1-30-11 - "Mother, We Just Can't Get Enough" ~ New Radicals

Triple serving of awesome with heaps of hook.  Without even looking at the lyrics, this song is incredibly catchy; the kind of song you'd want blaring out your stereo as you cruise down the highway on a gorgeous summer day with your best friends on some kind of epic road trip.  But if you dig a little deeper, it's one that will make you think, too... part love song, part biting social commentary, part wicked piano hook... a heart attack, just the kind I like...

"This world ain't got too much time,
but baby i'm fine because baby you're mine...
We just can't get enough...
And I don't want no one
if I can't have you;
a world of illusion,
but baby you're true..."

1-29-11 - "Until We Burn" ~ Bedouin Soundclash

This one may be a little tricky to comprehend lyrically, but the music is just plain catchy.  They're probably talking about global warming ("polar bears on American bandstand") or something... or maybe it's about the apathy evident in so many of us these days...

"City punkrocker rocking like he doesn't try,
with a roots reggae rocker like lucy in the sky;
we all fall down when the water runs dry,
we all say hello when we all meant goodbye..."

1-28-11 - "Wake Up" ~ Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire is a band I knew about for a while, but only got into last year.  They definitely have some quality stuff, so it was my loss to not hear it sooner.  This song is not only catchy, but also a reflection on the way our lives tend to fall short of our goals, and yet we can find redemption.  Watch for the two-step breakdown.

"If the children don't grow up,
our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up;
we're just a million little gods causing rainstorms,
turning every good thing to rust..."


(PS - if you're into John Legend and/or The Roots, take a gander and see if you can't find a pretty interesting cover out there...)

1-27-11 "Come To Me" ~ The Elms

The Elms are one of my favorite bands of all time, and you've probably never heard of them.  They never quite made the big time, but it wasn't for lack of talent.  Americana rock'n'roll at its finest, these boys from Indiana caught my ear back in 2001 with "Goodnight, Rosa" and I was hooked.  The band played twice at my college (the second time for free!) and rocked the house both times.  I caught them about a year ago at the Hard Rock Cafe in Pittsburgh, and had a chance to talk to the guys after the show; they were down to earth and quite willing to chat.


Unfortunately, they decided to call it quits and pursue other endeavors, and played their last show in July 2010. But all four of their albums (plus the EP) are solid, and well worth a listen, and will remain near to my heart for years to come.


Here's one about the joys of reuniting with your lover:


"Come To Me" ~ The Elms


"Don't I sit up at night, just waitin' on a song to sing?
And when you finally call me, I wanna give you all of my everything.
It's a beautiful thing when you speak to me.
A beautiful thing when you speak to me.
It's the thrill of your sound, it puts me on the ground.
Well, I'm gone. But I'll be home soon.
It's a beautiful thing when you come to me.

Don't I think about you daytime, when the stars are gone?
I think about you evenings, when I'm singin' my songs.
It's a beautiful thing when you come to me..."

1-26-11 - "Wrecking Ball" ~ Mother Mother

This is another song I heard whilst bumming around the Pacific Northwest last summer.  Mother Mother is an eclectic indie pop/rock band from the Vancouver area, and this song was quite enough hook to get me to check out the rest of their work.  They definitely have a healthy dose of weird (not so much in this song), but that makes them fun and differentiates them from some more, well, boring bands out there.


What's this song about?  Well, to quote the illustrious Daniel Ocean, "I got into a self-destructive pattern."

"You gotta see the artistry
in tearing the place apart with me, baby..."

1-25-11 - "Medicine" ~ Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

You're getting a live video tonight.  Grace Potter & The Nocturnals hail from Vermont, which is a pretty awesome place.  And their music is just plain fun and crazy, which is always a plus.  And Grace's voice is dynamite.  And the drummer's 'stache and expressions are sweet.  What's not to like?

"I stole her bag of rattling bones,
her fast-luck oil and her magic stones;
I swept up her magnetic sand,
I took her love potion and her mojo hand..."

1-24-11 - "New Slang" ~ The Shins

Mellow and brooding.  Just feels like the right song for tonight.

"God speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs, 
And bleed into their buns 'till they melt away. 

I'm looking in on the good life i might be doomed never to find. 
Without a trust or flaming fields am i too dumb to refine?"

1-23-11 - "Letters From The Sky" ~ Civil Twilight

Haunting and powerful testament to eternal love.  

"One of these days the mountains are gonna fall into the sea
and they'll know
that you and i were made for this..."

1-22-11 - "Save Me" ~ New Shouts

Just found out about this band thanks to my housemate, Jake.  Local Pittsburgh band, pretty enjoyable and upbeat stuff here.  Has some kind of 60's Motown vibe going on, mixed in with several other elements, for an all around good time.  Self-described genre of "soul popsicle".  Take two, and call me in the morning.


"Save Me" ~ New Shouts



PS - you can download this and a couple other songs by New Shouts for free on the site... good stuff.

"i've been sworn into many secrets..."

1-21-11 - "40 Day Dream" ~ Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Some songs are just pure joy.  This is one of them.  Joy stemming from finding love.  Love so deep, it must be a dream... right?

"She got jumper cable lips,
she got sunset on her breath...
I inhale just a little bit,
now I got no fear of death..."

1-20-11 - "Execution Day" ~ The New Pornographers

This one's a bit weird musically (maybe lyrically, too).  But I like it.  And it was in my head tonight.  So there you go.

Live:

"Oh blast, I drank the wrong draft down,
two sips from your crown;
the drops you left for me,
am I so easily appeased?"

1-19-11 - "This Too Shall Pass" ~ OK Go

OK Go are possibly more famous for their music videos than for the songs themselves, but they have some pretty good stuff musically too.  This one's tons of fun.  (oh btw, it just occurred to me tonight that I can slap YouTube videos right into posts, rather than linking.  how about that.  booyah.)

"You can't stop these kids from dancing, and why would you want to,
especially when when you are already getting yours?
'Cause if your mind don't move, and your knees don't bend,
well don't start blaming the kids again..."


BONUS:


Rube Goldberg Music Video:

AND


Band Music Video:

What fun. (these versions have their own audio which is different from the studio cut.  each is spiffy in its own right.)

1-18-11 - "Hear You Me" ~ Jimmy Eat World

This song is steeped in the emotions associated with losing someone dear to you.  It's all too easy to take people for granted, or to simply become accustomed to their presence and influence in our lives.  Sometimes you don't realize what you have until it's gone, and sometimes you don't adequately reciprocate the love and generosity that a person has spent on you until it's too late.  Don't take anything for granted in this life, especially not your loved ones.

"and if you were with me tonight,
i'd sing to you just one more time - 
a song for a heart so big, God wouldn't let it live..."

1-17-11 - "Too Much" ~ Sufjan Stevens

I'm a latecomer to the Sufjan fanbase, and I'm not sure why.  Just never got around to listening to his stuff, I guess.  But I absolutely love his new album, and it's inspired me to start delving into the older works in his catalogue.  The album is trippy and a departure of sorts from some of his more mellow songs, but it works for me.  


The first time I heard "Too Much" was a live performance on Jimmy Fallon's late night show (hint: look down for special bonus link).  It was insanity.  The song's in 7/4 time (I love off-the-wall meter) and just synthed out fun.  Probably my favorite track on The Age of Adz, although there are several others to rival it.  And I just now saw the music video for the first time; it's psychedelic in its own right:

"Maybe I talk too fast, maybe I talk too much,
give me the sensitive laugh, or give me the sensitive touch;
even if I could have kissed, even if I could be the blind,
I'm so sorry I tried, love, I want to see it..."


BONUS: Live on Fallon (or, the acid trip video.  not that I'm recommending that, just that I'd imagine this performance is what an acid trip might be like...)


EDIT (12-19-11) it seems the Fallon video has been stricken from the Internet - let me know if you find it, but I couldn't...

1-16-11 - "Dance Anthem of the 80's" ~ Regina Spektor

Bringing you a combination of pop and ballads, piano and synth, and delightfully absurd sounds and lyrics, Regina Spektor is loads of fun.  This one's a fun and upbeat one, full of the quirks that distinguish Spektor from other artists who might otherwise seem similar.  Might be a bit of social commentary in there as well, but mostly it's just catchy.  Have a listen.

"And it's only a matter of whom,
and it's only a matter of when..."

1-15-11 - "Black and Yellow" ~ Wiz Khalifa

Everybody else was doing it, so I am too.  Steelers > Ravens.  Pittsburgh rapper > non-Pittsburgh rapper.  Or something like that.  It's a catchy song, just happens to also be in support of my hometown and our sports teams (all of whom won today, heyo!)  We'll get off the rap tomorrow.


"Black and Yellow" ~ Wiz Khalifa


"hear them haters talk but there's nothing you can tell em"

1-14-11 - "Tennessee Bwoys" ~ GRITS

In honor of my business trip this week, here's a song about Tennessee.  First venture into the rap / hip hop genre for this blog.  GRITS are just like their namesake: good ol' Southern home cookin'.  Or just good ol' head-bobbin' beats.  


"Tennessee Bwoys" ~ GRITS


"gon' break the chain and stake my claim
while putting Nashville all on the brain..."

1-13-11 - "O.N.E." ~ Yeasayer

Heard it the other day.  Loved the funky beat.  That's all I have to say about that.


"O.N.E." ~ Yeasayer

1-12-11 - "Arizona" ~ Rachael Johnson

On a business trip in Nashville right now.  Went downtown to Broadway to grab some Jack's BBQ on a friend's recommendation (it's excellent, by the way).  Wandered down the street a bit, saw the Hatch Show Print store, then some live music caught my ear.  It was a fairly seedy and nearly empty establishment, but this girl was just sitting there with an acoustic six-string, and her voice was enough for me to stick around a while.  


It's to be expected that live music in Nashville has a bit of a country feel to it.  Not always my cup of tea, but in this case, it was all right by me.  Really depends on the style, voice, and lyrics (as with any genre for me) - certain country artists are not bad at all, just like I can appreciate certain rappers.  But others just grate on my eardrums... fortunately Rachael Johnson wasn't one of those...


She's a relative unknown so far, but I enjoyed sitting there listening to her sing and watching a little college hoops for a bit.  Maybe you'll like her, too...

Video quality isn't spectacular, but here's a live performance as well: 

"And this cold Eastern sun
cannot be the same one
that's keeping you warm in Arizona..."


EDIT 5-19-12 - I caught Rachael and her band at Honky Tonk Central a few weeks back whilst back in Nashville for follow-up work on the project.  Here she is performing "Arizona" (by my request - it's definitely my favorite of her songs...) :

1-11-11 - "Coney Island" ~ Good Old War

Just found this song today via mi hermano, and I'm really digging it.  Blends our desires to get away from the commonplace and complacency of the familiar town where we grew up with the knowledge that after we've gone out into the world and had our big adventures, there's still no place like home.


Also, we have some nice 3-part harmony, always a plus in my book.


"Coney Island" ~ Good Old War


"I'll go crawling back to the city I love,
'cause it's already taken everything..."

1-10-11 "Sun" ~ MAE

Going back a few years, to the first album by one of my all-time favorite bands, MAE.  They've had a short and tumultuous career, but Destination:Beautiful and The Everglow are both incredible albums, and well worth a listen.  This track is one of the (if not the) best on D:B, and I just love the piano outtro (yeah, I'm a sucker for sweet piano... also for rock music that's not in 4/4 time...)  

"It seems like yesterday we had the world our way,
but some say we're headed for destruction..."

1-9-11 - "The Funeral" ~ Band of Horses

This band has been around for a few years, but I only discovered them last year.  This song is fairly simple, and yet powerful in its progression and message.  Took me a while to warm up to Band of Horses as a whole, but this one struck me right away.


"The Funeral" ~ Band of Horses


"I'm coming up only to hold you under,
I'm coming up only to show you wrong;
to the outside, the dead leaves, they all blow,
before they died had trees to hang their hope..."


BONUS: found this video on YouTube of some insane bicycle stunts with this song as the background music.  Never heard of Danny MacAskill before, but he's pretty darn good on that bike...

1-8-11 "A Hazy Shade of Winter" ~ Simon & Garfunkel

One of the best things to happen before my time, Simon and Garfunkel are well worth a listen even if you weren't around back in their heyday.  Given the weather the last few days in my hometown, this one seems a good fit:


"A Hazy Shade of Winter" ~ Simon & Garfunkel


"Hang on to your hopes, my friend
That's an easy thing to say,
but if your hopes should pass away,
simply pretend
that you can build them again..."


A reminder of the temporal nature of our existence, and a poetic dirge articulating the feeling of insignificance upon realizing that one has let one's youth slip away without taking full advantage of life.


PS - did you know Paul Simon was married to Princess Leia?  For serious.  You learn something new every day...

1-7-11 - "The Light Is You" ~ Said The Whale

A little late tonight, but here ya go.  Just a catchy little love song.


"The Light Is You" ~ Said The Whale (youtube link to band's music video, embedding disabled so go check it out!)
_______________________________________


UPDATE (10-18-11):  Said The Whale played an intimate show in Pittsburgh last night, and I got this song on video.  Check out the live performance:

1-6-11 - "Winter Song" ~ Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles

Simple, somber, and elegant duet.  Not a lot to say about it; just a good one for a mellow evening with a fresh snowfall.

"My love a beacon in the night

my words will be your light

to carry you to me..."

1-5-11 - "Now We Can See" ~ The Thermals

If you hear the first few measures of this song and your head's not bobbing and your feet aren't tapping and there's not a smile on your face, you're either dead or just lame.  It's incredibly catchy, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something.  Give it a whirl, and if you don't like it, you'll get your investment back.  Oh, and tucked neatly inside the blistering post-pop-punk joy, there's a bit of lyrical depth worth reflecting upon.


 "Now We Can See" ~ The Thermals


"We were born in the desert,
we were reared in a cave;
we conquered in the sun,
but we lived in the shade.
Yeah baby we were savage,
we existed to kill;
our history is damaged,
at least it was a thrill!"


BONUS: If you're in the mood to wax philosophical, do a little reading on Plato's Allegory of the Cave.  Relates a bit to this song, as well as "The Cave" by Mumford & Sons (from 1-1-11).

1-4-11 - "Jealous Kind" ~ Jars of Clay

One of my favorite bands of all time, Jars of Clay always seem to hit me hard.  Lyrics like those found in this song explain perfectly how I've lived much of my life - seeking fulfillment in temporal, fleeting pleasures, rather than striving toward lasting joy; wandering astray time and again, distracted by the same useless frivolities, rather than staying true to goals worth pursuing.  This song serves as a reminder that I have more to live for than these things.


"Jealous Kind" ~ Jars of Clay


"Tryin’ to jump away from rock that keeps on spreading
for solace in the shift of the sinking sand;
I’d rather feel the pain all too familiar
than be broken by a lover I don’t understand..."

1-3-11 - "You're Too Cool" ~ The Zolas

Here's my other newest favorite band from 2010: The Zolas.  Vancouver-based piano pop/rock genius.  First heard this one on 100.5 "The Peak" on my way into B.C. for the first time, and it's so insanely catchy I couldn't wait to check out the rest of their stuff.  My favorite of about two dozen great new songs and artists I found in just a few short days listening to that station.  These guys are definitely indie and not well-known, but I aim to change that.  The entire album is just plain fun, with a few poignant moments thrown in for your soul's sake.  


This song serves as a reminder that there's more to life than The Next Big Thing that the fashion/entertainment/whatever industries are pushing.  "Cool" is great, but our true passions should lie deeper than the superficiality of the scene.  Don't be taken in.

UPDATE (10-26-11) Just stumbled across a sick stripped down version of the song:

"On the road I dream of home and when at home I dream of action,
our apartments are all haunted by the ghost of satisfaction;
'cause we all want something that's bigger than fashion,
so spill out your heart brother, show me your passion.."

1-2-11 - "When I Drink" ~ The Avett Brothers

A lot deeper than you might guess based on the title.  Introspective, all about the consequences of our actions.  Simple, yet poignant - one aspect of The Avett Brothers which makes them one of the great bands of our time.


"When I Drink" ~ The Avett Brothers (don't worry about the video; just pull up the lyrics here)



"But when I drink,
I spend the next morning in a haze...
but we only get so many days -
now I have one less..."


Don't waste the time you have on this earth - make every day count.

1-1-11 - "The Cave" ~ Mumford and Sons

New year, new beginnings, new blog.  I'm going to start off with a hopeful song, to go with the traditional themes of a new year.  Mumford & Sons pretty much came out of nowhere this year (well, London), and took the world (well, the lucky ones who were privileged to hear their album) by storm.  "Sigh No More" is a strong candidate for my 2010 album of the year.  It's impossible to single out a favorite from the album, and you'll definitely see more of them on this blog, but for now, "The Cave" fits pretty well and should start us out on the right foot:


"The Cave" ~ Mumford and Sons


"'Cause I need freedom now,
and I need to know how
to live my life as it's meant to be;

And I will hold on hope,

and I won't let you choke
on the noose around your neck...

And I'll find strength in pain,
and I will change my ways,
I'll know my name as it's called again..." 











[an administrative note, seeing as this is the first ASOD post]


I tend to link YouTube videos, and when possible, will select an official source and the album recording or music video (although sometimes those have additions which may alter the experience).  If a live version is particularly epic or the only thing available, that may be what you get.  My intent is always to draw attention to songs deserving of such, and I'll try to stay true to the artists to the best of my ability.

It Starts... (or, "Do you dig where I'm coming from?")

In July of 2010, I went on a pretty amazing trip to the Pacific Northwest.  Within a 10-day span, I flew into Seattle, drove to B.C. for my first visit to Vancouver (a glorious city, by the way), headed back to Washington to spend some great times with incredible cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and my immediate family, and also some relatives from Holland, saw a soccer game with 33,000 of the best fans in America, saw a great World Cup Final, spent a few days at the beach on Whidbey Island, hiked all the way to within sight of the top of Mt. Baker, finally (after numerous previous trips to WA) got to spend a day just wandering around Seattle and seeing some of the sights which have evaded me in said numerous previous trips, and heard some epic new music and bands whilst driving around Washington and British Columbia to all of these places and events.  All of this was tempered by the news from back home in PA that our great aunt, who had been very close with my family and almost like a fifth grandparent, had passed away.


Somewhere during the emotional highs and lows of that trip, a belief which I've held for years crystallized in my mind - music is interwoven into our lives, and has the power to express every aspect of humanity, to bring us into each others' experiences, to allow us to empathize with the sorrows of life, and to remind us of the joys therein.  When I find myself depressed or angry, there's music to fit the mood.  Yet, no matter how much life throws at me, I have but to turn on a certain song or band and my spirits are lifted immediately.  I decided that since music means so much to me, I should make a conscious effort to reflect on this daily, and to perhaps share it with others.  Thus began my "Awesome Song of the Day" series - initially shared through the wonder of Facebook, but now brought to you on the grandest scale - the weblog.


I make no promises here; you may love the songs I post or hate them, you may not agree with them politically or spiritually, you may hear language of which you do not approve, I may miss a day (or several) when things get busy or I'm in Podunk, WV for a business trip and don't have internet access.  All I can say is that I'll try to bring you songs that have some value - be it sweetly flowing verse, deep philosophical thought, innovative sounds or rhythms, or simply catchy/happy beats to cheer you up.  I'll try to shine light on some lesser-known bands whom I've grown to love, and I may showcase bands for whom you care not.  I may do several songs by the same band (although I'll try to space them out), because certain bands just strike a chord in me (get it?), and their lyrics and/or music just resonate with my soul.  


On the presumption that people ever read, follow, or listen to this blog and the music within, I welcome musical recommendations.  I can't promise I'll like it or post it, but I'll certainly give it a chance.  I learned a few years ago not to hold preconceptions about music - friends recommended a band, and based on their description I was incredulous at best, but I went to see them (for free) at the Three Rivers Arts Festival, was instantly hooked, and they're now one of my favorite bands.  So if you stumble across this site, please comment with thoughts on the music, and please feel free to throw out some bands and songs for me to check out.


Sufficiently long and rambly introduction to what this blog is about?  I think so.  It's a magical world; let's go exploring!