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La Blogotheque Videos…

…Also known as “pure magic caught on film.” La Blogotheque (created by French filmmaker Vincent Moon) videos focus on artistic music videos for indie rock or lesser-known groups and musicians like Pheonix, Priscilla Ahn and Noah and the Whale.

I’m not one to understand or appreciate visual art, but these videos are magnificent. The Fleet Foxes video is especially moving. In the beginning of the video you might notice the unique colors and camera angles, but it’s when they get into the abandoned warehouse that the mind blowing commences. Watch the video, and you’ll see what I mean.

February 25th, 2010 | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Stuff to Watch For: Nervous But Excited

Nervous But Excited. A quirky name for sure, but don’t be turned away. This self-dubbed “pleasantly aggressive folk duo” out of Michigan has been touring since 2004. Their music is captivating – utterly magnetic.

NBE has a distinctive sound, sprinkled with guitar, ukulele, violin, harmonica and mandolin. Oh, and some of the most touching lyrics I’ve heard in a long time. These are from “Lansing” (about a city for which I have a particular soft spot).

“I watch my rearview down one way streets

Just to get a perspective unfamiliar to me”

If you’re looking for music to connect to, look no further. I would recommend NBE to anyone into the Indigo Girls/Iron and Wine/Bluegrassy-folksy-jams scene.

February 18th, 2010 | Tags: , , | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

This Just In: Public Library Becomes Less Uncool.

I’ll bet you thought the library was a place just for story time, old ladies looking for large-print romantic novels and where the top 10 percent hung out on prom night.

Tsk,tsk. Ye of little faith. You seem to have yet to discover the CD section of your local public library. Sure, it might take some weeding through thousands upon thousands of ancient recordings of the same 10 concertos, but it’s worth it. Totally worth it.

I have come home with a few gems from the library. Take a gander at this list:

-Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips

-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco

-Time Without Consequences by Alexi Murdoch

-Beginnings by The Allman Brothers Band

-Neon Bible by Arcade Fire

I picked up these albums (not all at once, granted) without listening to the bands before. This leads me to classify my personal music-listening history into two categories: before the library and after the library.

Now these beauties didn’t exactly throw themselves at me. I had to dig through the whole “pop” section (which includes the non-poppiest-of-artists Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Jeff Beck) to find them. Also worth it.

So, take my advice: head to the library and walk out with a huge pile of CDs (they let you take up to 20 in my hometown) and have yourself a little meet-and-greet with some new tunes.

February 12th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , | Category: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Stuff to watch for: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

I came across Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series (watch the video below) a couple weeks ago and immediately bought the album. Yup, actually bought this one, and I couldn’t have been happier about the decision. This is definitely one band I want to support.

Not only is every song entirely contagious, listening to the album just makes me want to BE in this band. Travel around with nine of my best friends and play music like this? Count me in, I’ll bring my tambourine.

(Just a tip: the lead singer of this band is not actually named Edward. It’s actually Alex Ebert. Edward Sharpe is a sort of whimsical savior-esque figure bringing peace to this here Earth.)

The band’s gotten some recognition for their song Home, which was featured on the show Community. Home has got to be like, the most brilliant, adorable, romantic song I’ve heard in a long, long time and it warms my little heart to see it featured on a not-too-terrible TV show.

I could truly not recommend this band any more, especially if you’re into stuff like Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver or any of those bearded, freaky-folk groups that are out right now. Give them a listen below!

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros Perform on NPR Tiny Desk Series

February 5th, 2010 | Tags: , , | Category: Music, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Music: There Is Accounting for Taste

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but you can most certainly judge a boy by his music taste.

Now I’m not saying that you have to choose the same five desert-island albums or accidentally wear the same concert t-shirts when you meet up in public, but having a mutual respect for each other’s taste is a key relationship factor.

For example: A few months ago, I went out with a boy I had met recently. It was one of those getting-to-know you dates, and I was really looking forward to it. At least until I checked his Facebook. This boy’s music interests included Eminem and 50 Cent. And when we got in the car he had the radio tuned to the Top 40 Hits station, which he referred to as the only listenable thing on the airwaves.

…Excuse me, waiter? Yeah. Separate checks please…

If it had happened to be that music just wasn’t his thing, I could have forgiven the poor taste. But he was really rockin’ to Rihanna on the way. Like, fist-pump rockin’. It was clear that if I stayed in that car for longer than I had to I would end up as the sorry old maid who shanks her good-fer-nothin’ husband with a broken ladel when he rolls up the driveway blasting “Party in the USA”. For his sake, I had to refuse a second date.

It is imperative, at least for me, that you can compromise with your partner and listen to music that you can both enjoy, or at least tolerate. Music is something to discuss, to bond over, to share. Taste matters.

So remember, in the immortal words of Rob from High Fidelity: It’s not what you’re like, it’s what you like.

January 26th, 2010 | Category: Music | Leave a comment

Jimi Hendrix's Posthumous Album Release

If I could go back in time and see any concert ever performed, it would be a Hendrix show. No question. I would melt directly to the floor if I heard that dreamy, haphazard voice in person, and someone would have to scoop me up into a bucket and take me home.

So this is almost like a dream come true: an album Jimi Hendrix recorded (and never released) in London in 1969 called Valleys of Neptune is to be released in March, followed by a slew of Hendrix DVDs and re-releases.

But a posthumous release is not exactly rare in Hendrix’s case. In fact, his collection is rather extensive (Rolling Stone lists 50 albums, although many are compilations and ‘best ofs’). These albums have recordings he never got a chance to release, outtakes and jams.

It does make me wonder what Hendrix would have wanted done with his unreleased material. Hidden away in a vault as it had been until now? Or produced and potentially exploited for loads of cash? (I’m not sure how I’d feel about a Jimi Hendrix Rock Band release…)

That, I suppose, is something we’ll never know. Regardless, I’m going to revel in the small sense of “I was totally there” that I’ll get from buying a new release from one of the greats!

January 24th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , | Category: Classic, Music, New Release, rock | 4 comments