Headphones

Song: Headphones

Artist: Matt Nathanson

As you probably already know, Matt Nathanson has released a new single as a little teaser of his upcoming album.  Lucky for us, he has also been playing the new song while out on his summer tour.  I have to say, was a little thrown the first time I listened to "Headphones".  Initially, I thought it was a huge departure from what I expected to hear, but now that I've listened to it a few (hundred) more times, I've kind of reneged on that.

It turns out that, yes, it is a different sound than Matt's earlier work, kind of a trip a little further down that road he started on with Last of the Great Pretenders.  He continues to branch out away from the acoustic sound of his past and more toward a rich, full band sound.  Personally, I'm a big fan of the direction Matt is taking with his music.  This is the kind of song that reminds me why I love the kickass sound system in my car so much.  The kind of song that I can hear and feel, right in my chest where the bass hits.  However, as different as it is, it still contains all of the elements that make Matt's music so wonderful, it's all just wrapped up in a shiny new package.

First of all, there is that voice. That voice is a warm, safe place to hide while the storms blow over.  The voice that so many people have been drawn to and captivated by.  With "Headphones", as with a lot of the last album, he further proves that his voice can hold its own against a lot more than just the soft melodies of an acoustic guitar.  Then there are the lyrics.  Matt has been known to be vocal about his struggles with writing lyrics, but it never shows in the end result.  His lyrics are always witty and perfectly natural, like they just rolled off his tongue, and this song is no different.  My favorite line in this one is: "Good things whisper, bad things shout.  I don't hear 'em now!"  After all, only really great music can truly drown them out.

"Headphones" is such a great song, it makes me super excited to hear what the new album will have in store of us, whenever it's ready to be released into the world.

Last of the Great Pretenders - Matt Nathanson

Album: Last of the Great Pretenders
Artist: Matt Nathanson
Release Date: July 16, 2013

Track List (original release):
1. Earthquake Weather
2. Mission Bells
3. Last Days of Summer in San Francisco
4. Kinks Shirt
5. Sky High Honey
6. Annie's Always Waiting (For the Next One to Leave)
7. Kill the Lights
8. Heart Starts
9. Birthday Girl
10. Sunday New York Times
11. Farewell, December

So yes, I know it has taken me a month and a half to write about this album.  There are reasons for that, but it's all boring real life stuff that I won't snore you to death with. Just trust me, shit has been hectic; however, I've been spinning this thing silly since it was released.  My first comment though is this, when you have a genius lyric on your record like: "I'm the last of the worst pretenders", why on earth would you fly in the face of it when naming the album??  I don't follow.  I'm sure there are 500 perfectly viable reasons for that decision, none of which had to be passed by me for approval.  And honestly, "Last of the Worst Pretenders" isn't that great of an album title, but it still bugs me every time I hear that line.  But, I'm just weird that way.

Speaking of great lyrics, however, he has done it again on this album.  If you follow Matt Nathanson anywhere (twitter, facebook...where ever) you've surely seen him bemoaning the lyric writing process.  Seems so odd to me because I've always loved the shit out of his lyrics and these are no different.  I mean, "just because you learn to breathe, underwater doesn't mean, you ever shake the fear of being drown" ("Birthday Girl") are you kidding me?  The album is full of little gems like that, as we have all come to expect from Matt.  My personal favorite, and perhaps least favorite at the same time (and aren't those always the best kind??), is from "Annie's Always Waiting (for the Next One to Leave)": "My mother, she taught me how to doubt myself. Now, she lives in my head like it's a tree house.  I see her clearer in the mirror more and more each day." Ouch. 

Unlike Matt's last offering, Modern Love, I'll admit that I didn't immediately love this record all the way through the first time I heard it.  But I'm a Matt fan, so I kept listening and the whole thing really has grown on me.  Seems to me that this album is more Matt than past albums have been, or at least it is more present day Matt.  I'm sure they have all come from a genuine place, but this one, with it's San Francisco-centric nature and focus on existing, healthy relationships rather than those going up in flames, it seems like he's drawing more from his present life than from past devastation.  The music itself has also changed direction a bit from past albums, he has almost completely shed the singer/songwriter sound on Last of the Great Pretenders.  The music is more rock/pop sounding, more of a full band sound than a boy-and-his-guitar sound.  He has taken the sound he started to develop on Modern Love and run with it.  I love that, after 20 years of music making, he's still growing and developing and changing it up, I think it's awesome and I can't wait to hear what he does next.

My favorite song on the album is "Heart Starts".  I love this song all to pieces for a few reasons, not the least of which our first 4-letter word, on wax, from Mr. Nathanson.  And then there is the mention of his wife in the second line (or at least, I'm taking it that way - what other "b" could it be??) - I could not love that more if I tried.  This song, with it's "I want to feel it kick in, I want to feel it kick in, this time" refrain is straight up heartwarming. If you're looking for something warming a little further south, LOTGP's swoon-worthy song of choice is "Kill the Lights".  With lines like "you be stunning baby, I'll be stunned, keep glowing, I'll follow your explosions," it's an irresistible love song with a perfect dose of lust.

Overall, I'm really loving this record.  I've been listening to it all over the place and I'm still hearing new things and noticing new and different things about it and I always take that as a sign of a great album.  The album art is perfect too, this is a great album to wander around in and that image perfectly describes the way I felt the first time I plugged into this album, blocked everything else out and did nothing but listen to it.  I highly recommend you let this one in.

"Another Friend" -Ryan Schmidt

You guys, I'm kind of freaking out over here.  Ryan Schmidt released a new single today and I'm finally getting to really listen to it for the first time right now.  I listened to it a couple times at work today, but it was just on my phone and only loud enough to know that it was good, you know what I mean?  Now I'm finally hearing it directly in my ears at a respectable volume and I am genuinely blown away. 

I can't decide if we have a pop star or an R&B singer on our hands, but he's the next big thing either way.  Obviously, I've known this for some time, but I'm convinced that the rest of the world is going to catch on when they get a load of this song. 

Richly layered music with clever lyrics depicting the plight of the "friend zone", the song is super catchy...I can picture throngs of screaming girls dancing their asses off to it.  At the same time there are hints of the heart-sick guitar long-time Ryaneers (thanks for the term, Bre!) will recognize from Burning, Bitter Years, just to let know that he is still firmly grounded in his origins.  And of course there is Ryan's soothing, cool-as-the-other-side-of-the-pillow voice driving the whole song and it just keeps getting better and better.

Following Ryan's musical journey and career is so much fun, there is no telling what he has in store for us next!  I'm so excited to see where this new direction takes him, wherever it is, I'm sure it will be an awesome adventure.  So check it out below so you can join me saying "I knew him when".  :)


 

Long Time, No Post

To say that I've been stuck in a musical rut lately would be a gross understatement.  I struggled with it at first; I wanted to write about new things and listen to new things.  After a while I realized that I was awash in so much new music that I wasn't really hearing anything, I was just grazing over it and moving on.  So much so that I lost the words to even tell you about the things I was listening to.  For instance I've had a draft of a review of Dr. Dog's Be the Void hanging around since April because I just can't seem to articulate it.  (Of course, that might be the record and not me causing that one.)

But now, I'm cool with it.  I'm really enjoying the albums that I've had in my collection for a while.  I'm really listening to them, getting inside them, consuming them and letting them consume me.  I'm letting them age like fine wines, like they should.  So much work, so much blood, sweat and tears go into making an album that it's not fair for us to spin it a few times, learn a few lyrics, and move on.  I'm listening to the same songs in their full on album form, mixed up in different play lists, and sometimes just on repeat.  However it sounds best at the time, but regardless, I'm not sweating looking for new stuff right now.

And, as it usually works, as soon as I chilled my new music search, a shit ton of new music has fallen into my lap.  As I mentioned previously (I think I posted about it already) Train released California 37.  That album is growing on me and steadily weaving its way into several play lists.  Now, Matchbox Twenty has released their first studio album in 10 years, North.  Well, technically the release date is tomorrow (September 4) but you can get it off iTunes already.  The first single "She's So Mean" is pretty good although they were a bit heavy handed on the autotune for me.  I love Rob Thomas' voice and I'd prefer to hear it a bit less adulterated.  I'll listen to the rest of the album tomorrow and see what I think.  Regardless, I've been waiting many, many years to see them live so I'm hoping to catch them on the North tour. 

In addition, ourvinyl.com released the September edition of Back of the Rack today.  I just downloaded that too and will be partaking of it in the weeks to come.  If you're interested in finding some new artists you can find the details of this month's Back of the Rack artists here. 

There is also word around the interwebs that Ryan Schmidt is working on his next album (!!) and Aaron Tap and Paula Kelley are back at work at Quail Top on something that will, without a doubt, be wonderful.  So that's exciting stuff.  Also, The New Complainers (formly the multi-syllabic Jon Palmer and The New Complainers) have some new tunes ready for us with a new album being released in October.  They have promised 3 new songs in the very new future and I, for one, cannot wait to hear what they've been up to.  You can find out more about them here, here, here, and here.

Train - California 37

Album: California 37
Artist: Train
Release: April 13, 2012

I was going to talk about California 37 for New Music Monday but I've been very busy being unemployed and I just didn't get around to it.  Turns out not working is a lot of work!  Regardless, let's just christen today New Music Wednesday and get on with it, shall we?  This album was released less than a month ago and I've only just had it a couple weeks so I'm still digesting it.  Given that, this is basically my first impression and I'm keeping my option to change my mind entirely in the future open.

Vocally, I think this record is better than Save Me, San Francisco.  Pat's voice is just settled in a better place here.  However, lyrically and even stylistically, I'm not sure I exactly follow where they were coming from. The whole thing starts with a catchy song called "This'll Be My Year".  I like this song, I do.  But (you knew that was coming, right?) I have to take issue with a lyric.  In one of the verses, he says "'92...Freddie dies but Queen is still..."  Okay, look, Freddie Mercury didn't die in 1992, he died in November, 1991.  My husband argues that he means that Queen carried on in 1992, but it isn't worded that way and it bugs the piss out of me.  I understand that this is nit picky and weird, but I can't help it.  It jumped out at me like a sore thumb the very first time I ever heard this song.

Next is "Drive By" which I'm sure you've heard by now.  It's a peppy little pop song, very catchy, but not anything earth shattering.  Apart from being quite cliche saying that he basically hit the road the morning after because he was "overwhelmed and frankly scared as hell", I like it.  Next is "Feels Good At First" about the how wonderful love is in the beginning of a relationship.  I really like the sound of this song, it's a good one to sing along to.  After that one though, they lose me for a few songs.

The next one, "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" is inexplicably Latin themed.  I guess I just don't understand why they went with a Latin feel on this song.  The lyrics and the feeling of the song don't really have anything to do with each other.  My problem really is that I really like this song, but at the same time I feel like I don't get it.  After that are "You Can Finally Meet My Mom" and "Sing Together" - two songs about death, neither of which inspire me to listen to them (the first one makes me cry, the second one is just meh).  After that is "Mermaid".  I think "Mermaid" is going to grow on me, it just hasn't yet.

The second half of the record works better for me than the first half.  I love "California 37", it was instantly my favorite song on the record.  I do have one issue with it though. (surprise, surprise, huh?)  Let me preface this by saying that, for all intents and purposes, I don't have an ex-anything floating around out there. No ex-husband, no baby daddy, no ex-boyfriend that amounts to anything, so I don't have the first clue what it's like to deal with a person in that role.  That being said, I question the wisdom of referring to the mother of your children as "the bitch" in a song.  I'm just not sure I'm down with that.  Otherwise, great song. 

The last three, "We Were Made For This", "When the Fog Rolls In", and "To Be Loved" chronicle three different stages of relationships.  The first, of course, is a perfect love affair.  The second is the dissolution of a relationship. The third is the forgiveness and friendship that could theoretically happen after a breakup.  I really like all three of them.  Pat's voice is suited to them perfectly, the music is spot on and the lyrics are natural and comfortable.  Overall, I like this record better than the last one (as it should be); I liked the second half right away and the first half is steadily growing on me.

1st Quarter in Review

Because I'm a silly girl, I'm going to say that there is a vague possibility that I won't buy any more music before the end of this month.  Which, honestly is dumb because there are 10 days and another weekend before the end of March and I have every intention of buying The Afghan Whigs' Black Love in the very near future.  But hey, let's just go with it, shall we?  Under the pretense that I'm not buying anything else until April, here's a quick recap of the music I have acquired since the beginning of the year.  There have also been a few random songs and of course the singles for New Music Monday, but these are just the full albums.

In no particular order, as usual:
Plants and Animals - The End of That
Boy Wonder - Break the Spell, Etc. - EP
Betty Goo - Gooicide
Betty Goo - Superchthonic
The Black Keys - The Big Come Up
The Black Keys - Thickfreakness
The Black Keys - El Camino
Micah - Micah - EP
Buddy Guy & Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues
Dr. Dog - Be the Void
Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame (vinyl)
Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (vinyl)
Paula Kelley - Nothing/Everything
Paula Kelley - The Trouble with Success or How You Fit Into the World
Ryan Schmidt - White Horse - EP
Ryan Schmidt - Burning Bitter Years - EP
Matt Nathanson - Still Waiting for Spring
Matt Nathanson - When Everything Meant Everything
Green River Ordinance - Out of My Hands
Jesse Macht - Love is Another Drug
Carbon Leaf - Indian Summer
Ingrid Michaelson - Human Again
The Commuters - Rescue
Madi Diaz - Far From Things That We Know - EP
Rachel Platten - Be Here
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Concrete Blonde - Recollection
George Michael - Faith
Huey Lewis and the News - Sports (vinyl)

So yeah, now that it's all typed out here, it seems like an awful lot.  But, to justify it, I did get a few of them used for just a couple bucks (and, admittedly, I did get one of them online for probably way too much but it's worth it to me) and several are EPs that don't cost much.  Eh, look, I've got a problem, okay? Don't judge me!

Sometimes It Just Can't Wait

I had my plan for next Monday all worked out, I had the play list made and on my iPod - I was determined to get back to the origin of New Music Monday and only have honestly new music.  Not necessarily new chronologically speaking, but by artists that are new to me.  In other words, not stuff written or produced by artists I've rambled on about at length, no guitar or backing vocals by anyone I may have already mentioned 500 million times.  See?  I had good intentions.

Then out of the blue (or perhaps not so much) these guys popped up on my radar.  Jon Palmer and the New Complainers.  Who are they?  I dig the name, so on that alone I decided to check them out.  The first one I listened to was "5 O'Clock" and it has horns!  Which is kind of different, you know?  And I love things that are different in a good way.  Then I listened to "Radio" which has such an infectious groove, I'm not ashamed to say I've listened to it about 10 times in a row this morning.  Plus the clever little line "all's fair in love and war, I'm just not sure, which this is" hooked me.

So then I get to googling to find out more about these guys and lo and behold, but who do I find is associated with this band??  None other than Ryan Schmidt.  Holy shit.  At least I liked their music before I found that out, so it wasn't because I was biased (as I might tend to be). 

It doesn't matter about New Music Monday though, because I'm digging this song (I just have the one on my iPod right now, which in hindsight was a mistake) so much that I just couldn't keep it to myself that long.  Also, apparently they're in the process of recording an album as we speak.  I don't mean to rush the creative process or anything, but the world definitely needs more of this:

Supporting My Local Record Store

Today my husband and I ventured out into the world (even though we didn't really have to) and killed two birds with one stone.  By that I mean that we supported my record habit and our local record shop at the same time.  Our store is Joe's Records - they have 4 locations so if you ever find yourself in Corydon, Indiana; Evansville, Indiana; Mt. Vernon, Illinois; or Defiance, Ohio stop in and buy something so they can stay open!

Pickin's were kind of slim today (or I was was especially picky), but here's what I ended up with:



I was actually looking to add Bookends to my Simon & Garfunkel collection but I ended up finding Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme instead.  I haven't listened to it yet, but it's Paul Simon writing songs and Art Garfunkel singing them, so there's no possible way it will be bad.

I was digging through the "D"s looking for Bob Dylan's Oh, Mercy when what to my wondering eyes did appear?  Dr. Dog's 2010 release Shame, Shame, that's what!  This record has been on my shopping list for a little while and I didn't really expect to find it here, much less on vinyl.  It's another one I haven't heard (have you ever even heard of such living on the edge??) but I've heard that it's awesome, so now I have it - I'll let you know what I think.





Why So Positive?

I've been asked on a couple of occasions why I don't write more about things I don't like.  Why this blog is just all syrupy goodness about the music and artists that I adore.  Well, I have written a couple posts about less-than-awesome songs (although it's early in the morning and I don't feel like digging them up right now...just trust me, they're there) but things I don't care to listen to don't exactly inspire me to write about them.  Call me crazy, but I don't necessarily think it's fair to devote an entire post to the statement "I just don't like it." 

Believe me, there is a crap ton of stuff out there that I dislike.  My husband knows what pretty much all of it is...poor guy.  But I wouldn't feel right about ripping someone to shreds on here, even if no one ever read it, without listening to the music a number of times and developing specific examples of what I dislike. But obviously if I don't like it, I'm not going to waste my time studying it.  The only place you're likely to find things that rubbed me the wrong way is on New Music Monday because I purposely don't listen to those songs very many times before I write about them so I can give an accurate first impression, so usually I hang in there and stick with my Monday plan even if the music is Ick.  Occasionally I come across something for New Music Monday, or just in general, that I find so distasteful that I just skip it and move on.  Other times it's so bad that I have to mention it, kind of as a public service announcement.

They say that we know within like 11 seconds of our first meeting whether or not we'd have sex with someone.  Oddly enough, music isn't always that quick, at least not for me.  Sometimes it takes a few spins to know if something is really good.  I understand that.  I'm not usually super-quick to dismiss anything, but I know if something doesn't inspire me (Adele) or if it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth (Coldplay, Taylor Swift).

I like to use this platform more to pimp out things that are new to me that I think other people might enjoy.  In that search I have been fortunate enough to find some artists that just really yank my chain that I probably would not have found if not for this blog.  Wanting to discover new things and feeling motivated to write about them keeps me from getting stuck in musical ruts like I used to.  (Seriously, I went for, oh, easily 2 or 3 years and listened to the same 3 bands...almost exclusively.  That's not healthy)  Or sometimes things that are old to me but I just really love and want to make sure other people have heard them.  No one pays me to do this (sadly), so I have to be really inspired to ramble on as much as I do. However, when someone starts writing me a check and tells me to write about Justin Beiber...well, honestly, I'll quit that job and find one where they at least want to hear about my issues with Bon Iver.

Latest Purchases

You know me, I'm always buying some music.  I can't have a drug habit because it would cut into my music fund and that would not be cool.  Wednesday and Thursday were lovely days for procuring music.  Here's what joined my collection:

First, the first Betty Goo CD Superchthonic arrived in the mail Wednesday afternoon.  I say the first "CD" because they had a debut release that was only released on cassette (want, want, WANT).  I scoured the internet for Superchthonic for months until some dude in Pennsylvania finally came off a used copy of it.  I found Gooicide first and LOVE it...like, in a big way.  I've been looking for that debut cassette just as long but I have a feeling that search will carry on for some time to come.  Anyway, I've listened to it a couple times and while it isn't quite the religious experience that Gooicide is, it is pretty sweet.  Some of these Betty Goo lyrics really hit home and while that probably means that deep down I'm totally fucked up, that's cool, I've never minded that too much.

Then Wednesday night I got The Black Keys' The Big Come Up (which is their debut) from iTunes (mostly for my husband) but I listened to it this morning and all I can say is that it's like getting slapped in the face with a handful of awesome.  I mean, seriously, where do these two young white boys get that sound??  Amazing.

Then, the most exciting thing ever happened (ok, maybe not EVER but it was pretty cool).  My music guru (don't say "Who?" you know who I'm talking about) actually recommended an album to me.  Not like, in a "Song of the Week" kind of way, but in a "Here, try this one" kind of why.  Very awesome.  (Can I do that?  Can I use very and awesome together?  Well I just did and the grammar police can suck it)  Oh, and you know what the best part is?  It's an album by Boy Wonder - a quartet, half of which are none other than the wicked talented Paula Kelley and Aaron Tap.  Built-in amazing. So, naturally there was nothing else to do but immediately become the proud owner of a digital copy of Boy Wonder's Break the Spell, Etc.  Of course, I have a sneaking suspicion that this is going to be another band that I want to see live and can't. 

Sunday Vinyl

Yesterday afternoon we went to Half Price Books and I browsed the used CD rack for a while.  I was lucky enough to find Regina Spektor's Begin to Hope and Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water.  I'm telling you right now, if that song ("Bridge Over Troubled Water") doesn't, at the very least, put a lump in your throat, you really need to have a serious conversation with yourself about your humanity.  Dude, it's a killer.  This album also has "The Boxer" on it, which is my all time favorite S&G song, so it was a major steal at $4.79. 

Then we went and visited my favorite little record store (which happens to be right here in our tiny little town) and not only did I join their vinyl club, but we also found Rubber Factory by The Black Keys and Dr. Dog's new release Be The Void, both on vinyl.  I had never heard anything by Dr. Dog before, I had only heard that Shame, Shame was an incredible record.  It was so exciting and old school to buy something that I had never heard before (you know, I hadn't previewed it on iTunes yet) that I just couldn't resist.  And, thankfully, I was not disappointed.

We listened to Rubber Factory as soon as we got home.  The record shop guy said it was far and away his favorite album by The Black Keys, but I don't know about that.  Don't get me wrong, it is quite good, but it doesn't have quite the gritty, sexy groove that Thickfreakness has.  Maybe it's the cover art...who knows.  Rubber Factory is much more mellow though, so if that's the mood you're in, it's definitely the right record.  Pretty sure the record shop guy is a bit of a stoner, so I can see where he's coming from.

All in all, it was a good music weekend.  Now, if I could just talk my laptop and iTunes into getting together and importing all these CDs I've purchased lately, that would be awesome.  It gave up after Gooicide.  I guess that was just too much awesome for it to handle.

Shopping List

Several times, I've mentioned my "shopping list" in reference to Aaron Tap's website.  The funny thing is, I actually do have a music shopping list.  You know, a list of new (and old) things that have tickled my fancy that I want to own one day.  I can't possibly just jump and buy every single thing that turns my crank at that moment (although I have been doing just that at an alarming rate lately), so I keep a little list going and add to it and take away from it as my mood and desire to listen to different things changes. 

To be honest, I have two lists.  One is things that I want all on my own.  I have discovered these artists through friends' suggestions and through my own endless search for good shit.  My second list are intriguing things that Matt Nathanson has suggested on his (less frequent these days, it seems) #morningrecords posts on twitter and his blog.  These are secondary, just stuff I'll check out if I come across them in a used bin or have an urge to try something different.

My List (in no order whatsoever):
Betty Goo - Superchthonic (the search for this one has been on for some time now, but I refuse to give up! - You guys!!  I totally found it!!  And some dude in PA is a little richer for having parted this fool with her money, but I still think I got the better end of that deal) and their debut Betty Goo released only on cassette
Aaron Tap - Bronchitis (another cassette release...I have a feeling that for this and Betty Goo I'll have to wait until he and PK have a yard sale and I'll fly 3,000 miles to buy them for $0.50 each off a card table)
Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence; Parley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme; Bookends; Bridge Over Troubled Water
Madi Diaz - Plastic Moon
Throwing Muses - The  Real Ramona
Ingrid Michaelson - Girls and Boys
Carbon Leaf - Nothing Rhymes with Woman
Green River Ordinance - The Morning Passengers (Acoustic Sessions), Wait a Minute More
Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers - Gift Horse
Wylie Hunter and the Cazadores - Wylie Hunter and the Cazadores
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Matt Nathanson - Ernst, Not Colored Too Perfect
Jesse Macht - Where is Lerone Kamara, and the new EP coming out this fall (I think...hopefully it'll be sooner!)
Butch Walker - I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart
The Head and The Heart - The Head and The Heart
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
The Black Keys - Rubber Factory, Magic Potion
The Commuters - Release
Train - California 37
Matchbox Twenty - new album coming out "soon"...when it does, I'm on it.
Jon Palmer and the New Complainers - anything they release in the future is on my list


"Morning Records" List (I have a couple other things on this list, but these are the ones I'm most interested in):
The Afghan Whigs - Black Love
Dr. Dog - Shame, Shame; Be the Void
Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy
Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials (maybe...I'm not sold on this one yet)
Grateful Dead - American Beauty
Ben Harper - Welcome to the Cruel World
The Hooters - One Way Home
PJ Harvey - Dry
The Kinks - State of Confusion
Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream
Wall of Voodoo - Call of the West
Regina Spektor - Live in London, Begin to Hope

Now I have my list here, so when I lose the sticky notes that contain this information (that I use as bookmarks), I won't be devastated.  If you own any of these records and love them (or loathe them, for that matter) or if you have any suggestions for things I should add to these lists, I'd love to hear from you!  And as always, I'll let you know what I think as I come to own these babies.

Edit: a strikethrough means that I own it now...not that I don't want it anymore.

Jesse Macht - Love Is Another Drug

Album: Love Is Another Drug (single)
Artist: Jesse Macht
Release: February 22, 2011

Hey look, I finally got to something before it was a year old.  Yes, it's only 20 days shy of being out for a year, but still.

Anyway, this is another one that I found via Aaron Tap's website (you can find my shopping list here) and, once again, my music guru was right.  Here's what I ask from the singers I listen to: a) sing in tune, 2) don't sound like everyone else and c) move me.  Jesse Macht took a look at my list, crumpled it up, threw it in the trash and said, "Chill, I got this" (or, you know, something like that).  That last request on my list is what tends to keep me from being a true die-hard fan of a lot of people, but he got that one right too.

At the beginning of "Love Is Another Drug", his low growl is reminiscent of Leonard Cohen.  Well, I almost want to say it sounds kind of like Leonard Cohen's son or something...either way, I dig it.  But it isn't long before he moves on into his more comfortable, more Jesse Macht sounding voice and that's where I prefer him.  I love a voice that when I hear it, I know who it is.  The song starts out kind of low and quiet, but it builds into something wonderful that fills the space around you and inside your head. 

Throughout these three songs (since when is a "single" three songs?  I'm so out of touch!) he takes us on a journey through the ups and downs of relationships, life and following your dreams against the advice of the people in your life.  The songs are all full and engaging with big arrangements and background vocals and the whole nine yards.  It is all grounded with his pleasant, unique vocal and optimistic songwriting. 

He has another EP available on iTunes called Where Is Lerone Kamara and after listening to Love Is Another Drug, I can't wait to hear it.

New Music Monday - Sort Of

So, today's New Music Monday music was supposed to be Ryan Schmidt's White Horse EP.  However, after only 4 days of listening to it, the awesomeness of it was eating a hole in my brain and I just had to write about it sooner.  Sure, I could have written the post and scheduled it to publish today and left it at that, but where's the fun in that?? You can read about White Horse here here and here and you can buy it here or here.

Then, to top it off, I went and created the most awesome play list I've made in a while from some past and current favorites.  As a result, I haven't had time to listen to anything else for New Music Monday this week.  Still, I didn't want to skip it altogether, so I decided to share with you the list of songs that I featured in 2011 that have actually made their way into my play list rotation.  I have a list in iTunes called "NMM Hitlist" that contains the songs I've discovered that I really do like; here's that list:

1. Get Gone - White Arrows - Get Gone (my favorite of these)
2. Landslide - Steve Adamyk Band - Forever Won't Wait
3. Lost and Found - The Kill Van Kulls - Lost and Found
4. My Time Has Just Begun - The Dead Trees - WHATWAVE
5. Pineapple Girl - Mister Heavenly - Out of Love
6. Changes - Dirty Vegas
7. Sing in My Meadow - Cowboy Junkies - This Mountain
8. I Want to Forget - Psychic Twin - Deepest Part/I Want to Forget
9. Gliss - Farewell Republic - Burn the Boats

In other "new music" news, I got an iTunes gift card for my birthday.  I think I'm going to get Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik (I'm deeply ashamed to admit I have never owned this record), Simon and Garfunkel Sounds of Silence and maybe The Traveling Wilburys Volume 3 - I used to own this on cassette but that copy is long gone and as I recall, I was pretty fond of it.

Also, one of my new favorites recommended a couple new (to me) artists that he actually did a show with last night.  They're both female, so I'm kind of scared because I don't dig female singers as a general rule, but I'm going to check them out and plan to feature them next Monday.

Concrete Blonde

I'm aware that last night I said I didn't know any Concrete Blonde songs, but it turns out I was wrong.  I had no idea they did "Joey"!  Here, listen:

That song is amazing.  I haven't had a chance to listen to the entire CD yet, but the parts I have listened to are all as good as this song.  In Johnette I have officially found another female singer that can keep me mesmerized as long as she wants.  Incredible. 

Happy Birthday To Me

So, today is my birthday and to celebrate, I bought myself a few things.  Here's what I got:

First was Ryan Schmidt's debut Burning Bitter Years (which I can only assume to be high school) that was released in June, 2007.  Check him out on the cover - can't you just see the young jumping off him??  I got this one because I knew I was going to buy his latest release as soon as it came out and I wanted the complete set.  I'm sure I'll give this one a thorough review one day, but right now I'm hung up on the song "Ten Days".  I'm not sure what it is about that song, but I just want to hear it over and over.

Next, obviously, was Mr. Schmidt's latest offering White Horse EP.  It came out at midnight on the 10th, but I wasn't still up then, so I got it at 6am so I could listen to it on the way to work.  He did a little live streaming show from his room the night before the release of this EP so I got to see the songs performed "live", which was cool.  If you missed that, you should be following him on twitter so you don't miss another one, because it really was awesome.  White Horse is going to be my focus on New Music Monday next week, so I'll leave it at that.

Tonight we went to our local record store where I was in search of....well, something cool.  And did I ever find it!  This album, George Michael's Faith came out in 1987 when I was 9 years old and my sister was letting me listen to it very shortly thereafter.  This record is straight up sweet nostalgia!  I love it.  Personally, I think George Michael is grossly underrated.  His vocal abilities were good enough that he was able to sing Queen songs without embarrassing himself.  His songwriting was provocative and sexy and the music behind them was straight funky - what's not to love??

Finally, I found a Concrete Blonde record for a price I could live with given I'm not familiar with any of their songs (that I know of).  I have heard so many people talk about them and how wonderful they are though, that I've had my eye out for something by them for a while.  Tonight I got Recollection which is their 'best of' collection that was released in 1996.  I'm really looking forward to hearing them.



New Music Monday!!

New Music Monday is back! (Look, I'm trying to be excited that it's Monday...just go with it)  Here are this week's victims picks:

"My Time Has Just Begun" by The Dead Trees
This song, from their album WHATWAVE is my favorite of these.  It's upbeat with heavy drums and a tambourine!  (I love a tambourine)  I like a song I can sing along with and this is definitely that.  I looked into some of their other offerings and sadly I didn't find anything that grabbed me like this one.  I suppose that's the big trick to songwriting, right? Either way, I know they have the potential, so I'll keep an ear out for them.

"No Surprise" The Blam
What the hell is the first line of this song??  "Poke me in my eagle eye"?  "Look me in my evil eye"?  "Hook me in my eagle eye"?  I just can't tell!!  This song is from their album Blow Wind Blow and my confusion over the first line (and their use of the term "squeeze box") are what keep me from really getting into this song.  It has a floaty, rhythmic sound that is not unpleasant, but it's just ok for me.  Spinner says they sound like Violent Femmes, but I don't get that at all. 

"Pineapple Girl" Mister Heavenly
This song from Out of Love is evidently about Manuel Noriega's correspondence with a young American girl.  The dictator is represented by a high, lilting voice while the little girl is portrayed by a deep, gruff voice.  The song is very clever and catchy, but I've listened to it about 20 times and it has almost worn out its welcome.  (To get some context here, I've listened to all of Modern Love at least 200 times according to iTunes and still love, love, love it - every minute.)  So when a song starts to get old after only 20 spins, that's not the sign of a great song to me.

"Public Dancer" Noah Wall
I really don't have any praise for this song.  It's almost six minutes long and for me, that's about five and half minutes too long.  The vocal is pushed so far in the back of the mix that I have no idea what the dude is even saying - which is not the way to win me over.  The song itself just doesn't go anywhere.  It doesn't build, it doesn't grow, it just stays a jumbled, unpleasant mess all the way through.

New Music

As I mentioned, I got 5 downloads from Spinner's MP3 of the Day site.  And by the way, it is the coolest thing in the world to be able to check these bands out that don't get a lot of exposure otherwise.  I had never heard of any of these bands (except Cowboy Junkies, of course) before this, so any comments I make here are based solely on these songs and nothing else they've recorded. 

So anyway, here were my picks along with some notes I jotted down about them while listening to them and waiting for my car to thaw out this morning:

"Fire" - The Moth and The Mirror (meh)- this is a perfect example of the extraneous female singer.  What is she doing there?  Adding some kind of out of tune, vaguely unpleasant vocals is all I can see.  The lyrics in this song are kind of repetitive and when it builds toward the end it gets a little disjointed for me, but it's not all bad.  The more I listen to it, the more I think I might like it if they got rid of the woman singing.  She might have a delightful voice, but I just don't think it fits on this song.

"Be Alone" - The Quiet Americans (blah)- based on this song, I think they should do just that: be quiet.  The lyrics are workable, but there is far too much distortion and racket.  The first time I listened to this song, the only good thing I had to say about it was that it was only 2 minutes 30 seconds long.  But I gave it another chance and it has grown on me a little bit, but I just can't get past the noisy aspect of it enough to like it.

"Sing in My Meadow" - Cowboy Junkies (buy it)- I have heard of them before, but this is really the only song I know by Cowboy Junkies and I really like it.  It had a sexy groove to it and the lyrics are definitely quote worthy.  I recommend this song and I look forward to hearing more from them.

"I Want to Forget" - Psychic Twin (buy it)- If you put Luscious Jackson, Mazzy Star and Veruca Salt in a bowl, stirred until combined, baked at 350 for 25 minutes then seasoned liberally with Belly - you would get  Psychic Twin singing this song.  Obviously, I'm pretty fond it.  It is more techno/electronica sounding than I normally go for, but I still dig it.

"Gliss" - Farewell Republic (meh)- They have the Pixie's loud-quiet-loud thing down to a science, but I have a lot of trouble understanding the words.  It might be totally profound, but who can tell?  The song is kind of all over the place, but somehow still not unpleasant.  I think at the very least it would make good background music for a party.

So 2 out of 3 isn't bad.  I'm definitely going to look for more from Cowboy Junkies and Psychic Twin. The other 3, I could take them or leave them, honestly.  Still, I'm excited to check out more new stuff and hopefully find more bands I might not have found otherwise.

"MP3 of the Day"

I was cruising around over at The Huffington Post last night (reading about Alec Baldwin's latest exploits, of course) and somehow I ended up over at Spinner's MP3 of the Day page.  Honestly, I have no idea how that happened.  I guess it's something to do with that "surfing" thing we tend to do online.

Anyway, imagine my delight when I found out that I could (LEGALLY) download free music!!  It was late by the time I ended up there and I had a sweet play list and a game of Dr. Mario calling my name, but it appears that these are mostly independent artists with new (or debut) releases coming out in the next couple months.

I snagged 5 songs and will be passing judgement on them in the coming days.  I can already tell you that I really, really, strongly dislike one of them and I'm growing more and more fond of a couple others.  Fun stuff!!