for me on the guitar.

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One of the things that makes this record so important is the manner in which it was made. Half of the songs were recorded in a New York City studio, but the other five were recorded at a farmhouse near Minneapolis. Those "Minneapolis" tracks were laid down live. The band musicians on those tracks are just regular folk - local Minnesotan session musicians. The recording is rumored to have been completed in a weekend. Essentially, this album is an excellent example of records made they way they should be - to loosely quote an Ani lyric - "a record of people in a room, making music." Digital technology has made it possible to make incredibly polished, if over-produced, recordings - the kind of stuff we hear on the radio. Multi-layered electronic tracks, vocal effects and the like abound, which isn't to say that those things are all bad... But in some ways, I think the true art of making a record - making music with people, playing it live together - the art of really writing and performing songs, has died a bit. That's why I love this record.

The songs themselves, aside from the way they were produced, are classic Dylan, and some of my favorites of his. The album was a Billboard No. 1 hit in the United States. "Tangled Up in Blue," recorded during the Minneapolis sessions, is evidence of the ways in which the music business has changed in recent years. "Tangled" was a Top 40 Billboard hit in 1975.

There are plenty of other Dylan classics on the record, including "Idiot Wind" and "Shelter From the Storm," and also some of his (relatively) less-famous songs, like "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts," which has long been one of my favorite Dylan songs. And of course, the quintessential folk lullaby, "Buckets of Rain."

I have yet to acquire a working record player, a quest I embarked upon after hauling home a pile of old albums from our neighbors' "free" box last summer, but as soon as I do, I'm sure I'll be breaking out my dad's old vinyl copy of "Blood on the Tracks" to sing, dance and watch it turn. I'd encourage everyone who can to do the same.

Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks, 1975

Side one
"Tangled Up in Blue" – 5:42 (Minneapolis)
"Simple Twist of Fate" – 4:19 (NYC, Sept 1974)
"You're a Big Girl Now" – 4:36 (Minneapolis)
"Idiot Wind" – 7:48 (Minneapolis)
"You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" – 2:55 (NYC, Sept 1974)

Side two
"Meet Me in the Morning" – 4:22 (NYC, Sept 1974)
"Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" – 8:51 (Minneapolis)
"If You See Her, Say Hello" – 4:49 (Minneapolis)
"Shelter from the Storm" – 5:02 (NYC, Sept 1974)
"Buckets of Rain" – 3:22 (NYC, Sept 1974)

No One Does it Like You :: Department of Eagles (BONUS POST)

2008-12-04T09:45:00.003-05:00

I know this week's post is supposed to be for a whole album - I will post that yet this week, I promise! But this is a supplemental post I meant to put up a few weeks ago - it was almost done, so I couldn't help but post it. And besides, I've been a slacker and haven't posted in a couple weeks, so I owe ya'll a post or three. Stay tuned for another post - it will be in keeping with the developing theme of high school albums of choice...and it will be doozy, I promise.

Moving on...I'm in love with Department of Eagles. I haven't felt this strong a reaction to a band in a long time. I've found my winter romance.

Department of Eagles is a Brooklyn-based duo, Dan Rossen of Grizzly Bear fame and Fred Nicolaus. According the band's website, the two were freshman year roommates at NYU, and started making music and collecting sound snippets. In 2003, they released their debut album The Cold Nose. Dan went on to join the band Grizzly Bear, and Fred got a job. But the two continued making music together, and just released In Ear Park in October.

THis song rocks. The whole album rocks. Reminiscent of Grizzly Bear (for obvious reasons), with some Dr. Dog moments and some very poppy Beatles moments as well. And a lot of something all their own. Love it, love it!

I meant to post this a few weeks ago, and I've been playing the album constantly since then. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. My favorite new find of the year, bar none. Thanks to my friend Chris for introducing me.

Click HERE to link to their media page on their website, and check out this tune and others!

Want more? Check out...
*the always satisfying Blogotheque (http://www.blogotheque.net/article.php3?id_article=3604)
*their sweet session on Daytrotter (FREE DOWNLOADS, FRIENDS!!!! http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1459/department-of-eagles).
*their myspace ( http://www.myspace.com/deptofeagles )
*their website (http://www.departmentofeagles.com/)

XOXO
Kim

Earthling :: David Bowie

2008-12-03T12:22:00.005-05:00

Building on the theme of albums we listened to in high school, my album for the week is David Bowie's Earthling. It came out in 1997, but I was 12 at that time and not cool enough to listen to David Bowie. I was introduced to this CD at a New Year's Eve party junior year, sometime after midnight when the music video for "Little Wonder" came on the TV. It was late, so I was loopy, but even so, this music video completely entranced me. It was directed by Floria Sigismondi, which explains how quirky beautiful it is.

The album's sound is clearly influenced by electronica, and was a favorite of mine for driving to school on cold winter mornings. In a broader sense when I started listening to more David Bowie, I appreciated this particular evolution of his music because I felt it sounds a little more focused than some of his other cds from the same decade. Either way. This music puts me in my happy place where I can just kind of zone out and enjoy the joy of David Bowie.

I've included a few videos from this cd, among them "Little Wonder," "I'm Afraid of Americans" and "Dead Man Walking."

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill :: Lauryn Hill

2008-12-02T09:38:00.005-05:00

My album of the day is The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill. Like many other teens at the time, I found out about Lauryn Hill via MTV (back when they actually played music videos most of the time) when she was still a part of The Fugees. Also, like many others, I became immediately obsessed with The Fugees and was really devastated when they split up. However, as soon as Lauryn Hill put forward her first solo album in 1998, it became a part of my daily routine...until I went to college. So, for a solid 4 years, I listened to this album pretty much every day of my life. It literally became the soundtrack to my high school career. But the weird thing is that I only remember sharing my love for this album with one friend, and that wasn't until my senior year of high school.

Some of my favorite tracks include Superstar; Every Ghetto, Every City; and Everything is Everything. I liked Doo Wop (That Thing), but that was also everyone else's favorite track when the album became popular...

Anyway, I'm sharing it with y'all now and I hope that it brings back some happy memories and you can think about what you were doing 10 years ago...before you had your ipod and macbook.

"You know it's hot, don't forget what you've got. Lookin' back, lookin' back, lookin' back..." - Every Ghetto, Every City by Lauryn Hill

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

I am including this youtube video for Can't Take My Eyes Off of You because I couldn't get it on the playlist player, but also because it was one of my favorite songs from the album! Enjoy :)

Pretty Hate Machine :: Nine Inch Nails (1989)

2008-12-01T00:02:00.002-05:00

I think we decided to dedicate December to talking about our favorite albums, right? Well, I dug deep to find one of my all-time (still) favorite albums. I don't listen to it all the time anymore, but I still get a lot of pleasure out of "Pretty Hate Machine" by Nine Inch Nails. Sometime around 1995, Nine Inch Nails got very popular and almost mainstream, but before that, they projected this amazing edginess, that I think influenced a lot of people that came after them.

1989 was a little early for me (I was nine), but I benefited a lot from having an edgy older brother. My brother was into all kinds of cool music. I still can't figure out how he knew all these cool bands- we lived way out in the sticks and this was wayyy before Al Gore invented the internet for us all to enjoy. But anyway, when he made his big switchover to CDs (circa 1993) I was the lucky recipient of his wonderful cassette collection (Cure, NIN, Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, everything).

I think a good test for an album's quality is if it sounds as good to you now as it did when you were an angsty fourteen year-old. This one passes! Listening to it now, it still seems amazing. If anything, my added years only make me see how good and pure the music actually was. Like, when Trent Reznor sings, "Seems like salvation comes only my dreams / Can this world really be as sad as it fucking seems?" those lines seem really good and pure and honest to me still today.

The tracks:

1. Head Like a Hole
2. Terrible Lie
3. Down in It
4. Sanctified
5. Something I Can Never Have
6. Kinda I Want to
7. Sin
8. That's What I Get
9. The Only Time
10. Ringfinger

The video for "Head Like a Hole" (from MTV, there might be an ad for a couple seconds before it starts):

Nine Inch Nails - New Music - More Music Videos

Back Door Santa :: Clarence Carter

2008-11-30T17:56:00.006-05:00

It's finally winter and the holiday season!

I filed this song in the back of my head since I heard it last Christmas, and now that's it's after Thanksgiving, I'm thrilled that I can now blog about my new favorite Christmas song, "Back Door Santa" by Clarence Carter.

I don't know what else to say about "Back Door Santa" except that it's a jumping soul tune from the '70s with really suggestive lyrics. You can guess what it suggests from the title. It's way better than "Santa Baby," which has always just creeped me out.

I knew I had to post this song on the blog because it's so hilarious.

Back Door Santa :: Clarence Carter

They call me back door Santa
I make my runs about the break of day
They call me back door Santa
I make my runs about the break of day
I make all the little girls happy
While the boys are out to play

Well I ain't like old Saint Nick
He don't come but once a year
I ain't like old Saint Nick
He don't come but once a year
I come runnin' with my presents
Every time you call me dear

I keep some change in my pocket
To chase the children who are home
I give 'em a few pennies
So we can be alone
I leave the back door open
So in case anyone smells a mouse
Won't Santas be in trouble
If there ain't no chimney in the house

They call me back door Santa
I make my runs about the break of day
They call me back door Santa
I make my runs about the break of day
I make all the little girls happy
While the boys are out to play

"Back Door Santa" link!

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Susanna and the Magical Orchestra

2008-11-30T00:00:00.008-05:00

So I know that Dylan has already posted the original of this song, but this one seems like a totally different song to me.

The first time I ever heard it, I was sitting alone in the dark of my house in the middle of the night and I couldn't sleep. It was the perfect song to hear under those circumstances. I wasn't feeling particularly lonely or sad or anything, but I started to cry in spite of myself. There was beauty sitting in the dark with me that I hadn't noticed before the song came on. And there was light in the cracks of my life that I hadn't thought to look for before that moment. So yeah, I really like this song.

Susanna and the Magical Orchestra is a duo from Oslo, Norway. Susanna Wallumrod sings and Morten Qvenlid plays keyboards. Together, they write beautiful songs that turn heads, but they also have a knack for doing covers that make you forget there was ever an original version (sorry, Joy Division).

Some nights you need good music to keep you company when you can't sleep. For me, Susanna and the Magical Orchestra is good company.

When the routine bites hard
And ambitions are low
And the resentment rides high
But emotions wont grow
And were changing our ways,
Taking different roads
Then love, love will tear us apart again

Why is the bedroom so cold
Turned away on your side?
Is my timing that flawed,
Our respect run so dry?
Yet theres still this appeal
That weve kept through our lives
Love, love will tear us apart again

Do you cry out in your sleep
All my failings expose?
Get a taste in my mouth
As desperation takes hold
Is it something so good
Just cant function no more?
When love, love will tear us apart again

Not Ready to Make Nice :: Dixie Chicks

2008-11-29T01:42:00.003-05:00

It occurred to me the other day that I have not yet posted a song from the Dixie Chicks (at least, I don't think I have). My girlfriend makes fun of me for my Dixie Chick fandom (she also makes fun of me for my unwavering love of the brothers MMMBop. For the record, however, she has attended a Hanson concert with me and can sing all the words to most songs on their most recent album...). While I do not think Dixie Chick appreciation is quite as nerd-worthy as some of my other musical "vices," I can understand the resistance to them. The Dixie Chicks have something no one else has - decent bluegrass-style country songs complete with slide guitars, fiddle and signature country vocal harmonies combined with smart, creative lyrics. In the "old" days, they played and recorded a lot of covers, but their most recent album is comprised of all original work. And it's awesome.

The reason this is on my mind is that recently I convinced Barbara, my girlfriend, to watch the Dixie Chick's documentary film, "Shut Up And Sing" with me. I'd seen the movie in the theatre when it came out a couple of years ago, but wanted to watch again with Barbara so that maybe she'd gain a new appreciation of the Chicks. If you haven't seen the movie, I'd definitely recommend it. It follows the band's experiences in the aftermath of lead singer Natalie's comments about Mr. (W) Bush made in London in 2003 - right as the United States was invading Iraq. The film includes a lot of interesting commentary about the music industry, the country music scene, free speech, and gender (in that I think some of the rhetoric targeted at the DC would have been different had they been a male band making the same kinds of criticisms of the president).

This song, "Not Ready to Make Nice" which gave the film its title, is also about the Chicks' experiences after Natalie made her comment. The song references the hostility directed at them, including a death threat made against Natalie's life. It's one of my favorite songs, and the album, Taking the Long Way, is definitely worth repeated spins.

Enjoy.

Forgive, sounds good.
Forget, I'm not sure I could.
They say time heals everything,
But I'm still waiting

I'm through, with doubt,
There's nothing left for me to figure out,
I've paid a price, and i'll keep paying

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

I know you said
Why can't you just get over it,
It turned my whole world around
and i kind of like it

I made by bed, and I sleep like a baby,
With no regrets and I don't mind saying,
It's a sad sad story
That a mother will teach her daughter
that she ought to hate a perfect stranger.
And how in the world
Can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Saying that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

Forgive, sounds good.
Forget, I'm not sure I could.
They say time heals everything,
But I'm still waiting

Fireman :: Nicole Reynolds

2008-11-28T23:32:00.006-05:00

I haven't blogged in a while. But personally, I think that I can totally make up for it by the fact that I'm sharing the wonderfully talented, incredibly cute Nicole Reynolds with you. The track I'm sharing is called Fireman, and it's sweet and adorable.

There is a sad lack of her music on the internet, but you can check out her myspace and listen to more stuff there. Or just buy her cd(s) and support the economy through independent music purchases. Which clearly is the appropriate choice. Especially since we're entering that time of year where you're supposed to buy everything in sight because nothing says I love you like spending money on someone. Ok, so I might be a little burned out on being back at my parents' house in suburbia. Anyways.

Nicole Reynolds' lyrics are very intelligent, I've been hooked by her subtle humor and imagery. Well, not all the songs are funny, but that's probably good. This particular track isn't as "humorous," but check out "Don't Put a Tax on the Beautiful Girls" which my friend Z has perfectly described as a "lesbian economic recession anthem" and have a chuckle or two.

Nonetheless. Here's "Fireman" performed live at the National Women's Music Festival. Enjoy! (added bonus, see if you can spot Ellis!)

the fireman starts his own fire
for the thrill, for the thrill
i've got an oil spill in my head
and it's spread like a flood

i don't got the answers
i don't got the mind
to stick with one story
follow something blindly
i don't rule things out
i could let you in
my mind's a rollin river
i'll tell you where i've been

sensible madness
terrible sadness
i've felt it all
let it fall, let it fall
i tell you that i love you
do i say it too much
i tell you that i want you
like a chemical rush

mark on my tongue
anchor on my back
i've seen too much
in my mind
it's all stacked up
california burning
louisianna drowning
generation howling

the fireman starts his own fire
for the thrill for the thrill
i've got an oil spill in my head
and it's spread like a flood
like a flood like a flood

Paper Planes :: I'm From Barcelona

2008-11-25T10:16:00.005-05:00

Welcome to Stree-Free Tuesdays - The Vodka 7 to Your Manic Mondays.

The following song is by a group called I'm From Barcelona. IFB got their start in 2005 and since then have been traversing the world with, at times, more than 20 different instrumentalists at a time.

Emanuel Lundgren is the leader of the group (and is sorta creepy looking w/his man 'stache)

but you can meet the rest of them HERE.

Anyway, I keep hearing this song on 89.3 The Current and it always leaves me feeling happy. I like that it's catchy and I like that it incorporates the clarinet - my first instrument. I also find the video to be pretty fun as well - lots of things happening in that elevator!

So, I hope y'all enjoy your Stress-Free Tuesday...Meggo-Style.

The end.
Love,
Meggo

Paper Planes :: I'm From Barcelona

Surrounded by strangers
Their sounds and their changes

There's a big old man
In his underpants
He plays the clarinet every night
Trying hard to figure it out
In the flat above
They are making love
I guess they'll have a beautiful son
Practicing as much as they've done

Paper planes!
Folding paper planes
Throwing paper planes
To clear my head

In the flat below
There's the Cosby show
And Theodor is screaming at Bill
Claire is mad and Ruby is ill
There's a cat out there
Running everywhere
Chasing all the girls in the park
I wish that I could see in the dark

Paper planes!
Folding paper planes
Throwing paper planes
To clear my head
Paper planes!
Folding paper planes
Throwing paper planes
And go to bed

I'm surrounded by strangers
Their sounds and their changes
I'm surrounded by strangers
Their sounds and their changes

Shirin :: Jens Lekman

2008-11-24T16:15:00.002-05:00

This song is by my boyfriend, Jens Lekman. He is the most lovely Swedish man, so romantic, with his little stories. He comes home after working all day, and sets his anecdotes to music so that I can enjoy them more fully. I love him. He is also a good cuddler, so bonus points for him.

Anyway, I don't actually know Jens Lekman, but I feel like I do after listening to his songs. This song is a story about an Iraqi refugee, Shirin, who runs an illegal hair salon out of her apartment in Stockholm. She has a magical touch and knows how to make her clients feel safe and calm (much like my stylist, Matthew...)

Shirin Shirin Shirin Shirin
Shirin Shirin Shirin Shirin

When Shirin cuts my hair
it’s like a love affair
Let those locks fall to the ground
or let them stay there

I show her my passport
what I look like
But she just smiles and lets me know
it’s gonna be all right

Shirin Shirin Shirin Shirin
Shirin Shirin Shirin Shirin

When Shirin cuts my hair
her mama's sitting in the rocking chair
She tells me stories from the war
in Iraq cause they were there

Shirin pulls my head to the side
but in the mirror I can see
a tear in her eye

Shirin Shirin Shirin Shirin
Shirin Shirin Shirin Shirin

Your hands are soft
your hands are soft just like silk
You're a drop of blood
You're a drop of blood in my glass of milk

Your hands are soft
your hands are soft just like silk
You're a drop of blood
You're a drop of blood in my glass of milk

When Shirin does her magic
to my frizzy straws
Immigration and tax represantatives
stumbled upon the lot
But what if it reaches the government
that you have a beauty salon
in your own apartment

I won’t tell anyone!
Shirin Shirin Shirin Shirin
I won’t tell anyone!
Shirin Shirin Shirin Shirin
I won’t tell anyone!

I Lived on the Moon - The Kwoons

2008-11-23T21:30:00.001-05:00

Okay, I'm sitting here typing on a rented keyboard with my rabidly deteriorating laptop posting a song for the day and seeing that my spot has been dusty from utter neglect. I'm sorry, dear ones. It has been a helluva couple months for me and I let a lot of my regular correspondence slip during that time. Though I haven't been able to type from home until now, I have been reading all of your dear posts and listening and feasting on sweetum tunes as usual. So here's my first contribution in a while and I knew that it'd have to be a good one!

I don't even remember how I found this song. I think I might have been surfing digital short films on youtube and stumbled upon the animations of Mr. Yannick Ruig (all of them are amazing!). Then I found this video and that's what made the song for me.

It was commissioned after Kwoon saw one of Ruig's earlier short films that seemed to be from the same world as their song "I Lived on the Moon". And the rest sprouted from there.

Here's the website for the making of the video: http://www.yanim.net/ilotm/ilotm.htm and if you have time, it's totally worth a visit. Ruig goes into detail about the inspirations for many of the visual components and it's neat to see what he saw in the music.

With computer animation technologies getting more fabulous all the time, I'm so stoked to see videos like this one - where the artist behind all the tricks has a sweet vision and tells a good story.

I can't find the lyrics anywhere, but my favorite lyric is undoubtedly the mention of the "three tailed monkeeeeeeys" heehee. Sorry I've been a posting douche.

Dancing in the Streets :: David Bowie and Mick Jagger

2008-11-21T00:07:00.003-05:00

I like this video because it makes me feel gay. Super gay. But like, gaiety gay. I like the sexual tension between David Bowie and Mick Jagger. I also like when Mick Jagger pauses to drink from his Diet Coke, and when the camera does a freeze frame on their butts. -Brenda

Is it me, or is Mick Jagger wearing Reebok Princess sneaks? Cuz those were my shoe of choice for grades 4-6. I think Bowie could have danced the blues even better if he was rockin the Princess sneaks. Now that I'm on the subject of Mr. Bowie, all I can say is that his trench-coat flutters like a nightingale's song at dusk. -Erika

Pull Me Out Alive :: Kaki King

2008-11-18T14:08:00.003-05:00

i haven't been exposed to much of Kaki King, but i have definitely enjoyed everything i've heard of hers thus far. i find the lyrics to this song to be just as stimulating as the video! it's not often that you get three amazing things all rolled up into a great package! i know we have blogged about Kaki King in the past, but i thought i'd dig through the archives and revisit some goodies.

i haven't been able to do much music listening since the onset of the new job, but i have listened to this song on repeat all day - and it is reminding me of how necessary it is for me to have some de-stressing music in my life. what is de-stressing music for me? i'm not exactly sure - i think that this particular song represents a style that allows me to just space out and stop thinking and to just feel or let the sounds wash over me (it also helps when i feel pulled to bob my head a little or tap my foot) - which is what i have been needing lately.

i hate how stressful life gets in the winter (specifically pre-thanksgiving to post-new years) and lately, i have been struggling to find something to calm my mind and allow me to just chill.

so, i am offering this song up as a de-stresser song and i'm curious what kind of music helps you unwind and relax? :D

the end.
love,
meggo

Pull Me Out Alive :: Kaki King

the tyranny of
trying to know
everything takes
over the freedom
of the mind
to find it’s own
course knowing
more about less
endless long standing
let's end all violence
farewell to thee
sigh when I grin
are we fainting off
the tendrils that
siren and there
my mate and me

pull me out
pull me out alive
pull me out
pull me out alive

oh take me to
cities where all
the hot spots are
inform the institutions
from the defunct
soviet union
when every arrow
will be defined as
post war to be
a bomb college course
but if the universe
is written in a breeze
you will

pull me out
pull me out alive
pull me out
pull me out alive

Basement Bhangra Anthem :: DJ Rekha

2008-11-12T11:02:00.008-05:00

I'm sorry I didn't post anything last week. I was pretty overwhelmed and excited and thrilled about the election results, and nothing I was thinking of posting seemed quite appropriate. Anyways. This week I've got something a little different than I usually post about, from DJ Rekha, who you can see on the right.

This is the title/first track off of DJ Rekha's cd "Basement Bhangra" and it's appropriately called "Basement Bhangra Anthem." DJ Rekha was born in London, lived in New Delhi for three years, then moved to Queens. She pretty much spearheaded the bhangra movement in NYC, blending bhangra, hip-hop and dancehall to create some really addictive dance music. She regularly hosts "Basement Bhangra" parties in NYC, so if you're ever in that part of the world, check those out.

Bhangra is a style of South Asian pop music that originated in India and Pakistan, rooted in Punjabi traditions. An easy way to distinguish bhangra from other types of Indian pop music is that bhangra features insistent rhythms played on the dhol, a two sided drum.

Basement Bhangra Anthem - DJ Rekha

We Are The Ones :: Will.i.Am

2008-11-11T09:43:00.005-05:00

OBAMA!!! OBAMA!!

he won. we did it! i'm still celebrating. i'm so excited to finally have a president that i am proud of and will be proud of and can trust. i am proud to say he is MY president.

OBAMA!!! OBAMA!!

this is MY America. YOUR america. OUR America.

there has been a lot of political tension on my campus surrounding the elections and it has been extremely frustrating and annoying, but the fact of the matter still remains. Obama is our president. no amount of bitching, whining, complaining, lamenting, etc. can change that fact and i am so freaking excited to have been a part of this movement for change. and it won't stop. we will keep moving and growing and learning and loving and things are going to get better.

WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!!

We Are The Ones :: Will.i.Am

(Obama, Obama)

We can change the world, na, na, na
We can change the world
I would like to see a cleaner earth for my child that I am bringing into the world very soon

(Obama, Obama)
I think that it's time for change
I want a better future for my children

(Obama, Obama)
I would like out environment to be safe

Es es nuestro America
Mi America
Tu America

This is our America
Mi America
My America
Tu America
Your America
America Nosotros

(Obama, Obama)
Someone can actually make a difference in my generation

(Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama, Obama)
I would like to see us in a world without fear
Basically, I would just like the war to end
I would like the rest of the world to think highly of our wonderful country

Bang Bang :: The Knux

2008-11-10T01:16:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Kim for pointing out that MTV has a new YouTube-ish website for searching for videos and interviews...

Here's another song by the Knux, two brothers out of New Orleans. These guys are so cool. I love hip-hop that is fast and fun and not about being a sociopath. So, here's the video for "Bang Bang." I love how the video references the early-80s movie "The Outsiders" and how the blonde chick looks like a Twin Peaks-era Lara Flynn Boyle.

The second video is the Knux talking about being labeled "hipster rap" by the hip-hop community... interesting stuff!

The Knux |MTV Music

The Times They Are A-Changin' :: Bob Dylan

2008-11-07T18:18:00.002-05:00

Enough said.

FYR :: Le Tigre

2008-11-06T10:34:00.004-05:00

Give me the house! House!

Give me the senate! Senate!

Give me the Oval Office! Oval office!

What's that spell?

HOPE!

What's that spell?

HOPE!!!!!!!!

The day many of us have been waiting for finally came, went, and we got an outcome that changes EVERYTHING. An empowered electorate showed that we, as a country, are ready for a change. We fought, we took to the streets, took to the phone banks, spoke to our friends and family, and fought to find the change we wanted to see. And we got it. And now the work begins.

On the same day, Californians passed Proposition 8 on Tuesday, banning same-sex marriage in the state. Court challenges have been filed against the ban, and the legality of the ban is in question. This does not, however, negate the absolute unjust nature of this measure.

One huge step forward, but two steps back. The fight for equality continues.

In the spirit of the fight, I'm choosing the song "FYR" today from Le Tigre, everyone's favorite feminist radical dance-punk band. I saw them in 2005, the first summer of Bush's second term. I, like many Americans, was angry and bitter at the elections process. Still reeling from the 2000 elections, further beaten down by the whack election of 2004, and completely frustrated by the endless war and a conservative government, I felt completely hopeless. When I saw Le Tigre, I felt empowered by the band's seemingly endless spirit to continue the fight for equality, stand up for feminists, for the GLBT population, and fight against social injustice. And I loved their sweet "Stop Bush" outfits (see image). Sure, they were angry. But so was I. Like the bumper sticker says, if you aren't outraged, you aren't paying attention.

The results from Tuesday's election leave me with a whole new feeling. For the first time since I became a legal voter, I feel a sense of hope, pride, and agency. I feel that there is a chance for resolution. A chance for something better. But California's approval of Propisition 8 is a grim reminder of the injustice that will continue to rear its ugly head.

Obama, his cabinet, the house, and the senate have a whole lot of work to do. And we, as citizens of the United States, do too. It is not the time to give up the fight - rather, it is time to get involved. Democracy starts at home, with all of us. So, let's own this country. Let's own our communities. Let's make a difference everyday in whatever way we can. And through our small actions, we can start to create the change we want to see. And we'll be working with a leader that recognizes the power and potential that lies within an empowered nation.

In the spirit of empowerment, I am choosing the song "FYR" (abb."Fifty Years of Ridicule"). This song calls out to feminists to stand up for equality. It references many things that were current to 2004, when the song was released, but are still relevant today. I think it translates beyond feminism to any struggle for civil rights, calling for unity in the fight against injustice of all types. And now, thankfully, we can continue our fight under a president that openly recognizes the need for equality and social justice.

Plus, this song is just bumpin', so it is always a good choice in my opinion.

FYR

by Le Tigre. From the album "Feminist Sweepstakes" (Mr. Lady Records)

Ten Short Years Of Progressive Change
Fifty Fucking Years Of Calling Us Names

Can We Trade Title Nine For An End To Hate Crime
Ru-486 If We Suck Your Fuckin Dick
One Step Forward, Five Steps Back

One Cool Record In The Year Of Rock-rap
Yeah We Got All The Power Getting Stabbed In The Shower
And We Got Equal Rights On Ladies Nite

Feminists We're Calling You
Please Report To The Front Desk
Let's Name This Phenomenon
It's Too Dumb To Bring Us Down

F.Y.R. Fifty Years Of Ridicule
F.Y.R. Take Another Picture

F.Y.R. Fifty Years Of Ridicule
F.Y.R. Take Another Picture

Mrs. Doubtfire On Mother's Day
On-the-job Stalker For Equal Pay
Toss Us A Few New Aids Drugs
As National Healthcare Bites The Dust

While You Were On Vacation
Black People Didn't Get Reparations
You Know These Days No One's Exploited
Sorry Dude Can't Hear You With My Head In The Toilet

Feminists We're Calling You
Please Report To The Front Desk
Let's Name This Phenomenon
It's Too Dumb To Bring Us Down

F.Y.R. Fifty Years Of Ridicule
F.Y.R. Take Another Picture

F.Y.R. Fifty Years Of Ridicule
F.Y.R. Take Another Picture

You've Really Come A Long Way Baby
It's You, Not The World, That's Totally Crazy
'Cause We Rocked The Fuckin' Vote
With Election Fraud In Poor Zip Codes

Celebrate Gay Marriage In Vermont
By Enforcing Those Old Sodomy Laws
One Step Forward Five Steps Back
We Tell The Truth They Turn Up The Laugh Track

Feminists We're Calling You
Please Report To The Front Desk
Let's Name This Phenomenon
It's Too Dumb To Bring Us Down

In the spirit of hope,
XOXO
Kim

Down To You :: Nina Storey

2008-11-04T10:56:00.003-05:00

Happy Voting!!!!

Here are some songs to accompany your day at the polls :)

First up: Nina Storey. She's a Colorado native and an amazing female musician. I had the opportunity to see her a couple of summers ago at an outdoor music festival (she was one of a few openers for Ani Fucking DiFranco!). So, because this day is about how each and every one of us has an important job to do today - and that is vote.

It's our duty to make a difference!!!

And if this song isn't enough, what about some babies?

And if little babies for Obama doesn't warm your heart, maybe a rap about change will...

Get out and BARACK THE VOTE!!!!!!

Think :: Aretha Franklin and the Blues Brothers

2008-11-03T19:28:00.002-05:00

Another song in the general vein of respecting other people. frreeeedddoommmm!! Let's do it.

Think (think) think (think) think (think)
think (think) think (think) think (think)

You better think (think) think about what you're trying to do to me
Yeah, think (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free

Let's go back, let's go back, let's go way on back when
I didn't even know you, you came to me and too much you wouldn't take
I ain't no psychiatrist, I ain't no doctor with degree
It don't take too much high IQ's to see what you're doing to me

You better think (think) think about what you're trying to do to me
Yeah, think (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free

Oh freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, yeah freedom
Freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, ooh freedom

There ain't nothing you could ask I could answer you but I won't (I won't)
I was gonna change, but I'm not, to keep doing things I don't

You better think (think) think about what you're trying to do to me
Yeah, think (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free

People walking around everyday, playing games that they can score
And I ain't gonna be the loser my way, ah, be careful you don't lose yours

You better think (think) think about what you're trying to do to me
Yeah, think (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free

You need me (need me) and I need you (don't you know)
Without eachother there ain't nothing people can do

Oh freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, yeah freedom
Freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, ooh freedom

There ain't nothing you could ask I could answer you but I won't (I won't)
I was gonna change, but I'm not, if you're doing things I don't

You better think (think) think about what you're trying to do to me
Yeah, think (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free

You need me (need me) and I need you (don't you know)
Without eachother there ain't nothing people can do

(To the bone for deepness, to the bone for deepness, to the bone for deepness, think about it)

(To the bone for deepness, to the bone for deepness, to the bone for deepness, think about it)

(To the bone for deepness, to the bone for deepness, to the bone for deepness, think about it)

(To the bone for deepness, to the bone for deepness, to the bone for deepness, think about it)

You had better stop and think before you think, think!!

Kick Push :: Lupe Fiasco

2008-11-01T13:48:00.005-04:00

I used to be one of those people who answered the question of "What music do you like?" with "Everything but country and rap." Well, I've already blogged about a country-lite musician that I really like, Ryan Adams; so I decided to blog about a rapper that I've grown to really like also, Lupe Fiasco.

Lupe Fiasco is the stage name of Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, and he really kind of seems like the antithesis of everything I still dislike in typical popular rap music. He doesn't rap about cars or use a lot of violent imagery; in fact, he's said in interviews that he was initially turned off to hip-hop music because of these recurring themes.

Instead, he raps about nerdy things like skateboarding in "Kick, Push." I love its chill, laid-back feel, and Lupe Fiasco is changing my mind about rap.

Kick, Push::
Uh, what up ya'll
(Soundtrack what's poppin') baby
Ya'll ain't know
I go by the name of
Lupe Fiasco
Representin' that 1st & 15
Yea
And this one right here
I dedicate this one right here
To all my homies out there grindin' (ya know what I'm saying)
Legally and Illegally
Ha
You know what I'm talkin' 'bout
So, check it out

First got it when he was six
Didn't know any tricks
Matter fact
First time he got on it he slipped
Landed on his hip and bust his lip
For a week he had to talk with a lisp
Like this
Now we can end the story right here
But shorty didn't quit it was something in the air
Yea
He said it was somethin' so appealing
He couldn't fight the feelin'
Somethin' about it
He knew he couldn't doubt it
Couldn't understand it
Brand it, since his first kickflip he land it
Uh
Labeled a misfit, abandoned
Ca-kunk, ca-kunk, kunk
His neighbors couldn't stand it, so
He was banished to the park
Started in the morning wouldn't stop till after dark
Yea
When he said it's getting late in here
So "I'm sorry young man there's no skating here"

So we Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Coast
And the way he roll just a rebel to the world with no place to go
So we Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Coast
So come and skate with me, just a rebel looking for a place to be
So let's Kick, and Push, and Coast

Uh, uh ,uh
My man got a lil older became a better roller (yea)
No helmet, hellbent on killin' himself, was what his momma said
But he was feelin' himself
Got a lil more swagger in his style
Met his girlfriend, she was clappin' in the crowd
Love is what was happening to him now, uh
He said I would marry you but I'm engaged to these aerials and varials
And I don't think this board is strong enough to carry 2
She said bow I weigh 120 pounds, now
Lemme make one thing clear
I don't need to ride yours I got mine right here
So she took him to a spot
He didn't know about
Somewhere in the apartment parking lot, she said
I don't normally take dates in here
Security came and said "I'm sorry there's no skating here"

So they Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Coast
And the way they roll just lovers in the twine with no place to go
So they Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Coast
So come and skate with me, just a rebel looking for a place to be
So let's Kick, and Push, and Coast

Yea uh, yea, yea
Before he knew he had a crew
That weren't no punk
In they Spitfire shirts and SB Dunks
They would Push, till they couldn't skate no more
Office building, Li-B's weren't safe no more
And it wasn't like they weren't getting chased no more
Just the freedom is better than breathing they said (they said)
And they escape route, they used to escape out
When things got crazy they needed to break out (they'd head)
To any place with stairs, any good grinds the world was theirs, uh
And they four wheels would take them there
Till the cops came and said "There's no skating here"

So they Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Coast
And the way they roll just a rebels without a cause with no place to go
So they Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Kick, Push Coast
So come roll with me, just a rebel looking for a place to be
So let's Kick and Push and Coast

BONUS SONG!
Lupe raps about navigating mainstream hip-hop in "Dumb it Down:"

Sugarman :: Rodriguez

2008-10-30T13:30:00.004-04:00

I heard the song "Sugarman" this morning and was so taken by it that I ditched the post I had planned on for today, and whipped together this quick little one just to get the song out there. Dreamy and dazey, syrupy and swooney, and full of horns, motown beats, delightfully psychedelic sound effects, and overt drug references, "Sugarman" represents a whole different era of songwriting. I loved his voice.

I had never heard of him before, but apparently, I'm not the only one. Rodriguez (Sixto Diaz Rodriguez) is a musician from Detroit that, after the 1969 debut of his home-recorded album Cold Fact, totally vanished from the American music scene. Oddly, he became wildly popular in South Africa and New Zealand, but never really gained much popularity in the U.S. Recently, the album resurfaced and was reissued, and the now 66-year-old Rodriguez had his U.S. concert debut over the summer.

Find out more about Rodriguez in this great NPR radio broadcast here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94076306

or this little blurb on The FADER...
http://www.thefader.com/articles/2008/7/21/freeload-rodriguez-sugar-man

Then, listen to the song here!

LYRICS:
Sugarman
Won't ya hurry
Coz I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin
Won't ya bring back
All those colours to my dreams
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
Met a false friend
On a lonely, dusty road
Lost my heart
When I found it
It had turned to dead, black coal
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
You're the answer
That makes my questions disappear
Sugarman
Coz I'm weary
Of these double games I hear
Sugarman (x7)
[....fade to echo]
Sugarman
Won't ya hurry
Coz I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin
Won't ya bring back
All those colours to my dreams
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
Met a false friend
On a lonely, dusty road
Lost my heart
When I found it
It had turned to dead, black coal
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
You're the answer
That makes my questions disappear
[....fade to echo]

Confines of Gravity :: PlayRadioPlay!

2008-10-29T11:07:00.004-04:00

Happy Wednesday!

We are coming up on our 1st birthday/anniversary on November 18th! So stay tuned for something exciting. (We don't know yet what it is.. but I'm sure it'll be exciting) As of just a few seconds ago, we've had a total of 32,475 hits ever on the blog, which is pretty amazing. So thank you for continuing to stop by and check out our blogs.

On to the music! Today I'm blogging about PlayRadioPlay!, the creation of a young man from Texas named Daniel Hunter. He signed with Island Records as a senior in high school, which is really quite impressive. He's not with their label anymore apparently. He makes electro-pop music that covers a variety of topics, including his father's death, the end of relationships and drug abuse and rehabilitation. I think he sounds similar to The Postal Service.

This song is called Confines of Gravity and has a funny music video of Daniel running around in the snow on a "rocket" sled.. So enjoy! Happy Wednesday

As I exhale
I think of questions to ask myself
What’s your plan?
Do you think you're a man?
Has your small amount of success gone to your head yet?

I wanna be an astronaut
And get high
Break the barrier of sound into the sky
Just want to be free
From the confines of gravity

As I take it all in
The altitude has an effect on my skin
I grow a space suit in the blink of an eye
And shortly after,
The atmosphere comes to life.

I wanna be an astronaut
And get
I wanna be an astronaut
And get
I wanna be an astronaut
And get
I wanna be an astronaut
And get high
I wanna be an astronaut
And get high
Break the barrier of sound into the sky
Just want to be free
From the confines of gravity

Prepare for landing as we come back to earth
Prepare for landing as we come back to earth
Prepare for landing as we come back to earth
Prepare for landing as we come back to earth

I wanna be an astronaut
And get high
Break the barrier of sound into the sky
Just want to be free
From the confines of gravity
I wanna be an astronaut
And get high
Break the barrier of sound into the sky
Just want to be free
From the confines of gravity
From the confines of gravity
From the confines of gravity

I'm Good, I'm Gone :: Lykke Li

2008-10-28T09:28:00.003-04:00

happy tuesday everyone! we're 7 days away from making history, so get your vote on then, or if you can do it now, DO IT!

today's song of the day is by an artist many of us have come to love since we were first introduced to this Swedish indie artist, Lykke Li, this past spring by Kim. well, ever since then, i've been slightly obsessed.

just this morning, as i was searching around for an artist to blog about, i came across this live session of Lykke Li's single "i'm good, i'm gone". i'm a huge fan of live, acoustic performances (duh), and this is what you get from this particular track - a live, acoustic performance. there's something that gives me tingles when you get to hear all the intricate details of an artist's voice and instrumentaling.

when i listened to this song, i thought about all the work that has been done to get out the vote and to help distribute the information about these upcoming elections. politics has been on my brain constantly for the last 6 months...and, in case you didn't know, we are all apart of this election. we all have a vital role - whether it is making sure we get ourselves out to the voting booths, helping to address ingorant, hateful rhetoric, volutneering our time to a local, state, or national campaign, encouraging a first time voter to do their homework, or hosting debate parties - we are all in this game and it's up to us to make sure this election is not a repeat of the last 8 years and 2 elections.

so, hopefully you'll enjoy this wonderful live rendition of another jammin Lykke Li song while you're working on getting out the vote!

GO OBAMA.

The end.
Love,
Meggo.

I'm Good, I'm Gone :: Lykke Li

Steppin', stormin'
I'm all gone
Give me a tone and I'm all gone
Yeah, I'm walkin' by the line
I hear that in my mind

I'm workin' a sweat
But it's all good
I'm breakin' my back
But it's all good
'cause I know I'll get it back
Yeah, I know your hands will clap

Yeah, I'm workin'
Yeah, I'm workin'
To make butter for my piece of bun

And if you say I'm not OK
Then that's the goal
If you say there ain't no way that I could know
If you say I aim too high from down below
Well, say it know 'cause when I'm gone...
You'll be callin' but I won't be at the phone

And you're hanging around 'til it's all done
You can't keep me back once I've had some
Wasting time to get it right
And you will see what I'm about

Yeah, I'm workin' a sweat
But it's all good
I'm breakin' my back
But it's all good
'cause I know I'll get it back
Yeah, I know your hands will clap

And if you say I'm not OK
Then that's the goal
If you say there ain't no way that I could know
If you say I aim too high from down below
Well, say it know 'cause when I'm gone...
You'll be callin' but I won't be at the phone

Bonus Song!
Hanging High

A Little Respect :: Erasure

2008-10-27T06:34:00.003-04:00

I wish my words could send out a clarion call... it's time for a little respect! Actually, it's time for a lot of respect. It seems so simple... we could all hurt so much less if we would just treat each other better. Respect boundaries. Respect choices. Respect friendships. Respect individuals. If we could just handle each other with kid gloves...

So if that paragraph above wasn't gay enough for you, enjoy this video. It's a good song. Respect each other.

I try to discover
A little something to make me sweeter
Oh baby refrain from breaking my heart
I'm so in love with you
I'll be forever blue
That you give me no reason
Why you're making me work so hard

That you give me no
That you give me no
That you give me no
That you give me no

Soul, I hear you calling
Oh baby please give a little respect to me

And if I should falter
Would you open your arms out to me
We can make love not war
And live at peace in our hearts
I'm so in love with you
I'll be forever blue
What religion or reason
Could drive a man to forsake his lover

Don't you tell me no
Don't you tell me no
Don't you tell me no
Don't you tell me no

Soul, I hear you calling
Oh baby please give a little respect to me

I'm so in love with you
I'll be forever blue
That you give me no reason
You know you're making me work so hard

That you give me no
That you give me no
That you give me no
That you give me no

Soul, I hear you calling
Oh baby please give a little respect to me

Soul, I hear you calling
Oh baby please give a little respect to me

Hi :: Psapp

2008-10-25T17:17:00.005-04:00

If you watch Grey's Anatomy, you're already familiar with British electro-quirk duo Psapp. You know that kind of strange clinky music that they use for the theme song? That's "Cozy in the Rocket," and probably the band's most recognized song so far. Here's another good one that gives you a good taste of their sound: "Hi." I'm not really sure how to classify it, really. I guess it's electronic because they use computers a lot...but they also use a lot of different instruments like toy guitars to get that kind of bossa-nova percussiveness in the background. In other songs they use things like glass breaking, spoons, and cat meows. I love it!

There's also a song called "Part Like Waves" from their upcoming new album on their MySpace page that I really like a lot. Enjoy!

Hello

Get out the abacus and count this
A funny story with a dark twist
The target's so big that you can't miss
Me

You're compulsive
And every page I turn I want more
I never know the next thing in store
Cause you excite me like a locked door
Does

Like a limpet
I want to take your voice and drink it
There doesn't seem to be a limit
To all the things that I could do

I know how I want it to go
I know how I want it to be
Don't make me think before I speak
Or make me hold my horses

Hold tight
We saddled up if you can ride right
If you just think it then you'll be fine
Fingers crossed that it's the right time
This time

You're a fat swamp
We can visit for a fun romp
I really want to do the high jump
Taking a risk will do us all some good

I know how I want it to go
I know how I want it to be
Don't make me think before I speak
Or make me hold my horses

I've got my eye on the prize (look at their eyes)
My beady eyes are a light (are a light)
And though I don't know what comes next
I will not hold my horses

Hello
Get out the abacus and count me
A funny feeling says I won't leave
The target's so big that you can't miss
Me

I know how I want it to go
I know hot I want it to be
Don't make me think before I speak
Or make me hold my horses

I've got my eye on the prize (look at their eyes)
My beady eyes are a light (are a light)
And though I don't know what comes next
I will not hold my horses

I know what you're thinking
I know how you see me
Although it hurts
I'll never get it right

Strange Form of Life :: Bonnie "Prince" Billy

2008-10-23T14:24:00.004-04:00

I have a major thing for musically-inclined men with facial hair. Like Devendra Banhart. Or Samuel Beam (of Iron & Wine fame). Or Bonnie "Prince" Billy.

Just to name a few.

Bonnie "Prince" Billy is the recording name of Will Oldham, a Louisville born and bred musician that has been performing since the early 90s. His music is hard to categorize, a little folk, a little roots, a little Americana, a little something all his own.

I didn't know anything about him until two years ago, when his album The Letting Go came out. I listened to it pretty obsessively. It defined the fall of 2006. I've always meant to check out his stuff from years and years ago, I'm still only really familiar with stuff from the last 5-6 years or so.

Anyway, the change of seasons recently pushed me back to this album, and I had to share one of my favorite tunes from the album, "Strange Form of Life". This song makes me ache a little inside, I think it is so beautiful, but there is something somber about this song that pains me. It is haunting and gorgeous. Rather like his impressive moustache...

Here's the video. Odd. It isn't what I would have imagined. But none of his videos are.

Lyrics:
a strange form of life
kicking through windows
rolling on yards

heading in loved ones' triggering eyes
a strange one

and a hard way to come into a cabin
into the weather
into a path
walking together
a hard one

and the softest lips ever
25 years of waiting to kiss them
smiling and waiting
to bend down and kiss twice
the softest lips

in a dark little room
across the nation
you found myself racing
forgetting the strange and the hard
and the soft kiss
in the dark room

and a strange form of life
kicking through windows
rolling on yards

heading in loved ones' triggering eyes
a strange one

I hope you enjoyed it.

XOXO
Kim

Miracles :: Jeremy Messersmith

2008-10-22T12:35:00.000-04:00

This song came on the radio last night when I was cooking dinner for my housemates. I was intrigued. So this morning I've been wandering around the internet listening to some of his stuff and all that. I discovered that Jeremy Messersmith is based in Minneapolis (hurray for local music) and would give out free copies of his music wrapped in paper bags which got the attention of princess records.

Anyways. Back to this song. It's called "miracles" and has this Elliot Smith/Brian Wilson-esque vibe to it. I couldn't find lyrics anywhere, but he sings fairly clearly. Happy Wednesday!

Coffee Song :: Ellis

2008-10-21T10:35:00.004-04:00

I love this woman and I'm so excited to finally live in the same state so I can try to frequent her shows. Ellis is a magnificent performer and has this very awkward/funny charm - not to mention, I dig her music. She's also a very kind individual and does a lot for the local music scene here in the Twin Cities.

When I first heard this song, I thought it was cute and funny, but I just couldn't relate to the sentiments she sings about her love for java. But now, I have a new found appreciation for the song and the drink it is about - I love coffee. Seriously. I really love it. I have even started enjoying it...black. I used to say that I like a little coffee with my cream, but really, I am starting to love coffee without any additives - but more importantly, I truly do believe in the superhuman strength it gives me that Ellis sings about....

There's really nothing like starting off your day with a giant mug of coffee and looking out the window and seeing all the fun fall colors.

And just like my need for more than one cup of coffee each day, so is it necessary to listen to this song more than once...hence the multiple videos...one for each cup of coffee I plan on drinking today :D

Here's to Tuesdays, Coffee, and Fall :)
The end.
Love,
Meggo.

Coffee Song :: Ellis

I spend all my money
I dress you up for fun
I’m not too proud to say
I’ll go that extra mile
I cool you down when it’s hot
I heat you up when it’s not
I treat you right- oh you know you’re the one

I’ve tried all kinds of teas
I’ve tried the yerba matte
It’s not the same even
If it looks like a latte
We’ve had some time apart
And I was less shaky
But I feel more alive
When I’ve had my cup of coffee

You fit my every mood
With an uplifting feeling
It’s like a superhero
comes in every cup
And when I start to fade
You’re there to save the day
You make me feel like I am stronger than I was

I’ve tried all kinds of teas
I’ve tried the yerba matte
It’s not the same even
If it looks like a latte
We’ve had some time apart
And I was less shaky
But I feel more alive
when I’ve had two cups of coffee

It’s not always bliss
I can have too much of you
I take time away and for a while
Decaf will have to do

You are a politician
On a people- pleasing mission
So many faces to the simple bean you are
You are a caramel hi-rise
Or a simple latte small size
Or a cappuccino dry - Or coffee at the bar

I’ve tried the turtle mocha
I’ve tried the mint extreme
I’ve had the macchiato
I’ve had extra whip cream
I’m not ashamed to say it
I want you every day
Even at the gas station I’ll go out of my way

I’ve tried all kinds of teas
I’ve tried the yerba matte
It’s not the same even
If it looks like a latte
We’ve had some time apart
And I was less shaky
But I feel more alive
when I’ve had three cups of coffee

My SuperHuman Strength After Drinking Coffee :D

Neverland :: The Knife

2008-10-20T00:02:00.001-04:00

This is my second post on the Swedish brother-sister duo The Knife, but I feel that they are good enough to merit a second posting.

"I'm dancing for dollars... for a fancy man."

Eyes are sober, this is the plan
I'm sitting in a car heading Neverland
A fancy man, a fancy man
He's pointing with the fingers that are left on his hand

Eyes are hazel, but far too cold
Looking out for love
But none of us can
Where's the monkey that I've been told of
I'm staring at the money that burns in my hand
I'm dancing for dollars
And for a fancy man

Come right over, I'll knock on your shoulder
This is a story and this is what I've planned
An angry man, an angry man
Nothing is more fatal than an angry man

Vulnerable heights
Feed the hand that bites me
Following the steam into another room
Standing in the corner
Is this my home
Showing us love that none of us can
I'm singing for money
That burns in my hand

Tell me
Will I make it home tonight

I'm doing it for dollars and for a fancy man
I've got a lot of money that burns in my hand

Black Dog - Kris Rowley

2008-10-19T11:54:00.000-04:00

Kris Rowley writes songs the way others might confide to a loved one. He draws you near enough to see, yet far enough to wonder. It is nearly impossible to turn away from his melodic prose without taking a part of him with you, or leaving a bit of yourself behind... “