Every year during January and February, I end up playing catch up on most of the best-of movies from the year before, and 2007/2008 has been no different. Recently I caught Into the Wild , a film I had meant to see when it was first released but never quite made it. Rather than going into specifics of the film, I'll just say that I thought it was one of my favorites from last year and that it is worth seeing. There are some great themes throughout and the ending is striking. I will [...]
Myspace Music: An Evaluation Positives : -Introductions to great new artists that you've never heard of before. Immediate access to some of their music. Negatives : -Incessant friend requests from terrible bands. Pop-punk garbage piles have a tangible recording of their number of friends that can serve as a reminder of the unfairness of the music world. -------------- With the way that information travels these days, it can be difficult to truly discover new music on your own - it seems [...]
Very excited to share this one. After 2005's great "The Loon," Tapes 'n Tapes had a lot to live up to for their next release. All things point towards awesome with this new single, which toes the ever-difficult line of pushing things forward while keeping a good thing together. Below is a high-quality Mp3 of the song, but for a super-high quality file, head over to the band's site . While you're at it, send the Minnesota-ens some dollars . "Walk it Off," the forthcoming record, is due April 8. Mp3: [...]
So several of my friends (mainly just you, Jacqueline) have reminded me of their pumped-ness for the 2008 Westminster Dog Show (now underway). As such, I have selected two songs that I claim to be at least as cute as the puppy above, in a good way. Sorry for anyone looking for a nu-metal track. Not today. Mp3: Simone White - Beep Beep Song Mp3: Rosie Thomas ft. Sufjan Stevens - Say Hello http://wormsvsbirds.blogspot.c om/rss.xml
As March gets closer, it's exciting to see the lineup that is gradually released for Austin's South by Southwest Festival (especially since it'll be my first). One band that I just noticed is set to play SXSW is a group that I actually heard about after last year's festival. I've liked them ever since, and haven't had a chance to check them out live just yet. If their shows are half as awesome as their band-designed one-of-a-kind shirts for sale on their website, then it should be a great time. If you've never heard [...]
Just about one year ago to the date, Andrew Bird had a fantastic appearance on the children's show Jack's Big Music Show as stringed-instrument-fixer Dr. Stringz . Some songs fade with time, but how can this song (and guest spot as a whole) not be an instant classic? Let's take a trip back in history, all the way to January 2007. Here is the video, in all its glory: Thanks go out to [...]
I've heard the argument that Ryan Adams' problem is that he produces too much music, and as a result, he ends up having some sub-par releases. While I'd disagree with that assessment, my problem is that it is easy to miss a really high-quality song or two in the shuffle of all of Adams' albums. One of my favorite new discoveries is the song "My Love for You is Real," off of his latest EP, Follow the Lights . The song's first official studio release can be found there, although earlier live versions exist. The [...]
With the release of Metric's new live dvd imminent ( pre-order on their website here ), I've been revisiting the group's older albums, and rediscovered one of my favorite older tracks. For fans that have never heard Grow Up and Blow Away , the band's first full-length album, "The Twist" will probably seem to be a departure from their guitar-driven recent work. The track, though, is fairly representative of their early sound, with a slight bit of added edge. Mp3: Metric - The Twist http://wormsvsbirds.blogspot.c om/rss.xml
+ Pretty sure I'm a bit behind on this one, but hey, It's new to me. The marriage of The Shins and Peter Bjorn & John in some form seems fairly inevitable in hindsight, as both have risen to the top of indie pop bands in terms of critical acclaim and public recognition. You can hear Peter Bjorn & John's distinctive quality in this track; gone are the "la, la, la's" of the original, and the vocals are more isolated (along with [...]
Stephen Malkmus is my hero. There really is no other way to say it. From Pavement through Real Emotional Trash , the forthcoming SM & the Jicks album, the man can not miss. To paraphrase the "Bobs" from Office Space (when they were discussing their love for Michael Bolton), it doesn't get much better for me than when he sings "Jenny and the Ess-Dog." "Gardenia" should please most Malkmus-followers, as it falls within the more accessible end of his classic work. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Gardenia [link removed] [...]
Regardless of your opinion of the movie Vanilla Sky , it's hard to deny the accompanying soundtrack. The entire film, in fact, is tied closely to its music. Many scenes focus heavily on a backing song, and there are even several direct music-related references, such as the shot above, which emulates one of Bob Dylan's classic album covers. Perhaps the most fitting song in Vanilla Sky is the song "Where Do I Begin" by The Chemical Brothers (featuring Beth Orton on vocals). It has a terrific, dream-like opening, and it devolves into a strange amalgam [...]
Back when it was released, I remember David Byrne's 2004 album Grown Backwards getting a decent amount of press, but it seemed that most reviewers were concerned primarily with its operatic moments and for the track, "Glass, Concrete, and Stone," which was featured in several films that year. While both aspects of the album are worth noting, it seems that it may have been easy for the general public to overlook a great cover song within the 15 tracks. "The Man Who Loved Beer," which was originally written and performed by the band Lambchop, has a great deal [...]
Over at YANP , a great ongoing feature is the annual "12 Days of Mixmas," in which artists put together endearingly-specific mixes for the listening public. David Crane of one of my favorite new bands, BOAT (who I'll no doubt post about in the near future), has a mix that is catchy, upbeat, and unconventional (three traits I'd say BOAT themselves share). One of my favorite tracks from the mix is "Humans Extinct," by Pacific Northwesterners The Elephants. It comes from a subgenre of music that I won't begin to try and come up with [...]
"Do you feel like a chain-store, practically floored" When a song starts with that perfect of an opening line, I know I'm going to like it. When it has a video featuring the milk carton pictured above, well...then I know I've hit upon something ingenious. Blur has made a lot of great music over the years, and I think it's pretty unfortunate that they often [...]
what better way to kick off 2008 than by rehashing 2007? I certainly can't think of any alternative. so. here you go: Favorite albums of the year: 10) Great Lake Swimmers - Ongiara Full of sweeping melodies, great instrumentation, and a sound that wouldn't feel out of place in an earlier generation of music. A great band that I'm excited to hear more [...]
wormsvsbirds is hereby changing directions. less musings, more mixes. mp3 blog, yada yada. ok see ya. http://wormsvsbirds.blogspot.c om/rss.xml
worms vs birds
[LISTEN] Gotye (Passion Pit Remix)
Big Boi & Theophilus London (feat. TRE LUCE) - 'She Said OK'
