... the non-english speaking version. 01. K'naan wrote "Soobax" to protest the occupation of Somalia, his home country by hostile troops. Soo bax means "Get Out," according to the amnesty international site. I am majorly fond of K'naan, and this is a great song. 02. G-Dragon, dubbed "the Korean Lady Gaga" by my friend K., singing his hit song "Heartbreaker." Is it the white hair or the commitment to androgyny? I'm hooked. 03. More Korean pop, from the Wonder [...]
By some happy chance I got a copy of Alan Wilkis's album "Pink and Purple" and faithful reader, it is fan-frigging-tastic. It was like being transported back to my teen years, only better (to be fair, anything would be better than that). The whole record is chock-full of 80s vibe, but it's not derivative at all. Like Doe Deere, it has upped synth and beat to the next level, creating something as modern as it is retrospective. It's a slim six songs long, so you don't get bored, and I dare you not to at least [...]
[ed. note -- Hey, whut whut, has it really been three months since my last update? Probably the 4,500,000 points I have in Bejeweled Twist were responsible. If you asked for a song from me during this time, and you didn't get one, write in again. I just sent a few out to people who commented last month. Check your inbox! And your spam box, ha ha.] Today's music is actually the music of last year, but I'd never heard of Blind Pilot until my brother-in-law pointed me toward their 2008 album "3 [...]
Once again my video links have reached critical mass. 01. Regina Spektor does "Blue Lips" on Jools Holland (via Culture Bully). It is probably an understatement to say that I am SO SO SO SO SO SO SO anticipating this new album. Also, R.Spektor is so very adorable. 02. Space Cowboy's new single, "Falling Down" (via Electroqueer). I am enamored of this Space Cowboy fella because of his collaborations with Lady Gaga, but he's also monstrously danceable by himself. 03. Bishop [...]
Ah, my favorite genre, the mishmash that is folk/alt-country/alt-folk/amer icana, whatever you want to call it. Whatever the moniker you choose, it's the heartsbloody, dirty-handed songs of the people, and excluding blues & blues rock, there isn't anything better to listen to. Lately there's been a slew of good stuff coming down the pike like the train rolling past Folsom Prison. Let's take a listen, shall we? *beep* [advance filmstrip] 01. The Felice Brothers - Yonder Is the Clock Though the album is (on the whole) rather [...]
Well, I tried and tried, but me and the Hazards of Love just aren't going to be BFFs. I had a previous commenter (thanks, Josh) who said that the title track was pretty good, and it came up randomly in my ipod, and I liked it pretty well, but like he said, the rest of it ... eh. Not even the addition of Ms. Awesomesauce Worden can mitigate the ehness. Sorry, Colin and crew. But something else came up randomly on my ipod - keeps coming up, actually, and I keep thinking, "this [...]
Off topic, does anyone have an "entry song" into "Hazards of Love"? You know, a song you can listen to and it gets you excited to hear the rest? Excluding the Rake's Song, that is. I listened to the first three tracks and it was like, snoozeville, so either I am way off base or I just haven't found the way into it. Any suggestions? (Confession: I kind of hate albums where the whole thing is one story. Excluding "The Wall." But even that gets on my nerves sometimes.) Aaaand, back [...]
A beautiful new song by NY band Edison Woods has hit my inbox: well, sort of dropped into it with a teeny splash, but the ripples keep getting bigger and bigger. This is the Edison Woods of "Last Night I Dreamt I Would Last Forever," a song so weirdly and slowly sublime that one forgets that it spans over seven minutes. This new song, entitled "Wind Song," reminds me of nothing so much as the Cinematic Orchestra - both bands employ that muted atmospheric piano and the sped-down pace. There's just a bit of [...]
This one is kind of Electroqueer-heavy, but that's just because EQ is so awesome. 01. Video for Matt Alber's "The End of the World" - this guy, seriously, he can sing. I love this song, I have seen this video a million times. It's romance with a capital Row. 02. If you have an hour and a half to watch a great film, clap your peepers upon "Sita Sings the Blues," by Nina Paley. It's augmented by the beautiful blues of Annette Hanshaw. 03. Via [...]
By strange coincidence, the word of the day at AWAD is "bon ton." So if you've always wanted to know what it meant, there you go. It's Bon Ton day! Let's celebrate it my way: virtual unicorn tapestry cake and poetry. Almost Blue by Mark Doty Chet Baker, 1929-1988 If Hart Crane played trumpet he'd sound like you, your horn's dark city miraculous and broken over and over, scale-shimmered, every harbor-flung hour [...]
I have to give love to my former place of residence, Provo UT, where I spent seven years acquiring a degree at Parentally Approved Religious University. There was a fun band scene going on back then (not all of it related to PARU, just in general) & I'm sure it hasn't changed. So, yes, there is music here and not just maudlin memories - the band is called Desert Noises. Listening to it reminded me strongly of Ill Lit and some of the stuff off of "Tom Cruise" - there's even some electronica mixed [...]
Since I have a big crush on AC Newman, I will wish you a happy Valentine's Day by posting his cover of "Take On Me." It's on the Starbucks compilation entitled "Sweetheart," if you wish to enrich them by purchasing it. There's a good Jem song and a half-decent cover of "I Put A Spell On You" by She & Him (i.e., the backing blues guitar is awesome, but I can't listen to it because of her singing. Sigh). Oh yes, and a great DeVotchKa cover! And some not-so-great covers. So rather than [...]
Ye olde oddes & endes. 01. Eleni Mandell - I liked everything I heard from Mandell. "Artificial Fire" (the song) has this gorgeous guitar work on it, and though I'm not sure what she means by artificial fire, it's no weirder than pretty much every New Pornographers song ever. There's a strong jazz influence on the music, with extra brass, which is awesome. Mandell is apparently a Silver Lake fixture if you know that scene, so hop over to her site and preview some tracks. You can pick up "Artificial Fire" (the album) [...]
Eet has been a long time, my video hookup fraind, but now we are back togezer. (twirls moustache) 01. MOKB has a nice link to the Lykke Li video for "Tonight." Dodge calls her a needy chick, but I don't think the song is needy and I don't think she looks needy. Vulnerable, maybe, or unsure, but that's not the same thing. I also admire the way she looks right at the camera and doesn't tart herself up so she looks like a plastic space alien. 02. Segue! [...]
Today on Down the Rabbit Hole day, I'm going to write about what I spent the last half of last year listening to. I missed pretty much everything going on in the indie world because I finally discovered something on the radio. Since we moved to LA I had turned off the radio because I couldn't find anything to listen to. But my husband - usually an intrepid fan of the AM dial - found KUSC , the classical music station that USC underwrites. And I fell in love. Readers of [...]
In anticipation of their album (called "Hazards Of Love," it's set to be released in March), the Decemberists have released a single called "The Rake's Song." I talked about this in August when YANP had it as a live track, but it's worth revisiting. And now, so that I can justify the title of this blog, a short digression. To be perfectly honest, the man in the song is more likely to be a cad than a rake. Rakes were feckless gamers and immoral seducers, but they had a glamour attached [...]
Well, things between Blair and Chuck are cooling down again, but it was a spectacular run while it was happening! Serena and her blah-blah relationship with Dan cannot compare, can it? Though Lily and Rufus were interesting for five minutes, when Rufus wasn't being all "me me me me me me ME." If only Lily would kick him to the curb! But no, the drama must remain high. So you say you want to talk someone out of jumping off a roof ledge? Here are some tunes to get your courage up. [...]
When I was listening to last week's podcast of "This American Life," I was privileged to hear to a beautiful talk by Anne Lamott; she spoke of her love for Jesus Christ, and the people around her, and music. She told a story of a man in her church who was dying of AIDS. He came to the meeting but he was so weak he could not stand to sing when everyone else was standing. A woman in the same congregation who had always been sort of standoffish to him was watching him sing and she got [...]
In honor of Gossip Girl playing the Black Keys on the show last night, here's some more music. This feature is rather popular, so I have kept up the music from previous posts. If you want to browse, just click the tag above. That Black Keys song is just the thing if you're walking into an old speakeasy that you're planning to renovate. Just in case you need a theme song like Chuck Bass. 01. The Black Keys - Psychotic Girl 02. Seabear - Cat Piano [...]
This blog has been on unofficial hiatus due to my not wanting to write in it. Current events have brought me down, people, but I will perservere somehow. As will all of you, I assume, as long as none of you look at your 401Ks. 01. In non-video-related news, the Wall Street Journal has a very interesting article entitled "In Defense of Piracy." Take cover, Lars Ulrich!! Interrobang! 02. Electroqueer has the new Lady Gaga video, "Beautiful Dirty Rich." I seriously adore [...]
Bon Ton
Lana Del Rey - Without You (Kill Paris Remix) [Dubstep]
Miike Snow - “Paddling Out” Jacques Lu Cont Remix (MP3 Stream)
Iron & Wine and Patty Griffin
Download: James Blake Live Album (Unofficial)
Circo Voador anuncia shows de The Kooks, Foster The People, Friendly Fires, Gogol Bordello e mais
