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…"

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"

8-4-11 - "Pressing On" ~ Relient K

Ten years.  Used to seem like forever, but now it seems like it went by in a blur.  Yea, this song is from ten summers ago.  At the time, I was rocking this disc every day on the way to soccer conditioning with mi hermano, not a care in the world.  Well, probably I was starting to care about college, but looking back, I'm really not sure why...


So yeah, here's a song about perseverance and keeping your head up through tough times, from the early years of one of my favorite bands, Relient K.  Masters of witty pop-culture references and infectious pop-punk tunes, these boys broke free of the oppression of growing up in Ohio and have gone on to make tons of great music.  My favorite part of following a band is when they broaden their horizons and hone their talents while still putting out music I want to hear.  RK has done that over the years, adding more piano and other instruments along with more intricate harmonies while shedding some of the wit in exchange for more frequent lyrical depth.  Still, sometimes it's nice to go back to the relative simplicity of their early works:

And for you indie types, here's a more mellow "back porch acoustic" version (complete with lawnmower):

"Adversity - we get around it,
searched for joy, in you I found it."

7-30-11 - "Adelai" ~ Lohio

Still don't believe the Pittsburgh indie music scene is legit?  Here's further proof.  I haven't yet seen Lohio live, but songs like this assure me that I must do so in the near The instrumentation is delightful, the vocals ethereal, and the lyrics confounding yet simple.  Top it off with an amazing video featuring a cute kid's romp with a friendly monster (oddly reminiscent of another video I posted a while back), and you have yourselves some fine art:

Oh hey look this song just so happens to also be another of the excellent Echo Chamber series:

Once again, Draw Us Lines' dedication to promoting great music (especially local) comes up aces.


"are there wolves coming after me,

are there wolves coming after me…?"

6-18-11 - "Born" ~ Over The Rhine

This is a slow one, with beautiful harmonies and lyrics.  I wonder what they're talking about deep into the night....

"Secret fears, the supernatural
Thank God for this new laughter
Thank God the joke's on me

We've seen the landfill rainbow
We've seen the junkyard of love
Baby it's no place for you and me..."

6-9-11 - "What About Them" ~ John Reuben

I've had it on my mind to do this one for a while now, but didn't want to just gloss over it, so I waited until I had some time to think this post through.  Let me preface this by saying that my main goal with this blog is always to highlight music that I enjoy for various reasons - the beat, the instrumentation, the harmonies, deep lyrics, sappy romantic lyrics, challenging lyrics, sometimes humorous lyrics... I'm not trying to promote an agenda, just to chronicle my own journey through life via music, and perhaps introduce you readers to a new artist you may grow to love, or to a song that will change your perspective on life.  This song, however, has had a profound impact on me, so I'm going  to go into detail as to what it means to me; read on if you like but don't feel obligated.


(here's the song; feel free to listen while you read my ramblings below, or skip the rant and just enjoy the music)

I grew up in a Christian home, going to church three times a week.  I still consider myself a Christian, but there is a lot about American Christianity with which I struggle.  This song pretty much explains my thought process.  America was founded on the principles of freedom from tyrannical rule, but as the country developed and expanded, the European transplants waged war on those who already were living across the land.  And look where America is today.  A bloated government monster machine exists solely to keep itself fat and happy.  The ever-growing cycles of debt and taxation are staggering; the wars are fought over questionable causes, the populace live for entertainment, blissfully unaware of the tragedies of the world and within our own country.  We'd rather worry about whom to vote for on American Idol than worry about the hungry woman sleeping under a highway overpass on a 13-degree winter's night.  We'd rather watch LeBron or Tiger get their comeuppance than read about the nuclear crisis in Japan, the uprising in Cote d'Ivoire (or a number of other countries), or the natural disasters across the globe.  We'd rather get lost in <insert sitcom / medical show / crime drama here> than get involved in helping the people suffering due to these natural and human-inflicted problems.


It's all too easy to get wrapped up in "the American Dream" - go to college, get a job, find a spouse, have 2.5 kids, you know the schtick.  It's all too easy for the Christians in America to ignore the sermon on Sunday morning by thinking about kickoff between the Steelers and Browns in a few short hours, and to salve their consciences by dropping a check in the offering plate and sending $20 a month to the kid whose photo is on the fridge.  It's all too easy... but that doesn't make it right.  I'm all for reaping what you sow (i.e. - the capitalist mindset that hard workers should see the rewards of their labors), and it's nice to have a nice house and some other comforts.  But how do I justify buying a big screen TV when I already have a working TV (or three), and there are people all along the Mississippi whose homes were just destroyed by floods?  How do I rationalize dropping $45 on a concert or $100 on tickets to a sporting event when there are people in my own city (to say nothing of the rest of the world) who haven't had a meal today?  The only answer I have is by putting it out of mind completely.


So, what am I trying to say here?  If you're a Christian, don't let complacency, apathy, and the plush comforts of your privileged life take hold - take every opportunity to help those less fortunate, and never take for granted the many blessings in your life.  If you're not a Christian, don't let the actions (or inaction) of ignorant American Christians color your judgment of all believers or the true message of Christianity.  Over history, many evils have been committed "in the name of Christ" (and in the name of other religions), and in the present day, one of the greatest is apathy toward the plight of our fellow man.  But there are Christians in this world who truly sacrifice their own pleasures and comforts to serve others.  Read up on the persecuted church in China for one example.  And don't just think this song is speaking to Christians - no matter your beliefs, you need to stand up for them and live out the principles in making the world a better place.  I'm not necessarily saying we should all abandon everything we own and send every cent to help the aforementioned afflicted people; but I think most of us could cut back on the $4 coffees and think a little harder before signing up for the super premium cable package or $50/month data plan for our phones.  Live life, enjoy it, but don't forget about those who haven't been as fortunate as you.


PS - I'm speaking to myself here as much as anyone else.  I constantly find myself taking my cushy life for granted and failing to live out my faith by helping those in need.  Just a disclaimer; I'm not condemning anyone nor pointing fingers...


PS2 - I promise I won't be so depressing and preachy tomorrow.


"what a prosperous, wondrous place
remember to say grace before we scrape our plates..."

6-1-11 - "Hurt" ~ Nine Inch Nails

I'm not a huge NIN fan, in fact I can't say I've ever actively listened to most of their works.  However, this song is pretty powerful and gripping.  Some say it's about Trent Reznor's addiction to drugs, others say it's about suicide, others still have differing opinions... guess it shows that art is in the eye of the beholder.  No matter how it was originally written, we can all relate to the self-destructive tendencies expressed in the song.  We all make choices in life that we regret or that end up ending poorly for us.  We all hurt the people we care about.  Life is all about getting through this and finding a way to carry on.  Reznor does seem to realize that there is more to life than what he's been doing, although the song doesn't delve into finding fulfillment but leaves you with the feeling that he thinks it's too late or that redemption is impossible...


The live music video with Reznor on keys is stunning; I've included the studio recording as well.

Studio: "Hurt"


"and you could have it all
my empire of dirt..."

3-26-11 - "Blood Buzz Ohio" ~ The National

Not gonna say much tonight, just going to drop this track on you and let you check it out:

"I still owe money to the money to the money I owe,
i never thought about love when I thought about home;
i still owe money to the money to the money I owe,
the floors are falling out from everybody I know..."

2-19-11 - "Must Have Done Something Right" ~ Relient K

I've been having a pretty awesome weekend so far, so I think a pretty upbeat and ridiculously happy song is in order.  I've gone a month and a half without featuring one of my favorite bands, Relient K, so it's high time we get a dose of their infectious pop-punk pop-culture-laced stylings, chock full of harmonies rivaling the Beach Boys.  I've heard this song described as "inane", and maybe it is, but maybe that doesn't matter when you meet a girl that makes you feel this way (no, that wasn't part of my awesome weekend... so far, anyway!)


Lead singer Matt Thiessen said, "It's not a political commentary or a tear jerking emotion-piece, it's just a feel good, fun song. Written at 3 a.m. with a smirk on my face, the song turned out to be something that you can tap your foot and smile to."  It's just an expression of love and joy, and oh by the way there's some footie action in the video.  woo!


(If you're not familiar with Relient K, they do have some more serious and poignant songs to contrast their fun and silly fare; you should definitely check them out.)

"We should get jerseys,
'Cause we make a good team..."