11-30-11 - "Santa Fe" ~ Beirut

Beirut is an interesting band.  I haven't yet fully explored their catalog, but what I've heard, I've enjoyed.  However, I say "interesting" because it's not necessarily the kind of stuff that grabs you at the first measure and doesn't let you go, and it's not necessarily easy to grasp the depth of the songs without giving it some time to digest.  Don't get me wrong, this isn't some totally obscure and inaccessible music, it's definitely pleasing to the ears; but neither this track nor Elephant Gun (nor several others) are simple and straightforward lyrically, and it may take a few listens to really get into the music (but it's worth it!)  So you either have to be in the mood to get into some thought, or just enjoy the music and not worry about the meaning.


This one seems to have to do with more than just the actual town of Santa Fe (although singer/songwriter Zach Condon hails from the town).  I kind of concur with some of the folks on songmeanings.net, who think it may be a dual meaning - being called home both physically and spiritually.  "Santa Fe" means "holy faith" in Spanish, and I can definitely see the parallels in the lyrics.


The town is overlooked by the Cross of the Martyrs, which may be the cross referenced in the song... or not.  Pretty sweet looking though, no?

(photo borrowed from grumpygrimble on Panoramio)

Then you have the music video, which has some dark moments but conveys a message through them.  It doesn't necessarily directly parallel the song's lyrics, but then again, maybe it does...

And just because I can, here's a live performance too:

"On the cross, Santa Fe

and all I want

sign me up, Santa Fe

and call your son…"

11-29-11 - "Hope You Know" ~ Megafaun

So apparently these dudes used to play music with Justin Vernon (a.k.a. Bon Iver).  So that basically makes them awesome.  Wikipedia classifies Megafaun as "psych-folk", which only adds to the potential for awesomeness.  Can I build them up any more before you listen to the track?


Hyperbole aside, this is just a chill track with simple piano over a restrained drum and bass foundation, washed over by a gently blended harmonic wave.

"close your eyes
and kiss goodbye..."

11-28-11 - "Modern Drift" ~ Efterklang

So due to a combination of a busy holiday with family and a lack of a reliable internet connection, I skipped a few days of posting.  I bet you were outside your minds waiting for someone to tell you what songs to which you should listen.  Or more likely, you didn't miss it at all, but now you're ready for some more.  Good Lord willing, and the creek don't rise*, I'll try to work in a few bonus posts to make it up to you.


Here's a somewhat trippy tune from a Danish band.  The intentional "accidental" dissonant chords of the falsetto piano over several sets of lower notes on the keys create an unsettling, yet soothing sensation.  The song seems to deal with that feeling of lacking direction that so many of the youthful generation experience these days, and with a relationship struggling to stay afloat through these rudderless times; however, the band apparently doesn't like people posting the lyrics online so it's hard to be sure that everything is being heard correctly...


(WARNING: music video has some PG-13 imagery; kind of like "Bohemian Like You".  If you have sensitive eyes, use the second "video", which is just the music, or the third, which is live in Montreal.  Several other decent concert videos out there, also...

"When the morning dies
and I come to you
with a broken lie
that I made for you..."
_________________________


* - one of my favorite sayings, complete with some interesting history.  Also a line from a Johnny Cash song, which I might get around to posting one day... oh wait I'm already looking for bonus/makeup posts so here it is, YAY!

11-24-11 - "Wagon Wheel" ~ Old Crow Medicine Show

Holiday Quickie.  Here's a track that was cobbled together from the strains of a chorus composed by Bob Dylan.  Nostalgic and regretful, but with a hopeful attitude toward the future, the protagonist seeks redemption and rebirth as his journey to his hometown acts as a metaphor for his turning from evil, self-sabotaging ways and returning to his roots...

"North country winters keep a'gettin me

lost my money playin' poker so I had to up and leave

but I ain't goin' back to livin' that old life no more..."

"...and if I die in Raleigh, at least I will die free..."

11-23-11 - "Matador" ~ Maria Taylor

Oh, just one I heard on the radio several times... it has an interesting blend of instrumentation, including marimbas (or some such instrument) and guitar, creating a bit of a haunting feel.  Seems she's crushing on a contract killer, or maybe he's a literal bullfighter, not quite sure...


After several years with other bands, Taylor has been putting out solo albums lately.  Seems Miss Taylor has also been involved in some Bright Eyes recordings and concerts, so that's kinda cool...


Oh, and she kinda looks like Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity from The Matrix...)

"Watch it disappear in the red sky

keep it here and watch it die..."

11-22-11 - "Paradise" ~ Coldplay

It's unlikely that tonight's post will be groundbreaking to you; most people have at least heard of Coldplay by now.  But their latest radio hit caught my ear today, so there you go.  I still feel like Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head are my fave albums by these guys, but they're consistently solid.


This track deals with the loss of youthful innocence and idealism; the realization as we move into our adult years that we're not all going to be pro athletes, astronauts, princesses, models, rock stars, the president, or whatever else we dreamed of in our youth.  Most of us end up shifting our paradigm and creating new dreams for which to strive.  Most of us endure hard times, but often we emerge stronger and discover a life that is better than the one we'd been imagining.  The truth is, life is what you make of it, and paradise is enjoying your life for what it is, not some far-off mystical perfection.


Live at Austin City Limits:

And here's an... interesting... music video.  I think you'll be able to see the correlation between the protagonist's plight and journey and the song's meaning.  Also, elephants on unicycles are arguably as awesome as hiphopopotamuses and rhymenoceroses.  Although I could do without the holding up of cardboard signs with song lyrics - that part is like some bad truck commercial.

PS - I love the dissonant chords at the end...

"So lying underneath those stormy skies

She'd say, 'oh…

I know the sun must set to rise'..."

11-21-11 - "If You See My Boyfriend" ~ Donora

So a while back I mentioned how New Shouts and Casey from Donora combined to perform an as-yet-unreleased track from Donora's new album.  Now that the disc has been out a while, I think it's high time we feature the song.


It's pure sonic joy, filled with sass and a weighty lesson for us guys - treat your lady right, or she'll find someone else who will.

"If you see my boyfriend,
tell him I left him for a man."

11-20-11 - "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros" ~ Flight of the Conchords

Sometimes art imitates life.  Sometimes life is funny.  Sometimes music is art.  Ergo, sometimes music is funny.  Craig Ferguson and I present you with the inventors of hip-hop, "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo", Flight of the Conchords:

And here's the "music video" from their HBO TV series:

"They call me the Hiphopopotamus

my lyrics are bottomless...

...

...

...

...they call me the Hiphopopotamus

flows that glow like phosphorous

poppin’ off the top of this esophagus

rockin’ this metropolis

no, I’m not a large water-dwelling mammal

where did you get that preposterous hypothesis?

did Steve tell you that, perchance?

Steve...."

11-19-11 - "Bartender" ~ Dave Matthews Band

Inspiration for blog posts can come in many ways.  Tonight's was from the lyric (see below) that a friend posted on Facebook.  Here's a song with some very intriguing imagery... rather than throw my own thoughts out there, I'll leave it to you to interpret and digest.


Check this "Abbey Road Session":

And here's an album version:

"Bartender please

fill my glass for me

with the wine you gave Jesus

that set him free

after three days in the ground..."

11-18-11 - "Great DJ" ~ The Ting Tings

Quickie tonight.  This one may not be for everyone, but as always, I urge you to give new things a shot, because it's good for you.  Although technically this song isn't brand-spanking new, but rather a few years old...


The Brit-pop duo cranked out a catchy tune, a little on the repetitive side, but in a fun way.  And the video is... interesting.  How do you make a cheap yet somehow awesome vid for a song?  Two parts white people, one part deliberately terrible choreography, one part your cousin's videography skills:

"Your folks got high at a quarter to five..."

11-17-11 - "Barton Hollow" ~ The Civil Wars

A while back, I blogged about a track by The Civil Wars which featured reticent instrumentation and somber, emotive vocals.  This track showcases their more rambunctious side, evoking the spirit of Cash with a tale of a man running from his past.


Like their slower songs, this tune features intricate harmonies.  It also makes use of dramatic dynamic shifts to great effect.  Check out the music video and a live performance (one of many you can enjoy via the internet - also look for the live SXSW, Jools Holland, and Leno versions):

"Miles and miles in my bare feet
still can't lay me down to sleep
if I die before I wake
I know the Lord my soul won't take..."

11-16-11 - "Houdini" ~ Foster The People

So I finally picked up Foster The People's album recently, because who doesn't love an album that's chock full of tunes just waiting for commercials to use them?  I mean, screw Corporate America and The Man, but dang is this album catchy!


After a handful of spins, this track has grabbed me the most.  The hook is off the hoo... wait I mean chain.  And the lyrics are actually fairly deep too.  It delves into the musician's dilemma - opening one's soul up to the masses. It speaks out against conforming and compromising due to fear, fostering the people (a bit of a stretch, I know, but deal with it) and encouraging them to stand strong and put their talents and skills to use.  And sometimes we all wish we could pull off miraculous escapes like Houdini...

And lest you think that they're just hiding behind all the electronic sounds and synths...

And here's a hybrid live performance from SNL which still has some of the synths, but brings more focus on the keys and vox while adding some sick horns... (hey, ah, Foster The People, you got a little, uh, Ben Stiller on your shirt...)

Also featuring Kenny G.  What.

"With the lights turned up, it's hard to hide
sometimes I want to disappear..."


(PS - Mark Foster kinda looks like Zach Braff...)

11-15-11 - "Slow Days It Was Super" ~ Moshimoss

Here's a little ambient / instrumental tune that caught my ear recently.  It's by a Japanese artist, and kind of reminds me of another instrumental track I posted which also has something to do with Japan.  This one has a gentle vibe of bygone years, with children's voices echoing over the subtle synthesizers and bells...

Check out the bandcamp page too

11-14-11 - "Lonely Boy" ~ The Black Keys

Here's a fun new track from the upcoming album by The Black Keys.  As a bonus, the video is simple, lacks pretense, and is quite entertaining.  


Pretty simple premise here; I won't insult you by explaining it...

"Well I'm so above you

and it's plain to see

but I came to love you anyway

so you tore my heart out

and I don't mind bleeding

any old time you keep me waiting…"

11-13-11 - "Good Day" ~ Angels & Airwaves

What happens when a raucous punk band grows up?  Well, sometimes, some of the members form a new band and start writing music like this.  And sometimes, they get back together with the original crew after a decade, when they're all closer to forty than thirty, and we all know what happens then (actually, I haven't heard any of the new Blink 182 stuff yet...)


But yeah, Angels And Airwaves are what happens when a guy like Tom DeLonge decides to write slightly more mature music than "What's My Age Again?" and "The Party Song", and I kinda like it.  DeLonge has one of those voices that can grate on you if you're not in the mood, but it actually works most of the time in this context.  Here's a song which could have several meanings on numerous levels, but seeing as I had a pretty good day, the surface interpretation implies that this is appropriate for tonight...

"Oh I need you now
the earth fell fast asleep

this room is safe and sound

will you lay here with me and feel it...?"

11-12-11 - "Sequestered In Memphis" ~ The Hold Steady

In honor of a show I didn't attend in Pittsburgh tonight, here's a track about, well, falling in with the wrong kind of girl, getting picked up by the cops for questioning, and... you'll catch on pretty quick, I'd imagine.  Some of my friends really love The Hold Steady, and I went to see them a while back last time they were in town, and they're not bad, but not my personal favorite style of music either.  Enjoyable performance, just not quite in my wheelhouse.  This one was my favorite song they performed.  Catchy rock tune with humorous lyrics and a nice background piano riff.  Check it:

"In bar light she looked all right

In daylight she looked desperate

That's all right, I was desperate too

I'm getting pretty sick of this interview…"

11-11-11 - "Bohemian Like You" ~ The Dandy Warhols

Being a bit of a nerd, I considered a post related to the date (11/11/11), but nothing fitting came to mind, except for "Konstantine" by Something Corporate... "I always catch the clock, it's 11:11 and now you wanna talk..." but I already posted that one.


So you're getting a tune that doesn't really have anything to do with math nerdery, or veterans for that matter. (Side note: if you live in America, hug a veteran today!  No, our country isn't perfect, and no, our wars aren't necessarily always just, but there are a lot of things we enjoy today that were protected by the efforts of folks like my grandfathers, or someone you know that served.)


Here's a fairly sardonic take on the hipster / hippie lifestyle, with a heavy dose of tongue-in-cheek wit. Or maybe they're completely serious; I'm really not sure.  Either way, it's a great one to blast with the windows down, or up if it's chilly and there are snow flurries like today in Pittsburgh.  


(WARNING: music video is rated PG-13; think Titanic level.  If you have sensitive eyes, use the second "video", which is just the lyrics)

"so what do you do?

oh yea i wait tables too

no i haven't heard your band

'cause you guys are pretty new

but if you dig on vegan food

well come over to my work

i'll have 'em cook you something

that you really love..."

11-10-11 - "How'd You Like That" ~ The Kooks

Brit rockers The Kooks are fairly new to me, but this tune caught my ear on the radio recently and it's a toe-tapper.  It seems their style has spanned several genres, but this one is straight up pop rock sweetness:

"Well, I was sleeping

only in my head

slipping in and out of time

and I was lifting 

always higher

and the women of heaven sang

they were singing…"

11-9-11 - "Old Friend" ~ The O.C. Supertones

I find tonight's track to be incredibly evocative.  Every time I hear the opening chords, I'm instantly transported to a beach in SoCal.  Wait, I've never been to California, but I can still imagine what it would be like!  The music just has that vibe of sitting around a bonfire on the beach, in the late (late) Indian summer, after one last perfect day riding the waves, enjoying the company of close friends and playing some surfy, relaxing tunes to wind things down...

 (photo borrowed from laurenmeg)

This one lacks the trademark horns and blistering ska heat of the bulk of the band's work, but it's one of my favorites from their catalog nonetheless.  As I mentioned, the gentle surf guitar and bass rhythm are just swell, the harmonies sublime, and the guitar solo in the bridge is beautiful in its restraint.

"What do I know? Somebody tell me

I've been running from you for so long…"

(photo borrowed from yan_san)

11-8-11 - "Machine" ~ Regina Spektor

Been a while since I posted some Regina Spektor.  This one falls somewhere near the middle of the Spektor Weirdness Scale - it has some odd vocal utterances and disturbing imagery, but isn't nearly as strange as certain other tracks ("Oedipus", "Aching to Pupate", I'm looking at you.)  I think my favorite thing about Spektor is she's absolutely unafraid to try new things, be herself, and just have fun with her songs.


The song starts with a driving piano rhythm, explodes with mechanical sounds, and features a sick string breakdown for the bridge.  The subject matter here is pretty heavy; I'll leave the details for you to work out on your own but the gist seems to be an homage to / railing against the technological age, or maybe some kind of futuristic dystopian world...

Several clutch live performances are online; here's one from House of Blues (Boston) to start you off:

(look for "Live in London", "Live Paris Bataclan", and "Bonnaroo 2010" for some other sweet ones - better video than this version but this one has that intimate venue feel)

And here's the album version, coupled with one of the most fitting fan videos I've ever seen.  The scenes are from Joss Whedon's "Firefly" and "Dollhouse" shows, and although I haven't watched Dollhouse, Firefly was great.

"I collect my moments

into a correspondence

with a mightier power

who just lacks my perspective

and who lacks my organics

and who covets my defects

and I'm downloaded daily

I am part of a composite..."

11-7-11 - "You Really Got A Hold On Me" ~ Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Oldie, but a goodie tonight.  A little Motown soul for you, brought by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.  These guys were one of the founding acts on the Motown label, and Smokey was known as the "King of Motown", so I guess that means they weren't half bad.  Also, did you know that "Motown" is a portmanteau?  What's a portmanteau, you ask?  It's a blend of two or more words into one new word. (thanks, Wikipedia!)  We strive for nothing if not education here at Awesome Song of the Day... 


Oh so smoothly, they sing a tune about a dysfunctional relationship they just can't quit.  Seems like when it's good, it's really good, but when it's bad, it's... not so good.  But hey, life is pain, pain breeds art, and art makes life good, so it all works out, eh?

(looks like The Miracles had a few screws loose.... oh, sometimes I slay myself!)

"I want to leave you

Don't want to stay here

Don't want to spend another day here

Though I want to split now

I can't quit now

You've really got a hold on me…"

11-6-11 - "Stranded" ~ Plumb

I listened to some older stuff on my iPod whilst doing some yard work today, and stumbled across this old favorite.  Plumb has spanned several genres over the years, but back in 1999, she was putting out melancholy alt-rock tunes like this one.  The meaning isn't hard to deduce; mourning over a love lost and wondering if it could be regained...

"If it's coming over you

like it's coming over me

I'm crashing like a tidal wave

that drags me out to sea…"

11-5-11 - "The 1812 Overture" ~ Tchaikovsky

"Remember, remember the Fifth of November,

The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,

I know of no reason

The Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot."

It's the Fifth of November, and if you're like me, you may watch V for Vendetta tonight.  Mostly because Natalie Portman looks good even with a shaved head, but also because of Occupy Wall Street - standing up to The Man, fighting against... wait, what are we fighting against?  Hopefully something bad...


The movie is about a totalitarian government in the UK in a futuristic dystopian society, and a vigilante who fights against the evils of said government, wearing a Guy Fawkes mask symbolically in reference to Fawkes' efforts to overthrow the British government centuries ago.  There could be a lot of debate about the meaning of the film and the motives of the characters, as well as the justness of their causes.  It's interesting to note the religious side of the original Gunpowder Treason - Fawkes was part of a group of Catholics trying to overthrow a Protestant government and restore Catholicism's power backed by the British crown.  So depending on whether you consider Protestants to be tantamount to Totalitarians...


Of further interest is the use of the end of Russian composer Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture at the climax of the film.  The score has become popular in America and is often used in a patriotic sense here, and it's somewhat implicit in the movie that V is using it to stand for freedom and patriotism as well.  However, despite what most Americans likely think, the music was not composed to celebrate American victory over Britain in The War of 1812 (hmm, more irony that a British freedom fighter would use it, if that were true).  Believe it or not, there was more than one war going on in that year, and Tchaikovsky was actually telling the story of the failed attack by Napoleon's army on Moscow, and celebrating the defense of the Russian city.  Hence the elements of the French national anthem and "God Save the Tsar" within the music.


Bottom line, it's a fine piece of classical music, and the final few minutes - complete with cannon fire which is called out in the score - are spectacular.  To quote the great Calvin: "And they perform this in crowded concert halls??"

I'd love to debate the historical, political, and religious ramifications of all this information with you some time, but for now, just enjoy the music, and remember to stand for what you believe in.

And here's the last two minutes, for those of you who aren't patient enough for the whole thing:

And here's the <SPOILER ALERT> final scene from the film.

11-4-11 - "You Guys Are Gonna Wake Up My Mom" ~ Field Mouse

A few months ago, I saw a pretty swell show at Thunderbird.  I already told you a bit about it, as it featured local Pittsburgh favorites Big Hurry and new to me but quickly growing on me These Animals.  However, I hadn't gotten around to posting about the third band... until now.


Field Mouse, like These Animals, hail from NYC... Brooklyn, to be precise.  Field Mouse, like Big Hurry*, are a four-piece group with two dudes and two chicks.  Unlike Big Hurry, the chicks are lead vox and bass, rather than vox and drums.  Unlike These Animals, Field Mouse are a single specific species.  Their tunes could be classified as "dreampop", and in fact have been so classified.  This one's a new one, quite engaging, with lyrics worth pondering, and lo and behold, you can get it FREE on Bandcamp:





"all the fires I start
I'll put out on my own..."


* - more correctly, Big Hurry was a four piece outfit half comprised of ladies and half comprised of dudes.  But then Andy moved deep in the heart of Texas, and now the ratio is 2 / 1.  But hey, I was going based on the way things were in August, and trying for literary effect!
___________________________________________


EDIT 11-10-11:


OH SWEET, there's a music video all of a sudden!

11-3-11 - "Marionettes" ~ The Zolas

So I haven't posted any tracks from The Zolas in quite a while.  Here's a track of theirs which weaves allegorical themes of life and relationships crumbling from apathetic indifference.  It would seem the message is to not take the good parts of life for granted, and not take what's being imposed upon you lying down... break free from the puppeteer's strings, if you will, and fight for your life, your love, your liberty.


Or something like that.

Also check the stripped version complete with piano breakdown:

"Sometimes an empire doesn't fall

As masked invaders climb the walls

Or spreading fires or rising floods

Sometimes it dies within..."