The Look Back

(1st being H saying “yes”)

Friday Night Lights got renewed for TWO seasons!!! Riggins in 2009!

Weddings cost a lot of money. But this blog isn’t about that, it’s about music, at least supposedly. There is starting to be a backlog for me of great new and upcoming releases. Bonnie “Prince” Billy amongst others put out some great material this last week.

Röyksopp – The Girl and the Robot

I received this release and had no idea what to expect. I can attest to never having heard of Röyksopp previously as this electronic sound is generally not in my wheel house. This got me from the beginning, especially a track with vocals by Robyn! This is one of my favorite pop songs of 2009 by far. I now know why it got such a buzz on a number of other blogs I’ve been reading.

Bonnie “Prince” Billy – My Life’s Work

Another solid release, this one from Beware which is out this week. Lie Down in the Light was my favorite 3rd favorite album of 2008 and has been listened to now more than both Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes in 2009 which tells me it might have been ranked too low. Beware is a very close second for me. It doesn’t have the highs of Lie Down in the Light but it also doesn’t have some of the lows that I had a few issues with on Lie down. My Life’s work is something I’ve contemplated putting in some aspect of the wedding but I am going to hold out and find something a little more fitting from the Will Oldham catalog. (if there is a wedding song in there.)

Old 97’s – Question

Since I’m running low on time this week I’ll combine the country and the “wedding” song for this week. (Plus there is a country-ish Will Oldham song this week so that counts double.) This is one of my favorite songs regarding engagements/weddings that I’ve ever heard. The Old 97’s are one of the quintessential fathers of alt-country. Sure, others have done it before but this was one of the first bands to have a marketing push behind them for “alt-country.” Aka the next thing after grunge, so the record labels hoped. While this song has been used on Scrubs and another show I can’t remember (and countless others more than likely that I’ve never heard) it is a great song. I know I want it to be more a part of how I got engaged but this is a pretty close retelling.

Last weekend was rather exciting and gave me what some would describe as “news”.  I got engaged.  (She said yes for all of you who have asked me that stupid question.  Just for curiosity sake, do you really know anyone who would say they proposed to their girlfriend and she said no?)  We are looking to get married in November of this year which is a bit quick but we both felt it would be enough time to plan etc. since our venue is secure being in my parent’s grain field.  This being a music blog and me being a snob my immediate attention has been focused on picking out the perfect songs for every portion of the wedding and reception.  Thus starting this week I’m going to not only havea country song of the week on the mix but also a wedding song of the week.  These will take up the last two spots on the mix and will generally be spoken about more than the other songs.  By making myself pick out one song for the wedding a week I hope to have a nice list compiled in the next 8 months.  Wish us luck.

Grizzly Bear – Dory

This is from the much discussed Veckatimest record that comes out in May on Warp. You have likely heard this album and I wanted to post what I feel is my favorite track. The idea of swimming around like two dory fish is very strong for me. Possibly because my current roomate has a couple and he does stand there and watch them all the time. It also comes to my mind knowing that I will be moving out within the year and not getting to see the salt water tank which has been in my house now for almost 6 years. Speaking of which, everyone who I have helped move in the last 6 years owes me. I’m going to cash in.

Cymbals Eat Guitars – Some Trees

Wow, what a hard hitting record. While not totally convinced this is the kind of music that will hold through for the long haul it is something I take enjoyment in right now.

Ben Folds – The Luckiest

Sappy, check. Heartfelt, I think so. I’m thinking of this as being the backing music to one of those cliché photo montages where you put up photos of you and your fiancé from all adventures in life the last few years. Well, except for those shots at 1:30am inside of Avalon. You can judge my feelings about these from my description of them above but I still think we will have one. Needless to say, I’ve always been a sucker for Ben Folds and I feel this is a more appropriate song for a wedding than say one about an abortion a couple days after Christmas.

Sons of the Pioneers – I Hang My Head and Cry

Just didn’t want all the songs and mood to be too upbeat. You have to have a little sadness to let yourself know you are still alive.

Ranch-a-Thon 2009 (RAT09 for those in the know) is upon us once again. This is the 7th year I’ve invited college and assorted other friends to camp out on our ranch in the middle of nowhere and play with explosives, guns and fireworks. Wish me luck surviving the fun.

Crocodiles – I Wanna Kill

This came out of nowhere. WAAVES has been getting a lot of great buzz since last year and I wrote these guys off at first as being just another group trying to play off this “noise/pop” moniker being from San Diego. (Seriously, who knew San Diego was the new Williamsburg? WAAVES,Crocodiles,Muslims/Hard Pack) There is a lot of the Jesus and Mary Chain going on here which makes the WAAVES relationship fleeting, if it even was relevant at one point. I’ve deemed this the RAT09 theme though I didn’t get it in time to put on the official RAT09 2 Disc compilation. It will be an honorary track for RAT10.

Bat for Lashes – Daniel

Her new single from the forthcoming Two Suns LP. Very nice to hear Chan again a year off from her last album. I don’t find this album to be as easily approachable as the debut but I end up finding a lot of similarities still in the sound and I very much enjoy it.

Kelly Clarkson – I Do Not Hook Up

Wow, I have to admit this is kind of a joke but I do have a guilty pleasure and that pleasure is Kelly Clarkson. Since U Been Gone is one of the best pop songs to be released this decade so I can’t put everything that comes out of American Idol in the same heap of rubbish. The new album is interesting with a lot of the same tones as her last. While this song is catchy, I find the lyrics completely juvenile and can just see a throng of 13 year old girls swooning to this song and playing it non-stop. In that regard maybe it is a good thing and somewhat of a PSA to those kids. Who knows, they are probably still all fooling around regardless. Kids these days!

Mike Stinson – Take Out the Trash

Sorry for the crap quality on this one but his CD is currently getting pressed again and my CD has been backordered to later this month. I had heard about Mike Stinson for a couple few years now being the voice of new indie country in Los Angeles. I was finally able to see he and his band live opening for Charlie Louvin’ back in February. He and his group also leant their services to Charlie as his backing band. I was very impressed and felt he said it best when during that show he said, “Remember folks, this isn’t your parent’s country music….this is your Grandparent’s country music!” He is currently playing a number of shows at SXSW so everyone in Austin should get on this if you want to hear quality country music. For the record, he also had the luxury of having one of his original songs, “Late Great Golden State” covered on Dwight Yoakam’s last album. Check him out for free in the next few months when he plays Sunday afternoons at the Grand Ol’ Echo.

Sorry for the delay in this.  I was forced to update WordPress and apparently one of the plugins didn’t like the new system.  Got it going though so now there will be two mix’s in one week.  Enjoy.

Jimmy Eat World – Blister

Attended the 10th anniversary show for Clarity last night at Club Nokia at LA Live last night.  JEW preformed the entire album which is the latest hype thing to do for artists with any moderately successful indie/obscure release that people obsess over.  Clarity is that record for me so this was the concert for me.  (For the record, Lucinda Williams is, I believe, the first artist to start this concept concert. Give it up to her.) They did a great job even if the 8 song encore got a bit long for us old folks.  Club Nokia was a very nice venue in my opinion though I’m likely not going to see many shows there due to the excessive service fees they seem to charge.  We’ll see what kind of draw they have as it seems to be a competitor to the Wiltern which isn’t really cheap in the first place.

St. Vincent – The Strangers

From her upcoming album.  We need more St. Vincent.

Kanye West – RoboCop (VH1 Storytellers)

I managed to catch this special last Saturday night (actually Sunday morning since I DVR’ed it) and was pleasantly surprised.  Kanye didn’t manage to give a lot of insight into his music but more used it as a forum to discuss how bad ass he feels he is, and he is. He just might be crazy but in the best possible way imaginable.  It was also interesting to watch this with my 82 year old grandmother who at first said she didn’t like his “music” and then to remember that she saw him on Ellen and thus he must be ok.

Garth Brooks – That Summer

A rousing tale of a young man getting ravaged by a cougar in the mid-west.  Yes, another 90’s country song about sex.  Filthy.