June 2011
1 post
Summer Music
Summer is here folks and you know what that means, right? Yes - the heat. But it also means new music. And tons of mixtapes to be made. I know, what you’re thinking. What music should I put on my mixtape this summer? That’s a great question. The art of the mixtape is a tough enough endeavor as it is (See High Fidelity); the workout mixtape, the lovey-dovey mixtape, the I-hate-you...
March 2011
1 post
Film Scores
Sometimes I get to discussing music with certain people and it spurs on other discussions and leads to renewed loves for certain songs, artists, etc. Last night was one of those cases. It started out talking with my friend, Wes, about the Non-Pythagorean Music Scale that Robert Schneider of Apples in Stereo “conceived and developed,” according to the Wiki page. Which led us to regal in...
February 2011
2 posts
You Asked For It
The requests are coming in strong lately to write some more on this thing. So here goes.
The music biz is changing. It’s always changing. But it’s changing for the better and it’s doing things none of us really expected. The latest example to most would be what transpired on the Grammy’s Sunday night. First, you have Esperanza Spalding beating out Justin Bieber for Best...
Love Songs
Seems like lately, I’ve been listening closely to love songs. Maybe it’s my surroundings at home, with three of my four roommates getting married this summer. Maybe it’s my semi-hopeless romantic love for happiness in others and happiness in life. Maybe it’s my personal hope in the future for being in love also and the desire for marriage. Either way, I enjoy some love...
December 2010
1 post
Best of 2010 Records
2010 was a great year for music. I’m not sure if it beats 2009, or I still herald 2003 as the best year in music since I started compiling lists. And I also measure every year to 2003. (2003 brought us Damien Rice’s debut, Nada Surf’s reinvention record, Rufus Wainwright’s “Want One,” and Cat Power’s “You are Free”, to name a few). But alas,...
Top Albums of 2009!
Wow. What a year in music! So many great records, so many great singles, and so much to try and narrow down what is my favorite. But I did my best and here is what I think is the best of 2009.
20 | Roman Candle - Oh Tall Tree In the Ear
19 | Phil Wickham - Heaven and Earth
18 | Future of Forestry - Travel II
17 | U2 - No Line on the Horizon
16 | Knaan - Troubadour
15 | Sherwood - QU
14 |...
Lately
The Sound of Arrows
Swedish band with some fun tracks. Go buy, “M.A.G.I.C.” and get back to me.
Songs I Might Be Embarrassed By But I'm Not
Here’s the deal. We all come to a point in our lives where music snobbery happens whether we realize it or not. I’ve done this for years, except I’ve known about it. Yet, there comes a time when you think, “Maybe I shouldn’t be so judgmental about this or that band.” And maybe I really don’t care about labels anymore. If I like a Cobra Starship song -...
December Music
Warning: This post will have little cadence in relativity, but rather, erratic nuggets of music news and such. That’s my schtick though, so get over it.
Christmas music. Who doesn’t love free music? Yeah, thought so. Well, this is the second year that UBC Waco has done a Christmas record for everyone to hear, so I’m thankful for that. I love the Whiskey Priest song and the...
November 2009
2 posts
SXSW lineup!
Here you go!
link
Records I've Been Spinning
Har Mar Superstar - Dark Touches
Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young
Griffin House - 42 and a Half Minutes with Griffin House
October 2009
4 posts
I Feel Kinda Dumb...
Just now getting this record.
Oops. Sorry Mindy. Fantastic record, per usual.
Albums You Need to Get!
Swell Season returns again, following an amazing collaboration between Glen Hansard of The Frames and Markéta Irglová of Czechoslavakia. The country, not the name of a band. Just to be clear.
Anywho, Strict Joy will be available tomorrow everywhere and it’s good. I can attest, as I’ve heard most of it. My favorites thus far - “Low Rising,” “Feeling the...
The Temper Trap
If you watched any TV this summer, you heard the song, “Sweet Disposition” being played amidst the nostalgic and comforting trailer of, 500 Days of Summer and most likely, wondered, “What song is this??!” I will tell you. It was, The Temper Trap, a band from Melbourne, Australia whom I can’t seem to shake from my mind.
Their record, Conditions, is out now and...
September 2009
2 posts
They're Back!
Well, as far as I know, they probably never left.
I found out about The Films, through a wonderful friend of mine, whose essentially the coolest vagabond dweller I know, and I haven’t looked back since. He’s shown me a few good bands, a couple great bands, and The Films. I like these guys a lot. And I don’t know why.
The new record, Oh, Scorpio came out in June and I...
Free song!
Thanks to a friend that I follow on Twitter, I now have Shiny Toy Guns’ cover of the Blue Oyster Cult song, “Burning For You,” that is apparently on a Lincoln commercial. Also, to be honest, I am not that familiar with. ”Don’t Fear the Reaper” being the only BOC song I know well. And that’s really just thanks to Will Ferrell’s spoof with ye...
August 2009
7 posts
Athlete
Get this. No explanation needed and no questions asked.
Songs I'm Loving (Pt. 1)
Plumb - God-shaped hole
Art Brut - DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake
Jack Penate - Be the One
Friendly Fires - Lovesick
Lights - February Air
Eye Alaska - Good to Go
Phoenix - Lizstomanic (Classixx remix)
Owl City - Dental Care
Harry Nilsson - Everybody’s Talkin’
Stars of the Lid - Tippy’s Demise
fun. - Walking the Dog
Foals - Hummer
The Damnwells - Down With the...
Jack Penate
I first heard Jack Penate’s song, “Have I Been A Fool?” and instantly fell in love with the retro british sound that he emits. He recently released a new record called, “Everything Is New” that I can only describe as perfect for this moment in the backbend of summer. It’s really a great, pertinent record to any fan of British writers a la, Ed Harcourt and...
Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Better
I am a big fan of these. Not only do I love the original “Lisztomania” song offWolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, but I’m now blasting these all hours of the night.
I highly recommend the “Classixx version.” Trust me.
Eye Alaska
Totally in love with this band. Maybe not every single song on their newest record, “Genesis Underground,” but this group is promising from the minute you hear the opening track, “Walk Like a Gentlemen.”
“Good to Go” might be my current favorite song of theirs, which infuses dance pop, modern adult pop reminiscent of Jamiroquai, Maroon5, and Queen, if...
The Avett Brothers
It’s safe to say that I’m obsessed with these guys. For one, they’re from my home state, North Carolina. Secondly, you can’t pin these guys down. One minute, they’re screaming their lungs out and the next they are harmonizing like two church choir boys. (Listen to “Colorshow” and then “Murder In the City” for corroboration).
They have a...
Mark Kozelek
I’ve always been a fan of Mark. Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon, his solo stuff, you name it. Even his acting bits in Almost Famous as the goofy bass player. This guy just knows how to write a sad song that comes across as achingly beautiful. Vocals that might pierce the deepest parts of you and songs that are top notch. One of the few artists that I’ll buy anything he puts...
July 2009
3 posts
Summer Concerts
Besides the summer being hotter than Satan’s armpit, there are lots of concerts to attend. But who?, you ask. Well, let me answer your question with a notable download. It’s called IConcertCal, and it’s a few years old, but I still find myself mentioning this staggeringly cool plugin for your Itunes. It takes whatever artist you have in your library, and if said artist is in...
Ocean Eyes
That’s gonna be the record for the summer.
Owl City has supremely impressed me. It has somehow reached in my innermost musical parts of my soul and released this love for pop music once again. And we’re not talking pop music a la, Lady Gaga or Jonas Brothers, it’s more like a-ha, because they were the nice side of pop. Then you have other great pop like, The Beach Boys,...
Some New Stuff
I’ll admit to just recently discovering Foals, due to this kid, who plays drum covers, ranging from Phoenix’s “1901” to Death Cab for Cutie’s, “The New Year,” to, on topic, a handful of Foals songs on their debut record, Antidotes.
And, let’s face it: Foals is great no matter how you look at them. Whether you are a drummer or a drum connoisseur,...
June 2009
7 posts
EP'ing
Looks like a handful of people are skipping the ‘ole LP process and giving us fun treats in the form of the ever-faithful, EP. Extended Play, for you Lester Bangs-wannabes.
Tomorrow, Spoon releases the Got Nuffin EP. The title track is vintage Spoon and everything you love about them all over again. Nothing new here, which if, I’m Britt Daniel’s coach, I’m telling him...
Keep an eye out...
Here are some up coming releases you should keep an eye out for…
Wilco’s “Wilco” comes out this Tuesday the 30th.
The Dead Weather “Horehound” will be out July 14th.
Arctic Monkeys “Humbug” I was a huge fan of their last album so I have high hopes for this release, out August 25th.
Jay-Z “Blueprint 3” Due out September 11th
Muse...
Things I'm Obsessed With
-Blasting Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix all day and every day.
-Wilco’s new record, Wilco (The Album)
-Enjoying power pop and some pop. Examples: Green River Ordinance, Lily Allen, Owl City, the new Black Eyed Peas record, and a little bit of “The Lottery Song” by Harry Nilsson.
Heck, I may and just tell you my updated favorite songs as of late -
fun. - At Least...
Pete Yorn!
Has a new record out!!!
News
A few nuggets I enjoyed over the past week…
-Owl City’s record, Ocean Eyes, got pushed up to July 14th on Itunes as opposed to some random date in September. This is great.
-Hammock, probably my favorite ambient/post-rock band is back in the studio and recording. I know this because I follow them on twitter pretty religiously. Good times.
-My friend told me Bonnaroo is going...
fun!
Alright, alright. Summer’s here. I’m sweating like I wish I wasn’t. And music’s more grand than ever.
We all have those records we deem as ‘summer records’ and usually bring ‘em out during the 90° weather and all. I mean, who actually listens to this song in the winter?
Well, remember that band a few years ago that a lot of the indie kids talked...
Some notes
The new Wilco record is really good. More on it later. But, it’s really good. It’s gritty, smart, vivacious, and of course, professional. Wilco just gets better and better, and their newest record, releasing June 30th, is a mix between A.M. and Being There with a little A Ghost Is Born. I think the experimental Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is long gone. At least you know they’re...
May 2009
10 posts
Review for "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"
Whatever happened to Doritos having only two distinct flavors? Cool Ranch and Nacho Cheese. That was it. You either went with cheese or the slightly sour ranch. Both were timeless and you’d be hard pressed to find someone eight years ago who would’ve asked for more. At this point, there are handfuls of different Doritos styles and flavors. I do not like this. I am a simple...
Radiohead Back in the Studio!
Not much can bring me sheer serenity, than to know that Radiohead is back in the studio, writing and creating music.
Read the full article here at NME.
Roman Candle
It’s not often I get to write about bands from North Carolina, but over the past few years, the music scene coming from Asheville, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill have been extremely important and pleasant for music. It’s truly been a great thing to see.
The band I am writing about today is Roman Candle. These guys have been around since ‘97, writing and playing, doing the...
Coldplay Album
I’m pretty sure you’d have to be a bad Coldplay fan or just someone who slept through all of Friday, but, there was a live record the band released to the fans on Friday.
Download it here for free!
Favorite Songs of 2009 (Thus Far)
Carolina Liar - California Bound
Phoenix - Countdown
Owl City - Hot Air Balloon
Mat Kearney - Fire and Rain
Jars of Clay - Closer
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
Paper Route - Tiger Teeth
Lily Allen - 22
The Alternate Routes - All I Can See
The Killers - Four Winds (Bright Eyes cover)
Dawes - When My Time Comes
The Fray - Where The Story Ends
Gavin Castleton - Coffeelocks
Kanye...
Streaming Wilco
Hey!
Stream the new Wilco record here!
Weird
Up until a minute ago, I was under the impression that Phoenix’s new, highly anticipated record, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was going to be released on May 25th. The reason is, that is what their website says.
However, a minute ago, I’m sifting through the Itunes releases for today and I see, said album by Phoenix. For sale. Here. Weird, huh? I’m kinda confused, but if you...
I Support This
This is great news. A bit older news, but you see, this isn’t a day job for me. I find stuff whimsically, and when I do, I write about it.
The news I am referring to is Josh Ritter’s re-release of his second album, Golden Age of Radio, which was of high acclaim by the critics 8 years ago. Ritter’s website essentially states that this is for the fans. Thanks Josh! It is a...
Hot Air Balloon
Around September of last year, I discovered a neat little record called, Maybe I’m Dreaming, by Owl City, the moniker of Adam Young. Not surprisingly, I immediately thought of The Postal Service, Styrofoam, Dntel, and the emergence of a Texas group, PlayRadioPlay! I wrote it off at first. However, the more I listened to it, I was stuck on it. It’s really happy music. Which...
Ok Bear
Jeremy Enigk, one of the most prolific writers on the outside looking in, in terms of, the “record biz” has a new record coming out in 8 days. Of course I was excited to hear this, knowing that his first solo record, Return of the Frog Queen didn’t get a proper follow-up record until 2006’s World Waits record. So of course, I was wondering if the guy was going to follow...
April 2009
14 posts
A Paper Route worth taking...
I hate to be the guy left in the dust on this one, but I do have a solid excuse. I was at my 9-5 (more or less) job today which prevented me from updating you on today’s releases. I think I saw a handful of different “tweets” regarding Paper Route’s release of their first full length entitled, Absence. (Which by the way is $7.99 on Itunes!)
Yep, that’s the one....
Manchester Orchestra
It kind of sucks to be a relatively, still, “new” band in 2009. Realize this - band signs a record deal, does press releases, signs stuff, talks about their music, performs on some shows, does interviews, takes photos, hangs out with fellow record label mates while shooting the breeze, does more interviews, gets hyped up by magazines and radio shows, gets ready for the release date of...
Give me a minute!
Look. Silversun Pickups have a new record out. I know this. You know this. So. Just give me a minute. I’m digesting it. And of course, the countless other records out in April. I just had a birthday for crying out loud! I’m on it! Just not right this minute.
But look for it. It’ll be here in a few days. You know - the review. That’s what you came for...
Band of the Week
Dawes.
On point with the recent surge of throwback 70s alt-country (think Van Morrison), comes Dawes, formerly, Simon Dawes. Also, think, the recent buzz surrounding Fleet Foxes, and the more developed buzz, My Morning Jacket. And we can’t leave out the big name, Wilco, who when it all comes down to it, started this whole damn thing. You know, great harmonies, soft verses/loud...