I'm reposting this from the site Khalas , and reposting it without permission. I hope they won't mind. Please check out Khalas at http://enoughgaddafi.com/ You should also pick up the mixtape of hip-hop protest songs from artists all over the arab regions of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, and Algeria. It's dope, even if you don't understand all the words! The mixtape can be found here . Khalas is the arabic word for Enough . The Tunisians and the Egyptians had enough. Who's next? How Soon? Read [...]
It is a divine pleasure to listen to music that seems to raise music itself to a new standard. Music that creates for you an atmosphere of both tranquility and of surprise. There is experimentation in this music that coexists with the subtle, traditional use of percussion and guitar. Samuel Beam is Iron & Wine, along with a sometimes- 8-piece band that accompanies him. Name the festival, and they have probably performed there. (Sasquatch coming up!) He has collaborated with a handful of interesting [...]
I am not sure if you guys are aware, but there's a pretty big series of events unfolding in Egypt. It certainly smacks of the word revolution. However, there are a lot that either haven't heard much at all or only a little about it. Sad, eh? That's the country we live in, folks. Where the halftime show for the Super Bowl - featuring what I called an embarrassment to Daft Punk fans everywhere - causes more of a controversy and sparks more debate than what an estimated 80 million people have to deal with on [...]
Cake's new album I waited so patiently for 4 years for a new Cake album. I've really loved their whole discography from 1994's Motorcade of Generosity to the B-Sides & Rarities compilation album that came out in 2007. I love the dry, almost spoken, delivery of frontman John McCrea's singing. I love Vince DiForce's addition of trumpet and keyboards to the music. I love that the music is witty and fun. In 2008 the band decided to remove Cake's studio from the dependence of California's electricity grid [...]
ser·en·dip·i·ty –noun 1. an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. 2. good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job she applied for. I've been working my tail off trying to get an advance copy of PJ Harvey's new record, Let England Shake . That has yet to come to fruition, but I happened across something just as exciting along the way: the upcoming Twilight Singers release. It's called Dynamite Steps . Here's the title track: Click to play [...]
I had just barely gotten into their last album when I heard a new one was being released. The Joy Formidable is a Welsh band who has been together since 2007. They released single after single in the subsequent years until putting them together on A Balloon Called Moaning in 2009. Well, 2009 in the UK. We didn't get it in the States until May 2010. Seriously. I really like each track on that album. Whether or not they were meant to be connected, they all sound simultaneously somber [...]
So recently, I found out about a band that I didn't know of. And this led me to be reminded why music is so important. I overheard a new co-worker discussing Grizzly Bear with another co-worker. I interjected, as I had seen them live once. Five minutes of music discussion later, I got a nice compliment - "Man, you really know your shit." Thing is, I don't. Or at least I don't think so. He brought up the group I am sharing today, and I hadn't heard of them. Well, after a good night out with a few co-workers, we [...]
To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did. I ought to know because I've done it a thousand times. ~Mark Twain I've been smoking since I was 16. I've been a pack-a-day smoker. I've been a smoker who never actually bought cigarettes. (The Moocher!) I've quit many times before. One of the times lasted a good year. There were times when I rationed cigarettes, only having one or two a day. Cigarettes have been a part of my life for a long time. Click to play Oasis - Cigarettes [...]
You like Huey Lewis and The News? Their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes, but when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humour. [...]
Heard it from a friend who, heard it from a friend who, heard it on NPR. Got the album, listened to it 100 times, love it, realized it's from 2007. Nina Diaz has the most amazing voice. Her sister Phanie hits the skins, and their longtime friend Jenn Alva plays bass. Joan Jett discovered them and signed them to her label. Morrissey took them on tour. Robert Rodriguez directed one of their recent videos. They're Girl in a Coma. Here. Have a peek. Wait [...]
Okay. I get it. More snow. Seriously. If you're reading this and anywhere in the northeastern part of the United States, you will understand why I'm pissed off. All over facebook, I have friends that have these stupid status messages saying something to the effect of, "I get it, it's going to snow. Welcome to New England." No, assholes, this bullshit isn't natural. I want some fucking sunshine. And this is where my music addition for the day comes in. To all you people saying, "Suck it up, it's New England"? I want to slam your genitalia into a car [...]
Talib Kweli Talib Kweli has been knocking our socks off for years. Whether in his collaborations with artists like Mos Def, Kanye West, and ?uestlove or on his own solo work, he always shines. He's established himself as a rapper's MC and a hip-hop fan's source of consistently brilliant rhymes. And now he's getting serious. Gutter Rainbows will be available (digitally only) this Tuesday, January 25th. It's Kweli's first self-released album and he's been touting it for a while as the type of album he's [...]
Ahhh! The Cold War Kids have a new album coming out Tuesday! That's the best headline I can give you! Five years ago they released Robbers & Cowards and you might have heard their single "Hair Down" in 2006. Unless you wrote them off for their weird band name. Around that time, Daytrotter's Sean Moeller said they "write and play songs as if they're burning from the inside out." That's Cold War Kids. Stories begging to be told are easily [...]
Not sure why, but the title used is from Derrick Carter's "Where U At?" I guess I could say it works in this sense in that here I'm just sort of showing the extent of influence late hip-hop producer Jay Dee has had. Now, I had done a post based around one of his tracks a few months back, but this post is more to show his reach in music. Yep. Jay Dee had a hand in that. Crazy, eh? Or how about these two songs? [...]
Now I think I'm going down to the well tonight and I'm going to drink till I get my fill And I hope when I get old I don't sit around thinking about it but I probably will -Bruce Springsteen Kid Rock just turned 40 January 15th. Kid Rock celebrated the day by having a 3 hour concert in his hometown of Detroit. The venue was the Detroit Lions stadium, Ford Field. During the show, [...]
I'll keep today's post brief, because I don't actually have much information to give on The Son(s). News of their new single hit my inbox earlier this week and despite my attempts I can't find much about the band. What I do know is that they've been around for a while. They started with three members but are now down to one. They're from Scotland, like so many bands I love. And they have a new single coming out on January 17th, which would be this Monday. Word on the street is that it's the precursor to a full-length slated [...]
When did the news become entertainment? Right out of the gate this album, as it was designed to do, grabs hold of you and tells you there's no way you're not going to listen to this. It's too important. So sit down. No, wait. Stay standing. And raise your fist. Political punk. So content to live in your ignorance while they manipulate and tell you it's true. Don't think it's just FOX News with the spin and rhetoric. [...]
NOTE: I am including the link to write your Representative here and at the end of this post. Anyone that's known me for a while knows how strongly I feel about many issues and how readily I display my emotions on my sleeve. I've learned to temper it a bit the older I've gotten, but occasionally, it still overflows and comes out as pure anger. The events of Saturday, January 8th down in Tucson, Arizona are a good example of this. Now Representative Gabrielle Giffords is in critical condition, and six are dead. [...]
human.Author I = "Mookie"; human.EveryoneElse you; //will be defined at runtime if (You.break(myHeadphone)){ I.Voice.Yell.ToMouth() = "You will pay for this!"; I.Hit(you, Rock); return; } Happy New Years peeps! I hope you are all well. I am renewed and ready for another year of music posts for you. I can't wait to read your comments and emails! [...]
in ALL caps music blog
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