"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..."

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"

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..."

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...)"

2-15-12 - "Prophets" ~ A.C. Newman

Here's a pretty sweet song I heard on a rerun of How I Met Your Mother.  I'm not too snobbish to discover tunes through TV shows, so if you're that kind of hipster, deal with it.


A.C. (Carl) Newman may or may not be a familiar name to you (he wasn't to me, but that's just because I hadn't done my research until tonight).  This guy is a founding member of The New Pornographers (hmm, I can tell from listening to this song, now that I know...) and what's more, he's CANADIAN.  Just like Robin in the show, eh?


Anyway, I like the song.  It's catchy, but not too catchy; has pretty solid / motivational lyrics, and anchors a poignant scene in the show (but definitely stands up without the show... just sayin', it's one of those songs... like how "Rivers and Roads" was used in the final scene of the show Chuck.)

"I was a silent partner, I know
the part of the forest where you shouldn't go..."

2-3-12 - "Sequel" ~ TeamMate

Here's a sweet new track from a sweet new band.  A band comprised of Scott Simons, an expatriate of West Virginia who's been living in LA, and Dani Buncher, a Pittsburgher who you might know from my ramblings about Big Hurry and Big Snow Big Thaw (the other two bands for which she is the drummer)  I'm not gonna lie, I'm a bit disappointed this band isn't called "Big TeamMate" or something to that effect...


Oh yeah, and the duo used to date for, like, ten years, so that adds an interesting dynamic.  This is their debut single, just dropped last night.  It deals with their breakup and some of their story, some pretty rough relationship stuff set to infectious upbeat pop sounds.  If this is any indication, they'll be quite a fun show at Brillobox next weekend...

Oh by the way, free download of this track on their facebook page.  Bangarang.


"Sometimes all you've got is too much
sometimes nothing's ever enough..."

1-3-12 - "Snow" ~ The Zolas

I have several good reasons (at least in my own mind) to post this song tonight:


1)  Today was the first day with a legitimate snowfall in Pittsburgh since last winter.  Just my luck it was the morning I had to go to work... I swear, people in this city forget how to drive in inclement weather every summer.  But I love snow even when it means extra traffic headaches and waking up earlier to shovel.  It's better though when you can go sledding and whatnot, so who wants to quit our jobs and just enjoy the best part of the year, eh?


2)  One year ago today, I posted a song by The Zolas, and I love symmetry.


3)  There's an awesome video of Zach Gray playing the song with a children's choir singing along (the St. James Music Academy in Vancouver):


"Snow" ~ The Zolas featuring the St. James Music Academy Choir (on vimeo.com)


Along with the acoustic+kids video, here's the recorded version:

And a concert video, if that's more your thing:

"and it's hard not to call you
when it starts to cover the road
...'cause we kissed in the snow..."


PS - I found a sweet stripped down version of "Green Light" by Leisure (originally posted 8-26-11).  Check it out!

12-29-11 - "Answers and Questions" ~ Earlimart

Here's a song from a few years back that I'm pretty sure I discovered just by clicking on some "related videos" on YouTube after watching some other band's song... sometimes you strike out doing that but sometimes you find a good one.  I like this song, so there you go.


Not entirely sure of the precise meaning, but it's got that wistful, melancholy vibe going on.  Kind of seems like a breakup song, only more complicated than that...

"I'm wide awake I'm watching you

all of my lies they tell the truth..."

12-23-11 - "Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect" ~ The Decemberists

Oh, you know, it's December, so a Decemberists song seems fitting.  As usual, the lyrics are a tapestry, woven into allegories with likely deep and significant meaning... but I'm not going to try to break this one down for you.  Songmeanings.net has some interesting efforts at deconstruction in the comments... check it out, if you're so inclined.

This one is somewhat reflective and somber, recalling love's labours lost, or something like that...

"And I recall in spring

the perfume that the air would bring

to the indolent town..."

12-09-11 - "Heinrich Maneuver" ~ Interpol

A little late tonight, but only here on the East Coast... 


My favorite Interpol song was always Obstacle 1, but I heard this one on the radio today so it's in my head.  As much as I love living in Pittsburgh, I always love visiting the West Coast, so whenever I'm not there, I'm asking the same question as the band does in this song.


Anyway, without further rambling, here's some rock from the Big Apple:

" 'cause I've got a chance for a sweet saint life..."

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...)

11-13-11 - "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...?"

11-11-11 - "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..."

11-9-11 - "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)

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..."

10-24-11 - "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"

10-18-11 - "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.

10-15-11 - "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"

10-13-11 - "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..."