I was listening to my iPod on shuffle today when a song came on which I had never heard before. This is odd, because I pride myself on knowing every song on my iPod. Upon inspection, I found the song Nine Sixteen by singer/songwriter Bruno Merz.
The song (and the rest of the album, it would seem) is chock-full of crisp, snappy acoustic guitar and clear piano, which link perfectly with Bruno's not-too-husky, not-too-clear voice. The sound is fairly similar to that of Iron & Wine, and goes great with a late night reading session or sitting inside on a rainy day. The melancholy description of a man travelling to and from his life's places is something we can all relate to...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Best Lap Dance Songs
I refuse to give lap dances to mainstream hip hop. Just not creative. So I compiled a list of the best non-mainstream hip hop songs lap dance songs. Ladies get your strip on, Men get your boners ready:
1. Down in Mexico - The Coasters
2. Oceans and Streams- The Black Keys
3. Reckoner - Radiohead
4. Too Drunk to Fuck (Dead Kennedys) - Nouvelle Vague
5. I Just wanna make love to you - Muddy Waters
For these songs it's all about the rhythm, nevermind the lyrical meaning! Shake some booty ladies/awkward boys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3V3Zpz9_0Y
1. Down in Mexico - The Coasters
2. Oceans and Streams- The Black Keys
3. Reckoner - Radiohead
4. Too Drunk to Fuck (Dead Kennedys) - Nouvelle Vague
5. I Just wanna make love to you - Muddy Waters
For these songs it's all about the rhythm, nevermind the lyrical meaning! Shake some booty ladies/awkward boys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3V3Zpz9_0Y
Monday, June 29, 2009
This Week With DwyTown: Mellow Edition
For my playlist this week, I decided to focus on songs that are slower and more relaxing. While still sharing the same love for synthesizers and basslines, the songs I have chosen are great for those few moments where the only thing in the immediate environment is the music and you. These songs won't hit hard like the ones I have previously endorsed, but they are definitely worthy of a listen.
1. Crystal Castles- Good Time
2. Flying Lotus- Sleepy Dinosaur
3. Justice- Valentine
4. Bloc Party- Biko
5. Royksopp- Poor Leno
Honorable Mention to Radiohead's album, Kid A.
1. At times of stress, this is the song I choose to listen to. Crystal Castles as a group sound exactly like something straight out of a Game Boy Color game. Playing this song reminds me of Pallet Town, a place so peaceful and serene before you begin your journey to become a Pokemon master.
2. Flying Lotus is a hip-hop DJ that produces tracks that wouldn't exactly work for mainstream rappers such as Kanye or Lil' Wayne. This instrumental is quite chaotic but set against a slow bass beat that allows everything to go down smooth. Imagine the music played in the bumps between shows shown on Adult Swim. Or better yet, actually listen to it as FlyLo makes those instrumentals!
3. Justice. Enough Said.
4. "Biko" is one of the slower songs by Bloc Party. Normally the group puts out a song that is extremely dance-friendly (See Banquet, Helicopter, pretty much everything else in their catalogue) but here they showcase Kele Okerere's talents as a singer. Please be advised if you are new to the group though, the rest of their catalogue is definitely worth a listen (in fact, multiple) but it isn't similar to this at all.
5. "Poor Leno, Where you'll be, I'll go. Where you'll be, I'll know. Where you'll be, I'll find you." Lyrically, the song makes us want to do something to help poor Leno escape but the repeated vocal track against the almost silent club beat makes sitting back and listening to this song a more desirable option.
1. Crystal Castles- Good Time
2. Flying Lotus- Sleepy Dinosaur
3. Justice- Valentine
4. Bloc Party- Biko
5. Royksopp- Poor Leno
Honorable Mention to Radiohead's album, Kid A.
1. At times of stress, this is the song I choose to listen to. Crystal Castles as a group sound exactly like something straight out of a Game Boy Color game. Playing this song reminds me of Pallet Town, a place so peaceful and serene before you begin your journey to become a Pokemon master.
2. Flying Lotus is a hip-hop DJ that produces tracks that wouldn't exactly work for mainstream rappers such as Kanye or Lil' Wayne. This instrumental is quite chaotic but set against a slow bass beat that allows everything to go down smooth. Imagine the music played in the bumps between shows shown on Adult Swim. Or better yet, actually listen to it as FlyLo makes those instrumentals!
3. Justice. Enough Said.
4. "Biko" is one of the slower songs by Bloc Party. Normally the group puts out a song that is extremely dance-friendly (See Banquet, Helicopter, pretty much everything else in their catalogue) but here they showcase Kele Okerere's talents as a singer. Please be advised if you are new to the group though, the rest of their catalogue is definitely worth a listen (in fact, multiple) but it isn't similar to this at all.
5. "Poor Leno, Where you'll be, I'll go. Where you'll be, I'll know. Where you'll be, I'll find you." Lyrically, the song makes us want to do something to help poor Leno escape but the repeated vocal track against the almost silent club beat makes sitting back and listening to this song a more desirable option.
Sunset Rubdown has a new album and it kicks ass.
If you aren't familar with Sunset Rubdown, prepare to be educated. Sunset Rubdown is an indie rock band from Canada with ties to numerous other bands, such as Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs, and Swan Lake to name a few. They are famous for Spencer Krug's warbling, indescribable voice and their surreal, sometimes bleak sound. Their two previous albums, Shut Up I Am Dreaming and Random Spirit Lover, are both indie essentials, and the albums which got me into indie rock. Their new album, Dragonslayer, is slightly, and pleasingly, different.
If we're comparing albums here, Dragonslayer is more like Random Spirit Lover than it is Shut Up I Am Dreaming. I'm not quite sure how to describe the similarities, they just are. Just listening to it, is like a surreal journey through Silver Moons, Idiot Hearts, Buffalo, Black Swans, Paper Lace, Trumpets, Nightingales, and finally into the Dragon's Lair.
Yes, those are the names of the songs (sort of, Buffalo is actually "Apollo and Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!"). The album is fairly mellow, but it does have its high, fast points (particularly in Idiot Heart and Anna Anna Anna Oh!). Contrary to what was heard on Random Spirit Lover, the songs don't change mood every other song or so. There's a fairly consistent feeling of dancing, smiling people, and yet there's still a cold and bleak air about it all. Imagine a rave in a field of permafrost; that might be something along what it sounds like. Considering the Canadian origins of the band, that might actually have been their inspiration.
This is also a great album to drive to, particularly at night. If you have a particularly active imagination, you might see dragons dressed in argyle sweaters flying out of the sky, or perhaps buffalo crossing the road in front of you. I know I did. Or that might've been the acid.
(just kidding)
The bottom line is, it's a great album. It might be a little rough for someone who is trying to get into Indie Rock, but if you like Wolf Parade or Handsome Furs, this would be an excellent next step. Or, you know, just a great album to pick up and proudly display on your mantlepiece to gain indie cred.
www.extravaganza.cl/?p=18
If we're comparing albums here, Dragonslayer is more like Random Spirit Lover than it is Shut Up I Am Dreaming. I'm not quite sure how to describe the similarities, they just are. Just listening to it, is like a surreal journey through Silver Moons, Idiot Hearts, Buffalo, Black Swans, Paper Lace, Trumpets, Nightingales, and finally into the Dragon's Lair.
Yes, those are the names of the songs (sort of, Buffalo is actually "Apollo and Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!"). The album is fairly mellow, but it does have its high, fast points (particularly in Idiot Heart and Anna Anna Anna Oh!). Contrary to what was heard on Random Spirit Lover, the songs don't change mood every other song or so. There's a fairly consistent feeling of dancing, smiling people, and yet there's still a cold and bleak air about it all. Imagine a rave in a field of permafrost; that might be something along what it sounds like. Considering the Canadian origins of the band, that might actually have been their inspiration.
This is also a great album to drive to, particularly at night. If you have a particularly active imagination, you might see dragons dressed in argyle sweaters flying out of the sky, or perhaps buffalo crossing the road in front of you. I know I did. Or that might've been the acid.
(just kidding)
The bottom line is, it's a great album. It might be a little rough for someone who is trying to get into Indie Rock, but if you like Wolf Parade or Handsome Furs, this would be an excellent next step. Or, you know, just a great album to pick up and proudly display on your mantlepiece to gain indie cred.
www.extravaganza.cl/?p=18
Saturday, June 27, 2009
5 "Opening a can of whoop ass" songs
FIRST POST:
I am "crazy biceps." I was given birth to by a half puerto-rican half wolf creature I like to refer to as "mom." And yes, ladies, I was born with a full grown beard. I appreciate a lot of genres of music and I prefer more specific genres such as "gothic rock" or "post punk" instead of the general "metal" or "country." I don't want to sound egotistical/cliche, but I fucking listen to a shit ton of genres. My favorite genre is electronic music, more specifically french electro...but I enjoy a lot of trip hop, math rock, noise-core, synth-pop, post punk, post rock, classic country, etc. etc. I am contributing because I download music like a fentanyl addict and sharing is motherfucking caring.
Kicking some ass? Think you need some jams to soundtrack your brutal ass-whoopin'?
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I bequeath:
Five songs you may or may not want to hear whilst kicking ass:
1. Motor- SebastiAn
2. Painkiller- Judas Priest
3. Bamboo Banga- M.I.A.
4. The Horror- RJD2
5. Shitstorm- Strapping Young Lad
1. I am a huge fan of french electro. Good for throwing upper cuts...trust me. I know from experience. Lots of experience. *shifty eyes*
2. What ass kicking playlist is not complete without a classic heavy metal piece? Nigga please.
3. Okay. So. M.I.A. may have totally fucking sold out with all that "Paper Planes" bullfuckingshit, but this song is a klassic that should be ALWAYS accompany an ass-kicking.
4. Some instrumental hip hop. It has a very manly feel to it.
5. I would genre-rize this as Thrash Metal. Good for a THRASHING. GET IT? GET IT?! You don't get it. Fuckballs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etgMh-KCIFQ
I am "crazy biceps." I was given birth to by a half puerto-rican half wolf creature I like to refer to as "mom." And yes, ladies, I was born with a full grown beard. I appreciate a lot of genres of music and I prefer more specific genres such as "gothic rock" or "post punk" instead of the general "metal" or "country." I don't want to sound egotistical/cliche, but I fucking listen to a shit ton of genres. My favorite genre is electronic music, more specifically french electro...but I enjoy a lot of trip hop, math rock, noise-core, synth-pop, post punk, post rock, classic country, etc. etc. I am contributing because I download music like a fentanyl addict and sharing is motherfucking caring.
Kicking some ass? Think you need some jams to soundtrack your brutal ass-whoopin'?
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I bequeath:
Five songs you may or may not want to hear whilst kicking ass:
1. Motor- SebastiAn
2. Painkiller- Judas Priest
3. Bamboo Banga- M.I.A.
4. The Horror- RJD2
5. Shitstorm- Strapping Young Lad
1. I am a huge fan of french electro. Good for throwing upper cuts...trust me. I know from experience. Lots of experience. *shifty eyes*
2. What ass kicking playlist is not complete without a classic heavy metal piece? Nigga please.
3. Okay. So. M.I.A. may have totally fucking sold out with all that "Paper Planes" bullfuckingshit, but this song is a klassic that should be ALWAYS accompany an ass-kicking.
4. Some instrumental hip hop. It has a very manly feel to it.
5. I would genre-rize this as Thrash Metal. Good for a THRASHING. GET IT? GET IT?! You don't get it. Fuckballs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etgMh-KCIFQ
Friday, June 26, 2009
Top 5 MGMT Remixes
Hands down, one of the best new artists of 2008, is the New York duo known as MGMT. Combining psychadelic pop, a dash of indie, and the heavy use of synthesizers, the group has created an innovative new sound that is both easy to listen to and great to dance to. What is most engaging about the band is their ability to appeal to both uptight music junkies and the pop charts. Even the average musical idiot can recognize the song "Kids" from it's catchy intro all the way to its "can't-get-it-out-of-my-head" chorus. And like most of today's great artists, their work has led to many remixes that attempt to recapture the same magic. Here are My Daily Amusement's Top 5 MGMT Remixes:
5. Of Moons, Birds and Monsters (Holy Ghost! Remix)
4. Kids (Pet Shop Boys Remix)
3. Time To Pretend (Diplo Remix)
2. Kids (Soulwax Remix)
1. Electric Feel (Justice Remix)
5. I don't really know too much about Holy Ghost! but this remix puts a new spin on a lesser known track by the group. This is more of a mellow remix, still dance-able like most MGMT songs but it's quiet- not meant for parties or social gatherings. The handclaps in the background are almost hypnotic, almost commanding you to join in with them. Great new take on one of the better tracks on the record.
4. Imagine if "Kids" was recorded in 1986. This simpler, synthesized version would be a staple on the 80s club scene, worthy of mention next to tracks like "Safety Dance" and "Relax." At least now you don't need to get one of those awesomely bad 80s hairdos to enjoy it!
3. Diplo has put some amazing shit in the last two weeks. (Yes, I still can't get enough of Major Lazer) This remix takes a simpler approach to Oracular Spectular's opening opus, abandoning most of the lyrics and focusing on new ways to mix the opening synthesizer against new drum and bass beats. It's simple yet still engaging.
2. Soulwax are an amazing band. Less known on the alternative dance scene, I highly recommend their album Any Minute Now as well as the majority of their remix catalogue. The Soulwax spin makes it more of track for raves and clubs as it is heavier on the bass and synths. Steve Aoki (not again!) as well as many other DJs have featured this track on their setlist further recognizing it as a track made for the dancefloor.
1. Finally, at number one we have the highly-acclaimed, widely-recognized french house duo dropping another amazing track to their already stellar resume. Winner of this year's Best Remixed Recording Grammy, Electric Feel remixed by Justice is even better than the original song! The structure isn't played with too much here, but the new mix is both more powerful and less chaotic at the same time. One of few Grammy's well deserved and highly worthy of its spot in my list of the top 100 songs of all time, this is a must-hear.
www.highergroundmusic.com/ calendar/show/2859/
Check out my contact info on the sidebar, it has been changed!
5. Of Moons, Birds and Monsters (Holy Ghost! Remix)
4. Kids (Pet Shop Boys Remix)
3. Time To Pretend (Diplo Remix)
2. Kids (Soulwax Remix)
1. Electric Feel (Justice Remix)
5. I don't really know too much about Holy Ghost! but this remix puts a new spin on a lesser known track by the group. This is more of a mellow remix, still dance-able like most MGMT songs but it's quiet- not meant for parties or social gatherings. The handclaps in the background are almost hypnotic, almost commanding you to join in with them. Great new take on one of the better tracks on the record.
4. Imagine if "Kids" was recorded in 1986. This simpler, synthesized version would be a staple on the 80s club scene, worthy of mention next to tracks like "Safety Dance" and "Relax." At least now you don't need to get one of those awesomely bad 80s hairdos to enjoy it!
3. Diplo has put some amazing shit in the last two weeks. (Yes, I still can't get enough of Major Lazer) This remix takes a simpler approach to Oracular Spectular's opening opus, abandoning most of the lyrics and focusing on new ways to mix the opening synthesizer against new drum and bass beats. It's simple yet still engaging.
2. Soulwax are an amazing band. Less known on the alternative dance scene, I highly recommend their album Any Minute Now as well as the majority of their remix catalogue. The Soulwax spin makes it more of track for raves and clubs as it is heavier on the bass and synths. Steve Aoki (not again!) as well as many other DJs have featured this track on their setlist further recognizing it as a track made for the dancefloor.
1. Finally, at number one we have the highly-acclaimed, widely-recognized french house duo dropping another amazing track to their already stellar resume. Winner of this year's Best Remixed Recording Grammy, Electric Feel remixed by Justice is even better than the original song! The structure isn't played with too much here, but the new mix is both more powerful and less chaotic at the same time. One of few Grammy's well deserved and highly worthy of its spot in my list of the top 100 songs of all time, this is a must-hear.
www.highergroundmusic.com/ calendar/show/2859/
Check out my contact info on the sidebar, it has been changed!
5 Antifolk Artists of the Week by Conical Valves
I decided to have my inaugural playlist be of antifolk in honor of Regina Spektor's new album, Far, which was released on Tuesday.
1) Foundations - Kate Nash
2) Nothing Came Out - The Moldy Peaches
3) Novotel - Adam Green
4) Holland, 1945 - Neutral Milk Hotel
5) That Time - Regina Spektor
1 - If you do not like Lily Allen, you will not like Kate Nash. The two singers are similar in many ways, but as far as I know, Kate Nash is not as well-known. Foundations is an excellently realistic portrayal of a dying relationship, sung in an incredibly upbeat fashion. Nash's cheerful vocals are set to bright piano chords, which causes the song to be
so catchy that you almost miss the bittersweet lyrics. All in all, a fun catchy song.
2 - The Moldy Peaches have many completely ridiculous songs. They're a duo made up of Kimya Dawson (whose solo stuff is also excellent antifolk) and Adam Green (featured later on this playlist.) This song has a bittersweet tone and lyrics that manage to be simultaneously depressing and amusing (not in a schadenfreude kind of way.) It's a nice mellow listen, perfect for the person in the midst of unrequited love.
3 - One of the main reasons I love this song is Adam Green's voice. The song itself is quite short and insane. It's a song from the point of view of someone with severe paranoia, although no way of knowing if this is justified or not. Basically, this song is just fun.
4 - This song strikes me as somewhat Decemberists-esque, but I make weird associations sometimes so no promises there. Neutral Milk Hotel is a great, underrated band. This song in particular is about Anne Frank, World War II, and wars in general. It's a powerful song, with some cool accompanying brass.
5 - I couldn't have an antifolk post without including Regina
Spektor, especially so soon after
the new CD release. This song is not from the recent album, as I plan to post a full album review at a later date. It's a delightfully nostalgic song, each line begins "hey, remember that time..." and you feel as if you are journeying through this relationship with her. It also shows off her ridiculous vocal abilities and personally I love the guitars in the background. Most of her songs are accompanied by her piano playing, whereas this one is accompanied by distorted guitar which provides an excellent contrast to her voice.
On an unrelated note, R.I.P. Michael Jackson. He was one of the most influential rock/pop musicians of all time; there would be no MTV without him. While he may have had his issues while alive, hopefully, we can all respect his musical prowess enough to be respectful of him in his death.
Picture from http://www.reginaspektor.org/Photos
Thursday, June 25, 2009
In Honor of the True MJ, May He Rest in Peace
Moonwalk on, all the way to heaven.
1) Thriller
2) Smooth Criminal
3) Billy Jean
4) Beat It
5) Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
And of course some Jackson 5 till his dad fucked him all up.
1) ABC
2) I Want You Back
3) I'll Be There
This is far from comprehensive, but this had to be done. May you rock on, King of Pop, you opened so many doors for so many musicians, fuck anyone who doesn't like you, you are amazing, and will stay alive for ever in music lover's hearts forever.
http://www.solarnavigator.net/music/michael_jackson.htm
Full Electronic Playlist
You Don't Have A Clue - Royksopp
Nice Weather For Ducks - Lemon Jelly
Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
Nancy And The Girdle Boy - K.C. Accidental
Singin' in the Rain (Remix) - Mint Royale
Heartbeat - Tahiti 80
Cosy in the Rocket - PSAPP
Praise You - Fatboy Slim
Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns
Send Me Shivers - Mouse On Mars
Time To Pretend - MGMT
Destroy Everything You Touch - Lady Tron
Bruises - Chairlift
Lazy Lover - Brazilian Girls
Ooh La La - Goldfrapp
Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn - Hellogoodbye
Here's a full electronic playlist with a good mix of mainstream and underground, with hardcore and relaxing, romantic and wtf?
New Feature! Amazon is now an advertiser on our blog, so we now have their fancy mp3 players on our site! so feel free to play these songs on the right side column of the page. Enjoy this weird ass shit.
Nice Weather For Ducks - Lemon Jelly
Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
Nancy And The Girdle Boy - K.C. Accidental
Singin' in the Rain (Remix) - Mint Royale
Heartbeat - Tahiti 80
Cosy in the Rocket - PSAPP
Praise You - Fatboy Slim
Le Disko - Shiny Toy Guns
Send Me Shivers - Mouse On Mars
Time To Pretend - MGMT
Destroy Everything You Touch - Lady Tron
Bruises - Chairlift
Lazy Lover - Brazilian Girls
Ooh La La - Goldfrapp
Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn - Hellogoodbye
Here's a full electronic playlist with a good mix of mainstream and underground, with hardcore and relaxing, romantic and wtf?
New Feature! Amazon is now an advertiser on our blog, so we now have their fancy mp3 players on our site! so feel free to play these songs on the right side column of the page. Enjoy this weird ass shit.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Owl City - Of June
Browsing around on iTunes found me this album, by a band called Owl City. The name itself was what caught my attention. Owl City? What? Really? I had to click.
I was happy I did click.
It's like Daft Punk, Passion Pit, and Röyksopp had a love child that was an Owl. And it started its own city, (i.e. band) and it made some pretty rad music.
In reality, Owl City is a man named Adam Young, and "Of June" is his debut album. He is fairly independent - but has a very well-designed website (http://www.owlcitymusic.com) and from the sounds of his albums and singles, a promising start to a career.
The music itself is ethereal - nearly every song has an element of travel; by boat, air, or road. Adam seems to be a restless individual, constantly moving along and finding new places. The opening of the album's fourth song "Panda Bear" goes, "I'm moving to Tokyo, cause I'm tired of San Francisco." The songs previous to this one mention Los Angeles, Miami, and other tropical places. Oh, did I mention that? There is an INCREDIBLE air of summer about this album. The airy synths, however cheesy they would be alone, become magical when combined with Adam's lightly vocoder-tuned voice. Each song has its own little gems to be discovered, any description I could offer wouldn't be sufficient, mostly because I haven't listened to the album enough times to appropriately describe them. All I can say is - listen, and enjoy.
I was happy I did click.
It's like Daft Punk, Passion Pit, and Röyksopp had a love child that was an Owl. And it started its own city, (i.e. band) and it made some pretty rad music.
In reality, Owl City is a man named Adam Young, and "Of June" is his debut album. He is fairly independent - but has a very well-designed website (http://www.owlcitymusic.com) and from the sounds of his albums and singles, a promising start to a career.
The music itself is ethereal - nearly every song has an element of travel; by boat, air, or road. Adam seems to be a restless individual, constantly moving along and finding new places. The opening of the album's fourth song "Panda Bear" goes, "I'm moving to Tokyo, cause I'm tired of San Francisco." The songs previous to this one mention Los Angeles, Miami, and other tropical places. Oh, did I mention that? There is an INCREDIBLE air of summer about this album. The airy synths, however cheesy they would be alone, become magical when combined with Adam's lightly vocoder-tuned voice. Each song has its own little gems to be discovered, any description I could offer wouldn't be sufficient, mostly because I haven't listened to the album enough times to appropriately describe them. All I can say is - listen, and enjoy.
Comments Are Up!
Comments Are Up and Working! Hercules Rockefeller noticed that they weren't accessible, but now, anyone on the interblag (XKCD reference) can comment and give us feedback! So please rant, rave, criticize, praise, glorify and extol our many qualities, it helps us out trememdously!
5 Indie Artists of the Week and 1 Classical Artist (Posted by Rachymaninav)
1. Compliance - The Most Serene Republic
2. KingFish Pie - Midlake
3. Song for Aberdeen - Mando Diao
4. Death to Los Campesinos! - Los Campesinos
5. TBTF- Kevin Drew
--------------------
1. Chopin Ballade in g minor #1 op. 23
Artist recommended: Arthur Rubenstein
--------------------
1. Compliance is my favorite song from this album. Worth a listen to. Best Indie Band around, in my opinion.
2. Kingfish Pies, by Midlake, is one of the best songs in their album, (Bamnan and Slivercork), and the album as a whole is a wonderful experience. Listen to it while walking in the woods.
3. Song for Aberdeen by Mando Diao. Sounds like British indie rock, with much more flavor.
4. Death to Los Campesinos, great song, fun British indie pop. great listen.
5. TBTF, Kevin Drew from Broken Social Scene finally breaks out and makes his own album. This song, which I can't pronounce the title, is very mellow and is great for an afternoon listen.
-------------
1. Ballade in g minor op.23, I know it's hard to listen to Classical, but there is beautiful music out there and this is one of those pieces, just sit down, relax, and listen.
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Note: To say the least I feel these are some necessary bands you should listen to. Their styles are unique and their sounds are interesting and fun. I will put one classical piece up if I am not writing a post for a Classical Artist review. Enjoy!
http://dustbowl.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/ac029.jpg
Flyers!
Printed out 1000 Flyers and business cards today! I'm gonna go all around town and post them at every school building, library, bus stop and coffee shop, record shop, etc. I can think of.
It would really help us if you could go to your local coffee shop, bus stop and university, library and wherever else you can think of and post them.
Here's the link to download them.
http://www.fileden.com/getfile.php?file_path=http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/6/22/2485261/My%20Daily%20Amusement%20flyer.doc
Any Parties or social events are great places to pass them out, and as always, use facebook as much as you can.
It would really help us if you could go to your local coffee shop, bus stop and university, library and wherever else you can think of and post them.
Here's the link to download them.
http://www.fileden.com/getfile.php?file_path=http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/6/22/2485261/My%20Daily%20Amusement%20flyer.doc
Any Parties or social events are great places to pass them out, and as always, use facebook as much as you can.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
We used to dream... (Hercules Rockefeller)
Hello. My name is Hercules. I like the music that I like.
1. Japandroids-Young Hearts Spark Fire
2. Toro y Moi-Blessa
3. Girls-Hellhole Ratrace
(source)
4. Kurt Vile-Beach on the Moon (Recycled Lyrics)
5. Woods-Military Madness
The whole Wavves meltdown at Primavera seems to be an albatross for the new noise scene, but Nathan Williams' pissy rant shouldn't be the focus of what is quickly becoming a vital and exciting new scene. These new bands, along with a wealth of others (The Smell bands in L.A., The rest of the San Diego Scene with Wavves, Little Girls, Not Not Fun, The Intelligence, etc.), are finally producing noise music with pop sensibilities. Conceptually and aesthetically, the two genres are opposite, yet when you hear a song like "Young Hearts Spark Fire," you can hear how the two genres work so well together. It's got everything a great noise song has (distorted guitar, fuzzy vocals, pounding drums, simple and fun lyrics), but you still find yourself humming it and joyously yelling along to the lyrics. Yeah, these songs are still under-produced and raw as hell, but they're also infectiously catchy. Brian Wilson would clearly be proud to see the genre he helped create influencing its aural opposite.
Although in a way this cohesion makes sense; perhaps the most noise thing to do is to start making pop songs before the genre gets played out.
1. Japandroids-Young Hearts Spark Fire
2. Toro y Moi-Blessa
3. Girls-Hellhole Ratrace
(source)
4. Kurt Vile-Beach on the Moon (Recycled Lyrics)
5. Woods-Military Madness
The whole Wavves meltdown at Primavera seems to be an albatross for the new noise scene, but Nathan Williams' pissy rant shouldn't be the focus of what is quickly becoming a vital and exciting new scene. These new bands, along with a wealth of others (The Smell bands in L.A., The rest of the San Diego Scene with Wavves, Little Girls, Not Not Fun, The Intelligence, etc.), are finally producing noise music with pop sensibilities. Conceptually and aesthetically, the two genres are opposite, yet when you hear a song like "Young Hearts Spark Fire," you can hear how the two genres work so well together. It's got everything a great noise song has (distorted guitar, fuzzy vocals, pounding drums, simple and fun lyrics), but you still find yourself humming it and joyously yelling along to the lyrics. Yeah, these songs are still under-produced and raw as hell, but they're also infectiously catchy. Brian Wilson would clearly be proud to see the genre he helped create influencing its aural opposite.
Although in a way this cohesion makes sense; perhaps the most noise thing to do is to start making pop songs before the genre gets played out.
5 Classic Rock artists of the Week (6/23/09-6/29/09) (InfektedIncubus)
5 Classic Rock Artists of the Week:
1) Peace of Mind - Boston
2) Fight the Good Fight - Triumph
3) Gypsy Road - Cinderella
4) I Want You to Want Me - Cheap Trick
5) Once Bitten Twice Shy - Great White
1 - Boston is a pretty mainstream band, but I thought it appropriate to include them here to remember Brad Delp. Delp committed suicide last year, and his birthday was just last week, so this one goes out to him and the amazing work that him and Tom Scholz did in Boston.
2 - I discovered this one on satellite radio, and although these guys sound similar to Rush, they are definitely distinguishable. The contrasts between heavy and light tones throughout the song create an empowering effect on the listener. I particularly like their guitarist for his ability to play both solos and rhythm well.
3 - "Gypsy Road" is simply a classic. The vocals are fitting for a glam rock band like Cinderella; they come out almost like growls, putting this track on the harder side of classic rock. The main riff and chorus are particularly catchy and memorable. The vocalist reminds me of Brian Johnson from AC/DC.
4 - Another equally catchy tune here, and a love song to boot! Cheap Trick is simply amazing for managing to create a lively and upbeat rock and roll love song. The licks that their guitarist plays throughout the song are short and sweet.
5 - I like that this track begins relatively clean and most of the guitar distortion and warm tones come in later. The inclusion of piano enforces a nice rhythm with the drums and bass throughout the entire song, making it just that more classic.
That's it for now! I hope this playlist really rocks you out. I'm going to see Poison, Def Leppard, and Cheap Trick next week so expect a concert review later!
http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/eder/Gibson-Robot-Guitar.jpg
1) Peace of Mind - Boston
2) Fight the Good Fight - Triumph
3) Gypsy Road - Cinderella
4) I Want You to Want Me - Cheap Trick
5) Once Bitten Twice Shy - Great White
1 - Boston is a pretty mainstream band, but I thought it appropriate to include them here to remember Brad Delp. Delp committed suicide last year, and his birthday was just last week, so this one goes out to him and the amazing work that him and Tom Scholz did in Boston.
2 - I discovered this one on satellite radio, and although these guys sound similar to Rush, they are definitely distinguishable. The contrasts between heavy and light tones throughout the song create an empowering effect on the listener. I particularly like their guitarist for his ability to play both solos and rhythm well.
3 - "Gypsy Road" is simply a classic. The vocals are fitting for a glam rock band like Cinderella; they come out almost like growls, putting this track on the harder side of classic rock. The main riff and chorus are particularly catchy and memorable. The vocalist reminds me of Brian Johnson from AC/DC.
4 - Another equally catchy tune here, and a love song to boot! Cheap Trick is simply amazing for managing to create a lively and upbeat rock and roll love song. The licks that their guitarist plays throughout the song are short and sweet.
5 - I like that this track begins relatively clean and most of the guitar distortion and warm tones come in later. The inclusion of piano enforces a nice rhythm with the drums and bass throughout the entire song, making it just that more classic.
That's it for now! I hope this playlist really rocks you out. I'm going to see Poison, Def Leppard, and Cheap Trick next week so expect a concert review later!
http://blogs.knoxnews.com/knx/eder/Gibson-Robot-Guitar.jpg
My 5 Contemporary Rap Playlist (By Accident)
So, I know I've been behind the scenes lately, with mostly formatting, editing and the occasional WTF post. But with the introduction of SoulHopper, I have been inclined to introduce what true rap is, smooth beats and the occasional smack down.
This hip hop at its finest, not the Lil Wayne, Mike Jones, Rick Ross, bullshit, asshole cocksucker, mother fucking so and so forth. And cunts. Don't forget about cunts that these stupid pricks on the train decide to blast on their stupid oversized wannabe DJ headphones, annoying all the honest blue collar workers just trying to take a nap. I'm talking about lyrics not catchphrases, beats, not singles churned out by producers indistinguishable from one another, I'm talking about music. That curse laden rant's style was a homage to George Carlin, R.I.P.
1) Go! - Common
2) The Blast (Feat Vinia Mojica) - Hi Tek and Talib Kweli
3) History (Feat Talib Kweli) - Mos Def
4) Get By - Talib Kweli
5) Kick Push - Lupe Fiasco
A) This is music here, with chorus and backing beats to die for, lyrics so smooth, so poetic, Common is a mixmaster supreme.
B) I almost never feature an artist in a playlist more than once, which speaks to how much I have really enjoyed Talib Kweli.
This song has had some great smooth rhythm, but Talib hits it hard. Vinia Mojica is a beautiful singer and they compliment each other perfectly.
C) Mos Def is the smoothest man in the industry, Usher can suck it. (I personally think he does, those orgies he has get funky) But he is an actor, and an MC so multitalented. In the Alicia Keys Video, If I Ain't Got You, I'm perfectly straight, and he could have asked me out and I would have been flattered. But enough with the silliness and onto the music. This song has a super catchy intro, and the lyrics have deep meaning, unlike some of the other crap these days (MIKE JONES). It's almost emotional listening to this, and its just as smooth as watching him in the movies. Talib Kweli adds a harder change of pace that really shows the harder side of African American history, it's a great song, perfect song structure.
D) Finally, Talib Kweli in a single, and its a doozy. It has an entry piano and this epic singing voice. He compliments it well with his signature hard hitting voice, and his lyrics are so culturally relevant and somber. His chorus isn't overly done but catchy and very memorable. He has good changes of pace all round, and is complimented well by other artists. This is truly a work of art, not just good music, great.
E) Lupe is smooth. Smooth beats, smooth lyrics, smooth all round, like listening to butter. Very pleasant.
Enjoy this playlist as much as I have, happy listening!
Image from www.illustratorworld.com/ artwork/538/
This hip hop at its finest, not the Lil Wayne, Mike Jones, Rick Ross, bullshit, asshole cocksucker, mother fucking so and so forth. And cunts. Don't forget about cunts that these stupid pricks on the train decide to blast on their stupid oversized wannabe DJ headphones, annoying all the honest blue collar workers just trying to take a nap. I'm talking about lyrics not catchphrases, beats, not singles churned out by producers indistinguishable from one another, I'm talking about music. That curse laden rant's style was a homage to George Carlin, R.I.P.
1) Go! - Common
2) The Blast (Feat Vinia Mojica) - Hi Tek and Talib Kweli
3) History (Feat Talib Kweli) - Mos Def
4) Get By - Talib Kweli
5) Kick Push - Lupe Fiasco
A) This is music here, with chorus and backing beats to die for, lyrics so smooth, so poetic, Common is a mixmaster supreme.
B) I almost never feature an artist in a playlist more than once, which speaks to how much I have really enjoyed Talib Kweli.
This song has had some great smooth rhythm, but Talib hits it hard. Vinia Mojica is a beautiful singer and they compliment each other perfectly.
C) Mos Def is the smoothest man in the industry, Usher can suck it. (I personally think he does, those orgies he has get funky) But he is an actor, and an MC so multitalented. In the Alicia Keys Video, If I Ain't Got You, I'm perfectly straight, and he could have asked me out and I would have been flattered. But enough with the silliness and onto the music. This song has a super catchy intro, and the lyrics have deep meaning, unlike some of the other crap these days (MIKE JONES). It's almost emotional listening to this, and its just as smooth as watching him in the movies. Talib Kweli adds a harder change of pace that really shows the harder side of African American history, it's a great song, perfect song structure.
D) Finally, Talib Kweli in a single, and its a doozy. It has an entry piano and this epic singing voice. He compliments it well with his signature hard hitting voice, and his lyrics are so culturally relevant and somber. His chorus isn't overly done but catchy and very memorable. He has good changes of pace all round, and is complimented well by other artists. This is truly a work of art, not just good music, great.
E) Lupe is smooth. Smooth beats, smooth lyrics, smooth all round, like listening to butter. Very pleasant.
Enjoy this playlist as much as I have, happy listening!
Image from www.illustratorworld.com/ artwork/538/
TO ALL NEW WRITERS AND EDITORS, READ IMMEDIATELY
WARNING: DO NOT CLICK ON THE ADS, IT WILL CANCEL MY ACCOUNT AND ALL HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE.
Sorry to take up your time. Fail on my part for not conveying this earlier, I just found out.
If you are not a staff member, ignore this. Again, sorry to waste your time.
Sorry to take up your time. Fail on my part for not conveying this earlier, I just found out.
If you are not a staff member, ignore this. Again, sorry to waste your time.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Nice to meet you. The pleasure is mine. All mine. (InfekctedIncubus)
Just kidding of course. I have quite a lot to offer you. I'm going to be bringing you only the finest classic rock, hard rock, and metal that can be found. While I discovered my roots in music in essentially the same place and during the same time that mostly everyone else did, (listening to Linkin Park, Green Day, Blink 182 etc. in junior high school) my tastes have diverged considerably from that significant starting point. A friend introduced me to Metallica around this time. Shortly thereafter, enveloped in a frenzy that their music had induced, I scrambled to get my hands on everything that Metallica had recorded.
Since then, my taste has only developed further, allowing me to gain a love for the softer, more melodic and intricate songs that classic rock has to offer, as well as the heavier and more powerful songs that constitute metal and hard rock.
Now, I find that I discover most of my new music through friends who share similar tastes, and mainly XM satellite radio. The stations I listen to the most on XM are The Boneyard and Hair Nation. These stations do manage to play quite a nice variety of metal, hard rock, and classic rock. I'm still finding new bands/songs all the time in this way!
I'll be posting under the name InfektedIncubus by the way, keep your eyes open for some truly sick rock! Peace.
Introducing....SoulHopper
Waddap, SoulHopper here. I will be giving you guys the 411 on what's new and what's hot in the hip-hop and R&B scene, with a little bit of old school here and there as well. I developed this taste for hip-hop, rap, and R&B ever since I was a kid. I would listen to my mother jam out to her C.D.'s by Earth, Wind, and Fire, Luther Vandross, War, and other artists who were doing their thing back then. I also listened to the radio a lot (back when they played good music), which was where I got a lot of my rap and hip-hop from. Guys like Biggie, Nas, Mobb Deep, Big L, DMX, were on heavy rotation during that time.
Then as I grew older, radio became less of a friend to me, and more of an enemy, thanks to the invasion from the South (no offense), autotune, and all that other bubblegum pop rap. I was forced to retreat, to listening to old school hip-hop and underground rap, becoming more exposed to rappers who weren't always in the spotlight. I was bumping to artists; such as Little Brother, Skyzoo, and The Pharcyde, intrigued by how they blended hip-hop, R&B, and soul together in their music. I couldn't help but to agree with Nas when he said 'Hip Hop is dead'.
I'm glad, now that many new faces are resurrecting Hip Hop. I check out blog sites such as herfection and 2dopeboyz as well as hiphopdx.com to keep up to date on who's doing it big in the game. And on that note I'm gone (for now) , but before I leave here's some hip hop/rap albums/mixtapes that I'm listening to now and you should check out.
1) Wale and 9th Wonder's Mixtape, Back to the Feature
2) Mos Def's abum, The Ecstatic
3) Curren$y's mixtape, This is Not a Mixtape
4) Drake's mixtape, So Far Gone (This has been out for a while now but if you haven't heard about this kid or this mixtape you better ask somebody)
5) Eminem's album, Infinite (This was his very first album, way before The Slim Shady LP and Relapse, has a underground hip hop feel all over it)
Peace. And enjoy.
Conical valves, checking in
Hey there,
Another new reviewer joining the crew. Lessee, I listen to pretty much everything, with a current focus on ska/punk, indie, antifolk, and a constant love for 90s alternative. Also, I will occasionally regale you with new musical theater songs I fall in love with. Broadway tunes are more than just schmaltz.
Much like an accident, my first source of music was the schoolyard: Blink 182, Linkin Park, No Doubt, Barenaked Ladies. I continue getting a lot of music from classmates and friends, and this past year from a cool music professor I had who was into some crazy stuff. I'll be posting under the name, conical valves (in case that wasn't already clear.)
Some music related events I'm looking forward to at the moment:
1) Regina Spektor's new album is released tomorrow. (I managed to hear most of it in advance, thanks to her myspace, and it is excellent.)
2) Several great ska concerts in the near and not-so-near future
a) The Slackers (on a boat!)
b) Reel Big Fish
c) Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
To All New Writers
Please post an article stating how you got your taste in music and what your current sources are for music.
Please don't burn yourselves out with too many posts, limit yourselves, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but this about staying power, too many of these things fade out and die.
When we get more writers, about 20, and the school year starts, feel free to only write twice a month, that should fit with your academic schedule.
Finally enjoy this all, don't look for a profit, all advertising profits go toward more advertisements. It's not like I'm pocketing the money.
As a quick note about your articles, please include images and vary the length. We cannot have long blocks of text after another, it is very tiring.
Thank you again, happy posting.
ONLY APPLIES TO NEW WRITERS AND EDITORS (WARNING: DO NOT CLICK ON THE ADS, IT WILL CANCEL MY ACCOUNT AND ALL HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE.) IGNORE IF YOU ARE A READER.
Please don't burn yourselves out with too many posts, limit yourselves, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but this about staying power, too many of these things fade out and die.
When we get more writers, about 20, and the school year starts, feel free to only write twice a month, that should fit with your academic schedule.
Finally enjoy this all, don't look for a profit, all advertising profits go toward more advertisements. It's not like I'm pocketing the money.
As a quick note about your articles, please include images and vary the length. We cannot have long blocks of text after another, it is very tiring.
Thank you again, happy posting.
ONLY APPLIES TO NEW WRITERS AND EDITORS (WARNING: DO NOT CLICK ON THE ADS, IT WILL CANCEL MY ACCOUNT AND ALL HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE.) IGNORE IF YOU ARE A READER.
Boys Noize's new single "Starter" released less than an hour ago!
I love Twitter. While people write it off as some cheap knockoff of Facebook's status feature and label it as stupid or pointless, I feel that it is a valuable source of information. One avid user of Twitter just happens to be Germany's Alex Ridha known more famously as electro-tech DJ Boys Noize. Thanks to my resistance to social criticism, I was able to see his latest tweet linking fans to his new single "Starter" off his new album due in Fall 2009.
And overall, it's a good track. It is a step towards a harder, more intense sound for Boys Noize. This was previously shown by the track "& Down" and his remix of Justice's "Phantom Pt. II." When I listen to Boys Noize, I want it to go hard but go down smooth, meaning it should be intense but with direction. Though not nearly as powerful as the two aforementioned tracks, it is still a great addition to Kid Alex's library.
So check out Boys Noize's "Starter" out today on iTunes and Beatport.
Boys Noize- Starter
And overall, it's a good track. It is a step towards a harder, more intense sound for Boys Noize. This was previously shown by the track "& Down" and his remix of Justice's "Phantom Pt. II." When I listen to Boys Noize, I want it to go hard but go down smooth, meaning it should be intense but with direction. Though not nearly as powerful as the two aforementioned tracks, it is still a great addition to Kid Alex's library.
So check out Boys Noize's "Starter" out today on iTunes and Beatport.
Boys Noize- Starter
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Reviews of Rachymaninav, Coming SOON
So, one day I get a call from a friend, ByAccident, and he's like, hey I'm managing this blog where I write reviews on miscellaneous music, and I'm like sure I would be happy to contribute to this blog, since it piqued my interest. So now I am part of this blog and will be spitting out a review per week. I realize now I have to go research new music, but now I have incentive. So my reviews will focus in the genres, Indie, Classical, Electronica, Rock, Classic rock, and the possible Metal group (haha). Most focus on Indie and Classical. My username is Rachymaninav, but I will be posting under the psuedonym Anonymously Rach, which are both partially influenced by my favorite composer, Rachmaninoff. To finish off, I am a classical pianist and whoop-ass video gamer. PEACE!
This Week on the Scene (6/21/09-6/28/09)
1. Notorious B.I.G.- Party and Bullshit (Ratatat Remix)
2. Major Lazer- Mary Jane (feat. Maipei and Dr. Evil)
3. Digitalism- Jupiter Room
4. The Presets- My People (D.I.M. Remix)
5. N.A.S.A. feat. Kanye West, Lykke Li and Santigold- Gifted (Steve Aoki Remix)
1. How can you start a party without this early Biggie Smalls classic? Group Ratatat did this remix; it can be found on their mixtape "Remixes Vol. 2." After a month of listening to it ritually I can say that it is on par, if not better, than the original. Just goes to show the versatility of Christopher Wallace. Not only is the remix successful but Christopher Wallace is sampled quite well in bastard pop music.
2. Major Lazer is the best thing ever. Seriously. Their new album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do came out last Tuesday and I can't get enough of it. The group, formed by the duo of DJs Diplo and Switch, was previously responsible for M.I.A.'s hit "Paper Planes" and they show their musical prowess here as well. I also love the use of Dr. Evil saying "Ok." as a sound effect in the background. Listen for it!
3. Digitalism is probably the most underrated group in house today. Their album Idealism dropped in 2007 but in the heyday of Justice's Cross it's easy to see why they kinda fell through the cracks. This song really shows the group's ability to build up sound to a point that ends in ecstatic euphoria. It starts out slow and calm but by the end you feel like you're flying around in space. Jupiter. Room.
4. This one is a weird one that I play towards the end of a party at sort of a prelude before the big finale. There is a lot of empty space, sometimes only filled by the ambient scream. D.I.M.'s new single this summer is going to be epic, though. It's kept under wraps for now but you can find a snippet on Boys Noize's twitter.
5. N.A.S.A. sucked. The Brazilian funk hip hop- whatever the fuck they say they are- DJ duo's album, Spirit of Apollo is a complete waste of time on it's own. They clearly spent more time putting guests on the album cover when instead they could have been using the tremendous amount of talent they possessed in the studio. Steve Aoki (funny, I just said I wouldn't write about him in my last post...) saves Kanye's verse here in a new version that I'm hoping will make it to many DJs live sets this summer.
2. Major Lazer- Mary Jane (feat. Maipei and Dr. Evil)
3. Digitalism- Jupiter Room
4. The Presets- My People (D.I.M. Remix)
5. N.A.S.A. feat. Kanye West, Lykke Li and Santigold- Gifted (Steve Aoki Remix)
1. How can you start a party without this early Biggie Smalls classic? Group Ratatat did this remix; it can be found on their mixtape "Remixes Vol. 2." After a month of listening to it ritually I can say that it is on par, if not better, than the original. Just goes to show the versatility of Christopher Wallace. Not only is the remix successful but Christopher Wallace is sampled quite well in bastard pop music.
2. Major Lazer is the best thing ever. Seriously. Their new album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do came out last Tuesday and I can't get enough of it. The group, formed by the duo of DJs Diplo and Switch, was previously responsible for M.I.A.'s hit "Paper Planes" and they show their musical prowess here as well. I also love the use of Dr. Evil saying "Ok." as a sound effect in the background. Listen for it!
3. Digitalism is probably the most underrated group in house today. Their album Idealism dropped in 2007 but in the heyday of Justice's Cross it's easy to see why they kinda fell through the cracks. This song really shows the group's ability to build up sound to a point that ends in ecstatic euphoria. It starts out slow and calm but by the end you feel like you're flying around in space. Jupiter. Room.
4. This one is a weird one that I play towards the end of a party at sort of a prelude before the big finale. There is a lot of empty space, sometimes only filled by the ambient scream. D.I.M.'s new single this summer is going to be epic, though. It's kept under wraps for now but you can find a snippet on Boys Noize's twitter.
5. N.A.S.A. sucked. The Brazilian funk hip hop- whatever the fuck they say they are- DJ duo's album, Spirit of Apollo is a complete waste of time on it's own. They clearly spent more time putting guests on the album cover when instead they could have been using the tremendous amount of talent they possessed in the studio. Steve Aoki (funny, I just said I wouldn't write about him in my last post...) saves Kanye's verse here in a new version that I'm hoping will make it to many DJs live sets this summer.
DJ Skinless Steel Makes His Splash
What up. DwyTownDown here to show you what's what on the dance-floor these days. I'm not talking about that T-Pain shit (See Jay-Z's Death of Autotune- or chances are you already have considering it's all over Hype Machine), I'm talking about Jesse F Keeler, that Xavier de Rosnay shit, a Boy making some Noize, Phra, Bot and Bob Cornelius Rifo. I'm talking about stuff that Steve Aoki likes but not necessarily Steve Aoki. I'm talking about house, fidget house, dirty electro, electro, electronica- If it's made from creative processes sent through computers, mixers and turntables, I probably listen to it.
What I aim to do here is similar to what everyone else here is doing: give you the lowdown on what I'm listening to and some cool new artists to check out. I should have plenty of new stuff for you, as this summer is filled with new releases from Dim Mak and Ed Banger Records but also I will give you a taste of some of the older stuff I'm listening to as well as live mixes.
Off the record, I'm into a lot of different music with Electro being my favorite genre as of late. If you'd like to follow my listening habits feel free to on my last.fm. There you can see just about every song I've ever listened to since 2005. Enjoy!
Stay Safe,
DwyTownDown
My 5 UItimate Acoustic Playlist (Mainstream)
This is something I played all the time in high school, just to relax.
1) I Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
2) Time of Your Life - Green Day
3) Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
4) Crash into Me - Dave Matthew's Band
5) Traffic In The Sky - Jack Johnson
And something I played 350 times sophomore year,
6) The General - Dispatch
Sometimes mainstream is decent, even though I bash it all the time.
1) I Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
2) Time of Your Life - Green Day
3) Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
4) Crash into Me - Dave Matthew's Band
5) Traffic In The Sky - Jack Johnson
And something I played 350 times sophomore year,
6) The General - Dispatch
Sometimes mainstream is decent, even though I bash it all the time.
5 Post Rock Songs
When ever you just need to relax and mellow out, the instrumental indie genre is perfect. This is the five essential artists, with one bonus mainstreamer.
1) Auto Rock - Mogwai
2) A Thousand Paper Cranes - Mono
3) Twenty-Two Fourteen - Album Leaf
4) Sustained Combustion -Saxon Shore
5) Jubilee - Unwed Sailor
6) Home - Explosions in the Sky
A) Mogwai is the quintessential instrumental indie rock band. They are constantly referenced on Questionable Content and are at the foreground of the scene. They are the first band I would introduce a stranger to get them into this genre. This song, among their many other amazing singles, is so incredibly intense, it could be played in a locker room before a football game as a pump up song, but is versatile enough to be ambiance background music to study to. Warning though, this band is not accessible to everyone, because some of the songs are quite long and have a strange, unique sound.
B) Mono is a similar band to Mogwai, another fantastic band.
C) Album Leaf is all ambiance. Complete chillness, absolutely beautiful music. For you girls, this was on an O.C soundtrack.
D) Saxon Shore is the opposite of Album Leaf. It is a fun, instrumental Indie rock that you can groove to, but it isn't distracting like electronic, techno or dance.
E) Unwed Sailor is a little known band that I uncovered through genius that is absolutely remarkable. Definitely worth a download or a listen at least. Look at the related bands in Itunes.
F) This is an awesome mainstream instrumental indie rock band. They are all guitars and drums, and their grooves are so beautiful. Some of their songs, like Mogwai can go on, over eight minutes. Still worth a download. They were on the Friday Night Lights soundtrack.
Also, a little known place to look for music is the Imixes on Itunes. Go to an artist you like, and underneath "Artists Other Users Bought", there should be Imixes, users made mixes. The vast majority are bullcrap, but some are absolute gems. Look up Palm Trees and Stars for similar Music, and use Genius on Itunes as a supplement.
Groove on.
From http://www.veer.com/products/detail.aspx?image=FAN1006135
1) Auto Rock - Mogwai
2) A Thousand Paper Cranes - Mono
3) Twenty-Two Fourteen - Album Leaf
4) Sustained Combustion -Saxon Shore
5) Jubilee - Unwed Sailor
6) Home - Explosions in the Sky
A) Mogwai is the quintessential instrumental indie rock band. They are constantly referenced on Questionable Content and are at the foreground of the scene. They are the first band I would introduce a stranger to get them into this genre. This song, among their many other amazing singles, is so incredibly intense, it could be played in a locker room before a football game as a pump up song, but is versatile enough to be ambiance background music to study to. Warning though, this band is not accessible to everyone, because some of the songs are quite long and have a strange, unique sound.
B) Mono is a similar band to Mogwai, another fantastic band.
C) Album Leaf is all ambiance. Complete chillness, absolutely beautiful music. For you girls, this was on an O.C soundtrack.
D) Saxon Shore is the opposite of Album Leaf. It is a fun, instrumental Indie rock that you can groove to, but it isn't distracting like electronic, techno or dance.
E) Unwed Sailor is a little known band that I uncovered through genius that is absolutely remarkable. Definitely worth a download or a listen at least. Look at the related bands in Itunes.
F) This is an awesome mainstream instrumental indie rock band. They are all guitars and drums, and their grooves are so beautiful. Some of their songs, like Mogwai can go on, over eight minutes. Still worth a download. They were on the Friday Night Lights soundtrack.
Also, a little known place to look for music is the Imixes on Itunes. Go to an artist you like, and underneath "Artists Other Users Bought", there should be Imixes, users made mixes. The vast majority are bullcrap, but some are absolute gems. Look up Palm Trees and Stars for similar Music, and use Genius on Itunes as a supplement.
Groove on.
From http://www.veer.com/products/detail.aspx?image=FAN1006135
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Five Indie Rock Songs You Should Hear If You Haven't Already)
Right, so.
1. Gotta Have You - The Weepies.
2. Radio Kaliningrad - Handsome Furs
3. Dinner Bells - Wolf Parade
4. Leaves in the River - Sea Wolf
5. Charlotte Mittnacht (The Fabulous Destiny Of...) - DeVotchKa
If you haven't heard of any of these bands, PLEASE get yourself to iTunes and buy at least one of the albums that these songs are on. A few details on each song...
1: Oh. My. GOD. This song is good. If anyone is familiar with the schedule classification of drugs, this song should be Schedule I. It's catchy beyond belief, and really, really, REALLY good. There's no superstar singing it, the guitar doesn't cost 50,000 dollars, and it wasn't produced by Rick Rubin, but this is one song that will quickly reach your iTunes top 100 played.
2. The Last song on Handsome Furs albums always seem to be my favorite (I say this from two albums, but whatever). A well-driven song, with strange, enigmatic vocals and fun guitar/synth parts. Definitely something to wake you up in the morning or to keep you going on a long drive. The main theme gets stuck in my head for, literally, days.
3. This is an interesting song. It's very dark if you listen to the lyrics closely...no more dinner bells to ring? Has someone died? Left? Abandoned? Not to mention the bleak, ethereal sound of Spencer Krug's vocals. Chillingly good.
4. Another song along the lines of #1, the soft vocals and simple melodies of this haunting love ballad will easily capture your ears and having you playing it over and over again. And besides, we've all (hopefully) had a night like the one he describes.
5. Oh, last but not least, DeVotchKa. No day is complete for me without the blend of gypsy-punk and classical music, that this classic Denver band that truly delivers. This song is an instrumental, but is nonetheless evocative of a magical stroll through a central European city... Worth a listen.
Enjoy!
1. Gotta Have You - The Weepies.
2. Radio Kaliningrad - Handsome Furs
3. Dinner Bells - Wolf Parade
4. Leaves in the River - Sea Wolf
5. Charlotte Mittnacht (The Fabulous Destiny Of...) - DeVotchKa
If you haven't heard of any of these bands, PLEASE get yourself to iTunes and buy at least one of the albums that these songs are on. A few details on each song...
1: Oh. My. GOD. This song is good. If anyone is familiar with the schedule classification of drugs, this song should be Schedule I. It's catchy beyond belief, and really, really, REALLY good. There's no superstar singing it, the guitar doesn't cost 50,000 dollars, and it wasn't produced by Rick Rubin, but this is one song that will quickly reach your iTunes top 100 played.
2. The Last song on Handsome Furs albums always seem to be my favorite (I say this from two albums, but whatever). A well-driven song, with strange, enigmatic vocals and fun guitar/synth parts. Definitely something to wake you up in the morning or to keep you going on a long drive. The main theme gets stuck in my head for, literally, days.
3. This is an interesting song. It's very dark if you listen to the lyrics closely...no more dinner bells to ring? Has someone died? Left? Abandoned? Not to mention the bleak, ethereal sound of Spencer Krug's vocals. Chillingly good.
4. Another song along the lines of #1, the soft vocals and simple melodies of this haunting love ballad will easily capture your ears and having you playing it over and over again. And besides, we've all (hopefully) had a night like the one he describes.
5. Oh, last but not least, DeVotchKa. No day is complete for me without the blend of gypsy-punk and classical music, that this classic Denver band that truly delivers. This song is an instrumental, but is nonetheless evocative of a magical stroll through a central European city... Worth a listen.
Enjoy!
oh hello, (a little birdie)
Hi. My name is...well, do we really need to know? The big thing is that I. Love. Music.
I have a pretty wide-ranging taste in music, from your lightest piano and classical, to the heaviest guitars and growlingest vocals, so I'll be looking to showcase things that probably very few people have heard of, or perhaps things that you have, just looked at from a different angle.
In all, I'm pretty excited to be on this project.
To start off with, I suggest everyone who has even the slightest taste for metal to check out the band Amorphis. I picked their album Skyforger up as an impulse buy at a record store... and it was well worth the 10 dollars. I have a feeling these guys put on a good live show.
I will be posting under the user name "a little birdie" so look out for me!"
New Bloggers
This Music blog has gotten too big for me to handle. So I decided to ask some friends to cover some genres I'm not too familiar with. I hope you enjoy.
To the new writers:
Instructions:
Format for Weekly Playlists:
Once a week, put a playlist in a genre of your speciality, change it up though. Make sure there are 5 songs and all different artists.
The format should look like:
5 (Insert Genre Name) (Number Edition) OR 5 Artists of the Week (INSERT DATE) (Posted by USERNAME)
1) Song Title - Band Name
2)
3)
4)
5)
At the end, include a short, but sweet explanation of what the songs and bands are like, concise is key, remember, your long article is the next one. Finish with a picture that's related, cite it's website source. Also if you are feeling time strapped, just do a random 5 song playlist and that's fine too. Simply include the week of, and the dates. We can't have long post, after long post, it's tiring.
Every two weeks, have an album review, a current events article related to music, or anything related to music that interests you. Concerts, live events, recent happenings, etc. Please self-edit so I don't have to. But, I will be the main editor, so please don't complain if I edit, cut, or add to clarify your articles or playlists. Include pictures and videos so it is not straight text. But please make sure you cite them and no copyright violations. No pornography or nasty images or videos. This warning goes mostly to Jake.
Your first post should be a introduction stating your genres preferences and specialties, why you're helping me out and make sure you state your username. Keep personal information to a minimum. Include a profile picture that doesn't include your face. Anonymity is a priority. No references to our college or our town.
I truly appreciate your help. I am going to print some business cards, and let's spread this through word of mouth and maybe through local advertising at our college paper and college shops. The important thing for a successful blog is consistency. Often these things just fizzle out and die.
Happy Posting!
To the new writers:
Instructions:
Format for Weekly Playlists:
Once a week, put a playlist in a genre of your speciality, change it up though. Make sure there are 5 songs and all different artists.
The format should look like:
5 (Insert Genre Name) (Number Edition) OR 5 Artists of the Week (INSERT DATE) (Posted by USERNAME)
1) Song Title - Band Name
2)
3)
4)
5)
At the end, include a short, but sweet explanation of what the songs and bands are like, concise is key, remember, your long article is the next one. Finish with a picture that's related, cite it's website source. Also if you are feeling time strapped, just do a random 5 song playlist and that's fine too. Simply include the week of, and the dates. We can't have long post, after long post, it's tiring.
Every two weeks, have an album review, a current events article related to music, or anything related to music that interests you. Concerts, live events, recent happenings, etc. Please self-edit so I don't have to. But, I will be the main editor, so please don't complain if I edit, cut, or add to clarify your articles or playlists. Include pictures and videos so it is not straight text. But please make sure you cite them and no copyright violations. No pornography or nasty images or videos. This warning goes mostly to Jake.
Your first post should be a introduction stating your genres preferences and specialties, why you're helping me out and make sure you state your username. Keep personal information to a minimum. Include a profile picture that doesn't include your face. Anonymity is a priority. No references to our college or our town.
I truly appreciate your help. I am going to print some business cards, and let's spread this through word of mouth and maybe through local advertising at our college paper and college shops. The important thing for a successful blog is consistency. Often these things just fizzle out and die.
Happy Posting!
5 Electronic Artists Playlist 1st Edition
This goes out to you, Jake.
1) Nancy and The Girdle Boy - K.C. Accidental
2) Nice Weather for Ducks - Lemon Jelly
3) You Don't Have A Clue - Royksopp (QC Reference!)
4) Porcelain - Moby
5) Lazy Lover- Brazilian Girls
1) Nancy and The Girdle Boy - K.C. Accidental
2) Nice Weather for Ducks - Lemon Jelly
3) You Don't Have A Clue - Royksopp (QC Reference!)
4) Porcelain - Moby
5) Lazy Lover- Brazilian Girls
Classical Music - Kyle Landry (Eternity -Memory of Light and Waves- (piano cover)
A bit of a change of pace from usual. I'm a bit of a dork, and I was thinking about why I loved Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts and all of the Animes I watched as a kid. Outside of the fantastic Animation and gameplay, the music truly made the games special.
I was looking in Youtube for some Final Fantasy classical piano, and I found this one pianist, Kyle Landry, and he is fantastic.
I suggest listening to more classical music like...
TV Show Soundtracks
Rurouni Kenshin Soundtrack
Cowboy Bebop (Yoko Kanno) Soundtrack
Band of Brothers Soundtrack
Inuyasha Soundtrack
Gundam Wing Soundtrack
Movie Soundtracks
Shawshank Redemption Soundtrack
American Beauty Soundtrack
Legend of Zelda Soundtrack
Forrest Gump Soundtrack
K-Pax Soundtrack
Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack
The Finding Neverland Soundtrack
The Pianist Soundtrack
The Up Soundtrack
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Soundtrack
Finding Nemo Soundtrack
Wall E Soundtrack
Amelie Soundtrack
Classical
Claire De Lune
Vivaldi
Beethoven
Rachmaninov
Contemporary
Yiruma
Yo Yo Ma
Martha Argerich
Yuja Wang
Nikolai Lukansky
Pachebel's Canon in D Minor (Variations By George Winston)
Carly Comando
Yoko Kanno (Jazz and Classical)
Joe Hisaishi (He does all of the Hayao Miyazaki Scores and the Departures Soundtrack)
John Williams - Air and Simple Gifts, (and just about every famous movie soundtrack)
Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy)
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
And that is everything I can think of... my mind is melted...
Enjoy!
Here's some Kingdom Hearts Music. It's a Piano Cover of Hikaru Utada's song, Simple and Clean.
Questionable Content 5 Indie Artists
This is an introduction to the indie rock scene. These are all songs that Jeph Jacques mentions in his comic. This is fantastic music that isn't well known, but should be.
1) "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack" by The Liars
2) "The Funeral" by Band of Horses
3) "Love The World You Find" by The Flaming Lips
4) "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes
5) "Banshee Beat" by Animal Collective
These reviews are based upon from what I originally read from Jeph Jacques. A couple parts of it are straight paraphrases. All the credit goes out to Jeph Jacques for starting my love of indie rock, and hopefully yours.
The Liars are dripping with this deep melancholy tone throughout this album. They generally have a synth sound, not really electronic, but this is my favorite song by far, "The Drum Gets a Glimpse" is worth a listen. This band isn't for everyone, this song is.
Band of Horses is the first band I would introduce someone to the indie-rock scene. More mainstream bands, like Grizzly Bear, The Shins or The National are fantastic and worth listening too, but it feels as though they don't have the ability to simply rock out, and can get completely dry and boring. The Funeral is a fantastic song no matter what genre, and the band in general is great.
Fleet Foxes is a more mellow band. Their grooves are more off beat and very original and pleasing to hear. They aren't ambiance like Album Leaf or Mum, they definitely are noticeable and can be listened to in different setting for long periods of times. They are one of my favorite indie bands overall with no bad songs.
Animal Collective is tricky. I actually can't stand them. They have a Mario SNES sound that is aggravating (differ if you want) and it is just ear splitting. The songs are ages long and just annoying and bad. This is not a band for everyone, check out if you dare. HOWEVER. This song is the rare exception. This breaks every rule. It's extremely mellow, like the Liars song. It has good singing, guitar, synth, song structure, and it can play in the background or you can listen to it actively and really analyze it and really find no flaws with this one song, even despite its length. I usually stray from long songs, it usually means the band simply decided to go Fall Out Boy song title esque and not edit it at all, so there's a lot of crap, but this is a great song.
This is a perfect introduction playlist to indie rock, check it out.
This is a hilarious print off of topatoco.com of questionablecontent.com
1) "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack" by The Liars
2) "The Funeral" by Band of Horses
3) "Love The World You Find" by The Flaming Lips
4) "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes
5) "Banshee Beat" by Animal Collective
These reviews are based upon from what I originally read from Jeph Jacques. A couple parts of it are straight paraphrases. All the credit goes out to Jeph Jacques for starting my love of indie rock, and hopefully yours.
The Liars are dripping with this deep melancholy tone throughout this album. They generally have a synth sound, not really electronic, but this is my favorite song by far, "The Drum Gets a Glimpse" is worth a listen. This band isn't for everyone, this song is.
Band of Horses is the first band I would introduce someone to the indie-rock scene. More mainstream bands, like Grizzly Bear, The Shins or The National are fantastic and worth listening too, but it feels as though they don't have the ability to simply rock out, and can get completely dry and boring. The Funeral is a fantastic song no matter what genre, and the band in general is great.
Fleet Foxes is a more mellow band. Their grooves are more off beat and very original and pleasing to hear. They aren't ambiance like Album Leaf or Mum, they definitely are noticeable and can be listened to in different setting for long periods of times. They are one of my favorite indie bands overall with no bad songs.
Animal Collective is tricky. I actually can't stand them. They have a Mario SNES sound that is aggravating (differ if you want) and it is just ear splitting. The songs are ages long and just annoying and bad. This is not a band for everyone, check out if you dare. HOWEVER. This song is the rare exception. This breaks every rule. It's extremely mellow, like the Liars song. It has good singing, guitar, synth, song structure, and it can play in the background or you can listen to it actively and really analyze it and really find no flaws with this one song, even despite its length. I usually stray from long songs, it usually means the band simply decided to go Fall Out Boy song title esque and not edit it at all, so there's a lot of crap, but this is a great song.
This is a perfect introduction playlist to indie rock, check it out.
This is a hilarious print off of topatoco.com of questionablecontent.com
My Sources For Music
Many of my non-existent readers must be wondering where I get my diverse taste in music from?
I always grew up with music. My mother was a classically trained pianist, my grandmother was a piano teacher, my sisters played flute and cello, my aunt trained with the same teacher as Martha Argerich, and I was FAIL. Seriously, I am musically incapable of playing chopsticks or White Stripes on guitar, its pathetic. So when I review, I won't be using this foreign language like "staccato" and "syncopated", nor do I really know terms like (Source, GlassRock, etc.) but I will plain speak cause that's all I know. I'm coming from as much music training as the Average Joe, zilch, but I will try and be clear and concise.
My first source of music growing was my older sister, and she still is an awesome source. Her sources are online forums, soompi.com and Livejournals, which I do not approve, due to my intense dislike for any Korean Girl Pop Band, which is her current preference.
My second source of music was simply the schoolyard growing up, Blink 182(Take Off Your Pants and Jacket), Sum 41(Does This Look Infected?), Green Day (Dookie, Waiting, International Superhits), Linkin Park (Hybrid Theory, Meteora, Reanimation).
Then boarding school, it was usually all about 90's rock and Classic Rock with some Oldies: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Beach Boys, Billy Joel, Five For Fighting, Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan, Rage Against the Machine, Lostprophets, U2, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Eat World, Dispatch, Incubus, Foo Fighters, O.A.R, Puddle Of Mudd, Queens of the Stone Age, etc. Still, little, to no variety at this point and all mainstream, not necessarily bad, but there is so much more out there. There was some metal with a bit of System of a Down, Staind, Slipknot, Breaking Benjamin, all mainstream. Also, some punk, with some Taking Back Sunday, Thursday, Cake, Weezer, White Stripes, Rancid, Smash Mouth, The Strokes, Sublime, and Beck. Also all mainstream And some weird techno music to be a stereotypical Asian. I suggest this remix of the Mama and Papa's song, "California Dreaming".
Then I got into Pandora and my horizons really opened. It's a website where you pick an artist or a song and it picks similar styles. I stopped using Limewire and P2P servers due to virus problems (and its illegal! Buy legally!) and due to the fact that the music was so obscure I couldn't find it on Limewire.
Then I went to college, and my friends got me hooked on some webcomics. I recommend Questionable Content for music. It really got me in to SO SO SO many amazing bands. Go to http://questionablecontent.net/rlblog/ for a blog that I model after and http://questionablecontent.net/rl.php for recommended listening, Jeph Jacques, the writer and artist has the funkiest taste ever.
Other Good Webcomics: XKCD, Dr. McNinja, A Softer World, Amazing Super Powers, Patches, Pictures for Sad Children. And if you are evil, Cyanide and Happiness.
QC got me into the Electronic scene, and the Indie rock scene. From then on, it was mostly just exploration. ITunes is surprisingly helpful. I look up an artist I find out about through word of mouth or through friends, then I look at artists similar or who other people bought.
Other good sources are Last FM, and in terms of music magazines, I have been recommended, but have not checked out Flavor Pill and Tiny Mix Tapes. I don't suggest Pitchfork, their reviews are imprecise and inconsequential. For example, an evaluation of Album Leaf, an Ambiance Electronic band who are fantastic (featured on the O.C. for you girls)- would sound like "This music sounds like clouds dancing in the air with bubbles singing to them." Sounds nice, fricking meaningless and useless to evaluate music with, and their playlists suck.
Good luck with your music searching! There is so much good stuff out there, don't just stick with the mainstream.
Remember, "Variety is the spice of life." - William Cowper
From www.flickr.com/photos/ john1954moi/3203397329/
I always grew up with music. My mother was a classically trained pianist, my grandmother was a piano teacher, my sisters played flute and cello, my aunt trained with the same teacher as Martha Argerich, and I was FAIL. Seriously, I am musically incapable of playing chopsticks or White Stripes on guitar, its pathetic. So when I review, I won't be using this foreign language like "staccato" and "syncopated", nor do I really know terms like (Source, GlassRock, etc.) but I will plain speak cause that's all I know. I'm coming from as much music training as the Average Joe, zilch, but I will try and be clear and concise.
My first source of music growing was my older sister, and she still is an awesome source. Her sources are online forums, soompi.com and Livejournals, which I do not approve, due to my intense dislike for any Korean Girl Pop Band, which is her current preference.
My second source of music was simply the schoolyard growing up, Blink 182(Take Off Your Pants and Jacket), Sum 41(Does This Look Infected?), Green Day (Dookie, Waiting, International Superhits), Linkin Park (Hybrid Theory, Meteora, Reanimation).
Then boarding school, it was usually all about 90's rock and Classic Rock with some Oldies: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Beach Boys, Billy Joel, Five For Fighting, Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan, Rage Against the Machine, Lostprophets, U2, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Eat World, Dispatch, Incubus, Foo Fighters, O.A.R, Puddle Of Mudd, Queens of the Stone Age, etc. Still, little, to no variety at this point and all mainstream, not necessarily bad, but there is so much more out there. There was some metal with a bit of System of a Down, Staind, Slipknot, Breaking Benjamin, all mainstream. Also, some punk, with some Taking Back Sunday, Thursday, Cake, Weezer, White Stripes, Rancid, Smash Mouth, The Strokes, Sublime, and Beck. Also all mainstream And some weird techno music to be a stereotypical Asian. I suggest this remix of the Mama and Papa's song, "California Dreaming".
Then I got into Pandora and my horizons really opened. It's a website where you pick an artist or a song and it picks similar styles. I stopped using Limewire and P2P servers due to virus problems (and its illegal! Buy legally!) and due to the fact that the music was so obscure I couldn't find it on Limewire.
Then I went to college, and my friends got me hooked on some webcomics. I recommend Questionable Content for music. It really got me in to SO SO SO many amazing bands. Go to http://questionablecontent.net/rlblog/ for a blog that I model after and http://questionablecontent.net/rl.php for recommended listening, Jeph Jacques, the writer and artist has the funkiest taste ever.
Other Good Webcomics: XKCD, Dr. McNinja, A Softer World, Amazing Super Powers, Patches, Pictures for Sad Children. And if you are evil, Cyanide and Happiness.
QC got me into the Electronic scene, and the Indie rock scene. From then on, it was mostly just exploration. ITunes is surprisingly helpful. I look up an artist I find out about through word of mouth or through friends, then I look at artists similar or who other people bought.
Other good sources are Last FM, and in terms of music magazines, I have been recommended, but have not checked out Flavor Pill and Tiny Mix Tapes. I don't suggest Pitchfork, their reviews are imprecise and inconsequential. For example, an evaluation of Album Leaf, an Ambiance Electronic band who are fantastic (featured on the O.C. for you girls)- would sound like "This music sounds like clouds dancing in the air with bubbles singing to them." Sounds nice, fricking meaningless and useless to evaluate music with, and their playlists suck.
Good luck with your music searching! There is so much good stuff out there, don't just stick with the mainstream.
Remember, "Variety is the spice of life." - William Cowper
From www.flickr.com/photos/ john1954moi/3203397329/
John Butler Trio - Ocean
This is my favorite guitar solo of all time. It sounds like an entire band by himself. He is using a 12 string guitar, however he leaves out one string for better harmonics. I do not know much about instruments, so if anyone could tell me why, that would be great.
John Butler Trio the band is a folksy style band that is insanely diverse with hits like "What You Want", "Company Sin" and the instrumental, "Mist"
For more information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Butler_Trio.
I highly recommend a download.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
5 Artists of the Week 6/18-6/25 (2009)(Posted by accident.)
1) Passion Pit - Sleepyhead
2) Norah Jones - Those Sweet Words
3) Melody Gardot - Baby, I'm A Fool
4) Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better
5) Lemon Jelly - The Staunton Lick
2) Norah Jones - Those Sweet Words
3) Melody Gardot - Baby, I'm A Fool
4) Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better
5) Lemon Jelly - The Staunton Lick
Music Video for "Lizstomania" by Phoenix
I've been interested in film for a very long time. I've seen on MTV and Fuse all of these horrendous music videos, and asked myself if I couldn't come up with something better? I've only seen a couple ones that have really impressed me: 1,2,3,4 by Feist, Stan by Eminem, Breaking the Habit, by Linkin Park, The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack by the Liars, Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve, Maybe Tommorrow by Stereophonics and (forgive me for these selections) Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day, and possibly The Saints are Coming by U2 and Green Day. The one common factor between all these music videos; they all told a story.
When I heard this amazing song by Phoenix, Lisztomania, I immediately had an idea for a music video. I listened to it over and over and the song like any other great song tells a story as well, and has a plot and a structure. This is all going to be basically one continous shot aside from one scene. I hate it when they fragment it, it shows poor editing.
Scene One 0:00-0:54
Setting: Background, black curtains, outdoors by the soccer stadium.
There is one guy in a full black suit, black shirt, black vest, black tie, black shoe(cover) white headphones, black hair, ala IPOD commercial. The camera is from the front, like a theater. When the music starts, he snaps his fingers to the beat, his opposite shoulder doing a kind of pop and lock to the other beat, his feet doing a jazz style step. His head is tilted down and bobbing side to side. He begins to lip synch the words. The camera is close enough to see his mouth, but far enough to see 4 body lengths on each side. When the word "slowly" comes in, his head goes upwards smoothly and he sweeps his leg outward while fanning his arms outward slowly, then immediately returns back to the rhythm and the original dance routine. He is slowly moving forward.
Scene Two 0:54-1:09
When the keyboard comes in, he switches to an air guitar routine and has a more exaggerated head movements and lip syncs. When the line, "not easily offended" comes, a very attractive blonde in a pink dress and high heels comes in from the right side and slaps him across the face.
Scene Three 1:10-1:24
The Blonde Exits to the right side with her head held up high, pompously, strutting off the stage. When the drums come in, the black suit comes off (The suit is attached by velcro, and when the music gets faster, he rips it off.) Underneath, he is wearing vibrant colors, Indie clothes, plaid shirt, yellow, red or green jeans, multi colored shoes. Also, via 1,2,3,4 (Feist) Video, four people who were hiding behind his back appear, two on each side, one girl, one guy, wearing similarly vibrant colors and outfits, and mimic his movements. He is still doing the air guitar and exaggerated lip sync. When the second "not easily offended" comes in at 1:18, a man in a vibrant pink shirt and tight blue jeans comes in from the right, walks daintily and slaps him and leaves from the same direction, while the four people immediately shirk away, then bounce right back in and everyone returns back to their old activities.
Scene Four 1:25-2:03
When the drums return, eight more people join the group. Everyone switches to a drumming motion, and every one is lip syncing, with the main one in the center, and the most exaggerated motions. When the word "discouraged" comes in, the main man stops and looks sullen while everyone takes one step away, then takes a sweeping motion, similar to the one back at the word "slowly" back to the center, with their inner leg and arm, while the main man croons backward. Then when they say "slowly" again, everyone takes their left leg and sweeps it to the left smoothly while arching their left arm around the same pace, while arching their neck back to the right, then returning to the drumming motion. Then, when then guitar comes in at 1:53, every other person starts air guitaring.
Scene Five 2:04-2:18
When the chorus comes in, the twelve non-main members take two graceful steps back and do a swaying motion side to side, while the main man lip syncs the lyrics. When the third "not easily offended" comes in, a little kid comes in from the left side and hugs the main man, then when the line "gotta let it go, he lets go with one arm and lets the kid slide out the hug, and exit back to the left. During this breakup, the main man is looking to the right and up, and lip syncing, with his arm raised.
Scene Six 2:19-2:32
When the music starts up again, fifteen more people join in and its a full fledged dance party. At 2:26, when he hits that high note, everyone takes a step back and the main man arches his neck back and really sells it. Ignore the fourth "not easily offended". When the line "from the mess to the masses" happens, everyone converges on the main man and he disappears from the picture, for now. He changes into an all white suit with white rimmed sunglasses that have an orange interior, with white shoes and a white vest, with black headphones. (You'll find out later)
Scene Seven 2:33-3:07
The remaining people all go into a synchronized drumming motion. A mascot shows up at 2:52 and everyone starts moshing.
Scene Eight 3:08-3:20
When the music gets slow it goes into a panoramic shot over the sunset, time lapse video of it setting over the field.
Final Scene 3:20-4:02
It's nighttime now. Back to the original setting. Black curtains in background again. But there's lighting galore like a stage. The main man returns, center stage, in the white suit and outfit mentioned before. He is holding an invisible microphone. He is joined by four new people: a person who is holding an invisible guitar, bass, keyboard, and a person on a stool drumming on an invisible drumset. They are all wearing white suits, no ties, sunglasses with different colors. When the drums start up, the main man goes back to the original routine of the snapping of the fingers and the shoulder rock, while the drummer beats to it. The bassist and guitarist and the keyboardist are rocking their heads to the beat and are playing. At 3:40 , when the lyrics start up again, everyone goes all out and rocks out. Between 3:50 and 3:53 the main man is really dancing and stomping his feet while singing, then afterwards he hits the high note while crooning his head back. The lights dim and everything is dark.
This is my idea for a music video. I have ideas for videos for Underdog by Spoon, Rich Girls by The Virgins and a mock video for Hey Lady by Thriving Ivory, but those only take a couple people. This is a very ambitious project and hopefully I could do it in September when the lighting conditions are ideal.
I need 34 people who would be willing to help out. And a kid.
One attractive blonde who has a fluorescent pink dress and hot pink high heels
A guy who is willing to dress in a tight hot pink shirt, tight jeans
4 guys with white suits and colorful sunglasses and black headphones, and one of them has to have a stool.
14 guys and 13 girls with colorful plaid shirts, not blue or black jeans, multicolored shoes, bandannas, scarfs, earrings hairpins or whatever colorful accessory you can find(not sunglasses) and be willing and have zen-like patience to dance for a couple of hours.
A capable camera man with a wide angle camera lens, and who knows how to do time lapse shots, also with zen-like patience.
A freaking adorable kid.
Hopefully we can get some theater majors to help with wardrobe with this project, so if you know any who would be willing to help out that would make this much easier.
If you can help, that would be amazing. My email is sumopdude@aol.com
Since I am new to all of this, and I'm not pompous enough to think I've mastered this at all, any changes or recommendations are more than welcome. Except for nudity, racism or violence. This goes out to you, Jake.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
5 Artists of the Week 6/10-6/17 (2009)(Posted by accident.)
1) Guster - Manifest Destiny
2) Guillemots - Trains to Brazil
3) Blitzen Trapper - Furr
4) Crimson Jazz Trio - 21st Century Schizoid
5) Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO for short) - Girl, I Wanna Lay You Down
2) Guillemots - Trains to Brazil
3) Blitzen Trapper - Furr
4) Crimson Jazz Trio - 21st Century Schizoid
5) Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO for short) - Girl, I Wanna Lay You Down
Monday, June 8, 2009
5 Artists I Cannot Stand.
When these are played on the a radio - pure ear rape.
1. Lady GaGa
2. Lil Wayne
3. Hannah Montana
4. Lil Jon
5. Jonas Brothers
Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas is, in my personal opinion, tremendously bad. Most of the Top 100 list on I-Tunes aren't very good music.
I would prefer this to most of it.
From Failblog.org
Seriously, only Journey and Kanye West are worth a damn. Coldplay, Eminem, Green Day are on there, but their new CD's are shit.
Kings of Leon has one good song. I must admit though, that Rob Thomas, The Fray and Jason Mraz are occasional guilty pleasures. A few old Dave Matthews Band songs are good. Linkin Park was good when we were teenagers, and should have stopped after Meteora. But that's about 10 percent of the list. The other 90% is garbage.
There is this current trend in shrill, poppy, autotuned, indistinguishable choruses. T-Pain, Beyonce, Natasha, Sean Kingston. I love hip-hop and R&B, but Jay-Z put it best -D.O.A, Death of AutoTune.
Simply put, it's not about mainstream or underground. It's about good music. There is a fair amount of good stuff in both scenes, as well as crap.
Fuck the concept of rebellion against the machine, against the corporation, against whatever intangible shackles that supposedly nail us down. I'll listen to my Mogwai, Lemon Jelly, Coldplay, System of a Down, and be angsty, emo, nerdy, jock and actually do something that quite a few kids don't do.
I'll just - "Actually Enjoy Music." - Jeph Jacques
Look at the comments - it's entertaining.
1. Lady GaGa
2. Lil Wayne
3. Hannah Montana
4. Lil Jon
5. Jonas Brothers
Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas is, in my personal opinion, tremendously bad. Most of the Top 100 list on I-Tunes aren't very good music.
I would prefer this to most of it.
From Failblog.org
Seriously, only Journey and Kanye West are worth a damn. Coldplay, Eminem, Green Day are on there, but their new CD's are shit.
Kings of Leon has one good song. I must admit though, that Rob Thomas, The Fray and Jason Mraz are occasional guilty pleasures. A few old Dave Matthews Band songs are good. Linkin Park was good when we were teenagers, and should have stopped after Meteora. But that's about 10 percent of the list. The other 90% is garbage.
There is this current trend in shrill, poppy, autotuned, indistinguishable choruses. T-Pain, Beyonce, Natasha, Sean Kingston. I love hip-hop and R&B, but Jay-Z put it best -D.O.A, Death of AutoTune.
Simply put, it's not about mainstream or underground. It's about good music. There is a fair amount of good stuff in both scenes, as well as crap.
Fuck the concept of rebellion against the machine, against the corporation, against whatever intangible shackles that supposedly nail us down. I'll listen to my Mogwai, Lemon Jelly, Coldplay, System of a Down, and be angsty, emo, nerdy, jock and actually do something that quite a few kids don't do.
I'll just - "Actually Enjoy Music." - Jeph Jacques
Look at the comments - it's entertaining.
Friday, June 5, 2009
5 Artists of the Week 5/31-6/6 (2009)(Posted by accident.)
1st Playlist!
1) Phoenix - Lizstomania
2) Wilco - Thanks I Get
3) Mum - I'm 9 Today
4) 65daysofstatic - Radio Protector
5) Say Hi to Your Mom - Sweet Sweet Heart Killer
1) Phoenix - Lizstomania
2) Wilco - Thanks I Get
3) Mum - I'm 9 Today
4) 65daysofstatic - Radio Protector
5) Say Hi to Your Mom - Sweet Sweet Heart Killer
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