Finally!

Stop! Before you read this you should know that today's post has nothing intelligent to say about music. So about a year ago, while watching a home made movie at a local film festival I heard the world's catchiest song. I was whistling it for days! A few weeks later I heard a snippet of the same song on a radio add. I then set on a quest to find this insanely catchy song. I spent a good two days in between classes and homework searching in vain for this elusive song that was stuck in my head. I eventually gave up and forgot about the song... until today. As I was listening to one of my favorite internet radio stations my attention was pricked by the sound of a familiar tune. I wasted no time and quickly made my way to the computer that was playing the much sought after song. I realize this build up has been a tad dramatic but hopefully worth it. The song I had been searching was called "Happy Up Here" by a Norwegian electronic duo named Royksopp. Be warned, this song will have you dancing and whistling for the next three days. Happy listening!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klxai9aaxUw

Electronica

Yes I'm actually posting about music outside of the indie/alternative rock genre. To start off I'll give credit to my good friend Rawley (now Elder Selk) for introducing me to the techno/electronic genre which he gained an appreciation for while at school in Utah. Who knew Utah had something good to offer. Now I'm not going to pretend to know what I'm talking about when it comes to electronic music because I'm just starting to get a feel for it. All I can say is I cannot get enough. Although I've had the chance to listen to lots of different groups I've chosen two of my favorite for today.

The first group is a French electronic duo named Justice. The duo consists of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay. They're known for incorporating strong rock and indie influences into their music. Their first and only album to date, entitled Cross (or † for short), received huge critical success. Rumor has it their second album is in the making. Some of you may have heard the song I've chosen. It's probably their most famous and perhaps most catchy song. Give it a listen and if you like it definitely try out the rest of their stuff. The link I've provided has no video. They do have a cool video to go along with the song but the sound quality is poor.


 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjWPyDMk8k8&feature=related

The second group is Daft Punk. If you are familiar to the Electronic music scene these artists should need no introduction. Dubbed "Electro Kings", Daft Punk are arguably the most ground breaking and influential Electronic artists of all time. They are also a french duo who have been around since the early 90's. Their trademark look of space age helmets and robotic style gloves have kept their identities relatively unknown. A neat little bit of info is that they recently composed the entire movie score for the much anticipated Tron: Legacy. There are a few scenes in the movie where you'll find yourself wanting to tap your foot and bob your head because the music is just so good. The song I've chosen today comes from a live recording taken from a concert in Paris in 2007. If you haven't already been blown away by Daft Punk take some time and give them a good listen. By the way if at all possible try to listen to these songs with speakers or headphones that have decent sound quality.






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZuGcPGKVJc

P.S. Comments are well appreciated so feel free.

'Tis the Season

I love everything about Christmas. I love the good company, the good food, the good moods and of course the good music. From hymns to carols to special Christmas time releases, Christmas music is just awesome.

One of my favorite types of Christmas music is when an artist decides to write a special Christmas themed song and release it a month or two before Christmas. These songs tend to be awesome for two reasons
Reason #1: Because they have to do with Christmas and they help to get you in the Christmas spirit.
Reason #2: Usually these songs aren't overly profitable. The only people who usually know about these songs are the more avid fans and they either pirate the songs (Quick side note- Pirating is bad, pay a few dollars and support the artists you love), or buy them on iTunes for $1. The artists know these songs aren't going to make them a ton of money but they decide to make them anyways. Why? Because they love Christmas. This means that these songs are a labor of love and everyone knows you get a better product when the maker loves what they're doing. Although there are numerous examples of these types of Christmas themed songs I've chosen two of my favorites to show you today. The first is by Sufjan Stevens. I'm not very familiar with all his work but I heard this song on another music blog I follow.



 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gKzXlqsOeE

My second song is from Julian Casablancas. I realize I've already blogged about him but this is probably my favorite Christmas time release. 

 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wS-k66MKgs

Last but definitely not least is an album released by Ella Fitzgerald. It's called "Ella Wishes You a Swingin' Christmas". Ella Fitzgerald is no small name in the world of Classic Jazz and her Christmas album has no problem living up to her legendary name. It's basically a compilation of all your favorite Christmas carols with an extremely classy Jazz twist to them. It's the kind of music that gets you right into the Christmas spirit whether you want to or not. I highly recommend the entire album but just to give you a taste I've chosen one song for today.

 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0dfa2_11YQ

I'm throwing in one last awesome Christmas-ish song. It's got Zooey Deschanel which is all you really need to know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPYN0T7DBtw 

Congratulations

Whoa it's been a while. Today I've decided to blog about a few bands with a little less information than usual on each.

My first band has been a long time favorite of mine: Coconut Records. I'm sure most of you reading this are familiar with the work of Coconut Records but lately I've fallen in love with their laid back, nonchalant style all over again. Coconut Records is a solo indie rock project by Jason Schwartzman. In a few specific songs Schartzman collaborates with several different artists, my favorite being Zooey Deschanel. It's surprising how little information the internet has on Coconut Records. Basically all you need to know is that listening to Coconut Records will make you want to drop everything and go do something like longboard down the west coast for a month.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugx9r_bgl2Y

Artist #2 - Julian Casablancas
Julian Casablancas specializes in Alternative/Indie rock. He is best known for his work in in the popular alternative rock band The Strokes. His most recent release came early this year in the form of a solo album entitled "Phrazes for the Youth". This album is arguably his best work to date. Casablancas composed and wrote everything you hear in the album. Julian Casablancas is a perfectionist and it shows in his music. The effortless feel and sound of his music are the result of much attention given to the most minute of details. My favorite thing about Julian Casablancas is his passion for music which translates into the quality of his songs. In interviews Julian explains the major impact that different groups have had on shaping the type of person he is today and he explains that he writes his music with the hopes that he might have a similar impact on somebody someday. I could write paragraphs about why Julian is awesome but I think it's best that I just let his music speak for him.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_h5DMHh5_M

Artist #3 - MGMT
Everyone has heard a few of MGMT's catchy smash hit songs that made their first album both a critical as well as commercial success, but most people you talk to don't even know MGMT released a new album this past spring. The few people I've talked to that have listened to the new album seem to have quickly dismissed it as a failed attempt at MGMT's sophomore album. To end today's post I'd like to give MGMT  a little more credit than most people have afforded them. Before I get started I should probably admit that upon first listening to the new album I was somewhat disappointed. It wasn't at all the MGMT I fell in love with and so I set it aside and didn't give it another try for at least a few months. Eventually I got around to listening to it again and found a few songs I began to like. After several listens I was hooked. But why was I so pessimistic after the first listen? I think the problem was that I was expecting the same catchy radio hits that the first few songs of the debut album offered. What I didn't realize was that the second half of the debut album that I so often skipped over was the real MGMT. I realized that songs like "Weekend Wars" and "Electric Feel" (the songs that got MGMT so popular) were more of the exception than the rule. In their second album MGMT seems to be showing us what they're really like. If viewed with no expectations based on the first album, MGMT's second album is a masterpiece. I find their new style refreshing and inventive as well as fantastically original. I can't guarantee that even if viewed from the right perspective you'll love the album the first time, but I can say that after several fair listens you'll begin to enjoy their second album and may even find that you like it more than it's predecessor. I guess all I'm saying is MGMT's new album is awesome and deserves more props than it's been given. Oh by the way, their new album is called "Congratulations"



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_GvVnPsUeg

Little Garcon

So I'm pretty excited about this music blog, probably because of the excess amount of good music I've managed to come across in the past while. Our band today is one of my favorite new bands. They go by the fitting name of Born Ruffians. They're a three piece band based out of Toronto. They consist of Luke LaLonde (guitar/vocals), Mitch Derosier (bass) and Steven Hamelin (drums). Their sound is difficult to describe. People who enjoy attaching genres to bands may classify them as indie folk, however even this description is quite broad for such a unique and slightly unusual sound. They have a raw unedited sound as if they're having a jam session right in your living room. Their guitar and bass riffs are simple yet ingenious. The thought has come to my mind more than once that the lead singer's voice would make Bob Dylan proud. The relatively small size of the group is compensated for with talent and ambition. The lead singer (Luke LaLonde), in an interview, explained that because there are so few instruments in the band he often incorporates his voice as a fourth instrument. In short Born Ruffians are awesome. They're clever, catchy and all around charming. Give them a good honest listen and I'm sure you'll love them just as much as I do. Our song today comes from their first album Red, Yellow and Blue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vU0NQ6hkwg

Starting Off

Hey guys, this is my first blog and hence this is my first blog post. I figure my first song better be one of special significance to me. This stipulation, however, only slightly narrows the borders of which song to pick. Many songs hold significant value to me but I've decided to go with one from my favorite band at the time: Vampire Weekend. No doubt most people reading this have already heard of Vampire Weekend however I'll give a quick background of the band. The four piece band based out of New York consists Ezra Koenig (Vocals, Guitar), Chris Baio (Bass), Rostam Batmanglij (Keyboards, Guitar) and Chris Tomson (Drums). The ivy league educated band have created a truly unique and beautiful sound. With their rhythmic yet unconventional beats to their light catchy vocals to their deep poetic lyrics Vampire Weekend has ensured their place in the world of great indie music. Their sound combines a distinct "African" feel (which has been compared to the legendary works of Paul Simon), hints of classical influences (most likely due to the extensive musical education of several of the band members) as well as the modern trends in indie music. They currently have two full length albums out both of which are fantastic. My song today comes from their first album. This album is packed full of excellent music so choosing just one song to share is difficult. I love this album because besides being a masterpiece it evokes happy feelings and brings good memories to mind. If you haven't already taken a good listen to Vampire Weekend be sure to take some time and check them out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLqokTb7TvI