To Make You Nervous

So posts have been scarce over the past week and there isn't a good reason as to why. Going through boxes and repacking have hit a stand still due to it being excruciatingly boring. Undue stress has been had over upcoming interviews. Having never been on one before, the idea of going on one is kind of nerve-racking. So I figured I'd take a moment away from the anxiety and post the new video from Jonna Lee. I'm such a sucker for a good love song, and this is about as sappy as they come. The song is I Wrote This Song

You Set Me On Fire

She's been making the rounds in the blogosphere for over a year now, but Ladyhawke's 80's throwback Back Of The Van finally has a video. It's decidedly retro and brilliant.

Like A Lick Of Ice Cream

I'm spending my Friday night attempting to make sense of my rushed packing from my previous move. I don't think that I realized just how daunting a task condensing everything I currently own into one car load. Yep, I've gone from a huge 960 sq ft. apartment to a nice sized spare bedroom to a Ford Focus. One good thing is really coming out of this task, though, I'm coming across music in my collection that I may have tossed to the side after only one listen or had overlooked entirely.

I've had Beat (Health, Life And Fire) by Thao Nguyen with Get Down Stay Down on heavy rotation for the past few months and felt it was time to revisit their album for something fresh. And while today there seems to be a new female singer-songwriter along the same lines as her, she manages to stand out despite there not being too much to help distinguish her from the pack. Aside from the album, We Brave Stings And All being a solid effort and the subtle sense of rawness. Okay, I'm kind of getting off of my point...which is that I'm in love with a new track, Bag Of Hammers. In it she asks her lover not to leave, but to stay so they can rebuild their relationship. At least that's what I take away from it. Whatever it is about, it's has a great beat and chorus. Makes me want to get up and dance...if only I could.

I'll Be Back

For a change, I've actually been quite busy and productive at work. I've also been prepping for my upcoming move to NYC, so my nights have mostly been filled with me sifting through all of my junk in an attempt to condense it into one car loads worth. So it looks as though my posts will be sporadic for the time being. While things are far from chaotic (they are actually quite calm and relaxed), my time just seems to be consumed by more pressing matters.

We're Into Ideas

Because I haven't posted about my favourite new band lately, I felt the need to get their music out there yet again. I featured We Walk as required listening on week not long ago. I think it's just another indication of why I can't seem to get enough of this English duo. Of the four songs I've heard, not one of them is off.

Between Our Love And Hate

It's taken 15 years or so for their return, but The Breeders have made it well worth the wait. In all honesty, the only song of their that I'm at all familiar with prior to this new collection is Cannonball, so I can't say whether or not this new album, Mountain Battles, is truly some of their strongest work. From a relative newbie, I'm really enjoying it. It's raw, yet refined. While not as popish or contagious as Cannonball was, overall, it has the same feel throughout. Look for the album to drop on April 8, 2008 in the US market. But to whet your appetite and tide you over until then, here's one of the tracks from the album. It's call It's The Love

For more songs + tour dates, head on over to their MySpace page.

Sia Later

Last night I saw Sia in concert. It has been many months since my last one, so I wanted to make sure that it was going to be a good one. And it was. It was also the last leg of their North American tour, so the atmosphere was relaxed and you could tell that everyone had really had fun together.

I had my doubts about the opening act, though. The last time I saw Har Mar Superstar was about seven years ago and his performance was less than stellar. The only images that I retained were of him in nothing but his undies and a cape running around the stage. Maybe I just didn't get it back then or maybe he's really improved. Either way, he was fucking awesome last night. At one point he jumped off the stage and ventured over to one of the bars. I was returning from the restroom and nearly ran into him. Thank GOD I didn't, that man was dripping with sweat. Funny to watch, not to touch. I managed to get some video of him before being told to turn off the video (which takes place when the camera is lowered)



He's a riot and definitely got the crowd going and pumped for Sia. Let me just say, her voice is stunning. What you see is this goofy, child-like girl playing around on stage and then she starts to sing with this unexpected force. Deep, rich and divine.

I managed to record several songs; unfortunately, not all of them turned out to be visually appealing. Because I was sneaking video, I had to be very discreet. That meant I wasn't always able to watch what I was filming. While the audio was brilliant (I love my camera if only for that nice feature), I'm refraining from posting the videos where the camera takes a liking to the back of some lady's head and then the lights above. haha. Two videos were presentable. The first I'm displaying is her encore. It's a Zero 7 song whose name I am unaware of. If you know it, please share with me.



And now for the song she is most famous for. It appeared over the final moments of HBO's Six Feet Under and opened the door to millions of new fans. It's a beautiful, touching song called Breathe Me:



Again, I apologize for the lousy footage, but I didn't want to get kicked out.

I Need A Hero

I just had to post this.

Heartache All My Own

I love Dolly Parton! And really, who doesn't? Who couldn't? She one of the most genuine celebrities alive, as she hasn't let the fame go to her head...she's let them go to her breasts. But behind those breasts is pure talent and a spirit that keeps us coming back for more. After spending the past few albums devoted to bluegrass and gospel, she's made a welcome return to mainstream country. Her new set, Backwoods Barbie, proves once again her tremendous knack for storytelling and songwriting. From ho downs to heartbreak, she's been through it all and expresses it through song better than anyone else. While my favourite album off the album is Cologne, I'm not displaying it here because I already featured it over in the right hand column as required listening a few weeks ago. Instead, I'm offering up another fantastic track called The Tracks Of My Tears.

BEWARE!!!

A little person is apparently terrorizing a town in Argentina. People are afraid to go out at night and one person was reportedly so scared that they were rushed to the hospital.

Looks like it is time to reconsider your business trip to or your holiday in Argentina and pray he doesn't use his Travelocity connections to venture elsewhere.

Another Hand Upon You

While still in high school, Missy Higgins garnered national attention in Australia when she won a demo contest held by Triple J, a youth-oriented radio outlet. Three years later in 2004, she proved why she had won by nabbing five ARIA Awards with her debut album, The Sound Of White. With a track record like that, it was a no-brainer to expect her sophomore effort, On A Clear Night, to be just as brilliant when it was released in May last year. With the follow up, she decided to make the leap into the fickle US market. And while she hasn't completely blown up here just yet, she's been steadily garnering acclaim, buzz and fans stateside.

As for her style, it's a mix of folk, pop and alt-country. It's what Sarah McLachlan would sound like if she went country. In fact, her single Where I Stood starts of decidedly McLachlan-esque with that slightly raspy voice over a building piano before a more country influence kicks in for the chorus.




For additional songs + tour dates, head on over to her MySpace page or use the links below to buy her work:


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Reason To Vote

As if you really needed more reason than Bush...



Don't just vote, learn more about who you're voting for.

Get Up Out Of My Skin

Here is the brilliant new video for L.E.S. Artistes from Santogold. Enjoy!

For The First Time

If you have a MySpace, then you’ve most likely been bombarded with friend requests from the likes of authors, comedians, musicians and spammers. Thankfully, nowadays they have a better filtering system than they did when I joined nearly five years ago (has it really been that long…wow). I only recently created an account specifically for the blog, but I’ve received a few requests that have just had me puzzled. I hate to trash anyone here (okay, no I don’t), but some of the musicians’ work have been pure rubbish. It’s curious to see what some people consider art or listenable. Because the track record with these blind friend requests from bands have failed to introduce me to anyone remotely talented, I haven’t always used MySpace as a place for scouting fresh talent. Of course, today proved to be different.

The only thing I really know about this guy is his name (or at least what he goes by), Grenouille. And that he’s from Spain and, from as far as I am able to tell, unsigned. While the four songs that he has posted (which are currently available for download for FREE on his MySpace page, hurry before he realizes) are all brilliant and enjoyable, the song City Of Sirens stands out from the pack. It starts out with just him and guitar but the horns and strings start emerging about a minute into it and slowly envelope his vocals. It all builds up to the brilliant, dramatic and fierce piano finale. Well, it’s probably not actually piano, but I’m not an instrument geek. The whole thing is very European (French, really) sounding, so there are probably more instruments in play than I would guess. Regardless, it’s sublime. Take a listen for yourself:

If you like what you hear, be sure to head over to his MySpace page. Like I said, the tracks are currently available to download for free, so get them while you can.

We Always Have The Rhythm Here

I'm running on fumes today after only a couple hours of sleep. That said, I don't feel up to writing much today; therefore, I'm gonna let Last.fm do it for me:

Tilly And The Wall sprang out of Omaha, NE - a Midwestern band of like-minded friends with pockets full of melodies, and a lot of pockets. The serendipitous result of five Omaha residents with a penchant for the same classic '60s pop, boy/girl harmonies and Americana folk records, Tilly and the Wall celebrates the petulant, determined, feisty nature of youth. They rejoice in tales of dreams followed, mistakes made, and hearts broken.

They are currently blowing up all over the blogosphere with their latest offering Beat Control. What surprises me is that it will not be included on their upcoming album. Fortunately, as of yesterday, it's been made available as an EP on iTunes. Use the links provided below to go download it.




Check out more over on their MySpace page. Use the link(s) below to purchase their tunes:


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I Thought It Was Over

So tonight I participated in my first ever caucus. Or at least I partially participated. Prior to heading over to it earlier this evening, I asked friends and co-workers just what the process was. Unfortunately, not one of them was really aware either, as they too had never participated in one before now. Considering the dozen plus people that I know have no clue what to do, I incorrectly made the assumption that they would go over it at the actual caucus. Here's what happened at mine:

Three precincts (hundreds of voters per) packed themselves into the cafeteria of a high school. Despite being a little crowded everyone was in great spirits, on a high from voting in a very important primary. Around 7:20 p.m. a man comes in and starts talking. Between everyone chatting amongst themselves and the surprisingly noisy air conditioning, nobody could hear the poor sap since he was lacking a microphone. Now, I may not have been able to hear him, but I know he wasn't explaining what was about to go down. He was just repeating same phrase until everyone quieted down and heard him:

"Obama to the left and Clinton to the right"

Pandemonium ensued. Everyone was rushing to get in line, jumping over lunch tables and cutting in line. There were only three or four of us that actually caught the mistake initially. The moron (he really was) was mixed up. He had been facing all of us with the tables behind him, so he actually meant that Obama was HIS left (but our right) and Clinton was HIS right. More bitching, moaning and chaos followed his correction.

All we were told to do was fill out the paperwork and to be sure we wrote the name of the candidate that we were voting for. I watched every person before me and each one LEFT THE BUILDING afterward. Not once did any of the volunteers ever mention to them that they weren't done yet and that they should stick around. In fact, everyone was rushing out thinking that they had done their part. Honestly, the organizers seemed more confused about what was going on than we did.

It wasn't until my roommate came home over three hours after I got home (I was home by 7:45) that I found out I had missed out on so much more. To say the least, I'm a little ticked off that I didn't get to participate in the entire process. I understand that voter turn out was far more than they had planned for, but that's not a good enough excuse in my book. Although it is comforting to know that I wasn't the only one confused. They really dropped the ball here in Texas (just another reason I can't wait move...lol)

Of course, when all is said and done, Clinton ruled the night as far as the primaries go. Obama seems to be leading in the caucuses.

Ponga Sus Registros En

Ximena Sariñana is a twenty year-old actress and singer-songwriter from Mexico. Both of her parents are in the film industry down there, so it’s in her blood. She may have dipped her feet in the music industry back at the ripe young age of eight (singing the theme song to the telenovela Luz Clarita), but she took the plunge later joining the band Feliz No Cumpleaños.

While her band was known for their funk-jazz style, her solo venture is more rock-pop. There are still elements of folk, funk and jazz, though. It’s a strong collection that any fan of Julieta Venegas or Bebe should enjoy. Here debut album Mediocre was released a few weeks ago. Listen to the track Vidas Paralelas (Parallel Lives) below:




If you like what you hear, check her out on Myspace for more info and songs. Purchase the album HERE.

Bring Us Into Daylight

Eisly is a family band (four siblings and a cousin) based out of Tyler, TX. Their sophomore effort Combinations (released last year) retains familiar sounds and themes heard on their debut. More of the same, at least in this case, is not a bad thing.

Their style features typical pop elements with hints of alt-country and folk. Along with endearing vocals from Sherri and Staci DuPree, their songs are dreamy and lilting. For the longest time, I couldn't get enough of Come Clean. The song is a beautiful ballad about distrust, with an underlying aching theme. Despite the subject, you can't help but sing along.

Now I'm hooked on the title track, with soft strings and trumpets pushing the vocals to the forefront. It's an elegant love song devoid of any triteness. Makes me wish I weren't single!




If you like what you hear, check out more songs + tour dates (they kick it off in Houston, TX on April 1st) over on their MySpace page. Or buy the album using one of the links below:


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No SH*T

A co-worker of mine tends to have issues sharing all the details of her life with you. We hear and see it all - from their dating life to where their latest rash is at. Well, at least I thought I had seen it all.

This morning she got all excited and wanted to show us some pictures of her seven month old niece. She told us that it was of her very first hard boo boo, so we were expecting a bruise. UH UH. She showed us the baby's first hard piece o' SH*T! I told her that she shouldn't be showing that, but then she turned around a little later and wanted to show it to someone else who had been running late and didn't get to see it.

I wish I could say I was joking.

Staring At The Sink Of Blood And Crushed Veneer

As is the case with many an artist, a break-up can do wonders for your work. All that frustration, grief and turmoil needs to be let out, so why not channel it by doing something creative, no? Newly solo singer-songwriter Bon Iver is no exception, although his break-up wasn’t with a lover. It was with his long-time band DeYarmond Edison.

As winter rolled in, Iver picked up and moved to a remote cabin in northern Wisconsin. He spent a total of three months living the simple life, filling his days with tasks such as chopping wood. The result of this self-exploration were the songs for his debut album For Emma, Forever Ago.

The album is certainly a thing of beauty. Below is an excerpt from Last.fm:

For Emma's tracks consist of thick layers draped in lush choral walls, with rarely more than an ancient acoustic guitar or the occasional bass drum providing structure. Vernon sings the majority of the record in falsetto, which painfully expresses the meanings behind its overt, yet strangely entangled words. This newfound vocal path acts as each song's main character and source of melody.

A big thanks goes out to my friend Adam. While I already had his first single, Skinny Love (listen to it below), it had become buried by a slew of other new songs that came in. He mentioned the artist to me on Friday and I picked up the album over the weekend. It is highly recommended.




Like what you hear? Check out more on Myspace or buy the album on using one of the links provided below:


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Hot Diggity

I dare you to watch this and NOT get the song stuck in your head. Oh, and you have They Might Be Giants to thank for this so-bad-its-good tune. Yes, it's for a show aimed at toddlers, but why should you let that stop you?



It's one of those songs that you find cute and funny the first few times you hear it, but then you kind of want to kill yourself to put a stop to the endless loop its on in your head.

I'd Weather All Of This

Tift Merritt is known for her alt country stylings; however, that's almost non-existent in her latest outing, Another Country. This album is more inspired by the likes of Joni Mitchell and other folk artists of the seventies.

On first single, Keep You Happy, you can hear the anguish behind her elegant vocals, but the song remains uplifting. The remainder of the album is about the same. The songs are beautiful and poignant, with an underlying sorrow that never overwhelms. It is easily one of the better albums so far this year. Check out Keep You Happy below:




For more songs and tour dates, check her out on MySpace. Buy the album via the links below:


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Burning A Hole In My Heart

I've been absent for the past several days. It wasn't for a lack of material to post, I just felt like a few days away from blogging. But now I'm back.

Young Love is a song I've been meaning to post here for some time, but I just never got around to it until now. It's from a hot new artist with a knack for performing in high heels and make-up (which really isn't all that uncommon if you really think about it). His real name is Oskar Humlebo, but he's better known as Moto Boy. While it's not his first single, it's the one that has brought him widespread acclaim across the blogosphere as of late. And for good reason. It's a simple, beautiful pop song about love that sweeps you up and keeps you hooked. But don't take my word for it, judge for yourself.




For more on this artist, check him out on MySpace. Support the artist via iTunes:


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