A dangerous Blog, up to a point.

White Stripes

2006-11-25T00:12:00.000-06:00

Came across this posting of a White Stripes show on a favorite new blog I stumbled on, and it reminded my of why I liked them so much. Jack is so much more dynamic live, and if you've only really ever heard their recorded efforts, you're missing out on some of the true genius of Jack White. The fullness of the sound he creates by himself, with only basic drum beats thrown in(sorry Meg), is something you just don't get a chance to experience by listening to the albums.

If you don't have the time to download the whole show, a few standouts:

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman
You're Pretty Good Looking for a Girl
Astro-Jack the Ripper
Rated X

Sing everybody: Deutsche, Deutsche. Vaya con dios, amigos!

2006-11-14T22:15:00.000-06:00

Drove to Edmonton to see E6 on Friday. The venue was smaller than I expected, and tickets were still available at the door. I guess Mr. Valentine and the crew aren't as popular up north as I would have expected. I think that the next time they play The Likwid Lounge, it won't be so easy to score tickets. Dick seemed to have the crowd in the palm of his hand as he blasted through hit after hit, scarcely stopping to banter, preferring rather to whip the place into another frenzy of fist pumping, and singing-along. A brief mention that their next show in Calgary the next night was sold out was the only real disappointment. That, and them not playing Devil Nights.

MP3: Germans In Mexico - Electric Six
VIDEO: Fire in the Disco - Electric Six (Live on Later with Jools Holland)

Beautiful Machine Parts 3-4

2006-11-04T18:58:00.000-06:00

The new Apples In Stereo album New Magnetic Wonder has really been getting in my ears since it leaked recently. It's quite diverse from start to finish which might mean that a lot of people may like only half of the tracks. But the handful of tracks that I like, I like a lot. These for example:

MP3: 7 Stars - The Apples In Stereo (removed by request)
MP3: Beautiful Machine Parts 3-4 - The Apples In Stereo (removed by request)

Here is an oldie but goodie from the Apples:
MP3: Tidal Wave - Apples in Stereo

M. Ward

2006-09-17T20:26:00.000-06:00

This is a sweet video for a really great song.

I really need to see M. Ward play live. I've heard that he is amazing.

C'mon mood shift, shift back to good again

2006-09-17T14:04:00.000-06:00

It might not make many of the popular 'Top Ten Albums of the year' lists that I look forward to as we hit the homestretch of 2006, but Of Montreal's 'Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?' has 2 or 3 tracks that will certainly make my 'Top Ten Songs of the Year' list, even though this album leaked 5 months(!) early, and is not scheduled for release until Jan07.

MP3: A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger - Of Montreal
MP3: Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse - Of Montreal

This album has grown on me exponentially since I first heard it over a week ago. Like a lot of their earlier stuff that I heard, it just seemed a little too....weird, I guess, but after a while, you begin to crave those little weird bits in the songs, and you forget that they ever sounded weird to you. I love that.

(Ok, it might make #9 or #10)

August. Die She Must.

2006-08-31T22:21:00.000-06:00

Because of the headache I had today, I decided that it would be the soothing sounds of Paul Simon all afternoon. Didn't make my head hurt less, but made me happy despite it. Here's a couple beauties:

MP3: Leaves That Are Green - Simon & Garfunkel
MP3: April Come She Will - Simon & Garfunkel

Paul has a new album out that I have yet to sink my teeth into. Quite looking forward to it!

"Blind to the very horror of his sorry life"

2006-08-29T16:41:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to promote one of my all-time favorite song writers. The new album from Ed Harcourt is called The Beautiful Lie, and it's fantastic.

MP3: The Last Cigarette - Ed Harcourt

I first saw Ed when he opened for R.E.M. in Denver in 2003, and I literally bumped into him in the men's room after his set. Fun night.

Mason Jennings

2006-08-27T19:02:00.000-06:00

A co-worker suggested this guy to me as some good easy-listening. Easy listening indeed. I find it quite easy to listen to this album all friggin' day. Nothing too complicated going on here, just beautifully classic folk songwritting about love and life, sung with passion.

MP3: If You Need A Reason - Mason Jennings
MP3: Jackson Square - Mason Jennings

He also has a substantial back catalogue that I am looking forward to once I start to crave some 'new' MJ. Buy the new album HERE. You can get the album plus an autographed single for only $16us. Done.

I'm never sick of growing old.

2006-08-17T20:05:00.000-06:00

My first exposure to Ben Kweller was a live performance of The Rules on some talk show a couple of years ago. I loved the performance, and really liked the song so I checked out the album and some of his back catalogue. Lots of really great songs, and a distinctive voice and songwriting style. Here's a sample off of his newest album that I can't help but listen to loud. He performed this song at Lollapalooza this summer, and I'm glad that he's still cranking out gems like this.

MP3: Magic - Ben Kweller

More sweet, sweet Wilco video.

2006-08-12T14:30:00.000-06:00

Theologians

2006-08-12T02:07:00.000-06:00

It's about time I posted something about this guy(he's kind of a big deal).
I figure I'll just let the video speak for itself. Enjoy.

The Sleepy Jackson

2006-08-11T19:13:00.000-06:00

Before the Essex Green album came along, The Sleepy Jackson album Personality: One was a Spider, One was a Bird was dominating my listening time. I'm happy to know that it will always be there whenever I decide to revisit it. It's suddenly starting to get very crowded at the top of my top 10 list. And it's about to get even more crowded now that I have the new Electric Six album to listen to. More on that later.

MP3: Miles Away - The Sleepy Jackson

The Sleepy Jackson recently played a set on KCRW, and it was great timing because I was in the middle of my obsession with the album. I have to say that the performance was not as fantastic as I was hoping. I'll watch it again, just to make sure, but their live sound seemed to lack a lot of the strength and energy that you hear on the album. It is a live radio show in a tiny room, though, so it's forgivable if the energy seemed to be lacking.

The Essex Green - The Cannibal Sea

2006-08-10T23:13:00.000-06:00

Been listening to this lots lately after getting it from a friend. It was a pretty solid recommendation. It also continues my recent trend of listening to bands with female vocalists. I've listened to it so much now, that it's hard to choose a song to post.

MP3: Cardinal Points - The Essex Green

This is the first track to really jump out at me simply because of the tempo I suppose. What I love about this album though, is how diverse it sounds. They show a really broad range of skills and styles, without the songs getting gimmicky.

MP3: Sin City - The Essex Green

Simply one of the prettiest songs I've heard in a long time. And God knows I'm a sucker for pretty tunes.(And why is it that the prettiest songs are always the shortest??)

Courage my love...

2006-07-21T22:51:00.001-06:00

I hate to ruin the surprise for all(3)of you, but I've chosen my favorite album of 2006. I realized it a few weeks ago, and I'm more certain of it now than ever. I guess it just hit me at the right time, but for whatever reason, Camera Obscura's Let's Get Out of This Country really sunk it's teeth into me. I've been meaning to check out their first two albums, but I'm enjoying this one so much that I haven' t felt the need yet.

What hit me first, was lead singer Tracyanne Campbell's voice, and how beautifuly "Golden Oldie" it sounded. It instantly takes me to a happy place that I've come to crave on a daily basis.

What hit me next was just how good each song was. One after the other, songs that I knew on the first listen that I'd be coming back to often.

Then the lyrics started to creep in. This is an album with a very strong theme. Love Lost. It's an often used vehicle that, driven poorly, can be very cliche, but done well, can have the most powerful and beautiful results.

KCRW had them on their Morning Becomes Eclectic show yesterday, and watching Tracyanne perform literally made me fall in love with her. She is the cutest thing ever. I especially loved the long blue "old lady" dress with the big silver brooch. When she sings she almost seems worried, or grumpy or something...it's really quite precious.

MP3: Razzle Dazzle Rose - Camera Obscura
MP3: Modern Girl (KCRW - Sheena Easton Cover) "If you're listening Sheena, this one's for you."

Video: Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken

I highly suggest picking up this album, and also watching the KCRW performance when you have 40 minutes to kill.

Ooh Do Do Do Do! AhhAhhhAhh! Ooh Do Do Do!

2006-07-20T20:23:00.000-06:00

It's been a long time since I posted last. Waaaaay too long actually. It's time to get back into the swing of things. There's been A LOT of great music hitting my ears since I posted last, so I have a lot of options when it comes to finding something to write about.

I just asked iTunes what songs I've listened to the most since my last post, and the top 3 are from the Hidden Cameras' new album Awoo(to be released early August). It's a great album that is sitting pretty high on my list of favorite albums of 2006 so far.

The new songs that were released last year on the Learning the Lie EP have been improved drastically on the new album, and the new songs have an addictive quality about them.

MP3: Learning the Lie - Hidden Cameras
MP3: Death of a Tune - Hidden Cameras

Division Day

2006-05-16T20:20:00.000-06:00

I got a pleasant email from Kevin, the drummer from Division Day, today. He requested that I swap one of their songs I posted earlier with one that they have available on their site.

MP3: Hurricane - Division Day

I had actually just been listening to Bear Trap Island today after deciding finally that I needed to spend some quality time with it. I'm really glad I did. It's a really solid album that deserves multiple listens. It's not that it didn't really grab me right away. It's more like getting to know someone who's a little shy. As you become more familiar with the songs, and--in your head at least--get a sense of who these people are who are performing them, you realize that there's a lot to like. I'll be sure to keep checking in with these guys to make sure I don't miss a Western Canadian gig.

You can buy this cd here for only $10.

May Mix

2006-05-06T11:13:00.000-06:00

Since I haven't posted in a while, I decided to put together a mix of some of the songs that are getting a lot of play time so far this month. Whenever I'm stumped for something to listen to, I can safely put this mix on shuffle and be happy that I did. Lots of good new stuff to listen to lately.

1. MP3: Rapture Riders (Blondie vs. The Doors)
I love this track. I put it on repeat for long stretches and have not gotten the least bit sick of it yet. It has even led me to check out some Blondie. That chick was WAY ahead of her time.

2. MP3: Roscoe - Midlake
This is another song that fails to get old for me. All in all, Midlake's new album The Trials of Van Occupanther is pretty fantastic. I'm confident that it will make my top 10 albums of 2006 list, but maybe not as high as I first thought, based on this first track. If I do a top 10 songs of 2006, this track will place pretty high.

3. MP3: Givin' It Up - Josh Rouse
Somehow Josh's new album eluded me for quite a while before I even realized he had released it. I really enjoyed Nashville and 1972, so I was excited to hear the new stuff. Especially since he wrote it after moving to Spain. It is interesting to hear the Spanish influences in the new songs, and it's fair to say that because of that, this album is a bittersweet listen for me. This track in particular doesn't have some of the most obvious Spanish overtones, but it is the one that I listen to the most.

4. MP3: Death In The Garden, Blood On The Flowers - Irving
The title track from an album I have really enjoyed a lot lately. They have a unique sound, and they mix it up a lot. How cool is the intro to this song? Another potential top 10 album.

5. MP3: Colorguard - Division Day
Beartrap Island is another album that I need to spend some more time with. The more of it that I hear, the more I love it. (edit: I replaced the sweet track Littleblood with this one at the band's request. This is also an amazing track, from the bouncy-synth intro, to the beautiful background vocals that finish the track.)

6. MP3: Gone Daddy Gone - Gnarls Barkley
I loved Crazy when I first heard it, and agreed with most other bloggers that this album was going to be HUGE this year. Unfortunately(for me), the rest of the album isn't as revolutionary as I expected. But this is a fun track, and there are a handful of other tracks that are pretty darn catchy.

7. MP3: My Young Bride - Midlake
The first real single off of Van Occupanther. The thing that I really like about these guys, is that they don't remind me of anyone else. The choices they make musically are so fresh and unique. The violins in this track, for example, really give the song a somber feel. The drums, bass, keyboards and vocals all seem to work so perfectly together. I love it.

8. MP3: Stars of CCTV - Hard Fi
This song reminds me of being in Europe, exploring the streets at night, wandering into strange bars, and just experiencing new things. I always start thinking about where I want to go next when I hear this track. Australia? South America? More Europe?

9. MP3: Conventional Wisdom - Built to Spill
The guitar hook alone is enough for me to like this track. I don't really know too much about this band yet, but if their older material is as good as the new album, I will be quite happy to get caught up.

10. MP3: Razzle Dazzle Rose - Camera Obscura
Easily the most listened to song for me this week. I absolutely love everything about this song. The bass intro is perfect. The trumpet is gorgeous throughout. Tracyanne's voice completely destroys me. It's just such a pretty song. Both this song, and the album it closes, could very well top my top 10 lists at the end of the year. "Courage my love."

Bright Eyes coming to Saskatoon!

2006-04-19T09:00:00.000-06:00

Strange but true.
I've heard from a few people that his live show is not all that fantastic, but I'm still going to go. There's also a good chance that it will be a fairly depressing experience, but I figure this will be the only time he'll play Saskatoon.

MP3: First Day of my Life

Ambulance Ltd.

2006-04-18T19:05:00.000-06:00

New EP from a band I liked right from the get-go. Ambulance Ltd's New English EP has a few new tracks, a few demos, and a cover of Pink Floyd's "Fearless". It's a good listen, and the new songs show an evolution that makes me wonder why some bands are content to stay the same. A new full-length is coming this year apparently. I'll be keeping my eyes open for it. Some old and new Ambulance:

Old MP3: Stay Where You Are
New MP3: Arbuckle's Swan Song

Lonely Rolling Star

2006-04-18T00:00:00.000-06:00

A song to make you smile:

MP3: Lonely Rolling Star

From the soundtrack for the ps2 game Katamari Damacy. Cool songs for what I've heard is a super-fun game. I think the videogame-ish sound of the song makes me nostalgic for the good old days of staying up all hours trying to wrap a Mega Man game in one rental. Classic.

If we are lost, it's only for a little while.

2006-04-06T10:54:00.000-06:00

One of the first new albums I heard this year was Band of Horses' Everything All the Time. It's right up there in terms of playtime with Destroyer's Rubies. I figured it was about time I made mention of it here since it is bound to make my Top 10 list this year.

MP3: Monsters

So many great tracks to choose from here...try Monsters. I love the way it starts off very sparse, allowing Ben Bridwell's vocals to paint a bleak picture, before finishing up with a beautifully passionate and hopeful ending. Buy the album for $12 here.

New Midlake songs

2006-03-26T00:17:00.000-06:00

This is definitely the new album I am most excited about hearing. Their last album Bamnan and Slivercork is REALLY growing on me since I've stopped hearing Thom York whenever I listen to it. Ryan described them as a "poor man's Radiohead", and at first listen, it's a great comparison. After getting friendly with B&S though, they've revealed their own distinctive flavor that no longer smacks of Radiohead. In fact, I would love it if the next Radiohead album reminds me of Midlake.

These are 2 live tracks they recorded for the BBC during SXSW this year. These two tracks, plus previously posted Rosco, you can see why I'm pumped for the new album.

MP3: Van Occupanther
MP3: We Gathered in Spring

The new album is called The Trials of Van Occupanther, and comes out June 5 in the UK (according to their MySpace page)

The Trials of Van Occupanther tracklist:

1. Roscoe (Rad)
2. Bandits
3. Head Home
4. Van Occupanther (Rad)
5. Young Bride (1st single. Referred to as "the song of 2006". So there.)
6. Branches
7. In This Camp
8. We Gathered in Spring (Super-Rad)
9. It Covers the Hillsides
10. Chasing After Deer
11. You Never Arrived

The New Amsterdams and New Look

2006-03-23T12:10:00.000-06:00

Decided to give the site a bit of a facelift today. I hope I didn't break anything. I might do this quite a bit since I tend not to like things I design for very long.

The New Amsterdams' new album came out this week, and it's already getting quite a bit of time in my rotation. It's hard to tell sometimes if a new album is going to get its hooks into me. Sometimes I'm fairly luke-warm about something at first, and it ends up being one of my favorite go-to albums(see A.C. Newman, Great Lake Swimmers). So, we'll see...

MP3: Calendar Days

Yet Another Tapes 'n Tapes blog entry...

2006-03-22T23:37:00.000-06:00

This band has been getting a lot of blog activity in the last few months, and they are almost getting as much hype as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, and that's quite a bit. Having gone back to the album again recently, it really isn't surprising. The songs are sometimes moody(MP3: Omaha), sometimes feisty(MP3: Insistor), always confident, and always catchy.

You can buy the album for just $10 from their site.

Born Again in the U.S.A.

2006-03-16T00:23:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a while since I've posted, and it's only because I haven't had a lot of time to spend with the iPod as of late. I've relocated, and in doing so, have cut my commute from around 4 songs long to only 1 song. It's great being closer to the office, but I'm not getting that quality time to listen to new stuff. Well, I'll adapt somehow.

I have managed to grow quite fond of a new album from a band whose members were enough to get me more than a little interested. It's the 2nd Jeff Tweedy side project album of the new year, and, like the new Minus 5 album, it has a handful of really great tracks. The rest of the band consists of Glenn Kotche(drummer, Wilco) and Jim O'Rourke(multi-instumentalist), and when I listen to this album, I really hear a love for making music. These are talented dudes, and they seem to be having a lot of fun flexing their musical muscles. The result is a very charming cohesive album. Here's the one-two punch that kicks off the album:

MP3: Hey Chicken
The album kicks of smartly with this guitar-heavy, herky-jerky, dose of defiance. A cool track that uses creative timing to capture the attention of the listener(well, in my case anyways), and doesn't really let go until the end.

MP3: The Ruling Class
Catchy and clever....a great combination in my opinion. You gotta love it when a song starts off with a catchy little whistling hook. But then Jeff kicks in with one the coolest opening lines I've heard in a long time.

Cut Me Open! Vol. 2(A song Review Column by: Hoiner)

2006-03-16T00:18:00.000-06:00

MP3: We Just Won't Be Defeated

Three words to describe this song:

Unique
Ridiculously repetitive (I know that’s two words)
Fun

Well……I don’t hate this song. But I’m quite far away from admitting that I like it. It is undeniably unique and even, dare I say, catchy, but exactly what the hell is going on here?

If you are really into music that sounds like team chanting of a 12-year-old girls soccer club - combined with background music reminiscent of a 1970’s sitcom theme song, then this will definitely crack your top 10.

Safe to say, “We Just Won’t Be Defeated” has not moved into my top 10.

Give The Go! Team full credit for their individuality, musical prowess, and ingenuity – this is a song unlike anything else I have ever heard (plus I always dig the horns!).

I actually really enjoyed the last 30 seconds of the song after the incessant chanting ceases. It is a simple combination of drums and piano – and ultimately I think I like it because it is beckoning childhood memories of “Peanuts”. Oh well.

Ultimately you’re going to have to check this song out for yourself - it deserves a couple listens.

MIDLAKE

2006-02-26T15:24:00.003-06:00

The first song I posted on this blog was from the upcoming album by a group called Midlake. I checked out their first album from 2004, and I like it a lot. A really lo-fi sound, but very beautifully crafted songs. From the new song(Roscoe), it sounds like they've improved the production value quite a bit from the first album, and it really sounds more sophisticated. Here's a taste of the older stuff:

MP3: Balloon Maker
MP3: Kingfish Pies (I love the lyrics in this song)

The Go! Team

2006-02-21T18:11:00.000-06:00

I checked out another performance on KCRW and I'm pretty happy I did. It's not normally the kind of music I go for, but I've never really heard anything quite like it before either. It combines sampling, wailing guitars, horns, banjo, with a rapping female vocalist, and a group of background singers that sound like a chearleading squad. Pretty crazy. But they really find a way to make it work. I checked out the album, and it's really all I've listened to for the last couple days. Here's a track. Do you love it, or hate it?

MP3: We Just Won't Be Defeated

This is the live version from KCRW, not the album version. I prefer the live versions of most of the songs, especially this one.

This is also the next song to be featured in Hoiner's Song Review, coming soon.

KCRW

2006-02-17T17:22:00.000-06:00

Been kind of a slow week musically for me. Then I remembered a site I haven't checked on in a long time. It's an archive of live performances from a radio station in L.A. - KCRW. It used to be just audio, but they started recording video and streaming the show live. They get great artists in, including a lot of bands just starting to gain momentum. Click Here to check out the list of shows. There is a link at the bottom of the page that lets you search the archive (If you leave the search fields blank, you get the whole list). I highly recommend checking out: Willy Mason, M. Ward, Supergrass, Ed Harcourt.

So, I picked one of the new additions to their list and was pleasantly surprised. The Elected. Great set, and good interview. The album ain't half bad either. Here's a track:

MP3: Would You Come With Me

Trews

2006-02-15T08:48:00.000-06:00

Went and saw THE TREWS last night at the Roxy. It's too bad the Roxy is such a crappy venue. I wish Saskatoon had a better "bar venue". The ones we have are either not that cool, or to small.

Anyways, the show was pretty great. Those boys are a talented group. Starting with Colin MacDonald on vocals, I was instantly impressed with the range, and power of his voice. Even by the end of the night, he was still screaming his heart out, hitting and sustaining ear-splitting notes with ease. Next, on bass and vocals, Jack Syperek provided half of the backup vocals that really makes a lot of their songs really jump out. Pretty killer bass player too(although I couldn't really see him for most of the show). Solid drumming from Sean Dalton, including a 5 minute(at least) drum solo that made ME exhausted. The rest of the band left the stage and grabbed a drink, or oxygen masks, or whatever and just let him go nuts for a while. Jesus-like guitarist John-Angus MacDonald also had the stage to himself a little later on and was equally exhausting to listen to(in a good way, of course).

It's too bad I went in not knowing most of the songs too well, because they really played a high energy show. I only have to think about the first time I saw Wilco live to realize how great it is to be blown away by a band who really kicks it up a notch when they play live. Definitely a band I will see again next time they come through these parts.

No live tracks to post, but here's one from the new album "Den of Thieves" (Buy it here)

MP3: Got Myself To Blame

Notable covers nicely integrated into the mix(often mid-song):
Fat Bottomed Girls
You Can't Always Get What You Want
Sloop John B.
54-46 That's My Number
Come On Feel The Noise

Cut Me Open! Vol. 1(A song Review Column by: Hoiner)

2006-02-11T11:45:00.000-06:00

MP3: Cathedrals – Jump Little Children

Three words to describe this song: 1. Haunting 2. Smooth 3. Distinctive

Instrumentation: acoustic guitar chords strummed offer up the structural backbone. Violin slowly creeps in (and potentially cello?) and provides the ‘feeling’ as they rise and fall with the vocals. There is zero percussion with the exception of a couple bass bongo beats towards the very end of the song.

The instrumentation is simple, and it is perfect for a song consisting of these lyrics. It is clean and pure.

Vocals: I love Jay Clifford’s voice! He does a tremendous job of combining tenderness and power. He is controlled, patient and possesses a somewhat unique delivery; ie: “of New York and Rome…” He doesn’t remind me of anyone else upon first impression, and that is grounds for me to be excited!

Lyrics: Essentially the song outlines the writer’s description of Cathedrals inside and out, the impact they have on him emotionally, and his opinion of the impact they have/should have on the world.

Although I truly appreciate the fact that the subject matter is very unique, I have a bit of a contradictory opinion of the lyrics for this song. I like the poetic-ness of the writing b/c I happen to enjoy poetry. However, I found the lyrics to be almost ‘purposely poetic’ – like someone took an existing poem and decided maybe it should become a song. Of course there is a fine line between song writing and poetry (or some may argue none at all), but that was my initial feeling when I first read the lyrics as I listened to the song, and we all know how hard it is to shake off initial impressions.

Overall

Now don’t get me wrong, I like this song, in fact, I like this song very much. It smoothly rolls in, and pulled me along (although I didn’t offer up much resistance).

And if you’ll allow me a some poetic liberty, I offer you a summary in the form of a similie; this song builds and backs off like a lazy Sunday afternoon of comfortable, semi-passionate sex. After my third listen I was left with a strong desire to smoke a cigarette.

Top 10 Most Played (According to iTunes)

2006-02-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

Completely dominated by Wilco (not surprisingly), and Ed Harcourt, here is what iTunes tell me i have listened to most often since October 2003. I've provided the top 3 for your listening pleasure.

1. MP3: Black Dress - Ed Harcourt
2. MP3: I'm A Wheel - Wilco
3. MP3: Panthers - Wilco
4. Be Not So Fearful - Jeff Tweedy
5. Promising - Jeff Tweedy
6. Muzzle of Bees - Wilco
7. Born in the 70's - Ed Harcourt
8. Metaphorically Yours - Ed Harcourt
9. Wait Up - Jeff Tweedy
10. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) - The Arcade Fire

At 3 minutes and 16 seconds, I've listened to Black Dress for over 5 hours. That's a lot of Ed.

Can't get enough...Destroyer

2006-02-07T22:35:00.000-06:00

First off, major computer problems have kept me from making updates, but things seem to be mostly back to normal, so that makes me quite happy. To celebrate, I thought I'd begin a new feature called "Can't get enough...". Basically, I'll post a few tracks from an artist that I currently can't get enough of. First up: Destroyer. I posted a song by Dan Bejar(aka Destroyer) earlier, but here are a few more.

MP3: It's Gonna Take an Airplane
MP3: Watercolours Into The Ocean

I love his writing style, his lyrics, his delivery, and his voice. Not everyone's cup-o-tea possibly, but repeat listenings have only strengthened my appreciation.

Dolly kicks ass.

2006-02-02T10:30:00.000-06:00

Ok, this might be a bad idea, especially in the early stages of a new music blog, but I have to admit that I fell in love with Dolly Parton today. I still can't really believe that it happened, and I have to say that I'm not the least bit embarrassed by it.

It started yesterday when I saw Kenny Rogers on a show on muchmoremusic about the year 1984. He was talking about how the Bee Gees wrote this song ("Islands In The Stream") and how he thought it wasn't really working, or how he couldn't really sing it very well-or something, so they brought in Dolly, and WHAM!, huge hit.

Now, I remember that as one of the main songs from my childhood. Mom loved Dolly and I heard her all the time. Back then(and still today I suppose), it isn't really all that cool to like the music your mom likes, so I never really appreciated it that much.

Anyways, tracked down a 2 disc, 37 track, best of Dolly album, and listened to it ALL DAMN DAY! When I rate song in iTunes, a really good album will usually get 3 or 4 songs that get 4/5 stars, and very rarely, there's an album that has 6 or 7...

18. 18 4 star songs. I can't explain it, other than to say that Dolly kicks ass. Listen to these two tracks, and tell me that they aren't legit.

MP3: Touch Your Woman
MP3: The Seeker

Who's next? Conway Twitty??
(p.s. Thanks Mom!)

Jump, Little Children

2006-02-01T13:29:00.000-06:00

Don't know too much about this band yet, but they've been generating some buzz for a while now, but have yet to receive widespread attention. Here are a couple tracks from their library that stand out for me.

MP3: Vertigo
MP3: Cathedrals (*Check back soon, as this will be the first song to be featured in "Cut me open!", a song analysis column written by Hoiner.)

A quick Shins fix...

2006-02-01T11:18:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple live, acoustic, solo James Mercer tracks from a weird radio show a while back. I'm just starting to get prepared for a new full-length from The Shins this summer, and so should you. :)

MP3: Gone For Good
MP3: Young Pilgrims

I like this quote from Mercer about one of the new songs: "One song is about the Fifties, when all of these modern conveniences were being invented-- like microwave ovens. People predicted that we wouldn't work as much, but we work just as much, just more efficiently. Human life is about enjoying it, and this American work ethic prevents people from really experiencing life."

The Superhuman Efforts of Scott McCaughey

2006-02-01T11:09:00.000-06:00

The Minus 5
Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure, but Scott McCaughey writes fun songs with endearing lyrics. Also, a close affiliation with Wilco doesn't hurt their cause in my books.

MP3: Hotel Senator
MP3: With A Gun (with Wilco)

All in all, not quite as genius as "Down with Wilco", but a strong effort nonetheless. Buy it here.

More Of Montreal for all y'all...

2006-01-31T17:29:00.000-06:00

I'm really loving this new album. They have a unique sound, and crazy hooks. It's extremely hard to listen to either of these tracks without bobbing, tapping, dancing around the room...

MP3 - I Was Never Young
MP3 - So Begins Our Alabee
(Lyrics - if you are interested)

First Post - Tall ships made of snow, invading the sun.

2006-01-30T18:42:00.000-06:00

So, the first post on A dangerous Blog, up to a point. I decided after spending a lot of time on other peoples mp3 blogs, that I should do the same thing. I wanted to begin journaling my musical journey, recording my musical influences, and I also wanted to share some of the music that makes me a happier person every day. I hope to concentrate on newer bands that don't get a lot of attention other than word of mouth. I can't buy every cd from every new band I hear about, but by posting a song or two for other people to hear(and potentially buy), bands will have more people hearing their songs, and the rest kind of takes care of itself.

I thought I'd start things off with 5 of the songs that are getting the most play time for me right now.

1. MP3 Roscoe - Midlake
This one grabbed me immediately. At first I couldn't decide if I should kick things off with it, but that intro is too rad. I will need to hear more from these guys and explore their site.

2. MP3 (It's All in the Way That You) Trip - The Prix
A good 2nd track, and follow up to Midlake. Check out the other tracks on their myspace. (Top Ten is worth a listen!) I think I'll start calling them the Pronounced "pree" though.

3. MP3 Ask Me Anything - The Strokes
Probably my favorite Strokes song, ever. I big departure from what I've come to expect from them. From their new cd which has quite a few other surprises too. "Don't be a coconut, God is trying to talk to you. We could drag it out, but that's for other bands to do"

4. MP3 Wraith Pinned to the Mist (and other games) - Of Montreal
Off the new album "The Sunlandic Twins" Check out the video here!

5. MP3 A Dangerous Woman Up To A Point - Destroyer
I was having a discussion yesterday with a friend about the use of "la-la-la's" in songs, and I think that words aren't always necessary to convey emotion. Bejar uses the "la-la-la's" to perfection in almost all of his songs on his new album Rubies. This song is also this Blog's namesake.

Enjoy :) I know I am.