The Look Back

Maybe I’ll keep this motivation going and do more than one mix this summer.  No promises.  There is a lot of good music out there right now and a few interesting releases in the pipeline for the Fall.  More than enough to distract you from the horrors of the world cup.

Best Coast/Rostam Batmangilij/Kid Cudi – All Summer

A promo piece for Converse and summer, I guess.  The beginning of the song with the bell and beat really had me hoping Bethany (Best Coast portion) would say “…all year long we wait for CHRISTMAS…” but sadly it’s just “summer”.  My least favorite season by a wide margin.  The song is fun and the past week of weather in the high 60’s with overcast conditions and some rain in the mornings really makes me think twice about this dreaded season.  Keep it up.

Stars – Wasted Daylight

Despite being a part of Broken Social Scene over the past years I never explored much of the catalog of Stars.  “The Five Ghosts” intrigued me and I gave it a shot and was very happy.  It’s received some pretty harsh criticism compared to previous works so I’m not sure if that means I should or shouldn’t take a look back at their work.  I find the songs on this album to be incredibly catchy and something I want to come back to.

Tokyo Police Club – Favourite Colour

I fell in love with the original Tokyo Police Club EP a few years back and couldn’t wait for their full length, “Elephant Shell”.  When it finally dropped I was less than impressed.  The songs ran together, not in a good way, and felt incredibly boring and lacking anything to draw me back like the EP.  This second LP “Champ” sees a return to the EP in terms of song writing and diversity of music.  I hope they have polished their live show as that was definitely nothing to write home about but I still give them the benefit of the doubt for being much younger and in a pretty hyped blog band.

Damien Jurado – Arkansas

This is a damned good song and album.  Pretty much the song that kicked my ass and got me to do another Friday mix for the first time in several months.  It’s a song everyone needs to hear. Beautiful and touching.  Something that will be used in a cheesy movie in the next year but deservingly so.  (And no, this isn’t country so don’t get too scared by it being in the normal “country” position of my list.)

Since I’ve grown disillusioned to coming up with four songs every other week as of late, here’s a random song that I felt worthy of sharing with the masses.  It’s one to get the weekend started when you are in love (or sad and single), yet not in that gross way.  Originally a single that never took off, I can’t understand why.  The sheer force Holly delivers this song with is amazing, in and of itself.

Buddy Holly – Oh Boy!

It’s my second favorite day of the year next to Christmas.  Ranch-a-Thon.  Those who’ve been know the feeling; those who haven’t are truly missing out on a life altering event.  This year’s motto was brought to you by the drunken philosopher Bret (America) Hanson who at around 11am told a companion, “I’ve never done anything sexual at Ranch-a-Thon!”  More fitting words have never been uttered and truly describe the RAT experience.  Guns, explosives, aerosol, wild game, fireworks, craft beer (Non-INBev or SABMiller) and camping.  What could make for a better weekend?

In the true spirit of the season I’ve put together the 7th RAT mix to commemorate the event.  The main track list is below though there are extra clips from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Arrested Development and the Office that really give you a feel for the theme this year.  A playlist is included in the zip.  Enjoy and I hope to see you at RAT11 in March 2011.

1. Black Lips – Bad Kids

2. Jaguar Love – I Started A Fire

3. Crocodiles – I Wanna Kill

4. Sleigh Bells – Crown On the Ground

5. Vampire Weekend – Cousins

6. Hot Chip – One Life Stand

7. Bad Black – Fallin’ & Flying

8. Washed Out – Feel It All Around

9. The Big Pink – Dominos

10. Titus Andronicus – Titus Andronicus Forever

11. Local Natives – Wide Eyes

12. The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio

13. Drive-By Truckers – This Fucking Job

14. Double Dagger – Pillow Talk

15. Butthole Surfers – Pepper

16. Miranda Lambert – White Liar

17. Flying Lotus – Computer Face/Pure Being

18. Desaparecidos – Popn’ Off at the F

Download .zip file (117MB)

My first full day Friday post in over two months.  Maybe I am back in the game. 

Abe Vigoda – Wild Heart

Such a sharp departure from Kid City, the first album I heard of theirs two years ago when No Age was just making a name for themselves and they threw a few other LA artists a bone and mentioned them in an interview.  This is a “cover” of a Stevie Nicks song of the same name though the versus are mixed up and the chorus is out of order.  A beautifully haunting song that I never thought these guys would make.  Makes me very curious to see what their next album may bring.  Yes, I know Skeleton was just released last year but you never know if they have another EP out so soon and time on their hands.  Buy Album

The Veronicas – Untouched

Pitchfork said, “this is strictly party music by and for flawless, heartless robots.”  It came in at number 88 on their best of 2008 and that is where I heard this song first.  My two regular readers will likely realize how this is definitely something I would like as it is easy to digest upon first listen.  It really doesn’t take much to figure it out and get hooked for some time.  It’s unique yet I still find myself having those flashes of déjà vu.  This could have been a modern radio hit from the 80’s through today.  Well, it could if they would stop playing (insert ironic and classless band here).  Buy Album

Antony & the Johnsons – Another World

Unlike the song above, this song does take a bit to warm up to.  I never quite know what to feel while listening to Antony.  My mind was put to ease to some degree after last year’s Hercules and Love Affair album that he lent his voice to on a number of tracks.  Expanding the range was nice to hear and reassuring that he isn’t a one trick pony.  The new album thus has been much easier to get into and is stellar in that regard.  The messages can still appear, for a lack of a better common phrase, mixed at best. Buy Album

Charlie Louvin – I Am Bound for the Promised Land

I’ve been sitting on both the album this came from, Steps to Heaven, and his October release “Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs” for the last quarter of 2008.  I was not disappointed by either but definitely still prefer his self titled release from 2007 for the inclusion of the backing members such as Will Oldham and other indie stars.  I was very lucky to see Mr. Louvin appear at the Mint that same year and never thought he would come back through town.  I was wrong as he is set to appear at Spaceland on Saturday, Feb. 7th.  I’ll be there.  This was an immediate stand out song on the album for me as it was one I remember singing numerous times in church from the “Mennonite Hymnal”.   Buy Album

thingswhitepeoplelike already covered it, sorry.  I am definitely a white guy (who wishes he started that page.) but I found this on youtube and had to share. 

Arrested Development YouTube

Please pray for a movie. (and that I pass section D)

Today happens to be Blog Action Day.  Just doing my part by promoting the environmental movement in my own little way.  If you’re in Orange County be sure to hit up USGBC-OC or EGB.

http://blogactionday.org/get_involved

(Sorry for the lack of links.  For some reason I can’t link in my Firefox here at home. )

Very cool page that rates your home on a scale of 1-100 in terms of how walkable the area is.  I thought for sure there would be some inherent bias for Orange County but I was mistaken.  My place rates a 91 out of 100.  Way to go 17th Street!

http://www.walkscore.com/

This post was inspired by the Ryan Adams and the Cardinals show Kathy, Valerie and I went to at the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills, Thursday night. I am going to break from the format I’ve gone with for the last month and post nothing but Ryan Adams songs that have caught my fancy. I am a day late but this couldn’t be rushed.

A Kiss Before I Go (Jacksonville City Nights)

Dear Chicago (Demolition)

Come Pick Me Up (Heartbreaker)

My favorite Ryan Adams song on my favorite Ryan Adams album. For fear of sounding over analytical, make up your own mind. (Thus sounding elitist.)

Burning Photographs (Rock N’ Roll)

With the exception of MTV and a few other friends in early college I never really listened to Ryan Adams until 2002 when this album came out. Arguably his most consumer friendly and thus “worst” record it really did grow on me. It is very pop in nature which shouldn’t necessarily be a horrible thing. I can say I related to this once upon a time but I feel most people have to some degree. (As have most people mentioned the previous phrase numerous times in their lives.) Not the most thought provoking jingle, but definitely a good one off this album.

English Girls Approximately (Love is Hell Pt. 2)

Part of the best break up album of the year. No, not 2005, rather 2006 and the one I produced. Outtake from Heartbreaker, my favorite Ryan Adams album.

Let It Ride (Cold Roses)

The “Grateful Dead” inspired Cardinals album from 2005. The best line I’ve heard about this song was from someone who said, “A song written by a man whose diet consisted of unfiltered Marlboro cigarettes and a fifth of jack daniels.” While very true for the time I see it as a song about longing for change and desperately grasping at something that isn’t quite there.

So Alive (Rock N’ Roll)

Honesty. For the first couple months of listening to this album I thought he said, “I’m sooo in love..” Therefore I construed a completely different feeling from this song than that which it was intended. Yes, I know the name of the song is taken from the chorus but I am a little slow.

Wonderwall (Love is Hell Pt 1)

Cover of the classic 90’s song by Oasis. Hard to believe you can actually say that. The only problem I have with this song is the odd echo that the producer put on his voice.

When the Stars Go Blue (Gold)

Arguably the most famous Ryan Adams song that was never released as a single. It has since gained more notoriety for being sung by other, more famous, groups and individuals including The Coors w/ Bono, some no name band for the TV show One Tree Hill, Tim McGraw and some dude from this season’s American Idol. The travesty being they credited the song on American Idol to that of Tim McGraw. (For the record I spent a bit too much time on Wikipedia tonight and found this fact out there, not from actually watching that horrid show.) Here is a link to the Tim McGraw music video for the song. It’s rather creepy and in one scene it appears as if he is defecating on the ice ring while little ghost children watch from the trees. The song itself is beautiful but ultimately about pure heartbreak. The lyric “are you happy now?” connects perfectly with one of my all time favorite heartbreak songs by Nickel Creek, “Somebody More Like You”. “I hope you meet someone your height/so you can see eye to eye/with someone as small as you.” Ryan is a little more subtle in his approach.

Night Birds (29)

I’m a sucker for anything written about the post-college, American male in their late 20’s. Obviously right in my wheelhouse. A song about growing older and reflecting on the late nights, drinking and women that have not necessarily been good for you. The “Into the ocean” crescendo at the end is a little too psychedelic but fitting for the tone and message of the song. I’m not saying I relate to the depressive nature of the song by any means but I completely relate to the reflective nature of “Night Birds.”

Goodnight Rose (Easy Tiger)

Another change of pace, an upbeat, glass is half full approach to song writing. I think about Heather a lot in this song after recent events. <3

Cold Roses (Live 07.11.07) I had no idea Ryan Adams fell into the “live recording” collectors set. Archive.com is a sit you are more apt to find the latest from Dave Matthews and Phish rather than a live show of Ryan Adams from last week in

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3905

Cool tool for Firefox that, when installed, allows you to right click on a photo and say “View Link EXIF Data.”  EXIF data is what your camera records on any digital picture you take.  Includes such info as the camera, lens, shutter speed, ISO settings, date etc. Works with both SLR and consumer level point and shoot cameras.

The New Pornographers – Myriad Harbour
Dan Bejar aka Destroyer aka the guy who never plays live with the New Pornographers, penned this one.  It is definitely the highlight of the album for me.  I’ve also added this to my “songs Justin likes to sing on the way back from LA after having a fair amount of alcoholic spirits” mix.  So far the mix consists of this song and “Such Great Heights” by the Postal Service. 

Kevin Drew – Tbtf
Broken Social Scene “coordinator”?  Is that the right term.  Either way, this is now a “Broken Social Scene Presents:” record whatever that might mean.  Full length comes out in September along with a full length from fellow Broken Social Scener; Stars.  This single, an acronym for “Too beautiful to fuck, is rather catchy and yet nothing you will soon be hearing on the radio.  One question I have, is there a guest appearance by Mr. Drew’s girlfriend (cough, cough, Leslie Feist) at the 2:06 mark?  That was bad. Sorry. 

Cold War Kids – God Make Up Your Mind
Daytrotter session recording from last August.  The first time I had heard about Daytrotter was last August when they put out a spot on perfect 4 song recording session with Bonnie Prince Billy.  Since then they keep outdoing themselves with the bands/artists they pull in.  Hell, the illustrations for each group is reason enough to check out the site.  This is the only non-album track out of the session and is my favorite.  I’ve seen these guys play all over OC and LA now and they keep getting better.  My only complaint would be to mix up the set list a little.  The last three times I’ve seen them live the set list is almost exactly the same.  Also, it might be nice to save one of the crowd favorites until the encore.  Then again, what the hell do I know?

The Broken West – So It Goes
Local LA band I’ve only recently been listening to.  Hitting the big time with their current tour with The National and a lot of LA blog buzz. 

Simian Mobile Disco – I Got This Down
Attack Decay Sustain Release has been one of the bigger surprises of the year for me in terms of albums.  While definitely not beating out Boxer for my Album of the Year so far, it is up there.  The ending really needs the context of the whole album but it still works for me at least.