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 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
When I think about where I'd like to be in my life 10 years from now, a scenario that often comes to mind is living in New Zealand working as an acupuncturist. Anyone that knows me will attest to the fact that I have a million ideas of all the places I'll go and all the things I'll do. In a very concrete way, however, I'll be starting on the acupuncturist part of this Fall, when I begin studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Now, as for New Zealand, anything's possible! I've never been there, but it justseems cool. Wildly diverse climates and grow zones, centralized cities balanced by absolute desolation, a diet that consists of lots of pumpkins, and a generally quirky sort of reputation among the countries of the world. Perfect. I hear Auckland is pretty rad. And if The Ruby Suns are any reflection of Auckland and all the fun and excitement it has to offer, then get me my worker's visa and call me a Kiwi.
The Ruby Suns conjure up a lot of mental images for me. I picture living in the South Pacific, having a fire on a beach and dancing around it. It isn't intellectually challenging or too deep or anything, but it is carefree and breezy and fun. Great summer music. Like the novel that you read on the beach that has a juicy, sensational plotline but is surprisingly well-written. I've been listening to their tracks, and there isn't a tune I don't like, some are just downright catchy with world-music inspired rhythms. Others have an ambient sort of quality that is reminiscent of Panda Bear which is reminiscent of the Beach Boys. "Tane Mahuta" is a warm, noisy, fun track that has a great rhythm and a fun little trombone part, and I dig it - but use in moderation, because I think the overplay potential on this one is high.
But what does it mean? Thanks to Wikipedia, here a little background on 'tane mahuta': Tāne Mahuta is a giant kauri tree in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand.
The tree's Māori name means "Lord of the Forest" (see Tāne), and is the name of a god in the Māori pantheon. Tāne Mahuta is the most massive kauri known to stand today. It is 51 metres (169 feet) in height, and has a circumference of 13.8 metres (45 feet). There is no proof of the tree's age, but it is estimated to be between 1250 and 2500 years old.
According to Māori mythology Tane is the son of Ranginui the sky father and Papatuanuku the earth mother. Tane was the child that tore his parent’s parental embrace and once done set about clothing his mother in the forest we have here today. All living creatures of the forest are regarded as Tane’s children.
Who knows how sincere they are in celebrating the Maori deity with this catchy, chart-bangin' song. The Ruby Suns' sound makes me think of the paintings of Paul Gaugin (Post-Impressionist French painter, 1848-1903). Gaugin's interest in the "primitive", the appropriation of various elements from the native South Pacific island cultures that surrounded him, the warm, muted blocks of color, imagery of island foliage.... Yeah, "Tane Mahuta" and Gaugin's paintings seem to have a lot in common. I know, I know, I probably sound like I'm trying to be lofty and intellectual, but I'm an art nerd and I can't shake this association! Truth be told, I detest his paintings - I don't like them from a formal point of view, and ethnographically, he pisses me off. I think the odd association with The Ruby Suns will be the only positive oneI EVER make with him. I dislike him almost as much as I dislike Renoir. Yeah, I said it. I really dislike Renoir.
What do I like? Fun summer music, that's what! And The Ruby Suns fit the bill. So, I am nominating them as Summer Solstice Band of the Year. So, sit outside, celebrate the upcoming official change of season, give thanks to the Māori Lord of the Forest, and listen to "Tane Mahuta". I'll be pretending I'm in New Zealand.
White Rabbits provided me the soundtrack to the summer of 2007, an epic season of debauchery and fun that drained my money, gave me a beer belly, and convinced me to do an intensive cleanse come Fall.
All the while, White Rabbits played in my iPod, in my car, in my office, and in my head. Turned on to them by my music-sponge friend Peter, I became immediately enamored with White Rabbits' sound. The band reminds me of Coney Island and the Great Gatsby and a New Orleans marching band and calypso and hipsters all at once. Perhaps you've heard "Kid on My Shoulders" and "The Plot", they both got major play.
Oh, and did I mention that White Rabbits, as a whole, are cute as hell? I didn't. They are. Sigh...
These Midwest boys met in Missouri and moved to NYC. They live together and make music in their flat and must spend vast quantities of time together. For the kind of insight on this that only a video interview can offer, check out this clip:
So, if they were so 2007, why bring 'em up now? This spring, the band was signed by TBD Records (home to none other than Radiohead), and anticipation is rather great for their sophomore release, due out early next year. They just finished up their first tour as the main act, and I caught them at the 400 Bar on their pass through Mpls a few weeks ago. I'd seen them twice before, the first time at the Turf Club in St Paul. It was August 1 2007, the night the 35W Bridge crumbled into the Mississippi River. That night was scary and odd and uncomfortable, and the vibe at the show was weird. Everyone was waiting for the band to come out, dazed, watching live footage of dust and twisted metal and broken cement and injured people on bar TVs. The White Rabbits were a welcome highlight to that evening, the energy was killer and they were amazing. They opened for The Cribs, who were supposed to be awesome, but were, in my opinion, overrated and kind of awful.
Then I saw them again, sandwiched between The Virgins and Tokyo Police Club at the 7th St Entry. It was was electric, the Entry was the perfect venue, and again, I was impressed at just how hard they brought it.
Now, to the 400 Bar. I think the show lacked the kind of wild electricity that I had seen previously. But, it was awesome. They played some new songs that I totally dug. And as a bonus, their cover of Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm" made a second appearance in the Twin Cities, much to my pleasure. Try to find a YouTube of it, I haven't looked but there must be one somewhere.The most shocking part of the night? Hardly anyone was there! Maybe it will be one of those shows that a year from now people talk about - "Oh, man, you were at that 400 Bar show? I should have gone, " people will say, forlorn.
Well, maybe it won't be quite like that. But who knows, maybe it will. For the White Rabbits, I hope so.
I'm choosing the song "Tourist Trap", one of my favorites from last year's album Fort Nightly. I'm a sucker for drum heavy beats balanced by a twinkly keyboard, and this song has that in great profusion, plus a fun "la la la" chorus, some trumpet, an excellent mid-song transition, and fun calypso twists. This song is a winner. But honestly, the whole album is a winner.
BONUS!!!! Here's "Sea of Rum", a tune that is not on their album, but is featured in their sweet Daytrotter Session and makes appearances at live shows. It would behoove you to follow that Daytrotter link, because there are free downloads involved...
Want to know more about White Rabbits or stream more of their album? Go to their myspace or check out their website!
One of my life dreams is to learn to play it. Some day. This is a very lofty aspiration.
In the meantime, I deeply admire the sitar playing of others. Anoushka Shankar is one of those people. Her talent is immense. And she has large shoes to fill - she is daughter of the masterful Ravi Shankar, the incredible musician that revolutionized sitar playing and popularized the instrument, as well as Indian music on the whole, to Western audiences. Like, uh, for example, when the Beatles started doing drugs and started making way cooler music, George (my favorite) pulled in Ravi for sitar lessons.
Anyway.
Anoushka is remarkable in her own right. She is intelligent and well spoken. I listened to a fascinating interview with her on "Speaking of Faith" on NPR about approaching prayer (check it). And she plays WICKED sitar. She has been performing since the age of 13. Crazy.
I love the complexity of sitar music. The time signatures and pitch possibilities are far more diverse than Western musical structures. I think it is like ear candy. I lose myself in it completely.
Today I am choosing the piece "Shuddha Sarang", off her album Anourag, from 2000. This album is entirely music composed by Ravi, and even features a duet. This is a great album. "Shuddha Sarang" is an early afternoon raga. What's a raga? A raga is a series notes that form a melody by specific rules, upon which the musician improvises. Ragas are connected to specific times or day or seasons, and form the basis for traditional Indian music. If you want to know more about ragas, look here.
I love listening to this piece in the morning - regardless of its 'early afternoon' association. The way it builds is remarkable. I have found peace and rejuvenation in this piece for years. I hope you enjoy it...all 12:43 minutes!
Here's the catch: pressing "play" below only plays a small sample segment. If you click "download", another window will open that will allow you to the play the whole song AND you don't actually have to download anything.
Random fact that you may or may not know: Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones are half-sisters.
Last night I had the pleasure of attending the DeVotchKa show in Minneapolis. I am a DeVotchKa devotee. And I had been told that DeVotchKa puts on an incredible show. This was no lie. It was probably one of the most sweepingly fantastic shows I have ever seen. It was magic. I may have to write another post just to review that show.
Two big surprises for the night: 1. The beautiful and costumed Slavic Sisters doing crazy contortionist gymnast tricks Cirque du Soleil-style on large cloth strips hanging from the ceiling. This happened DIRECTLY OVER MY HEAD during DeVotchKa's first encore. I say "first" because there were, in fact, two encores. I'm telling you, this show was unspeakably amazing. 2. Basia Bulat
Who, you ask?
The crowd was loud, drinking PBR and Grain Belt and whatever else you drink for cheap at a First Ave show. Then suddenly, this strikingly beautiful woman comes out on stage alone, and just starts singing a cappella, earthy and deep. Wow. It was amazing, and captured attention like I haven't seen in a long time.
This woman was Basia Bulat, a Canadian musician with an awesome name, a soulful presence, and an endearing smile. Then Basia picked up an autoharp, and out came the rest of her band. A ukelele! A viola! A cello! Drums (Basia's brother, aw!)! Ay yay yay, they stole my heart. There is something old-fashioned and romantic about Basia and her band beyond the folk-rooted sound, and I like it. This is honest music. And they rocked. Basia broke a guitar string in their lost song, for goodness sake. So many great songs.
I am featuring "I Was a Daughter", which was one of the last songs they played. The band had us all hand clapping at rapid-fire pace, and this song had incredible energy and grace. Now reading the lyrics, I like the song even more - idealism, sweet and salty, and imagery that reminds me of childhood stories.
Listen:
Lyrics: If you call tomorrow I will dream I was a daughter Weavin through these brand-new silver streams Turned into dusty roads that we both wandered on We prayed to perfect Avalon We wished for anyone to take us home
If you want to build this house with me Oh what a story This is how they'll all remember me We were the lucky ones that would survive the flood With potted flowers in our blood Pretendin that we don't know where we bleed All the pretty fall
We fell asleep but we couldn't hear their little words We swam in the rivers, sang with the birds Gave away our hearts before we knew what they were What a pretty fall (don't sing too loud, they are asleep) Didn't even know (don't sing too loud, they are still dreaming) We sang out with the birds (don't sing too loud, they are asleep) Gave away our hearts before we knew what they were (don't sing too loud, they are asleep) What they were Oh what they were
Bonus song! This is "Little Waltz", and it is beautiful.
I love Scandinavians. And Lykke Li is no exception - her voice is like sugar, her sound is like soda pop. With a kick. Like really bitey ginger ale.
Her songs are simple, but contain little surprise elements that make them intriguing. The lyrics are coy, and I really enjoy the mix of unusual sounds and strong percussive quality of the bass lines layered with her childlike voice. For lack of a more intellectual analysis, it just sounds cool. As a side note, I also love her overall look - her style, her album art, her webpage design - simple but with attention to little twists and details. Very much in line with her sound.
I'm featuring "Little Bit", from her recent release Youth Novels. This won out over "Breaking it Up" because it had sweet videos, and I felt like offering a multi-media experience of Lykke Li. So look up "Breaking it Up" and listen to it!
Here's the "Little Bit" video for your viewing pleasure:
Bonus! "Little Bit" on the streets of Stockholm. Wonderful.
Lyrics: Hands down I’m too proud for love But eyes shut it’s you I’m thinking of But how we move from A to B It can’t be up to me Cause you don’t know Eye to eye Thigh to thigh I let go.
[[Chorus]] I think i'm a Little bit Little bit A little bit in love with you But only if you're a Little bit Little bit A little bit in la-la-la-la-love with me, oh oh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh-ooh
And for you I keep my legs apart And forget about my tainted heart And I will never ever be the first To say it but still I get over Ah ah ah
I will do it, Push button, Pull trigger, Climb mountain Jump off a cliff 'cause you know baby I love you love you a little bit I would do it I would say it You’d mean it I could do it If it was you and I only and I -
[[Chorus x 2]]
Come here Stay with me Stroke me by the head Cause I would give anything To have you as my man
Come here Stay with me Stroke me by the head Cause I would give anything To have you as my man
"Can you show me the hottest local disc you are selling right now? Your favorite. The most popular. Whatever, just the album or band that everyone is talking about." I wanted to know.
He walked me over to the local rack, cocked his head with his hands on his hips, and thought for moment. Then he pointed. "This one. It is my favorite on this rack, it just came out. And everyone's talking about it."
I just returned yesterday on the red-eye from visiting a friend in Seattle, and came back laden with music. The city totally won me over, due in part to the thriving music scene. The local favorite suggested by the record store clerk? Fleet Foxes' recently released 5 song EP Sun Giant. After performing for a year or two around Seattle, this band performed at SXSW, was favorably reviewed by Pitchfork, and is currently touring with Blitzen Trapper (Minneapolis on April 9 at 7th St Entry - if you want to go, post a comment! I'll be there, this show will be awesome.). According to one article I read, they are firmly denying that they are hippies, this is apparently an issue of contention. I don't care if they are hippies or not, Fleet Foxes puts out some great music.
The song I'm featuring, "White Winter Hymnal" is amazing; it isn't on the EP, in fact, it is a featured song from their full-length album due out in June (just announced Tuesday!). I came across this song yesterday while investigating the EP, which got major play in the car while traveling around Seattle and on my iTunes back at work ("English House" and caffeine pulled me through my post-redeye flight coma). Anyway, once I heard "White Winter Hymnal", the deal was sealed. I can't wait for the album, I've listened to this song about 600 times today. This is beautiful music, plain and simple, packed into a brief little song and it gives me delightful little goosebumps everythime I hear it - and I enjoy the odd piano section at the end.
Lyrics:
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
Bon Iver (pronounced "bohneevair", like the French bonhiver, meaning "good winter") is the name taken by musician Justin Vernon. The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native's record, "For Emma, Forever Ago", was just released mid-February, and is striking.
I received the album on loan from my dear friend, who got it on loan from her exclusive man-friend. This man-friend, in addition to being a totally solid and positive person, has impeccable taste in music and loves to share. He gets three thumbs up.
The story behind this album is a fitting backdrop for a collection of songs that I see as both complex and austere, ghostly and visceral, lonely and warm. According to many a website, Vernon fled to his father's desolate Wisconsin cabin at the start of winter, seeking solace and simplicity after a band breakup. Armed with simple recording equipment, Vernon recorded all day between simple tasks like chopping wood. After 3 months, he emerged from the wilderness with the collection of songs now on the album. It is perfect and full of the kind of romanticism that throws me into a sweeping tailspin - an individual goes on solo "vision quest"-like period of isolation, and finds beauty in simple living. I need this.
What else better than the enveloping womb-like quality of the dense Wisconsin woods to cradle frustration? If you've ever walked through the thick, blue lit trees, and felt the amorphous, soft curves of snow-covered woods bend toward you, maybe you've felt the sense of support that the icy wilderness can lend. But despite the quiet support, it is still icy and foreign, and maybe a little isolating. A snowy embrace can be a lonely one.
I feel all of this in the album. I am a Wisconsinite that harbors the deepest love of woods and music, and I think this album shot into a particularly soft spot of my heart. The album is thick and orchestral, as dense as an uncut Wisconsin forest. But the songs are still incredibly simple and straightforward. Introspective and sweeping, this music hits me at my core. On his myspace, Vernon calls his music "neo-soul".
Picking a song is hard, as they are all incredibly beautiful, but I am featuring "Lump Sum". The ghostly vocal parts sometimes feel as light and delicately creeping as hoar frost on a window, at other times they seem to echo from a desolate cave. All the while, the percussive guitar rhythms are as rooted and honest as the tallest tree. It gives me goosebumps.
I am in love with JaConfetti. Seriously. They wear metallic costumes, sell crafty reindeer jewelery and technicolor tshirts for their merch, use kicky stage names (Yvone Coco and Ella Mau), and have a ton of experience working as MCs under their large, shiny belts. And, as a bonus, these lovely and talented ladies are...Danish! Yay! My sisters.
Their album Rainbow Express was just released and it is too much fun. They sample a variety of genres to make a fun, fabulous, danceable music filled with horns, heavy beats, and electro twists. Each song is filled with confetti and rainbows and oddly, lots of lyrics about food (I love food, so this works for me), but sometimes it feels a little dark and strange all at the same time due to the huge fantasty element. You can listen to tracks on their website, and on their myspace.
I love the way that JaConfetti has crafted their visual image to fit their music, it is a really holistic approach to being performers. Their website is amazingly designed (Adobe Flash + dancing food + confetti = true design beauty). They have created a storyline and alternate universe through their songs that is carried through from album art to merch, and they wear fabulously unique outfits and really seem to embrace a world of imagination and fantasty and metallic clothes. I want to see them live! I need to travel to Denmark.
I just heard this tune a couple weeks ago and I've been hooked! Thao with the Get Down Stay Down is from Washington D.C.; they just released a new album January 29. I haven't heard the whole album yet, but from what I've heard out in the world and on their myspace profile, Thao is gettin' a big thumbs up from me. I love her voice. If Marie and Donny Osmond were a little bit country and a little bit rock n' roll, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down is a little bit pop, and a little bit bluegrass, and a little bit country.
No lyrics posted anywhere for this one yet, sorry, but take a listen. If you listen to the music and don't listen for lyrics much, this song sounds upbeat and light, her guitar sparkles, and there is kind of a poppy calypso folk thing going on. But listen to the lyrics, and you get a contrast - she's balled up in someone's front yard, with only a bag of hammers and her manners. Yes, she's sold everything else, and is now left alone. Thao, it seems, is post-breakup, and it sucks. A couple favorite lines, as I hear them: "There's a hole in your head, spilled your thoughts on the floor" and "As sharp as I sting, as sharp as I sing, it just soothes you, doesn't it? Like a lick of ice cream."
Listen to the tune:
Like it? Watch thisvideoof Thao interviewing herself and see the charming music video for "Bag of Hammers", sponsored by record label Kill Rock Stars.
Love it? Lucky you! The band is touring this spring. For those of you rollin' with me in the Mpls/St. Paul area, the Triple Rock Social Club is hosting Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, with Xiu Xiu (which should prove to be awesomely weird). The Triple Rock is a great place to see a show, and this will be no exception!
I saw Yeasayer a couple weeks ago opening for MGMT. I only knew a few songs from each band, but the show was sold out, and I fell into a ticket. How could I say no?
Yeasayer is a Brooklyn-based band that is still pretty fresh to the national scene. They had amazing energy, and really jammed out. The lead singer was freaking with the mic and gesturing wildly, almost revivalist style. It was pretty great. As a side note, they provided excellent indie-style visual stimulation - there was a side ponytail, braided pigtails, moustaches, an a-shirt (a.k.a. wife-beater), a various patterns of layered plaid and check, a yellow hood, sunglasses for a brief period of time, a crustacean forearm tattoo, and a well-worn graphic tee. Terribly stylish. They also like Sriracha (note the green capped jar in image). Men of my own heart.
Anyhow, right now I am way into this song. They describe their sound as "middle eastern-psych-pop-snap-gospel". As much as I don't want to say it, there is something about this band that reminds me of the jam-drum bands I listened to in a previous life...like, uh, Rusted Root. Yeasayer uses a lot of percussive, earthy rhythms, ambient sounds, world music harmonies, and and there is something just slightly new-agey about the lyrics. I kind of feel like I should be at a big hippie festival that has been displaced to a hip club, and instead of patchwork pants, all the kids are wearing expensive boutique denim. I told an enthusiastic, watered down version of this to frontman Chris Keating (he's the one chopping the zucchini). We were standing next to each other in the back while MGMT played. I couldn't help the opportunity to chat him up; I'm not sure what he honestly thought about my assessment, other than saying he'd never been to any of those festivals. He was gracious and introduced himself; if anything, hopefully it gave him a laugh.
Give it a listen! The song starts with a non-optimistic view of the future, celebrates the beauty of the current moment, and then pushes for communal farming with enthusiastic "yeah!"s yelled in unison. Take it as literally or as figuratively as you want...
Lyrics: I can't sleep when I think about the times we're living in, I can't sleep when I think about the future I was born into, Outsiders dressed up like Sunday morning, With no Berlin wall what the hell you gonna do.
(Chorus:) It's a New Year, I'm glad to be here It's a fresh spring, So let's sing.
In 2080 I'll surely be dead So don't look ahead, Never look ahead
It's a New Year, I'm glad to be here It's the first spring, So let's sing.
And the moon shines bright On the water tonight So we won't drown In the summer sound.
If you find me I'll be sitting by the water fountain, Picket signs, letdowns, meltdown it's Monday morning But it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright It's alright, Cause in no time, They'll be gone I guess I'll still be standing here.
(Chorus)
(Bridge:) Yeah Yeah we can all grab at the chance and be handsome farmers, Yeah you can have twenty one sons and be blood when they marry my daughters, And the pain that we left at the station will stay in a jar behind us. We can pickle the pain into blue ribbon winners at county contests.
Keeping on the "bear" theme I started last week with Panda Bear, I have selected a Grizzly Bear tune for today: "Knife". Roar!
The twist?
Today we have one song, four ways: one original, one upbeat electropop cover, one experimentally ambient cover, and one hip hop infused remix.
I love finding/seeing/hearing/experiencing reinterpretations of things I dig. Appropriation, darling! We all do it, and when done cleverly, it can be fun and exciting. It can also be horrifying. But these reinterpretations all made me really pleased.
Let's start at the beginning. Grizzly Bear is a band out of Brooklyn. Although they've been around for years, I was just formally introduced to them a few months ago. This song is off their album Yellow House (2006), passed to me by my dear friend Amy. I already knew "Knife"; it is kind of an ubiquitous track. But listening to it on the album, it struck me differently and has become one of my current favorites. Then, I came across the cover by CSS. Turns out that this cover is featured on Grizzly Bear's EP Friend (2007), along with another one by Atlas Sound. Two solid, band approved covers? Holy buckets. Then, I came across a remix by Girl Talk. Oh, Girl Talk! Girl Talk rocks me...and so does this remix.
Okay, without further adieu, let the journey begin! Though I'm tempted to indulge myself, I'm going to save you a lengthy analysis of each one. Explore the similarities, intersections, and digressions for yourself, and enjoy the trip.
Lyrics: i want you to know when i look in your eyes with every blow comes another lie
you think its alright you think its alright you think its alright you think its alright
can't you feel the knife? can't you feel the knife? can't you feel the knife? can't you feel the knife?
The original by Grizzly Bear:
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The cover by CSS:
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The cover by Atlas Sound (I can't really get enough of this one):
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The kickin' Girl Talk remix (love it! brilliant!):
20080206: I re-read my blog today and was horrified to see the vast number of typos and weird sentences. These have now been corrected, my word.
Hi readers! I apologize for skipping out last week, life presented too many balls and I dropped one. That one ball happened to be this blog. Sorry friends.
This week I am featuring "Take Pills" by Panda Bear. Panda Bear is the alias for Noah Lennox, one member of the band Animal Collective. His album Person Pitch made major indie headlines last year; either you totally buy into his sound or you think he is ripping off Brian Wilson's sound WAY too much and that makes you crabby or you just don't like the general concept. I just got the album a couple weeks ago after coming across one of the tracks. Since then, I have been listening to the entire album obsessively, because that's how I roll. It is jangly and sparkly, psychedelically poppy, and experimental. I think it is full of momentum, despite the repetitive sample looping and dubbing. This album makes me feel good.
Simple as that. I put it on in the car, while I'm at work, while I'm working on projects at home, while I'm in the bath, while I have people over, whenever really. And I'm really excited to listen to it come springtime. Because it feels like spring. But it also works in winter. It may very well be trans-seasonal, and that is rare and beautiful.
Why "Take Pills" if I love the whole album so much? I think is a solid and approachable representation of the album. Some tracks are long - over 12 minutes - and other are short little gems, like this one. More importantly, I like the lyric/music relationship. When I listen to the music, I feel great. It starts quiet, pensive. Half way through, the tempo picks up and he delivers a poppy, repetitive little melody. The lyrics say we should take things one day at a time, that we're stronger than pills, and we don't need to take them to feel good. Listening, I wonder if part of the secret to becoming stronger is absorbing deep breaths and good music.
So, if you like "Take Pills", check out the rest of the album; you might dig it. I think "Bros" is probably my favorite, but it is hard for me to choose. And I love "Good Girl/Carrots". Okay. I like them all for different reasons. Check it.
"Take Pills" lyrics: surely there is no substitute for company my mom's ripping off her hands one flake at a time all her children left the house and left her all alone but just like she'd tell me things get better just wait and you'll see
take one day at a time everything else you can leave behind only one thing at a time anything more really hurts your mind i don't want for us to take pills anymore not that it's bad i don't want for us to take pills because we're stronger and we don't need them
Here's "Bros", because I love it too much and need to share it! This is a 5-ish minute edit of the 12-minute song, so it is just a little taste. Sit back, relax, breathe, and cuddle aurally with Panda Bear.
<---------Meet Onili. Onili is an up and coming pop star from Tel Aviv. I think she is fantastic, I found out about her a few weeks ago and am crazy about her. Her music is sexy and fun, a rock-pop-electro combo that totally gets me. Games, her new EP, was just released, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. In the world of cyberspace, there's not a whole lot out about her yet, but I expect there will be.
I think this song, "Sentimental" is white hot. I like to listen to it obsessively at work when I am feeling trapped in my office. When I do, I pretend that I am in Tel Aviv at a tiny, dimly lit club seeing her live, dancing with a bunch of other sweaty young people and drinking Israeli beer.
She opened for Lily Allen last year for part of her tour, but mostly Onili plays in Israel. Apparently, though, she just added a couple tour dates in the U.S. to her schedule, including a date on Valentine's Day in Chicago. So, check out her website and her myspace, listen to the song, and wait for Onili to blow up. Seriously.
I fell in love over the weekend. With Jens Lekman.
About a month ago, I was told I would love him and should check him out, and the circumstances of this conversation were such that I believed it. So, I had him on my "must check out" list. Then, as it happened, his music found me before I had the chance to find it. During a rollicking Jameson-soaked cribbage extravaganza that crept from Saturday into Sunday, Jens Lekman made himself known. In those early morning hours, Lake Calhoun was foggy, so was I, and I promptly turned over my heart to the songs of a Swedish crooner.
Jens, your music makes my heart ache, my eyes brighten, my spirit sparkle. Sigh.
His songs are pure, sweeping pop; romantic and nostalgic,bouncing from melancholy to joyous and back again. And his voice is like velvet. And he plays the ukelele! Jens is a little elusive; he doesn't have a myspace profile, and despite the fact that he has released mutliple albums and EPs, his music is not all over the internet. His website, however, has some for free download (check it!). While I've only heard a handful of his songs, almost every one I've heard I L-O-V-E. Where have I been? How did I overlook Jens Lekman all these years? WTF?!?!!! There is no going back now.
This song is called "I Don't Know if She's Worth 900 Kronor" and I've listened to it the most obsessively for the last 3 days. I can't find an MP3 to embed, nor is there any YouTube video, so follow this link and stream it: CLICK TO LISTEN!!!!!!!
Oh Jens. I look forward to our polyamorous romance, I know you have a lot of admirers, but that's okay. You have so much music I have yet to submerge myself in...how exciting.
LYRICS: Well I know that I fall in love too easy, I just sit back and pluck a little daisy. Oh loves me, loves me not, I wanna fill her heart with forget-me-nots So she'll think of me, In Barcelona.
I don't know if she's worth 900 Kronor, 'Cause that's a ticket from Gothenburg to Barcelona. Oh loves me, loves me not, I wanna fill her heart with forget-me-nots So she'll think of me, In Barcelona.
But there's a song on the radio that lets me know that what I feel is a No, no, no! But hey let's go. I'm not afraid to lend my heart out to a stranger: Barcelona.
Oh please don't remind me of the little time i have known her. She's probably happy, In love with someone in Barcelona. But no matter, if she loves me not, I wanna fill her heart with forget-me-nots So she'll think of me, In Barcelona.
But there's a song on the radio that lets me know that what I feel is a No, no, no! But hey let's go. I'm not afraid to lend my heart out to a stranger: Barcelona. [I Don't Know If She's Worth 900 Kronor Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]
BONUS! Because I couldn't resist. This is "A Sweet Summer Night On Hammer Hill" and I love this song too.
My first post of the new year! Let's start 2008 with a laugh, shall we?
So, you know when you are kind of into someone and you kind of let them know by saying something about hanging out again, or whatever, and you follow it up with a, "Well, you know, if you want to, I mean, if you're into it..."
Yeah. Smooth. I think we've all probably awkwardly thrown that out there at some point. Truly the ultimate follow up to whatever suggestion you make, "if you're into it" hints at what you want to do, but passively lets you off the hook and puts the responsibility on the other person. It shows how, um, laid back, casual and easy going you are (trying to seem). Not into it? No worries, you weren't that into in either anyway (lie!). Into it? Everybody wins (yes, they are into it!). Right? Uh, yeah...
So, now, enter "If You're Into It", from Flight of the Conchords. It just kills me! This song is guaranteed to make me laugh, for oh-so-many reasons. Flight of the Conchords is a pop/folk/comedy duo out of New Zealand, and they are fantastic and hilarious. They parody a variety of musical genres and their lyrics are wacky. The best part is that they are actually great musicians. In addition to albums and funny music videos and live music/comedy shows and a radio show, these guys also have a self-titled TV show on HBO. Busy little beavers, they are. Check out the song and get ready to smile. Video!
Lyrics! If you want me to I could hang 'round with you If I only knew That's what you're into. You and him Him and you If that's what You're into Him hanging 'round Around you You're hanging 'round Yeah, you're there too. And if you want me to I will take off all my clothes for you I will take off all my clothes for you If that's what you're into How 'bout him In the nude? If that's what You're into. In the nude in front of you Is that what you'd wanna view? If it's cool with you I'll let you get naked too It could be a dream come true Providing that's what you are into Is that what You're into? Him and you In the nude? That's what he's prepared to do Is that the kind of thing you think you might be into? And then maybe later We get hot by the refrigerator In the kitchen next to the pantry You think that might be what you fancy? In the buff Being rude Doing stuff With the food Getting lewd With his food We heard that's what you are into Then on our next date Well, you could bring your roommate I don't know if Stu is keen to But if you want we could double-team you How about you And two dudes? Him, you and Stu In the nude Being lewd with two dudes with food Well, that's if Stu's into it, too All the things I'd do The things I'd do for you If I only knew That's what you're into
But wait! There's more! Okay, these guys have so many other hysterical videos I had to include a bonus. It was hard to pick, but this one is totally sick. Get ready for "She's So Hot (BOOM)". She's So Hot (BOOM)
I stumbled across Black Kids back in October; I read about their debutEP Wizard of Ahhhs online somewhere and was curious. Available only for free download off their website (and even before Radiohead), it was gettin' hyped up like nobody's business. A relatively new and unknown band getting press from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and almost every indie music blog I looked at? What?!?
Black Kids is living the dream! You know, the one where the little local band suddenly makes it big, gets Best New Music/Band accolades, travels to Europe...ah, the romance of it all, really! They formed in 2006 in Jacksonville, and releasedWizard of Ahhhs this past August. Then - poof! - the band is performing at music festivals, tours, and takes a trip to Great Britain. And according to Wikipedia, they recently signed a management contract with the group that manages Bjork and Arcade Fire. That's one hell of a year.
I'm highlighting "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You", the third track out of four on the EP and my favorite. It is a poppy little tune chock full of group counting. Plus, it fulfills my love for synthy keyboards (I know, I know, it is cheesy but true).
When I listen to the EP, I feel like you can see the band belting it out in someone's garage drinking cheap beer or performing at a local battle of the bands festival, and I dig that sincerity. Probably because until recently, that is what they were doing. But then again, the sound isn't totally new. Hopefully, they'll have staying power - they have a whole lot of hype to live up to - and release a really surprising, well-produced album while the industry is still wild for them. In the meantime though, I like this song a lot, and I wish that I could be an overnight rockstar like Black Kids!!!
LYRICS: You are the girl that I've been dreaming of ever since I was a little girl.
One! I'm biting my tongue. Two! He's kissin' on you. Three! Oh, why can't you see? One! Two! Three! Four!
The word's on the streets and it's on the news: I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you. He's got two left feet and he bites my moves. I'm not gonna teach him how to dance! dance! dance! dance! The second I do, I know we're gonna be through. I'm not gonna teach him how to dance with you. He don't suspect a thing. I wish he'd get a clue. I'm not gonna teach him how to dance! dance! dance! dance!
One! You're biting my tongue. Two! I'm kissin' on you. Three! Is he better than me?
From mewithoutYou to Joanna Newsom - uff da, what a leap! And that is why this blog is boss.
So, Joanna Newsom is a pretty predictable choice for me; if you get me talking about music long enough, I'll wander down a windy, multi-forked path for a good long time, but will often end up choosing the road that leads to a tall and sturdy Joanna Newsom soapbox. I picture this soapbox in a sylvan locale inhabited by a wide variety of fantastic flora, fauna, and cave-dwelling, musical instrument-toting elves.
The pervasive grey and chill of winter is making me return to the things that bring me warmth and comfort, and happily, her music is one of these things. I remember the first time I heard her - it was Easter weekend of 2005, and the lovely Aimee Ringle sent me the song Sprout and the Bean in an email. I think I listened to it 8 million times, then called Aimee to geek out. Since then, I've loved her, deeply.
But, some people just don't! Either you totally dig Joanna Newsom, or you think she's totally weird - there seems to be very little middle ground. But come on. She rocks out on a harp, she's weirdly gifted, and ethereally beautiful. How could you not be charmed? Anyway, much has been written about Joanna and her music; I can hardly add anything new, but I'll be damned if I don't try.
This past April she released an EP, Joanna Newsom & The YS Street Band. In addition to the Song of the Day choice, Colleen, this EP features new versions of two older songs, Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie (from The Milk Eyed Mender, 2004 andWalnut Whales EP, 2002) and Cosmia (from Ys, 2006). I really enjoy her new takes on these two songs. In keeping with the style of her earlier arrangements,Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie was originally a solo harp/vocal piece. This version is a duet; her voice has lost some of its shrillness, and the harp technique and tempo are more expressive. Cosmia, from her latest full-length album, was arranged for vocals, harp, orchestra. This pared-down version with the band feels more steeped in folk tradition and has a more improvisational sound than the original. She seems to have endless creativity and potential.
So, Colleen! It represents a new direction in her writing; the tight interplay of her harp with the rest of the band rocks my world. It is reminiscent of old Appalachian folk tunes crossed with a Klezmer ensemble and a tripped-out San Francisco drum circle. Or, uh, something like that, anyway. Like a well-wrapped little gift, this song is self-contained, unexpected, and full of promise.
The footage is quite representative of a live show experience. I've seen her twice, last fall at the 400 Bar in Minneapolis, and this past May at Red Rocks in Denver. I think that is why I like this EP so much - on both those tours, she was rockin' with the "Ys Street Band". Live, she is both humble and captivating; almost hypnotic. This girl has got skills, man, she's a powerhouse. Watch, listen, enjoy - and share your opinion in the comments section!
As a side note, if you like her sound, check out Ys. Five songs long (the longest clocking in at 16:55 - seriously) each one is like an epic tale. She recounts wild fantastical stories and beautiful quips, all in her oddly childlike voice. This is the kind of music that headphones were made for. Live, she actually performs all five back to back - stunning.
For real, your wordy blogger is now over and out!!! XOXO Kim
LYRICS (there's a lot of them...) I'll tell it as I best know how, And that's the way it was told to me: I Must have been a thief or a whore, Then surely was thrown overboard, Where, they say, I came this way from the deep blue sea.
It picked me up and tossed me round. I lost my shoes and tore my gown, I forgot my name, And drowned.
Then woke up with the surf a - pounding; It seemed I had been run aground.
Well they took me in and shod my feet And taught me prayers for chastity And said my name would be Colleen, and I was blessed among all women, To have forgotten everything.
And as the weeks and months ensued I tried to make myself of use. I tilled and planted, but could not produce - not root, nor leaf, nor flower, nor bean; Lord! It seemed I overwatered everything.
And I hate the sight of that empty air, like stepping for a missing stair and falling forth forever blindly: cannot grab hold of anything! No, Not I, most blessed among Colleens.
--
I dream some nights of a funny sea, as soft as a newly born baby.
It cries for me pitifully! And I dive for my child with a wildness in me, and am so sweetly there received.
But last night came a different dream; a gray and sloping-shouldered thing said "What's cinched 'round your waist, Colleen? is that my very own baleen? No! Have you forgotten everything?"
This morning, 'round the cape at dawn, some travellers sailed into town with scraps for sale and the saddest songs and a book of pictures, leather-bound, that showed a whale with a tusk a meter long.
Well, I asked the man who showed it me, "What is the name of that strange beast?" He said its name translated roughly to He-Who-Easily-Can-Curve-Himself-Against-The-Sky.
And I am without words. He said, "My lady looks perturbed. (the light is in your eyes, Colleen.)" I said, "Whatever can you mean?" He leaned in and said, "You ain't forgotten everything."
--
"You dare to speak a lady's name?" He said, "My lady is mistaken. I would not speak your name in this place; and if I were to try then the wind - I swear - would rise, to tear you clean from me without a trace."
"Have you come, then, to rescue me?" He laughed and said, "from what, 'Colleen'?" You dried and dressed most willingly. you corseted, and caught the dread disease by which one comes to know such peace."
Well, it's true that I came to know such things as the laws which govern property and herbs to feed the babes that wean, and the welting weight for every season; but still I don't know any goddamned "Colleen."
Then dive down there with the lights to lead that seem to shine from everything - down to the bottom of the deep blue sea; down where your heart beats so slow, and you never in your life have felt so free. Will you come down there with me? Down were our bodies start to seem like artifacts of some strange dream, which afterwards you can't decipher, and so, soon, have forgotten Everything.
So here it is, plain and simple. I'm whole-heartedly in love with Beirut. The accordions! The strings! The percussion! The horns! The ukelele! The Eastern European folk influenced chord structures! If you know me well, you will know that this list represents nearly all the musical quirks that make me the most happy. And Beirut has all of them, plus more, all driven by Zach Condon, the weirdly brilliant 21-year old New Mexican music prodigy, and rotating band of 6-8 friends.
I was first introduced to Beirut by a friend with Lon Gisland E.P., just after it came out early this year (Elephant gun was the big indie hit off this one). This sweet little E.P. of 5 songs just freaked me out; I was wild about it. So, like any woman obsessed, I went to the Electric Fetus that same day and bought Gulag Orkester, the band's first album (released 2006, you may have heard Postcards from Italy). Anyway, I was just almost dying waiting for the next release, and finally got it in October with The Flying Cup Club.
Now, The Flying Cup Club is a little different from the other two releases; not quite as gypsy, and much more steeped in French musical influence than Eastern European. It's not quite as rockin' and is more swoony and romantical (two words that I don't think are approved Webster's). The reviews of this album were mixed; some reviewers found it "obvious", others found it a "trimph". I agreed immediately with one of the most common observations: the horns are lacking the same prevalence and power as the previous albums, and I do miss that.
Regardless, I really LOVE this album. Condon's voice is syrupy (though often lacking some somewhat needed annunciation, if I may say), and the instrumentation is thick, dramatic, and orchestral. Oh, and very accordion heavy...let's thank the French for that (the band traveled and recorded in France while working on this album). In honor of their French travel, this week's photo of me is from my last round of French travel...in addition to folk instruments and minor chords, I am also a major Francophile (nerd). Anyway, the songs on this album convey feelings and images for me unlike many, like fuzzy childhood memories or recounting your grandparent's stories. It feels nostalgic and other-worldly all at the same time, kind of like looking at old photographs. As with the other albums he borrows heavily from folk traditions, creating a delicious fusion of sounds and rhythms. I think it is beautiful music.
Hard to pick which song I want to highlight, but I'm going to pick Guyamos Sonora, the third track on the album. There are beautiful strings, lovely mandolin, a good solid percussion part, warm horns, and the transitional bridge part at about minute 2 is fantastic. Plus, I really love the vocals on this one...the lyrics I can understand are really wonderful.
Here's a youTube of a video the band performing the song live in the studio; La Blogothèque filmed each track of this album in Brooklyn. The sound quality is good and I love seeing the musicians. No lyrics anywhere online yet, sorry...maybe that is because they are often unintelligible. Just use your ears and imagination...
I needed to add this as a little nugget, because I love the video too much. Zach performs Penalty, also off the new album...playing the ukelele...in Paris...on the street and in a cafe...after getting kicked out of a different cafe. Also, I like the video because I'm kind of in love with him...what can I say, he's a French speaking, slightly disheveled looking, messy haired, lanky musician...all things that lead to my downfall. Damn it, just watch the video...
