5-7-12 - "Never Be Daunted" ~ Jaymay

Just watched the movie "Happy Thankyou More Please" with Hermano.  (Arrested Development fans will appreciate the reference, especially given that a Bluth is in this film...)  

(source: collider.com)

While the film is far from perfect - you'll have to accept a few far-fetched plot devices and some perhaps trite & overused rom-com cliches - I found it quite enjoyable.  Maybe that can be chalked up to having a crush on Kate Mara (spoiler alert: she can sing, which exponentially magnifies any crush for an audiophile.)

One of the main themes is that we are all worthy of love.  Yes, we all have flaws, sometimes fatal ones.  We all make mistakes, sometimes major ones.  But, if we're willing to look, and willing to demonstrate love to others, we might just find that there are people willing to accept our shortcomings and love us despite them.  And heck, that might just be the inspiration we need to overcome some of those shortcomings and better ourselves.

(source: scriptshadow.blogspot.com)

(cute kid, no?)

Anyway, I've spoken before about the impact a soundtrack can have on a movie, which holds true for this track (and others from Jaymay) and its use in the film.  I'll leave it to you to decide whether to watch the film and discern for yourself the profundity of the song's usage, but the song stands alone just fine:

Don't let fear and doubt hold you back.  Don't give up on your dreams because they haven't come true just yet; don't give up on people just because they've disappointed you; don't give up on yourself even if you've screwed up colossally.  Take a chance, make a move, live your life.  You only get one, and it's beautiful despite the rough spots - make it more so by living to the fullest.

"what are you so afraid of?

why are you feeling scared?

what's the worst that's gonna happen?..."

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...)"

2-5-12 - "Serpents" ~ Sharon Van Etten

This one has caught my ear on 91.3 WYEP a few times lately.  For some reason, it reminds me of Florence + The Machine, but that may just be me.  The song is a driving folk rock tune about snakes, and who doesn't love that?


But seriously, the serpents are a metaphor for the poisonous thoughts left over from a traumatic relationship.  Van Etten's lyrics are a maelstrom of resentment and conciliatory efforts as she tries to come to grips with these emotions.  The harmonies dance a tightrope on the edge of catastrophe, evoking the mental turmoil and dragging the listener along for the ride.

"you hold the mirror well 

to everybody else..."

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..."

1-31-12 - "Wait So Long" ~ Trampled By Turtles

Quickie post tonight; here's one I am digging lately thanks to my buddy Adam, who apparently discovered these guys on a recent road trip to Minnesota.  The band name is sweet, as is their musical talent.  I think the tempo of this song can only be described as "blistering"...

"And your heart rolls on, like a frozen freight train

you know that I'll  help you if I can

but I'm just a raindrop in a river

just a little itty bitty grain of sand..."

1-20-12 - "Somebody That I Used To Know" ~ Walk Off The Earth

Normally I try to avoid using covers as posts, but this one is just incredible.  Plus I've had a rough week with work and such and haven't posted, and I'm minutes away from a much-needed crash and burn marathon sleep session, so a quick one with limited need for deep, insightful commentary was needed.


Walk Off The Earth won the internet with this YouTube video two weeks ago; you've probably already seen it, but if not, watch it now before you're the last person on earth not to.  Seriously, it had something like 800,000 videos when I first saw it, and exploded to several million within like a day.  31 million views in 15 days - almost 2M / day.  I believe that's what you kids refer to as "going viral"...


The gimmick is that it features five people playing one guitar, but man do they legitimize it.  The arrangement is stellar, the voices gritty and true, and the dude on the right is so hardcore you won't be able to stand it.  


The band does lots of covers (pretty much all of them are amazing) but also has their own tunes, so check them out further if you like this:

 Here's the original, btw. 

"But you didn't have to cut me off
make out like it never happened and that we were nothing..."

12-20-11 - "Crash Years" ~ The New Pornographers

It's been precisely 11 months since I last posted a New Pornographers song.  Not sure how that happened, but here's a fun one for you.  Maybe not their most original, stretch-your-limits track, but quite entertaining and catchy, with a visually enjoyable video.


Beyond the hook, there is some fodder for introspection here, which might explain why I like the song so much.  Accompanying the catchy tune are some fairly deep and somewhat obscure lyrics.  I'm sure there are a plethora of valid interpretations, so I'll leave you to consider the following and draw your own conclusions:

"The skirts go up before the war

among the madding crowds

they're ruined like the rest of us ruined..."

12-10-11 - "God And Money" ~ The Ike Reilly Assassination

One I heard on the radio today.  It's nothing groundbreaking musically, though it is catchy enough and pleasant in your aural cavities.  The lyrics are what grabbed me, though.  A son questions his mother's ethical teachings, wondering whether her current lifestyle belies a sordid past.  Despite his suspicions of a "do as I say, not as I have done" upbringing, he seems apologetic for times he's failed to live up to her wishes for him.  Or maybe I'm getting it wrong.  Let me know what you think:

"Do the darkest dance and puke upon your memory

and trample on your evil ways

stand up to your darkest days

twist around the things you say

stomp upon your gazing face

spit into your fading gaze..."

12-08-11 - "Heavy" ~ Collective Soul

When I decided to post a Collective Soul song tonight, I could have gotten cute again and picked "December"... but I didn't.  This song is pretty heavy (sorry, had to be done), dealing with an overbearing relationship.  Pretty straightforward lyrically; you won't get much exposition from me tonight.


The song is a great example of late '90s / early '00s rock, and sounds excellent through a good set of speakers where the stereo effects can fully hit you.  Also, here's a kinda cool acoustic version performed in the desert in Morocco:

(look for other tracks performed similarly in Morocco... good stuff!)

And here's the studio recording:

"Hold me up to those whom you've deceived

promises you break you still believe…"

11-24-11 - "Wagon Wheel" ~ Old Crow Medicine Show

Holiday Quickie.  Here's a track that was cobbled together from the strains of a chorus composed by Bob Dylan.  Nostalgic and regretful, but with a hopeful attitude toward the future, the protagonist seeks redemption and rebirth as his journey to his hometown acts as a metaphor for his turning from evil, self-sabotaging ways and returning to his roots...

"North country winters keep a'gettin me

lost my money playin' poker so I had to up and leave

but I ain't goin' back to livin' that old life no more..."

"...and if I die in Raleigh, at least I will die free..."

11-19-11 - "Bartender" ~ Dave Matthews Band

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.


Check this "Abbey Road Session":

And here's an album version:

"Bartender please

fill my glass for me

with the wine you gave Jesus

that set him free

after three days in the ground..."

11-17-11 - "Barton Hollow" ~ The Civil Wars

A while back, I blogged about a track by The Civil Wars which featured reticent instrumentation and somber, emotive vocals.  This track showcases their more rambunctious side, evoking the spirit of Cash with a tale of a man running from his past.


Like their slower songs, this tune features intricate harmonies.  It also makes use of dramatic dynamic shifts to great effect.  Check out the music video and a live performance (one of many you can enjoy via the internet - also look for the live SXSW, Jools Holland, and Leno versions):

"Miles and miles in my bare feet
still can't lay me down to sleep
if I die before I wake
I know the Lord my soul won't take..."

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...?"

11-7-11 - "You Really Got A Hold On Me" ~ Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

Oldie, but a goodie tonight.  A little Motown soul for you, brought by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles.  These guys were one of the founding acts on the Motown label, and Smokey was known as the "King of Motown", so I guess that means they weren't half bad.  Also, did you know that "Motown" is a portmanteau?  What's a portmanteau, you ask?  It's a blend of two or more words into one new word. (thanks, Wikipedia!)  We strive for nothing if not education here at Awesome Song of the Day... 


Oh so smoothly, they sing a tune about a dysfunctional relationship they just can't quit.  Seems like when it's good, it's really good, but when it's bad, it's... not so good.  But hey, life is pain, pain breeds art, and art makes life good, so it all works out, eh?

(looks like The Miracles had a few screws loose.... oh, sometimes I slay myself!)

"I want to leave you

Don't want to stay here

Don't want to spend another day here

Though I want to split now

I can't quit now

You've really got a hold on me…"

11-4-11 - "You Guys Are Gonna Wake Up My Mom" ~ Field Mouse

A few months ago, I saw a pretty swell show at Thunderbird.  I already told you a bit about it, as it featured local Pittsburgh favorites Big Hurry and new to me but quickly growing on me These Animals.  However, I hadn't gotten around to posting about the third band... until now.


Field Mouse, like These Animals, hail from NYC... Brooklyn, to be precise.  Field Mouse, like Big Hurry*, are a four-piece group with two dudes and two chicks.  Unlike Big Hurry, the chicks are lead vox and bass, rather than vox and drums.  Unlike These Animals, Field Mouse are a single specific species.  Their tunes could be classified as "dreampop", and in fact have been so classified.  This one's a new one, quite engaging, with lyrics worth pondering, and lo and behold, you can get it FREE on Bandcamp:





"all the fires I start
I'll put out on my own..."


* - more correctly, Big Hurry was a four piece outfit half comprised of ladies and half comprised of dudes.  But then Andy moved deep in the heart of Texas, and now the ratio is 2 / 1.  But hey, I was going based on the way things were in August, and trying for literary effect!
___________________________________________


EDIT 11-10-11:


OH SWEET, there's a music video all of a sudden!

11-3-11 - "Marionettes" ~ The Zolas

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:

"Sometimes an empire doesn't fall

As masked invaders climb the walls

Or spreading fires or rising floods

Sometimes it dies within..."

10-21-11 - "Oh Dear Diary" ~ Sloan

Alt-rockers bring a funky twist on high school drama, complete with Hammond chording over a saucy beat and a ratchet.

"If you're found on the ground of the school I'll be dead,

I hear them chanting off with his head..."

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"

10-8-11 - "Gimme Sympathy" ~ Metric

(if anyone's keeping score, this is my second late post in three days... I blame Canada.)

The Peak came through with a bunch of good tunes during my time in Vancouver, and here's another one. A little bit electronic, a little bit pop, a little bit egocentric...?

And of course you know by now that if there's an unplugged version, I'll add it for good measure:

"After all of this is gone

who would you rather be,

The Beatles or the Rolling Stones...?"

9-30-11 - "Hayloft" ~ Mother Mother

You may find this song strange.  But you may also find that you like it.  I found both.  It's quirky (both musically and lyrically) and fun, and with it Mother Mother ushers a stern warning to frisky kids in an amusing way.  Now, there may be some deeper meaning, but the bottom line is, if you're going to fool around with the farmer's daughter, choose a spot that's not on his property.

"My daddy's got a gun
my daddy's got a gun
my daddy's got a gun
you better run..."