November 2008 – Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good

Meursault

I was introduced to Meursault, by Matthew at Song, By Toad, who liked the band so much that he decided to release their debut album, Pissing On Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues, on his own homespun record label. After a few days of listening, I can easily see why the Edinburgh, Scotland band inspires such passion. They certainly have one of the most distinctive and unique sounds that I’ve heard this year, mixing traditional Scottish folk sounds of banjo and ukelele with glistening electronica (I’ve heard it called “folktronica”). In addition to the band’s striking sonic textures, the vocals are exceptional on this album, adding to the unconventional beauty of the album.

“The Furnace” is a great introduction to Meursault. The opening of the track is a wild juxtaposition of sounds, with the banjo at the forefront providing the primary melody over drum machines and sped-up guitar . The complexity and urgency of the track makes it stand out in a big way. My favorite song on the album, though, is the far simpler “A Few Kind Words”. The electronica on this song is simply perfection and mixed with the acoustic strums and chanted vocals, it makes for a magnificent pop song. Download the aforementioned songs below and head over Mr. Toad’s record store to grab the album.

MP3 The Furnace
MP3 A Few Kind Words

Video: Passion Pit – Sleepyhead

Here’s a creative little video for a band that I’ve seen popping up on the blogs quite a bit lately, Passion Pit. If you like bands trapped in spinning cubes soundtracked by retro synths and crazy falsettos then this is the video for you. Would it be wrong to call this video Cut Copy meets Battles? I don’t care I’m doing it anyway.

MP3 Passion Pit – Sleepyhead

Whoa. Just noticed that YouTube is all widescreen now. I’m digging it.

Dept. of Forgotten Songs

Does it seem like every year the best of lists are out faster? Blender, Paste, and Amazon have already released their lists for the year, and I’m busy re-listening to ’08 music and compiling my lists. In the process I’ve found some songs that I’ve enjoyed over the year, and for one reason or another forgot about, and have yet to feature on this site. Here’s a few of those songs that I recently rediscovered. Enjoy!

MP3 Frightened Rabbit – Keep Yourself Warm
This song hits me in the same way The Twilight Sad’s “Cold Days from a Birdhouse” did last year, and not just because of the lead singer’s shared Scottish accents. It’s an incredibly passionate, soaring rock anthem.

MP3 Bodies of Water – Darling, Be Here
This California band made one of my favorite debuts last year. Their sophomore album replaces gospel-folk epics with prog-rock epics and this song is the best of them. The monster guitar riff, quirky keyboard breakdown, and jubilant vocal climax makes “Darling, Be Here” a triumph.

MP3 The New Year – The Company I Can Get
This song seems fairly unnasumming at first, but I found myself hooked in by its waltzy piano, ringing guitar, and lingering melody.

MP3 Deerhunter – Agoraphobia
When I first heard this song, I had double check make sure it was actually Deerhunter. The enthralling jangly synth-pop of “Agoraphobia” sounds nothing like the ambient post-punk Cryptograms, which is probably why I like it so much.

MP3 The Last Shadow Puppets – Standing Next To Me
This song bolts out of the gate from the first seconds, delivering some of the catchiest British dance-punk I’ve heard this year. But aside from the playful guitar and heavy accents typical of the genre, the grandiose orchestration on the track (which includes everything from strings to tympani) really make it rewarding listen.

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I’ve already gotten a lot of great feedback on the new banner and logo. Big thanks go to Nick Duncan, talented designer/photographer, and all-around good-guy, for creating those for me.

The Anathallo review went up yesterday at Pitchfork, and although I would have given it a higher score and still don’t understand why the constant Sufjan comparisons are necessary, I think it was a solid write-up. I think signing to anticon forced Pitchfork to start taking the band seriously and I do agree that Canopy Glow is a significant progression and continues to show tremendous potential for the band.

Blind Pilot

This one’s for you folkies out there. I was introduced to Blind Pilot this week through 3hive and I fell in love right away with the band’s genuine and mesmerizing acoustic compositions. After coming off a crazy (yet awesome) weekend and having a nasty cold all week, this is exactly what I needed. I realize that earnest folk bands are a dime-a-dozen but trust me when I say that Blind Pilot are much better than your average coffee-shop act. Their debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, is consistently amazing and the songs will stick with you long after listening.

“Oveida”, is a wonderful example of the type of gorgeous, majestic music that this band is capable of. Israel Nebeker’s hushed vocals perfectly complement the acoustics of the song, and the flourishes of strings hit just at the right time. Another track that exemplifies the band’s understated beauty is “Go On, Say It”. This is the type of song would probably be on every TV/movie soundtrack out there, if heard by the right people. The emotion that the Nebeker evokes in the chorus is stunning. Like I mentioned earlier, all the songs I’ve heard from this band are of the same top-notch quality. Blind Pilot is definitely one of my best finds recently, and already one of my favorite folk albums from this year. Download two songs below and head over to emusic to grab the rest of the album.

MP3 Oveida
MP3 Go On, Say It

Also, as if you needed another reason to listen to this band, is that their last tour was done completely on their bikes. They rode all the way from Washington to Southern California (it took about 4 months). How cool is that!

The Hold Steady / Drive-By Truckers – Live @ Riveria Theatre

Photo by Joe Issacs

The Hold Steady almost killed me at their show on Friday. I’m pretty sure we partied, and Chicago seemed anything but tired as the band rolled through with Drive-By Truckers on their co-headlining “Rock and Roll Means Well” Tour. Together the bands provided one of the most life-affirming rock shows that I’ve ever attended. The connection between band and audience seen at this show was completely outstanding. Unfortunately I left my camera in the car for this show, but one of the Hold Steady fans I met at the show got some great shots and agreed to let me use them. Thanks, Joe.

It was the The Drive-By Truckers turn that night to open up the show and they definitely proved to me why they’re one of the most respected and acclaimed indie rock bands out there. I’m only familiar with a handful of the songs played, but I was thoroughly impressed by their Southern-fried style and guitar expertise. An early highlight was “The Righteous Path”, my favorite song from the band’s new album. There was a huge cheer when the band sang “tryin’ to hold steady on the righteous path”, a telling sign of the band the vast majority of the crowd came to see. The band continued with its southern rock anthems, with “Zip City” and “Lookout Mountain” (which featured some very cool lights) being my favorite. One song I would have liked to hear was “Marry Me”, which I figured, being the theme song of the whole shindig, would be played. Otherwise, awesome set, but nothing compared to what was to come.

MP3 The Drive-By Truckers – Zip City

Photo by Joe Issacs

If anything is to be said about The Hold Steady, it’s that the band knows how to open a show. “Massive Nights” was the first song played and the crowd just literally exploded. Every person up front jumping, reaching towards the band, and screaming the chorus at the top of their lungs. It was like everyone unleashed all the energy they had stored up at once, and I couldn’t help but join on the fun (maybe it was good I forgot my camera for this reason). “Constructive Summer”, the exceptional opener to my <spoiler alert> album of the year <spoiler alert/>, was played next and thrust anyone that wasn’t already in rock-and-roll heaven straight up with the call-and-response “gonna build something this summer” chorus. I find it amazing how a guy like Craig Finn who on the outside looks like any short, balding, middle-aged guy transforms into a complete rock-and-roll god when up on the stage. Kudos to you, Craig.

The classic jam, “Multitude of Casualties” was up next, from perhaps the band’s most loved album, Separation Sunday and as Finn spit out the words the fans sang back every word to him. Many of the fans had homemade t-shirts, and almost all of them seemed to know the entire Hold Steady catalog by heart. Next up, was perhaps my favorite Hold Steady song, “Stuck Between Stations” which hearing in that environment made me so very, very happy. I made a point to watch Franz during the piano solo, and the man’s incredible. The momentum didn’t stop for almost the whole set as the band cranked out old favorites (“The Swish” “Banging Camp”) new favorites (“Magazines” “Chips Ahoy!”) and obscure fan-approved favorites (“You Gotta Dance”, “Milkcrate Mosh”)

Photo by Joe Issacs

I have to say that the best moments for me were the newer songs, primarily because I’m a newer fan and I know all the words to those songs. For me it didn’t get much better than the three song punch of “Stay Positive”, “Sequestered in Memphis” and “Lord I’m Discouraged”. Each song built up one another culminating in Tad’s larger-than-life guitar solo during “Lord” (played on a sweet double guitar no less). It was a seriously glorious moment, as the crowd all grabbed each other’s shoulders and swayed. They then played the lovely ballad, “Don’t Let Me Explode” before closing it off with epic Stay Positive closer “Slapped Actress”. Even after the band left the stage the crowd continued singing the “Oh, Ohhhhs.

The Truckers joined The Hold Steady on stage for the encore with kicked off with a bang with “Your Little Hoodrat Friend” and “Chillout Tent”, which featured Patterson and Shonna hilariously singing the parts of the teenagers. After that we got three covers from the band, a great performance of BOCs “Burning For You” and then a couple of AC/DC songs. The band wasn’t about to leave the stage though without rocking us one more time with their traditional closing number, “Killer Parties”. Singing the final words of the song, “I remember we departed from our bodies” (which aptly describes my feelings at the time), ranks up there with my all-time favorite concert moments. In short, everything about this massive night was phenomenal. The Hold Steady provide the very definition of an awesome rock show and I urge you to check them out if you have the chance. They are something everyone should experience.

MP3 The Hold Steady – Constructive Summer
MP3 The Hold Steady – Your Little Hoodrat Friend

Follow the jump for some more Hold Steady pics.

Continue reading “The Hold Steady / Drive-By Truckers – Live @ Riveria Theatre” →

Blog's Got A New Face

You might notice things look different here today. The old orange/blue layout has disappeared (or perhaps it’s just moved to a different time/dimension like the island on Lost) and now we have something a bit cleaner, more readable, easier on the eyes, etc. In addition to the aesthetic ch-ch-changes, both sidebars have shifted to the right and there’s a shiny new navigation bar. The design is a variation of the awesome Cleaker 2.1 Theme created by Adam Walker Cleaveland. Tell me in the comments what you think!

MP3 Vampire Weekend – Blake’s Got A New Face
MP3 David Bowie – Changes

My Top 10 Arrested Development Episodes

From the Banana Stand to Hot Cops to Never-Nudes to the Chicken Dance (and that’s not even mentioning The Cornballer, Pop-pop, or Franklin), Arrested Development has provided the some of the funniest moments in television history. Jeffrey Tambor’s announcement that the Arrested Development movie “is a go” in an interview with Collider has caused AD fans to simultaneously blue themselves. Also, Ron Howard recently said that Mitch is very committed to making the movie and just needs to finish the script. So in honor of the announcement, here’s my 10 favorite episodes from the best sitcom of all time (plus the best quotes from each episode). Come on!

MP3 Big Yellow Joint
MP3 The Final Countdown

10. Afternoon Delight

G.O.B.: W-Worse that can happen is can I spill some on my $3,000 suit. Come on! Oh, yeah, yeah. The guy in the… the $4,000 suit is holding the elevator for a guy who doesn’t make that in three months. Come on! Oh. Why don’t I just take a whiz through this $5,000 suit?!

Buster: These are my awards, Mother. From Army. The seal is for marksmanship, and the gorilla is for sand racing.

MP3 Afternoon Delight

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9. Forget Me Now

Tobias: Okay, Lindsay, are you forgetting that I was a professional twice over— an analyst and a therapist. The world’s first analrapist.

George Michael: What a fun, sexy time for you.

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8. Motherboy XXX

Buster: So… the seal lost his hand, too.
G.O.B.: Yeah, poor guy’s probably out there without a flipper, swimming around in a circle, freaking out his whole family.

Buster: Whenever she’d change clothes, she’d make me wait on the balcony until zip-up – and yet anything goes at bath-time.

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7. Let ‘Em Eat Cake

Michael: Really? What kind of job?
Lindsay: Beads!
G.O.B.: Bees?!
Lindsay: Beads.
G.O.B.: Beads?!
Michael: G.O.B.’s not on board.

G.O.B.: Zero hour, Michael. It’s the end of the line. I’m the firstborn. I’m sick of playing second fiddle. I’m always third in line for everything. I’m tired of finishing fourth. Being the fifth wheel. There are six things I’m mad about, and I’m taking over.

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6. Meet The Veals

Narrator: Tobias had attempted an entrance that he hoped would enchant his daughter.
Tobias: We shan’t be telling your mother this, shan’t we?

George Michael: Is Franklin going to be there?
G.O.B.: See that, Mike? Kids love Franklin.
George Michael: I just don’t want him to point out my “cracker ass” in front of Ann.

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5. Mr. F

G.O.B.: Maybe we should do to the Japanese what they do in their movies. Build a miniature city, put it outside the window, tell them it’s far away. It’ll look real if you squint. God knows they’re squinters.

George Michael: Quicken! Premier! Dad, I hope you kept the receipt.
Michael: You want to return that?
George Michael: What? No, I want to deduct it.

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4. Righteous Brothers

Michael: On the plus side, you can take him to lunch at the club now.
G.O.B.: That’s the exact kind of joke he would have loved!

G.O.B.: Oh, God… Oh, God, look at us. We’re crying like a couple of girls.
Michael: Aw… you’re the only one crying,

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3. Pier Pressure

G.O.B.: These guys are pros, Michael. They’re gonna push the tension till the last possible moment before they strip.
Michael: They’re not going to strip, are they?
G.O.B.: I told them not to, but I can’t promise that their instincts won’t kick in.

J. Walter Weatherman: And that’s why you always leave a note.

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2. Top Banana

Tobias: Oh, my God, we’re having a fire. Sale. Oh, the burning! It burns me! Evacuate all the schoolchildren! (Screaming. Singing “Amazing Grace.”) This isn’t a fever! (Continues singing.) Can’t even see where the knob is! (Dramatic sigh.) And scene.

G.O.B.: Return from whence you came!

George Sr.: There’s always money in the banana stand.

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1. Good Grief

George Michael: I’ll be bringing you some salmon rolls right away. In heaven.

Tobias: Here he comes. Here comes John Wayne. “I’m not going to cry about my Pa. I’m going to build an airport— put my name on it.” Why, Michael? So you can fly away from your feelings?

George Michael: I have Pop-Pop in the attic.
Michael: What? The mere fact that you call making love “Pop-Pop” tells me you’re not ready.

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HM: Bringing Up Buster, Exit Strategy, Sword of Destiny, Staff Infection, Key Decisions, Immaculate Election, Fakin’ It, Amigos

Leave your favorite Arrested Development episode / lines in the comments.

The Phenomenal Handclap Band

I have to admit, my initial interest in The Phenomenal Handclap Band was that they have a really awesome name and I’m a sucker for large bands that dress in matching uniforms. After listening to them though, their funky retro music style won me over as well. Instead of thinking of a unique description for the PHB, I’ll give you the band’s unusually precise description of themselves: “anthemic, dancefloor-oriented blend of progressive rock, disco, electro, and ’60s soul with sprinklings of hip hop-styled orchestral breakbeats and moody, synth-heavy hooks”. Sound good? That’s what I thought. Now download “Testimony” and “15 to 20” below. Unfortunately my favorite song from the band, the sublime disco jam “You’ll Disappear”, isn’t yet available for download but you can listen to it at the band’s myspace.

MP3 Testimony
MP3 15 to 20

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I got word of a concert benefit by a group called Dare 2 Dream, featuring Southern Rockers / Radiohead faves, Kings of Leon. It’s gonna be at the Chicago House of Blues and proceeds go to the Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital. If you’re a fan of KOL and/or helping sick kids, buy a ticket when they go on sale tomorrow.

I recently joined Blog Networks on Facebook, a site that ranks blogs and connects you with other blog readers. It’s pretty cool actually and you don’t have to add any apps to participate. If you’d like to join the Music For Kids Who Can’t Read Good Blog Network click here.

I thought I was going to die laughing at Charlie and his taco bed last night. Watch it at Videogum.

Commercial Watch: Broken Social Scene, Girl Talk, Junior Boys

It’s time for another edition of “Commercial Watch” and I’ve been noticing quite a few of my favorite artists grabbing some ad time lately. Occasionally, it’ll be for brands that aren’t exactly my favorite (cough cough, Microsoft), but I cut them some slack because I know there’s mortgages to pay and all that. Here’s a few of the songs I’ve noticed recently with MP3s and link to video.

Cadbury Favorite: Broken Social Scene – Stars and Sons

This is actually a pretty cool commercial. Guy on a park bench pops open some Cadbury Favorites chocolates and friends start magically appearing from inside picnic baskets, umbrellas, and fold-out chairs. The tag line: “Made For Many”. It may sound a bit odd, but it’s well-executed due to some cool special effects and a top-notch song selection.

Watch Commercial

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I’m A PC: Girl Talk – Hold Up

I’ve seen Girl Talk twice this year alone, so I’m familiar with his preference of PCs in his shows over Macs. My theory is that he uses those cheap PC laptops because he trashes them so much on tour and they’re very easily replaceable. Also, there isn’t a Mac version of Audiomulch, the program he uses. The music here doesn’t really represent at all what Girl Talk sounds like, it’s a short instrumental section of “Hold Up” with all the samples missing.

Watch Commercial

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Courtyard by Marriot: Junior Boys – In The Morning

Marriott continues to show good taste in their music selection with the new Courtyard ads (I still see the Residence Inn commercials with Andrew Bird all the time). “In The Morning” is my favorite Junior Boys song, and works great in with the electronic-themed commercial. Full disclosure: I work part-time for Courtyard by Marriott.

Watch Commercial

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Toshiba Range: Crystal Castles – Air War

Another commercial with both great special effects and a killer soundtrack. The ad employs some crazy time-bending and that “bullet time” effect made famous by The Matrix and Gap Commercials. At the end it scales back to show a Toshiba TV that is redefining how we watch television. They may be overstating things a little, but it’s still a good commercial.

Watch Commercial

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Windows Vista: The Ruby Suns – Oh, Mojave!

In this ad, Microsoft trick people that aren’t that familiar with their new operating system to think they are using some new OS called Mojave. They then choose the samples that have good things to say about Mojave (actually Vista) to put into their back-patting commercial. Well, at least the song is good, even if it was only chosen because of the title.

Watch Commercial (looks like it’s already been taken down)

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Victoria Secret: Lykke Li – Little Bit

Heidi Klum has been all over the TV lately with the Guitar Hero World Tour “Risky Business” ad, her regular Victoria’s Secret ads, and Project Runway. All this really helps me forget about that awful Emmy’s hosting thing. The ad is for something called IPEX that “only conceals and never reveals”. Huh? It features Swedish sensation Lykke Li’s song “Little Bit”, from the awesome Youth Novels.

Watch Commercial

Let me know if there are any other commercials that I should add.