What a great weekend of NCAA basketball. Nerve wracking games that killed my bracket (Hi Pitt!), stupid plays that almost cost a win (Hi Nova!) and teams beginning to fulfill their massive potential like UNC and Mich St. Every game, perhaps with the exception of Oklahoma vs. UNC, was fun to watch. This new commercial for Guitar Hero, not only copies Rock Band, but also makes 3 of the best coaches currently in college basketball look like complete buffoons. I mean seriously Coach K, you have multiple NCAA titles and a gold medal, why do you need to do a video game commercial? With Metallica too? Sheeh.
Jethro Tull - Aqualung (YSI) (filesavr)
Extra Golden just came into my life recently and they're pretty special. Similar to The Very Best, Extra Golden is a fusion of traditional African and western influenced vocals and instrumentation. Extra Golden craft long and intricate songs that rely on soaring African vocals and eclectic rhythms as well as nimble, jam band-y guitars. A very unique and enjoyable effort that sometimes gets a little lost in guitar jamming, but is another worthwhile and less mainstream introduction to new musical forms.
Extra Golden - Piny Yore Yore (YSI) (filesavr)
Extra Golden - Anyango (YSI) (filesavr)
This is without a doubt the best video I've come across in a few days, and nicely supplement's this morning's DOOM post. It's Mos Def - in studio during a recording session for his upcoming album The Ecstatic - dropping DOOM rhyme after DOOM rhyme in his own style. He quotes a number of DOOM tracks, mostly from the MF Doom album MM...Food - "Rapp Snitch Knishes", "Beef Rapp", "Deep Fried Frenz", "Kookies", etc.
I have been all about DOOM in recent days - listening to old stuff, new stuff, remixes, and everything else in between. Nothing but respect for the man.
Today's Afternoon Video comes on the heels of SXSW, the biggest industry music festival in the US (if not the world). 1,400 artists play 30 minute sets at over a dozen venues over the course of 4 days, as fans, producers, label reps, bloggers, writers, and thousands of others involved with all aspects of music come to watch, take notes, sign contracts, call their friends to make them jealous.
Did you know that a mashup album of music from the N64 classic Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with some pretty recognizable rap names exists? Well it does and its called The Ocarina of Rhyme (get it for free here). Samples from Ocarina of Time include many great themes like those the Lost Woods, Goron Village and the Battle music. While drawing on big names like Jay-Z, Snoop and Aesop Rock, many of the mashups fail to live up to their potential and come off as somewhat incoherent. Aesop Rock's No Jumpercables with the Goron Village theme definitely works musically and is one of the highlights of the album, along with the Clipse track that more than anything is awesome because it uses the Lost Woods theme. More than a simple novelty, The Ocarina of Rhyme put together some pretty fun tracks that if not always the most musically successful are a great way to remember the excellent music of one of the greatest video games ever.
Aesop Rock - No Jumpercables (Goron Village) (YSI) (filesavr)
Clipse - Virginia (Lost Woods) (YSI) (filesavr)
More and more, we are entering the video age - youtube dominates pop culture, music videos are seeing a resurgence, and people do funny things to film and post on the internet. Bearing in mind that many of these videos have a musical focus in some regard, we've decided to start a recurring series here at TSRE - the Afternoon Video. I tried to come up with a witty name, but I got nothing.
About a month ago, on my birthday, a friend of mine sent me an e-mail and attached a song as a gift that he thought I’d enjoy. The song was Jeff Buckley’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mama, You Been On My Mind.” I’ve long loved Grace, and have even delved into the unfinished Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk on occasion. But given Buckley's early death, I’d assumed that there wasn’t much else of note. Then this gem popped up in my inbox, and I’ve been listening to it repeatedly ever since.
Dylan’s version of the song is a relatively typical example of his early folk style, just he and his guitar strumming the same chords over and over, allowing the lyrics to stand out (along with the occasional harmonica solo). The lyrics to me seem rather sweet and carefree on the surface, though obviously there are multiple interpretations as there usually are with good lyrics:Even though my mind is hazy an’ my thoughts they might be narrow
But the slow pace of the song combined with Dylan’s strained voice undermines this carefree sentiment. It seems that Dylan is only begrudgingly uttering these words, with a sigh of tired exasperation. The song seems to have a bit of Dylan’s characteristic world-weary bitterness; it’s not really that pleasant to think about her, he just can’t stop.
Where you been don’t bother me or bring me down in sorrow
It don’t even matter, where you’re wakin’ up tomorrow
Mama, you just on my mind
Buckley’s rendition is essentially the same tempo, yet the guitar figures give it a mellow jaunt that is not present in Dylan’s. It's much more easygoing. The hazy chime of Buckley’s guitar is sweet and soothing, with occasional botched notes that add an earnest authenticity. And his voice adds to the sweetness. If you’ve listened to Grace, you know that Buckley can yell, but on this track his voice remains largely hushed and airy, flirting with falsetto in a way that nicely complements his softly reverberating guitar. As the lyrics say, he’s “just whispering to himself,” and that’s exactly what it sounds like.
Buckley was a master at matching music and lyrics to strengthen a song’s emotional communication, and this song is no exception. The sweet, soft, wistful delivery lends sincerity to the lyrical sentiment. There’s nothing bitter here; the song’s just saying, I know, we’re far away from each other, and you’re probably sleeping with another guy, and that's okay, I’m just thinking about you. And it’s a pleasant enough thought.
Buckley’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is often listed as one of the best covers of all time. And while it is certainly of a grander scope, both musically and emotionally, than “Mama, You Been On My Mind,” I don’t think the latter should be overlooked, despite being buried on the bonus disc of a 2004 Grace re-release. It makes a more subtle statement, but it makes it with an understated beauty. Enjoy:
Jeff Buckley - Mama, You Been On My Mind (YSI) (filesavr)
Bob Dylan - Mama, You Been On My Mind (YSI) (filesavr)
I absolutely love this new McDonald's commercial for the Filet O Fish. The jingle is insanely catchy and is impossible to get out of one's head. Ask Chris, I have hummed it at least 1000 times in the past week. In honor of this small spark of genius I give you some mp3s about fish.
Flying Lotus - Parisian Goldfish (YSI) (filesavr)
Radiohead - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi (YSI) (filesavr)
AmpLive - Weird Fishez (YSI) (filesavr)
Chris and I have a longstanding infatuation with Passion Pit; so guess how excited we were to discover the new single off Passion Pit's upcoming full length Manners. Very excited indeed. The track is entitled The Reeling and is pretty much the party that you would expect from Passion Pit. While not groundbreaking, the track is replete with sweet 80s synth deliciousness and Michael Angelakos' stratospheric vocals.
I've long been a fan of the Dirty Projectors, since my friend Jake turned me on to The Getty Address - an album that has become one of my top three record of all time. Yes, it's that amazing. I've written about them before here at TSRE, but recently I've been getting really excited about the Dirty Projectors all over again.
Matt & Kim @ House of Blues 3/22/09
The enthusiastic Matt & Kim opened for Cut Copy on Sunday night and they were certainly happy to be there. Bubbling over with excitement (and possibly other things), Matt and Kim (who had a pretty gnarly mullet) rocked the House of Blues for a good 40 minutes. While many of their songs sound similar and Matt's voice got a little tiresome by the end, their onstage energy and antics were a perfect warmup for Cut Copy. It was pretty refreshing to see a band genuinely excited and happy to play their songs for someone. Devoted Fan X loves Daylight and was one of the highlights along with Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare. Unlike Cut Copy's god-like gestures, Matt twitched while Kim just thrashed away at the drums, continuing a long lineage of female drummers. I have a soft spot for Matt & Kim and overall they didn't disappoint in delivering their hits and a jolt of optimism.
Matt & Kim - Daylight (Yukon Ho Remix) (YSI) (filesavr)
Matt & Kim - Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare (YSI) (filesavr)
Matt & Kim - Yeah Yeah (Flosstradamus Remix) (YSI) (filesavr)
Caught this little video on La Blogotheque via Gorilla vs. Bear and loved it off the bat. I love when acts go acoustic, especially when they do it well. Sigur Ros is the kind of group that embellishes really well on simple melodies, so it's pretty cool to hear songs stripped down to their essence. I really dig this video.
Last night Zack, Ben, Dedicated Fan X, Reader Luke, and I had a chance to check out Cut Copy at the newly re-opened House of Blues in Boston. Matt & Kim opened (which Zack is going to write about later) and we were in good spirits for the show.
Opening with "Hearts on Fire" and closing with "Lights and Music", Cut Copy shredded from beginning to end. They had a phenomenal light show, comprised of twelve pallet-like formations of 5 color changing fluorescent light bulbs - reminiscent of Daft Punk's pyramid - that really synced up well with the music to add some extra pop.
It was a great show, although not flawless. Cut Copy brought some energy to the show, but didn't crank it all the way to 11, leaving me wanting more in not always the best way. A couple times in the night they built to a gradual crescendo - seemingly increasing the energy for a huge bass hit to drop - only to then end the song on an unfulfilling open note. When they did hit it, they hit it hard in a major way - "Lights & Music" had the whole house jumping, a new post-In Ghost Colours track got the blood flowing, and "Far Away" and "Feel The Love" were dancy and wonderful.
Overall, Cut Copy let their music do the legwork, riding huge riffs to a good performance, rather than transforming good into great through their own work. Which is not meant as a complaint - rather a simple observation. The band did a great job of filling a very open and big venue with their sound, and I was never bored or waiting for a song to end. The show was one of the danciest I've been to in Boston, and the boys shredded pretty hard. If they're coming to a town near you, make the trip to dance your face off.
Still riding the Remix kick from yesterday, here are a couple Cut Copy Remixes for your perusal - two OF the band and one BY the band. Word.
Cut Copy - Lights and Music (Boys Noize Happy Birthday Remix) (YSI) (filesavr)
Cut Copy - Hearts on Fire (Knightlife Remix) (YSI) (filesavr)
CSS - Move (Cut Copy Remix) (YSI) (filesavr)
A grab bag of Remixes for a Sunday!
A folksy band that recently got my attention is In Miniature, a four piece folk outfit out of Chicago.
You’ve probably heard of Brian Eno, though I doubt you can recite his full name (it’s Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno). He’s been in the news recently as a producer of U2’s latest album No Line on the Horizon, and he has famously produced five other U2 albums (including The Joshua Tree), three Talking Heads albums (including Remain in Light), and Coldplay’s Viva la Vida. He’s also collaborated with artists such as David Bowie and Nico, and in the 70s played synth in the band Roxy Music. And he composed the startup sound for Microsoft Windows 95 (using an Apple Macintosh computer).
Quite a resume. Eno has clearly made an imprint on the development of popular music over the last several decades. Yet what I find most interesting about Eno is the way in which he served as a liaison between avant-garde classical music and popular music. Before he produced U2 and Talking Heads, he dug the music of John Cage and La Monte Young, and attended concerts by minimalist masters Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Eno was an avant-garde composer himself. His landmark 1978 Ambient I/Music for Airports led him to be dubbed the father of ambient music. You’ll never hear it on the radio, but Eno’s ambient music is worth a listen, if only to hear traces of future popular music. Here is "Music for Airports 2-1":
Brian Eno - Music for Airports 2-1 (YSI) (filesavr)
Even if you only made it through 15 seconds, you can hear that it sounds a bit like the intro to U2’s "Where the Streets Have No Name." And as electronic music has found its way into the mainstream over the last several years, it has brought with it more traces of Eno’s pioneering ambient work—in the soaring sonic landscape of Merriweather Post Pavilion, or in the swirling synth beats of Cut Copy.
Brian Eno’s chameleon-like ability to fit into both avant-garde and pop culture is remarkable, and he has done music a great service by successfully incorporating the timbres of avant-garde electronic music into the popular realm. Here are a couple of tracks that show a few different sides of Eno. First, “Virginia Plain” from Roxy Music, the track that first brought Eno to fame in 1972. Then, “Crosseyed and Painless” from Talking Heads’ Remain in Light (1980), and, finally U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name” from The Joshua Tree (1987).
Roxy Music - Virginia Plain (YSI) (filesavr)
Talking Heads - Crosseyed and Painless (YSI) (filesavr)
U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name (YSI) (filesavr)
I wrote last week about Emil & Friends' remix of Passion Pit's "Sleepyhead", a track that I still can't get enough of. Seriously, great work.
In fact, it was good enough to pique my interest in Emil & Friends' other work, leading me to hunt around for some other tracks. As if by magic, a fresh track, "The Shrine" dropped into my lap last week! Rock on.
This tune finds them a bit more relaxed, but still layering vocals with hints of falsetto and little regard for convention - great off-rhythms and an airy feel that is familiar from the aforementioned remix. Stellar use of electric guitar to prevent the tune from getting stagnant, almost reminiscent of MGMT, but in a less cookie-cutter way. I really dig it. This song builds on me and I really like what they do throughout. Makes me psyched to hear more from them soon.
Emil & Friends - The Shrine (YSI) (filesavr)
I also came across a cover of MGMT's "Electric Feel" from the Brawlston group, which totally fits with their style. Basically takes MGMT's take on the 70's and makes it into a take on the 80's - a little synthier and blippier (in a good way). These tracks make me look forward to catching these kids in Beantown sometime soon.
Emil & Friends - Electric Feel (MGMT Cover) (YSI) (filesavr)
Fun Fact: Emil & Friends is not Emil and Friends
Just to piggy-back on Zack's post from Monday, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to post this Kid Cudi cover from Little Boots. It's a lo-fi charmfest, featuring lightly tinny piano and Little Boots' shyly confident vocals. Necessary.
Back from an amazing trip to Peru, and excited to have a plethora of good tracks that I want to talk about - my inbox was stuffed full of a week's worth of terrific tunes. How exciting.
So I spent a term in London studying history a few years ago and will always have a special place in my heart for the city, its people, its art and its culture. I learned a lot about what it means to do research, I really immersed myself in the 17th century and I also met devoted fan x there. All in all it was a pretty formative period of time.
I've still been having periodic feelings ennui and of just being lost in the shuffle of everything. Recently though, my memories of London, as well as Little Boots and Ellie Goulding have been helping beat down my ennui. Most of you already know about Little Boots, but keep an eye out for Ellie Goulding. She's got driving synths, exuberant hand claps, syncopation and a great accent. Oh yeah and she plays the guitar as well. She's the real deal and I'm sure we'll all be hearing more of her coming out of London soon.
CHEERS!
Little Boots - Mathematics (YSI) (filesavr)
Ellie Goulding - Black + Gold (YSI) (filesavr)
Ellie Goulding - Guns + Horses (YSI) (filesavr)
Well its another beautiful Saturday and I'm stuck at work again. At least I will be heading up to Maine for a beautiful couple of days skiing. Here is a pretty hype mashup from the prolific Hood Internet that utilizes that infectious rhythm from the Golden Filter's Solid Gold to great effect. Lets get through the day together! We can build on this!
The Hood Internet - Solid Gold from New York (AZ vs. Golden Filter) (YSI) (filesavr)
Many have written about the plague on today’s popular music that is the Vocoder, including TSRE’s very own Chris (on Nov. 18). While that unique robotic timbre was striking at first, its overuse has eliminated much of the Vocoder’s intrigue. And, as a singer myself, it annoys me that all of a sudden people that can’t sing are releasing albums full of singing. In some sense, though, the Vocoder effect is at least honest—Kanye, T-Pain, and Lil’ Wayne are not pretending that their voices unaided by studio effects, like many pop stars of the 90s (Britney, the Simpson sisters, etc.) did. But I’m still sick of it.
It was thus refreshing to discover a more satisfying use of auto-tuning technology on Bon Iver’s EP Blood Bank, released in January. The final track is called “Woods”, and consists only of singer Justin Vernon’s auto-tuned voice repeating a simple four-line phrase: “I’m up in the woods / I’m down on my mind / I’m building a still / to slow down the time.” With each repetition, different incarnations of Vernon’s voice are added and the auto-tuner is used to create strange rhythmic twitches, like a mechanical vibrato, as well as to enable more athletic melodic flourishes.
What makes this use of auto-tune effective is the way in which it enables the song to build from a robotic beginning to a vibrant end. “Woods” begins with a clearly auto-tuned solo voice. But as voice after voice is added, the harmony becomes increasingly lush, and the rhythmic twitches and melodic peculiarities within each line combine to form an increasingly dense sonic mass that, by the end, seems to quiver with life. It's like the song progresses from seed to flower before your ears.
The effect is more than a little reminiscent of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” Yet one thing that substantially differentiates the two songs is their use of lyrics. The lyrics of denial and despair are a major component of “Hide and Seek,” and the music is often used to accentuate them, like when the melody suddenly slows to a deliberate plod on the lyrics “stop to hold their heads heavy.” In “Woods,” the lyrical content takes on a meditative quality with its constant repetition, and allows the listener’s focus to firmly rest on the growing harmonic and rhythmic complexity of the song. Both approaches work, and I can’t decide which track I like more.
Here, for your listening pleasure: “Woods” and “Hide and Seek.”
Bon Iver – Woods (YSI) (filesavr)
Imogen Heap – Hide and Seek (YSI) (filesavr)
HOORAY FOR SPANISH POP!
Or, conversely, POP in Spanish.
N*Sync - Yo Te Voy A Amar (This I Promise You) (YSI) (filesavr)
Bonus track, someone who actually speaks Spanish - but also makes incredible pop hits. I like Enrique Iglesias like a thousand times better in Spanish.
Sidenote: Weird how my Spanish posts and my Guilty Pleasures line up pretty much exactly.
Enrique Iglesias - No Apagues La Luz (Don't Turn Out The Lights) (YSI) (filesavr)
With the exception of Kid Cudi, I have been listening to folky, lo-fi tracks almost exclusively recently. The Loom has been close to my heart since the fall because of their ingenious use of hand claps and ukelele in Song for the Winter Sun. They are able to create so much depth and primal feeling from such basic ingredients, simply amazing. Mr. Bear also features some deft ukelele work as well as some happy horns, snaps and lo-fi vocals. The Ex Lovers hail from the UK and show that the Brits can also produce some pop-folk goodness. While not as deep or woodsy as the Loom or Mr. Bear, Just a Silouette is warm pop gem that takes full advantage of its airy male and female vocals. Well-crafted and enjoyable songs such as these are so very integral in surviving the long winter.
The Loom - Song for the Winter Sun (YSI) (filesavr)
Mr. Bear - Disaster, Be the Matchmaker (YSI) (filesavr)
Ex Lovers - Just a Silouette (YSI) (filesavr)
Ever since a magical day in 10th or 11th grade when my Spanish teacher played a Spanish song to "teach us Spanish" I've been obsessed with Spanish music. Particularly Estopa, a trashy pop group from Spain.
Since I'm in Peru at the moment (and typing this on my brain computer) I thought I'd share some of their tracks en español.
The first is the aforementioned "teaching song". The topic? Smoking marijuana. Why my teacher chose this tune, I may never know. But it's actually a really catchy track off of Estopa's eponymous debut. "Fumo porros a diario" is basically Spanish slang for "I smoke a J on the daily". Those rough and tough Madrileños.
Estopa - Poquito a Poco (YSI) (filesavr)
Continuing Estopa's run of unbearably catchy but lewd/inappropriate tracks is "Por La Raja De Tu Falda", a song about a guy doing things as a result of the slit in a girl's skirt. Nothing past PG-13, but still pretty suggestive. Also, an amazing track.
Estopa - Por La Raja De Tu Falda (YSI) (filesavr)
And finally, the Spanish vice of choice, booze. Did you know that in Madrid there is a bar to people ratio of about 1:12? How incredible is that statistic? "Paseo" is a drunken revelry - all about drinking more beer than they can pay for - that ends in a fraternal sing-a-long not too unlike those found in la Puerta del Sol on a Friday (or Tuesday, for that matter) night. Enjoy - these are my favorite Spanish Guilty Pleasures.
Estopa - Paseo (YSI) (filesavr)
Cleveland, currently known only for Lebron, will soon be known for another: Kid Cudi. Before returning to my current folk bent, I wanted to reinfornce the awesomeness of Kid Cudi's mixtape: Plain Pat & Emile Presents a KiD named CuDi. Hopefully you have been able to hear it in its entirety. One of the themes of the mixtape is that Kid Cudi wants to go to the moon. The whole astronaut thing got me thinking of Busdriver's song Unemployed Black Astronaut. Here is Kid Cudi's anthem Man on the Moon coupled with Busdriver's take on the subject. As an added bonus Is There any Love? features Kid Cudi and Wale. Not too shabby.
Kid Cudi was actually in Boston last night at the House of Blues. I was offered a ticket, but since I was tired, I stayed home and watched Man on Wire for the second time instead.
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon (YSI) (filesavr)
Kid Cudi - Is There any Love? (Feat. Wale) (YSI) (filesavr)
Busdriver - Unemployed Black Astronaut (Nobody Remix) (YSI) (filesavr)
Got some new music for everyone today. Say Hi has recently released a new album “Oohs & Aahs” and its pretty good. While some of his songs are a little melancholy, Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh sounds just like its title ---> a series of sensations that cannot quite be expressed in words. From the opening horns to Eric Elbogen's wonderfully distorted voice this track is pretty money. Pair it with the new Calvin Harris track and BOOM you've got a good time.
Say Hi - Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh (YSI) (filesavr)
Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone (extended mix) (YSI) (filesavr)
This chill entry comes a day after I have landed in Lima, Peru after 12 hours or so of airplanes and airports. I'll be spreading the love for some Spanish language tunes over the next week or so in honor of my trip to South America, but for the beginning part of my trip I chose some relaxing songs in hopeful anticipation of a smooth flight.
The first comes via the Portland Cello Project, featuring Laura Gibson. The PCP is a self described "indie orchestra" made up of anywhere between 8 and 16 cellists, depending on the show. As a cellist myself, this idea makes me giddy. As does this description: "PCP performances are unique and eclectic, as likely to mix a Salt N Pepa cover with Bach and follow the medley with something sublime by Arvo Pärt or WEINLAND, as they are to enlist beatboxer, comedian, and playwright Reggie Watts to collaborate on-stage with them in front of 700 people with no rehearsal to cover a Britney Spears song." Seriously, how awesome does that sound? On this tune, they partner with Laura Gibson's sweet voice for a great tune - "Hands In Pockets". This track kind of reminds me of the recent Books/Jose Gonzalez collaboration on the Dark Was The Night compilation, at once gloomy, dark, uplifting, and shimmering. I can't really describe it well, so give it a listen.
Muscles has gone acoustic! As some of you may know, Muscles has made some of my all-time greatest jamz. Most notable among the aforesaid jamz is Ice Cream, which just pretty much made my Junior year in college. That song pretty much single-handedly got me friends, women, athletic fame and riches. Even though it is no longer constantly on repeat, I regularly return to Guns, Babes, Lemonade whenever I need a kick in the pants. How surprised was I then when I found an acoustic version of Ice Cream a couple of nights ago. Mr. Muscles has turned an electro head bumper into a heart wrenching piano ballad. I was actually amazed by how earnest Muscles sounds on the track compared to his juiced up regular stuff. Its no electro party, but Muscles can tickle the ivories and I'd love to hear more from him soon, whether its a studio album (please! anything!) or more acoustic sessions. These are important songs.
Muscles - Ice Cream (Acoustic Triple J Version) (YSI) (filesavr)
Muscles - The Lake (YSI) (filesavr)
A confession: I cannot stand Bruce Springsteen.
I can’t say I’ve never liked him. There was a time when I would have listed Born to Run near the top of my list of all-time favorite albums. I was nearing my high school graduation, the weather was getting warmer, and I fell under the spell of Bruce’s odes to summer evenings spent with barefoot girls and classic American cars. His tracks struck me as rambling epics, which I guess were appropriate for a moment which, at least at the time, I perceived as pretty epic.
Soon after I graduated I moved onto other music, though I never consciously parted ways with Bruce. Yet a few months later, when I tried to return to the Boss, I couldn’t make it through a single song. The lyrics made me cringe. What had before been epic and meaningful was suddenly self-indulgent and cliché. And so I left Bruce never to return. He was too cheesy for me, and I was onto better, more sophisticated things.
Fair enough, right? Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics are cheesy. But I don’t hate all cheesy lyrics. I love classic soul music, for example. I could listen to Sam Cooke or Otis Redding all day. Yet it would be hard to deny that the lyrics of songs like “Cupid” and even “Dock of the Bay” are pretty cliché. Is “sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away” really any less cheesy of an image than a “barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge, drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain”? Maybe, but it's debatable.
So why is it that I hate Bruce and love Otis? To some extent, it’s just a matter of taste, and as the Romans said, there’s no accounting for taste. But taste aside; I think one of the major reasons is that Bruce is just trying so damn hard to be a blue-collar American poet that it’s more disappointing when it comes out so bland. He uses too many words, tries to paint a scene too vividly, such that it comes out an illustration rather than a painting. Otis’s depth is in the tones of his voice, so when he sings he makes those simple, short phrases sound as beautiful, as powerful, and sometimes as pained, as they could ever sound. And that makes for a marvelous listening experience.
Here are two tracks from Otis:
These Arms of Mine (YSI) (filesavr)
Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) (YSI) (filesavr)
Even though, for me at least, the Kaiser Chiefs have lost a lot of their former luster, their first album Employment contained a bunch of enjoyable fist pumping tracks. Most notable were I Predict a Riot, Oh My God and the jaunty sea shanty Time Honoured Tradition. Lily Allen, a fellow Brit with a mean streak, decided to cover Oh My God and added a sense of swagger, a bunch of horns and some hand snaps to mold it into a slick pop gem. From the extended horn solos, to the syncopation and smooth vocals, Lily Allen not only succeeds in remaking Oh My God in her musical style, but also truly makes the song her own.
Lily Allen - Oh My God (YSI) (filesavr)
The Kaiser Chiefs - Oh My God (YSI) (filesavr)
Casual readers of this site probably think that I'm obsessed with Passion Pit. More frequent readers know this for a fact. I can't get enough - I rock out to the Chunk of Change EP with frequency, tell all my friends about Passion Pit, and snatch up any remix I can get my hands on. Zack, Dedicated Fan X, and I have been to 4 Passion Pit shows in the last 6 months (and had tickets to a 5th, which the canceled - BOO).
The second installment of The Stupot finds me completely infatuated with folk. In addition to the fantastic Alela Diane, a couple of other bands have caught my eye recently. Meursault, an electronic folk outfit from Scotland seamlessly mixes live instruments (and the name of Camus' protagonist from The Stranger), with electronic beats and heartfelt vocals to create a swirling mass of feeling. Great stuff, especially if you're in need of a little pick me up. Here We Go Magic similarly creates a swirling, textural experience on Tunnelvision, but here without any electronic elements. Vocals soar to the atmosphere and lyrics are repeated to establish yet another rhythmic line in an already deeply layered song. Both of these tracks really are invigorating. Deep, thick instrumentation makes them interesting and the beautiful, soaring vocals make these two tracks a pleasure to listen to.
Meursault - Salt Part 1 (YSI) (filesavr)
Here We Go Magic - Tunnelvision (YSI) (filesavr)
A friend recently passed this phenomenal music video my way, and I can't get enough. Kid Cudi is an artist that his been on my radar for a little while (since his Plain Pat & Emile mixtape "A KiD Named CuDi") but has recently been gaining some traction in the blogosphere. Cudi takes after the Wale model, producing some mixtapes of his own and getting his name linked up with some big timers - Kanye and Crookers to name a couple.
It seems like I post about Blitzen Trapper every couple of weeks and finally I got to see them in person. Already enshrined in my music hall of fame as the best music to listen to while driving through mountains or forests. Last Thursday night though, Blitzen Trapper really showed me of what they are capable and it is A LOT.
After Alela Diane started off the evening with some vibrant folky tunes Blitzen Trapper took the stage and absolutely put on a party. Folky jams started off woodsy and were transformed into flannel lined dance hits. While the more well known hits, like Black River Killer and Wild Mountain Nation were great as to be expected, songs like Gold for Bread and Saturday Nite really displayed Blitzen Trapper's awesome sense of funky rhythm that they so seamlessly integrate into their overall folky style. Ranging from Dylan-esque (think harmonica, acoustic guitar and gravely vocals) to romping guitar throw downs and melodic ballads, Blitzen Trapper showed off a pretty broad repertoire. In addition to the music, the show was long and continually entertaining. The band members were quirky and put on some funny antics like a few singing mashups near the end. I appreciate Blitzen Trapper's newer album Furr so much more now after that show. Go check it out and thanks for the great show guys.
Blitzen Trapper - Gold for Bread (YSI) (filesavr)
Blitzen Trapper - Furr (YSI) (filesavr)
Blitzen Trapper - Saturday Night (YSI) (filesavr)
I never know what to expect from opening bands. I'm often pleasantly surprised by the first name on the bill, occasionally bitterly disappointed in underdeveloped openers, and I'm rarely - and I mean very very rarely - completely blown away by the talent of an opening band. The last time I can remember it happening was when Yeasayer "opened" for MGMT at Great Scott. Before that, it was TV on the Radio opening for The Faint at the Roxy in 2005. I can't really think of many other than that.Until Thursday night, that is.
That opener was Alela Diane, fresh off of an 8.0 rating from Pitchfork for her sophomore effort,To Be Still. Pitchfork described her as, "a little hippie-dippy, but also utterly enchanting". I was intrigued.To start, as always, with appearances, Alela and her backing band look like a comical grab-bag of individuals - the drummer was straight out of the 70s, the harmony vocalist looked like she'd fit in with the Dirty Projectors, Alela herself is the spitting image of Michelle Branch, and the rhythm guitarist looked like a contemporary of Neil Young's. Zack and I both made calls that the guitarist looked like her father. Two songs later, she introduced him to the crowd as her dad. 2 points for us.On to the music - Alela is a friend of Joanna Newsom, and although that comparison is not really musically accurate, it's hard to avoid. She's a strong-voiced female singer with some vocal quirks that make her eminently listenable. Think Newsom meets Jewel. Without Alela's voice, the band would be a pretty standard folksy affair, with slight pops and interesting rhythms coming from the percussion. With Alela's voice, however, it's a force to be reckoned with - one of the few openers I've felt could carry a headlined show on its own.Some highlights of the set - "White As Diamonds" and "To Be Still", both off of her latest record, are phenomenal songs. The whole show got me bopping, and a cover of Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman". Great set-up for Blitzen Trapper that impressed everyone without stealing the show. Check out "White As Diamonds" below, along with the Podington Bear Remix of "To Be Still". If you like female singers or folk rock at all, don't sleep on this. And check back in later today for Zack's review of the Blitzen Trapper show!
