"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..."

"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..."

5-8-12 - "Kids+Poker Face" ~ Weezer

I honestly thought this mashup was my own idea, and I pitched it to my buddy Mike last weekend, who burst my bubble by mentioning the Weezer cover.  Perhaps I'd heard this before but blocked it from my consciousness, perhaps I legitimately came up with the same idea as Rivers Cuomo & Co.  Let it be known, however, that in my head, the "can't read my, can't read my, no he can't read my poker face..." part was directly over the hook from Kids; whereas Weezer just segues from one song into the other.

Let it be known that it's unlikely I'll ever post Gaga other than this cover - just not really what I'm into these days.  Let it also be known, however, that she's a musical genius, but also a savvy businesswoman who figured out that she could achieve much greater fame and fortune by going the extravagant pop diva route than playing classical music or just being a girl with a piano.

While we're on covers, who can forget this gem?

At any rate, the original MGMT song rocks, but this does as well:

"No time to think of consequences..."

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..."

1-9-12 - "Ridin' Coach" ~ 1,2,3

So I fail at battery charging pre-show and thus I fail at getting sweet concert video of 1,2,3 like I got for Meeting Of Important People from Saturday's sold out Brillobox show.  BUT, I did scour YouTube and found a couple wicked live performances of "Work" which you can check on my post from last summer.  And I found someone else's concert video of tonight's song too.


This one is a really chill tune, perfect for a leisurely cruise with the top down, or a relaxing summer evening - wait I mean winter evening.  It's just got that groove.  Can't explain; you'll have to hear it for yourself.  The song is a reminder that we can't expect success to be dropped in our laps; we have to work for it.  Don't expect the world to hand you things - get out there and make your dreams happen!


Live at Stickyz (whatever that is):

Album Version:

"Ooh, kid...

no golden yacht will sail you from the shore, kid.

(It doesn't happen like that...)"

12-19-11 - "Top Bunk" ~ Gauntlet Hair

I'm going to be honest: I'm not precisely sure what's going on here.  But I like it.


Gauntlet Hair is a noise pop duo from Chicago by way of Denver.  This track has looping guitar riffs and somewhat dissonant interludes, along with nigh-unintelligible lyrics.  (It's my custom to pilfer a line or two and include at the bottom of the post, but in this case, I can't make out enough of a phrase to put anything remotely meaningful.... so... yeah.)

It might not be your cup of tea, but then again you may find yourself drawn to it as I was.  Give it a click, and if it's not for you, just browse to another post, like maybe some Sufjan Stevens if you're a hipster, Arcade Fire if you only liked Sufjan before he went mainstream, Said The Whale if you only liked Arcade Fire before they went mainstream, William Fitzsimmons if you just went through a divorce or nasty breakup, Bob Marley if you're Rastafarian or just like weed, or.... you know what, just browse around!

12-02-11 - "Boomerang" ~ Bassnectar

I've been in strange musical moods this week, or unusual for me, anyway.  Here's a little something you may or may not enjoy - but I enjoy it, and you won't know until you try!

11-20-11 - "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros" ~ Flight of the Conchords

Sometimes art imitates life.  Sometimes life is funny.  Sometimes music is art.  Ergo, sometimes music is funny.  Craig Ferguson and I present you with the inventors of hip-hop, "Formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo", Flight of the Conchords:

And here's the "music video" from their HBO TV series:

"They call me the Hiphopopotamus

my lyrics are bottomless...

...

...

...

...they call me the Hiphopopotamus

flows that glow like phosphorous

poppin’ off the top of this esophagus

rockin’ this metropolis

no, I’m not a large water-dwelling mammal

where did you get that preposterous hypothesis?

did Steve tell you that, perchance?

Steve...."

11-18-11 - "Great DJ" ~ The Ting Tings

Quickie tonight.  This one may not be for everyone, but as always, I urge you to give new things a shot, because it's good for you.  Although technically this song isn't brand-spanking new, but rather a few years old...


The Brit-pop duo cranked out a catchy tune, a little on the repetitive side, but in a fun way.  And the video is... interesting.  How do you make a cheap yet somehow awesome vid for a song?  Two parts white people, one part deliberately terrible choreography, one part your cousin's videography skills:

"Your folks got high at a quarter to five..."

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...)

10-31-11 - "Thriller" ~ Michael Jackson

A bit of a cop-out post related to the "holiday" because I've had a busy day and it's after midnight and I have to pack for a work trip.  But hey, they don't call Michael Jackson the King of Pop for nothing - he was a master of his craft, and this song/music video/short form movie dominated the '80s.  I think 100 million YouTube views speaks for itself... but if you don't agree, check out the list of best selling albums of all time.  Thriller doubles up the nearest competition.  Wow.

And here's just the song, if you're not into cheesy romantic/horror flicks:

Happy Candy Day, yinz!


"Now is the time for you and I to cuddle close together..."

10-22-11 - "Little Something" ~ Big Hurry

I've waxed eloquent about Big Hurry on a few previous occasions.  The point of this blog is to celebrate music, specifically music that I enjoy, and I very much enjoy this band, so there you go.  I hope you likewise enjoy this band, and some of the others that I post, although I realize that musical tastes differ.  That is why Nickelback are still making albums.


Friday night was the celebration concert for the release of Big Hurry's new EP, "Sink Or Swim."  It was a pretty high-octane show, kicked off with some DJ action, followed by a smokin' quartet of Brooklyn-based indie rockers, These Animals.  Then, the Big moment arrived - Big Hurry's set, complete with four catchy new tunes that comprise the EP.

They led off with new tune "Ordinary", then immediately dropped into "Little Something":

The tune starts off with a sweet little rhythm riff, then gains momentum as leading lady Kelly Tobias brings you the truth in lyrical form.  And when I say "gains momentum", I mean that's what the song is about - starting small and making something out of nothing, working your way to the top.


Of course, I can't help but direct you to yet another wondrous acoustic performance as captured by Draw Us Lines and featured in their Echo Chamber sessions.  Dani Buncher's percussive efforts on this track are mind-blowing, and the stripped down version allows the ladies' vocals to permeate your consciousness:

"Hey, we started back in the golden age
when clouds weren't Pittsburgh gray..."


For the record, while I support the use of "Pittsburgh gray" (if you've lived here, you know exactly what Kelly is talking about with that phrase) in the lyrics, our city is more than just a perpetually overcast steel town.  We may not have cloudless blue skies 24/7/365, but the city's glory does shine brightly in the sun on numerous days throughout the year.  Just don't want any out-of-towners getting the impression we're like Seattle where it rains year-round (oh wait, that's a stereotype too).


FREE download of this track available on Bandcamp: http://bighurry.bandcamp.com/track/little-something


EDIT (11-19-11): it seems the above link is no longer free, but now there's a FREE download of the remix on Bandcamp! (and you should just buy the album anyway, because it's schweet!)


PS - Check out Hugh's exclusive look into a Big Hurry practice session from a few days before this show:  Image of the Day - Little Something.  Hugh, of course, is another guy in Pittsburgh who takes much higher quality concert photos than I could hope to capture.  You should definitely take a look at some of his fine work.

10-10-11 - "Amber" ~ 311

Just a chill little jam in the reggae/surf style of 311. 

"you glide through my head blind to fear..."

9-28-11 - "O.C. Supertones" ~ The O.C. Supertones

Some days, no matter how important your project is at work, no matter how "disrespectful" it may be considered to those around you, you just gotta crank some ska.  Today was one of those days.  


Ska's prime was a while ago, to be sure; can't say I listen to the genre frequently these days, but if you're in the right mood it's still great.  And yes, when I said "crank", I meant "go one click higher than normal on the computer volume button", so I wasn't really sticking it to the man.  But man, hearing this album (and especially this song) just made me happy.


Give it a try and just try to stay angry or depressed or whatever unpleasant mood you may be in right now.  And if you're already feeling good, this will only expound upon your good feelings.  I promise.


"O.C. Supertones" ~ The Orange County Supertones (grooveshark link)


"Orange County, huh?"

9-14-11 - "Polish Girl" ~ Neon Indian

This one is delightfully trippy, and the video matches that vibe.  I'm not quite sure what's going on in the song or the video, but this is one case where I'm fine with just enjoying the beat for now, and I'm sure everything will become clear next time I drop acid... wait I've never done that and don't intend to start.  And despite the fact that Neon Indian has a song titled "Should Have Taken Acid With You", I'm sure he hasn't either.  Drugs are bad, boys and girls.


Anyway, apparently there's this girl, see, and she hails from the land of halushki and pierogies n'at, which is fine by me.  Many Pittsburghers enjoy these fine Polish cuisines, and as a resident of neighborhood of Polish Hill(ish), I count myself as one of them.  So the girl cooked some Polish sausage and pierogies for Neon Indian, who in turn wrote this song to commemorate a lovely evening... yeah, that's a solid interpretation of the song.  I'm gonna roll with it.  Enjoy:

9-4-11 - "Help, I'm Alive" ~ Metric

Actually found this song on a free download mixtape from their label, Mom+Pop Records, and iTunes, which I heard about thanks to labelmates Freelance Whales.  Didn't realize before this, but Mom+Pop actually has a few other swell artists, such as Ingrid Michaelson and Sleigh Bells.


It's a catchy track with vague references to zombies, but probably she's really singing about trying to find her way in a dog-eat-dog world.


Electro-rock original version with somewhat trippy music video:

Chillaxin' acoustic version:

"Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train..."

8-26-11 - "Green Light" ~ Leisure

Found this one thanks to the good people at Tympanogram.  The ethereal feel of the song is crafted from a dirty little piano hook slathered over a sparse drum loop, and the mournful vocals float above like the morning fog over the Allegheny River... or perhaps I should say the Charles, seeing as Leisure hail from Boston.  


The lyrics paint a picture of entropic developments, perhaps the waning of a fiery relationship.  

Green Light by leisure


EDIT 1-3-12:  Check out this awesome stripped-down (can't say "acoustic" because the guitar is still wired, but it's sans electronic effects) performance!

"And when the rain comes down and hits us

We'll be dying just to live..."

_________________________________

Oh hey so check Leisure's Bandcamp page for 2 free songs! (not this one, but hey, still freebies and if you like this track you might like those ones too.)  Also of note, apparently they played in London tonight and play in NYC tomorrow... not messing around with those travel plans...

8-23-11 - "Repatriated" ~ Handsome Furs

Sometimes a song just grabs your ear and won't let go.  I heard this on my commute home today, and fortunately caught the name so I could look it up when I got home.  It's catchy musically and thought-provoking lyrically, which if you've been paying attention you'll know is one of my favorite combinations.


I'll leave to your interpretation the precise meaning of the lyrics, but I think they're certainly a rally cry against apathy...

"The frozen land
I'm never going back there
It was a lie, a lie believing itself..."

8-20-11 - "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" ~ The Ventures

If I had to describe The Ventures in one word, it might be 'slick'.  Their virtuosity with their guitars is legendary in the music world, as they were pioneers in exploring new sounds which could be made on the instrument.  Their efforts in the late '50s and early '60s paved the way for a plethora of other artists, thus earning them the moniker "The Band That Launched A Thousand Bands."  The drummer is pretty smooth, too.  They are possibly the most famous instrumental rock band of all time, and their catalog is well worth exploring.


My dad grew up learning to play guitar via songs by The Ventures and Simon & Garfunkel, which might partially explain my love for both groups.  If you want to learn guitar or improve your existing skills, figuring out some of these songs is not a bad way to pick up some new things and work on dexterity...


This one, despite the threatening title, sounds joyful to my ears, with a soaring guitar lick and a chugging riff to bring it back down, all layered over a driving drum beat and hyperactive bass line.  The segue into the muted bridge is spectacular, and then it builds right back up for the close... 

It's actually based off the score of a ballet by the same name... but this version is a lot faster paced and more fun!

7-29-11 - "Save Your Breath" ~ Big Hurry

Any day you have a chance to move a sofa with a pull-out mattress down a fire escape AND see Big Hurry in concert has to go down as one of the better days it is possible to have on this earth.  Turns out the other two bands were legit tonight, too (The Long Time Darlings and The Harlan Twins - we'll likely talk about each of them some time soon).  BH brought the energy tonight to a packed and sweaty house at Brillobox, and it was good to see their full electric set after they hit an acoustic home run a few weeks ago at the Draw Us Lines birthday bash.

(photo from the acoustic set 7-9-11)

I got to talk to a few of the band members, and they're pretty swell folks.  Additional evidence can be found here (a hilarious interview after a recent show they played in NYC).  I gotta say, I'm disappointed they weren't able to resurrect "Found Out" for me after I asked them about it at the last show, but I'm holding out hope that it will resurface at a future show.


It's hard to pick just one song to highlight when you love them all, but I'm going with Save Your Breath tonight.  


"Save Your Breath" (bandcamp)


Acoustic "Echo Chamber" version, courtesy of Draw Us Lines (you gotta love the way Dani does percussion for their acoustic stuff; I know my drummer friend Jake does!):

oh hey look a remix too: "Save Your Breath / Left of the Dial mix" (bandcamp)


three for one tonight, don't you feel special?


"we depicted awful scenes in bright red chalk..."