so, lauren doss, aka mechanical bride, a 25 year-old singer-songwriter from surrey, has an interesting musical background. along with studying for a musical degree, she once interned for hans zimmer'sproduction company. movie buffs will recognize that name - zimmer has scored numerous movies, including the pirates of the caribbean movies and gladiator (which, to this day, remains one of my favorite movies scores of all time). this internship surely has led to the rich, cinematic sound of doss' own music, as exemplified by the haunting and quiet colour of fire.
doss likes to create a cast of intriguing characters for her songs, much like in a movie. included, obviously, is her moniker, the mechanical bride, who represents the relationship between a record player and the records they play.
her upcoming album, living with ants, will feature a collection of fables and tales that are rooted in fantasy escapism. colour of fire, the first song released so far, smacks strongly of the darker images and concepts behind little red riding hood.
can i just say i love the thought of an album full of fables?
dance through the doorways leading into rooms may the cow walk through fire the bells are blazing and colors are wilder they're wilder than desire if at home she is free stronger than any man that will ride her
in a world of a dervish blurs where we begin when the beast breaks in crazed as he is fun in the comfort of noise i'm listening to the voice
shouldn't you be somewhere? shouldn't you be alone? shouldn't you be somewhere? shouldn't you be at home?
what beautiful eyes you have - all the better to see you with. what a beautiful face you have - all the better to love you with. what a beautiful mouth you have - all the better to need you with. what beautiful lips you have - all the better to leave you.
are you a believer?
shouldn't you be somewhere? shouldn't you be alone? shouldn't you be somewhere? shouldn't you be at home?
go HERE to download colour of fire for free. living with ants, the album colour of fire will be off of, will be available on june 11, 2011 from transgressive records.
so, when i first heard silly bears by akron/family, all i could think of was: CATCHY FUN. and then i played it again and realized they were actually singing about bears (like the title suggested, natch), in a very surreal winnie the pooh way (much like jefferson airplanewith their alice in wonderland ode, white rabbit- which, i ought to point out, i adore). then i played it yet again and realized, oh yeah, they're not really singing about bears at all, are they?
or, maybe they are (if asked, the husband would tell me bears + honey = drugs). i'm not sure what they're going for, but in a song like silly bears, it doesn't really matter, because it's so fricking listenable that they could be singing about aliens getting pedicures and i'd still put it on repeat.
anthemic opening guitar lines, stomp/handclaps (YES!), synth strains running up and down rapidly alongside choral stanzas and lo-fi noise distortion, silly bears is a joyful explosion of music delight.
one silly bear said to the other silly bear, "where'd you get that honey, that honey, so sweet?" "my dear friend bear, it's just over there, inside the ancient forest, beside the giant flower."
"how do i get there? how do i get there? how do i get there, my dear friend?" "gently, gently - down to the valley, over the mountain and through that deep river. back over the mountain you'll find a gentle meadow, where on the other side lies the ancient forest."
"will you go with me, will you accompany?" "laughing and dancing, we'll find the ancient forest. surely you know that wherever there is laughter, dancing and honey, i'll be there!"
how do I get there, how do I get there, how do I get there my dear friend?
so, every so often, i troll around my favorite bands' websites to check out their tour schedules, as i have a bucket list of bands that either must be seen every time they come around because they're just that good or ones i haven't yet seen but must before i die or i will die a very, very sad girl.
one of these bands is cloud cult, who i have yet to see. imagine the joy i felt when i saw on their site that they will be at the roxy here in LA in september! i even sent the husband an email completely in caps because i was so excited.
and then...*smacks head* i realized their calendar was for 2010, which makes sense, because they'd released an album then. all that joy went rushing out the window and then annoyance set in, because, honestly, peeps? HOW DID I NOT KNOW? how could i not have been there?
owell. next time around, i swear.
in the time being, i want to share a song off of their latest album, light chasers. unexplainable stories is everything good and familiar that one would come to expect from cloud cult. a beautiful, orchestral melody that rises and falls like wind juxtaposed against poetic lyrics about trying to find meaning in one's life. it's gorgeous, friends. the exact kind of song to float away to while you've got your headphones on and your eyes closed.
i get chills every time i listen to it. gah. brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
we've been searching for our whole lives. and we have traveled through unexplainable stories. swear to god i fought the good fight, always waiting for the coming of morning. and i heard the captain say, i heard the captain say, "the more i know, the less i'm knowing." and i heard the captain say, i heard the captain say, "activate your force-fields and just keep going..."
so, i cannot express how excited i am about the new death cab for cutiealbum coming out at the end of may. dcfc recently announced the title - codes and keys.
here's the track listing:
01. Home Is A Fire 02. Codes And Keys 03. Some Boys 04. Doors Unlocked And Open 05. You Are A Tourist 06. Unobstructed Views 07. Monday Morning 08. Portable Television 09. Underneath The Sycamore 10. St. Peter's Cathedral 11. Stay Young, Go Dancing
here's a live version of the title track off the new album to enjoy:
here are the us tour dates so far. you can bet your bottom dollar i'm going to be at one of the LA shows, even if i have to sell a kidney. i kid. mostly.
05/18/11 – TORONTO, ON @ PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE 05/20/11 – CHICAGO, IL @ METRO 05/21/11 – MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ FIRST AVENUE 06/01/11 – NEW YORK, NY @ BOWERY BALLROOM 06/03/11 – WASHINGTON D.C @ 9:30 CLUB 06/04/11 – PHILADELPHIA, PA @ TROCADERO THEATRE 06/05/11 – BOSTON, MA @ PARADISE 06/07/11 – LOS ANGELES, CA @ EL REY THEATRE 06/09/11 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ THE FILLMORE 08/18/11 – LOS ANGELES, CA @ GREEK THEATRE 08/19/11 – LOS ANGELES, CA @ GREEK THEATRE
all sorts of presale options for codes and keys can be found HERE. buy it on may 31st.
so, when i first heard catapilah by young buffalo, i couldn't help but want to bounce. it's utterly irresistible. youthful, joyful, and all sorts of other -ful words, it starts out like a horse out of the gate and keeps going until you nearly want to drop from exhaustion. plus! it's got handclaps! which you know i had to mention.
the band, a trio who hail from mississippi, describe their sound as soul vibez. they've got three part harmonies and jungle beats mixed within their beachy pop strains. currently unsigned, they plan to release an EP later this year.
have a listen to catapillah. i dare you to not want to put this on your sunny days playlist:
quaint house, quaint things penny jar, mini rings you get what you put into it you've got your health i've got myself we've put it off for anything else
if you've ever been too far we can always drive the car we can get there before dark and then know it's gonna be a good start
old car, old friends long drive, dead ends you can't help but feel strange you've got yourself trophy's old wood shelves we've put it off for anything else
if you've ever been too far we can always drive the car we can get there before dark and then know it's gonna be a good start
quaint house, quaint things penny jar, mini rings you get what you put into it
if you've ever been too far you can always drive the car we can get there before dark and then know it's gonna be a good start good start
so, southern california natives (newport beach, natch) young the giant have a nice mellow sound to them. young (all the band members are in their early 20's) and diverse (a few backgrounds amongst the band members are: indian, persian, british and french-canadian), the band recently released their first full length album.
i'm not sure if it's because i know they're from socal or not, but i really do feel like they have a beachy feel to them. smooth, easy on the ears, yet bright, with catchy 70's-like guitar hooks and temper trapreminiscent vocals, the band shows a lot of promise. check out their very summer-like strings:
oh, what did I say? she's all shook up lost in the summer, man we're burning up the time don't show when the sun gets carried the tide curves off your body oh you'll stay with me
i, now i will show ya it's how i lie when no one told ya
oh what did i say? she's all shook up vision by the seaside we move in knots but i don't know when the fire gets hazy the flames roll down and off her body oh you'll stay with me
i, now i will show ya it's how i lie when no one told ya
so ride, sherry, ride, sherry, ride i will show ya we'll go in the night wondering why no one told ya
now i can walk the stones of the shoreline and taste the ocean salt when the cold shines my words are rolling soft down your south side
i, now i will show ya it's how i lie when no one told ya
so ride, sherry, ride, sherry, ride i will show ya we'll go in the night wondering why no one told ya
why, you know it goes, you know it goes why, you know it goes, you know it goes why it goes
go HERE to buy young the giant's newest 7in single, featuring both apartment and typhoon. then go HERE to buy their self-entitled debut album, which includes strings, as well as apartment.
so, with spring finally here, i'm really digging the sounds that tahiti 80is creating nowadays - funky hyper beats mixed with synths done right (passion pit, take note please). for those of you who are asking, who? tahiti 80 is an indie-french pop band who've been kicking around since the early 90's.
inevitably often compared with other french pop bands such as phoenix, tahiti 80 is simply likable. they're not breaking musical ground, nor are they reinventing it. they've got a very comfortable grip on their sound that translates over their body of work - poppy, predictable, and more often than not fun. the first song on their newest album released last month, defender, is an excellent example of this. it's got this great bass line that remains steady yet frenetic throughout, alongside a strong guitar line and climbing synths.
it's over i made up my mind you won't see me again it's harder i've done my time i won't jump back on the train
don't you know i've been running since i was sixteen my feet are just so heavy that i can barely stand one more look at you just so i don't forget one more look at you then i'll let you go
so, i've always had a thing for medieval music. what? you're asking. are you serious?
actually, yes, i am.
(i swear, the husband is rolling his eyes at me in utter disdain right now)
i like me some gregorian chants. i like celtic music that can trace it's roots back hundreds of years. i like it traditional and i like it modernized. and i really like what germany's faun is doing with this genre. i've seen them listed as medieval rock in some places and medieval folk in others, but really, they're a combo of both. utilizing traditional instruments with modern ones, faun makes for a very interesting sound.
a list of some of the instruments they incorporate into their music: celtic harp, nyckelharpa, various lutes, the bagpipes, large japanese taiko drums, cister, the violin, flutes and even arabic instruments like dombra, rebab, riq, oud, darabukka and bendir. all of which, put together, along with boy-girl harmonies and deep, driving drum beats, make for some very cool songs.
here are two songs that i like very much. first up is rad (yes, rad, and no, i don't have any idea what in the hell what it's about, other than thinking it sounds, indeed, rad):
may i point out how absolutely PERFECT it was for recapping those books? gah! non-faun side note: i actually really liked how darkest mercyended. i'm a bit of an optimist, so the tidy, happy ending(s) didn't bother me at all, despite the angst, violence, and craziness over the previous four books.
if you head over to faun's website, you can download both rad and lysana for free, along with four other songs. go HERE to do so, and then click on the downloads tab.
so, as i've said before, i'm a sucker for good lyrics. maybe this is why i detest music from people like britney spears and mariah carey, because i feel like so much of their music is souless. it's all gloss and filters and polish, but there's no substance behind it. i figure if a song has to be reworked until it's a far cry from the original, it's no longer really musical artistry. sure, it's wizardly - but at the expense of a mixer in a studio rather than from artists and their talents.
no offense, mixers who might be reading this. i'm sure you're excellent at what you do.
but like i said, i really love me some good lyrics. maybe it's the writer/reader in me, but if i can get behind the song, really dig what it's saying, and then all those lovely words are put to kickass music, i'm a goner. a recent example of this is yer spring by canadian indie-rockers heyrosetta!.
disillusionment mixed with hope, yer spring is really beautiful from a writer's point of view (even if there are way too many ! points going on, but then - the band has one in their name, too).
long we were searching these serpentine streets for the signs of a spark fucking around in the dark then long we were held in the thrum and the desperate heat of the clubs drinking deep from that cup
we'd drink it up
each step was something the beat in the blood and the heat in our hands of twelve regular men so when we come down cathedral street hollow and beaten, to the room that i rent i'm going back up again
i'm going up
but while everything is blooming you know the wilting always waits to steal away your body, to steal away your brains
oh man i hate this part, when the car sails off the bridge am i the knuckles white inside? or am i the water rushing in?
am i rising up? singing:
silent night, holy night take my eyes, take my mind and lay me down! oh! sweet winter kiss on these heavy lids! sweet winter gift of dreamless sleep, lay me down! draw me out! no!
doctor unbandage my eyes i feel the light and i'm ready to be out in it doctor uncover my ears I hear the chorus weeping, i see the people singing: doctor unbandage my eyes i feel the light and i'm ready to be rising! doctor uncover my ears! I hear the chorus weeping! i see the people singing:
let the loser up. let's get him up.
download the song from the soundcloud arrow below:
so, it's a few days after st. patrick's day, but i couldn't help but post this. imelda mayis making waves as one of the strongest female voices in rockabilly nowadays. check her out below:
so, the wilderness of manitoba, a folk band from canada, has a really organic feel to them. tending to shy away from using electric instruments in their music, they rely instead on beautiful harmonies built around a mixture of warm, strong, clear voices (of in particular note, melissa dalton's voice is sublime).
case in point: orono park. have a listen to the golden guitar pluckings, the voices that build upon each other, complementing the entire time, and the strong drums and piano beats that steadily create three and a half minutes of pure folk music magic.
blood boils through your veins and then flows gently like the nile but i will come home again tonight flowing rivers may've stopped me when when i held onto the shore but i still chased after you tonight
so, one of my favorite bands today from ireland has to be i am not lefthanded.
i've talked about them before (go HERE and HERE to read my previous posts), but as a refresher, i am not lefthanded is comprised of the trio of kathryn, daniel, and benji. their music is all about meaningful lyrics, beautifully constructed melodies, and kathryn's gorgeous voice. several years later, i'm still helplessly hooked on their excellent long goodbyes (which has served as excellent writing fodder for one of my books).
they're currently in the studio recording their first full length album, but in preparation for that, they're offering their fans a free mini-ep of some greatest hits. entitled previously on IANL, it's got four songs, including the excellent endline (choose nothing) and an acoustic version of lifelines.
head over to their bandcamp site HERE to buy/listen to more of their excellent music.
so, yael naim, the french-israeli singer-songwriter, is, for lack of a better word, charming. at times singing in hebrew, other in english, or french - or even a combination of several, yael's got a whimsical, sweet voice that goes well with her fun, french-tinged songs.
case in point: go to the river, off of her most recent release, she was a boy. yael's teamed up with percussionist david donatien to create a quirky, addictive song that will definitely make you want to sing along. rapid fire lyrics amongst handclaps (yay for handclaps!), go to the river has a barely restrained urgency that comes across more joyful than stressful.
(one, two, three) when you feel ashamed, go to the river when you're feeling sad, go to the river when you're feeling blue inside, immersed and tired when you're feeling stuck in pain, forever
go-go-go-go, go tonight; you sigh and sigh inside you long for more, more of the life you had be- fore-fore-fore, let the seasons arrive and dive let the winter snow and glow glow when the wind will blow just flow flow, eventually you will know
go, go, you should go, go
when you’re feeling bad, go to the river when you’re feeling mad, go to the river when you feel it blows your mind, 'cause you can’t find when you feel you’re going blind, you can’t deny…
i say: go-go-go with the river flow; you hide hide hide, but the river gets wide; don't row, row, with everything you know-know-know, all you’ve carried inside side-side, let the water unwind; don’t fight, fight – the river is right – let go, go, eventually you will grow
when you feel you’ll lose your mind, they’ll let you slide when you feel you go insane, they let you die
go-go, the river will know blow-blow, the river will blow go-go, the wind will sigh blow-blow, the leaves can die go-go, the seeds will grow blow-blow, the river will slow go-go, the years go by blow-blow, with the river go
go-go-go-go, in your soul you try to fly, but never get high; you’re low low, wishing for the tide to rise; hold your feelings inside side-side-side, let the river glide and slow slow, the winter will go, you know-know-know with everything, you’ll grow whatever comes will go
go-go-go down the river below you sigh-sigh-sigh and the years go by and so, so, the leaves will fall but more-more-more, you wanted even more just go-go-go with the river flow, you can’t decide, 'cause the river gets wild, you know, know that there’s no goal, no sign , sign… eventually you will find
go, go
download the song from the widget below:
now check out the video:
buy she was a boy, the album go to the river is off of, HERE.
so, i think it's easy to say that when i listen to ash reiter'smusic, i think sunny days. she's got this really lovely voice that's a cross between throaty and sweet which, no matter what she sings about, comes across as just plain happy.
a music teacher, this singer-songwriter is actually part of a band that goes by her name. comprised of five members, the group is at work on a full length album, hola, that will be out this spring.
check out the adorable paper diamonds, off of ash's first daytrotter session:
give me love oh give me love give me love oh give me love give me love like paper diamonds poor boy take this mud and shine it cuz i’ve seen stars cut down to sparks and i have watched the angels tear the world apart oh tear the world apart, tear the world apart oh you hide your gleam so well but i see light form the cracks in your mud made shell oh your mud made shell give me love oh give me love give me love oh give me love they all say why you stand so tall why you hold your head so high and you act like you know it all well they don’t know at all, they don’t know at all so spray you down with a garden hose we’ll wash away the mud then they will see you glow oh they will see you glow oh you hide your gleam so well but I see light form the cracks in your mud made shell oh your mud made shell jealous seeds grow in jealous hearts their roots spread wide and they tear the world apart oh they tear the world apart give me love oh give me love give me love oh give me love give me love like paper diamonds poor boy take this mud and shine it cuz i’ve seen stars cut down to sparks and i have watched the angels tear the world apart oh tear the world apart, tear the world apart
want to see ash reiter live? here are some upcoming dates (including sxsw performances):
3/17 - guerro's to bar- austin, tx 3/18 - nomad bar - austin, tx 3/21 - the hangart - tucson, az 3/22 - la cave - costa mesa, ca 3/26 - bar pink - san diego, ca 4/29 - deva cafe - modesto, ca
go HERE to download for free ash's first daytrotter session, including paper diamonds. then go HERE for the one she recorded last year, including the totes adorbs song little sandy. then go HERE to stream two songs off of hola.
so, i recently wrote about exlovers, a grungy-sugar sweet band from london. one of the band members, peter, was nice enough to answer some questions about exlovers for me.
have you met heather: your lyrics (i.e. moth-eaten memories) can come across as very personal. what is the creative process behind your music?
peter: There isn't really any consistent method that I'm aware of when writing. I try not to disguise my thoughts or dress up the lyrics too much and so sometimes it freaks me out a bit to expose these things about myself. It usually begins with a single phrase or melody. When it starts becoming coherent and resembles a song it is then added to and developed by the five of us.
hymh: i think there's a common misconception nowadays that being in a band is solely a very glamorous, exciting thing without taking into consideration the amount of dedication and hard work it takes to create and perform music. what has the road been like, as a band, so far forexlovers?
peter: Well it does take a lot of work but if music is something you enjoy more than anything else then it shouldn't feel too difficult. I think we all enjoy touring in different degrees, it also depends on what state your mind is in. There's a lot of waiting around when you're on tour so you end up spending a lot of time in your own head which for me can be tricky at times. On the whole though it is something that I enjoy and miss when I'm not doing it.
hymh: what can listeners look forward to on the horizon for exlovers?
peter: We've just finished recording an album, it's something we've been working towards for a long time now and are really proud of. We'll always be looking for new directions musically and will always try to keep our live shows new and interesting. You never know what's gonna happen though.
thanks, peter!
exlovers recently released a limited edition vinyl single of blowing kisses (with a b-side of moth-eaten memories) on the young and lost clubrecord label - but the bummer is, it sold out quickly! for those of you with access to the UK's itunes, go HERE to buy blowing kisses. for the rest of you, exlovers is currently recording their debut album at rockfield studios in wales which will be released later this year.
ladies of the world (which i fully realize is an ironic and possibly inappropriate choice after showcasing a strong girl band yesterday, but, that's just how i roll) is...hilarious. absurd. so typically fotc. hard to resist. i mean - how could you? can't you see the validity in choosing brunettes over fighter jets?
Jerome: ooohhh....ooooh.... i just wanna, i just wanna Brett: just wanna do something special, for all the ladies in the world J: oh yes B: just wanna do somethin' special J: Ah B: for all the ladies in the world J: is that possible? B: and the gir-rls don't forget them girls J: caribbean B: (ladies) J: parisian B: (ladies) J: bolivian B: (ladies) J: namibian B: (ladies) J: eastern indochinian B: (ladies) J: republic of cominican B: (ladies) J: amphibian B: (ladies) J: presbyterian B: (ladies) J: outta sight B: amazin' ladies J: late night B: hard workin' ladies J: erudite B: brainy ladies J: hermaphrodite B: lady-man-ladies J: oh you sexy hermaphrodite lady-man-ladies with your sexy lady bits and your sexy man bits too even you must be in to you-ooo-ooo B+J: all the ladies in the world i wanna get next to you show you some gratitude by makin' love to you, it's the least we can do... B+J: if every soldier in the wo-orld put down his weapon and picked up a woman what a peaceful world this world would be B+J: redheads not warheads blondes not bombs we're talkin' about brunettes not fighter jets J: oooh oooh it's got to be sweet 16's not M-16's when will the governments realize it's got to be funky sexy ladies? B: i have a vision and all i can see is all of you with-a all of me in a world of peace and harmony where every lady gets a little piece of bret-y J: i've been to paris, wellington and amsterdam and a wham-bam, merci, danke, thank a-ya ma'm i don't care if you're ugly or you're skanky or you're small i just wanna do a little something special for y'all... B: just wanna do something special for all the ladies in the world J: oh, all the old ladies all the cleaning ladies B: just wanna do something special, for all the ladies in the world J: all the crazy ladies B: and the girls J: all the lazy ladies
so, when one thinks of girl bands, sadly there aren't as many that rush the mind immediately. let's see...the go-gos, the bangles, the runaways, um...um...
okay. so you get my drift. which is a shame, because, let's face it, girls are just as awesome as guys when it comes to music.
a trio of women who hailed from the pacific northwest, sleater-kinney didn't conform to typical expectations of what a lot of people think women, even women rockers, ought to sound like. a lot of their songs were loud, angry, and angsty - but not in the hand-wringing way. the angst they sang about was more than simply lost love. case in point - jumpers. what is jumpers about, you ask? suicides off the golden gate bridge.
heavy stuff, indeed. yet awesome. future girl musicians, take note: you don't always have to sing about cute boys and shopping for the perfect dress. you can sing about crap that happens in real life and know that it's still girly to do so.
i spend the afternoon in cars i sit in traffic jams for hours don't push me, i am not OK
the sky is blue most every day the lemons grow like tumors, they are tiny suns infused with sour
lonely as a cloud in the golden state the coldest winter that i ever saw was the summer that i spent
the only substance is the fog and it hides all that has gone wrong can't see a thing inside the maze
there is a bridge adored and famed the golden spine of engineering whose back is heavy with my weight
lonely as a cloud in the golden state the coldest winter that i ever saw was the summer that i spent
be still this old heart be still this old skin drink your last drink sin your last sin sing your last song about the beginning sing it out loud so the people can hear let's go!
be still this sad day be still this sad year hope your last hope fear you last fear your not the only one let's go!
my falling shape will draw a line between the blue of sea and sky i'm not a bird, i'm not a plane
i took a taxi to the gate i will not go to school again four seconds was the longest wait four seconds was the longest
many of you might be saying...hey...that girl in the photo looks familiar. and carrie brownstein very well may be, peeps, if you've been watching IFC's bizarre yet entertaining portlandia.
so, when i first heard helplessness blues by fleet foxes, i kind of just sat in my chair, stunned.
because, peeps, it's an epic sort of song.
fleet foxes is one of those darling indie bands that everyone wants to be compared to. i've received tons of music submissions lately saying "...sounds like fleet foxes," to the point that i wonder, is there anyone out there who isn't digging this stuff? but it's fair that people are, because fleet foxes is pretty rad.
helplessness blues showcases this concept, like a huge slap in your face, or fireworks, or taking the first bite of something amazing. it starts out quiet and then swells and grows until it surrounds you, demanding the volume to be turned way, way up. and then the bridge kicks in, and the song completely transforms into a new song. the melody and lyrics swirl gracefully around like the death of a tornado, until you, as a listener, are placed gently back down to earth.
seriously.
did i mention the lyrics? gah. amazing.
i was raised up believing i was somehow unique like a snowflake distinct among snowflakes unique in each way you can see
and now after some thinking i'd say i'd rather be a functioning cog in some great machinery serving something beyond me
but i don't, i don't know what that will be i'll get back to you someday soon you will see what's my name, what's my station oh just tell me what I should do i don't need to be kind to the armies of night that would do such injustice to you
or bow down and be grateful and say, "sure, take all that you see" to the men who move only in dimly-lit halls and determine my future for me
and i don't, i don't know who to believe i'll get back to you someday soon you will see
if i know only one thing it's that every thing that i see of the world outside is so inconceivable often i barely can speak
yeah i'm tongue tied and dizzy and i can't keep it to myself what good is it to sing helplessness blues? why should i wait for anyone else?
and i know, i know you will keep me on the shelf i'll come back to you someday soon myself
if i had an orchard i'd work till i'm raw if i had an orchard i'd work till i'm sore
and you would wait tables and soon run the store
gold hair in the sunlight my light in the dawn if i had an orchard i'd work till i'm sore
if i had an orchard i'd work till i'm sore
someday i'll be like the man on the screen
listen to and download the song from the band below:
so, the song i'd like to share today can be best summed up as: quirky. and peeps, this is a good thing. i'm the enforcer, by auditorium(as spencer berger goes by), has a bunch of interesting sounds to it - there's the singer-songwriter vibe going, natch, with a hint of '70's groove. there's also the golden-y sounding guitar lines interspersed between lyrical stanzas and choral background vocals that act like a little brother to the song. speaking of vocals, spencer berger'sdavid bowie-esque quasi-falsetto is intriguing against the lyrics, which i just like because...well...they're likable.
here's charley, he's a defector i will never ever let him infect her he uses concentration to steal love songs off the radio station in the middle of the night he holds on to tight to the chorus and reflects on life but that's charley, he's a defector i will never ever let him infect her
here's lenny, he's a protector i would never ever let him defend her he finds constellations then he sells them to a desperate nation in the middle of the night he holds on tight to his starlight and reflects on life but that's lenny, he's a protector i will never ever let him defend her
now hear me, i'm the enforcer i would never ever let you deform her i've made calculations and i've proven that i am your salvation in the middle of the night i hold on tight to my purpose and reflect on life but that's me, i'm the enforcer i will never ever let you deform her
check out the video:
buy be brave, auditorium's debut album (which includes i'm the enforcer), HERE. email spencer berger (bebravemusic [at] gmail.com) to get four free songs.
so, i recently shared two new songs off of ari hest's new album sunset over hope street. ari was kind enough to answer some questions about his recent projects:
have you met heather: a few years back, you completed the 52 project, which encompassed writing and recording 52 songs in 52 weeks. what was that experience like for you as an artist?
ari hest: The experience was everything I thought it would be - rewarding, grueling, ultimately worth doing. Lost a few hairs. But I shouldn't complain.
hymh: sunset over hope street is your first full-length album in four years. what is the inspiration behind it?
ari:Sunset Over Hope Streetis an album about transition. There are a variety of themes within that - changing environments, both personal and not. I guess I started to question more why I'm here
hymh: was your approach to this album different from previous work? did you go in with a certain mindset on what you wanted to write?
ari: My approach was different only in handing the production over to Alex Wong and letting him do his thing. I wanted a new perspective on these songs and one that was challenging for me to adhere to. I love the way it turned out.
thanks, ari!
sunset over hope street is, for the most part, a very easy going album. ari's got the sort of deep, smooth voice that easily lulls his listeners into his stories. some highlights:
* one track mind - quiet and contemplative, it's got this interesting series of little beeps in the background that center the song. my baby's got a one track mind/she never can hold out/for just a little more time/i guess she ain't the steady kind/always looking to the next thing/always trying to cut the line
* if i knew you'd say yes - trippy drums find a good fit with ari's smooth vocals. in a hotel/somewhere they're speaking a language/i hardly get that phone call/it's gonna mean everything/'cause without it/this is only a game
* give it time - simple and heartfelt, the chimes in this add a whimsical, if not wistful, element. love this one. if it wasn't for closing the window/you wouldn't have heard the call/and without so much as a hello/you wouldn't know me at all
* swan song - there's a splash of a spanish flavor in this mellow song. raging fires/sweep the landscape/devouring all that will lie their path/the fire consumes/bares the sunset/sets the stage/for a cold aftermath
* how will i know - it's like having a cup of tea next to an open window on the perfect seventy-two degrees day. smooth and relaxing, it's such a sweet love song. check out the video below:
so, at a recent meeting for the writer's group i belong to, we got to talking about poetry (this is mainly because a poet showed up, whereas we normally have novelists, so it was, no bad pun intented, a novel thing for us). once upon a time, i was a total poetry junkie. i consumed every e.e. cummings poem i could get my hands on, plus other by tennyson, poe, dickinson, barrett browning, thomas, frost...well, you get the idea. i read a lot of poetry.
i also wrote a lot of it, being the angsty young adult i was. so today i thought i'd share one from way back, when i thought i was all deep and meaningful and as pretentious as only an eighteen year old could imagine themselves to be. but i do rather like the poem still, and i can still hear the music by the blue nilethat i wrote it to.
your black shoes disappeared up the steps leaving me, standing in the hazy blue and gray shadows, to watch the echo of silence fill the crowded station.
so, today's song is an interesting creature filled with conflicting sounds. entitled moth-eaten memories by exlovers, it's filled with sugar-sweet vocals, loud, grungy guitars, stark angry drums, and a melody that's a bit confused on whether it ought to be angry or wistful. it's also got a bridge that brings the song to a halt before kicking it back into high-gear.
sound fascinating? it should, because it is.
exlovers, a quintet from london, have a sound that is reminiscent of the early 90's - a bit lo-fi in places, somber in tone, yet with enough of a peppy kick that it instantly draws you in. they've also got a really subtle boy-girl harmony going in their songs that's very likable.
well, every wish is your command you say the strangest things i will never understand if you see me anymore then remember me the way i was before
hit the little arrow in the soundcloud below to download moth-eaten memories:
so, lately, it feels like indie music is finally getting some notice. arcade fire won at the grammys and sent the hipster scene into a frenzy and radiohead (umm...okay, not so indie, but one of those bands all music snobs say they dig) just released a new album, a day early, natch, to the unrestrained excitement of hipsters everywhere. additionally, bright eyes, an off-and-on again beloved indie musician, has released a new album to the delight of hipsters everywhere.
it sounds like i'm making fun of the hipsters, doesn't it? which is a bit hilarious in itself, because i've been accused by many people over the last few years of being one of said hipsters (i think they mean it as an insult). for the record, i don't see myself as a hipster, but i'm pretty sure, if asked, no hipster would because that would, in itself, be unhipster-like.
but i digress. bright eyes,conor oberst's front, discussed in much better depth here by the husband, was one of those musicians that was once very trendy to like until it wasn't. but he's back now with a new album, and it's got some really great stuff to offer.
my favorite so far off the album has to be one for you, one for me. it's all about the dichotomies in society nowadays, and has this interesting talk by karl malone at the end (okay, OKAY. i know it's not karl malone. but it kind of sound like him, doesn't it?).
one for the righteous, one for the ruling class one for the tyrant, one for the slaughtered lamb one for the struggle, one for the lasting peace one for you, and one for me
one for the führer, one for his child bride one for the wedding, one for the suicide one for the bunker, one for the broadcast booth one for me, now one for you
how did we get so far away from us? how did we get so far away?
one for the people, one for the parliament one for the weary, one for the malcontent one for the master, one for the protégé one for you, and one for me
one for the bread lines, one for the billionaires one for the missing, one for the barely there one for the certain, one for the real confused one for me, okay, now one for you
now that we've come so far away from us now that we've come too far to say you and me, you and me that is an awful lie you and me, you and me that is an awful lie it's i and i
download the album's title and lead single below for free:
buy the people's key, the album one for me, one for you is off of, HERE.
so, when i first heard that josh ritterand scott hutchison (of frightened rabbit) were going to tour together, my head sort of exploded because, HELLO, amazing genius and musical goodness like that in one night? i so had to be there.
scott opened with, much to my sadness, a tiny set (it was only around a half hour!). but he made magic with the time allowed with acoustic versions of songs from both the midnight organ fight and the winter of mixed drinks. as i've blogged several times before the greatness that is scott hutchison and frightened rabbit live, i'll simply say here that it was a great set and left me wanting more. much more. is it so wrong to wish he had a full set, too?
here is a duet between him and his brother grant, the drummer for frightened rabbit, singing heads rolls off:
i hadn't seen josh ritter live before, and after the sold-out show @ la's music box, i'm looking forward to catching him on his next tour. here's what you need to know about josh ritter in concert:
1. he's so freaking adorable. dude smiled and pogo-sticked it all night. where does he get his energy? and how refreshing is it to get a guy genuinely happy to be up there, rather than do one of those "i'm a musican, a SERIOUS musican, so you get no smiles tonight! musicians don't smile!" bits? the answer is VERY.
2. the guy brings it. there's no dialing in any songs. so do do the rest of the guys in the royal city band.
some highlights from the show (out of order from the setlist):
* good man and lilian, egypt, two fan favorites, were utterly infectious. everyone singing along, josh and his band amped up, i'm suprised the entire building didn't shake from everyone stomping, clapping, and dancing. yes, dancing. in la! it was like aliens had taken over the joint, hipsters be damned.
* the brilliance that is the thin blue flame was done completely in the dark and without a microphone. just josh and his guitar, and every single person standing still in awe, it was amazingly powerful.
* during kathleen, josh orchestrated "the largest slow dance in the country - well, at least california." he instructed the ladies to take it easy on the guys around them, dudes to dance, and everyone to frankenstein it by putting their arms out and find someone to sway with. the entire building was giggling and acting like it was a high school dance.
* during harrisburg, he told a story of having to battle chewbaccas in hollywood, of how only in la are there dueling juice joints, and of how traffic can kill a soul. then he transitioned into a kickass bridge of talking heads' once in a lifetime before continuing the song at full blast. awesome.
* the final song in the encore was a super-sped up version of to the dogs or whoever. hyper and wild, it only sent everyone back into a frenzy.
* speaking of the encore, scott hutchison came out and the two sang stories we could tell, a cover of the everly brothers' hit. totes adorbs! check it out below:
* and here's josh doing the beautiful change of time. gahhh...amazing:
josh has a bunch of free mp3s on his site. go HERE to snag them. then go HERE to buy so runs the world away, his newest album, and HERE for the to the yet unknowing world EP that was just released. then go HERE to buy the winter of mixed drinks, frightened rabbit's newest album. after all that, put your headphones on and kick back to some awesome tunes and feel jealous that you might not have gotten to see them this last time around. or, if you did, relive some of that greatness. cheers!
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