in which being there should be on your happy playlists

(and yes, i do have a couple of playlists marked for cheery or happy music)

so, i want to introduce you today to being there. sounding a bit like teenage fanclub with a smidge of lo-fi goodness mixed with early 90's alternative beats, the duo was recently picked up to work with producer richard formby.



tomorrow, which you can listen to and download from the bandcamp widget below, is a delightfully exuberant song. mellow vocals, shiny guitars, and a poppy beat make for instant cheer-me-up music. i bet you won't be able to listen to it just once.

you want to do it all the time
it feels good
and you hope they understand
'cause they should



go HERE to hear more music by being there. then check 'em out on twitter HERE.

in which bombay bicycle club's latest will take you for a ride

so, i think if i had to sum up bombay bicycle club's latest single, shuffle, in one word, it would be: frenetic.

starting with a quick and jumpy piano beat, the song gleefully trips forwards without any blaring lulls to drag it down (even slow bridges are shoved forwards with by an unrelenting piano). everything is, well, frenetic - the piano, the vocals (which, at times, almost seem to be rushed, as if the band fears they're going to be kicked off the stage at any moment and wants the audience to hear every last drop of goodness), the drum, the bass...

everything. simply frenetic.



even the end. which, rather than fading into the wild blue yonder (as the melody would perhaps like to), the backing vocals keep up the pace.

exhausting? yes, in a way. but also, very, very rewarding. give it a try, and try to tell me you didn't love the ride:

Bombay Bicycle Club - Shuffle by Bombay Bicycle Club

a different kind of fix will be available on august 29th through island records. you can pre-order it HERE. then go HERE to buy shuffle as a single.

in which madi diaz flirts with you

so, as a writer, i often hear the words "chick lit" thrown around quite a bit. often, this is primarily used to describe books that feature a female protagonist along with even the tiniest whiff of romance. there are best friends involved, possibly some frenemies, and lots of angst and good fun.

i'm not sure if i'm a big fan of the term "chick lit," as i think a lot of people try to use it in a derogatory way, but i suppose i can see why some women try to own it. because, let's face it - certain things are inherently skewered towards women, others towards men. that isn't to say that that women won't gravitate to guy things or vice versa, because they do and they will, but sometimes things just do come across as slanted towards one or the other.

all of this babble is to introduce you to someone i see as a girly-girl sort of singer: madi diaz.



does this mean madi diaz sings exclusively about sweet adoration, happy endings, and sparkles so fantastically that she could pass as rainbow bright? absolutely not. in fact, i'd go as far to say that madi's the sort of singer who sugar coats her at-times honest, naive-free lyrics with such a dulcet, likable voice that you can't help but think, as you revel in her ability to draw you instantly in, just how girly she comes across.

and maybe that's part of her girly charm. it's like she's flirting with you in such an alluring way that you maybe don't really get what she's saying until afterwards. take only a kiss - it sounds poppy, even happy, yet it's all about a girl who wants some action without all the messy love stuff: and if you're trying to fake it/and i'm not gonna make it/but you're making me wait/and i don't want to wait. or johnny don't race, which, despite a plucky bass that sounds sinister, comes across as so sweet that you want to happily sing along. and then you LISTEN to it, and you think - oh. OH. it's about a girl begging her boyfriend to back down from a challenge, but he ignores her. and while it's open ended, you just KNOW it's not going to end well.

and then there's let's go , which is radiantly girly. so beautiful, so light, so poppy sweet yet with enough of discordant piano strains to give it a bit of bite. i imagine it's like one of those gourmet piece of chocolate that's got sea salt. or cayenne pepper. or wasabi. you know what i mean. just enough of a little something-something to make it memorable. and that's what madi diaz does with her girly songs.

what a strange day
for ones not lost in a bad way
got tired, finished last place
how wonderful
such a strange day

let's go
to a place i know
we'd be so...
oh, let's go

all that we need
you, me, leaves
blowing off on the trees
and everything that we see
will be so...

let's go
to a place i know
we'd be so...
oh, let's go

wanna play so come out
way up high, reaching down
far from things that we know
let's go down in the dirt
use two hands, will it work

so let's go
to a place i know
we'd be so...
oh, let's go

Madi Diaz - Let's Go by tinyogre

far from things we know, a 3 song EP, will be released on september 20th. diaz will release a full-length album through tinyOGRE entertainment in early 2012. go HERE to download her brand spankin' new daytrotter session, including let's go, for free.

wordless post #37

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) january hymn by the decemberists

video(s) for a saturday - keeping warm

so, i've been on a huge we were promised jetpacks kick lately, which really isn't surprising considering they're 1) scottish (and therefore, by default, awesome), 2) a band that i found to be even better live (granted, it's been two years since i've seen them, but STILL), and 3) general, all-around musical goodness. and while i've had these four walls on heavy rotation, keeping warm is the one that i've found myself listening to the most. i think the best way to describe it is e p i c.

as i relisten to it as i write this, i can't help but wonder: why aren't more people listening to this band?

so, today, for your watching/listening pleasure, you get not one, but TWO vids of this song. one is just the song set to a picture, the other is a live, fan-recorded version. try not to be swept away during the intro. in this opinion, it's one of the best intros in music you're ever going to hear.

chances of being born, so slim
so keep warm
so keep warm

and take some heart
in being born
at quite so young

you can learnt to talk
and learn to walk
in your own time
you're so...

take heart in being born
making plans that you can't keep
that you've outgrown
you've taken this too far
now take me home

there's nothing to eat
and there's nowhere to sleep
in these four walls
you're so young

chances of being born, so slim
so keep warm
so keep warm

and take some heart
in being born
at quite so young

you can learnt to talk
and learn to walk
in your own time
you're so young





learn more about we were promised jetpacks HERE.

flashback friday - better than i am

so, i first discovered today's flashback song well over a decade ago during a concert at the house of blues on the sunset strip. i'd gone there to hear another band (which, honestly, i can't remember the name of) and cindy alexander was one of the opening acts. i liked her pretty much right off the bat - she was one of those heart of the sleeve kind of girls who gave each song her all, even if it wasn't the most stellar piece of music. but then she sang better than i am, and i made an instant beeline straight over to her cd table so i could get me a copy.




for those of you who have no idea who cindy is, she's a LA based singer-songwriter who was named songwriter of the year and nominated for female vocalist of the year and album of the year by the los angeles music awards in 1998. her music has been featured in a number of movies and tv shows, including party of five (YES, i loved that show!). she's currently recorded four lps and contributed to a combination of five compilations and soundtracks. she's got an easy-going style that also comes across as raw and honest, making her music readily accessible.

better than i am, the song from which her album seeing red takes its name from, is one of those brutally honest songs that really can strike a chord with anyone who years for something more in their life. disillusioned with how life is going, and stuck in a rut in a going-nowhere relationship, cindy tells the story of how she takes a chance to change before it's too late. "i wanna know now and i don't wanna wait," she sings. "'cause i'm scared it'll be too late. oh, i hope you understand."

she's so heartfelt you can't help but root for her in the song.

so you quit another job
and you save another cat
you know that i'll always respect you
at least, for that
take another toke
offer some to me
how many times do i have to tell you
it alienates me
when you say it's just a phase?
how long will this one take?
i may be in a rush
but i got a biological tick
that i just can't seem to hush

i wanna be light and i wanna see red
wanna feel the pounding in my chest
i wanna be better than i am
i wanna know now and i don't want to wait
i'm tired of holding out for fate
oh, i hope you understand
i wanna be better than i am

so i pack up all my clothes
and i give you back your ring
then you look at me like the first time
you ever saw me sing
write another song, offer up my soul
how many times do they have to tell us
we're taking a hard road
then you hold me like a rose
don't mean to hurt you but i know
sometimes love gets tired
all we really need
is to be inspired

i wanna be light and i wanna see red
wanna feel the pounding in my chest
i wanna be better than i am
i wanna know now and i don't want to wait
'cause i'm scared it'll be too late
oh, i hope you understand
i wanna be better than i am

maybe it's my curse in life
that i'm never satisfied
maybe i want too much
or maybe it's just my luck
i'm the desert and you're the sea
there's so much between us
what i'm looking for
maybe a mystery

(m4a) better than i am by cindy alexander

buy seeing red, the album better than i am is off of, HERE.

in which you ought to be listening to mogwai

so, mogwai is one of those bands that i really love yet, inexplicably, tend not to mention right away when somebody asks, "tell me some great bands to check out." and it's not because they aren't fabulous (because they are), or because they're forgettable (which they absolutely aren't) - i think it's just because mogwai is one of those bands that i've been digging for so long that they're just sort of there in my music subconsciousness. i can instantly tell if a song is a mogwai one (they've got a very distinct sound all to themselves), and i rarely ever skip them if they come up on my ipod like i do with some others (crushes that crash and burn quickly). take this blog, for example. i was debating what to write about (despite a number of bands awaiting review in my inbox) and thought - wait. have i done a post on mogwai yet? and if not, why? because people OUGHT to be listening to them.



difficult to classify because they transcend so many genres, mogwai is a fusion of distortion, building upon chord extensions, white noise, blindingly beautiful and haunting melodies, and, more often then not, a wee bit of sadness. there are traces of a lot of different bands found in mogwai, ranging from fugazi to my bloody valentine, and yet they manage to sound utterly unique in the vast wasteland of sameness that plagues much of popular music today. chances are, you'll never stumble across mogwai on any traditional radio station, but that doesn't mean they aren't worth the trouble of seeking out. listening to mogwai is a bit of an experience. you have to, in a way, trust the band as they take you on the journey they've crafted. typically free of lyrics, each song tells a story that has to be discovered, rather than simply handed over. it's almost like each song is a tiny pandora's box, and while some can be blistering, others can be so lovely that they very nearly blow your socks off.

yesterday's post about mountain man talked about the lack of instruments in certain songs. mogwai goes in the opposite direction, as there is hardly ever any lyrics to their music. here's what stuart braithwaite, guitarist and occasional vocalist, had to say about that:

I think most people are not used to having no lyrics to focus on. Lyrics are a real comfort to some people. I guess they like to sing along and when they can't do that with us they can get a bit upset.

despite being a lyrics girl, i totally appreciate and respect how mogwai doesn't need them.

today i'm offering up two songs off of mogwai's latest album, hardcore will never die, but you will with a bit of advice. if you're a mogwai virgin, for your first listen, let it just be you and the tunes. don't put them on in the background as you do dishes (although, you certainly should do so in the future, should you need excellent music to work to). instead, put on a pair of headphones and kick back. or put them on your ipod and listen to them in your car, with the windows rolled up tight so it's just you and the speakers. or lay down on your bed and put it on your stereo and turn it up high. you know what i mean. then let the song sink into you and open your mind up. don't try to think about what you need to do in fifteen minutes or in the morning or how you have to get so much done by x amount of time that you're about to burst. just take the moment and let the band do what they do best.

you'll be glad you did.

(mp3) rano pano by mogwai

and

(mp3) san pedro by mogwai

mogwai had to postpone their april tour dates - so if you want to see them, check them out at one of their upcoming fall shows:

September 26, 2011 - Webster Hall, New York City NY
September 27, 2011 - Webster Hall, New York City NY
September 28, 2011 - Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia PA
September 29, 2011 - 930 Club, Washington DC
September 30, 2011 - Asbury Park Convention (NJ), Asbury Park NJ
October 1, 2011 - House of Blues (Boston), Boston MA"

buy hardcore will never die, but you will HERE.

in which mountain man doesn't need instruments to make music

so, when i was in high school, a friend of mine kept trying to sell me on an acapella band. "they're good," she said, making sure she also reminded me that she was part of the glee club and was one to know whether or not singers were good or not. "it takes an incredible amount of talent to be able to make music with just your voice and not need instruments to back you up."

i ignored her, mainly because i was the sort of girl who listened to all those alternative bands like the cure and depeche mode and the like who NEEDED instruments. it was a difficult concept to wrap my mind around at the time, and one that i felt was just weird.

which just goes to show you how teenagers often think they're so brilliant, only to discover years later, when they're adults, that they don't actually know jack.

because acapella, done right, can be a very powerful musical experience. case in point, mountain man.



a trio from all over the country (st.paul, santa cruz, and brookland, to be specific), mountain man is the creative outlet for molly erin sarle, alexandra sauser-monnig, and amelia randall meath. here's what they have to say about themselves:

The music of Mountain Man is nestled in the tradition of American folk, but shoots like diamond dust out of the nest into the high, wide atmosphere. Their songs are shaped by three searching voices, encompassing harmonies and a shared belief in and love of the world. They are mutually moved to sing by their love for people, and for trees, birds and mountains, the ocean, the night, the moon, and being a woman. They all love the rambling, rumbling, rolling summer….

last year, they released made the harbor, which i should preface isn't acapella. but it's lovely music, straight up folk that wraps around you like a snug, warm blanket.

have a listen below:



but to bring it back to my original point, mountain man excels at acapella. the girls' three voices blend together in near perfect harmony, creating a sound that rivals any song featuring instruments.

a good example of this is play it right. check it out/download it below:

(mp3) play it right by mountain man

prefer to watch them sing it, so you can watch the magic happen?

Mountain Man - Play It Right from Bella Union on Vimeo.

here's a preview of their upcoming album, live at the wiltern:



want to see mountain men live this year? check out one of the following dates on their tour:

July 08 - Winnipeg MB @ Winnipeg Folk Festival
July 09 - Winnipeg MB @ Winnipeg Folk Fest
July 10 - Minneapolis MN @ Cedar Cultural Center (Free Patio Show)
July 11 - Milwaukee WI @ Cactus Club
July 12 - Chicago IL @ Schubas
July 13 - Lawrence KS @ The Bottleneck (w/ Blind Pilot)
July 15 - Santa Fe NM @ Brewing Co Patio (w/ Blind Pilot)
July 16 - Denver CO @ Larimer Lounge
July 17 - Aspen CO @ Belly Up
July 18 - Telluride CO @ Sheridan Opera House (w/ Blind Pilot)
July 21 - St Louis MO @ Off Broadway
July 23 - Indianapolis IN @ Radio Radio
July 24 - Pittsburgh PA @ Club Café
July 25 - Philadelphia PA @ Chapel at First Unitarian
July 26 - Arlington VA @ IOTA Club and Café
July 28 - New York NY @ Mercury Lounge (w/ BOBBY)
July 29 - Hudson NY @ Club Helsinki (w/ BOBBY)
July 30 - Northampton MA @ Iron Horse (w/ BOBBY)
July 31 - Newport RI @ Newport Folk Festival

live at the wiltern will be released on july 5th by partisan records.

in which fm belfast is irresistible

so, i think icelandic music sometimes gets pigeonholded into a dreamy catagory thanks to superstars björk , sigur rós (and, by extension, a solo jónsi), and όlöf arnalds (who all excel in that dreamy, ethereal music that can easily hide much darker concepts). fm belfast, though, who also hail from iceland, kick through that stereotype with their poppy yet electro enthusiasm, as exemplified in their latest release, don't want to sleep.



what they do share with björk , at least, is their love of the weird. this is a band, after all, who have a song entitled underwear (and, yeeesss, it's about running around in your undies). and then in their song american, they claim, "i'm not afraid to taste your fist...your head is as numb as your face...pow, pow, drip, drip, from my chin to the ground...i'm going to learn american," which one can't help but wonder as they scratch their head, huh? ookay? but, sometimes weird is just what a song calls for, and in fm belfast's case, it can translate into winsome songs that are so loveable they're practically irresistable.

the titular song off their latest release is just such a song. i don't want to go to sleep either is SUCH the i can't sit still in my seat kind of song. it's infectious in its enthusiasm. so is new year, which you can download below:

(mp3) new year by fm belfast

and here's the video for i don't want to go to sleep either. don't say i didn't warn you about it being infectious:

FM Belfast: i don´t want to go to sleep either from morr music on Vimeo.

buy don't want to sleep, the album both new year and i don't want to sleep either is off of, HERE.

in which tv on the radio makes a movie to match their album

so, i've had today's song on my radar for months now (having actually started this post way back in april). but in a way, i'm glad i've waited to feature it, because second song, by tv on the radio, practically screams to be listened to during warm weather.



here's the 411 on the band:
considered art-rock and heavily influenced by the pixies and prince (amongst other eclectic artists), tv on the radio manages to come across as utterly unique. often fusing together genres to craft their music, the band tends to utilize clever, insightful lyrics to catchy hooks. they've had a big of a roller coaster year, through, having released their latest album and losing a key member of the band (bassist gerard smith) to cancer all within a month. the band is soldiering on, though, as they're getting set to embark on a national tour.

second song is my favorite off their latest release, nine types of light. it's scarily addictive: wicked bass lines (which make you realize even more what a loss smith's death is to the music world), pitch-perfect horns, vocals that include hoo-hoo lines (which, if anyone read my last post on the head and the heart know i am a total sucker for), and tempo changes that practically force your body into action. it's the epitome of a song that can easily transition into an earworm (and it has for me repeatedly). plus, the song treats its listeners like they actually have brains and IQs to match by allowing you to think and appreciate rather than repeat like a zombie who can only utter a few phrases over and over again (ahem, justin bieber, AHEM).

i think what i'm basically saying is that you have to give this song a listen. and then hurry out and buy the entire album, because it's pretty freaking awesome as a whole.

confidence and ignorance approve me
define my day today
i've tried so hard to shut it down lock it up
gently walk away

appetites and impulses confused me
decide my day, today
now my body says it's over
shaking hands move to tear my face away

and when the night comes i'm fiending like a pyro
and i know it stables my survival
when there's music all around me and i haven't got a single word to say

and then the light shines
it's gleaming like a bottle
and lord knows i'll tackle it full throttle
may i illuminate the nameless faceless saints of this out and open graves

every lover on a mission shifted your known position into the light
every diamond elemental you are instrumental due to the light
every sonic evolution make your contribution due to the light
every lover on a mission shifted your known position due to the light

oh body mind leaves me behind
and i'll do you one better
while you define
your heartless time
i'll defend my love forever

every lover on a mission shifted your known position into the light
every diamond elemental you are instrumental due to the light
every sonic evolution make your contribution due to the light
every glory as disaster everybody is gonna bring you faster out into the light
the light

(mp3) second skin by tv on the radio

in addition to releasing nine types of light as an album, the band also created a thought provoking movie. here's what they had to say about this artistic venture:

Nine Types of Light is as much an album as it is a movie by TV on the Radio. The movie is meant to be a visual re-imagining of the record, and includes a music video for every song on the album. The band personally asked their friends and the filmmakers they admired to help direct the music videos. Tunde Adebimpe, the director for the full Nine Types of Light movie, storybooked the music videos together with interviews from local New Yorkers on various topics, including dreams, love, fame and the future.

check it out below. fyi, second song is the...you guessed it! second song featured in the movie:



wanna see tv on the radio live this summer? check out the following dates:

8/30 - First Ave (Minneapolis, MN)
8/31 - First Ave (Minneapolis, MN)
9/1 - Pabst Theatre (Milwaukee, WI)
9/2 - St Andrews Hall (Detroit, MI)
9/9 - Mann Center (Philadelphia, PA)
9/12 - The Fillmore (Charlotte, NC)
9/13 - Tabernacle (Atlanta, GA)
9/16 - House of Blues (Dallas, TX)
9/18 - Cain's Ballroom (Tulsa, OK)
9/20 - Ogden Theatre (Denver, CO)
9/25 - Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles, CA)
9/27 - Fox Theatre (Oakland, CA)

buy nine types of light, the album second song is off of, HERE.

wordless music post #36

find/buy this print at etsy HERE

(mp3) woman goin' crazy on caroline street by jimmy buffett

video for a saturday - fire

so, this video is beyond adorable. as is the song.



when we were left alone
under the constellations glow
so many times i wanted your love
but i could never let you know

under the cover of deep dark night
we go on and on and why were we waiting for so long
this won't be wrong when daylight comes

beneath the same bright stars where all your friends lie fast asleep
we let the campfire burn to embers
you've never been so close to me

stop talking
i can't wait
no need to say the right thing

under the cover of deep dark night
we go on and on and why were we waiting for so long
this won't be wrong when daylight comes

you and i alone
with all the secrets that were told
so many times i wanted your love but i could never let you know

under the cover of deep dark night
we go on and on and why were we waiting for so long
this won't be wrong when daylight comes

we'll be under the covers and out with the light
we'll go on and on and you know we waited for so long
this can't be wrong if we hold on

can you see me now can hear me now
can you feel me now can you see me now

the fire next time we meet
we won't hide anything
the fire next time we meet
you always say the right thing

you can find fire, by the submarines, on itunes HERE.

flashback friday - etienne trilogy

so, i've mentioned before my adoration of tori amos when i was younger and how i have a rather large and embarrassing collection of imports and singles of hers spanning her first three official albums (even i couldn't deal with a bunch of the random weirdness that emitted from future recordings). one of those albums that i paid an extraordinary sum for, at least, being a poor college student and all, was tori's first recorded venture, y kan't tori read.

now, let's face facts. as brilliant as little earthquakes was, that's how abysmal y kan't tori read was. filled with terrible cliches and standardized, poppy sounds, the album, which tori is reportedly unhappy with and refuses to reissue, despite being out of print, is utterly forgettable if not for two songs. the first, cool on your island, is everything a guilty pleasure song ought to be. it's also cliched and ridiculous, but in a likable way.



try not to giggle too hard at the album cover now.

but the etienne trilogy...

yeah. i'll admit to liking it quite a bit. perhaps i ought to clarify that part of this is because it waxes poetic about scotland, a country that i've long harbored deep and devoting crushes on. it also has medieval references and the name etienne, which i lovelovelove (and yet, knew better than to bring up in suggestion to my husband for any of my three sons).

for those of you who haven't heard it yet (and, let's face it, that's got to be most of you, because few people actually have heard this album), this is a trilogy due to three distinct songs that blend together. the first, entitled the highlands, is an instrumental. the second, which is the only section to have lyrics, is aptly titled etienne. and the third is called skyeboat song, and it's all about bagpipes and dreamy images of scotland.

will it ever be remembered as one of tori's best? definitely not. it'll not even enter the top 10, or, frankly for tori-philes, top 20. but one must remember that it stems from the late 80's and, for that time period (to which i admit to digging, being a gen-xer and all), it certainly isn't the worst thing out there.

hm. doesn't sound very endorsing, does it? perhaps you need to listen to it yourself and discover its charms.

maybe i'm a witch lost in time
running through the fields of scotland by your side
kicked out of france
but i still believe
taken to a land far across the sea

etienne, etienne
hear the west wind whisper my name
etienne, etienne
by the morning, maybe we'll remember who i am

maybe you're the knight who saved my life
maybe we've faced the fire side by side
well, here we are again
under the same sky
as the gypsy crystal slowly dies

oh, etienne, etienne
hear the west wind whisper my name
etienne, etienne
by the morning, maybe we'll remember who i am

i close my eyes, see you again
i know i've held you, boy
can't remember where or when

oh, etienne, etienne
hear the west wind whisper my name
etienne, etienne
by the morning, maybe we'll remember who i am

maybe i'm a witch, etienne
whisper my name
whisper my name
etienne, whisper my name
maybe i'm a witch

(m4a) etienne trilogy by y kan't tori read (aka tori amos)

here she is in 2007 performing the song in concert. the footage is dark and not the best, but it's the song that counts, right?



feel like having a bit of tori history? you can get a new (well, take that as you will) copy of y kan't tori read for $129.99. there's a collector's version (um, okay?) for $199.99. or, if those are too rich for your blood, nab a used one for $59.95. thank god when i bought my copy, i paid nowhere near those prices. go HERE if you seriously want one.

in which sallie ford & the sound outside tell it like it is

so, it's a bit difficult to pigeonhole the portland quartet sallie ford & the sound outside into a music genre. my first inclination is to say retro, but...not in the official (by this blog's standards) retro way, ala sinatra and fitzgerald. no, it's more like 50's and 60's retro, and it's so charmingly delightful that you can't help but visualize all sorts of sock hops and black and white tvs and the like when you listen to it.



please don't confuse this throwback style with the sweet, innocent lyrics that populated the early years of rock and roll, because that's not what sallie ford & co. is all about. despite her cute librarian appearance, sallie isn't hesitant in letting you know how she feels in the band's energetic rock-jazz-country-oldies-tinged music.

i swear, as a matter of fact, is basically a big eff-you to all the bland so-called popstars out there that are being foisted upon listeners nowadays. "what have these people done to music?" sallie asks you. "what is this robot sounding bullshit? we sell our souls to the man."

amen, sallie. preach it, sister!

we turn on the radio
it all sounds the same
it all sounds the same
what have these people done to music?
they just don't care anymore
they just don't care anymore

(mp3) i swear (daytrotter version) by sallie ford & the sound outside

the video is absolutely delicious. it's SO lovably retro, but not in the hipper-than-thou way.

Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside - I Swear from Matthew Ross on Vimeo.

want to see sallie ford & the sound outside live? check them out at one of their following dates:

6/23 - Louisville, KY @ Uncle Slayton's
6/24 - Athens, OH @ Casa Cantina
6/25 - Thomas, WV @ Mountain State Brewing
6/28 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
6/30 – Ithaca, NY @ The Haunt (w/ Th' Legendary Shack Shakers)
7/1 – Erie, PA @ The Crooked (w/ Th' Legendary Shack Shakers)
7/2 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place (w/ Th' Legendary Shack Shakers)
7/5 - Cambridge, MA @ Club Passim (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/6 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/7 – Portland, ME @ The Space (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/8 - Montreal, QC Canada @ Le Cabaret du Mile End (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/9 - Toronto, ON Canada @ Horeseshoe Tavern (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/11 - Ann Arbor, MI @ The Ark (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/12 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/14 - Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Centre (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/16 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/20 - Dallas, TX @ Kessler Theater (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/21 - Austin, TX @ Lambert's (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/22 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/23 - New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina's (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/25 - Tampa, FL @ Crowbar (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/26 - Orlando, FL @ The Social (w/ Jolie Holland)
7/31 – Holyoke, MA @ Mountain Park (w/ The Decemberists)
8/2 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin' Java
8/3 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
8/27 - Eugene, OR @ Eugene Celebration

buy dirty radio, the album i swear is off of, HERE. go HERE to download their brand-spankin' new daytrotter session for free!

in which daniel isaiah crafts an entirely ecclectic & likable album

so, ironically, i first listened to the naked night by daniel isaiah as i was working on codename: mo, which my writer's group has recently begun critiquing after me hemming and hawing whether or not it was fit for public consumption yet (and, honestly, it still isn't, considering it isn't finished yet!). but for those of you outside of my group (and, frankly, that's the bulk of my readers here on the ol' music blog), let's just say it was one of those happy coincidental moments to have this song playing as i worked on a scene that dealt with, well - some of the stuff sung here in the song.

yet i digress. here's what you need to know about montreal based singer-songwriter daniel isaiah: an award winning filmaker, isaiah tends to draw inspiration from a variety of sources to craft his songs. you might find influences from fellini to dixieland, from mythology to americana or french chansons (which, any reader of this blog knows i'm helpless to resist). ecclectic as much as it is fresh, his ambitious first solo album, high twilight, is filled with lots of intriguing themes both big and small. joining isaiah on his journeys are guest musicians sea oleena, warren spicer of plants and animals, joe grass, mike o'brien, and award-winning cellist claude lamothe.



the naked night, which comes across as an upbeat ditty, was actually inspired by dante and william blake's versions of hell. it's intriguing, to say the least, and very, very catchy:

(mp3) the naked night by daniel isaiah

here is isaiah performing the very blues-tinged the hours, also off of high twilight:



buy high twilight, the album the naked night is off of, HERE.

in which barbie hatch goes solo

so, electro dance-pop artist, barbie hatch first gained attention when she appeared as a guest vocalist on the N.A.S.A. songs way down and i wanna be your lover. since then, she's also collaborated with swollen members and squeak e. clean and worked with brent nichols and koool g. murder on her upcoming debut album, hypertrophic heart. her first solo venture, the album is filled with an alluring mix of shoegazing, trip-hop, and techno, making hatch's music sure to please.



a perfect example of this is the very likable stars. according to hatch herself, "'Stars' is a little song about the night sky and the feeling of falling in love." woozy 80's style synths, reminiscent in a small way of siouxsie and the banshees, mix with lo-fi, distorted, echo-y vocals to create a sweet ballad of sorts. check it out/download it from the soundcloud below:

Barbie Hatch - Stars by Barbie Hatch

for fun, here's a version of a beegees song barbie covered:

(mp3) run to me (beegees cover) by barbie hatch

here's the video for N.A.S.A.'s way down, on which barbie hatch contributed vocals:



hypertrophic heart, the album stars is off of, will be released on june 28th. go HERE to learn more about barbie hatch.

interview with nico stai

so, i've written about spanish born, LA based singer-songwriter nico stai a few times now, and the reason is simple - i really like his music. it's not overly processed - instead, it focuses on quality musical lines and meaningful lyrics. recently, nico was kind enough to answer some questions for me about his work and upcoming album.



photo credit: danny krug

have you met heather: listening to your music oftentimes feels like listening in on private, emotionally charged conversations or situations. do you tend to draw from personal experience when writing songs? what is your writing process like?

nico stai: Yes, I do. I would say all of it is personal experiences. Whether it be told through a persona or a perspective different than my own self, it all stems from within and or how I am experiencing or perceiving situations. I don't seek out themes or motifs, etc... Or have sudden ideas like I want to write a song about this or about that and I want it to sound like this or like that. I just do what I do and work at it until it feels until sounds right and until it tells the tale it ought to be telling, until it's honest.

I'm not one to really ever ask for opinions on creative matters, I don't believe in it. I believe art should be you and your story and it matters much more that it be real and undiluted than that it is accepted by a peer or that it "passes the test" of so and so and whatever label etc ... Everybody around us had become insanely diluted. A lot of creation today has take a turn for the mainstream, for safe, for correctness, and all of this just leads away from truths.

In terms if my process, it's a constant thing where I have maybe 70 to 100 songs and ideas that aren't finished that can all be brought to fruition when its time to. Sort of like a garden with too many plants and they're all at a different stages and some are about to flower and some will take longer. It's quite messy, really. I'll record the song eight or twelve or seventeen different ways, tempos and keys and drive everyone around me and myself mad and write eight different pre-choruses and then realize the thing doesn't even need a pre-chorus... Cause what's a pre-chorus anyway? A turn for the worse, so that you can sell a shit chorus?? I better quiet now.

hymh: you've been a solo artist as well as part of a band. any preferences on which you like to better? why?

nico: Solo. If I didn't, I'd go back and join a band!! I spent years in bands and it just gets to a point where you want to just do whatever you want with your songs and not have to take points of view and other crap into consideration. I needed to just break free from all that shit, plus bands are never really quite what people think bands are anyway.

It's more often than not a posturing lame acceptance of ideals that you steadfastly squirm and turn yourself into so that your ego is satisfied with what you are a part of. And then you wake one day and you fucking hate yourself and you realize that you've not sung half of what you came here to sing, so you say fuck it, and start singing, but proper. For real this time.

Having said that, I have a great band now that plays with me and it's been the same guys for three years now and it feels much more like what I imagined a band ought to feel like. It's definitely an amazing family vibe - really, really talented individuals who play for the song and the vision. There's a common purpose that's concise.

hymh: your music has been featured in a number of television shows (such as chuck, gossip girl, and private practice, to name a few). how has that experience been like as an artist?

nico: Basically, it's been great. I the sense that it has reached a lot of people all over the world and it has connected me to many new fans etc... I am extremely uncultured when it comes to tv shows, etc... I mostly hear from others when something been on somewhere and I am always surprised that so many people watch these things. Truth is, it's the new radio, but with the caveat that THEY actually pay YOU!!!! And on top of it, it's not limited to one country... It's like some sort of weird boomeranging radio show with visuals that keeps going round the globe and online and reairing on different networks, etc...

The reach of these things is way beyond what I think some people realize. Well, some do and it has changed a lot, and though I honestly have no idea what these things are about or what they are or whatever, it is good for the artist. And not a lot has been good for the artist in the last 60 years or so of the music business.

hymh: how's the new album coming along?

nico: It's coming along great. I've been doing some preliminary mixes in my set up at home. I basically ran out of money, but I have all or pretty much all of it recorded and now it's mixing time. There's fourteen songs recorded and the record will be about eleven. There may be some singles before the whole thing comes out.

I don't have a label or anything and I want to see if I can get someone to get behind it. That would make sense.

It is a very warm loud record, tracked live in big rooms. There will be some acoustic tracks, but I'd say it's very much a "rock album" :)) !!!

hymh: any plans to tour?

nico: Would love to :) Touring costs a lot of money and I do have it and I don't have anyone putting it up for me. I know there are people that write to me from all over the place - Europe and Australia and the East Coast - and if it were up to me, I'd be all those places tomorrow. But it's just not that simple. I think there this idea with some people that there's a huge machinery in process, but there isn't. I have self released everything. I record things at friends' studios. I live in a studio apartment in Silverlake and I live off of music, but just get by. But there's no label no management and no agent...(I am open to and looking for all of the above)

Basically, there's a gap to bridge before a tour can be put in place and I'm sure it will be bridged sooner than later. Me, personally? I'm ready, baby. :)

hymh: whose music do you find inspiring nowadays?

nico: I don't really listen to a lot of contemporary music. I go through stage,s but you caught me on a dry spell :) I have been sort of revisiting old old old Springsteen and Dylan and .... I just found myself thinking about this answer too much and made me uncomfortable and the honest truth around this is this - when I like something I obsess on it. I bleed it dry. If I find a song I like, I'll listen to it 87 times in a row, BUT, the minute I feel it's starting to influence my writing, I freak out and I stop listening to that artist. I think there's a part of me that feels infringed upon, or probably just the infamously pleasurable mix of bathing insecurities with my ego (which I'm told is not my amigo).

Either way, I've learned to listen to that part. If I don't, the freaking out goes on and on and on and on and on and on and fucking on :)))

I do like Doherty and some Oberst and Walkmen: proper frontman, proper singer. Dig Mansfield - there are some really amazing hidden gems in that Fences record.

thanks so much, nico!

if somebody pinned me down and asked me my favorite nico stai song, i'd have to say dead pony, which can be found off of the dead pony EP. it's not a happy song by any means - it tackles addiction, after all - but it's got these great synth lines that are cure-esque and a driving, relentless beat that pulls you right into the story. it's all about watching somebody you know go through the harrowing experience of losing themself to drugs. dead pony is a powerful song that's sure to stick with you.

one day you will wake up
and everything that you thought you would be
will be standing there staring right back at you
and i guess i should have said so
but i swear i didn't even know how to feel about it when
it walked right out on you

check out the video of nico performing dead pony on last call with carson daly:



nico stai will be performing this month in LA at the satellite with oh darling on saturday, june 18th. go HERE to learn more about the show and buy tickets.

buy dead pony/miss friday, the album you can find dead pony on, HERE.

wordless music post #35

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) desert stretched before the sun by seafood

video for a saturday - romancer

Oceanics - Romancer from Torgeir H. Riseth on Vimeo.

learn more about oceanics HERE.

flashback friday - into each life some rain must fall

so, as well documented on this blog, i have a serious thing for retro music, and ella fitzgerald is at the top of the list of artists that i listen to on a regular basis.

into each life some rain must fall was recorded in 1944 as a collaboration between ella fitzgerald and the ink spots, a popular vocal group from the 30's and 40's who had a very distinct style to their songs. a tenor would start out, a bass would then speak a portion of the song, and then the tenor would finish up. into each life some rain must fall is no different, although ella joins in after the tenor as a bridge and then sings together with the tenor later on.



almost impossibly depressing and bordering on utter desolation, the song manages to, mostly thanks to ella, have a bit of brightness.

i mean, SERIOUSLY. this woman had the best voice EVER. no other artist living can live up to her vocals. no, really. i mean this.

but i digress. into each life some rain must fall is the perfect sort of song to help transport you back to the days when jazz was king and radios and albums were worshipped. it's a wonderful song, in a wonderful genre - i wish more kids nowadays would give jazz a chance. or listeners, in general, under the age of 60. me? i'm totally into jazz, all sorts, and that's thanks, in a big part, to my grandparents who worshipped the stuff. so listening to it now never fails to make me smile and marvel, once again, that music is good.

check out this masterpiece, which, when first released, was number one on both the pop chart and the harlem hit parade. and for those of you wondering, the title comes from a henry wadsworth longfellow poem entitled the rainy day:

(written at the old home in portland)

THE day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

and now, for the song:

into each life some rain must fall
but too much is falling in mine
into each heart some tears must fall
but some day the sun will shine
some folks can lose the blues in their hearts
but when i think of you another shower starts
into each life some rain must fall
but too much is falling in mine

into each life some rain must fall
but too much is falling in mine
into each heart some tears must fall
but some day the sun will shine
some folks can lose the blues in their hearts
but when i think of you another shower starts
into each life some rain must fall
but too much is falling in mine

into each and every life some rain has got to fall
but too much of that stuff
is fallin' into mine
and into each heart some tears gotta fall
and i know that someday that sun is bound to shine

some folks can lose the blues in their hearts
but when i think of you another shower starts
into each life some rain must fall
but too much is falling in mine


(mp3) into each life some rain must fall by ella fitzgerald and the ink spots



buy the best of the ink spots: 20th century masters - the millennium collection , one of the albums you can find into each life some rain must fall on, HERE.

album review: there will be stars

there will be stars, the debut album from polar pop singer-songwriter elisapie isaac, is, at its core, a very laid back listen. there are no insanely angry songs here, nor are there melodies that jar or distort. built around french cabaret and folk themes, the songs found on there will be stars are inherently lovely and a perfect showcase for isaac's sweet yet, at times, smoky voice. she effortlessly alternates between english, french, and inuktitut throughout the album, but rather than confusing the listener, it only serves to render the songs more charming.

some highlights off of the eleven track album:

* navvaatara - sung in inuktitut, the lead song on the album starts out reminiscent of a classic movie before transitioning into a smooth jazz-tinged ballad. it's the perfect sort of song for a dinner party.

* butterfly - sung in english, this song is rather sad despite its cheery visage. why why why i don’t know why/i just end up crawling when i try/to say the simple words kiss me goodbye/why why why i don’t know why/always end up crawling when i try/to fly to fly

* out of desperation - there's a bit of 50's rock/pop beats after a bluesy intro here that instantly perk up this song sung in both english and inuktitut. it's guitar lines are very catchy. i might just lose my mind//you‘ve seen all of me baby/and i’m not scared of what may be/anuri ikullaumisimalirmat qaituinnalaurit

* wish song - slow and steady and yet reminiscent of the ocean in how it builds, swells, and retreats, this song is gorgeous. some lyrics are spoken, some sung, but all are utterly honest and touching as elisapie sings of the chances she's taken. if i never left at all what would i be now?/if i stayed for good who would i be now?/i wish you well/wish you hope/i wish you love and tenderness/i wish you strength/i wish you dreams and happiness

poor sound quality and editing with this live version of wish song, but you can get an idea of how beautiful the song is:



* moi, elise - i am such a sucker for songs sung in french. moi, elise, one of the few tracks not written by isaac, is the perfect sort of french torch song. a bit sad with its minor chords, while telling a story of a siren (possibly during WWII? don't totally quote me on that one, though), moi, elise is a gentle mix of elisapie's honeyed vocals with a piano.

here's the video, which i love:



* do you hear me - lovely, lovely song and the perfect one to end the album with. elisapie's raw and honest vocals really drive home the plaintive story she tells of appreciation, yearning, and loss. i owe it all to you/for everything you gave/and no one else can ever take your place

it's not concert footage or an official video (or even unofficial). it's simply the song set to an (older) album cover. this is the sort of song, though, that doesn't need flash or images, because the words will do all that for you:



i recently interviewed elisapie - you can read what she had to say about making this album as well as a review of turning my back, off of there will be stars, HERE.

buy there will be stars HERE.

interview: chris steele-nicholson of oh minnows

so, after having been part of the indie-cult band semifinalists, multi-instrumentalist chris steele-nicholson decided to strike out on his own. “Semifinalists was a collective effort, and it was great fun,” he says. “You’d get an idea going then someone would step in and take it in a direction you didn’t expect. It was like being in control and having no control at the same time. Oh Minnows is just me having to confront my views on my own.”

with oh minnows, he's created a series of laid back songs that mix near-ethereal vocals with dreamy synths and mellow beats. while he already released an EP back in 2009, chris is getting ready to release an LP this summer of songs he's been working on since then.

chris recently answered a few questions for me about this latest musical endeavor:



have you met heather: how did oh minnows come about? where did the name come from?

chris steele-nicholson: I like the way minnows have worked things out. I find majesty in examples of a collective working to achieve a common interest. They owe everything to each other and they exist sharing some kind of collective awareness. I think people are much the same and operate most efficiently when they work together in a way that focuses attention on each other. This way everyone wins because you get your needs met and get the satisfaction of giving to others. The idea of individualism feels odd to me. Every society must decide which human instincts or tendencies they would like to exalt and which they would like to downplay and in the U.S. at the moment the concept of what we owe each other is being hotly contested. I think the idea of individualism is a sad one that ultimately isolates people to various degrees. I say all this because I think we owe each other everything.

hymh: you've got a new album coming out this year. what was the process like to create for shadows?

chris: I recorded tracks in a warehouse in Chicago then after a while I went out to San Francisco to work with a friend who is a mixer and engineer. Things wrapped up in North Carolina where we were working on a film.

hymh: if you could sum up your music in five words, what would they be?

chris: Five? Why five? Funny you say five though, cause I was just hearing about this nutritionist who was saying if there were more then five ingredients in whatever you were eating then it wasn't healthy. In response, haagen dazs came out with an ice cream called "haagen dazs 5" meaning they had complied to the new rule of five.

But sum it up in five words? Don't mean to be difficult, but it would be upsetting for me if I could.

hymh: any plans to tour this year?

chris: That would be great, but there are no plans as of yet...

thanks, chris!

have a listen to/download the woozy, synth-heavy you'll never know us, which will be on for shadows:

Oh Minnows - You'll Never Know Us (free download) by Stayloose

for shadows will be released on july 25th by young and lost club - it'll be their first full length LP. go HERE to learn more about the album.

in which bishop allen can make even the worst day seem like a day at disneyland

so, i've had a bit of a rough go of it lately. my flash drive which contained ALL of the books i've written/am working on/have outlined for the future ceased working and even though i sent it to one of the premier data recovery labs in the country (who i ought to point out, is one that NASA goes to when they are in a scramble to recover data) wasn't able to recover anything. so i'm stuck with work last saved on my computer from several months ago (HELLO, over 100 pages plus LOST. *weeps*) and then i was in a car accident, in which some asshat totally failed to pay attention when he pulled away from the curb and proceeded to crash into me and then had the audacity to contest what happened, thereby rendering me (and my kids, and anyone who has kids knows how impossible this'll seem) carless for nearly three weeks.

but this isn't a pity-poor-me post. it's actually more of a sometimes you go through crap but the sun will always come out kind of post.

well, ACTUALLY, it's more of a "hey, bishop allen has this really great song called rain and it's about somebody going through a crap time and figuring things can only get better from here on out."



the band, who hail from brooklyn, is centered around justin rice and christian rudder, although a number of musical collaborators, such as singer darbie nowatka, come and go. known for recording and producing an EP a month for an entire year, the band has a quirky sound that often falls more into the catchy category rather than the artistic one. that's not to say they aren't a quality band, for they are - but a number of their songs are so infectious that a listener can become lulled into crush mode without having to delve into the deep end to examine lyrics.

one of the best examples of this has to be their song rain. here are several reasons why this song rocks:
* hand claps (which instantly make all songs better. no, really)
* peppy beats despite discussions of depressing subjects
* boy/girl choral choruses (which are always fun when done right)
* toy piano! (which i'm a sucker for. always makes any song instantly more charming)

in short, it's beyond likable. it's like an instant mood-lifter. crappy day? no problem. play this song, let bishop allen talk about how lame things are for them, and revel in how it comes across so damn happy. and then feel better that your day isn't as bad as theirs.

one has to wonder if these guys listened to a lot of smiths growing up. because, let's face it. morrissey set the bar for playing cheery sounding slit-your-wrist songs.

bed clothes, why am i in bed clothes?
watching out the window
watching what i don't know
on the fire escape now
hands they start to shake now
ready for the rail to break now
and i'm awake at last awake

cursing, rattling and cursing
go ahead and do your worst then
your worst that i can take

oh let the rain fall down
and wash this world away
oh let the sky be grey
'cause if it's ever gonna get any better
it's gotta get worse for a day

morning, where am i this morning?
now it's really pouring,
crawling up this shore
and i walk the neighborhood
and umbrella does no good
and i guess its in my blood
couldn't stop the flood

drowning, everything is drowning
go ahead and take the town
the town is yours to take

oh let the rain fall down
and wash this world away
oh let the sky be grey
'cause if it's ever gonna get any better
it's gotta get worse for a day

calling, calling, falling, falling
grab on my guitar
and paddle with both my arms
headed where the voices are
i'll end up far so far away

oh let the rain fall down
and wash this world away
or let the sky be grey
'cause if it's ever gonna get any better
it's gotta get worse for a day

it's gotta get worse for a day
it's gotta get worse for a day
it's gotta get worse for a day
i know
it's gotta get worse for a day

(mp3) rain by bishop allen

a slightly toned down acoustic version during a walk through vienna in, YES, you guessed it, the rain! now, that's dedication, peeps:



buy the broken string, the album rain is off of, HERE.

in which three versions of a song are collected

so, a question for you readers - do you ever find yourself collecting songs? by this i mean versions or covers of a song. it could be by the same artist - acoustic vs. studio version. or live as well as album or off of some bootleg session or even some version you found off of youtube or vimeo or the like. or it could even be a song you like so much that, while brilliant by it's originator(s), you find yourself liking other versions by other people. maybe not as much (okay, surely not as much because that would be just wrong), but enough that when it comes on you find yourself glad it's there.

sadly, friends, i have this problem.

which is a bit contradictory because normally i like music by artists who write, record, and perform their own work. i sort of (irrationally?) feel like if you have to rely on other people's works in order to be a successful musician, then maybe you're really nothing more than a glorified wedding singer (or american idol contestant, but don't get me started on that show which, i ought to admit, i have never watched a single episode of). but on the other hand, if an artist NORMALLY does their own thing and occasionally covers someone else, well, then, i'm down with that, because that can be fun.

which leads me back to my original point of collecting songs.

i don't know why i do it, but sometimes, if there's a song i like enough, i'll occasionally search for other versions of it. like, did someone do it sweet/angry? slow as opposed to fast? girl vs. boy? cheery vs. sad? it's almost like a treasure hunt, finding these versions. or like a box of sees candies i have not personally selected. being allergic to coconut, eating chocolates is like a game of russian roulette for me. sometimes if i bite into a piece, i'll break out in hives thanks to the coconut. or sometimes, i'll come across the bland questionable middle that may be noughot or some other undefinable filling. and sometimes, i'll hit the jackpot and bite into some kind of to-die-for chocolate concoction.

covers are almost exactly like that.

i mention this because, as of today, i have three versions of broken social scene's anthems for a seventeen year old girl running around my various itunes playlists. there's, of course, the original - which is pretty brilliant. it's also one of the worst offenders in my music collection for becoming an earworm (good thing i love it so much!). but i also have a pair of others which, while not as good as the original, are pretty worthy of a listen in their own regard. i've mentioned one before in a post i did about young buffalo, but found today's version to be just interesting enough that i want to share it, as well.

i'm going to be honest here. i don't know much about margo may, a portland-based singer-songwriter. i read a post on another blog that said she's from (*shudder*) american idol, but as i don't watch the show, i can't verify this fact. but i can tell you that she's got a sweet voice and an easy-going way about her music.



i can also tell you that, while broken social scene makes their version sound catty and sly and all those things that a seventeen year old girl can be (and i can say this having once been, sigh, one of those girls), margo may's version is much more innocent sounding. which is a bit endearing, considering the lyrics.

have a listen - you can download the song off the soundcloud below:

used to be the one of the rotten ones
and i liked you for that
now you're all gone, got your make-up on
and you're not coming back

bleachin' your teeth, smiling flash
talking trash, under your breath
bleachin' your teeth, smiling flash
talking trash, under my window

park that car, drop that phone,
sleep on the floor, dream about me

used to be the one of the rotten ones
and i liked you for that
now you're all gone, got your make-up on
and you're not coming back

anthems for a 17yearoldgirl-cover by margomay

for comparison's sake, the original by broken social scene:



and the young buffalo version (for the...catty seventeen year old boy point of view, perhaps?):

Young Buffalo - Anthems For A 17 Year-Old Girl (BSS Cover) by TLOBF

go HERE to learn more about margo may. then head over to her soundcloud page to hear more of her stuff.

wordless music post #37

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) when anger shows by the editors

video for a saturday - living in colour

so, before you say anything, YES, i am posting another frightened rabbit song. why? you're asking. because i am a total junkie for this band.

weeks gone by, i was weak
i was paler than a pine box that holds bones
she poked the iris, then pierced a hole
and watched the colour rush forth

love is grand, peeps!



buy the winter of mixed drinks, the album living in colour is off of, HERE.

flashback friday - honestly

so, the husband and i had a bit of a philosophical debate last night after i informed him i was to be blogging cary brothers' 2004 gem honestly. "a flashback is at least ten years," he claimed. "anything younger than that is simply a few years old."

he very well may be right, but i really wanted to talk about this song today. so, despite the fact that it's practically a baby at seven years old, here it is.

an LA based singer-songwriter who initially hails from tennessee, cary brothers found his foothold in the hotel cafe scene. you've probably heard his work before - he's been featured in buckets of television shows as well as some movies, plus he's toured with some influential acts such as liz phair, ben lee, and the fray. he's put out four EPs and 2 LPs and has also guest appeared on scrubs (which, as many of you know, often featured great music).



my favorite song of his has to be honestly. it's incredibly depressing, if you think about it. like so many other songs that pull at your heartstrings, honestly is about a broken heart and a failed relationship. for anyone who has ever suffered through this sort of loss (and let's face it, who hasn't?), you probably can relate to brothers as he mournfully sings, "i wished your love away."

and the piano line in it? *dies* so lovely. so sad.

think i'm going home
think i'm gettin' lost for awhile
tired of gettin' stoned
and thinking about you in the night

so i'll file away all my dreams
though i still believe in everything

i wished your love away
i wished your love away

honestly over you
honestly over you
one lie short of true
honestly over you

lookin' for some hope
polished off the whiskey tonight
you turned a man to stone
for lookin' at you straight in the eyes

so i'll drive away with all my things
though i've a faint belief in everything

i wished your love away
i wished your love away

honestly over you
honestly over you
and i'll tell the world
honestly over you

i wished your love away


(mp3) honestly by cary brothers

Honestly (directed by Kevin McVey) from Cary Brothers on Vimeo.

honestly can be found on both the all the rage EP and the who you are LP. buy who you are, HERE.

in which correatown reminds me of sixteen candles

so, the first thing i thought when i heard further, an absolutely delightful song by correatown, was "OMG THIS IS SO SIXTEEN CANDLES."

you know. the gen-x classic from john hughes?

there's a musical line in the song that hovers at the edge of my nostalgia threshold and brings to mind the cake scene at the end of the movie. that's not to say that further is a straight-up rip-off, but rather elements of it are homages (intended or not) to awesome 80's style melodies.



correatown is the musical creation of angela correa along with mike corwin, jenni tarma and rob poynter. based out of the eastside of LA, the group brings to their music lo-fi sounds with choral, sweet vocals and melodies and choruses that threaten to become earworms. their music has been featured on several television series already (how i met your mother and grey's anatomy are a couple) and angela's voice has even served as jenna fischer's in walk hard: the dewey cox story.

in short, correatown is making highly likable music.

have a listen to further - i dare you to not be charmed.

if i can't let this go
i'm telling you,
i won't make it another year
if i go all the way
i'm telling you,
i can see all these things come in clear

'cause we have
so much love
but we need so much more
we have so much love
but we need so much more

if we go on like this
i'm telling you
we won't make it another year
but if we go all the way
i'm telling you
we'll finally see all these roads come in clear

'cause we have
so much love
but we need so much more
we have so much love
but we need so much more

we have a fascination with the darkness
although we're standing in light
we have the strongest sense of kindness
but still we can't treat ourselves right

we have so much love
but we need so much more
we have so much love
but we need so much more

we go further
we go further
we go further

we have so much love
but we need so much more
we have so much love
but we need so much more

we have a fascination with the darkness
although we're standing in light
we have the strongest sense of kindness
but still we can't treat ourselves right

we have so much love
but we need so much more

we go further

(mp3) further by correatown

stream the entire EP here:

Etch The Line 10" Vinyl EP by Correatown

correatown is raising funds for their upcoming album pleiades. check out the following video, which is set to further:



buy etch the line, the EP further is off of, HERE. interested in their kickstarter project? - go HERE to learn more about how you can help!