for the trees

Elliott Smith 'Elliott Smith'

2011-05-16T15:48:00.000-04:00

I've spent such a long time loving newer, fuller Elliott Smith albums, I completely ignored his self-titled disc.

And I have to say, I've seriously been missing out.

I am in absolute love with Elliott Smith's naked album Elliott Smith. They somehow sound very lush with very little. 1995 never sounded so good.

Fiona Apple meets Zach Galifianakis in "Not About Love"

2011-05-16T13:52:00.000-04:00

I stole this off my friend's bit on the brilliant Green Light Go Publicity website. A great Michigan-based company that focuses on promoting bands, giving them a much needed boost.

Get excited for this video because it's quite possibly one of the most outrageous things I've seen in a while. I really adore Zach Galifianakis, he's just probably one of the most charming, uncharming looking men you'll ever come across.

Coachella 2011: aftermath nineteen, Snaps by Pitchfork Photographers

2011-05-16T01:39:00.000-04:00

Gosh, great photos come easy to some people. These are some ridiculously gorgeous snaps of artists I had the pleasure of seeing at Coachella this year.

The National at dusk, the perfect California shot:

I got to Best Coast's set all sweaty and slightly worn out, but it turned out to be an absolutely lovely set, a hard decision between Dhani Harrison's band A Fistful of Mercy and Best Coast. Managed to see both with a bit more Best than Fists. Bethany Cosentino looked pretty damn cute with her perfect summer outfit.

I'm a straight woman, but at Warpaint's set I felt unbelievably attracted to all the band members. They are five smoking hot babes who know how to rock out.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Kristian Matsson is one of the most gorgeous men in the entire world. The California colours of this photo are just absolutely breathtaking. If only every man was as good looking as the Tallest Man on Earth!

"Fools Rush In" She and Him

2011-05-12T11:36:00.000-04:00

"Fools Rush In" a lush, attractive version performed by She & Him.

I had the urge to listen to this song last night and I got on a supreme She & Him kick.

She & Him at Coachella 2010

2011-05-12T11:28:00.000-04:00

It's been just about a month since I was in California roasting away in the Coachella Valley and I still feel a high from all the great music I was around.

I wish She & Him played it this year - they would've been an absolutely astounding show to have caught. Fortunately, serious fans recorded their entire gig:

"People come, People go. Sometimes without goodbye, sometimes without hello."

Shitty quality, but M. Ward is rocking out like it's nobody's business:

She & Him at the LA Times Food and Wine Festival

2011-05-12T11:20:00.000-04:00

I stumbled upon these fabulous videos on YouTube yesterday. They're all HD and they sound pretty good.

She & Him charming me, as always. AND WHAT A GORGEOUS LENGTHY SET.

"Wouldn't It Be Nice," one of the most beautiful, delicate tunes. I wish music was still this classy.

Sporting some M. Ward tunes -

"Spanish Sahara" Foals

2011-05-10T01:32:00.001-04:00

This performance was absolutely tight. This band is my new obsessions, again months and months late!!!

Feist "Let It Die"

2011-05-09T12:47:00.000-04:00

This clip was drawn from a session done in France. It's absolutely stunning, I actually felt the urge to listen to this version over any others today. It's just so lovely!

She apparently coined the name "Let It Die" because her Mom used to tell her to just "Let stuff go." She commented that her beautiful album Let It Die - "It's a timeline that follows a new love to its end. You have to go through all the stages."

I will forever and ever have fond memories of this album as a time when I first started getting into music.

John Vanderslice on NPR

2011-05-09T10:46:00.001-04:00

Seeing John Vanderslice tomorrow. This'll be a relatively blind show but I've been meaning to see him for what feels like a lifetime.

In a review by NME in May 2009, Laura Snapes said, "Not since Bon Iver's 'For Emma, Forever Ago' has there been such an accomplished album of torch songs...if you can spend a little time with 'Romanian Names' and not feel duly captivated by its sun-kissed longing, West Coast harmonies and occasional krautrock minimalism, your heart's probably made of stone."

This whole set is a great makeout session.
Anomalicious 5 months ago
This song is a great makeout session.
Anomalicious 5 months ago

Hot Docs 2011

2011-05-09T01:37:00.000-04:00

Only made it out to three documentaries this year.

The National Parks Project
Blood in the Mobile
Lymelight

All really great. I had a funny talk with my cousin, he said that he didn't want to watch a film that looked sad or depressing. I found this kind of funny because a lot of the documentaries I have seen in the past have been really depressing.

Tough truth and we don't want to see it.

Wish I got out to see more, but line-ups were absolutely foul.

You can check out The National Parks Project online and in the next month you can actually watch them. Seeing them live all in one mash was really hard to take in. Little bits would be best.

Coachella 2011: aftermath eighteen; Jimmy Eat World

2011-05-09T00:38:00.000-04:00

I love Jimmy Eat World. I don't care about the horrible pop-rock, emo reputation they adopted in the early '00s. Forever and ever I will really adore this band for everything they put out.

For one thing, Jimmy Eat World are incredibly consistent. Their music is absolutely flawless, whether your listening to something as early as Clarity or as recent as Invented.

This was my second time seeing them live within the last year. I have to say, I am still pretty impressed by this band. Their sound is as clean as it is recorded in the studio.

My biggest let down was the fact that they didn't play "Clarity" - a song that's been my favourite since high school. They definitely play it live, I just haven't been so lucky as to have seen them play it.

They did their usual closer bit with "The Middle" and "Sweetness." People really rose up to the occasion, excited. I stuck back but it was nice just to take it all in. I met a really cool festival-goer Dad that went with his son. He was Australian and one of the most interesting people I met the whole trip. He really made my day.

Good people are hard to find.

For good measure and hope they'll play it next time I see them:

Tame Impala at the Phoenix; Monday May 2, 2011

2011-05-08T03:35:00.000-04:00

I have made friends with a few Australians in the last year or so and it's so funny to hear what these two people have to say about music. They both have great music taste.

My friend Natalie is from Perth and she's completely tired of Tame Impala. She's seen them buckets of times in Perth, where both she and the band are from. To Natalie, Tame Impala are yesterday's news.

To North America, I'd say they're pretty fresh. I can't really think of a band that sounds like Tame Impala. They're just so slick. They're live show was no different, except maybe up a notch. They managed to stitch songs together seamlessly, very smooth transitions.

I appreciate the John Lennon-like vocals that lead singer Kevin Parker sports. Sounded effortlessly perfect live.

They covered "Angel" by Massive Attack:

Original:

YouTube comment:

"This song makes me want the great sex I'm not having." Bebkins 1 month ago 207

Absolutely brilliant show, i'd see them again in a heartbeat even if Natalie crapped on it a bit more.

Eddie Ray "You Are Mine"

2011-05-08T03:05:00.000-04:00

This song is incredible. It's so different. I'm absolutely in love.

"Spanish Sahara" Foals

2011-05-07T15:52:00.000-04:00

This is your gateway song into loving Foals. It's a long burning song but it's worth every second! I'm a big fan:

Chris is amazing.

Coachella 2011: aftermath seventeen; The Tallest Man on Earth and Foals

2011-05-07T15:07:00.000-04:00

My second time seeing The Tallest Man on Earth was no different than my first, with the exception of him blowing up one hundred fold. Kristan Mattson is probably one of the most charming men in the world - even though he writes tunes about killing all the prospective men in the apple of his eye's life just to have her to himself. Mattson is absolutely gorgeous and captivates the entire crowd with just his guitar.

I unfortunately seem to be the one exception to this captivation.

He both sounds and looks fantastic but I find myself getting slightly bored at his gigs. Fortunately, he played my favourite tune "The Gardener" in the first half of his set, so I was able to catch that. I would've like to have caught him play "Pistol Dreams" for that lovely intro he plays in his live show.

But I feel completely satisfied with this NPR Tiny Desk Session -

I moved on quickly to the opposite show the next stage over with Foals. I found myself satisfied by everything Kristian Matsson couldn't give me - energy and intensity.

I just recently found out about Foals from a friend who better guided my ears. I first listened to Antidotes without much love for it but he directed me to the album Total Life Forever justifying it's superiority with the claim that the lead singer learned how to sing for this record. A scary comment because it makes me think of all the studio work that could have been done to fix him up good, but much to my surprise he held his own in the live gig.

This band's presence on stage was absolutely stunning, everyone down to the drummer was full of energy. This band really seemed whole to me.

I just missed them play in Toronto because I was stuck and work (and tickets were sold out)!!

I just read a comment on this YouTube video, absolutely hilarious:

For all of you ignorant people out there who think they have tempo issues...DUH! it is called MATH ROCK!!

Math Rock: It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), angular melodies, and dissonant chords.

Thank you very much now we can all go back to our lives.

XallytheBeat 1 month ago 57

MATH ROCK? Really? Why? Genre over Genre complicates everything!

Fleet Foxes "Bedouin Dress" and "Sim Sala Bim"

2011-05-07T10:23:00.001-04:00

What up Fleet Foxes? Still making classy tunes -

Julie Doiron at the Horseshoe Tavern; Thursday May 5, 2011

2011-05-07T10:14:00.000-04:00

What to say about Julie Doiron?

She's probably one of the sweetest people you will ever get to see live. Seeing one of her shows entails an incredible amount of honest stream of consciousness on her part. She just oozes sincerity, it's unfortunate but people seem to take it as airiness. Fair enough, much of what she says is not much at all, but if you take it for that you can probably enjoy it much more.

Thankfully this show was a little different from her others. She for once did not start with "The Wrong Guy," but with a song I wasn't actually familiar with. She rather finished her set with "The Wrong Guy" and introduced it as the song she said she'd never play again.

She didn't play much off of any albums in particular although it seems I Woke Myself Up has taken precedence over her other albums in the last few shows. Again, I was let down for the third time to not hear "Dark Horse."

She played this gig with her brilliant accompaniment guitarist and drummer - William Kidman. They did their usual bit of "Reasons to Quit." But this time around she touched on her encounters with Phosphorescent at Coachella in the past. She apparently forgot that she had met him and embarrassed herself in front of him. She very shyly told the crowd. Phosphorescent introduced the song "Reasons to Quit" to Julie, I think it was originally done by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard before that.

I was really shocked by their cover of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me." Rich Terfry, the voice behind CBC Radio 2 Drive claimed that "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" is the most covered song. Well, I think "Bring It On Home" would give him a run for his money. Doiron's cover was not unlike any other one I had heard before, but it was nice to hear it with a different voice, I'm sad to say I'm growing a wee bit tired of my two favourite versions of the tune (She & Him, The Zombies).

The one I immediately had the need to listen to:

She's apparently done it before:

The Zombies (medley of "You Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Bring It On Home"):

She & Him:

Original:

Julie made a big deal about how she was playing it for her Mom and that if anyone was putting it on YouTube she shouted out to her Mom. Cute.

She also said her Mom made the dress she wore that evening when she was eighteen:

Warpaint "Billie Holiday"

2011-05-04T00:36:00.001-04:00

This song is absolutely infectious

Warpaint "Undertow"

2011-05-04T00:25:00.001-04:00

I'm a big fan of these babes -

Weeds

2011-05-03T14:52:00.000-04:00

After months and months of my uncle asking if I've seen the television show Weeds, I finally broke down and watched it. It's a real clever show with a fantastic music selection to follow. I'm going to write a bit on the theme song "Little Boxes" when I get around to finding videos I can actually post on here.

But here's the really lovely Sufjan Stevens song "All The Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands"

Blossom Dearie "Tea For Two"

2011-05-03T12:37:00.001-04:00

"Tea For Two" appears on the 1959 album Once Upon A Summertime. It's the perfect rainy day music.

"Billie Holiday" by Warpaint

2011-05-01T04:03:00.001-04:00

I can't stop singing the infectious chorus bit of this song that just spells "Billie Holiday."

When I heard Warpaint sing this song live, I felt both completely enchanted and confused as to what they were spelling. I found out today what they were spelling!

They even nod the old Mary Wells tune "My Guy."

Coachella 2011: aftermath sixteen, The Morning Benders, Warpaint and Cee-Lo Green

2011-04-30T16:31:00.000-04:00

Cee-Lo Green played the first day in the late afternoon. This was my big conundrum because Odd Future, The Morning Benders, Warpaint and Cee-Lo were all more or less playing at the same time. By some miracle I managed to hear all three acts as I had wanted to.

I went to Odd Future first, they went on a little late. I stayed for four songs or so and hopped over to see The Morning Benders to just hear them play their last song, "Excuses." Absolutely delightful, I've never seen them play this song to an audience that were active enough to sing along. Lead singer Chris Chu divided the audience up to sing different bits, people seemed slightly confused, but it all sounded lovely.

After my quick fix of the Morning Benders I ran over to catch Warpaint who I found absolutely intoxicating. I think Warpaint were my choice band of the weekend for new acts to dive into. Warpaint is comprised of five absolutely stunning women who are fantastic at everything they do. It was a toss up between the drummer and the bassist for standout musicians.

I once met a semi-famous bassist who told me that the bass is a very manly instrument. He continued by saying it takes a strong man to play it. If I knew of Jenny Lee Lindberg, I'd stick her to him. Lindberg was absolutely alluring with her guitar playing. I have never been so attracted to a woman in my life!

Lindberg is actually the sister of actress and former Warpaint member Shannyn Sossaman.

I stayed for the rest of the Warpaint set, finding myself pleasantly surprised. I had bought their CD based on good feelings earlier that day.

I sprinted to see Cee-Lo Green to catch the final two songs of his set. He played his Gnarls Barkly hit "Crazy" which sounded a little lazy and poorly concluded. He then followed it by "Fuck You" which bled into what I could only assume was the closer "Don't Stop Believing."

After his performance of "Crazy" he complained that he felt rushed and the sound was crap. He asked the audience to raise their middle fingers up in the air for his next tune.

I was really happy to see that he had an all-girl back-up band supporting him. After playing "Fuck You," his sound was cut out because he had gone over his time limit. He walked off the stage with a towel on his head while cursing. His back-up band continued to play without full sound or vocals.

"This shit sounds terrible. They're fucking rushing me"

There was a stylish black guy behind me who made a comment about how he was one of the only black guy he'd seen all day and that's how he decided to act. I kind of got a kick out of that comment as Cee-Lo kind of was being an asshole.

Best Coast 'Crazy For You'

2011-04-30T14:50:00.002-04:00

There isn't a song on this album longer than three minutes and two seconds!

Coachella 2011: aftermath fifteen, Tame Impala

2011-04-30T11:03:00.000-04:00

Before the festival I put together a list of all the artists and I had the great ambitions of looking into. Of that list, many were missed completely due to the sheer volume of artists playing the festival. Tame Impala for certain would've been skipped out completely if my good Australian mate didn't point them out very casually.

I had a brief minute to see them at the festival between seeing Cee Lo Green and Ms. Lauryn Hill. Their set embodied everything that I got from a brief listen - cohesive, nothing like I've ever heard, psychedelic rock.

The parallels of sound between lead singer Kevin Parker and John Lennon are absolutely remarkable. Just ridiculous.

I'm seeing these guys tomorrow. It's going to be really great to hear a full set of dream-like bliss.

Strong album opener: