'pictures [to big to fit in a sight] | mockingbird, wish me luck
belle and sebastian-esque album cover? check. chintzy brass section? check. lots of acoustic guitars and strings? borderline twee pop songs? check.
ladies and gents, the latest entry in the 'i-worship-stuart-murdoch' sweepstakes, the eight-piece pop orchestra, mockingbird, wish me luck [name courtesy of the novel of the same name by charles bukowski].
ok, so maybe that sounded a bit harsh. i didn't mean for it to because M,WML are pretty fine little band from, wait for it......sweden! as, yes, the swedes strike yet again. it's getting kind of stupid isn't? well, i, for one, am not complaining so long as the great tunes keep on coming.
do these kids a favor and check our their awesome tunes.
→ mockingbird, wish me luck: pictures [pictures too big to fit in a sight]
→ mockingbird, wish me luck: you've got a friend to lean on
SONG OF THE DAY [#348]
SONG OF THE DAY [#347]
'all the times i cried' | sharleen spiteri
while duffy, candie payne, and amy winehouse were playing barbies and hopscotch, sharleen spiteri was already mastering blue-eyed soul with her band texas. [ok, ok, i know she has brown eyes. work with me, people.]
i really, really, really loved texas. they were hugely underrated and nearly broke through in the US a few times in the mid-to-late nineties with a couple of minor hits including 'say what you want.' what a great song that was. for sure. i was fully anticipating a texas-sized texas invasion. but instead it was more like a little-island-at-the-tip-of-alaska-almost-in-russia sized invasion. oh well, not everyone can be a winner. i wish they had, though. that'd have swell.
i kind of lost track of them after 'the hush,' but i recently found out that sharleen was about to release a solo album called 'melody.' very good news indeed. well, i got to listen to it and it's very mighty and very, very excellent. it dropped in the uk on july 14. [of course, no US release date yet, but stay tuned.] i can see all the hipster kids slamming it already for being a duffy knockoff, but listen up hipster kids: sharleen is the godmother [ok, dusty is the godmother, but you know what i'm sayin']. duffy, candie and amy should be bowing down before her.
welcome back, sharleen. i missed you [and not just 'cos you're a stone cold foxy lady with stone cold foxy glaswegian accent].
→ sharleen spiteri: all the times i cried | video
→ sharleen spiteri: don't keep me waiting
→ texas: say what you want | video
→ texas: black eyed boy | video
→ texas: put your arms around me | video
SONG OF THE DAY [#346]
a couple of years ago i saw hem's debut, 'rabbit songs,' on a border's listening station. i didn't know the first thing about them, but the cover looked interesting and different so i slapped the headphones on and pushed 'play.'
what happened next was nothing short of transcendental. i stood there mesmerized as i listened to track after track, completely taken with sally's voice, the impeccably arranged songs [and the band's obvious song writing skills], and the way 'sailor' [and particularly the french horn that comes in mid-way] completely took me to another place i had never planned on going to [warning: you many need a kleenex or two after listening to it]. i think i went back and listened to 'rabbit songs' five or six times during the next couple of weeks. i finally did pick up a used copy at amoeba records [i know, i know -- it's terrible. way to support the band, matt] a year or two later.
it's odd, though, 'cos this isn't the kind of stuff i normally listen to. at all. but a beautiful song is a beautiful song, regardless of any preconceived notions of 'genre.' but that's maybe that's what makes hem so beguiling -- they don't fit into any genre. great music, in my opinion, shouldn't. it should speak for itself, be free from tags, labels, assignations, and pigeonholing. that's precisely what hem does and what hem is. and that's why they're not merely good, but great.
go buy 'rabbit songs.' now. you'll be glad you did.
→ hem: sailor
→ hem: half acre
→ hem: leave me here
SONG OF THE DAY [#345]
'emotional champ' | new buffalo
in all honesty, i really think this is one of my favorite songs of the last five years or so. ok, i don't just think so, i know so. why? well...
...first of all, the song's title is fantastic. for me it just evokes all kinds of rad imagery; secondly, it's a deceptively simple song: sally seltmann's heavenly vocals, tinkly piano, a little brass and nothing else [ah, the beauty of simplicity!]; thirdly, it'll kick you square in the heart [this song has the exact same affect as slowdive's '40 days.' depending on my mood it will uplift me or completely destroy me. and i love that]. lastly, it's just a really, really gorgeous song.
and you've probably heard at least one of her songs without even realizing. sally originally wrote '1, 2, 3, 4' for feist. when i first heard that it wasn't really too surprising. '1, 2, 3, 4' could've very easily appeared on either of sally's albums.
speaking of albums, so far she's released two and i can't recommend either of them enough. it's pretty magical stuff. both of them. there's really something to be said for such simple songs packing such a wallop [and completely avoiding gimmicks or cheap tricks]. it's really refreshing, y'know? so if you find yourself with a couple of extra pennies, head on over to your local store and pick up 'somewhere, anywhere.' just don't listen to it after a breakup. it will set back your recovery a good year.
→ new buffalo: emotional champ
→ new buffalo: cheer me up thank you | video
→ new buffalo: i've got you and you've got me [song of contentment] | video
SONG OF THE DAY [#344]
'snowflake in a hot world' | mercury rev
mercury rev is another one of those bands that should be more well-known and appreciated than they are. it's a mystery why they aren't. maybe they're one of those rare bands that are simply too good, too creative, too inventive. but then again, i'm not really sure that's it because they're often mentioned in the same breath as the flaming lips [probably because both bands have worked with dave fridmann. fridmann's not only produced some of their stuff, he also played bass for the band], but they don't get near the pub the lips get. so, yeah, i don't really have a theory as to why they aren't more popular. i just wish they were 'cos they are a mighty and awesome.
the band's new one, 'snowflake midnight,' hits stores 9/29. it's another terrific album in a series of terrific albums. in fact, i think it's a step up from 'the secret migration.' be sure to check it out.
→ mercury rev: snowflake in a hot world
→ mercury rev: nite and fog | video
→ mercury rev: chains
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BLOG
never underestimate the sheer level of awesomeness in giving a one year old baby a piece of shiny cutlery to cut his own cake on his first birthday. [yes, that's me--what where my parents thinking? the knife is like the length of my arm, for pete's sake.] hey, nothing says 'happy 1st birthday, son,' like dressing your kid in lederhosen and letting him decapitate winnie the pooh.
ah, yes. in case you haven't already guessed, it was one year ago today that i staked my little claim on the information superhighway. it seems like it was jut...well, a year ago.
it's pioneer day today if you happen to live in utah. unfortunately i had to work and i was so tired by the end of the day that i didn't even want to watch fireworks. not that i really would have anyway. [instead i've been passing the evening with my US copy of 'spaced' that arrived in the mail today. amazon.com is already sold out of it, if you can believe that. good on ya, nick, simon, jessica, and co.]
so anyway, one year down. i originally planned to kill this blog after one year. i realize how inherently presumptuous to even publish a blog. i mean, geez, who really wants to know all about my life or what i'm listening to or what i'm reading. it's all a bit silly, innit? maybe i'll still kill the blog. maybe i won't. i still haven't decided. anyway...
SPACED! AT LAST!
when i first heard about 'spaced,' i feared it would be like all those lame british comedies you usually see on PBS -- set in a department store of some kind, a really bad laugh track, stuffy humor, etc. i really had no idea what to expect, but i bought in anyway because a trusted friend couldn't stop talking about it. 'what?! you haven't seen 'spaced?' it's the best british comedy ever!!' she said. so, i tool a leap of faith and bought it off amazon UK. [nerd alert] i even bought a region-free dvd player just so i could watch it. about three minutes into episode 1, i was hooked. all i can say is that my friend was not wrong. now, after seven years, 'spaced' finally got a proper US release on tuesday, july 22. hooray!
the premise is fairly simple [two twenty-somethings posing as a professional working couple in order to rent out a flat], but big kudos to simon pegg, jessica stevenson and edgar wright for finding the madness, insanity, and hilarity in the mundane routine of every day life. the laughs come pretty fast and furious, thanks the sharp dialogue, rapid-fire exchanges, frenetic editing and zooms, and unique camera angles. all that is well and good, but it's pegg's and stevenson's charisma and charm that keep you coming back for more and more.
if you're a fan of so-called pop culture, 'spaced' is a dream [they make a hack like diablo cody look like a cheap tijuana knockoff]. simon pegg's tim drops more references than you can shake a stick at--some you don't even catch until a second and third viewings. you get odes to baywatch, the a-team, close encounters of the 3rd kind, the x-files, various comic book heroes [the flash, batman, etc], and, of course, plenty of homages to star wars -- including an hilarious dog rescue episode in which our heroes adopt the code names han, leia, luke, chewie and jabba.
the supporting cast is uniformly excellent, too. twist, the fashionista who works at a dry cleaners; brian, the tortured artist who lives downstairs; marsha, the alcoholic landlady; and mike, the 'territorial army' reject and tim's best friend who once stole a tank and tried to invade paris. tim and mike's scenes together are priceless, as is the entire paintball episode [#4, 'battles.'].
but ultimately what sets it apart from other pop-culture wannabees is its heart [you'll want to have a hanky with you during the final episode]. if you're not fully in love iwth tim, daisy and the rest of the gang, you just don't have a heart. that's all there is to it.
my favorite scene of the entire run is episode 5 of season two, 'chaos.' watch and behold the genius:
i think i gave myself a hernia i was laughing so hard. i must have watched this scene a couple dozen times. it never gets old.
pegg and director edgar wright would go on to create 'shaun of the dead' and 'hot fuzz' [two of my favorite movies ever]. stevenson made a cameo in 'shaun,' but was sadly absent from 'hot fuzz.' nick frost, who plays mike in 'spaced,' also starred in 'hot fuzz' and 'shawn of the dead.' rumor has it that edgar wright is currently working on the big screen adaption of 'ant-man' for marvel comics.
it's a shame 'spaced' lasted fourteen episodes. however, given each episode's singular brilliance, you can't really blame them for going out on top. so check out the entire first episode below. you'll love it.
how's that for a slice of fried gold?
SONG OF THE DAY [#343]
'west coast' | coconut records
yes, that'd be erstwhile phantom planet drummer and 'rushmore' thespian jason schwartzman and his fine 'coconut records' tote bag.
it's funny 'cos i had two folks email me within hours of each other asking if i'd heard coconut records. 'coconut records?' i said. 'can't say i've heard of them.' but, ah, wait! a look at my itunes reveals that indeed i had many coconut record songs--i just did not that it. silly me.
anyway, these be some mighty fine tunes. i certainly like coconut records more than i liked phantom planet. maybe that's 'cos coconut records owes more than a tiny debt to the olivia tremor control, cotton mather, neutral milk hotel and all the other elephant six alum. but that's a good thing. i'm definitely drinking the coconut juice and feeling the urge to go to tahiti.
coconut records debut album, 'nighttiming,' dropped march 20, 2007. nice job, mr. schwartzman.
→ coconut records: west coast | video
→ coconut records: easy girl
SONG OF THE DAY [#342]
'heavy water/i'd rather be sleeping' | grouper
i happened to stumble across grouper today purely by accident. but boy am i glad i did. i'd never heard of the one-woman, portland, oregon based band before, so i had to do a little research.
and, well, i didn't find much other than what i just mentioned. but you know, that's ok, because music this beautiful probably deserves more than a modicum of ambiguity. to be honest, i don't think i've heard anything quite like grouper before. and i really like that i haven't.
and i really like that liz harris avoids all the normal cliches and trappings of the girl-with-a-guitar genre of music. in face, she just may have created a new genre: acoustic shoegazing. imagine the cocteau twins stripped of the studio effects, slowdive if rachel goswell did all the singing over neil halstead's mojave 3 style guitar playing. yeah, ok, enough of the comparisons. just take it for what it is: a swift, melancholic kick to the soul. i adore this album. i listened to it for about four straight hours last night.
'i'm dragging a dead deer up the hill' dropped july 10. it's a tough one to find, but your diligence in searching it out will be justly rewarded.
→ grouper: heavy water/i'd rather be sleeping
→ grouper: we've all gone to sleep
SONG OF THE DAY [#341]
'what i have done to deserve this' | west end girls
nothing makes more sense than a band named after a pet shop boy song covering a pet shop boys song. brilliant.
in this case it's those swedish funsters covering the PSB's/dusty springfield classic, 'what i have done to deserve this.' [and just for your 'gee whiz' collection, WEG's debut, released in 2006, is comprised entirely of PSB songs.] and just as PSB enlisted the cleopatra-eyed springfield for their call-and-response ode to dysfunctional relationships, west end girls enlisted a little help from their countryman, magnus carlson. [more for you gee whiz collection: magnus carlson has also guested with the acid house kings and the sweptaways. there, you gee whiz tank has been topped off.]
in all honesty, WEG's version doesn't really deviate from the original other than the gender vocal switch. is it disposable? you betcha. is it completely unnecessary? absolutely. is it a ton of fun regardless? most definitely. time to boogie.
→ west end girls: what have i done to deserve this? | video
→ west end girls: what have i done to deserve this? [nathan heinze club mix]
→ west end girls: suburbia [extended mix] | video
SONG OF THE DAY [#340]
'the beauty of the way we're living' | club 8
word of the new legends album coming out this fall once again threw me into the world of johan angergard. it still amazes me that this one guy is in three of my favorite bands--at the same time! [that'd be club 8, acid house kings, and the legends for those you playing at home.] forget james brown [rest his funky soul], johan angergard is the hardest working man in twee pop. [now that i think about it, i'm not entirely sure there's a new legends album coming out. maybe it's wishful thinking. i dunno.]
i first heard club 8 on one of those little listening stations at barnes and noble back in 2002. it was shortly after 'spring came, rain fell' was released and it was love at first listen. club 8 was, and is, the epitome of perfect pop--at least to me. i absolutely love them. why? maybe it's the underlying bossa nova present in so many of their songs [what can i say, i love me some diminished and augmented chords. and i really love me some major 7ths!]; maybe it's karolina's barely-there vocals; maybe it's their awesome videos and awesomer publicity shots [see picture above]; but it's most assuredly johan's impeccable pop chops. they guy could probably write a pop song from his coffin. and i'm sure he probably will. and i'm sure it will be super rad. the guy has a gift. that's all i'm sayin'.
so enjoy some of johan's greatest hits below.
→ club 8: the beauty of the way we're living
→ club 8: spring came, rain fell
→ club 8: jesus, walk with me [the sound of arrows remix]
→ club 8: missing you | video
SONG OF THE DAY [#339]
'caravan girl' [live choral version] | goldfrapp
i've said it before, i'll say it again: we all need more alison goldfrapp in our lives. i know i'm always in a better mood when i've had my daily dose of the good stuff.
this live choral version of 'caravan girl,' which is quite lovely, comes from the single of the same name. i think children's choirs are sometimes overused, or are, at the very least, used in the wrong places. but it just seems to fit on 'caravan girl,' despite the fact that choirs don't necessarily evoke images of caravans. i usually envision circus freaks or vw's full of hippies smokin' the hippy lettuce whenever i think about caravans. maybe that's just me. but the fact that i've even devoted an entire paragraph to caravan imagery is frightening. **link corrected!*
→ goldfrapp: caravan girl [live choral version] | video
→ goldfrapp: monster love [live acoustic version]
SONG OF THE DAY [#338]
'can't stop movin' | sonny j
a measure into this song i was 100% certain it was a go! team or avalanches song. but nay! it's sonny j. and i gotta tell ya', sonny j is more like sonny delight, know what i mean?
i don't much about sonny j, but honestly, i don't really need to 'cos his prodigiously awesome tunes speak for themselves. but just so you know, his album, 'disastro,' dropped march 25 and i highly recommend it.
'can't stop moving' is an epic number, instantly catch and instantly awesome. to me, it's kind of like the avalanches' 'since i left you' on happy pills. it's just that good and that much fun. and true to the song's title, whenever i listen to it i can't stop moving. check it out.
→ sonny j: can't stop movin' | video
→ sonny j: handsfree [if you hold my hand] | video
SONG OF THE DAY [#337]
'untouchable' | rialto
ah, rialto. look up 'britpop casualities' in the dictionary and you'll see that picture to your left. sure, there were a load of bands during that four explosion and some, like the terrible menswe@r, deserved to be forgotten and/or banished to musical purgatory.
others, like rialto, just got lost in the shuffle. maybe it was their blatantly theatric, slightly melodramatic [dare i say pretentious. pretension is kind of hard to avoid when you have two drummers], but undeniably infectious brand of fuzzy pop. maybe the world wasn't ready for a lead singer as stupidly good looking--and as perfectly named--as louis eliot. who knows. it's a mystery for the ages.
whatever the case may have been, rialto disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared like the proverbial bolt of lightning. oh, but what a bolt it was. 'untouchable' is undoubtedly one of my favorite songs of the era. it's what i imagine barry manilow singing over a john berry-penned james bond theme song might sound like. i know you are thinking that sounds like an awesome description and you'd be right in thinking so. rialto's a great band. i wish they hadn't faded so quickly, or at the very least got their dues. oh well. if nothing else, we have a terrific, self-titled album. cheers, fellas!
→ rialto: untouchable | video
→ rialto: hard candy
→ rialto: lucky number
→ rialto: monday morning 5:19 | video
SONG OF THE DAY [#336]
'air painter' | cansei de ser sexy
sometimes i get tired of being sexy too. it's rough business, but someone's gotta do it, right?
well, cansei de ser sexy shows no sign of tiring from their sexiness. their new album, 'donkey,' drops next tuesday. the good news is they've managed to complete avoid the sophomore slump. it's not much of stylistic departure from their other stuff, but when you do so well what you do, why change the ingredients? i make some kick a** cookies and i make the same kick a** cookies every time. if it ain't broke...
now, is it just me or does lovefoxxx's vocal bear more than a passing similarity to louise wener's? hm, food for though.
so don't be an a**. save your pennies and head on over to your local download store on july 22nd and buy 'donkey.'
→ cansei de ser sexy: air painter [from the upcoming 'donkey.']
→ cansei de ser sexy: left behind [from the upcoming 'donkey.']
→ cansei de ser sexy: music is my hot, hot sex [kill the noise remix] | video
→ cansei de ser sexy: alala [baron von luxury's lovefoxxx + bvl = bff remix] | video
SONG OF THE DAY [#335]
'i'm not going to teach your boyfriend how to dance with you' | black kids
here's your party band for the summer of 2008, kids, and yet another testament to the power of the internet.
black kids blew up after they posted some songs on their myspace page. the bloggers all went ga-gag nutty as they are often want to do, the labels noticed, they got signed. easy peasy. ah, it's the american dream, innit?
despite the inevitable endless cries of 'best. band. ever!!!!!!!! LOL!' that are sure to follow the release of their debut, 'partie traumatic' on july 22, black kids really know how to have some fun their music. they remind me quite a bit of new young pony club, which is probably why i like 'em as much as i do. of course, black kids don't have lou hayter, but hey, not everyone can. i really shouldn't be so picky, i suppose.
enough talk. strap on your seatbelt 'cos black kids are about to launch you in to the fun zone.
→ black kids: i'm not gonna teach your boyfriend how to dance with you | video
→ black kids: i'm not gonna teach your boyfriend how to dance with you [the twelves remix]
→ black kids: hurricane jane | video
→ black kids: hurricane jane [beige remix]
→ black kids: hurricane jane [sqzmylmns mix]
SONG OF THE DAY [#334]
'little bit' | lykke li
for as much as i loved 'i'm good. i'm gone,' i have to say i love 'little bit' even more. and i like the remixes even more than the original, and that's saying something 'cos the original is superb. if you've not heard her debut, 'youth novels,' yet, it hits US shores august 19. it's a superb album entirely worthy of all the hype it's getting. so be sure to buy it.
she's also playing a handful of US dates in the fall, so be sure to check her out if she comes your way [no salt lake city stop, of course. $#%&!. i might have to head out to SF].
→ lykke li: little bit [album version] | video
→ lykke li: little bit [matas berlin remix]
→ lykke li: little bit [css remix]
→ lykke li: little bit [diego chavez remix]
SONG OF THE DAY [#333]
'love is noise' | the verve
it's amazing a decade has passed since the verve's seminal album, 'urban hymns.' what's also amazing is how many people seem to have forgotten just how massive the verve really was. and not only were the massive, they were massively brilliant. richard ashcroft made good on his promise: they were the biggest band in the world in 1998.
is was kind of fun, if not a little infuriating, watching the whole legal battle over 'bittersweet symphony' [the band ultimately had to fork over every single last penny they made from the single to the suits who own the publishing rights to the rolling stones back catalogue, or some nonsense like that ]. i remember the incredible video featuring a cadaverous richard ashcroft owning a street somewhere in dear old blighty. i remember the giddiness i felt when i got to see them live down in l.a. verve concerts are, well, a mind-bend. needless to say they did not disappoint. 'urban hymns' [which i still listen to regularly and remains to this day one of my favorite albums of all-time] was kind of the last big anthemic britpop album. and it was brilliant.
well, richard ashcroft and nick mccabe had their 'artistic differences' issues and the band split up not too long after. richard ashcroft went off and did some solo albums [the first being absolutely essential listening, the other two merely ok]. nick mccabe probably went off and did some guitar noodling. i have no idea what simon and pete did, though.
but since their break up, i've been hoping for a verve reunion. see, kids, what happens if you wish hard enough? [i'm kidding, of course]. your favorite bands get back together!! yes, yes. it's not really news anymore, but in case you hadn't heard, the verve are back together, playing festivals over on the other side of the pond and finishing up a new album. two songs, so far, have made it out in to the public: 'love is noise' and 'mover.' in a word: brilliant. 'love is noise' is a shot of adrenaline straight into the bloodstream. i think i've listened to it about 30 times in the last three days. it's incredible.
here's hoping they'll hit our shores next fall. i doubt they'd play salt lake, but i sure wish they would. i'd like nothing more than to see nick, richard, pete and simon up on stage once again because, let's face it, their return will be volcanic.
→ the verve: love is noise
→ the verve: mover
→ the verve: on your own | video
→ the verve: sonnet | video
SONG OF THE DAY [#332]
'before it gets better' | earlimart
wow. i cracked earlimart's new one, 'hymn and her,' [release date 7/1] last night i was completely blown away! i've always kind of moderately interested in them as a band. their song, 'hold on, slow down,' kicked off my 2005 compilation. it's as perfect an opening song as there is. i loved it. but for some reason i was just never fully enlisted in the earlimart army.
that, however, changed when i heard that glory that is 'hymn and her.' you're not likely to hear more effortless and gorgeous melodies the rest of this year. and that song is just the tip of ye olde iceberg. 'hymn and her' is packed with some seriously artillery. i don't know what's up the military references today. oh well. seriously, kids, check this one out. it's on my short list for favorite albums of the year.
→ earlimart: before it gets better
→ earlimart: for the birds
→ earlimart: hold on, slow down
SONG OF THE DAY [#331]
'paint a face' | neil halstead
i might have been the last person to know it, but neil halstead is gonna release a new album pretty soon! this is just the best news i've heard all day. any time we get any neil halstead music of any kind, be it mojave3 or solo stuff [or the secret hope there will be some new slowdive someday], it's a cause for celebration.
over the last 15 years or so neil halstead has very quietly amassed a very impressive catalogue of tunes. i really wish he'd get more dues then he currently does 'cos he awesome. the only reason i can come up with as that to why he doesn't is that some folks suppose brits aren't supposed to write mellow acousticky, folky/country-ish tunes. oh, those provincial fools. nick drake ring a bell?
anyway, just put on comfy genes, get a cold beverage and let mr. halstead take you away...
→ neil halstead: paint a face
→ neil halstead: high hopes
→ neil halstead: seasons [surf style]
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