Because I Can't Sleep

Long Time, No Post: First Semester College

2010-12-25T10:33:00.000-05:00

What with real essays to write and all, I haven't been able to take a breath and clear my head and get on my once-much-loved side internet project of music and goodness. So now, after 3 in the mo on a Saturday night when I'm not in much of a state to really write all that much (or well) at all, here goes some gushing about some loves.

I have loved Devendra for a long time, and his new album blows my mind a bit. Especially his FUCKING CRAZY as shit videos. I mean, the songs are definitely weird, and they test the conventional expectations of pop-folk-rock songs (though when you're referred to as a "freak-folk" artist, whaddaya expect?). Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that sometimes the videos don't quite match up with the song or the sound. Example A:

FOOLIN'

Shot one: camera closes in on Devendra in a car, looking adorably forlorn and ravishingly gorgeous (yeah, he was hiding a significant amount of attractiveness under all that hair of his). Shot two: he walks up to a door. Shot three: he takes his jacket off for the guy at the door, and weird shit goes down. What follows could be a little shocking, what with the whipping, biracial homosexual eroticism, cutting of fingers, dabbing of bloody fingerless stumps on girls lips, more whipping, bloody Devendra buttcracks, and other events that ensue. Is it odd that none of what's shown really freaks me out? I mean, I did wonder, briefly, just what exactly possessed him to go this route with the video. Because honestly, what he created is the last thing any listener would imagine for this song. But when it comes to Devendra, it's probably best to not have any expectations; it's more amusing that way. And it's more fun to be caught off-guard.

For instance, if I'd just stuffed Devendra in a weird-folk box, what would I have expected from him? Crooning and acoustic guitars? Weird outfits and pretentious performances? No, it's better not to expect anything at all. He might be following a certain vein of music, but ultimately, he's just another person who has room to do whatever he wants. And because my expectations are down, I'm all the more pleased when I find super-rad videos of Devendra being a boss on his skateboard. Who would have thought?

Bombay Bicycle Club - Flaws

2010-08-03T01:03:00.004-04:00

Release Date - July 12, 2010 - Which means if you haven't checked this out, you're late, so get on that.

Have you ever listened to a cover of a song from one of your favorite artists and not hated it? I hadn't, until I heard Bombay Bicycle Club's take on Joanna Newsom's "Swansea," and miraculously refrained from tearing it apart. In fact, I even enjoyed it, and welcomed the refreshing take on one of Newsom's earlier beauties, despite the fact that BBC only included two of the original's lovely verses (and a weird pronunciation of detrain/detwain?). I did miss some of the quirky lyrics that led me to love Swansea in the first place, but BBC didn't refrain from incorporating quirky vocals via frontman Jack Steadman. I would say that the vocals are an homage to Joanna, but listening through the rest of the album leads me to conclude that it's his natural voice.

Swansea:

The rest of the record is more folky-acoustic-weirdness condensed into a truly beautiful compilation. "Ivy and Gold" really makes me wish I could whistle, "My God" almost makes me wish I believed in one (ALMOST), and "Flaws" creates a stunning world where actual flaws aren't uncomfortable, embarrassing, or burdensome. Or at least they don't sound so bad when Steadman is singing about them. And the harmonies, OH MY, the HARMONIES. So gorgeous.

Folk-Rock Rave? I would.

Jesca Hoop-- Hunting My Dress

2010-07-19T19:59:00.003-04:00

Release date on iTunes: July 27
...or stream now for free from NPR!

With breathy, dreamy vocals that envy Marissa Nadler's, Jesca Hoop's swirling new songs will undoubtedly stamp a swelling footprint into the movement that is "new-folk." Swiftly, she goes from four-part vocal harmonies (Whispering Light) to poppy banjo tunes (Four Dreams) to ethereal cooing (Angel Mom) with a light ease that makes her music feel free and pure. While Whispering Light's vocal arrangements compare to fellow folkies Fleet Foxes' White Winter Hymnal (only creepier, darker, and stealthier-- although in Hymnal, Michael does bleed from his head into the snow...), Feast of the Heart sounds something spawned from PJ Harvey. The very next track, Murder of Birds, gives strong and beautiful references to Irish folk music even though it sounds unarguably current.

Hoop is certainly experimental, and she takes grand risks and liberties with her work. The result is a beautiful, timeless sound that could be of yesterday, today, or tomorrow. She has fun, though she never turns too far into any box or corner, which keeps the album exciting. Her abrupt changes in sound never feel too unforewarned, uncomfortable or unnecessary. Furthermore, the different styles she samples stretch her gorgeous voice in every direction, allowing her to melt enigmatically through the album from start to finish. The start, however, is hard to shake, for Whispering Light leaves a haunting paw print on the listener's brain that remains long after the album has ended. The song may just be the best first impression I've ever encountered.

Now that her live chops have been proven spectacular, check out her visually stunning music video for The Kingdom.

She might become my new favorite thing...

Lady-singers

2010-07-14T01:04:00.005-04:00

Recently I've been paying a lot of attention to the music I listen to, and I assessed that I didn't listen to enough women. For the longest time (2005-2009 -- it was a dark path, but I was young and foolish) I was completely stuck in the frightening phase that is alt-rock. I sampled bands such as Good Charlotte, Yellowcard, Simple Plan, Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, Green Day, Foo Fighters, and the list grows more and more monotonous. And "manly." As in, all the artists I was listening to were men.

As a woman, as a musician, and as a growing feminist, discovering that I listened to no female musicians bothered me. So I went and found some great ones! Now that I've educated myself, I present my compiled list of my favorite ladies:

1. Karen O

Yeah Yeah Yeahs' frontwoman Karen O is my number one bad-ass musician heroine. Her style is totally rad (androgynous mixed with bizarre mixed with hawt) and I kind of want to be her. Last summer, I got the chance to see YYY's, which was incredible-- I mean the best concert I've been to incredible-- and the performance was EXCELLENT. KO was dancing maniacally and gleefully around the stage while screaming into the mic and completely beasting. Speaking of beasting, her work on Where the Wild Things Are shows what wonderfully beautiful music she is capable of making (All is Love, people? So catchy, so adorable). And we've seen Karen magnificently collaborate with children in the past, as well-- I direct you to one of my personal favorites, Y-Control, below.

I want to be corrupted by Karen O.

2. Cat Power

I have blogged my love for Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power) before, and I've covered her twice. I find myself drawn to her beautiful voice, her ability to be simultaneously enigmatic, personal, and warm, as well as her back-story, which adds to the complexity of her music. You Are Free might be my favorite recurring message on any album I've ever listened to, What Would the Community Think is as gorgeous as it is sad, and everything Cat Power has ever covered has been stunning. Example:

And I absolutely wish I had Cat Power-hair. But I tried the bangs, and it was not so.

3. Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom is completely odd, gorgeous, and original. I place emphasis on the word "original," because really, how many artists make poppy-medieval sounding tunes playing a harp, and playing it so beautifully?

What I love about Joanna is that she is entirely outside of the box, whatever the box that applies to her would be. You can't really put any sort of label on Joanna, although people have certainly tried. If she received a nickel for every time she was called a fairy or an elf, she could buy everyone in the world a harp. 10 times.

PS. I also want Joanna Newsom's hair, so I am currently growing it out. Oh, and I try to focus more time on perusing the dictionary in order to develop Joanna's incredible vocabulary.

4. Lady Gaga

No longer can I deny my love for this lady. I was completely and utterly turned off by her at first, simply because she wasn't showing me anything I couldn't find in the other gaggle of blonde pop-ladies breezing up and down the charts. But then I began to pay a little bit of attention and became amused at just how bizarre Gaga is. Her job suggests that she should be incredibly fake, yet she knows exactly who she is and has decided to scream it to the world. And the world, and more surprisingly, the mass top-40 world, is listening. Gaga dons sunglasses made of cigarettes and pants made of... actually, donning no pants is more typical of Gaga. She makes epic video after epic video, and with the latest (Alejandro) she shows she is not afraid to shock, awe, and piss off a few people. Now I have never been to church, so I can't say what kind of blasphemous actions Lady Gaga is carrying out. I can say, however, that her face (or lack of face) at the very end absolutely terrified me as I watched the video for the first time, alone, in the dark, at three in the morning.

Below is my favorite (and dare I say, underrated?) jam of Gaga's. I particularly enjoy double fist-pumping to this song, which is bad, for I usually listen to this song while driving to work everyday.

5. Tegan and Sara

Has there ever been a duo who can simultaneously pull of the perfect mix of being adorable and angsty as successfully as Tegan and Sara? Well, I haven't found one, so these two are dubbed the winners. Seriously, I want to be in this music video. I WANT TO DO THIS CUTE DANCE.

I don't foresee myself growing a twin or cloning myself anytime soon, so for now I will just stick to fantasizing over what would be if Olivia and Adelaide (twin name is still in the works) existed.

6. Beyonce

Oh, Sasha Fierce, you have totally won my love, what with being a bamf DIVA and all. I completely believe that she could kick my ass (or anyone's ass) on any given day. In particular, I love just how classy Beyonce has become since breaking free from Destiny's Child. I don't mind all of the collaborations with my other favorite pop-songstress, Lady Gaga, either.

This retro homage to/mockery of 1950s housewifery makes me swoon. When she dusts off her Grammys = THE BEST.

7. Marissa Nadler

Psst. Hey. Marissa. How do you do that thing with your voice? You know, that thing where you sound entirely too beautiful to be packed into a three-minute song? How your voice sounds like it should just radiate all over the world and end all the evils in existence? Yeah, can you get back to me on that? Thanks.

P.S. About the ending evils thing. Can your reverb block up the BP oil spill? Get on that.

Marissa Nadler - Bird On Your Grave from Joana Linda on Vimeo.

8. Feist

I must give Feist some major credit, for she was one of the first female artists I majorly got into. Her down-to-earth quirkiness first captivated me. But I quickly fell for her voice (I have a thing for breathy singer-song writers, if Cat Power and Marissa Nadler haven't tipped you off), which wears every emotion in the boldest of colors. I just hope she brings us something else soon. She hasn't presented any new solo material since The Reminder (and the iPod commercial) made waves. Her songs make me so happy, even when they are oh so melancholy.

9. Janelle Monae

This girl knows who she is and where she's going, you can be damn sure of that. I love her style, her dancing, her androgyny, her social commentary, her weirdness, her pipes, and her ideas. She's never afraid to just "be," whether that means being herself or being android Cindi Mayweather. Janelle Monae is presenting ideas that are absolutely innovative and sounds that are entirely catchy, and I have definitely been hooked.

10. Joan Baez

Now this lady rightfully stands a cut above the rest, if not for her legendary career, but for those fine vocal chords. I want to play guitar like Baez, I want to sing like Baez, and I want to roam the Earth and promote causes like Baez. I deeply admire this woman, all she does, and all she stands for. I kick myself everyday, for she came through town two years ago to play a show at the local theatre, but I had not yet entered into my pseudo-hippie folk-loving days. Hopefully, I get the chance to see her and take it. I've already seen Dylan in concert, but a live show from Joan is something I certainly don't want to miss. I probably wouldn't breathe the entire way through, just because those pipes amaze me.

Example:

I am kind of ecstatic that I escaped my rut and found all these wonderful female artists to look up to. Because really, now I get to work at emulating all my women idols, whereas before, I was all, "Yeah! I totally want to be... that sweaty dude?" Hopefully, my list will grow, and I'll continue to add to it ladies I love and admire.

10 Best of '10 (so far)

2010-07-13T01:10:00.004-04:00

By the way, none of these songs are really in any specific order, save Joanna Newsom, who thoroughly deserves the number one spot.

10. Avi Buffalo - Summer Cum

I cannot believe these kids are, well, kids. I could call them my peers.
While this song doesn't have a trip-tastic video like their equally great "What's In It For?", the lyrics are quirky and the melody is oh so sticky. Also, the best line of the song = "And I could taste a robot's fist." Yep... I can relate.

9. Lightspeed Champion - Marlene

Okay, so there are so many good things about this video, which mainly is the amount of giggles it induces. But this video can never reach the greatness that is the tasty guitar hook during the chorus ("Stop being cool! / Uh-oh.")

8. Janelle Monae - Cold War

R&B from space? I think so. And I love it, her, and her style.

7. Jakob Dylan - Everybody's Hurtin'

Yeah, Jakob, you wear those sunglasses indoors. Oh, and KELLY'S AND NEKO'S BACKGROUND VOCALS.

6. Sparklehorse, Danger Mouse, and Julian Casablancas - Little Girl

Technically, this song has just been released, although it was done quite awhile ago (and it has been on my iPod for awhile, too). Danger Mouse apparently had some beef with EMI, though, and Dark Night of the Soul couldn't be released until July 12. Unfortunately, Sparklehorse left us before we could appreciate the fully released project. RIP Mark Linkous, and I hope whatever afterlife you believe in is giving you peace.

5. Jamie Lidell - Compass

Can you describe this song using words other than "beautiful," or "stunning?" Yeah, I can't either.

4. The Avett Brothers - Slight Figure of Speech

These boys are usually a bit more folky, mellow, and heartfelt, but this song just makes me want to jump around pumping my fists in all directions. Especially when they RAP.

3. Laura Marling - Devil's Spoke

Another individual who just seems much to young to be this good.

2. MGMT - It's Working

I must say, I simply love MGMT's new sound, maybe even more than their old sound. I think this is because their new sound is a little bit 60s-tinged, and I'm such a sucker for the 60s. Another great new band with another great, new, innovative video is also a plus-- the highlight has to be their drummer coming out of the ground wearing a rainbow sombrero.

#1 by a grand-spankin' mile. Joanna Newsom - Baby Birch

Joanna Newsom might just be my favorite person in the world right now. I kind of want to be her. Was I ever surprised to listen to her new album and hear her new voice style. I still love the old warble, but these buttery smooth vocals are so stunning that I'm speechless. Her whole album is great-- the arrangements are BRILLIANT. But Baby Birch, without a doubt, is one of the most emotionally charged tracks on the album, and I could listen to it on repeat all day.

Catching Up

2010-04-24T02:54:00.000-04:00

I meant to write about Joanna Newsom's crazy, brilliant, stunning, ambitious triple-album when it came out in March, but I wanted to listen to it through and get a good feel for the entire work before I criticized it. And then I listened to it on repeat for days and days and days, but never got my thoughts out. So here I am, with a belated reaction to the beautiful Have One On Me.

So where to begin, where to begin... just to talk about this massive work is difficult for me to approach. Because it IS massive, and quite long (over 2 hours), so listening to this thing all the way through, multiple times, was no easy challenge. I first downloaded it to my iPod and just played it on shuffle, which is stupid, lemme tell you, because you really should listen to the songs in order.

Starting with Easy <3

The album begins with a soft bang, as Joanna quietly coos "Easy, easy/ My man and me," and goes on from there with a calculated rhythm and melody, while the song swiftly and steadily grows. My very first thought was something along the lines of "Holy vocal chords!" because if you know anything about Joanna, you know that she has a wild, warbly, untamed voice. But here, it is so smooth and stunning, in the best of ways. I mean, not even was I halfway through the opening song when I deduced that Joanna has grown and matured incredibly since the last album.

Up next is the exceptionally complex title track. And it is a stunner.

The song starts out beautifully and quickly livens up ("Here's Lola, tada! to do her famous spider dance for you") and lacks no quirky lyrics. While the song is so adorable that you just want to hug it, it's also so complex that you're a little intimidated. Seriously, to achieve what Joanna's achieved with only 2 songs blows my mind. And there are 16 to go, most over 6 minutes long... Most of the other songs, also, are layered with instrument upon instrument, textured with backing vocals, filled with wild percussion, and obscured with clever lyrics.

Take Baby Birch, for instance.

Possibly the most personal song on the album, with somber lyrics that point to losing a child, either literally, metaphorically, or just in a futuristic sense ("This is the song for baby birch, oh I will never know you, and at the back of what we've done, there is this knowledge of you," and "I wish I could take every path, cause you know I hated to close that doggone door on you.") I've read more than a few reviews that are sure the song is about abortion, and this is further evidenced by On A Good Day, which follows. The lyrics certainly don't rule this theory out, especially when you regard the very end of the song where she talks about catching a rabbit and skinning it quick, or laughing at a mother goose for thinking she wants a "little baby fussing all over my legs." So when I listen to this song, sometimes I follow that story line. Other times, I just believe the song to be a line of stirring metaphors that address loss in general. Either way, the song is so brooding and melancholy, so beautiful, and so easy to get lost in. And I could listen to the line, "Do you remember staring, up at the stars, so far away in their bulletproof cars?" over and over and over again until the song wore thin.

Anybody who's feeling ambitious enough to take this gargantuan listen on really needs to be in the right mood. This album is LONG, and quite testing, because Joanna, clever girl that she is, has intertwined all the songs into a complex and purposeful line. On the first few listens, certain songs really stood out for me (the ones I've listed, the shorter songs "On A Good Day" and "'81," "Good Intentions Paving Company," and "Soft as Chalk"). Others blended together. It probably took me 4 or 5 listens through for me to make the connection between "In California" and "Does Not Suffice": both songs follow the same melodic line and coincide with each other astonishingly. Listening can just become plain overwhelming, too, because you want to take everything in all at once, which is just impossible. But the effort is more than worth it. The songs are beautiful, the album is gorgeous, the musicianship is incredible.

And I'm going to keep telling myself that, because I shelled out 30 bucks to pick up the vinyl edition at my local record store.*

*I do not regret this, though-- the setup of the record is kickass.

Cover Number 2

2010-04-06T03:11:00.000-04:00

Did I mention earlier that I love Cat Power?

Well, I do.

This second cover of mine was a lot of fun to do, mostly because we didn't have to go looking for a guitar player. I just quickly threw together the keys on GarageBand and imported it to ProTools and sang. The whole project took about 5 days, maybe spending 30 minutes to an hour on it each day.

I love recording.

Sings Going to see The Avett Brotherrrrrrrrs!

2010-02-20T01:44:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, WICB (radio station of Ithaca College, the only station that saves me from a Lite Rock station, a Top 40 station, and 15 Country stations) began to play "Slight Figure of Speech" by The Avett Brothers. It took me awhile to figure out what the song was called and who was singing it, but after a few intense listens where I tried to make out several lines of the fast-paced lyrics, I made a successful Google search. Thus, I fell upon The Avett Brothers.

Was I ever surprised to see that they would venture to Ithaca's own State Theatre. When I discovered this lovely piece of news, I got to work doing my research. Luckily, I'm a pro at research. I headed to their Myspace, and sure enough, the band had posted a slew of albums, which I in turn downloaded. Their sound is right down the alley I'm currently trapped in-- folk-rock alley, I shall call it. I am running down the alley, for surely there is a way out, but the alley grows ever longer, and more and more artists pop out of the shadows and throw themselves in my face. And I oblige, take their CD, and listen.

The show is the 26th. It's the first show I'll be going to alone (I've been to 2 Foo Fighters shows with a friend and my mother, The Bob Dylan Show accompanied by my mother again, and a Yeah Yeah Yeahs show with my family and family friends, which was interesting...) so I hope I can just get loose and have fun all on my own. There won't be any hangups, and I won't feel obligated to find any souls I lose in the sea that is General Admission, so I'm pretty excited at the moment.

"They say don't take your business to the big time/ I bought us tickets there."

Cat Power

2010-01-31T04:47:00.003-05:00

On December 24, I finished all of my Christmas shopping and headed into Borders to pick up a CD for myself. Cat Power's "The Greatest" jumped out at me because I'd remembered her performing the title track on "Jools Holland". The show had left me amazed at her gorgeous howl of a voice, and she'd made an impression. After listening to the album over and over in awe, my impression was solidified. "She's like a darker, more soulful Feist," I told myself.

How utterly incorrect I was.

The famous Jools Holland vid that awed my ears.

I was completely ignorant to Chan Marshall's past. Had I known that "The Greatest" is the sound that came after Chan emerged from a long tunnel of darkness, my perceptions of the artist "Cat Power" wouldn't have been so... wrong. When I downloaded the earlier works of Cat Power, expecting the music to be in the same vein of the soulful "The Greatest," I was a bit shocked at just how sad pre-"Greatest" really is. On the albums "The Greatest" and "Jukebox," I desire nothing more than to curl up in Chan's vocals and drift away to a peaceful sleep. Listening to the albums "Dear Sir," "Myra Lee," "What Would the Community Think," "Moon Pix," and "You Are Free," however, makes me want to curl up in the fetal position and cry. It's not that the songs aren't beautiful, for they are, and quite a few leave me entranced. But I'm also hit by all of the sorrow and pain reflected in the repetitive guitar lines and in Chan's delivery-- her voice reflects this emptiness and hopelessness that draws you into her half-glass-empty world. Yet after some research, I find that Chan's glass always used to be full; that is, up until around five years ago, she struggled pretty heavily with alcoholism, as well as depression and suicidal thoughts.

Her lyrics scream of all three of her issues, and I've assembled a handful of her more self-disparaging songs with the heaviest of statements.

ICE WATER
"I feel just like/ Some great big disease."
Chan's lyrics, though self-depreciating, are pretty relatable at times.

COLORS AND THE KIDS
"I could stay here, become someone different/ I could stay here, become someone better"
Apart from this line, where I imagine her throwing her head back and shouting to the sky, this song is filled with a conversational whisper.

ENOUGH
"They can't find/ Enough to take from me"
When Chan sings this song, I almost think it's about all that is expected from artists-- how everybody wants a piece of what the artist has. But Chan is so down that she feels she has nothing to give.

GOOD CLEAN FUN
"Hey, I'm run down on my luck/ Hey, can I have something from you/ It seems I have nothing to give/ It seems you have nothing to give"
She not only feels that she has nothing to give as an artist, but also feels as though she has nothing to offer just simply as a person. No one has any desire to help her out, either.

METAL HEART
"Losing a star without a sky/ Losing the reasons why/ You're losing the calling, you've been faking/ And I'm not kidding/ It's damned if you don't and it's damned if you do/ be true 'cause they'll lock you up in a sad sad zoo"
This song always makes me picture a person's downward spiral. He or she really has nothing left but their own depression, and they're a bit afraid they'll be caged, possibly in a madhouse.

NOT WHAT YOU WANT
"I am not what you want/ There's no telling how long I'll be here"
Chan pretty much yells the whole way through this song, and it makes me cry.

CROSS BONES STYLE

"Oh, come child, in a cross bones style/ Oh, come child, come and rescue me/ 'Cause you have seen some unbelievable things"

Though Chan is singing of horrors unseen by her listeners, the video pretty much kicks some 90's ass. She looks rather content as she enters her trance-like dance and as she rollerskates around. Yet the video, while Chan stares head on into the camera accompanied by the odd collection of back-up dancers, is indescribably creepy. The tune definitely cannot be described as happy, while the video can't be described as sad. What's weird, though, is that the video perfectly complements the song.

After playing all five albums on repeat for the past three days, I kind of want to die. She's emitting such an amount of pain and depression that is transferred directly to the listener. As beautiful as Chan Marshall's voice is, I don't know why I keep putting myself through all this misery. But I don't despair too much, for I know that Chan emerges from her black hole and finds a bit of light. Comparing her older live performance videos to her current ones show a significant change in demeanor; for one, she is engaged with the audience, and she has happiness in her eyes. I've read articles (as well as many Youtube comments) in the past few days, claiming that Cat Power was overall a better artist as a depressed and suicidal alcoholic. This ignorance made me laugh. Of course her music doesn't sound the same as it did when she was struggling with heavy, personal problems. She got sober, she got happy, and her music reflects her change one-hundred percent. She needs to be appreciated as the gorgeous phoenix that she is: yes, she burnt out for awhile, but she reached back up to greatness, and both sides are beautiful.

PS: I'd totally been pronouncing her name, "Chan," as it looks. Then I read an article that taught me it's pronounced "Shawn." This reminded me of when I kept calling Bon Iver "Bawn Eye-Verrrr."* It's supposed to be Bone ee-VAIR, I believe.

*I still do this even though I now know better.

Let's rejoice for a spot of free time with some Bad Romance with a side of Peach, Plum, Pear

2010-01-17T04:39:00.001-05:00

In the past month, two new female artists have come into my life. One is a superstar pop-icon who's pushing the envelope and blowing up the charts. The other is a gorgeous harpist with a not-so-gorgeous voice who made waves a few years back on the freak-folk scene. Both are, for the most part, polar opposites of each other. Yet I inexplicably love each of them, and each has turned into a new obsession.

The pop-star I am referring to, of course, is Lady Gaga, my new and favorite guilty-pleasure. I remember when I first heard about Lady Gaga-- she made a cameo on "The Hills" (a past guilty-pleasure) a few seasons ago. Lauren of "The Hills" was helping Lady Gaga with some funky, shiny, spacey get-up, and I just remember thinking, "Who the hell is this weirdo?" I didn't really give her another thought, because I figured she would disappear back into obscurity. Yet she soon appeared on So You Think You Can Dance as a guest and later on American Idol to sing another hit. I just kept dismissing her, though. I saw her as another pop-artist flooding the charts with the same dance-beats we hear over and over. This first impression remained with me for awhile, even while her singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" were sky-rocketing. Truth be told, I don't listen to much radio, for I prefer to pop in CDs. I suppose this is why I haven't really learned about Lady Gaga, and what she's all about, until recently.

When I did figure out what her whole shtick consists of, I kind of fell in love. I was taken by surprise, too, for I pretentiously reject much of pop-music (though I have recently been trying to get over this mindset, telling myself that there is no bad music, there is only better music). I got a taste of her persona when she was on the cover of Rolling Stone, and when she performed her startling performance of "Paparazzi" on the VMAs. But I still thought she just was being weird, in her bubble suit and her red-mesh-face-mask with that red Alexander McQueen crown, to gain fame What happened to change my mind? SNL.

Before the episode aired, I was sooo skeptical about what her performance was going to be like. I was still hung up on my pre-conceived notions of her-- that she was putting on an oddball act in order to gain attention.

And then she performed her first song.

As Lady Gaga started, wearing a fantastic red unitard that makes her look like a superhero, I became intrigued. I remembered the song as the one she'd performed at the VMAs, and I had to admit it was catchy. Soon she's belting out all her lines-- I guess when I'd judged her, I assumed she was another girl who couldn't sing. Yet she's incredible the whole way through, and I also secretly want to be able to do her little knee-gyrations she starts during the first chorus. After she plays her keytar and starts to freak out on the left side of the stage, I was fully loving the performance.

The first performance definitely left a good taste in my mouth. What made my new, pro-Lady Gaga feelings even better was the silly skit, with Andy Samberg and two bubble-suits, that had me completely in giggles. Of course, I'll giggle at anything Andy is in, but I still loved that she was laughing at herself.

But then, Gaga hit it out of the park.

I will say that I was completely taken aback at the bionic-woman/Saturn outfit, and she has a major wardrobe fail when she goes to sit down at the piano (you can even hear the audience giggling at this point, but she's great and totally goes straight into the performance). "Bad Romance" acoustic style is adorable, yet it's her biographical rendition of "Poker Face" (and her piano transition into it) which had my mouth completely gaping open. The piano is great, the singing is great-- but I was really struck by her authenticity, which contradicts her entire bizarre look. Here is this woman, wearing this crazy metal suit, looking as surreal as can be, yet she's singing about riding subways and knocking back beers with friends and eating hotdogs on the street.

After SNL, I was completely a fan. I YouTubed (love how that's become a verb, like "Googled") all of her music videos and watched them over and over. I downloaded a "Walmart exclusive" studio performance iPod app. And now, The Fame, Special Edition, and The Fame Monster, Deluxe Edition, are on my iPod. "Just Dance," the song I'd first written off, is now one of my favorites, along with "Speechless," a new, Queen-esque ballad. I listen to her pretty much everyday, and find any excuse to go into the intro of "Bad Romance."

Folks, Lady Gaga has truly eaten my heart and my brain.

__________________________________________________________________________________

And now, for a transition, into the "freak-folk" sounds of Joanna Newsom.

Like Lady Gaga, I (sort of) got into Joanna Newsom through SNL. Really, I was Googling Andy Samberg, because I love him, and a recommended search was Joanna Newsom. A little bit of Internet-digging taught me that Joanna is actually Andy's apparent-girlfriend, and I immediately hated her for stealing my favorite funny-man (in my mind we had brilliant plans together) and for being such a gorgeous, 1960's model-esque pixie. But after doing another quick search (I friggen love the Internet) I was surprised to find that Joanna is a musician.

Immediately, I headed to Youtube, and the first video I found was this:

Holy harp. I didn't expect her to be playing a ginormous harp, nor did I expect her to play it so beautifully. "Damn," I thought, "this chick is actually talented. And she's cool. *Enormous Sigh*." She had won my approval, even in those first few seconds, where she opens with the line, "I slept all day," sung in such an alluring way that taking a nap suddenly sounds like most fun activity you could be doing. (Then I remember I hate sleeping.) This first line is still my favorite of all the lyrics, ranging from insane to intellectual, that Joanna sings.

The video is extremely well-done. How I wished to roam through the wilderness with her wearing wonderful boots and flowy old-fashioned dresses. I wanted to play with boats in a stream and climb trees and draw animated chalk-board drawings. It was the perfect video for me to be introduced to, because the next few videos I watched would truly unveil her unique singing style.

I'll admit, I was tested by songs such as "Sadie" and "Inflammatory Writ," both songs which feature the original Joanna Newsom warble. I still can't make it all the way through "Three Little Babes," because the voice and the electric keyboard just do not mesh. But when I found "Cosmia," I was floored-- and had an entire different take on that voice of hers.

Joanna's songs had been growing on me for some time, but when I found "Cosmia," I was pushed over the edge. The music-- her voice, the harp, the string arrangement, the winding melody-- just all came together in the most perfect way. I wasn't too fussed about her shrill tone, for I love Bob Dylan, and Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel, both warble-y singers in their own right. Yet in this video, I felt as though she was a young child, coming to sing to the world with the wisdom of an old woman. Or maybe she sounded like an old woman in a childlike state. I don't know, but she was certainly some strange hybrid of the two, and I'm fascinated by her. I could truly listen to "Cosmia" for an entire day, and not even move from where I'm sitting, because it is that gorgeous. I didn't even mind when my father entered the room as I was playing the song, and obnoxiously announced, "Who stepped on Fred's [our cat's] tail?" I just rolled my eyes, because I know what he's missing out on. He was more correct, when trying to insult her again, when he stated, "She sounds like she should be on some off-Broadway show." Well, her songs are masterpieces, so, not a bad idea, really.

Now Y's and The Milk-Eyed Mender are on my iPod, and I have entered the art of Joanna Newsom. Just recently, I read a blip about her in Rolling Stone's end of the year special. She was featured in an article about the genres that will die out with the end of the decade. "What genre are they talking about?" I wondered. And then they referred to her as a freak-folk princess, and lumped her in the same category as Devendra Banhart, which made me snort. Yeah, because when I watched that first beautiful video, I definitely thought, "This girl is so freak-folk." I didn't even know that was a legitimate genre. And though I am loving Devendra's new album, I completely wouldn't lump the two together. I don't even see similarities-- Devendra is unique, but Joanna is just her own breed. Never have I heard an artist like her, at least not one who's made it into popular culture. But they've apparently performed together, or she's opened for him, or something, which obviously warrants her being thrusted into this silly sub-genre. (I dislike super-specific sub-genres, for they are often simply coined to explain what people don't really understand. I don't believe anyone can really put their finger on Joanna Newsom, or a great abundance of other artists, for that matter). She appeared in MGMT's Kids video, as well. Does that make her a throwback to David Bowie's psychedelia? Nope.

For now, I'm hoping she releases a new album soon, because it's been a few years. At the moment, though, I'll just torture my family by playing her music, and Lady Gaga's music, for that matter, at an obscene level. I think I will make a Joanna Newsom/Lady Gaga playlist, just so I can have some contrast to my life, and I shall blast this playlist through the walls of my room and throughout my house. This will be a great couple of weeks, or at least until I move onto my next obsession. Right now, though, I'm glad I'm obsessing over two awesome female artists who are kicking ass and pushing the envelope in their own original styles.

A Major Achievement

2009-12-19T01:30:00.001-05:00

I've been going to classes offered at Unity Studio in the lovely Ithaca, NY since senior year started-- classes in Group Voice, Lyric Writing, and Pro Tools-- and they have all been amazing. I absolutely love travelling to I-Town three days a week to hang out at the studio. I mean, who really gets that opportunity? Who has access to free classes at a free recording studio? I love it. And though I am sad that the semester has ended, which means that there won't be any more classes until mid-January, I want to share a piece of awesomeness I worked on this past month.

In the Group Voice class, we decided that our final project would be to cover a song and use our equipment to record it. Because I was also in the Pro Tools class, there was a bit of cross-over, which was cool. I enjoyed mixing separate aspects of music together in this way. And I got to play both the roles of the producer and of the musician.

I decided to cover a Fleet Foxes song (surprise, surprise), my favorite song, titled "Drops in the River." Luckily my favorite song is also in a comfortable range, so I didn't need to do any transposing. Since I am very limited when it comes to playing guitar, we had to find someone more proficient to step in. Thankfully, Dani's (who is the Unity Studio Coordinator) boyfriend Evan stepped in to do the job. For a few of the Group Voice classes, we rehearsed, and then we were ready to record.

In the next Pro Tools class, we first laid down the guitar track. I'll admit there was some trouble-shooting-- this was only the second time we had recorded a musician in class. Some of the M Boxes act up because they're older models. We couldn't figure out how to put a click track on in order for Evan to keep time. And even though we put our "Recording" sign up over the door window, without fail, a group of kids WILL come screaming down the Community Center hallway and pound on the door, looking for Dani. But we got going and made it all go as smoothly as possible.

I didn't really know how long the recording process was going to take, so I was under the illusion that we would have it all complete in our 1.5 hr class-- this was not so. Whenever Evan played an error, we had to cut it out or record over it or create a new track. The guitar recording process took about an hour and fifteen minutes, leaving me only around fifteen minutes to mumble out one shaky take. But it was alright: I just scheduled some time to come into the studio and keep working on it.

I believe that I worked on the vocals for about 4 or 5 days. First, we had to get the main melody just right. Then we decided to add some harmonies, and this took forever. To get my pitches to line up was pretty difficult at times, especially because there are some tricky rhythms in the song. We also doubled my voice in places. Plus, I was a little over critical of my voice, though I suppose this was expected. Dani was encouraging, but she obviously didn't hear the mistakes I heard, regardless of whether there were actually any mistakes or not. As a result, I sang a lot of takes. A LOT of takes.

But then it was done, finished, completed, and I felt satisfied with all I had done... until the effects drew me in. I spent around an hour and a half just putting reverb and flanger and other effects (that I was forced to experimented with because I didn't even know what they did) on every single track to see how it sounded. This experiment was fruitless. I didn't like what any of the effects did to my voice. The reverb made my voice too quiet and muffled, while the flanger made my voice sound spacey (an effect I didn't want on such a folky tune). The other effects just overwhelmed me, so I decided to scrap the effects altogether. And it actually sounds pretty good for my first recorded piece ever.

I'm looking forward to creating other recorded works-- maybe some covers, maybe an original or two...

But for now, please enjoy my cover of "Drops in the River" by Fleet Foxes!

Track Five- Trani

2009-12-04T23:27:00.003-05:00

Allow me to resume my Kings of Leon fandom, for I have grown away from them in the past few months. Alas, this happens with all bands I become rabidly obsessed with. It's difficult to consistently foam at the mouth over the same group forever: breaks are needed once in awhile. Luckily, these breaks don't detract any of the love I have for the band. After a month or two, I pop the CD back into my car and cruise around with the tunes positively blaring, and I am in love again. So, drumroll *ba-dum-pshhhhhhhhh* ...Trani!

This video is actually one of the more amazing Kings of Leon performances I have witnessed on the great world of YouTube. Have you ever wanted to see the Kings of Leon completely lose their shit? Watch this video-- now!

This song is not only beautiful, but also exhilarating. And this performance holds up the recorded version's atmosphere, and probably even adds to it. Caleb's voice always sounds so smooth and achy, in that low drawl of his, and the opening is pretty loyal to the album version. But the boys grow increasingly excited throughout the entire live performance, and completely freak out at the end, which makes it awesome to watch. I'm not sure whether to laugh at them. applaud them, or stand up and freak out in accordance. I would have to make sure I'm the only one in the house if I feel compelled to act on that last impulse, however.

PS.

My dad played some Randy Newman (of Toy Story fame-- "I will go saillllling... no more") in the car when we went on a road trip over Thanksgiving break. Maybe I was still in my Kings of Leon withdrawal period... but Caleb sounds quite like him, in my opinion. Their tonal qualities are similar. Check it out: I'm not crazy.

And for the fellow kids born in '92 and on, who will only associate Randy Newman with Buzz Lightyear's realization that he is, in fact, a toy: he's got a larger repertoire than what appears in Disney Pixar works. And this repertoire is kind of groovy.

Sub Pop steals my heart

2009-11-22T01:50:00.003-05:00

Blitzen Trapper is a spectacular band from Portland, Oregon. They are another folky group signed to Sub Pop, and I can already tell that they will be my next obsession. So Fleet Foxes, I am passing on the torch from one folky Sub Pop band to another. I realize that there are just a few similarities between the two bands (they even performed a few shows together earlier this year), and there is no denying that I'm going through a new-folk phase. But it's a phase I'm loving and I'll ride it 'til the end.

The local college radio station, Ithaca College's WICB, first introduced me to Blitzen Trapper by playing a few of their songs off their new album, Furr, over and over again (namely "Fire and Fast Bullets"). A few days ago, I heard "Furr," the title track, and couldn't get it out of my head. The song is amazing. I looked it up on YouTube, of course, and ended up listening to it about 15 times between yesterday and today. And that kind of dedication is surely love-- or at least fanaticism.

I don't know what it is about "Furr" that pulls me in headfirst, but I do know that the song is completely gorgeous. When I play the song, I feel like a wild creature, half-kid, half-animal, out on a romp through the wilderness. I feel like I should run past trees, up a mountain, and on the shore of a lake all while howling into a ghostly moon. Listening to the lyrics helps this vision, for the song is about an who's compelled to join a wolf pack out in the forest and subsequently turns into a wolf man. Then he ends up leaving it all behind to settle down on a farm with a phenomenal beauty and presumably becomes human again. It's a great story to interpret or just to escape in, and this is escapism is echoed in the incredible and relatable line "I still dream of running careless through the snow." Unless you are a snow-hater *narrows eyes* I don't know who wouldn't want to live this song, even only for a day.

It's not all incredibly folky; "Love You" starts off with the angriest power-scream (think a scream of aching desperation, not death metal). You can hear how much suffering is being caused from loving whatever cold individual the singer is trying to love, and this feeling is even emulated in the sorrowful, droopy groove that's playing behind the singer. Oh, and the vocal harmonies are dope, too.

This album just has so much to offer. You've got an easy-going piano ballad on "Not Your Lover" as well as on "Echo/Always On/Easy Con," which turns into this electronic, jazzy breakdown. Upbeat poppy songs are featured on "Gold For Bread" and "Fire and Fast Bullets" while country peeks through in "Stolen Shoes & a Rifle." It's incredible.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that "Lady On the Water" reminds me of Bob Dylan? Actually, I saved this tidbit of information for last because it is what makes me the most happy. (Yeah, I said I'm going through a phase. Will Folk music ever release me from it's stronghold? Not anytime soon, I reckon.)

I was just a bit disappointed to find out that these guys have been making music since 2003-- they have released three albums on the label Lidkercow, Ltd.-- because it makes me feel as though I've missed part of the journey. I always seem to discover great music after the group has been a well-established band for a number of years. But the two, more popular releases they've done under Sub Pop are fairly recent: Furr in 2008 and Black River Killer EP in 2009. Hopefully I'm not too far behind; indeed, whenever I stumble upon a band already with several releases under their belt, I feel the obsessive need to obtain ALL the material they have ever made RIGHT AWAY. This crazy urge I get made me quite poor when I began to love Bob Dylan. Damn you, Mr. Dylan, and your thirty-something studio albums. And damn you, also, Border's, for selling me over-priced CDs.

For now, I will contently listen to Blitzen Trapper's two Sub Pop releases on their Myspace until my internet browser breaks. Or until I feel the need to return to my true loves, Fleet Foxes. <3

Furr-

JOE'S HEAD

2009-11-11T19:51:00.001-05:00

I'll lie and say I waited so long to make my next post because I was preparing to talk about this EPIC Kings of Leon song. EPIC.

But this would be a lie. I've just been incredibly busy. Between pneumonia, school, applying to higher level education, and going to Unity Studio, I've had my hands tied. But I am back and ready to gush about my favorite KOL song, the song that prompted me to find all these Youth and Young Manhood videos: Joe's Head.

Joe's Head is a tale, a journey, and a gnarly bar fight smooshed into one bouncingly energetic song. The bass line at the very beginning intrigues you and pulls you in, and then grooves underneath Caleb's wailing story for the whole song. Upon listening to the drums at the chorus, the listener is considering learning how to ho-down. The guitar lick following it definitely has them convinced, and they are already half way to buying that pair of cowboy boots. And all this is before you realize what Caleb's saying/singing/screaming in his Cartman voice.

This is not a happy song. Though I'm ecstatic every time I listen to it, I wouldn't want to be any of the characters in this song. Just listen to the chorus: "'This is just the way of the world,' Joe said/ 'I had to put a bullet into his head'/ And then lit up a cigarette/ Decided to call his fat friend, Fred/ Well he said 'Fred, I just killed a man/ Caught him layin' with my girlfriend/ And now they're both dead, people can be so cold, when they're dead.'"

Joe is obviously an unlucky fella with some anger issues that he unfortunately hasn't worked out. In his defense, he's been burned by his love and his best friend, and it sounds like whiskey leant his actions a helping hand. Yet he killed two people in cold blood, lit up a cigarette, and called his fat friend (I love that they feel the need to state he's fat) to chat about it. The story is morbidly hilarious when you finally figure out what Caleb, who has the tendency to mutter and mumble, is saying. On the first listen, one might think that a few lines into the song the lyrics go "Rain falls down a freezing/ Ass-kicking like a snow" which makes no sense. What ass-kicks like a snow? Then you have "Ring-a-ling suspicians, streaming in my hair/ Lies all mixed up with a bishop/ Oh welcome home again." The best part of the first few listens isn't even the mistaken lyrics; it's not even having remotely any idea, and just singing along on whatever vowel seems right. When I blasted this in my car shortly after I bought the CD, the chorus probably sounded something like "Ish a shumba wayotta whirl, Joe said, I otta pudding bullet into his head." Which is why it was good that I was driving alone, so no one had to hear my tragic sing-a-long.

I've included the real lyrics down below, and a few more I was mistaken on.

Blistered cracked and bleeding

Cold no one should know

Rain falls down a freezing

And sticking like a snow (Ass kicking like a snow)

Lingering suspicions (Ring-a-ling suspicians)

Screaming in my head (Streaming in my hair)

Lies all mixed up with omissions (Lies all mixed up with a bishop)

Aw welcome home again

It's too late for apologies they're falling at my feet

This is just the way of the world Joe said (I actually had no clue on the chorus-- yeah, I just really couldn't comprehend any words here the first few play-throughs)

I had to put a bullet into his head

Then lit up a cigarette

Decided to call his fat friend Fred

Well he said Fred I just killed a man

Caught him laying with my girlfriend

Now they're both dead, people can be so cold when they're dead

Calling all the neighbors (Calling all the babies)

Time to make amends (Time to make a man)

Whiskey floods the table

Aw good friends 'til the end

They're making silly faces and it's tasting bitter sweet

This is just the way of the world Joe said

I had to put a bullet into his head

Then lit up a cigarette

Decided to call his fat friend Fred

Well he said Fred I just killed a man

Caught him laying with my girlfriend

Now they're both dead, people can be so cold when they're dead

______________________________________________________________________________

Once you are aware of what's being said, the song is just so cool, especially as it progresses. The progression of the song is probably what I love most; the quiet and lazy beginning punches you in the face with the chorus so hard that you think "This can't get anymore exciting!" But you're wrong, because it gets much more exciting, indeed. By the last chorus, Caleb is absolutely shrieking, which only prompts you to do the same (and I do, even though I try to restrain myself every time) especially on the line "And lit up a CIGARETTE!!!" And by this time, you're dancing and doing air-punches and kicking walls and other inanimate objects and wishing you had a fat friend Fred of your own to call up and shriek to. Then the song ends-- at the height of all the hoop-la-- and you're left in awe of the greatness that just slapped you silly. Although you will feel compelled to listen to it three more times in a row, it's not any less awesome. In fact, it may even become your favorite song (says the unbiased critic on this side of the computer screen).

Have a listen and a watch.

Wasted Time

2009-10-09T02:13:00.000-04:00

Wasted Time-- I do waste a vast amount of time on the internet, but this is not what I am discussing today. 'Wasted Time' is indeed track number three of the one and only Youth and Young Manhood. I was reminded of my project upon hearing 'Notion' on the radio today. While I chortled a dry laugh of sadness for the Kings of the past, I was still able to thank whatever higher being that is out there for the existence of recorded music, and Youtube to boot, for I can revisit this far-off era whenever I please. For instance, whenever I go driving and feel like blasting my ears with what can only be unhealthy decibels of music.

Wasted Time is in the same vein as Red Morning Light and Happy Alone. The similar tempos and lyrical themes along with the beat Nathan pounds out in the background cause me to refer to these songs as "the opening trilogy." Regarding the lyrics, you may notice that the Kings have gone from being tucked in between the dirty sheets to prancing around in high, high heels and cherry red lipstick; now, they've moved on to the fruit innuendo ("shakin' your apple right in my face) and have followed in the footsteps established by Steve Miller Band ("I really like your peaches/Wanna shake your tree," yadda yadda). Classifying myself as a feminist, I wonder if I should be offended or appalled at the Kings' use of women as sex objects or the mention of women getting taken advantage of, comparing them to apples, etc. etc. But I am not outraged in any way, shape or form, for the the tunes make me dance, the energy gets me excited, and the lyrics make me laugh. Imagining Caleb in high heels let alone prancing in them is kind of hilarious. Plus the fruit thing is miles better than, say, lady-lumps, or anything of that ridiculousness... Fergie. If I ever met that woman... but that should be saved for another post althogether.

2006 Big Day Out (Australia) performance, likely sometime in between Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because of the Times, judging solely on Caleb's hair.

Yes, you are seeing real, live, unaltered video, as far as I can tell. I mean, at first, I was nearly convinced that the vid must have been sped up, but then I decided they just chose to play an already ridiculously uptempo song at double time. Really, this is breakneck speed here. I'm expecting little whirlwind tornadoes to just pop up in between all of them and float around the stage for awhile. If I were the guys, I would want to turn around and punch Nathan right in his rhythm-driving face, yet none seem to mind.

Listening to the studio version, the speed is actually a hair slower, but I suppose that seeing the live performance just makes you appreciate how hard it must be all the more. I get out of breath just singing along.

What's the most exciting about my search is how I stumbled across a music video I never knew existed: the Wasted Time video seems like its the first video KOL ever made, and it basically involves the guys outside, playing in the woods, accompanied by some women as well as some half- and three-quarters- naked women running through these woods at night. It may be just a party gone wild and awry, but it could also be a homicidal-rape chase; it's all up to the interpretation. I'll let you decide for yourself.

I have returned, in full(ish) health!

2009-10-04T01:32:00.000-04:00

Finally over my nasty, disgusting flu-- yep, I caught flu, according to the doc, though she didn't specify whether I had caught regular or swine flu. This disappointed me for some reason. But anyways.

On to the project-- which I DO aim to continue. I need to get up all the tracks, seriously, I've just been so swamped what with coughing up phlegm and whatnot; BUT, I want to take a quick diversion from the project, because this can't wait. Really. It takes full importance at the moment, pushing all of my attention aside.

What I am talking about is Karen O and the soundtrack for Where the Wild Things Are.

Ever since I learned about the movie Where the Wild Things Are, I was aware that Karen O was involved on the music side. I believe this excited me more than the movie itself (and I was one of those kids who read this book nightly, it seemed) because I love love love love LOVE Karen O. LOVE! Got it?

I saw Yeah Yeah Yeahs perform in August of this year, which was pretty rad. That's an understatement, as it was actually the best show I've ever seen. The energy of the performances was just so heightened, all the way through; the small venue (it was a tiny club that had been made out of renovating an old Rite Aid) probably helped the audience connect with the band even more. I completely love the band so when I found out about her new project, I couldn't wait.

Today I had begun my usual activity of browsing Youtube and stumbled across this wonderful "Making of the Soundtrack" vid featuring Where the Wild Things Are director Spike Jonze, along with the lovely Karen O herself and a few crazy kids who sing on the songs.

This video had me giggling like a fan-girl (which may or may not be contributed to the fact that it was 11:30, I'd just woken up, and was extremely giddy) over the Karen O interview; plus, seeing her work with those kids was hilarious, just because she is so child-like herself (she always dances around onstage like a 7-year-old and it's not out of place for her to break out into random laughter mid-song). Yet the short glimpses of the beautiful new songs were what really made me smile; tracks such as "Hideaway" and the peek at Max howling. It's just so cool what they encouraged those kids to do, and it almost made me wish I was 10 and lucky enough to be invited to Karen O's studio...........................*envious*

I'd heard "All is Love" a few days ago on another Youtube binge, but it hadn't hit me until watching this interview that the soundtrack had already been released on Tuesday of this past week. This led me to another search. And of course, thanks to my superior scouring skills, I easily found half of the soundtrack. Amazon tells me there are fourteen songs in all, but you can listen to the first seven which have been posted by some kind soul (although part of me HATES this kind soul, just a little bit, because he neglected to post songs 8-14...). But here's the first song; click on it and it should take you to a Youtube playlist of what's available.

It all sounds quite childlike, probably helped by the kids recruited to make the soundtrack so. Standout tracks include Capsize (don't let the handclaps fool you... this song is awesome and could be mistaken for a Yeah Yeah Yeahs song, perhaps if they made a concept album about going to outerspace or something). Worried Shoes is soft and mindblowing as well, and it's apparently a cover of Dan Johnston. Karen O's voice sounds beautiful and amazing as always, yet it's obvious that she's taking a different approach than anything she's ever done before for YYYs. For one, her voice emits a crystal clear innocence that emulates the message of this story; before I've only seen her as sexy, wailing about cold lights and hot nights and heaters and lovers and doing it to each other. Secondly, she's accompanied sounds I've never heard before. There's no Brian Chase banging drums behind her or Nick Zinner swinging with his guitar beside her (although I read somewhere that they were also recruited to help on the soundtrack). Instead, she's backed by vibes, windchimes, sounds of the sea, children's voices, and even some dialogue from the movie (Rumpus, for example). It's magical, to say the least, and I can't even imagine how magical it will make the movie.

Needless to say, I'll be purchasing this soundtrack SOON. I could listen to the seven currently available tracks all day, and seven more will likely do my head in. I now love Karen O even more, and I didn't know that was possible. CHECK OUT KAREN O AND THE KIDS. Out now. You'll love it.

Track #2

2009-09-27T00:29:00.003-04:00

If it seems as though I've given up on my project, fear not! I've just had an incredibly busy/yucky week-- busy in that I started going to free classes at a local recording studio, and yucky in that I've been sick since Wednesday. It hasn't been one of those "skip school and screw around at home" types of illnesses. It's been more along the lines of me passed out on the couch, exhausting my DVR while coughing up both my lungs into a bowl. So yeah, this week's been a blast.

I am back now, giving my blog a hearty hello (although I don't get anything in return because nobody ever leaves me any pretty comments) and continuing what I said I'd do. So now, I post the second track off Youth and Young Manhood, titled Happy Alone, in Youtube form.

It's a swell video. Shot in a studio in London, in 2003, when the boys were still grungy, young and manic, this high quality video gives a glimpse of the boys when they were unknown nobodies, just starting out on the road. In fact this era of Kings of Leon is still relatively unknown to those individuals who only know them by "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody." Sure, now the boys are becoming megastars, and though anyone listening to the Top 40 could claim to be familiar with KOL, it doesn't mean they remember where it all started.

The Kings began in Nashville, with Caleb and Nathan, who had moved away from their preacher father and were trying to make it with music. They had to call up their sixteen year old brother Jared and the not-much-older cousin Matthew to help out, but in making it, they succeeded. And then the boys started making the nasty rebellious country-rock that dominated Youth and Young Manhood.

Happy Alone fits right in at spot number two. It's got that chugging groove and the sleazy lyrics and the rawness of a band that's just come together (they really just had; I believe a few instruments had to be studied and learned before the band really took off). It alerts the listener that the sexiness/borderline raunchiness isn't going to disappear and that a testosterone tsunami is going to be unleashed in the next nine tracks (if you count Caleb singing about dancing around in high heels and cherry-red lipstick as manly). Regardless, it sure brings on a load of excitement.

Give this track a listen. It embodies the spirit of KOL back when, before all the fans who originally purchased this album and listened to this song 806 times began whining about Only By the Night. We get it. They sound different now. But I dare you to listen to Revelry, Manhattan and especially Cold Desert, and argue with me that these aren't gorgeous, chilled-out southern-rock grooves Caleb wails to in that drawl of his (and I say especially Cold Desert, because that must be the saddest, chillest, wailing, lazy groove). What am I getting at, you ask? Shush and appreciate, please. I love these fellas.

New Project

2009-09-20T00:31:00.003-04:00

Back in 2003, a little band by the name of Kings of Leon dropped their first album and made their presence known to the world. I, at the time, was eleven, so their presence was still unknown to me as I was likely listening to Avril Lavigne or some other atrocity. But I caught on eventually and fell in love with the band of brothers and that cousin of theirs, along with the four albums they've released to date. Looking back, though, it is surprising how I first regarded Youth and Young Manhood, the stellar debut from the boys; I was indifferent. It didn't rub me the wrong way but I didn't fall in love with it either-- not upon the first listen anyways. Now it has grown on me so much that it's made its way into my top 5 CD rotation, a coveted spot all the CDs in my car WISH they could be in. And nothing is better than driving down the road singing in your best "Caleb voice" to Joe's Head. Nothing.

I come to you now, ready and willing, if not eager, if not frothing at the mouth, to share with you Youth and Young Manhood. This is when the boys were hairy; before they were superstars screaming about fiery sex; before they played The Today Show; before they grew up. I still love them now, but oh my, were they hot when they first started out (in the musical sense.. though in the physical sense, as well). So, I'm going to scour youtube (my favorite hobby) and find, track by track, the best live performances of these songs. It'll be fun. And it will help me kill so much time I could spend doing something progressive. But here goes...

Everybody loves Jools Holland.

Red Morning Light is the staunch, dirty, southern, energetic opener and a classic example of the boys' style 6 years ago; Caleb's mumbling and growling almost incoherently through the lyrics, not allowing you to hear how dirty they really are; Jared's about 16 and always seem to be brimming with energy and excitement; Matthew gives facemelting solos; Nathan's singing just as heartily as Caleb in his southern drawl. The boys were brand new to bandhood-- it seems that Matthew was a little rusty on guitar, and Jared didn't even know how to play bass, yet they certainly came together pretty quickly. The haphazardness of their Youth and Young Manhood songs only add to the excitement, really, and these songs really wouldn't work if they were clean. I mean, Caleb's talking about an individual who "couldn't take it on the tightrope, no you had to take it on the side," and then they apparently give all their cinnamon away. You can't see that music being crystal clear and snazzy and sharp; although they are pretty sharp, in the sense that their music is so tight (seriously, they are amazing amazing amazing live performers... and I would like to see them sometime SOON).

So please, take some time, watch this three minute segment; remember this is only a sample for there is much more dirtyness yet to come.

not having followers

2009-09-13T17:57:00.002-04:00

Eeek, the good thing about having no followers on this blog is being able to log on the next day and fix all that was appalling about my grammar the night before. Edit, edit, edit.

New Sleep Schedule

2009-09-13T02:11:00.004-04:00

It is September- that time of the year when you sharpen your pencils and organize your folders and head back to school (if you happen to be a student). One of the many unfortunate things about the new school year is that I can't be up, say on a Wednesday night at 3:42 am, internet browsing. This is due to the fact that I must pry my eyes open and detach myself from my wonderful bed at 6:20 in the morning in order to get ready for the day. Basically, my browsing sessions are now limited to the weekends.

Tonight, I'm checking out songs from my favorite new guy who happens to be covering my favorite classic guy. I am listening to two renditions of It Ain't Me Babe, interpreted by Robin Pecknold and penned by Bob Dylan. The first is a recording that Robin put together (with majestic voices from above, whatever it is that you believe above to be) under his pseudonym "White Antelope." Accompanied by only a guitar, he fills the song with what I am guessing are three swirling vocal harmonies, but he's captured such an echo-y sound that it makes sense to think that there are thirteen Robin Pecknold voices stuffed into that song. All is breathtaking until you come to the chorus and hear the "no, no, no!" part that Dylan is well-known for shouting; well, Robin's done his own wacky version of these three words. At first, you think maybe he's out of tune. Maybe his falsetto quivers during this part. Maybe the chords were harmonized wrong. But all the choruses are sung the same. So I started to wonder if this was maybe a homage to Dylan's wild vocal contortions at this part of the song. Or maybe Robin just decided to pen a funky chord here, to make it interesting. There's no arguing that it doesn't stand out. The oddness even grows on you; "no, no, no!", that point where you're violently pushing the subject of the song away, almost sounds manic, so I guess that the climax of the song is indeed delivered.

Here is the vid- scroll for the next.

What I then listened to was an apparently live version (according to youtube) that occurred at a BBC session. Robin again performed solo, yet this version was much more true to the original; though I do recognize that his throat cannot emit 2 pitches at once. It is a lovely cover; there is no doubt that he can sing perfectly in tune, and the cover is a bit more subdued than his recorded version. Nothing sounds frenzied during the chorus, only tired.

It was actually Robin Pecknold's love for Bob Dylan that posessed me pick up Freewheelin', The Times They Are A-Changin', and Bringing it All Back Home while walking through my local Border's. Back when Robin was briefly a Twitterer (the only reason I joined and remained on Twitter for around 3-4 months) he would rant and rave about his favorite artists, including Dylan. I remember one time when he linked to a duet of Joan and Bob singing It Ain't Me Babe and stating how he loved It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding. This prompted me to check out both Dylan and Baez and fueled me on my journey of going broke buying old CDs.

People often ask why I got so into Dylan, because now I rant and rave about him, and I even got the chance to see him in August. To these questions, I rarely respond. I feel like such a stalker talking about how I, well, stalked Robin Pecknold's twitter for several months and ended up enjoying what he recommended. I feel as though I may be accused of liking what the frontman of my favorite band likes just because he is the frontman of my favorite band. Twitter also just made me feel so skeeved out; it's purpose really is to just "follow" (stalk) celebrities. It must have made Robin feel skeeved as well because he promptly quit one day, later joining under a new account only for a select number of family and friends (and this is when I quit, because I really WAS stalking the guy.. oh no..). But I'll still be grateful and always remember how it was a person I idolize who turned me onto another person I idolize. I'm not going to say it changed my life because that phrase always sounds so cheesy to me, but music does touch you in ways that are indescribable. Bob Dylan's music certainly did this for me, shortly after the much younger artists of Fleet Foxes had. And somehow, I've seen Dylan live before my introducer, though I would very much like to get a move-on on seeing the latter. Fleet Foxes have got to come back from Europe, first.

And so I leave you with this.

*EDIT: Oh man, copyright laws, you tear at my heart. Why must you take down my favorite videos? Well, I'll post two more that will more than make up for what's missing.

Oh Mr. Dylan, you're a wonder. How do you reinterpret YOUR OWN SONGS so successfully? Excuse me while I gush.

Expanding on my assessment

2009-09-05T01:04:00.002-04:00

Have you ever played to an audience before? Have you ever tried to recreate a song for tens, hundreds, or thousands of individuals sitting in the dark room in front of you?

It is terrifying. It is not like recorded music; you cannot make it perfect and consider yourself done, because live music is not that simple. Live music is a beast of its own; you can drill and drill and drill and yet it well never reach the level of perfection you want it to be at. It will never sound like the recording you are attempting to embody, and it will never leave you one-hundred percent satisfied. You will always nervously scan the audience after the performance is finished, searching their eyes for judgement and dissatisfaction. The feeling is as if you have just plummeted through the floor yet your stomach has remained in your chair, left to fend for itself. It's not pleasant.

Sure, you experience that rush of excitement when you hit all the right notes in a sixteenth-note run; when you nail the syncopation; when you and your partner play in unison and in tune; and then you fudge one accidental, which ruins the whole night for you.

Is it crazy that performers are so hard on themselves? Surely it would be more crazy if they weren't; how can anybody be pleased after the ordeal that is a live show? The night is a tight knot of stress, anxiety, frustration, and sweat that remains with you for those thirty to forty-five minutes. The only thing to look forward to is the surprise that someone actually enjoyed the show; that somebody actually connected and applauded and smiled at you. Somebody actually came up and shook your hand, congratulated you and left pleased. And yet performers are at home the next day, drilling and drilling and drilling.

I don't know how music could ever get recorded, what with musicians being such perfectionists. I guess that's why it takes years for a new album to become complete. All that fine-tuning must be agony. But it would also be quite satisfying, to achieve exactly what you are envisioning. It's entirely different from that dark world where pairs of eyeballs stare at you across a dimly lit room. It's just you- your band mates- your producer- and your equipment. Don't worry, nobody's watching. We're here all day. You can have as many takes as you want. Don't sweat it if it's not perfect just yet. We can fine tune it until it sounds TOO good.

Recorded music is a completely separate being from the world of live music. It's perfection in 10 to 14 tracks. It's a beautiful story told from beginning to end through an album. So why do we still insist on seeing our favorite musicians perform live? We have all we need. We have all the songs they will play for us at the show on our CDs, our vinyl, our iPods, our computers, our internet... what more are they going to give us?

I must say, I simply believe us consumers are a cruel brand of individuals. I know that whenever I see a show, the biggest criteria I judge is if they put on a good live performance. Does it sound like the record? Is the band in sync as well as in tune? Can they pull off the solo note for note, beat for beat? Will they add in anything that wows me? Will they blow me away? Will I still love them after this?

We put a lot of stock into our favorite musicians, artists, performers and bands. We want them to succeed, but not for them: for us. If they fail, our taste has failed. We will no longer see them in the same light. We will be disappointed. While this can turn unfortunate, it does serve the purpose of adding the element of sheer excitement to a show. If the artists CAN wow us, if they CAN pull off anything and more, well, then we're screaming at the top of our lungs. We're going hysterical. We can't believe it. It's extraordinary; out of this world; an impossible feat. This intensity is what we go to see. We want to be exhilarated in a way that only live shows can exhilarate us.

The consumer needs this excitement to keep pulling them to a concert. The musician needs the consumers to keep buying their recordings so they can continue to escape to the world of musical perfection. The concerts need to happen to convince the consumer that this is an artist worthy of their support. The circle goes 'round and 'round, leaving the consumer the judge and the musician beggar. Each night, the lights go off and the spotlight appears-- the musician takes his or her place, looks into the darkness, and prays that they hit each cruel sharp that was added in the bridge; that their voice doesn't crack when they aim for that reach; that they don't come off as too nervous, even though their palms are too sweaty to hold their instruments steady; and that finally, the crowd is actually congratulatory and leaves for home with a smile plastered upon their face, now truly pleased that their music choice has been justified.

An assessment of my time here, so far.

2009-09-01T00:44:00.002-04:00

At this point and time, the wall I have been blogging to has likely realized that I'm a bit of a music nut (if walls can come to realizations such as this one). Well, if it has, it is correct, and if it has not, it must be a very thick wall.

It is true. Music is my favorite hobby, for a lack of a better word, because it is a hobby I hold near and dear to me and could not imagine living without. I wake up to music. I get ready for the day with music. It's my favorite part about driving. I spend all day with songs and melodies flowing through my head while I eagerly await the time I can get away and listen to more of it.

Music has such a powerful attraction. Even if a person knows zilch about music, they will still find a small pebble of entertainment in the larger work. Understanding it, however, is an entirely different matter.

Music is complex. How could it not be? Musicians need to create a parallel between themselves and the song; they must transfer an element of immense importance into music, whether the element is important solely to themselves or important to the whole world. This is a talent which cannot be learned; otherwise the performance is fake, copycat, or a joke.

This is why I believe the art of music is so special; it requires work from both sides. Yes, the artists works immeasurably hard in order to create their masterpieces, but the listener has to put in the work of listening and relating to them. It's no secret that the listeners get the easy job. We are the consumers, while the musicians must provide.

I'm grateful for every single provision I've ever come across, and take solace in the fact that they will always be there for me. Recorded songs never change. Every listen is exactly the same as the first time it was heard, and offers the same elements each time. Whenever I need to listen to a song that makes me feel a certain way, I can find it time and time again. Yet the magic of songs is that even though every listen is identical, the experience is still fluid. New elements can appear upon the third, fourth, or seventieth listen; new meanings can be discovered, new feelings come forth, new experiences can be made. Though even as the song evolves, there will always be that coziness, that familiarity, that nostalgia. It will always be there to do what you want it to, and that is a great offering that can never disappear.

Christmas talk already- this time concerning... Bob Dylan?

2009-08-28T01:45:00.000-04:00

For the past few days, I've been sitting on the information that Bob Dylan will be releasing a Christmas album on October 13, trying to take it all in. My first thoughts were "Woah, so he's Christian again?" and then "WOAH, how are Bob Dylan's rough-as-nail vocals going to sound to little Jimmy on Christmas Eve as he bops to some 'Must Be Santa?' Grinch-like?"

I never expected Bob Dylan to follow in the footsteps of artists such as Mariah Carey or Amy Grant and make a Christmas Compilation, so I did a quadruple take when I first heard this. Though I shouldn't be surprised, because Bob Dylan is the type of artist who always launches an atomic-bomb sized surprise and then acts like it was just a hiccup. Just another thing Bob can pull out of thin air and pull off flawlessly. Sure, it might not resonate with his entire audience, but that's millions of people isn't it? And Dylan's no people-pleaser.

Oh, and by a simple twist of fate, all royalties will go to the charity Feeding America, so if you're hungry this holiday season, don't think twice, it's alright. He's gotta serve somebody and he might as well sing his Christmas ballads for all those thin men out there who need some shelter from the storm, the hurricanes and the buckets of rain. Dry your tears, sad-eyed lady of the lowlands.

I'm sorry.

http://www.bobdylan.com/#/news/christmas-heart-be-released-october-13

Some brand-spanking new music.

2009-08-27T17:40:00.003-04:00

About 5 minutes ago my facebook sent me a message from The Fall of Troy's fan page, alerting me that if I signed up on the mailing list on http://www.thefalloftroy.com/ then I could download their new song for free. So of course I signed up and downloaded.

The new song is called "Panic Attack!" off the album In The Unlikely Event, out October 6. I've been a fan of The Fall of Troy for awhile, ever since a few boys I used to hang out with ranted and raved about them and harassed me until I listened to them. I'll be frank; I hated them at first. The lead singer, Thomas Erak, was very screamy, and I wasn't into that at all. Yet some inexplicable quality led me back a second and a third time, and I began to dig Thomas's shrill scream, and more than that, the amazing layers and layers of guitars. Seriously, what is done with a guitar on The Fall of Troy songs is unbelievable. The notes whip around at break-neck speed with a carnal energy that makes you want to punch a wall. If you were ever to get into any kind of "screamo" at all, this would be the band to do it with. And hey, sometimes Thomas even sings, and his voice isn't half bad.

Within a few months I'd bought Doppelganger, their second full-length album, and played that to death. I even downloaded a few of their other songs, like the demo version of Macaulay McCulkin (a song which follows a stalker/murderer storyline... it's quite creepy, intense, and crazy) and Reassurance Rests in the Sea (which has a break down in the middle that really does sound like you're scuba diving in the middle of the ocean).

Then their next disc came out, Manipulator, and this release brought forth whining fans with it. Me being only a slightly-more-involved casual fan enjoyed Manipulator. The guitars still slapped you in the face and everything sounded a bit more experimental; different elements of sound were used, including electronic, synth, and jazz. And Thomas stopped shredding his vocals and carried a damn good tune throughout most of the songs (screaming was still of course in existence). But fans moaned and complained that The Fall of Troy is now "soft," they've "changed," blah blah blah whimper. "Caught Up," a jazzy, stripped down little number, featuring Thomas almost crooning, probably didn't help, but every other track still sounded like it would punch every baby and grandmother that it came across in the face, and it would enjoy it. I mean, the band refers to themselves as "progressive" and "experimental," and they were surely progressing and experimenting at an alarming rate; they just brought together many musical qualities that old fans were in no way familiar with.

But back to the new record. The song has just been released early by the band today though it's no surprise it's already on youtube. Thomas's vocals sound pretty incredible, in my opinion, and halfway through he's joined by another beautiful woman's voice. And if you've never heard The Fall of Troy before, take a listen and you'll get what I'm talking about with the guitars. Seriously, if you aren't even blown away by how much talent it takes to play that way... you don't have to enjoy it, but at least appreciate it.

Here's the mind-numbing new track.

Recorded Music Purists

2009-08-27T00:34:00.003-04:00

You may listen to this lovely song while reading, if you wish. I would recommend it.

Today I woke up to a seemingly ordinary day; yet, when I arrived downstairs, I did a double take when I noticed my dad's record player in the living room. Now I've seen his record player before, it's not like he keeps it hidden. However, it's always hooked up to his laptop. It is there where he takes his enviable collection of vinyl and burns them onto his iTunes. He's even burned a few (crackly and prone to skipping) CDs of The Doors for me. But this was the first time I'd seen the record player hooked up to speakers, and man, did I eyeball that thing like it was a shiny piece of candy.

Never before have I played an album on a record player. It was quite a novelty: setting up the needle and hearing the fuzz before the boom of the music comes in through the speakers excited me as much as a child gets excited on Christmas morning. I've always heard the protests that vinyl sounds so much better than everything new and shiny and digital, and though maybe my excitement over-hyped the experience, I'm not saying it wasn't incredibly enjoyable. It was charming, really, from the presentation to the performance. As a person who only briefly got into the iPod era (one iPod Mini, very few downloads, and a revert back to CDs) I was enthusiastic about the tangibility of it all, the bigness, the artwork, and the feeling like I was touching a preserved artifact.

I first listened to The Jukes by my dad's favorite Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Woah blues, woah vocals, woah horns. And that crackling sound that vinyl makes as background noise? More mysterious, really, than anything.

Then I pulled out The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Electric Ladyland. Oh my. I swear I sat on the couch for all of side B staring at the ceiling. My mother came in and asked me if I was high. "Only on Jimi," I thought. The crackling here gave way to a more psychedelic feel; character, I suppose, is a word to describe it. The highlight for me was of course All Along the Watchtower- it's what had to compensate for my dad not owning any Dylan records.

Next came the Stones' compilation album "Made in the Shade." I had fun trying to imitate Jagger's wail on "Aaaangie. Aaaaaaaaan-geh." I failed.

After my Stones sampling I found the debut album from The Cars which pleased me immensely, and didn't disappoint. Holy man do the synths (or whatever it is they're using- some keyboard settings? I don't know) shine through. I just wanted to get up and dance the Molly Ringwald 80's dance, but refrained because I was not by myself in the house.

Last but not least I popped in (is this the right terminology for records? It is for CDs, but you can't really "pop" a record in anywhere. I guess I just set it down and spun it.) Elvis Costello's debut, My Aim is True. This was the only record where I hadn't really heard any of the songs (though I recognized Blame it on Cain in the first few notes of the verse) and I didn't really know what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised. These songs rocked. This album rocked. Elvis Costello rocked (he still does). This is just great rock and roll music with a great energy. The opener got me going from the start, really hyping you up for what's to come. Oh, and the vocals. AND THE VOCALS. They were not diminished by vinyl, that is for sure. Can't really say much more about them, though, to be honest, though I might compare them to a punch in the gut. The best punch in the gut of your life.

So that was my day. The only disappointment I have is that my father hasn't hooked this up before today. Playing the vinyl for real far outshines burning them onto CDs or smooshing them into mp3s to stick on your iPod. The downfall is that I'll waste an immeasurable amount of time trying to go through 4 crates of classic vinyl records; ha, if that's my biggest downfall, then I have no downfalls at all.