Oh, just a little ditty from a band about which I recently heard someone say, "They were almost as big as The Beatles back in the '60s..." Apparently, this American trio took the UK by storm, and (if the internet speaks truth) at one time their fan club was bigger than that of the Fab Four. Their counterattack to the British Invasion makes for quite the tale of intrigue... hit up Wikipedia if you're looking for more details. The song has that classic feel, and if you're dealing with a breakup or just wishing you had someone special, this one's definitely for you.
"Loneliness is the cloak you wear a deep shade of blue is always there the sun ain't gonna shine any more..."
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:
So like I said late (really late) Friday night, both artists at the early show at Club Cafe were pretty okay. Pittsburgh band Big Snow Big Thaw set the stage for troubadour Jeffrey Foucault(see how I used a French-type word to describe a guy with a French last name?!?!), and this was their closing tune.
I really enjoy the dissonance and resolution, maybe it's just me. But the lyrics are pretty intriguing, and maybe you'll enjoy pondering them even if you're not quite as enthralled by the unusual chord structure as I.
Here's a concert video I filmed at Friday's show:
And here's another one that someone got at Thunderbird early last year - the track isn't part of their Winter/Spring dual EP, but hopefully it'll be on the new album (due for release quite soon, rumor has it...)
"how the hell'd I get here,
hangin' in the lurch?
can't reckon if I done myself
or you done done me worse..."
PS - check out another sweet song from Friday's show on my YouTube channel - new one "Homestead Grays". Might make it a post of its own someday...
If you thought Conor Oberst was the only lyrical master in this group, prepare to think again. This track was written and sung by fellow MVB guitarist Taylor Hollingsworth, and it's a doozy. Feels like a good one to close out the year, too, for some reason.
It's easy to imagine that the song is about self-destructive tendencies in general, but also quite plausible that the "poison" is the passion of love when it goes awry. I think there's more than that on Hollingsworth's mind here, though. The lines about being born with the poison in his body sound to me like the realization that all mankind has some evil inside, even the best of us. No matter how hard we try, we hurt the ones we love and those around us time and again. The challenge of each of our lives is to minimize the occasions where we harm those we care about, and maximize our efforts to heal the wounds we create.
But hey, it's open to interpretation, as are all songs. I definitely empathize with the emotions in this one, and that's why I wanted to share the song with you all. I hope you enjoy it, and have enjoyed experiencing a wide variety of great music over the past year. See you in 2012!
(shout out to Jake for hooking me up with this album, and for coining the nickname "Snake Hill" for our residence after having numerous close encounters of the slithering kind whilst mowing the lawn last year...)
Catchy indie pop tune from Detroit duo with witty name. Heard this on the radio the other day, and it's pretty swell. Light and fluffy music and vocals with some hints of darker things creeping around the edges...
And because we can, here's a live acoustic performance:
"Anything you say has already been said a million times..."
If you've been paying attention, you'll know that I love juxtaposition. First, the word itself is something special. Second, the contrast between joyful music and depressing / somber / provocative lyrics or imagery, or maybe satirical commentary on modern civilization, or just plain self-destructive tendencies. This song is just that - if you listen to the tune without paying attention to the lyrics, it is inconceivable that you won't be dancing, or at least tapping your toes; but if you pay close attention, the song is about the never ending consumerism, drudgery, and mediocrity that is suburbia... not quite as cheerful as the sonic array would lead you to believe. I choose to view the music as giving a hopeful edge to the lyrical bleakness, and lines like "dead shopping malls rise like mountains beyond mountains" do indicate the expanse of the blight, but "mountains beyond mountains" also rings of hope. The phrase is partially a tribute to a book by the same name, by a doctor who has spent significant time in Haiti working with disaster relief efforts. To quote the description: "At the heart of this book is the example of a life based on hope and on an understanding of the truth of the Haitian proverb 'Beyond mountains there are mountains' – as you solve one problem, another problem presents itself, and so you go on and try to solve that one too." I have yet to read it, but it's high on my list for the new year.
If you want to dig deeper into the lyrics and their meaning, this one's a good one to pull up on songmeanings.net - complete with a plethora of comments discussing things.
Now for some fun. Arcade Fire recently released an intense and awesome and epic (further superlatives escape me) website / interactive music video. If you have a webcam, I highly recommend using it - and if you don't have a webcam, you can still experience (some of) the fun by clicking around during the song:
(If you are lacking confidence in your dance skills and need inspiration, watch this and this first. And if you're totally lame, you can watch the "traditional" version of the music video on the site instead of the interactive version...)
And just for you audiophiles or lovers of Arcade Fire, here are some live performances to further sate your appetite:
(live studio acoustic session)
(New Orleans Jazz Festival 2011, with special guest Cyndi Lauper - yes, that Cyndi Lauper)
(different song, but had to include - the prelude to the above, in which Arcade Fire's encore began with a cover of Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"... featuring the original artist herself. If you're clever, you'll watch this one *before* the above...)
(plain ol' music video, for you lame folks)
"They heard me singing and they told me to stop
quit these pretentious things and just punch the clock
Here's a pretty swell track from a French-born Nigerian artist, Aṣa. She has an interestingbackstory, worth a read if you're so inclined. I'm pressed for time so limited commentary tonight, but check out the tune:
"I'm a prisoner you're a prisoner too Mr. Jailer..."
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..."
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:
Quickie because I'm on the road and using the "business center" at the hotel due to a wonky laptop which won't connect to the intarwebs...
Here's a super fun song that was in my head today. Vampire Weekend may have a lame "Twilight"-esque name, and may be The Preppiest Band Ever, but they're still good musicians and an enjoyable listen. Also they have fairly sharp lyrics. Check out this tune, and the live street performance:
"I didn't like the business But that was at first glance..."
There's something spectacular about wandering around a city like Seattle on a crisp, sunny fall day listening toThe 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..."
My cousin posted this on Facebook the other day (yes, Facebook is evil, but we're in too deep at this point... discussion for another day.) The song is rife with intricately woven metaphors drawn from Homer's "Odyssey" - 'Ulysses' is the Latin version of the Greek name 'Odysseus'. If you've read the Odyssey, seen a film adaptation, or are otherwise at least familiar with the tale, you'll catch the aspects of the epic tale... storms, shipwrecks, and sirens.
The lyrics about being tied to the mast and pointed home resonate. If you don't know of the "Siren song", it was an irresistible melody sung by the mythical creatures which lured many sailors and their ships to doom, smashed on the rocks of the Sirens' lair. Odysseus had his crew plug their ears so as to not be lured by the song and lash him to the mast so he could hear the song but not act on the temptation to seek it out. Thus, he heard the beauty of the song without succumbing to the trap.
You know by now that I'm a piano guy, and I love the album version which is piano-driven, but I just might love the acoustic guitar version with no other instrumentation even more. That's the version I heard first, and it lets the emotion in the vocals really shine through... let me know which you prefer.
Album Version:
Live in NYC:
"So tie me to the mast of this old ship and point me home…"
The Decemberists seem to enjoy creating albums that beg to be experienced in their entirety. The Crane Wife is such an album, and The Hazards Of Love is no different. The opening track of each album (discounting the instrumental prelude on Hazards) draws you in with an impeccably woven allegory, the beginnings of a tapestry you can't wait to fully discover.
The general meaning of this track, the subsequent #2, #3, and #4, and the album as a whole is fairly clear. We all have witnessed love, and all (well pretty much all) desire it. Yet love is not easily obtained, and even more arduously kept. Once discovered, it often is not what it seemed; we have to plunge into the depths of love to discover its truth, and it may not always be entirely pleasant. Ultimately, however, those who venture forth find love worth pursuing, despite the challenges.
"The prettiest whistles won't wrestle the thistles undone…"
