The Morning Benders: "Excuses"

Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders "Excuses" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Local Natives - Airplanes, Wide Eyes

Tripped across Local Natives on KEXP the other day. Started listening to their album via pitchfork.com - might have to buy this one.

Enjoy.
Airplanes


Wide Eyes

-

Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest

So it's been a while. New job. New city. And now new music.

Here is something that I have been listening to this week - Grizzly Bear's new album - Veckatimest. I say new, but it actually came out way back in May. I am just now really starting to be able to listen to it.

The videos bored on the trippy side of things - but if you know me, I kinda go for that kinda thing.

Anyway - check it out. Three songs. All awesome.

Peace.

Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"

Grizzly Bear - "While You Wait for the Others"

Grizzly Bear - "Cheerleader"

Silversun Pickups: "Panic Switch"

Wow! It's been a while since I posted. This song is pretty much my new favorite thing. Check it out.

Radiohead: From the Basement - "Bodysnatchers" & "Bangers 'n' Mash"

For all of you Radiohead fans out there here is one of a series pf amazing videos they released recently, entitled - From the Basement. I remember seeing them around 2004 at Hi-Fi Buys amphitheater - which was awesome, but this is a lot better in some ways. For one I can actually see them. At Hi-Fi Buys I could hardly make them out through all the pot smoke out on the lawn., but this is different, this is crystal clear (especially if you purchase they real thing of iTunes), this my friends, - this - is awesome. The concert was awesome to, just frustrating being so far away and all of that. It is also a lot cheaper. Here are two of my favorites.


By the way "Bodysnatchers" is a heck of a lot of fun to play! Just in case you were wondering.

Radiohead -"Bodysnatchers"

Radiohead - "Bangers 'n' Mash"

Sufjan Stevens: "To Be Alone With You"

This song utterly captivates me every time I hear it. I can't pull my self away from it. I just stop close my eyes... and then there are no words for what this song makes me feel.

Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone With You

School of Seven Bells: "Half Asleep"

I love the ethereal feel of this song. School of Seven Bells debut album release, Alpinisms, was one of this years strongest debuts. It would make great night driving music.

School of Seven Bells - "Half Asleep"

Switchfoot: In the beginning there was Chin

I remember the first time I heard Jon Forman sing. His band, Switchfoot, had just released their debut album, "The Legend of Chin" and I was only 14 or 15 years old. I had found them will surfing the web for new music and then had begged my dad to take me to several music stores to find their album. Eventually, after searching through the racks of several stores we found it buried among a sea of other bands. I had heard other bands before and had bought the Beatles "Help!" album and spun it a million times, but this was different. This was a band that I had found that no one else I talked to knew about it. It was such a rush to tell my friends about them and get them hooked to the music.

The band I was in during high school, Frontline, even covered one of their songs when we played a few gigs. What attracted me to the band so much was not only their music, but also the way they presented themselves to the world. They were undoubtedly Christians and were unafraid to tell anyone that if you asked them. However, they did not feel the need to make their faith blatantly and annoyingly obvious to their listeners. They had deep faith and conviction and this came through without having to mention the name Jesus in every other song. To me their lyrics gave their beliefs both the poetic and intellectual merit that it so deserves. Moreover, they did not label themselves as a "Christian band" which I liked. Labeling yourself a Christian band seems to imply that the music is only for Christians and that it was exclusively for those who believe the same way they do. I found this attribute of the band to be both inspired and encouraging. I felt that someone else understood me. I liked the authenticity that these guys displayed without the facade of what some say Christianity should be. They sung about real things, they sung about love, life and why.

Switchfoot helped me in many ways to become who I am today because of how they lived out their faith. They weren't trying to be religious, they weren't trying to be perfect - they were just trying to be people who believe in Christ singing about life from that perspective. This influence on my life was profound.

Since their debut, they have released several other albums over the years, some of which I have connected to more than others. They have gone from a trio to quintet. They have gone from nobodies to somebodies and while I still feel partial to some of their earlier albums, maybe it is the nostalgia, I still can find that certain authentic quality in each of their albums that reminds me why I have always liked this band. And even now I still listen to their music when I need a little encouragement.

Here are a few of my favorites from over the years. In no particular order.

"Let that be Enough" - From New Way To Be Human

"On Fire" - From The Beautiful Letdown

"Daisy" - From Nothing Is Sound




"Dare you to Move" - From Learning to Breath




"Don't Be There" - From The Legend of Chin

Coldplay: The Prospekt's March EP & Life in Technicolor II

This song is to good not to post. Life in Technicolor was one of my favorites off their album "Viva la Vida," but it had no vocals - and now it does. Sweet. The whole EP is great. Below are a few select tracks of the EP released today. The second track entitled "Now My Feet Won't Touch the Ground" is awesome. However, Prospekt's March / Poppyfields is the real gem of this EP.

Coldplay - Life in Technicolor II

Coldplay - Now My Feet Won't Touch the Ground

Coldplay - Prospekt's March

Sufjan Stevens: The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!

I can think of only a handful of albums that I have thrown on the hi-fi that have totally stopped me dead in my tracks.  The kind of album that I have listen to in their entirety while lying on the floor with eyes closed.  Albums like the Beatle's "Abbey Road" or the Flaming Lip's record "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots." The type of album that was intended to  be listened to from beginning to end without interruption.  An album whose songs bleed effortlessly into one another forming a cohesive whole - true audial works of art. 

Sufjan Stevens album "Come On!  Feel the Illinoise!"  is one of these albums.  If Paul Simon and Phillip Glass came together to make an album it might sound a lot like this one.  Not only does Sufjan write the music and lyrics for these songs but he also writes the orchestral compositions for them as well.  On top of that his lyrics are astounding.  Here is one of my favorite tracks of "Come On!  Feel the Illinoise!." 

Sufjan Stevens:  The Predatory Wasp Of the Palisades Is After Us!

Building Bridges: Gnarles Barkely, Radiohead and Christopher O'Riley

As many of  you know, I absolutely love the band Radiohead.   Perhaps even more of you wonder why.  To explain my love I could try to show you the pervasive operatic themes the permeate their melodies, or the deep electronic rhythms and organic beats that create the foundation for their music, the catchy guitar riffs, or even the significance of their experimental music that influences other musicians today - but none of that would really matter to many of you, would it.  Nope, didn't think so.  So I am going to try a different approach.  

When introducing your ear to new music, I am a firm believer in building bridges.  Mostly because that is how I have come to love certain types of music I once hated.

In this case, I am attempting to build a bridge to the band Radiohead - whom many just simply find "scary" or "weird."  I have selected the song "Reckoner" as a starting point off of their near perfect album "In Rainbows" from 2007.   Reckoner is a simple and powerful song that has very operatic vocal harmonies and lots of soul.  I am posting two versions of this song for your listening enjoyment.  The first is a cover by the band Gnarls Barkley - you remember, they did that absolutely amazing song, "Crazy," a few summers back; and secondly, the original version by Radiohead.  Both versions of this song are awesome.  Gnarles Barkey opens up the music of Radiohead to their audience and in turn introduces Radiohead fans to the alternative soul scene.  It is a two way street.  Not only has Gnarls Barkley covered songs by Radiohead, but so has the classical pianist and host of "From the Top" on NPR, Christopher O'Riley.  There is also his version of "Exit Music for a Film" written  by Radiohead after both versions of "Reckoner."  It is one of the ways I was first introduced to classical music, along with films I have mentioned in previous posts.  I hope you enjoy all of them. 

With all of that said.  I just want to leave you with one thought about building bridges.  In music, as I just illustrated , different types of listeners can be introduced into new types of music.  I truly believe that music is not the only medium that this phenomena occurs.  It happens with cultures, it happens with ethnicities, or at least has the ability to.  So I encourage all of you to not only stretch your musical pallet and explore the many different forms and genres that music takes around the world, but to also to get out there and met someone different than you.  Whether it be culturally, economically, or even politically explore someone else point of view and see what makes them tick.  In the end you may learn more about yourself than the other person.  Celebrate the diversity and the freedom we have to express it, especially here in the good ol' US of A!  Don't hate what you don't understand or even what you may disagree with - in the end the hate and demonization of those with whom you disagree accomplishes little.  However, what does accomplish something is reaching across aisle because it builds bridges.  

Gnarles Barkely - "Reckoner"

Radiohead - "Reckoner"

Christopher O'Riley - "Exit Music for a Film"

Radiohead - "Exit Music for a Film"

Sigur Rós: Hoppípolla (or "Jumping into Puddles")

Often the music I listen to comes directly from a sort of family tree of influences.  For instance, an artist or band I enjoy mentions they like this or that album and then I go check it out.  It is a method which really saves a lot of time.  

This band, Sigur Rós, is just such an example. I remember Chris Martin from Coldplay describing Sigur Rós way back in 2000 as being music of "pure emotion," which actually describes their work quite well.  Being in a different language, I can't understand a word they are saying, but you feel it. This particular song may have first been introduced to a more mainstream audience when it was used to promote the television program Planet Earth. Hoppípolla, off the album Takk, is perhaps one of the most powerful and emotional pieces of music off that album and that I have ever heard.  It makes me want to explore, smile, and give someone a hug all at the same time. 

Here is the Planet Earth Video, but if you are interested check out their music video here which is equally as touching, but in a totally different way. 

Hoppípolla

Feist: The Reminder - "So Sorry" , "1 2 3 4"

The Canadian musician Feist... all I can tell you is that her album - "The Reminder" - was on my top 2 albums list last year.  It is a classic, the music is timeless and fresh all at the same time.  Here are two song from this little Canadian friend of ours.  The whole album is amazing by the way.

"So Sorry"

" 1 2 3 4"

,

Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha - Fiery Crash

Andrew Bird is one of those musicians that has been on my radar for a while now.  However, until recently I had never really taken the time to really listen to his music. After purchasing his album Armchair Apocrypha a few weeks ago I feel in love with his music. Here is a live version of one of my favorites - Fiery Crash.