This one has caught my ear on 91.3 WYEP a few times lately. For some reason, it reminds me of Florence + The Machine, but that may just be me. The song is a driving folk rock tune about snakes, and who doesn't love that?
But seriously, the serpents are a metaphor for the poisonous thoughts left over from a traumatic relationship. Van Etten's lyrics are a maelstrom of resentment and conciliatory efforts as she tries to come to grips with these emotions. The harmonies dance a tightrope on the edge of catastrophe, evoking the mental turmoil and dragging the listener along for the ride.
Every time I post a song that involves an Echo Chamber session from the Draw Us Lines crew, I'm reminded of a line in The Rescuers Down Under (you know you loved that movie as a kid)... "We're gonna have to make connections with a bigger bird." (said by Wilbur of Albatross Air, when asked whether it's a non-stop flight to Australia...) They do such a good job over there at DUL, and capture some truly amazing songs stripped down to the roots in the EC sessions. Not to mention, some of the songs are as yet unreleased (this one is from Good Night, States' upcoming "Country / Static" release - due 4.5.12), and the EC videos are the only versions available for me to post.
Good Night, States are yet another gem formed in the coal valleys of the Steel City... but they throw in some Jersey attitude for good measure. Given their long-distance relationship, they're more than slightly elusive as far as live concert performances go, and I've yet to see them. But I can guarantee I'll be at their next PGH gig, good Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.
This song will blow you away. At least, it blew me away; I'll try not to oversell it since not everyone's musical tastes are identical. But if you like the folksy feel and lush harmonies of The Head And The Heart or Fleet Foxes; or haunting, love/heartbreak songs like "Liar" or "Poison and Wine", I'll wager you'll like this song too:
PS - props to percussionist Dan Harding for the awesome Where The Wild Things Are t-shirt (and the ridiculous glockenspiel breakdown), and to the venue for this EC session, which is a gorgeous local church - Eastminster Presbyterian.
Stayed home sick from a concert I was really looking forward to attending. Watched "Garden State" instead, and was reminded of some good tunes from the soundtrack. The film uses the Iron & Wine cover of this song (which is also awesome); I'm focusing on the original.
The Postal Service is (was?) a side project of Ben Gibbard (of DCFC fame) and Jimmy Tamborello. The name was derived from the fact that they recorded tracks for songs and mailed them to each other to build the songs. Kinda cool, eh?
The song is upbeat, electronic, and catchy, with lyrics celebrating finding one's soulmate... a bit cliched, perhaps, but still fun.
Scrubs is probably in my top three TV shows of all time, and I watched it a LOT with my good buddy / housemate Ben while we lived in Ohio after college. Just saw a rerun tonight which had this song at the end, and it's one of a plethora of sweet tracks featured in the show over the years.
Nil Lara is a Cuban American musician who has lived in New Jersey, Miami, and Venezuela, and studied electrical engineering... dude's had a pretty busy life! This one's pretty catchy; could be interpreted as egotistical but I don't think that was how it was intended... rather a song about working hard to forge a strong bond of love and maintain it.
I know how it feels I've been burned one time before
I still feel the scars on my lips When I touch when I love when I kiss"
Time for the '90s at... whatever time it is. The song "Hook" is not catchy at all, I just like the lyrics. (thanks to Empty Netters for the link.) But yea, Blues Traveler may not be everyone's cup of tea - my college roommate was not a fan - but then again, there are a few people in the world who don't like the Beatles, U2, or (dare I say it?) Lady Gaga. So I'll continue to post songs I like, and let you decide whether they're awesome to you, too...
I really do like the lyrics on this one, though. It's a biting commentary on the shallowness of society and the entertainment industry, and perhaps also on the weak-minded nature of the masses being reeled in again and again by hollow and trite diversions. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm ok with a song that "says nothing so far" but has a good hook... but seriously, with some of the stuff that's "top 40" these days ("tell me what's next, alien sex?" ...really, Kanye?) I worry about the children. Bottom line is, Blues Traveler have convictions and they're standing by them. They want their songs to mean something AND be catchy, and I think they succeeded here. If you really listen to the lyrics, there are numerous layers of brilliance to be gleaned.
But the video is a little creepy:
"I'll do as I'll decide and let it ride until I've died
And only then shall I abide this tide Of catchy little tunes Of hip three minute ditties I want to bust all your balloons I want to burn all of your cities To the ground..."
________________________________
Oh, by the way, if the chord progression sounds familiar, Rob Paravonian will explain why (in hilarious fashion):
(the use of a classical composition with a "hook", and the fact that so many other hit songs ripped Pachelbel's chord progression, just adds to the brilliance of the song, don't you think?)
This guy was on World Cafe the other day, and he's got some pretty sweet and fun tunes. It's instrumental, it's ethereal, it'll make you smile and probably bob your head or tap your toes or something.
Steve Marion is just a kid from Jersey (the only black mark on him) who wrote some music and recorded it. But it's a little different than anything I've ever heard before, and he's got a heck of a PR team ~ they wrote an utterly fictitious, but highly entertaining, press release hyping the band, complete with lines such as "...most of these songs are both too musical and too insane for the typically dim-witted American consumer." It's epic.
Give the song a shot; tell me what you think. The video has some psychedelic moments and old cartoons to add to the experience if you so desire, or just listen:
PS - you can take a gander at the entire album over on Bandcamp:
