Pictures from the Ben Sollee show last Monday

I JUST finished folding laundry, organizing my room and vacuuming/dusting it. I feel very accomplished. I also found my camera cord which means you all get to enjoy these pictures










I didn't get a photo with Ben because my batteries died by the end of the show =( but here is something almost as good:

[click on it.]

Sunday Morning Covers

I know it's super late, guys, sorry! I haven't been online for a couple of days

hope all is well, enjoy the belated tunes!

The White Stripes - Get Rhythm (Johnny Cash cover) [mp3]

The Morning Benders - I Won't Share You (Smiths cover) [mp3]
this song came to me in a dream. seriously. I heard it in my dream. this amazing Berkeley band (woot!) is dug deep in my subconscious.

Nirvana - The End (Doors cover) [mp3]

The Section Quartet - Time is Running Out (Muse cover) [mp3]
I love this band. I bought Fuzzbox after hearing this cover and their amazing cover of Juicebox. twas an excellent investment. there are copies for just 50 cents on AMAZON. go for it!

BONUS:
The Section Quartet - Juicebox (Strokes cover)[mp3]
mmh. so so good.

visit the Section Quartet on MYSPACE

Saturday Music Definitions: Christmas

I know it's early but hey Black Friday marks the beginning of the holiday season. I love this time of year. Yes, people are quite materialistic but people also slow down and spend more time with family and friends, which makes me happy

enjoy the following songs:

Michael Buble - My Grown Up Christmas Wish [mp3]

Blink 182 - I Won't Be Home For Christmas [mp3 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED]

Greg Barkley - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas [mp3]

The Who - Christmas [mp3]

Noel Gallagher compares Oasis to The Rolling Stones

"Everybody knows who we are. You have to see us in league with The Rolling Stones now," he declared. "Everybody's heard of the Stones, everybody knows what they sound like, everybody knows what they do. You either go because you like it or you don't. It's easy."

oh Noel, you are just asking to be attacked. I mean, don't get me wrong, I actually agree with him, but people just LOVE reasons to shit all over these guys.

read the article and subsequent backlash on NME and also check out their "controversial albums" feature

The Muslims change their name...

the San Diego based band is now called THE SOFT PACK.

ugh. how very uncontroversial. I am a tad bit disappointed but I love them all the same.

visit the band on their new MYSPACE page

The Soft Pack - Extinction [mp3]

Concert Review: Ben Sollee @ Cafe Du Nord 24 November 2008

(sorry I forgot my camera and SD card in Berkeley, will upload photos later, for now, you all can enjoy a picture of Dwayne)

Local Artist Goh Nakamura opened up for Ben Sollee last Monday night, starting off his funny set by singing about being hipless in a hipster world. With each song, he gained confidence and the audience’s approval, well articulated with laughter and applause. He has a soft tenor voice which is good but has much room for improvement. His lyrics were sharp and funny, using plenty of puns and explaining his disgust at one night in his life when he had gotten off of a busboy shift where he had earned 30 dollars only to come out to a 35 dollar parking ticket. “I essentially paid 5 dollars to work”, he told the audience. My favourite lyric by him however, was off of a song called “Red Balloons”: “boys chase girls who chase butterflies who chase red balloons who chase better skies”, sung in a heartfelt manner that showcased his range as an artist: he could easily fluctuate between being humourous and sincere. He thanked the audience, saying that this had been his best show ever; we enjoyed it too.
2.5/5

visit Goh on MYSPACE

Ben Sollee surprised me. I expected (and quite honestly, hoped) that he would accurately emulate the songs off of his record. I thought that the quality of his music didn’t really give him much leeway in experimentation with his live sound. I was wrong. Whereas he upped the tempo on almost every song, his voice for the most part was still slow, creating an excellent contrast (which paralleled the whole “I am going to use a cello to play non-classical music” thing). His voice was scratchier, deeper, and more organic live. He remarked that he was still getting used to a “cheering section”, still recovering from playing in the background of an orchestra. He was scattered when he tried to tell the audience stories, but this characteristic was very endearing on the twenty something. He explained that the dinosaur in the background (whom Goh referred to as Garfunkel before worrying “oh no, wait, maybe I am Garfunkel”) was named Dwayne, painted by the modern Kentucky based artist Phillip March Jones, who also designed the merchandise for Ben’s very first solo tour. He played a handful of new songs, including “Meet With a Bullhorn”, which moved me to tears. He told the audience that “I Can’t” took seven years to write, revealing how meticulous he can be. A poignant moment was when he explained what had inspired the song “Panning for Gold”: apparently, Ben has two grandparents who are affected with dementia, and their memory loss caused him to ponder memory and time, and how the new generations must keep the older generation’s memories alive for both of their sakes. He covered Fiona Apple and Jay-Z, remarking after the latter that it had seemed like a good idea at the time. He also sang part of “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, before falling off of his chair and creating an uproar of concern and laughter. That moment defined the show: while we all adored Ben, we were still able to laugh with him. He then covered a Prince song with Goh, which was cute. He also talked to us fans after the show ended. I had a bunch of questions lined up for him, which I unfortunately didn’t get to ask because it was getting late and I didn’t want to miss the last train back to Berkeley (for the record, I barely caught the very last train), but it didn’t matter because he wrote “Happy Birthday” on my copy of Learning to Bend after I told him that it had arrived on my birthday and made my day oh so much brighter.
3.75/5

visit Ben on MYSPACE

1. Try
2. How to See the Sun Rise
3. A Few Honest Words
4. Prettiest Tree on the Mountain
5. Meet with a Bullhorn/A Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke cover) [mp3 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED]
6. I Can’t
7. It’s Not Impossible
8. This is Only a Song
9. Extraordinary Machine (Fiona Apple cover) [mp3]
10. Panning for Gold
11. 99 Problems (Jay-Z cover) [mp3]
12. Bury Me with my Car/Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover) [mp3]
13. When Doves Cry (Prince cover with Goh) [mp3]
14. Turn a light on

sorry for the crappy sound quality, I only had my mp3 player on me to record but it's not too bad, I've been listening to my own recordings =)

here is a proper mp3 off of his record:

Ben Sollee - How to See the Sun Rise [mp3]

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I fucking love this holiday. I'm glad to be home, surrounded by my slightly eccentric family whom I love more every day. I am grateful for all of my blessings (especially in this crap economy we have now), perhaps most for music. Music is the greatest blessing of all. Enjoy the following mp3s and have a wonderful holiday!

John Lennon - Cold Turkey (acoustic) [mp3]

Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American [mp3]

Iron & Wine - Flightless Bird, American Mouth [mp3]

Jason Mraz - Too Much Food [mp3]

I'll post a review of the Ben Sollee show tomorrow

Sunday Morning Covers

Radiohead - Tell Me Why (Neil Young cover)[mp3]
Thom York's voice is just amazing. there's a very good reason why Radiohead is one of the biggest bands in the world right now. they have that incredible ability to really move you with their music, which a lot of rock bands fail miserably at.

Oasis - My Generation (The Who cover) [mp3]
the guitar work here is a bit over the top but it's Oasis so it's all good

The Rosebuds - Staying Alive (Beegees cover) [mp3]
I bet you never could imagine this song having an ominous feel. download this song and hear just that. this is one strange rendition of one funky song.

BONUS: Arctic Monkeys - Baby I'm Yours (Van McCoy cover)[mp3 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]
I think I've posted this one already but I love it so much I want to make sure you all have it!

Band of the Week: Margot & The Nuclear So So's

move out of the way Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, there is a new band in town with a long name ready to take the indie crown.

the Indiana based band is kind of like a cooler, American version of Arcade Fire, or a more hip Beirut. they weave in and out of the folk genre as well

the band is composed of the following talented musicians:

Richard Edwards-vocals, guitar
Andy Fry-guitar
Chris Fry-drums
Hubert Glover-brass
Erik Kang-violin, lap steel
Casey Tennis-perccussion
Emily Watkins-keys, vocals
Tyler Watkins-bass

their second LP was actually released as two separate albums on two different labels, Animal! and Not Animal, because of a misunderstanding between the record labels.

I can't decide which album I like better yet (I'm leaning toward Not Animal), but I do know that this band has something special. they stand out among many bands who have attempted a similar sound but ended up being drowned out by each other.

the band currently has a handful of shows, check em out if you're in the area

Nov 21 2008 8:00P
The Pike Room at The Crofoot Pontiac, Michigan
Nov 22 2008 8:00P
Bottom Lounge Chicago, Illinois
Dec 11 2008 8:00P
Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, Ohio
Dec 13 2008 8:00P
The Southgate House Newport, Kentucky

visit them on MYSPACE

For Fans of: Death Cab for Cutie, Annuals, The Elected, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

enjoy the following mp3s!

M&TNSS- As Tall As Cliffs [mp3]
this one is just pretty.

M&TNSS - A Children's Crusade on Acid[mp3]

M&TNSS - Hello Vagina [mp3]
this one almost sounds like Radiohead, I really like it

M&TNSS- Broadripple is Burning [mp3 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]
this one is my favourite, even though it isn't an accurate representation of the higher energy sound on most of their songs.

are we human, or are we DANCER

Brandon is upset about people thinking that the lyric is "are we human or are we denser" because he apparently put a lot of effort into formulating the words for that song (who would have guessed haha no I do love t though)

this should clear up those blog wars going on about it haha

read the full article HERE

Nikolai tells SPIN about "shift" in sound on forthcoming Strokes record

read the full article HERE

he mentions something about a new producer. if the Pharrell rumours are true, and they go all Black and White Album Hives on me, I will cry. I will cry. I will cry.

and then I'll find a new favourite band, or simply deny that they ever made anything past First Impressions

don't get me wrong, I liked the B&W album, but it wasn't the Hives. I looove First Impressions of Earth but the experimentation came from WITHIN the band, not from some outside hip hop guru.

why can't we have more songs like the one below?

The Strokes - New York City Cops [mp3]


oh Jules. hahaha

boys, you know I will love you no matter what stupid stunts you pull. the Strokes are etched into my soul and I can't change it (not that I would want to)

Coldplay to call it quits next year

Chris Martin thinks that 33 is too old for rock stars. oh, the ridiculousness. read more HERE

the slew of comments is hilarious.

Coldplay - Lost (alternate version) [mp3]

happy Wednesday everyone

now I am going to try to be as discreet as possible, in order to avoid certain internet police.

a certain record from a certain Las Vegas band has done as faulty faucets do and is now floating through the internets

I would like to share a few stand out tracks, and stay tuned until Monday for a proper review.

mystery song #1
mystery song #2
mystery song #3

enjoy it while it lasts! and don't be a cheap bastard, go out and buy it next week. it's a quality album.

Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses

I fucking love this track. this record is gonna be good.
Franz are exploring new territory but maintaining their strongholds as masters of catchy, dancable, tasty, rhythmic songs
do you hear that electronica sound? and "come on let's get high"? this rocks.

Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses [mp3]

la la la la! I believe Alex just gave those two letters a whole new meaning.

Andrew Bird on tour

sexiest. violinist. ever.

I loove Armchair Apocrypha. I don't think it contains one bad song.

thanks to BrooklynVegan for the heads up!
I don't know how I overlooked this. I am signed up for his newsletter and everything...

anyhow, visit the very talented Mr. Bird on MYSPACE ;

buy your tickets HERE; and download a tune below:

Andrew Bird - Fake Palindromes [mp3]

Nov 19 - Roter Salon Berlin
Nov 20 - St. Giles Church London
Nov 21 - St. Giles Church London
Nov 25 - Church 'De Duif' Amsterdam
Jan 28 - Carnegie Hall New York, New York
Jan 30 - Orpheum Theatre Boston, Massachusetts
Jan 30 - Orpheum Theatre Boston, Massachusetts
Feb 3 - Nightclub 9:30 Washington, District of Columbia
Feb 4 - Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
Feb 6 - The Plaza Theatre Orlando, Florida
Feb 7 - House of Blues New Orleans, Louisiana
Feb 12 - The Paramount Theatre Austin, Texas
Feb 13 - The El Rey Theater Albuquerque, New Mexico
Feb 14 - The Rialto Theatre Tucson, Arizona
Feb 18 - The Orpheum Theatre Los Angeles, California
Feb 19 - The Fillmore San Francisco, California
Feb 20 - The Fillmore San Francisco, California
Feb 21 - Roseland Theater Portland, Oregon
Feb 23 - The Moore Theatre Seattle, Washington
Feb 24 - Knitting Factory Boise, Idaho
Feb 25 - The Murray Theater Murray, Utah
Feb 26 - The Ogden Theater Denver, Colorado
Feb 27 - Slowdown Omaha, Nebraska

"the pregnant man" couple on Larry King Live

he just recently gave birth and he is pregnant again

this interview is quite interesting. it clears up a lot of misconceptions. check it out HERE

Colin Meloy - Pregnant for the Last Time (Morrissey cover) [mp3]

NME celebrates ten years of the Strokes

by placing them on the cover
vote for your favourite Strokes song HERE

enjoy my favourite Strokes song below:

The Strokes - Ize of the World [mp3]

and, my favourite live Strokes song below:



perfection.

the Strokes have graced the musical world for ten years. sadly, I've only listened to them for about 2 and a half. I make up for it by listening to them obsessively, compulsively, every fucking day.

Paul McCartney to release a 14 minute "lost" Beatles song?

according to Rolling Stone,

“Carnival of Light” is supposedly a 14-minute improvised psychedelic jam the band recorded in 1967 and was left off of the Anthology releases because it was “too adventurous.”

I will keep you all posted about this.

Audrye Sessions on Daytrotter

I'm a few days late on this, but I haven't checked out DT in a while...

anyhow, head over HERE for the article and free mp3s

Audrye Sessions - Waltz #2 (Elliott Smith cover) [mp3]

visit the Oakland based band on MYSPACE

Sunday Morning Covers

hello, lovelies, I hope all is well. now, enjoy some tasty covers =)

Elliott Smith - I'm Only Sleeping (Beatles cover) [mp3]
as many people have pegged Mr. Smith as a "depressed Beatle", it's only appropriate that he covered a lot of their songs. this is one of my favourite Beatles songs, I've been listening to it a lot lately. enjoy.

Mystery Jets - Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis cover) [mp3]
I might just prefer this to the original, and not just because I don't like female vocalists. the lead singer from this UK based band doesn't come off as whiny or annoying like Leona does in the original, and I really appreciate the incorporation of a violin =)

Frightened Rabbit - Set You Free (N-Trance cover) [mp3]
this one comes off of their latest LP, The Midnight Organ Fight (easily one of the best [and underrated!!] albums of the year. check it out, you won't be sorry
this Scottish band is going to get really big really soon, keep your eyes out for them

The Killers - Why Don’t You Find Out For Yourself (Morrissey cover) [mp3 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]
now I know the Killer's cover of "girls just wanna have fun" is circulating the internets, but this one is just as good (if not better) in my opinion. The Killers are, quite simply, a ridiculously good band. they have yet to produce something that my ears hated (with the notable exception of "Human", which I have grown to love)

BONUS:
The Killers - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper cover) [mp3]