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
Great movie, great soundtrack, great composer, great singer. That's all I have to say about that.
Wait, I lied... I have a bit more to say. In investigating the lyrics(?) of this song, I read that it's not an actual language, but rather, glossolalia (sometimes known as "speaking in tongues"...) Interesting, no? We learned a new word today!
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...)
I've been remiss for the bulk of this year in not posting this song. I first heard it around this time last year, and was spinning it frequently throughout last winter, but apparently never whilst I was pondering which song to select for the day's blog post. So here you go.
G Love teamed with The Avett Brothers (acting as producers, among other things) on his latest album, and since TAB are pretty swell in my opinion, odds were good that I'd like the collaborative effort as well. This track is old-fashioned foot-stompin' bluegrassy rock, crying out to the good Lord as he ponders his final days and the fate of his poor children if'n he passes...
(Scott and Seth appear courtesy of their being awesome...)
"Well, I don't mind dyin',
but I hate to leave my children cryin'.."
_____________________________
PS - poke around on philadelphonic.com for some free stuff, if you so desire...
A few of my friends (you know who you are) got this song in my head tonight the old fashioned way - by singing it. The Felice Brothers don't match up to The AvettBrothers (in my humble opinion), but they still put on a rip-roarin' show with some boot-stompin' tunes such as this one. It's just a little ditty about the inherent evils of cheating on your significant other whilst he is familiarizing himself with the inherent evils of mixing alcohol and guns...
I suppose it shouldn't be shocking that a band by this name would put out a video based on one of the most chilling events in recent history - a mass suicide/murder by a group of people following a fanatical and charismatic leader. The video's production is impressive, seamlessly inserting the band members into footage from the cult. You can read a bit about the making of the video here.
Despite the depressing nature of the video's subject matter, I find the song itself encouraging. The ultimate message is to live life to the fullest, not to "hole up" or "stay inside and sleep the light away..." Take advantage of opportunities to see the world, spend time with loved ones, and don't take the little things for granted. And especially, don't let negative or slothful people get in the way of your own enjoyment of this beautiful world. At least, that's what I'm getting out of the tune...
Just the song, without the NBC News commentary and whatnot:
Bonus: The band is featured in a new holiday episode of Yo Gabba Gabba!, which apparently airs on Nick Jr. tomorrow evening. So if you enjoy this song, be sure to tune in for that and trip out whilst watching a children's program... you know, if you're into that sort of thing.
Indie pop from Wales, but not Welsh (at least according to Wikipedia...) I guess stranger things have happened in this world. Wherever they're from, they caught my ear, and lo and behold, now they have a chance to catch yours.
This track is a bit darker than you might think from the music. Catchy and engaging synth and upbeat major chords won't have you thinking about your untimely demise, but that's the subject matter which belies the mood of the melody. The accompanying video has some nostalgic moments with toys from our collective youth, but contrasts these images with some twisted and morbid scenes, a juxtaposition which is quite unsettling:
Inspiration for blog posts can come in many ways. Tonight's was from the lyric (see below) that a friend posted on Facebook. Here's a song with some very intriguing imagery... rather than throw my own thoughts out there, I'll leave it to you to interpret and digest.
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..."
Once again, WYEP on the drive home comes through with a song that just caught my ear. I'd heard of Neko Case before, primarily as part of The New Pornographers, but hadn't heard much of her solo stuff, and certainly not this moving track.
It's said to be about a shooting, and with or without that context, it gets me thinking...
This track is a swell album closer. It brings the themes of "Weathervanes" together, and just has the right feel for it. My opinion of the debut album by Freelance Whales is that it's pretty neat, and I recommend you check it out; especially if you like this track or "Generator^First Floor" which kicks off the album and which I posted a while back.
Saw these folks down at Howler's tonight. Turns out Dani, the drummer from one of my favorite local bands, Big Hurry, rocks the percussion for another Big Band also. The styles are not quite opposite endes of the spectrum, but perhaps something like fuchsia vs. chartreuse. A brisk walk dahn the Bloomfield Bridge was worth the effort, as the boys and girl of Big Snow Big Thaw brought a foot-stompin' bluegrassy party to Pittsburgh's Little Italy.
Sorry to say I wimped out and didn't stick around for Hotel Lights and Sleepy V, but hey, I'm a corporate whore headed to work by 7:30 and as it is I'm up after midnight. It's on my to-do list to make it up to those bands by checking them out. Also to come into some money so I can just go to shows and not worry about being up for work in the morning...
Anyway, about the song. I haven't quite had an epiphany about the precise meaning of the lyrics just yet, but there's clearly some intense stuff going on, what with the devil, desert sun, never meeting his love, and foreboding talk of graves.
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!
Quickie tonight, because I just got home from a very awesome show featuring NYC bands These Animals and Field Mouse along with local favorite Big Hurry. I went for Big Hurry, but came away a fan of all three bands. Due to the laid back atmosphere and light midweek crowd, I got to chat with members of each band, and they were just swell. If you're on the East Coast, Field Mouse and These Animals are playing DC tomorrow, and These Animals have a couple more dates this week - worth catching if you're nearby.
In honor of the spectacular cover BH played, here's the original version of "I Would Die 4 U" by Prince:
"I'm not your lover I'm not your friend I am something that you'll never comprehend..."
Just got back from a pretty sweet show on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, featuring Frightened Rabbit and Death Cab. I'll be honest, I was there primarily for FR, but DC was also pretty good. They're just one of those bands whose catalogue I just haven't had a chance to fully take in, so I only knew like half the songs. It's tough when you're getting into a band that's been around for a decade or so - you have to put in a lot more work to make up for lost time.
They opened with this song, complete with the long intro... it's pretty driving and has some chilling piano riffs which set the tone for the lyrics to come. It boils down to unrequited love, but Gibbard just knows if he can only convince his love interest to "spend some time" with him, he can win her over. It seems he's obsessed to the point of stalking her, desperate to make it happen.
Here's the "radio edit", if you don't think you can handle the long intro:
"I won't let you let me down so easily..." ______________________________________________
EDIT 8-7-11: forgot to mention that DCFC kicked off their encore by playing the Batman theme song (from the old TV show), in homage to the fact that The Dark Knight Rises is filming in Pittsburgh and was in fact filming at Heinz Field right next door to the venue earlier in the day. Here's a vid from their soundcheck (warning - audio is not great):
In honor of several of my friends who trekked to various locales over the past few days to catch Bon Iver in concert, here's the epic leadoff track from the recent self-titled release. I wasn't able to make one of the shows, but NPR did the world a solid by streaming last night's DC show live and leaving it up for us schmucks who missed it to catch later. Definitely worth your time, some evening when you can just sit back and soak it in.
The song features rolling percussion, reminiscent of a drum corps from the Civil War, muted horns creating a surreal sensation, and of course, Justin Vernon's soaring falsetto. Lyrically, it's pretty cryptic, yet beautiful. Vernon said in a recent interview that the song was inspired by the happenstance of working with a close friend of Heath Ledger's when the actor died, and the town from which Ledger had come. The emotions of loss and the conceptualizing of a town form the foundation for the rest of this amazing album...
"in a mother, out a moth furling forests for the soft gotta know been led aloft..." _______________________________
EDIT 8-6-11: my friend Jake, who attended the DC show on Monday, posted a video of this song from the show! Check it out on Youtube (embedding not so much working right now)
I don't believe I have ever listened to a Deer Tick song before today. Not for any particular reason, just hadn't ever gotten around to it. But today a friend posted this one on facebook, so I listened, and it gripped me immediately. It's a pretty straightforward song, musically simple with just a piano and vocals. The emotions of losing a dear friend are eloquently expressed in the lyrics and the way they are sung. We may not all have lost a friend like this, but we can all empathize on some level...
"Some boys won't shed a tear Oh, but I tell it like this here It can break medown and get me where it hurts the most..."
So tonight I finally watched (500) Days Of Summer. It's a pretty good film, especially if you're into soundtracks (which I am, of course, being a guy who blogs about music...) It's not just a romantic comedy; it has something to say about our culture, the idea of "love", and how we often allow reality to be shaded by our desires - sometimes to our own detriment.
This song is what brings the boy and the girl together in the early going, and it's got some pretty great lyrics. It blends romantic feelings with morbid humor, and, well... just check out the song (and the movie, if you haven't already.)
"to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die "
Songs like this are why I love music. Incredible, beautiful, and intricate musicianship (in this case, guitar); eloquent, thought-provoking lyrics; soul-wrenching emotion in the vocals singing those lyrics.
It's a lot more mellow and sobering than the othersongs I've posted by The Tallest Man On Earth, but it's possibly an even stronger track on what is becoming one of my favorite albums (I listened to it twice today...)
I'm not going to speculate on the meaning behind this one, in part because I'm not sure and in part because it seems to be one of those songs that is particularly exemplary of how a song can mean different things to different people. Check out songmeanings.net to see what I mean - vastly varying opinions, including one person who's convinced the entire song is about the failures of Obama's presidency, and a rebuttal stating "I find it highly implausible that Kristian Matsson, a Swedish singer, would write a song unjustly criticizing President Obama's actions." Music can be just as polarizing as politics... regardless of what you think of Obama and his policies, I do agree that it's unlikely this song is about that, especially given the nationality of the songwriter. But there you have it - the meaning is in the ear of the beholder. What do you behold?
I'm also including a sweet live performance from KEXP, a Seattle radio station. It's a bit different than the album version - this one has a slightly fuzzy electric rather than the acoustic six-string, and both sounds work well for the song. Also, keep your eyes peeled for some unexpected things (and stick around till the video ends!)
"Like a house made from spider webs and the clouds rolling in I bet this mighty river's both my savior and my sin Oh, my savior and my sin..."
