12-11-11 - "Roosevelt Room" ~ Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band

Do you ever get fed up and frustrated with the world?  Happens to me on a fairly regular basis, and it's probably no surprise that it often happens at this time of year.  November means elections, and then Thanksgiving, and then of course comes Christmas (although given that the TV commercials and department stores start on Christmas in October these days, maybe I have the order wrong.)  These annual events bring to a focus the things that make me sick to my stomach - corruption in politics, gluttonous consumerism, and the disparity between the American populace and that of numerous other countries.


This year, Occupy Wall Street has added fuel to that fire.  Do I agree 100% with the OWS movement?  Probably not, although to be honest I haven't read up enough to know all the details.  But do they have a point that the government and big corporations have been pulling a fast one on the "99%"...?  Conversely, if you take the American "99%" and compare their wealth to that of the rest of the world's population... who's the 1% now?  I'm not going into more detail because this blog is ultimately about the music, but these are things that grind my gears, when I let my mind ponder them.


This song is pretty clearly the result of Conor Oberst ruminating on the state of the world today.  Again - I'm not trying to promote any political views, and I probably don't agree with everything Oberst thinks about the government, but clearly there are things broken in the system and if people don't stand for their beliefs, nothing's going to change.


You'll certainly feel the emotion behind the lyrics and the angry guitar riffs in the song, and hopefully it will inspire you to evaluate your life and the world around you, decide what's important, and make sure you're fighting for it.


Live at Battery Park, Manhattan, Independence Day 2009:

Studio Recording:

"You give death as a consolation

you know only hate and rage

you paid a dowry for your child's rights

now she's living like a slave..."

8-15-11 - "Hung On You" ~ New Shouts

I've been waiting with bated breath for a day like today.  A day when Pittsburgh-based rockers New Shouts put out some new songs so I could blog about them.  And all of a sudden, it's here - a brand new 7-song EP!  These boys caught my ear the moment I found out about them back in January, and seeing them at the Warhol in March and again at the Three Rivers Arts Festival only served to enhance their awesomeness in my eyes...er, ears.


You know a band who describes themselves by saying "we wanted to be a 60's r&b girl group, but couldn't get to the 60's and couldn't find the girls so we decided to be a rock n' roll band of dudes" likes to have fun, and it's evident in their songwriting and live set.  Every track will make you want to dance, so use caution if you listen at work... unless you're in an industry that looks kindly upon dancing on the job!


This one is a celebration of the girl next door; the one you want to get to know and hide from the world, because once the rest of the guys find out, she might get snatched up...


Here's the track on bandcamp:

 "Hung On You" 

EDIT 1-29-12 The boys just released a sweet music video for the song; catch it over on Draw Us Lines, or watch here:

"I'm hung on you
and I love how you don't have a clue

from your curls down to your dancing shoes..."

_______________________________________


You can listen to the whole EP plus 4 earlier New Shouts tracks for free on their bandcamp, and can download the older songs for free and the EP for cheap.  I highly recommend having all 11 songs on your ipod post haste; summer days are growing short!

6-12-11 - "Lover Of The Light" ~ Mumford & Sons

You know how a lot of times an athlete will have a great rookie season, but struggles the next year?  You know how sometimes an artist or band puts all their best material on their debut release, and then their second album is kinda 'meh'?  I promise you that Mumford & Sons will not be one of those who have a sophomore slump.  They've been playing a few new songs in concert lately, and they're just as powerful as the songs from "Sigh No More".  The melodies, harmonies, and instrumentation are a beautiful backdrop for heavy-hitting lyrics.


As I mentioned, I watched M&S and Arcade Fire's Bonnaroo performances last night.  I've yet to see either band in person, but I'm looking forward to an opportunity to do so - both bands bring it when they're on stage.  This is one of the new ones M&S are playing, and it's just swell:

"I know I tried, I was not stable
Flawed by pride, I miss my sanguine eyes
So hold my hands up...breathe in, breathe out..."

6-11-11 - "Rococo" ~ Arcade Fire

Just had an enjoyable evening watching Mumford & Sons and Arcade Fire's performances at Bonnaroo from the comfort of my own home, thanks to the miracle of modern technology.  Here's one of my favorites from Arcade Fire.  "Rococo" was a style of art in 18th century France which involved ornate and often embellished stylings.  The term is used in modern vernacular to describe something that's overdone in order to draw attention.


I like the driving bass line, and the haunting repetitive chorus and vocals; they create an eerie sensation that helps convey the unsettling message.  This song probably has something to do with the culture of trying to stay ahead of the curve, trying to be something you're not, or trying to fit in with the cool crowd.  Also seems to be criticizing the culture of The Next Big Thing, and the hipster mentality of "I liked <insert band here> when they were still underground, but now they've 'sold out' (made it big/started earning some money to pay back years of sacrifice) and I just don't like them any more..."  So much of our culture these days is thrust upon us, and people just eat it up.  Learn to think for yourself and make your own decisions.  


(sorry for the Vevo, but it's a pretty sweet vid of a live performance:)

(album version:)

"they build it up just to burn it back down...


they seem wild but they are so tame..."