10-30-11 - "Wanna Be Loved" ~ dc Talk

Listened to a few old favorite albums on this weekend's road trip.  Here's a head-bobber from a band I listened to quite a bit back in high school, DC Talk.  These boys evolved from a rap / hip hop group in the late '80s - early '90s to a more rock / pop sound by the late '90s, but managed to work in a lot of different styles along the way, as evidenced by this track, which contains elements of funk, soul, and pop.  My favorite part is probably the funky, crunchy bass line, which anchors the song as the harmonies and freestyle vocal riffs flow.

"Rainy monday afternoon;

there's a funk over the city..."

10-29-11 - "Electric Dusk" ~ Gloryhound

Something a little different for you tonight.  I'm kinda digging it, although I need to give it a few more spins to decide for sure.  Let me know what you think:

10-28-11 - "Party, My House, Be There" ~ MxPx

Just a straight up fun punk tune for ya, from probably the best band ever, MxPx...

"Bring along yourself and don't forget that smile
Plan on stayin' a while
'Till summer turns to fall..."

10-27-11 - "You Make My Dreams Come True" ~ Hall And Oates

In honor of my housemate Matt's birthday, and the fact that all of us except him have a crush on Zooey Deschanel, and some of us may have a man-crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt as well, here's a sweet song which was featured in (500) Days Of Summer.  Hall and Oates have a surprising catalog - you might not realize how many of their tunes you know and love from various films over the years, or from actually living through the '80s.  They're even from Matt's hometown of Philadelphia (poor guys, the lot of 'em!)


(the music video is totally '80s and spectacular...)

(and here's the scene from the movie... kid can dance, eh?)

... and that's what true love is all about; dancing in the streets with strangers, and little animated birdies.  I think we all know that feeling, or at least wish we did...


"What I want, you got

but it might be hard to handle,

like the flame that burns the candle

the candle feeds the flame, yeah, yeah..."

10-26-11 - "Pipeline / Diamond Head" ~ The Ventures

For several reasons, I'm giving you a two-fer tonight (and you can thank my good buddy Ben for that term, although he used it in reference to a piano duet rather than a doubleheader of songs).  First, I couldn't decide which Ventures tune to go with.  Second, I found a sweet live video of two of my top three choices.  Third, the songs are short anyway.  Fourth, it's my party and I'll cry if I want to.


Anyway, the first time I posted a song by this groundbreaking instrumental rock band, I explained just why they are awesome; so I'll just let the music do the talking tonight.  Here are two surf rock classics, performed live back in '64:

(I love the chugging riff in Pipeline, but the best part may be that their demeanor is so laid back while they are playing what was, at the time, some of the most progressive and "hard" music out there.)

10-25-11 - "Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart" ~ Fountains of Wayne

Oh, just a catchy pop/rock tune about broken hearts by the guys that brought you "Stacy's Mom"... (who knew they were still around?)  This song isn't quite as blatant an effort at a hook as that one was, but this is definitely a band that knows how to churn out radio gold.  I believe one of the band members once referred to the group as "masters of the 3-minute pop song."  Not unlike Lady Gaga, these guys have figured out what sort of songs garner airplay...


To be honest, I'm pretty much a sucker for songs about pants, and this one may take the cake with that opening line.  I don't think it would be possible for me to not like this song after that...

"Staring at the sun, with no pants on..."

10-24-11 - "Moneygrabber" ~ Fitz and the Tantrums

Fitz and the Tantrums are apparently suffering through another nasty breakup.  This time, it seems there's a gold-digger involved.  But hey, life's tragedies lead to some of the best music:

Oh by the way, the band is offering Don't Gotta Work It Out for free right now: 


Don't Gotta Work It Out (mp3 download)

"I don't pay twice for the price of a cheap dime whore"

10-23-11 - "A Ghost You've Known" ~ These Animals

This summer, I went to a show to see a favorite local band, and was introduced to some great music from New York City in the process.  These Animals came back to Pittsburgh to again share the stage with Big Hurry on Friday, and they were even better than before (maybe because I know the songs now).  Here's one of their songs, filmed at the show at Brillobox:

If you want to hear the song with less of the fuzzy concert reverb, check this studio session video:

And now for the album version:

A Ghost You've Known by theseanimals



"Drop me on a dime, count down from three
When I hit the ground, I'm running..."
____________________________________________________


A quick word for lead singer Greg:  The 'stache makes the man.

10-22-11 - "Little Something" ~ Big Hurry

I've waxed eloquent about Big Hurry on a few previous occasions.  The point of this blog is to celebrate music, specifically music that I enjoy, and I very much enjoy this band, so there you go.  I hope you likewise enjoy this band, and some of the others that I post, although I realize that musical tastes differ.  That is why Nickelback are still making albums.


Friday night was the celebration concert for the release of Big Hurry's new EP, "Sink Or Swim."  It was a pretty high-octane show, kicked off with some DJ action, followed by a smokin' quartet of Brooklyn-based indie rockers, These Animals.  Then, the Big moment arrived - Big Hurry's set, complete with four catchy new tunes that comprise the EP.

They led off with new tune "Ordinary", then immediately dropped into "Little Something":

The tune starts off with a sweet little rhythm riff, then gains momentum as leading lady Kelly Tobias brings you the truth in lyrical form.  And when I say "gains momentum", I mean that's what the song is about - starting small and making something out of nothing, working your way to the top.


Of course, I can't help but direct you to yet another wondrous acoustic performance as captured by Draw Us Lines and featured in their Echo Chamber sessions.  Dani Buncher's percussive efforts on this track are mind-blowing, and the stripped down version allows the ladies' vocals to permeate your consciousness:

"Hey, we started back in the golden age
when clouds weren't Pittsburgh gray..."


For the record, while I support the use of "Pittsburgh gray" (if you've lived here, you know exactly what Kelly is talking about with that phrase) in the lyrics, our city is more than just a perpetually overcast steel town.  We may not have cloudless blue skies 24/7/365, but the city's glory does shine brightly in the sun on numerous days throughout the year.  Just don't want any out-of-towners getting the impression we're like Seattle where it rains year-round (oh wait, that's a stereotype too).


FREE download of this track available on Bandcamp: http://bighurry.bandcamp.com/track/little-something


EDIT (11-19-11): it seems the above link is no longer free, but now there's a FREE download of the remix on Bandcamp! (and you should just buy the album anyway, because it's schweet!)


PS - Check out Hugh's exclusive look into a Big Hurry practice session from a few days before this show:  Image of the Day - Little Something.  Hugh, of course, is another guy in Pittsburgh who takes much higher quality concert photos than I could hope to capture.  You should definitely take a look at some of his fine work.

10-21-11 - "Oh Dear Diary" ~ Sloan

Alt-rockers bring a funky twist on high school drama, complete with Hammond chording over a saucy beat and a ratchet.

"If you're found on the ground of the school I'll be dead,

I hear them chanting off with his head..."

10-20-11 - "Morning Song" ~ We Are The City

So you've already read about the band whose show I attended on Monday night.  An unexpected benefit of being there was discovering these guys along the way.  Hailing from British Columbia just like tourmates Said The Whale, We Are The City brought an engaging brand of progressive indie rock with keyboard (which of course gets them a +1 in my book).  The downside was that I really only caught their last song, due to a prior commitment.  But that was enough for me to check them out further.


Morning Song is the back half of a just-dropped EP, and happens to be the song I caught at the show.  (The front half is called Mourning song, and leads into this one quite well - check it out too!)


The piano style reminds me a bit of Keane, but the guitar and vocals differentiate them from the brit piano-pop group.  Evocative lyrics will draw you in, with imagery of the ocean and the frailty of human life.  Asymmetrical phrasing generates an unsettled mood, making the resolution all the more powerful.  The song's subject matter is the suffering in the world, and the hope that burns within us despite the pain.  


Sweet video of the band performing the song out in nature in - you guessed it - the morning:

Perhaps the best part?  You can download the track FREE on Bandcamp!  (but if you like it, I highly recommend going back and buying the $2, 2-song EP to support the further endeavours* of this talented young group...)


* - see what I did there?  I spelled it like a Canadian would, eh?


Morning Song ~ We Are The City (bandcamp)


"Do you feel fine? 

Please pull me like the moon pulls the tide 

And if I'm set to walk on land then my sandy bones will turn to glass and I'll wait for them to crack..."

10-19-11 - "Piano Pieces for Adult Beginners" ~ Woodpigeon

The Jamaican bobsled team at the 1988 Olympics wasn't the only good thing to ever happen in Calgary. This band came up with at least one sweet song that caught my ear...


A catchy little (you guessed it) piano riff anchors the tune.  Mark Hamilton (no, not Mark Hamill) lends his light tenor vocals, and the song builds with a menagerie of instruments.  The lyrics are straightforward, a call to honesty, integrity, and the value of good timing.  Timing is everything.

"Good things come to those who fake..."

10-18-11 - "Black Day In December" ~ Said The Whale

I know it's not December yet, but I'm going with this song because it's probably my favorite by Said The Whale, who played an intimate show in Pittsburgh last night.  They actually didn't have this one on the set list, but I sweet-talked singer/guitarist/songwriter Ben into an encore, and it was spectacular.  He was standing right in front of me with his acoustic guitar, and Jaycelyn added some restrained notes from the xylophone while Spencer and Andrew (drummer from fellow Vancouver band We Are The City) worked in some gentle percussion, punctuated by a single water bottle cap explosion from Tyler (songwriter/guitarist/singer of many other tracks).  I'm honestly not sure if bassist Nathan was playing for this one or just standing there looking pretty, but either way, he was a big part of the evening as well!


I'm rambling, but it was one of the most fun shows I've been to, made all the more special by the bands' willingness to talk with me and some other fans (who drove 2 hours from Punxsutawney to be there) afterward.  Their month-long round-the-continent road trip is impressive, with shows just about every night (sometimes to less than packed houses, like a Monday night in a town 2500 miles from their home), and I'm sure they were tired, but they still went out of their way to interact with the audience.


The song tells the tale of a storm in December of 2006 which ravaged the old-growth forest and other parts of Stanley Park (my favorite part of Vancouver).  It's a sad story, but there's a hopeful glimmer shining through the darkness as the mermaid and old man characters pray for the park, its inhabitants, and the city.  


Album version:

Live performance in Stanley Park:

"She sees the worst is yet to come

A big wave on the horizon

The first wind blowing in

Left Stanley's soldiers felled and broken...

Her own sisters and her brothers

And ten thousand friends and lovers

A black day in December..."

______________________________

BONUS:  I posted "The Light Is You" way back in January, and last night I got a video of the band performing it - check it out.

10-17-11 - "Don't Touch That Dial" ~ Paper Lions

Paper Lions hail from Prince Edward Island, Canada (hmm, could we be heavy on Canadian bands lately because I was recently in Canada, listening to a Canadian radio station...?)  The name seems to be drawn from a book written by an average joe who participated in training camp with the Detroit Lions.  Or maybe it's just a play on paper tigers.


Paper Lions' brand of garage pop/rock is infused with hints of punk, and caught my ear as I drove.  Check this song:

"grab your shoes, we're headin' to
the closest bar to get down to something not so new..."

10-16-11 - "Atlantic" ~ The Midway State

Hailing from Toronto, these guys put out at least one song that caught my ear on my travels... I have quite a lot of bands to check out in depth so it may take time to get to them all, but let me know what you think of this track in the meantime.

"Hard London rain beat colour out..."

10-15-11 - "Sometime Around Midnight" ~ The Airborne Toxic Event

Another one from the West Coast airwaves.  These guys have a band name that, on first hearing it, will likely have you thinking "some sucky emo band" or "...hmm..."  Apparently the name is derived from a book - I'll have to read it someday, perhaps.  But I dig the song, even if the band name is strange.  I think they were gonna call themselves "The Beatles", but found out that one was already taken...

The drummer rocks a legit mustache in the video; in one shot he looks like Seth Avett.  They also have a chick who plays viola, always a nice touch. It seems like the song is about having the wounds of a relationship re-opened.  And the video has some interesting cinematography... 

"And the piano is this melancholy soundtrack to her smile"

10-14-11 - "Brokered Heart" ~ The Acorn

Last day on the West Coast (for now!), so here's another quickie post of a song I heard while on my trip...


The Acorn hail from Ottawa, Ontario and may be the first band I've featured from that town.  Bully for them.  Their style is some kind of indie/folk, and this track features a lot of acoustic guitar and ukelele (booyah!)  


Here are two live/acoustic performances - one in a van, the other down by the river (ok, fine, ocean... it's a body of water and I wanted to allude to a certain motivational speaker...):

"Oh, you signed and sealed it
my brokered heart believed it..."

10-13-11 - "Flume" ~ Bon Iver

There's something spectacular about wandering around a city like Seattle on a crisp, sunny fall day listening to The Tallest Man On Earth and Bon Iver.  (guess what I did today...?)  These two men weave tapestries of emotion and delve into the deepest, darkest mines of human souls, yet always leave me brimming with joy.

Live in studio:

Album:

"Only love is all maroon
lapping lakes like leery loons
leaving rope burns, reddish rouge..."

10-12-11 - "I Should Be Born" ~ Jets Overhead

Another from the radio whilst on my travels.  Jets Overhead hail from Victoria, BC, and this track is just groovy.

"Don't lose sight of the eyes that you're given
no conflicts, conditions can take your sight away..."

10-11-11 - "Fixed" ~ Stars

Oh, just some Canadian indie pop rock for you tonight...

Live performance:

"touch turns into fisticuffs..."

10-10-11 - "Amber" ~ 311

Just a chill little jam in the reggae/surf style of 311. 

"you glide through my head blind to fear..."

10-9-11 - "What The Water Gave Me" ~ Florence & The Machine

Continuing the recent trend of quickie posts inspired by having XM radio and/or being within range of some good stations in the Seattle/Vancouver areas, here's another track I heard during my travels this weekend.


Florence scares me a little, and I'm not sure what to make of The Machine, but this song is gripping.  The minor chord progression and lyrics will haunt you, but not in a bad way.

"Lay me down
let the only sound
be the overflow..."

10-8-11 - "Gimme Sympathy" ~ Metric

(if anyone's keeping score, this is my second late post in three days... I blame Canada.)

The Peak came through with a bunch of good tunes during my time in Vancouver, and here's another one. A little bit electronic, a little bit pop, a little bit egocentric...?

And of course you know by now that if there's an unplugged version, I'll add it for good measure:

"After all of this is gone

who would you rather be,

The Beatles or the Rolling Stones...?"

10-7-11 - "Big Blue Wave" ~ Hey Ocean

Another one from 100.5 The Peak.  Local Vancouver band Hey Ocean! are on form with this track, and hey, David Beckham is in the band!

...wait that's David BeckINGham in the band, not the soccer player... my bad.  But he's pretty cool too!


Anyway, the song is just swell.  Catchy and hopeful, this fits the bill of indie rock-pop brilliance.  And I found an amazing acoustic version as well, which brings out the harmonies and emotive depth in a spectacular way...


Recorded:

Acoustic Awesomeness:

"Sing until you have no voice
sing because you have no choice
sing until you float away
our love is like a big blue wave..."

10-6-11 - "Lights" ~ Ellie Goulding

So I made it 9 months without missing a daily post (although a few came an hour or two past midnight EST.)  But due to a combination of travel, a late night at the Penguins-Canucks game in Vancouver, and a crappy computer that wouldn't connect, I didn't get to post yesterday.  So here's yesterday's song, retroactively.


Heard it on 100.5 The Peak, Vancouver's awesome radio station, whilst driving up from Seattle.  One of a plethora of great songs they played, many of which will likely show up here in the coming days.  This trip is in some ways a mirror of the trip which originally inspired me to start this blog, and this station played a role in that.


This track is from a British songstress and is a bit on the dance/techno side, but it's enjoyable and has some interesting lyrics...

"...the queen has been overthrown..."

10-5-11 - "In Every Direction" ~ Junip

(Quickie post written ahead of time to auto-post, as I'll be on airplanes from 6PM EDT - Midnight PDT...)


Just a song that caught my ear in the car on Tuesday... 

Bonus KEXP live performance:

"feeling safe enough to abandon the void…"

10-4-11 - "God or Man" ~ Ivan & Alyosha

This is gonna be quick because I'm heading out of town tomorrow, it's late, and I need to rest before a long day of work then travel.  Posts for the next ten days will likely likewise be quick.


My friend Jake told me about this band who are playing in Seattle Friday; I'll be in Vancouver for work and then headed to Seattle but not sure I'll make it in time for the show.  But I checked out the band, and they're pretty great.  A lot of symbolism in the band's moniker, "Ivan & Alyosha."  Worth reading.


This song gripped me most out of their live-in-studio sessions with KEXP (Seattle), which Jake recommended to me.  Give it a go:

"somewhere I got lost along the way…"

10-3-11 - "Star Witness" ~ Neko Case

Once again, WYEP on the drive home comes through with a song that just caught my ear.  I'd heard of Neko Case before, primarily as part of The New Pornographers, but hadn't heard much of her solo stuff, and certainly not this moving track.


It's said to be about a shooting, and with or without that context, it gets me thinking...

And here's a pretty cool live version:

"rolling off in a crooked line

to the chainlink lots where the redials dive…"

10-2-11 - "Ulysses" ~ Josh Garrels

My cousin posted this on Facebook the other day (yes, Facebook is evil, but we're in too deep at this point... discussion for another day.)  The song is rife with intricately woven metaphors drawn from Homer's "Odyssey" - 'Ulysses' is the Latin version of the Greek name 'Odysseus'.  If you've read the Odyssey, seen a film adaptation, or are otherwise at least familiar with the tale, you'll catch the aspects of the epic tale... storms, shipwrecks, and sirens.


The lyrics about being tied to the mast and pointed home resonate.  If you don't know of the "Siren song", it was an irresistible melody sung by the mythical creatures which lured many sailors and their ships to doom, smashed on the rocks of the Sirens' lair.  Odysseus had his crew plug their ears so as to not be lured by the song and lash him to the mast so he could hear the song but not act on the temptation to seek it out.  Thus, he heard the beauty of the song without succumbing to the trap.


You know by now that I'm a piano guy, and I love the album version which is piano-driven, but I just might love the acoustic guitar version with no other instrumentation even more.  That's the version I heard first, and it lets the emotion in the vocals really shine through... let me know which you prefer.


Album Version:

Live in NYC:

"So tie me to the mast of this old ship and point me home…"

10-1-11 - "How Soon Is Now" ~ The Smiths

We'll kick off October with some Smiths.  As often happens, I heard it on the radio in the car yesterday, and was like, "oh YEAH, what a great song that I haven't listened to in ages!"  So of course now I'm blogging about it.


The guitar parts are pretty intense, and you can read about how they were produced on good old Wikipedia.  Wiki also has info on the lyrics (some of which are paraphrased from George Eliot, who was actually a female writer in the 19th century using a pseudonym to be taken seriously - pretty interesting), and the covers, which include t.A.T.u. (remember them?  hoo boy.)  Lead singer Morrissey was interviewed and asked about that cover version, and hilarity ensued:


"The interviewer explained, 'They're teenage Russian lesbians.' To which Morrissey replied, 'Well, aren't we all?'"


But anyway, here's the song:

(long version)

"How Soon Is Now" normal version / music video (youtube)

"I am the son
and the heir
of nothing in particular..."

9-30-11 - "Hayloft" ~ Mother Mother

You may find this song strange.  But you may also find that you like it.  I found both.  It's quirky (both musically and lyrically) and fun, and with it Mother Mother ushers a stern warning to frisky kids in an amusing way.  Now, there may be some deeper meaning, but the bottom line is, if you're going to fool around with the farmer's daughter, choose a spot that's not on his property.

"My daddy's got a gun
my daddy's got a gun
my daddy's got a gun
you better run..."