Furious Dance

So my song of the day post yesterday inspired me to get one of the two Rosebuds albums that I was missing. I stumbled across the song "Get Up and Get Out" on Youtube while I was writing, and I was struck by the very different sound of it. Naturally, I was intrigued and so I got the Rosebuds' third album: Night of the Furies. It's excellent.

As I mentioned in the last post, I have two albums by the Rosebuds, and I love the chill, acoustic, yet sometimes frantic songs that are their trademark. The sharing of vocal duties between Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp (the two members of the band) makes for constant, refreshing changes and allows for varied styles of the songs while keeping with the band's overall sound structure. Night of the Furies, however, brings something new to the band's style (which I found strange since it is not their most recent album). While the subtly driving guitar chords and bass, in conjunction with the haunting vocals that make up the framework for a majority of the Rosebuds' songs are still to be found on this album, these trademarks are joined by the addition of bouncing electric effects, some quiet synthesizers, and a new emphasis on riding the high hat. Night of the Furies is like the child of the Rosebuds that was kidnapped from the hospital and raised on the dance floor.

The opening track "My Punishment for Fighting" immediately establishes this new style by kicking off with a synthesizer to accompany the train-like guitar. The next track, "Cemetary Lawns" also seeks to buck a trend, opening with drumming that introduces the song a mere instant before overstaying its welcome. Third on the album, is what is so far my favorite track: "I Better Run". It introduces a calm bass drum followed by slow guitar chords, at first not seeming very different from the older Rosebuds tracks. However, the track suddenly kicks into a higher gear with a drum roll that leads into an intense riding of the high hat cymbal and a playing of what sounds like a harpsichord...the combination is one that is impossible to NOT dance to. What I like about this track is that in spite of its upbeat instrumentation, the lyrics present a very dark story. Next up is "Get Up and Get Out", which recalls elements of disco music coupled with the classic sound of Howard's vocals. This song would be a great fit on the dance floor for sure. The album continues with a parade of great songs, some more 'normal' sounding than others, but generally infused with shots of energy that are generally absent from the Rosebuds' music. While I like their other stuff perfectly fine the way it is, the change on this album is definitely nice.

Here are the grades as I see them:
1. My Punishment For Fighting: B+
2. Cemetary Lawns: B
3. I Better Run: A+
4. Get Up and Get Out: B+
5. Silence by the Lakeside: A
6. Hold On To This Coat: A
7. Silja Line (On Settling For a Normal Life): A-
8. When The Lights Went Dim: A
9. Night of the Furies: A+
Overall Grade: A



You might have missed this great band and great album so far...but you shouldn't continue to do so.

You can visit the Rosebuds' official website here.

Song of the Day 10/13/09

I absolutely love the Rosebuds. I need to get more of their music, because I very much enjoy the two albums of theirs that I have (Life Like and Birds Make Good Neighbors, both excellent CDs). My media library on my computer was on random tonight, and I happened upon what is probably my favorite track by the Rosebuds, and as it is a fairly recent find, I deemed it worthy of 'Song of the Day' status and I thought I would share.

Black Hole, from their album Life Like is a very chill, moving piece with great vocals and a calm, yet piercing guitar part throughout the track. The tempo is just about perfect for any sort of listening. I can't tell if the song makes me happy or sad, and that is a confusion that I am entirely okay with.

You can listen to the song by clicking on the link. You know the drill.
Black Hole - The Rosebuds

I Think I Like The Like

I'm about to sleep...but before I do, I have a new band to share. As the title of this post implies, I have not firmly made up my mind on this band, but I think despite a desire to do otherwise, I am leaning towards liking The Like. I have zero problems with female vocalists, in face some of my favorite singers are women (Regina Spektor, Neko Case (of The New Pornographers), Mette Lindberg (of Asteroids Galaxy Tour) etc.)...however girl bands are a bit different, and I tend to avoid what I for some reason refer to as 'lip glossy music', which I in some ways categorize The Like as. I saw Arctic Monkeys in concert last week and after waiting for a good thirty minutes for them to come on, I was thrilled when the lights finally dimmed and a band came out on the stage. Naturally, I was disappointed to find that it was not in fact the Arctic Monkeys. I was a bit indifferent towards the 'strange looking chicks' who were on stage...of course, this band was The Like. They played a good ten song set, and while it was a bit too loud to fully understand the lyrics, I enjoyed it for the most part. They had a good sound and had a fun set. The lead singer's voice wasn't exactly my thing, though she displayed some serious vocal talent at several points. The instruments, especially the organ, were great...nice and loud and perfect for some good old hair shaking. Their sound packed a good bit of nostalgia, recalling some great aspects of the 'classic rock' style, and I like that. Despite my initial impressions, I enjoyed their set. Today I finally checked out their website and spent a good while enjoying the catchy tunes.

So I believe it is safe to recommend them. Check out their myspace page here.

Apparently the band I saw is the 'new and improved' version of The Like, featuring a new bassist and the addition of an organ player. I felt watching them that these new members were perhaps the strongest part of the band as far as the sound they contributed.

Check out their new single by clicking the link below.
The Like - Fair Game

Song of the Day 10/08/09

Ok, so I don't have much time to discuss stuff since the Office is about to come on (exciting!), but I thought I would share my song of the day. I got it a couple weeks ago and have been unable to share it with anyone since I can't find it anywhere online...and since I think people should get to hear excellent music, I thought I would try to fix the problem. So I uploaded the song to youtube, and now you can listen to it.

Click the link to listen to 'Fortune', an unreleased track by one of my favoritest of bands, The New Pornographers. It comes from the bonus CD for their most recent album (released in 2007, now PLEASE come out with another one!), Challengers. If you do not already have this album, please get it...it's for your own good that I tell you these things. Of course, if you don't like good music, please continue to not have this album...otherwise GET IT NOW!!!

Fortune - The New Pornographers

Song of the Day 10/07/09

So I have been thinking about this blog and I hate that I have abandoned it the last several months. In my defense, my computer crashed at the end of last semester and that is what caused me to originally stop posting here. Hopefully I will be able to get back in the groove of posting soon. For now, please be content to listen to my song of the day (I've liked it for a while, and have had the album for a month and a half, but as I saw the band this last week, it's risen to the top of my playlist again).

Arctic Monkeys - Dance Little Liar

Put This on Repeat

Today I decided to find new music...
What I ended up with was the Black Ghosts, a band that barely has a Wikipedia article (a fairly good indicator of their status as a relative unknown). I had heard almost nothing from or about this band, yet I was pleasantly pleased with what I found. The Black Ghost's debut album (simply titled Black Ghosts)is so far a very enjoyable listen, but I have only managed to listen to a few tracks at this point. The reason for my lack of exploration of the CD is because I can't stop listening to the lead single, "Repetition Kills You". To be honest this track is the main reason I got Black Ghosts, because I saw that it featured Damon Albarn. Albarn, the lead singer for THREE bands that I like (Blur, Gorillaz, and The Good, The Bad, and the Queen), is one of my favorite musical masterminds. So, when I saw that he was on this track, I was immediately interested...it did not disappoint.

"Repetition Kills You" starts off quickly with a very strong infusion of bass and percussion that is a consistent force throughout the track. Damon Albarn's thick, laid-back vocals jump in shortly inquiring as to whether or not the listener feels lonely. At the chorus Albarn is joined by the two Black Ghosts, Theo Keating and Simon Lord, whose vocals accelerate the tempo of the song and create an excellent, coherent, whole with each other and with Albarn. The track is laced with frequent interjections of synth parts that sound like they were ripped directly off of one of the old video games I played as a kid, enforcing my idea that this song is FUN. "Repetition Kills You" may not be a lyrical masterpiece, but it is conscious of this; it IS repetitive but its fun to listen to and it makes the listener want to dance. The track ends with the simple truth behind so much music:

"This is a repetition of words,
Dancing needs a repetition to work"

With these closing lines the song is perfectly summed up, and with its ending it begs that you press 'repeat' and let it play again.

Listen, Dance, Repeat...you shouldn't miss it.

Click HERE to listen to/watch the music video for "Repetition Kills You".

You can visit the Black Ghost's website HERE.

Bringing the Puppets Out of the Shadows

The Arctic Monkeys are one of my favorite bands in the world...this post is not about them. However it IS about the side project of lead singer Alex Turner, who has teamed up with Miles Kane (lead singer of the Rascals, a band about which I know nothing) and James Ford (who I don't count as part of the group but technically does some work composing and producing...just no real instruments or singing) to create something quite brilliant.

The Last Shadow Puppets are the aforementioned brilliance. This band is a bit of a step down from the amazing indie rock that is Arctic Monkeys. However, it is something quite different, while still maintaining the brilliant sound Turner brings to Arctic Monkeys. The Last Shadow Puppets have some slower songs, compared to Arctic Monkeys, though the majority of their songs are up-tempo numbers that blend the very complimentary vocals of Turner and Kane with driving guitar runs. The Puppets' lyrics are smart, sharp, and snappy, painting everything from stories of sweet romance to bitter portraits of resentment. Perhaps the best thing about the Puppets is that they are accompanied by an ORCHESTRA! That's right, as in a whole lotta professional musicians playing the instruments that you have to be wearing a tux to play. It's beautifully oxymoronic to have a symphony added to British rock music, but it works PERFECTLY.

The Last Shadow Puppets currently only have one album out (2008's The Age of the Understatement (it receives a grade of A from me)), yet they also have an abundance of b-sides that can be found on youtube, and probably in other nooks and crannies. Their album is amazing, go buy five copies of it now.

I cannot say enough good about the Last Shadow Puppets to be honest, they're one of the better bands I have discovered during the last year...yet I don't know a single person that listens to them apart from myself.
You shouldn't miss it.

A few favorites:
My Mistakes Were Made For You
Age of the Understatement
The Meeting Place
Paris Summer
(their cover of Rihanna's S.O.S. makes me laugh)

Visit their official page HERE.

Music VIDEO of the day: 3/20/09

This video is just cool...I didn't want to go thru the trouble of adding videos to the blog, but this one is just too good to pass on.
Here is the music video for "Challengers" by the New Pornographers:

Cry While Dancing

Ok, so spring break is over and the school week has slowed down enough for me to actually write something that will not be graded (at least not by anyone who controlls my GPA, haha). I'm sure I will find a time that works for me to get 'into a groove' with this blog. When it has some more demand I will be more motivated, haha.

Anyways, on to the good stuff: MUSIC

Megan Feniak, known artistically as Fen, is a friend of a friend...as a result I have some excellent tunes dancing through my headphones that most have not yet had the pleasure of hearing. I don't like to categorize music (it's too much a restraint) so instead I will describe Fen's music thus: it makes me want to cry and smile at the same time...all while dancing. Her songs (some of which I am experiencing for the first time at the time of this writing) weave an exceedingly pleasant pattern through the listener's ears that is both familiar and unpredictable. Her vocals are beautifully sweet whispers. The guitar work is different from what I am accustomed to, melding strumming with chains of picking. It's rather unique, and it works. I don't mind listening to the songs over and over, they're pretty every time.

Sadly I cannot yet guide you to an album, yet her song's are available for listening on her PureVolume site HERE
Leave a comment, say something nice!

As a head's up, while the quality of the songs themselves is excellent, the quality of the sound files is not up to par. This doesn't really detract from the listening except for a few cases where the vocals are overshadowed by the guitar work. Still, completely worth listening to.

You shouldn't miss it.

My faves:
Fen (the popular lament)
Sleeves
Kids in '95

Song of the Day 3/03/09

So I have been ridiculously busy with school lately, so I won't be writing full album reviews on my new favorite band (and by that I mean the new band I was introduced to that is AMAZING). BUT one of their songs is Song of the Day, so I will write about that.

The band: The New Pornographers
I can't say that I like their name at all...but I love the band. Apparently someone famous (yet not famous enough for me to care who they are) once referred to rock and roll as 'the new pornography'...so there is the name explained. Ironically, in spite of the band's name they are probably one of the cleanest bands I have heard recently (no language or suggestiveness or anything).

Regardless of what this band chooses to call themselves, they are soooo good. But more on them later...

The song: Loose Translation (from the album Electric Version)
Electric guitar kicks this song off to a great start while the chords are joined by a synthesizer that is very reminiscent of a heart monitor one would expect from a hospital but not a piece of music...it fits perfectly. The constant beeping of the synths pushes the song along while the sounds of what may be a fuzz bass (excellent) and the brilliant harmonies of the vocalists dance around each other. The lead vocals are fainter than usual, starting out the song with line upon line until it seems the singer must be out of breath. The added harmonics makes you focus on the beautiful lyrics they sing. The lyrics themselves are quite clever.

This song is brilliant, and I can't stop listening to it. You can listen to it here.

You shouldn't miss it.

P.S. I think my most favorite song by them is "The Bones of an Idol", but I cannot find any links to it. If you can find it, LISTEN TO IT!

Visit the band's website HERE.

Song of the Day 2/26/09

Writing about Peter, Bjorn & John yesterday inspired me to go find MORE of their music. So I was going through some of their older albums (Writer's Block and Falling Out are both great) and I found my new song of the day:

Teen Love - Peter, Bjorn & John (from Falling Out)

parts of it kinda remind me of the Rolling Stones...

Listen to TONIGHT Today

Franz Ferdinand is one of my favorite bands. That says a lot, since I only like bands that are awesome. This band is a little more mainstream than those mentioned in my previous entries, but they still don't have the following they deserve. The band, which hails from Scotland, has had great success in the United Kingdom, and has had several songs chart fairly well in the United States, but a lot of people in the U.S. are unfamiliar with them, apart from a few select hits (you most likely have heard 'Take Me Out' or 'The Fallen').

Last month Franz Ferdinand followed up their first two hit albums (Franz Ferdinand and You Could Have It So Much Better) with a new release: Tonight. This album exhibits a more mature sound, yet doesn't stray far from the band's previous focus on songs that have dance-floor-filling potential. Tonight is supposedly a concept album, but is only loosely so...it is tied together by vague theme in a way that makes sense without forcing the album to fit a certain formula. As opposed to their previous albums, Tonight has the brilliant touch of increased keyboards, something that adds a nice flavor to the CD as a whole.

The album leads off with 'Ulysess' (see video below) which boasts an earworm of a bass line complemented by soothing high hat work by drummer Paul Thomson. Before too long the music is joined by lead vocalist Alex Kapranos who begins the song in a whisper that quickly elevates in volume and energy while calmly propelling the track forward. The guitars and keyboards in this song are excellent and help pace the song from slow to fast then back and forth again until the song ends in a sudden flourish.

Next up is the catchy foot-tapper 'Turn It On' which is overflowing with an energy that makes you want to sing along. 'No You Girls' is a bit of a slow-down after 'Turn It On' but is still dance worthy as Kapranos shares the unsureness of his feelings while lamenting the divide between male and female. An interesting note on this track is that additional percussion is played on an actual human skeleton. A couple tracks later one's ears are greeted by something entirely different in 'Twilight Omens'. On first listening to this track I almost skipped it, but it is now one of my favorites on the album. It is, musically, very reminiscent of the eighties...and yet I love it. The synthesizers are melded perfectly with the electric guitars in a way that will make the eyes of your ears glaze over. 'Can't Stop Feeling' is a song I had heard previously, as it was a B-side left over from FF's second album. I wasn't a big fan of the original version, but the band has re-worked it here, adding a heavy synth line covered with a circus of drums to form one of the best songs on the album. 'Lucid Dreams' is another track I had heard before, as it was released months before the album came out. Again, this one is completely different from the previous take. At first it seems to be the same song, yet it abruptly shifts into something else entirely. The track is a very interesting step for the band, one that evolves into an acid trance track by the mid-way point. Finally 'Katherine Kiss Me' is a soft and sweet ending to Tonight. This track is basically a reprise of 'No You Girls' with nothing but acoustic guitar and Kapranos' vocals. The song pulls forth images of finally drifting off to sleep after a pleasant and full Tonight...

Overall Tonight is another excellent offering by Franz Ferdinand. It's in stores now, you shouldn't miss it.



Grades by track:
1. Ulysses: A+
2. Turn It On: A+
3. No You Girls: A
4. Send Him Away: C
5. Twilight Omens: A
6. Bite Hard: B+
7. What She Came For: B
8. Live Alone: C
9. Can't Stop Feeling: A+
10. Lucid Dreams: B
11. Dream Again: C+
12. Katherine Kiss Me: A
Overall Grade: A



Visit the band's website here

Nothing to Worry About

Since I already brought up the whole Scandinavian Invasion thing, I thought I would continue in that vein with a review of the new single by Swedish indie band Peter, Bjorn & John. The trio from Stockholm has released a number of gems in the past several years (their 2006 single, 'Young Folks' made several top-20 lists of 2006) and it seems they will not disappoint with their forthcoming album, Living Thing.

The lead single from the album, 'Nothing to Worry About' was recently released and shows a great deal of promise. The track begins with a chorus of children that is quickly joined by the heavy bass and percussion I enjoy in Peter, Bjorn & John's songs (PB&J for short...haha). As always, the vocals of Peter Morén are almost childlike, yet with a rough edge. It's something different, and something I like. His bouncy verses blend well with the smooth, yet crowded chorus. 'Nothing to Worry About' has an Oriental feel to it...a very pleasant surprise that is played off in a way that is not at all cliché . The track has somewhat of a raw feel to it at times, but it's catchy nonetheless.

Grade: B+

Living Thing will be released in the United States March 31st and I for one plan to check it out, you shouldn't miss it.


Check out Nothing to Worry About here

Some other favorites from PB&J to listen to:
Young Folks
Let's Call It Off
Amsterdam

Peter, Bjorn & John's official site is here (parental advisory: there is some language in the track 'Lay it Down' which plays upon entering the site)

Fruit: Coming Soon

I don't know of a single person apart from my cousin and I that has heard of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. I think this needs to change. There is a good chance you have HEARD some of their music (their song 'Around the Bend' was featured on a commercial for the ipod Touch), but that's not enough where I'm concerned. You need to know who you are listening to, and I recommend that you listen to AGT. The Danish band, primarily consisting of Mette Lindberg and Lars Iversen, is something different...and is quite refreshing. They are a part of what I believe to be a greater Scandinavian Invasion to the United States...but more on that later.


The Asteroids Galaxy Tour's debut album, Fruit (yet to be released in the United States), is brilliant. The album opens with a track entitled 'Lady Jesus" which quickly jumps into a catchy, hypnotic groove that had me immediately hooked. The lyrics (primarily by Iversen) offer a haunting portrait of a twisted religious figure (nicknamed Lady Jesus) who caused massive riots in Copenhagen a few years ago. Lindberg's vocals fit the song perfectly, lulling the listener into a phase of head nodding and foot tapping.

The album provides a wide variety of tones, shifting right from the darker tones of 'Lady Jesus' to more upbeat tones like 'Satellite' and 'Around the Bend'. Fruit blends strong percussion w/ subtle bass, hypnotizing keyboards and excellent production. I usually am not a big fan of music that has a lot of effects on it, but the echoes on 'Satellite' and the fuzz added to Lindberg's voice on 'Bad Fever' perfect the tracks. This album takes musical concepts that I would usually be opposed to and make them subtle enough that they work well.

Fruit smoothly mixes songs that make you want to dance with those that could send you into a calm sleep. This album sometimes recalls images from the 60s or 70s while being something unique, and hopefully offers a taste of more good apples from AGT after Fruit. I strongly recommend that when the album is released in April you give it your ear, you shouldn't miss it.



Grades by track:
1. Lady Jesus: A
2. The Sun Ain't Shining No More: B
3. Push The Envelope: C
4. Satellite: A+
5. Crazy: C+
6. The Golden Age: B-
7. Around the Bend: A+
8. Sunshine Coolin': B
9. Hero: B
10. Bad Fever: A
Overall Grade: B+

I don't support the ipod at all...but here is the commercial featuring AGT (because I don't want to take the time to upload the entire music video, but you should look it up anyways):


Visit the band's official page here

A Brief Explanation

Greetings,

I am a music lover. I like music that is different, intelligent, and shows personality. A lot of what I listen to is not your average run of the mill stuff. I pride myself in finding bands that most people haven't heard of. Despite my desire to find music that nobody else listens to, I think that people SHOULD listen to the artists whose songs I drink in. So...here is a place where I can offer you, dear reader, suggestions on music. I hope this is a fun and educational process...happy listening!

Coming up next: a review of a to-be-determined album

P.S. the blog title is taken from the Beatles' song 'Across the Universe'. They are my most favorite band of all time, and it's an amazing song. listen to it