"Kids These Days" ~ Fur Trade

You guys.  I know next to nothing about this band.  It seems to be the rebirth of Hot Hot Heat, a Canadian group (yep, another one from B.C., just like Said The Whale, The Zolas, Hey Ocean!, and Mother Mother, all bands with whom I am slightly obsessed...) who I must confess I've never gotten around to, but may have to check out after this.  I've listened to this track at least twenty times today... maybe thirty.  Yeah, probably at least thirty.  I can't even put my finger on what it is that makes it so awesome... sweet little funky guitar riff, the dirty piano counter-riff, a brilliant line or two, or maybe the girl dancing in the video - speaking of things I can't explain, this girl's moves... she just exudes confidence.  Blends some raggedy ballet with street moves, and it just... works.  I wish I had that kind of confidence when I was thirteen (I'm guessing that's about how old she was at filming)...

Anyway, check out the track, and tell me what you think:

Ridiculously simple, yet amazing, music video:

Soundcloud:


"There's a melody I hone that no one wrote..."

"Tonight" ~Lykke Li

A wise man once said "Elegance is simplicity".  Or maybe it was a woman, and maybe it was "Simplicity is elegance".  Or I could be making this up.  At any rate, this song by Lykke Li is beautiful, and the simplicity of it only serves to enhance and emphasize the beauty.  Especially in this one-take acoustic video:

Here's the album version, if you like:

"Watch my back so I'll make sure

You're right behind me as before

Yesterday the night before tomorrow..."

"Song For Zula" ~ Phosphorescent

So I just discovered this band thanks to another band (Efterklang).  This track is phenomal - simple, chill, and on repeat most of the evening.  Give it a go:

This track is the first single from an upcoming album.  If you check the band's label's website (Dead Oceans), you can snag a couple downloads - different tracks, though.  And if you dig a bit deeper on the site, you can find a little treasure trove of more free tracks from artists such as The Tallest Man On Earth, Gauntlet Hair, and several others I haven't listened to yet but will be checking out in the near future.

"Now my feet are gold, and my heart is white

And we race out on the desert plains all night

See honey, I am not some broken thing

I do not lay here in the dark waiting for thee..."

Don't Wanna Die Anymore ~ Ivan & Alyosha

My buddy Jake passed on a tip to check this band.  They're from Seattle and are pretty rad.  This song is on the chill side of their spectrum... they get a bit louder - not Slayer loud, but louder than this.  But today this one feels like the one to post.

Here are a couple takeaway-style performances:

Oh by the way, check their website for a free download of the track!

"Well, I don't want to die anymore

Don't want the Lord to call me home

I've got this feeling he ain't done with me yet

So, I'll sit right right here and place my bet"

"All Sense Of Time" ~ David Wax Museum

David Wax Museum are coming back to Pittsburgh to play Club Cafe on Feb 2., a show for which I'm pretty excited.  This might be my favorite track from last year's release, "Knock Knock Get Up"... but it's a fantastic album, so that's a tough call.

I love that David sings most of the song in the low end of his register.  It's a dynamic you don't hear often, and it sets the track apart while drawing focus to the lyrics.

There isn't a lot of web presence for the song, but you can listen through the band's site, and/or check out this concert recording from last fall:

I find the lyrics to be quite powerful, so here they are in their entirety, taken straight from the band's website:

"How beautiful when it rains

You can hear the nighttime sing

It’s eight and then it’s nine o’clock

But I’m still somewhere in between 

Remember half the world

Sets out while half returns

It’s eight and then it’s nine o’clock

The sun has set but still it burns 

Look and see how everything

Dissolves and becomes one

It’s eight and then it’s nine o’clock

The whole night moves in unison 

May we lose all sense of time

May we be patient as a stone

All the time we’re given

Is given to us on loan"

1-8-12 - "Old Friend" ~ Sea Wolf

I'd talk about how it's been so long and I plan to post more frequently, but nobody wants to read that.  Here's a pretty chill song I'd heard before; caught it on World Cafe tonight driving home from work and it just hit me tonight.

 

Live-ish video:

Oh, by the way, BAM.  Free download, courtesy of Diffuser.fm.  If nothing else, I Google things for you!

"Stood upon the rooftop on a night so clear
that the lights from the city just disappeared..."

11-13-12 - "We Are 1980" ~ Said The Whale

Friends, I'm incredibly excited.  One of my favorite bands (OF ALL TIME), Said The Whale, are coming back to Pittsburgh tomorrow!  As in Wednesday, November 14, at Howler's.  You should probably be there, unless you have a really good excuse, because it's going to be a blast.

My pals over at Draw Us Lines were kind enough to post my big wet sloppy kiss of an article raving about the band; have a read if you like.

It's always tough to pick just one song to feature when I like a band this much, but since it seems I've gone with STW's more folksy / sentimental tunes (like such as The Light Is You, Black Day In December, and False Creek Change) in the past, and they've released a brand new album this year that I've yet to mention here, I'd go with one of the pop/rock leaning new tunes, and the leadoff from April's "Little Mountain" fits the bill:

(by the way, the band made music videos - and not weak, lame ones - for all 15 tracks from the album.  You can find them on saidthewhale.com)

Methinks you'll find some intriguing and thought-provoking social commentary here...

"We’ve got Mandarax and loveless sex 

And information passing right through our skin and bones..."

6-10-12 - "Everything" ~ There There

You guys.  I've missed you.  Probably more than you've missed me.  I haven't posted much because I've been too busy going to awesome shows n'at, ya dig?


Anyway, it's high time I introduced you to There There.  These PGH rockers brought the noise and the funk to Brillobox on Wednesday night.  I was pretty well mesmerized by this bass-tastic glowing rig:

I got some grainy videos, but the audio isn't too shabby (all things considered).  While the band blends elements of hip hop and reggae on some tracks, this particular tune is pretty straight up rock.  Check out "Everything":

And here's the album version, resplendent in its plastic flamingo glory:





You can totally get this track (and the rest of the EP) for free on Bandcamp or Noisetrade.  I recommend you do so, if you like what you're hearing.  And if you still like it after spinning it on your iPod for a few weeks, go back and tip the band - we here at ASOD are staunch believers in exploring music, but also in taking care of the artists we love so they can continue to make music.


"Is it me, or is it you
tell me whatever, what do I have to lose
to find this piece and keep it close to my chest
I feel inside me for all of my unrest..."

5-23-12 - "Yes, Maria, Yes" ~ David Wax Museum

You guys.  David Wax Museum are back in Pittsburgh tomorrow night for a show at Club Cafe.  Yes, the Boston-based band with the donkey jawbone will be playing at everyone's favorite PGH venue.  Here's a track which epitomizes their Mexo-Americana stylings with an English-language version of a traditional Mexican folk song:

Be sure to check this track and others in their Daytrotter session.  Be sure to check some other sweet performances which are floating around the interwebs, like this NPR Tiny Desk Concert which opens with this tune:

And most of all, be sure to be at Club Cafe tomorrow night at 8 (7 Central).


"...your careless heart invites me in, just to see me go..."

5-21-12 - "All The Rowboats" ~ Regina Spektor

Regina Spektor probably doesn't need the hype from my little blog, and I've already discussed a few of her tracks.  But this one, from her new album that drops next week, is just spectacular and I felt like telling you why I feel that way, so here goes.


The first several times I listened were at work with the volume low, unfortunately not the best way to fully appreciate music.  However, even in that setting, the musicianship and composition struck me.  When I got around to giving the song its proper due and absorbing the lyrics, it only deepened my enjoyment.  On the surface, the song is a lament for masterworks of various art forms as they are neglected by today's reality TV society.  If you like, you can likely find several layers of deeper meaning as well.


The most poignant metaphor, for me, is the violin.  A Stradivarius is in itself a masterpiece, but it only becomes a true wonder when in the hands of a brilliant musician.  If it's sitting in a display case, the beauty of its sound is lost... "They've forgotten, forgotten how to sing..."


Here's the track on Soundcloud:





A Letterman performance from last week, complete with a Steinway & Sons grand piano and Regina's trademarked oddball vocalizations - this time in the form of laser sound effects:

And the music video:

"First there's lights out, then there's lock up

Masterpieces serving maximum sentences

It's their own fault for being timeless

There's a price to pay, and a consequence..."

5-19-12 - "Anything Worth Anything" ~ Rachael Johnson

A few weeks ago, my job had me travel to Nashville to work on a prototype system we have set up with a customer.  Same prototype that had my in Tennessee twice last year, but this time I was there all week and had a bit more time to enjoy the city.  Plus, it was spring instead of winter, so the city was coming out of its shell a bit and more lively this time around.


Last year, I stumbled across a girl with some pipes in one of the honky tonk / bar establishments on Broadway (downtown Nashville).  When I found out I'd be back in town, I checked her website, and sure enough, she was playing at a different venue right down the street.  As is the nature of bar entertainment, she and her band were playing a bunch of covers, from Beatles to Bon Jovi.  I put in a request for her original song, "Arizona", which I'd heard her play last year.  Since I already posted that song back then, here's an introspective ballad where Rachael Johnson reflects on the trials of her musical journey and trying to make a living in one of the musical meccas of the world:

And a live performance:

"Anything worth anything don't come easy..."

5-7-12 - "Never Be Daunted" ~ Jaymay

Just watched the movie "Happy Thankyou More Please" with Hermano.  (Arrested Development fans will appreciate the reference, especially given that a Bluth is in this film...)  

(source: collider.com)

While the film is far from perfect - you'll have to accept a few far-fetched plot devices and some perhaps trite & overused rom-com cliches - I found it quite enjoyable.  Maybe that can be chalked up to having a crush on Kate Mara (spoiler alert: she can sing, which exponentially magnifies any crush for an audiophile.)

One of the main themes is that we are all worthy of love.  Yes, we all have flaws, sometimes fatal ones.  We all make mistakes, sometimes major ones.  But, if we're willing to look, and willing to demonstrate love to others, we might just find that there are people willing to accept our shortcomings and love us despite them.  And heck, that might just be the inspiration we need to overcome some of those shortcomings and better ourselves.

(source: scriptshadow.blogspot.com)

(cute kid, no?)

Anyway, I've spoken before about the impact a soundtrack can have on a movie, which holds true for this track (and others from Jaymay) and its use in the film.  I'll leave it to you to decide whether to watch the film and discern for yourself the profundity of the song's usage, but the song stands alone just fine:

Don't let fear and doubt hold you back.  Don't give up on your dreams because they haven't come true just yet; don't give up on people just because they've disappointed you; don't give up on yourself even if you've screwed up colossally.  Take a chance, make a move, live your life.  You only get one, and it's beautiful despite the rough spots - make it more so by living to the fullest.

"what are you so afraid of?

why are you feeling scared?

what's the worst that's gonna happen?..."

5-3-12 - "Carry On" ~ Fun.

You guys.  Fun. Is. Spectacular.  A combination of, dare I say, fun melodies with upbeat and catchy instrumentation, topped off with (at least on tracks like this) powerful and introspective lyrics.  They're exploding across the airwaves, on both the indie and popular stations (and fortunately, "We Are Young" hasn't been mutilated for the Top 40 stations like Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know".)


This one (especially the acoustic performance) captures the power of Nate's vocals and the emotion he conveys.  The song's message is one of hope and perseverance.


Sick acoustic version recorded for Record Store Day (4/21/2012):

Fun. - The Ghost That You Are To Me from Record Store Day on Vimeo.


Another sweet acoustic version (marred slightly by a "watermark", unfortunately...)

Album version:

"And it's nice to know
when I was left for dead

I was found and now I don't roam these streets..."

5-2-12 - "The Affair" ~ Be Honest, Ruth Bryan!

I stumbled upon Be Honest, Ruth Bryan! through The Ballard Sessions, which are Seattle's version of Pittsburgh blog Draw Us Lines' Echo Chambers.  The trio of ladies from the Northwest bring some haunting harmonies and exquisite instrumentation, and in a bipartisan spirit, let a couple of dudes play along as well.


Citing influences like Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens, The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Death Cab, Hans Zimmer, and Itzhak Perlman lends credence to my notion that this group of musicians is legit.  If you're into those sorts of things, you just might also like this band.


This track is pretty self-explanatory, but I'll give you a few brief thoughts nonetheless.  The point of view makes for quite the intriguing take on the story.  Dads don't like it when married men fool around with their daughters.  Heck, dads don't like it when any men fool around with their daughters.  And arpeggios in minor keys are a double-edged sword, but when done well, they can really hit the spot:


(Ballard Session)

(recording via Bandcamp)

"In the mornings it's quiet,

I guess even the dead need sleep..."

"And we, oh, we are not free

We are the ties we make...

(...we are the ties we break...)"

05-01-12 - "Creep" ~ Carrie Manolakos (cover of Radiohead)

Tonight is one of those rare nights when I post a cover.  Generally, while I do believe some covers are worthwhile, I try to go with the original version (or at least post both).  But in this case, odds are you're familiar with the original, and the cover just has that ethereal quality which merits attention.


Interesting to note that this song may have the most comments of any song I've ever viewed on songmeanings.net.  Also that the band had to fight pretty hard to get past this one track from their first album, and Thom Yorke apparently pretty much hates the song now.  


Carrie Manolakos cut her teeth on Broadway, and now she has released an album of original tunes.  If this performance is any indication, she's got the pipes to make for some quality songs.

Here's an excerpt from an article that has been making the rounds on the social media sites:

"This Cover of Radiohead's "Creep" Will Make Your Ears Orgasm. If you're in a hurry, skip to 2:25 for the crescendo, but you should really listen to the whole thing. It's upsettingly good."

~ Neetzan Zimmerman, Gawker

Seriously, listen to the whole thing; the emotion conveyed in the quieter parts of the song is just as good as the payoff.  The high note, the harmony, the control through it all... just wow.  And the instruments are spot on, as well.

And here's the original, just so the Radiohead fans don't lambaste me:

"She's running out again..."

4-30-12 - "Tongue Tied" ~ Grouplove

Well, to get the ball rolling, I'm going to take a page from my buddy Jordan, who posted this track earlier today.  I've caught Grouplove on WYEP before, and they definitely put out some fun tunes with interesting lyrics and videos that have perhaps a darker edge than the music itself might imply.

This one seems pretty lighthearted, in the vein of enjoying an all night party with a cute  girl (or, guy, if that's more your style).  But then you have these menacing luchadores in suits... well, I don't really know what that's about, but art is in the eye of the beholder, so you tell me:

Update 1-9-13 Howsabout a live version, courtesy of the Hay Bale Sessions:

(Also check out the Hay Bale Sessions performance of "Colours"!)

"marmalade, we're making out..."

2-25-12 - "Downtown Sugar" ~ The Long Time Darlings

Pittsburgh rockers The Long Time Darlings have been on the fringe of my consciousness for a while now, though I've yet to catch a show.  I picked up a freebie track ("Baby Doll") a while back and it comes up on the ol' iPod from time to time, and I enjoy it every time.  Then, I found out from my boss that guitarist Brian Sproul and his folks are long time* family friends of he and his wife.  Said boss forwarded me the link to this video, and you know what?  It's a pretty great song and a pretty great video.


* - totally unintentional, I swear.


You have to love a band whose info page on facebook includes such gems as "Record Label: Ha-ha! That's hilarious!" and "Band Interests: Beer, vinyl, hockey, whiskey, sex."  Rock bands just wanna have fun, you know.  And hockey is just plain awesome, eh?


So on to the video:

[per Brian, it's "a little risqué".  But only a little. Consider yourselves forewarned.]

"Don't bet against yourself, darling…

push your way to the front."

And you can get both Downtown Sugar and Baby Doll on Bandcamp for FREE.  So yeah, do that.  And  if you like these two tracks, then go buy their album, so they can afford to record more rockin' rock songs.  (Okay, that one was intentional, and I apologize.)

2-24-12 - "Song For You" ~ Jenny & Tyler

Here's one my little brother got me hooked on.  This duo met in college, started playing music together, fell in love, got married, and are living the dream of every hopeless romantic hipster musician.


The song starts out minimally, but builds and builds into a beautifully orchestrated arrangement with rich harmonies and deeply sincere lyrics.  There's not a lot of digging to be done to interpret this track, so just bask in the glow of the love expressed and the joy of the tune, and the sweet music video filmed in Seattle + Silverdale, WA:

Some good live performance videos out there, too.  Here are two good ones:

Also, they have a ton of freebies on their website, for the price of an e-mail address.  Ten songs (okay, two are duplicated, so eight songs) just like that; two more if you go to briterevolution (just now found this site; seems cool) and sign up.  Download and give it a listen, but if you like it, be sure to go back and support the artist financially (always the best policy for facilitating that good music continues to be made!)


(Aside: can I just say that I very much appreciate artists who post lyrics on their own sites?  songmeanings.net is great, but people mishear things a lot even on a site like that.  I just like to know that what I'm hearing is what they're saying, ya know?)


EDIT 2-26-12: oh look, MORE free tunes!  This time on noisetrade.com.

"Hear my song for you

I will not hold my tongue…"

2-16-12 - "Little Talks" ~ Of Monsters And Men

Heard this tune on WYEP en route out of Pittsburgh to WV for work this morning.  It's quite good; has a little bit of an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros vibe (specifically the song "Home", with the female/male vocal tradeoff, and the female leads have some similar qualities...), and some solid lyrics.

The six-member outfit blends accordion and trumpet with acoustic guitars and keys, for a sound that's not quite unique (there's nothing new under the sun, after all) but quite enjoyable, and distinctive from the majority of stuff that's out there these days.

Oh yeah, and they're Icelandic... how about that?

Here's a live performance captured by Seattle's KEXP radio:

And  here's the recorded version (vevo link):

 "Little Talks" ~ Of Monsters And Men 

"There's an old voice in my head that's holding me back..."

"Well, tell her that I miss our little talks..."

2-10-12 - "Needing/Getting" ~ OK Go

Yet another ridiculously fun music video from OK Go.  This one takes a different approach on the Rube Goldberg theme of the This Too Shall Pass video - now it's an electric car and some pretty good timing on a piano-laced desert stunt track:

Oh yeah, and here's the album version, where the visuals aren't nearly as impressive but the audio is a little clearer... well actually it's pretty distorted guitar, but.... yeah.

"So I been sitting around, wasting my time

wondering what you been doing

aw, and it ain't real forgiving, it ain't real forgiving

sitting here picturing someone else living..."

PS - you can download the "video version" (car version) of the song on the band's facebook page.