Hot Chip gets amazingly weird with I Feel Better

I wrote the draft to this post using OmmWriter. If you have a Mac I highly recommend this free application. It’s great to just quiet everything down and type your thoughts out in a nice peaceful environment with all your distractions removed.

I know it’s been too long, sorry. I’ve been busy trying to make things happen, as well as simply pay the bills. There’s some great stuff that I’m really looking forward to release in 2010. On the industrial front I’ve been working on a new platform bed, a couch set, and a wall clock. Also, my new portfolio is getting really close to being done. I’m excited to be able to share it with you all soon.

On the personal side of things, I have a new obsession that scares the shit out of me but I’m in love with it. I may or may not give more details in the future. Sorry to be such a tease.

Enough about me, here are some treats for you to enjoy.

Hot Chip released their new album One Life Stand last month and I’ve really been enjoying it thus far. Their latest single I Feel Better has one of the best videos I’ve seen in a long time. It’s totally ridiculous and will leaving you pondering “what… the… fuck… just… happened?” And that’s what makes it so great! Props to Peter Serafinowicz for directing such a rad video.

The next band, Bear in Heaven, received the “Best New Music” award from Pitchfork Media for their album Beast Rest Forth Mouth.

Hot Chip – We Have Love

Bear in Heaven – Ultimate Satisfaction

Bear in Heaven – You Do You

Hot Chip – I Feel Better

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Post tags: Bear in Heaven, Hot Chip, I Feel Better, OmmWriter, Peter Serafinowicz

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Not only is this my second post of the day, this one again has Karin Dreijer Andersson, of Fever Ray and The Knife, at the center of the topic. If you don’t know about Fever Ray or The Knife then I feel bad for you because you have been missing out on the amazing art they create. If you do know about them, then you probably know all about the Darwin Electro-Opera that Karin and brother Olof Dreijer have been working on. Tomorrow, in a Year premiered September 2nd at Hotel Pro Forma to great reviews and is currently on tour throughout Europe. Unfortunately, I can’t find any rumors or plans for the show to come to the States. I guess we’ll have to settle for the studio recording, set to be released early 2010, and hopefully a DVD (fingers-crossed). Other Musical collaborators include Mt. Sims and Planningtorock. Judging by the videos Hotel Pro Forma has posted, I think it would be absolutely spectacular to have the privilege of witnessing this performance live, and even more so in an elevated state (if you know what I’m saying).

Here is the description from Hotel Pro Forma’s website:

The world seen through the eyes of Charles Darwin forms the basis for the performance Tomorrow, in a Year. Theatre production company Hotel Pro Forma’s striking visuals blend with pop-duo The Knife’s ground-breaking music to create a new species of electro-opera.

An opera singer, a pop singer and an actor perform The Knife’s music and represent Darwin, time and nature on stage. Six dancers form the raw material of life. Together with the newest technology in light and sound, our image of the world as a place of incredible variation, similarity and unity is re-discovered.

Tomorrow, in a Year – A Darwin Electro-Opera

Colouring of Pigeons, from Tomorrow, in a Year

Tomorrow, in a Year is a performance that, with its exquisite scenic narrative technique and boldly exploratory music, shifts the positions of operatic art in a single leap… The Knife do not stick to the forms they have already mastered and their own internationally recognised sound. In Tomorrow, in a Year they actually play Darwin himself, bringing into play the entire tradition of electronic music.
- Dagens Nyheter (SE)

With mezzo-soprano Kristina Wahlin in blinding red, standing upright with a staff in her hand as though she were guarding something holy, with a voice that reaches the heavens. It’s beautiful! Strøbech wanders, like the romanticist and scientist that he is, convincingly in Darwin’s footsteps and respectively in his shadow… The collaboration with The Knife is pure genius.
- Politiken (DK)

Certain frequences in the performance make the chairs at the Royal Theatre vibrate… Darwin’s world is brought to life in front of our eyes.
- Helsingborg Dagblad (SE)

I am so jealous that I will likely never have the chance to experience this performance!

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Post tags: Darwin Electro-Opera, fever ray, Hotel Pro Forma, the knife, Tomorrow in a Year

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Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray

Last night I was listening to the new Resident Advisor podcast put together by Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray and The Knife. She is by far one of the best artist for a Halloween themed mix. The mix is great, especially for background listening while working, but I wasn’t really going to write a post about it. That is until I got to the 52 minute mark and Entombed’s cover of Night of the Vampire came on. I haven’t really listened to metal for quite awhile, but when this blasted in, it broke me out of my work trance and got me head-banging. After the little jam session I knew I had to share this for others to enjoy.

Karin Dreijer Andersson – Halloween Mix

Tracklisting

1. Neil Young – Guitar Solo 1
2. Yo La Tengo – Everyday
3. Journey To Ixtlan – Corpse On The Mesa
4. Jad & David Fair – Nosferatu
5. Zola Jesus – Devil Take You
6. Bruce Haack – Mean Old Devil
7. Krause – Duo Canopolis
8. Burial Hex – Will To Chapel
9. Suicide – Ghost Rider
10. Amadou & Miriam – Ja Pense À Toi
11. Shackleton – Death Is Not Final
12. Entombed – Night of the Vampire
13. Maddalena Fagandini – Interval Signals
14. Burundi: Musiques Traditionnelles – Chant Avec Cithare

For those of you that don’t have any patience, here is the single of Night of the Vampire as covered by Entombed. The original song was written and performed by the criminally insane, but brilliant, Roky Erickson.

Entombed – Night of the Vampire

Roky Erickson – Night of the Vampire (acoustic)

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Post tags: Entombed, fever ray, Halloween, Karin Andersson, Roky Erickson, Vampire

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The first time I saw the commercial I was amazed and wanting to listen to every Jay-Z song in my library. The commercial definitely succeeded in hyping his new album, however, now that I’ve had the chance to watch the commercial a few times it’s not perfect and it left me wishing for something more. Firstly, I wish the covers were represented in chronological order. Two, it’s as if they got lazy with planning out the ending, they just fade to the cover of The Blueprint 3? What is that?! Why couldn’t they finish it in the same “on set” style as the rest of the piece? It probably wouldn’t have been too hard either, considering the cover for the new album isn’t CG (see video below). Trés, they use some pretty mediocre screen wipes in post to link the scenes together. I think with a bit more time and planning this could have been accomplished in a single take and that would have made the commercial AMAZING!

Heir to the Throne Reasonable Doubt (1996)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life (1998)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter (1999)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Blueprint (2001)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Blueprint ²: The Gift & the Curse (2002)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

The Black Album (2003)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

Kingdom Come (2006)

Photograph by Jonathan Mannion

American Gangster (2007)

Photograph by Arthur Elgort

The Blueprint 3 (2009)

Photograph by Dan Tobin Smith

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Post tags: Chronology, Cover Art, Jay-Z, Rhapsody

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I rather enjoyed the song featured in Isenseven’s Let’s Go Get Lost trailer. So naturally I looked into the artist a bit more was very pleased. Not only does Kyle Andrews have one of the most sweetical looking boombox audio players on his site, but the music coming out of the speakers is also Real Blasty and a good listen.

With Thrice being plagued by a leaked album months before the release date, they went ahead and decided to release a digital version early with the hard copy to be released on September 15th that will include extra material. I think this is possible one of their best albums to date. It’s definitely their most mature sounding. Here’s what they had to say about the leak:

“Obviously, we’re incredibly disappointed with what happened. We understand that records leak constantly and that it’s almost entirely unavoidable nowadays, but we never thought we’d have to deal with a record leaking three months before it’s release date, and certainly never thought we’d have to deal with a leak before anyone in the band had even gotten a master reference of the record, or before the artwork for the booklet had even been completed. We’re also disappointed that you’re hearing the record for the first time, watermarked, with a Vagrant Records voiceover over every song. And we’re disappointed that the leak has thrown a massive and immovable wrench into the efforts that many people have made to prepare for the three months leading up to release. That said, what’s done is done, and we’re moving forward.” You can read the rest of Thrice’s statement here.

Interpol lead singer Paul Banks has released his first solo album Julian Plenti… Is Skyscraper. I’ve always loved his voice and I’m really enjoying the album so far. He also has some weird ass videos on the Julian Plenti Vimeo page, but I love them!

Kyle Andrews – I wanted to Paint a Rainbow

Thrice – Beggars

Julian Plenti – Only if You Run

Julian Plenti – Games For Days

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Post tags: Beggars, Interpol, Is Skyscraper, Julian Plenti, Kyle Andrews, Real Blasty, Thrice

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If you follow me on Twitter then you have probably read some of my twats recently about the @Flashbulb Fires. My friend Pat McGuire is the lead vocalist and pianist for Flashbulb Fires and I’ve enjoyed watching his, I say “his” because oddly enough I’ve never really met the rest of the band, progression as an artist. He/They really have grown leaps and bounds. My recent twating about Flashbulb Fires has been in regards to two things:

First, they have been recording and producing their new album Glory, on track to be released later this Fall, and as a gift to their fans they have made two of the songs off the new album available for FREE! Since downloading the songs I have been quite addicted, listening to them double digit times per day. So I’ll say it again, go download the two new Flashbulb Fires’ songs, what do you have to lose? It’s free.

Second, I am very excited to let everyone know that I’m going to be involved in the artwork for their new album. The only way I happily take on pro-bono work is if I’m extremely excited about the project and if I see potential in the outcome. And obviously I’m excited for this opportunity and see a lot of potential in the Flashbulb Fires and their new album. It’s going to be big and I know they are going to kill it, I feel fortunate they’re allowing me to be a part of it and wish them the best of luck. Stayed tuned for more as we get further into the artwork.

I don’t know if Pat remembers this story, but when Pat was a freshman in High School I was his room leader on a youth trip to San Francisco. I wasn’t the most responsible kid back then and one morning we all slept in, missing the departure of the rest of the group. My dad lives in the Bay Area so I felt comfortable leading my roomies to Pier 39, trying to catch up with the rest of the group. But really, I didn’t have much of an idea if we were even going in the right direction. During our hour(s) long trip there was plenty of complaining, sore feet, tired pouting, and “scary” situations. In the end we eventually met up with the group, but I’m pretty sure the guys hated me for awhile. Haha.

Beyond their main pop singles that I recognize and many songs that I didn’t realize was them, I’ve never really dove into the music of the Talking Heads. I find this fact very odd since many, many of the bands I enjoy were heavily influenced by them. For example, Radiohead got their name from the Talking Heads song Radio Head. I recently got the Talking Heads discography and have found many gems beyond all their radio popular songs.

If you’re a fan of Pinback, you’ll be a fan of Years Around the Sun. They released a remix EP over the weekend and it sounds great. All 4 songs, remixed by Ginormous and The Protist, will fit perfectly into your late night electro playlist.

Flashbulb Fires – Revenge

Talking Heads – Road to Nowhere

Years Around the Sun – In the Lights (Ginormous Remix)

Years Around the Sun – Failing at Art

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Post tags: Fiance, Flashbulb Fires, Talking Heads, YATS, Years Around the Sun

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So I know I can be a bit behind on things, and this is a perfect example. I don’t know how it has taken me so long to come across this wonderful site, and if it wasn’t for Ben I still wouldn’t know about it. Daytrotter gives “you exclusive, re-worked, alternate versions of old songs and unreleased tracks by some of your favorite bands and by a lot of your next favorite bands.” As of today, they have served up 649 sessions, all available to download for free. How good is that?! Daytrotter’s list of artists is so impressive that I became a kid in a candy shop. I was only planning on posting 2-3 songs, but the list grew to 6 and if I hadn’t forced myself to stop looking then I’m sure it would have easily grown bigger.

Tricky – Dear God,

Spoon – Peace Like a River

Annuals – Ida, My

Cold War Kids – Hospital Beds

Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal

Bon Iver – Lump Sum

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Post tags: Annuals, bon iver, Cold War Kids, Daytrotter, Fleet Foxes, Spoon, Tricky

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Nico Stai is an independent artist coming out of Los Angeles. In fact he’s so independent that it’s been hard to find much info about him, but what I can tell you is that it doesn’t take a “Bio” to get hooked on his music. I could care less about finding anything else out about him, as long as I find out whenever he drops new music. Released in November ‘08, his most recent album was The Victory of Miss Friday How to Bury Your Heart and the Five Songs You Died For. He has 3 albums available on itunes, I recommend purchasing them all. Nico will be sure to go down with the likes of Bob Dylan, Greg Dulli, and Jeff Buckley. For more information on Nico you can find him on Facebook or MySpace.

What happens when “two of the alt-rock era’s greatest frontmen” come together? You get some of the greatest albums released in the 2000’s, and that’s exactly what we’ve got from the collaborations between Greg Dulli And Mark Lanegan. The first of their projects was The Twilight Singers. They have released 4 albums, the last of which came out in 2006. Dulli has begun work on a new album slated to be released in 2010. After The Twilight Singers, came The Gutter Twins. This is the most recent work between the two artists and has been received with amazing amounts of praise. The two are currently on tour as the Gutter Twins, but unfortunately for us there are no U.S. tour dates remaining.

Another wonderful project that Mark Lanegan has contributed is Soulsavers. Starting with the album It’ Not How Far You Fall, It’s the Way You Land, Lanegan has been a lead vocalist and contributing songwriter. Soulsavers have a new album, Broken, set to be released on August 17, 2009. You can hear two singles off Broken on the Soulsavers’ MySpace page. The video for Revival is a must see (below).

Nico Stai – Dead Pony

The Twilight Singers – Please Stay (Once You Go Away)

The Gutter Twins – God’s Children

Soulsavers – Ask the Dust

Soulsavers – Revival

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Post tags: Greg Dulli, Gutter Twins, Mark Lanegan, Nico Stai, Soulsavers, Twilight Singers

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Thanks to following Todd Richards on twitter, I got Sunset Rubdown’s recently released album Dragonslayer. It has been a joy to listen to. Also thanks to Todd and his opinion that although he really likes Sunset Rubdown, the side project isn’t as good as the original. That obviously triggered me to find out who the original is. I’m not quite sure why it took me so long to come across Wolf Parade, but it did. I’ve heard, and liked, many of their songs for a long time, but never investigated who this great band was. I’m just happy to have finally added them to my library.

Another artist recently added to my library is Bonobo. I heard one of his songs on Rescue Me and it instantly got added to my Current Listens playlist.

Wolf Parade – Dear Sons And Daughters Of Hungry Ghosts

Sunset Rubdown – Idiot Heart

Bonobo – If You Stayed Over (featuring Fink)

Wolf Parade – No One Sleeps When I’m Awake

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One of my favorite bands, The Sounds, have recently released their new album and I’m totally loving it. Not just because I’m attracted to Maja and her hot voice, but because it’s still the same amazing style of music they’re known for along with progression and adventure into new sounds. Their new album, Crossing the Rubicon, puts me into a good mood every time I listen to it, which has been a lot lately. I know The Sounds are one band that I’ll be extremely upset with myself if I don’t see them live before it’s too late. I’m pretty booked out for the next 2 months so I’m thinking I’ll deserve a little vacation come August, The Sounds in Sweden anyone?

I don’t know much about CocoRosie yet, other than what I’ve read on Wikipedia. But what I do know is they sound different than most the stuff I listen too, and I totally like it. So I thought I’d share them with you.

Sierra, the younger sister of CocoRosie, has also started another band with friend Matteah Baim called Metallic Falcons. Their album, Desert Doughnuts, was released by older sister’s label, Voodoo Eros Records. Again, different but definitely starting to grow on me.

The Sounds – My Lover

CocoRosie – Werewolf

Metallic Falcons – Airships

The Sounds – No One Sleeps When I’m Awake

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Post tags: Airships, CocoRosie, Crossing Rubicon, Maja Ivarsson, Metallic Falcons, My Lover, The Sounds, Werewolf

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Yesterday my friend Tyler Romes tweeted about the song Oh My God by Ida Maria. I gave the song a listen and instantly had to get her recently released (in the U.S.) album Fortress ‘Round My Heart. It’s all I listened to yesterday so I thought I’d go ahead and pass it along to all of you.

Another band that’s been taking up most of my listening time is Ghostland Observatory. They basically kept me sane during my 5 hour flight to and from Baltimore last week. Honestly, there are quite a few song of theirs that just don’t do it for me. But there are also many, many that really do. Hailing out of Austin, TX, the duo has had some great hits off of each of their three releases.

Ida Maria – Oh My God

Ida Maria – I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked

Ghostland Observatory – Best Won’t Do

Ghostland Observatory – The Band Marches On

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Post tags: Best Won't Do, Ghostland Observatory, Ida Maria, Naked, Oh My God

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If you’ve never seen the first video of Ken Block’s Gymkhana Practice it’s definitely worth a watch. And now this new video takes it to a whole other level! The skill behind his driving is mind blowing and the cinematography is gorgeous! The infomercial was produced specifically to market Block’s first-ever Rally TeamWorks Collection. For more info on all this here are some links:

Ken Block Racing
DC Shoes – Auto
DC Shoes – Gymkhana Project

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Post tags: Dc Shoes auto, Gymkhana, Infomercial, Ken Block

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I found out about Cowart when I picked up his photojournalism book Hope in the Dark. The photos were so awesome that I went to Jeremy’s website and recognized a lot of his work from band/musician photos and CD covers I’ve seen.

I don’t really know much about the specifics of what makes great photography so I just go off intuition and I know I really like his stuff. I could look at for hours… well, put together I probably do. I’ll shut up now and let you see his work.

Oh, last thing… he is a fun guy to follow on Twitter. There are almost always cool pictures to go with his tweets. (nerd alert, I know)

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Post tags: Add new tag, Africa, Hope in the Dark, Imogen Heap, Iron and Wine, Jeremy Cowart, KT Tunstall, photo, Twitter, Wes Hutchinson

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Immediately after seeing this duo you’re asking yourself three things…

1. Are they husband & wife, brother & sister, lovers…?
2. Which one is more attractive?
3. Has my sexual preference just been compromised for asking that?

I only have the answer to one of those and the answer is “yes!” Actually I know the answer to all of them. They happen to be brother and sister. (but not twins)

It’s a pretty interesting dynamic but I guess it wasn’t always that way. In fact, until a few years ago Angus and Julia each did their own music. They came together when being jobless, their father offered them both free rent. Naturally, without anything to do besides surf, they began playing and singing together. However, their songs did and still do remain uniquely separate. Each sing harmonies and play on the others’ but you won’t find the alternating verses that you might see on a track like Ben Gibbard and Jenny Lewis’ “Nothing Better.”

With the US release of their latest album A Book Like This and a recent appearance at this year’s SXSW these guys are rapidly gaining popularity… and for good reason. Their melodies are catchy, song structures have a jazzy undertone to them, and they’ve created uniqueness within that folk genre, which is hard to do. A lot of their appeal is from their unique vocal styles. Tracks like “Bella” and “Paper Aeroplane” don’t immediately queue you in on the fact that the soft, comforting, almost childlike voice, belongs to Angus… that is until you Julia whose distinct vocals have subtle hints of Bjork and Jolie Holland.

Check em’ out… A friend helped Angus and Julia make this video for their most popular song, “Just A Boy.”

Here is another guy that pairs well with Angus and Julia Stone for your lazy/sleepy day playlist…

Mike Kinsella is guy I saw a few years back touring and recording under the name Owen. As you can see, on stage you’ll find Mike, a guitar, a stool and his iPod which serves as his band/orchestra. He dedicates time to take questions from the audience, casually starts/stops songs as if it were a rehearsal, and tells intense stories about broken relationships with family members. Worth seeing if you get a chance.

Angus & Julia Stone – Paper Aeroplane

Owen – The Sad Waltzes of Pietro Crespi

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Post tags: angus and julia stone, Iron and Wine, Just A Boy, Mike Kinsella, Owen, SXSW

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The other thing that I love about this video is the song selection. The song is The Funeral by Band of Horses. For some reason they’re not the first band that comes to my mind when creating a playlist, but then I hear them in a video like this and it reminds me what I’m missing when I don’t have them in my playlist.

Band of Horses – Ode to LRC

Band of Horses – Island on the Coast

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Post tags: Band of Horses, cease to begin, Danny MacAskill

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So where do you find a man whose cult status is beginning to rival that of Sufjan and Connor Oberst…. who has been receiving national and international acclaim for his creativity with the release of For Emma, Forever Ago with his most recent project Bon Iver… who is being sought after for collaboration by some of the industry’s most respected artists?

A high school jazz auditorium.

That’s right. A high school jazz auditorium. Last night Justin Vernon (frontman of Bon Iver) performed a fundraiser show with his former high school’s jazz band. Pimping a white suit and staying out of the spotlight as much as possible, Vernon and the Memorial High School Jazz Ensemble performed both Bon Iver tunes such as “Lump Sum” and “For Emma” as well as more peculiar pieces such as Sinatra’s “The Lady is a Tramp” and Mahalia Jackson’s “Satisfied Mind.”

This guy is the shit.

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Post tags: bon iver, jazz, justin vernon, lump sum, memorial high school, wisconsin

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After three years sans recording, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ new album, It’s Blitz!, will undoubtedly go down as one of the years greatest releases. With remixes already out by Animal Collective and N.A.S.A. it’s proving to live up to the hype. This album is quite the glorious offering.

Ben was recently telling me about Angus & Julia Stone, so I decided to look into them and was extremely pleased. I’ll let Ben tell us more about them, but I thought I’d mention them in this post so you can now go and look into them yourselves. So good. Thank you Ben!

Over the past couple years I’ve been a huge fan of The Knife. Unfortunately they haven’t had a new release since Silent Shout came out in 2006 (they’re now actually working on a darwin opera due to premiere in September 2009). Swooping in to fill the void, with a self-titled album, is Fever Ray. Fever Ray is is the project of Karin Dreijer Andersson, one-half of The Knife. This debut album is exactly what I’ve been craving lately.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Runaway

Angus & Julia Stone – A Book Like This

Fever Ray – Now’s the Only Time I Know

Fever Ray – When I Grow Up (Lissvik Remix)

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Post tags: angus and julia stone, fever ray, it's blitz, the knife, yeah yeah yeahs

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The verse above comes from Lady Gaga’s smash hit “Just Dance”. The soul-less dribble found in this song makes the text messages of 12 year old girls sound like intricate scholarly poetry. This music is obviously trash, but who is Gaga, and where did she come from?

According to ladygaga.com, Lady Gaga is a stage name for Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. The New York native derived her stage name from the Queen song “Radio Gaga”.

“I always loved rock and pop and theater. When I discovered Queen and David Bowie is when it really came together for me and I realized I could do all three,” claims Gaga. It’s one thing to make extremely catchy dance music with trite and senseless lyrics, but it is flat out ridiculous to call this shit “rock” and claim it was Bowie and Queen inspired. When TI shows up in the Lonely Island song “I’m on a Boat”, we all laugh and secretly tolerate his horrible music a little bit more. But Gaga really believes that she is making credible and progressive art, and that truly makes her a joke. So Gaga, I Rebuke Thee!!! Avoid this music at all cost. If you are looking for accessible dance music with lyrical depth and wit, might I suggest MIA, Of Montreal, and LCD Soundsystem.

Here is the ridiculous video for “Just Dance”. Try to stick with it until she sings, “why can’t I shut my playboy mouth?” Hilarious.

MIA – Jimmy

LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great

Of Montreal – Gallery Piece

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Post tags: Lady Gaga Rebuke Patrick McGuire the fame just dance

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In an era of populist angst and discontent, Animal Collective has recorded an album that is brimming with vibrant color and optimism. The trio blends electronic beats and synth soundscapes with complex pop harmonies to form a progressive yet accessible sound. In “My Girls”, front man Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) makes an argument in favor of modern simplicity: “I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things, like our social status. I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls.” “Daily Routine,” a highlight on Merriweather Post Pavilion, unravels from an ultra catchy pop anthem into a gorgeous dream of a song.

In the midst of trite and mediocre pop, Merriweather Post Pavilion is a towering success. It very well could be one of the greatest albums of the last ten years.

Watch the video for “My Girls”

Animal Collective – Daily Routine

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Post tags: animal collective merriweather post pavilion album review, Scene

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Post tags: glosoli, music video, Sigur Ros

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I’m always amazed at the timelessness of Leonard Cohen’s song Hallelujah. You would think people would get tired of it, but it seems like every couple of months I run across an artist who has had success covering this song. Even still, it doesn’t crack the top 100 most covered songs according to Second Hand Songs. Though, I find that hard to believe since it has been recorded by around 185 different artists. (Here’s a list of all the artists to cover the song)

Just as interesting as the song’s popularity is its ambiguity. Probably because Cohen was a more of a poet than a songwriter, the song is left open to interpretation and everyone seems to have their own. I love how Cohen describes the meaning… “It explains that many kinds of hallelujahs do exist, and all the perfect and broken hallelujahs have equal value.” Supposedly, Cohen told Bob Dylan this song took him 2 years to write and the original composition had 80 verses. The full version has been slimed down to a mere 15 verses.

So, with all those versions out there, I decided to rank my personal favorites. Like most people, I secretly used Jeff Buckley’s version as the standard. I leaned towards artists who were creative with their melodies and instrumentation without killing the feel. There are some good voices covering this song but their too similar to Buckley’s version. Anyways, here are my top 5:

No. 1 – Jeff Buckley

No. 2 – Phil Wickham

No. 3 – Rufus Wainwright

No. 4 – Brandi Carlile

No. 5 – Bob Dylan

Honorable mention: Beirut

Dishonorable mention: Bono

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Post tags: Bob Dylan, Bono, Brandi Carlile, Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Phil Wickham, Rufus Wainwright

© Ben for Diafero Collective, 2009. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

Let me take a minute and introduce you to two bands that will make you think you’re on an acid trip when you’re not and remind you when you are. Son Lux and Riceboy Sleeps. Let’s start with the latter…

Sigur Ros frontman Jón (Jónsi) Þór Birgisson and his boyfriend Alex Somers made a conscious decision to begin making art together in the summer of 2003. Their work began as a musical collaboration but evolved into still images, videos and storytelling (as well as music). Their work is known today as Riceboy Sleeps. Most people have become familiar with Riceboy from their recent appearance on the prolific Dark Was the Night album created by the Dessner twins of The National. Riceboy’s two previously released tracks accompany videos and a storybook found under the Riceboy Sleeps name. Watching these videos and listening to their sounds becomes this mind-blowing, ethereal experience. So much so, that I only “do” Riceboy if they have my full attention. If you appreciate anything similar the sounds of The Album Leaf, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwei or Sigur Ros then Riceboy Sleeps will give back every second you give them.

The second and a personal favorite is Son Lux. I’m a guy who hates mash-ups and seldom enjoys a remix. Because, for all of the remixes out there very few are actually good. Ryan Lott who is Son Lux, is a guy who does them right. He is one of the industry’s most sought-after “remixers” for his work with artists such as Mute Math, My Brightest Diamond, Beirut, Anathallo and several others. Alongside his remixes, Lott has recorded his own debut album At War With Walls & Mazes. It’s crazy to think that one of last year’s best albums was done in between Lott’s day-to-day job of writing jingles for TV and radio commercials.

Riceboy Sleeps – Hapiness

Son Lux – Wither

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Post tags: Acid Trip, Alex Somers, Jonsi Birgisson, Riceboy Sleeps, Ryan Lott, Sigur Ros, Son Lux

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MIKE SIMMON: How’s the tour going?
RILEY BRECKENRIDGE: It’s been really good. It’s crazy there are only eight shows left and it doesn’t really seem like that. It’s kind of flown by, which is an indication of how well it’s been going. It’s been really fun. The bands are cool. The guys are fun to hang out with. The shows have been going well and it’s just been a lot of fun.

M: Are you guys on a tour bus?…
R: Yeah.

M: Just Thrice in the tour bus?…
R: Yeah.

M: So, who uhh… Is there a spooner in the group?
R: Uhh… (everyone chuckles) No, not on this tour. We did have a tour once where we had a merch guy that had night terrors. So we’d all be sleeping while driving along and then in the middle of the night you’d just hear, “Hey. Heeeey. Heeeeeeeeeey.” Just screaming, like he was getting tortured. So we’d open up his bunk and say, “Dude, are you alright? You ok?” and he’d have no idea that it was going on. He’d be dreaming that some demon was ripping his heart out or something. But it was only when he drank, so if he went out with his friends after the show and came back saying “Hey guys I’m gonna go to bed (in Riley’s best drunken slur)” then we’d know everybody should wear earplugs tonight, or put your ear-buds in on your iPod and get ready for some midnight screams… But yeah, no spooners. Everybody here is pretty tame.

M: That’s good. No one gets lonely?
R: No. Well… I can’t speak for everybody, but I’m sure if they do get lonely they take care of business… Wherever they might do that. (chuckles).

M: Are you guys playing a lot of the new stuff during this tour?
R: Yeah a pretty decent amount. I think about two to three songs from each of the EP’s. On this tour it’s different from most for us. Usually we’ll build a set list during rehearsals before the tour and stick with that set list for the whole tour. At times that kind of gets boring just cause you get on autopilot knowing what songs come next. It has it’s positives cause the set flows better and everybody knows what’s coming. But to keep things fresh on this tour we have a pool of 34 songs and we’ll play about 20 of them a night, so every night there’s different songs in there.

M: How are the crowds responding to the new stuff? Has it been a positive response?
R: Yeah it’s been good. It’s been hard for us, back in the day everything we were playing was hard, fast, and loud, the kids would mosh, and maybe that’s a good indication of whether they were into it or not. So if you saw people running around in circles and beating each other up, you were like, “Alright. They’re getting it.” But now we have songs that are really mellow and it’s not an aggression thing, it’s more of an atmospheric thing. It’s taken us awhile to realize that people can stand, watch, and sing along and that’s okay. People don’t have to go crazy all the time to show that they appreciate what you’re doing. We’ve been talking to people after the shows and they’ve been saying that they really like the new stuff a lot, live and on record, so it’s been pretty good.

M: Was it the entire band’s decision to carry into this new direction?
R: I wouldn’t even call it a decision, cause it wasn’t like we sat down and said “We’re going to be different now.” Over the years the scope of bands that we listen to, and are influenced by, has grown so much. Back in the old days it was a lot of punk rock, a lot of hardcore, a lot of metal. Obviously if that’s what you listen to a lot then that’s what’s going to influence you the most. Over the past four or five years we’ve started listening to so many different types of music and learning to appreciate more than just punk, hardcore, and metal. We’re influenced by these different styles, so when we sit down to write, sometimes stuff like that comes out. When we go to make a record we use all the parts that everybody has compiled and written on their own, to try and make songs out of it. If there’s some piano based stuff, or electronic stuff, or acoustic stuff, we feel like nothing is off limits or that anything is too “un-thrice” to put into a song. There shouldn’t be any rules, it’s music. There shouldn’t be any rules that you should have to follow, so that’s how we approach it and that’s how we’ve got to where we are right now.

M: You can definitely tell that it’s been an organic change so to speak, just because it feels honest.
R: That’s a good thing.

(...)
Read the rest of Riley Breckenridge of Thrice (2,755 words)

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Post tags: Alchemy Index, idiom life, Interview, Riley Breckenridge, Thrice

© Brandon for Diafero Collective, 2008. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

First of all, I was just introduced to a band called Dead Poetic. I put them in the CD player and was blown away! Brandon’s intense lyrics coupled with his amazing voice prove to be the perfect match on their second release, New Medicines. They are much more versatile on this second album proving that they can go from hardcore on songs like Taste the Red Hands and Hostages, to getting deeper and showcasing Brandon’s voice on songs like Glass in the Trees. The only thing better than their CD was their live show. Dead Poetic is definitely not one of these bands who are over-produced and when you get to the show, sound nothing like they do on their album. They bring the intensity like few other bands do and when Brandon gets emotional singing Glass in the Trees you understand that they feel their music.

DAN ENGLISH: So Brandon, you guys just came off a tour with Papa Roach, how was that? Do you like to tour outside the “Christian” circuit?
BRANDON RIKE: We tour with a lot of non-Christian bands, the way I’ve always looked at it is like, the dudes from Papa Roach are way cooler than most Christian bands to be completely honest, you know what I mean? I think a lot of times people hide behind the title of “Christian band” and it kind of allows them to be jerks or whatever. Papa Roach, man, those are the coolest guys I’ve ever met. They’re just the most loving people I’ve ever met. More than anything, they’re an inspiration really. They were just great dudes. We also toured with the band Instruction that was on the tour. Instruction are really anti-God. But what was cool about the tour was I got along with those guys really well. We had spiritual discussions, we disagreed, but we saw from each others point of view.

(Background noise)

B: Aw man, this guy’s kicking us out. I hate when they do that. Let’s just stay here.

(...)
Read the rest of Brandon Rike of Dead Poetic (2,253 words)

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AARON ROBERTSON: Alright so first off, I know the tour is just a few shows deep, how would you say it’s going so far?
JOSH HEAD: I think it’s been going good. It’s been a lot of fun, all the bands on the tour are really good. We got all the bands we wanted to be on the tour. The crowds have been good, the kids have been awesome, really into the shows. Like, it’s pretty rare that kids stay all the way through a show. Some of them filter out on different tours for different bands but it seems like all the kids are cool and stay for all the bands. So that’s rad.

A: With this being your first headlining tour, are you a little more nervous?
J: Yeah definitely. Especially starting out cause we just didn’t know what was going to happen… Like, if people were even going to show up or whatever. So we’ll see how it goes, we haven’t done well in the Midwest on previous tours and stuff like that. We’ve been on like four or five cross country tours now so we’re sure hoping that all that helps out with all that stuff… But we’ll see what it’s really like. Definitely stressful, it’s just like making sure all the bands show up and you have to worry about set times so you don’t play at midnight and people aren’t tired. So it’s a lot more stressful and stuff but it’s cool.

A: You kind of answered this question, but, how do you feel the fan response has been?
J: Yeah, it’s been really good. Definitely.

A: Now Seth has chosen to leave the band, I’ve heard that you have taken over on drums. What’s the whole situation with that?
J: Yeah. Well he got married about two months ago and decided he just didn’t want to tour anymore, like he wanted to be with his wife, go back to school, grad school, and stuff like that. So we support him in that, I thought that was cool, that’s what he wants to do. I played drums four or five years ago in different bands. I haven’t played since then. So they were like… Well… So I just kinda took that over.

A: Do you like the drums more than the keyboard?
J: I’m a better drummer than I am a keyboard player. So…

A: Really?! I’d have to say that you were the craziest keyboardists that I have ever seen in my life!
J: I’ve grown to play a lot. I’m very limited in my knowledge of playing.

A: Do you miss not being in the front?
J: A little bit yeah… Yeah a little… But it’s fun to be able to just freak out on the drums.

A: Cause you were always the one getting the hand clap, and just going crazy out there…
J: Yeah it was fun, really fun…

(...)
Read the rest of Emery – Words With Josh (1,456 words)

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AARON ROBERTSON: Have you guys had your first big fight yet?
JON BUNCH: No… Not really. I mean, I’m still very new with the guys and getting to know them every day still so. It’s like, imagine having seven brothers in a band, you’re going to argue over stupid stuff you know. We try to keep it down to a minimum, but you bicker over things that don’t matter and let some steam off or whatever but it’s been going really well, considering the fact that I’m brand new to the family… The Further Family… They’re not as crazy as everyone says they are.

A: Is that true?
STEVE KLEISATH: Eh… For the most part. Every once in awhile we’ll get crazy.
J: Yeah. We actually have more fun than I thought too. The after parties have been really fun and we’ve had some good times together so far.
S: It’s been good camaraderie.
J: Yeah. It definitely outweighs the pettiness.
S: I would say this lineup definitely has been the most fun, on a daily basis, in my experience since the origins of the group. You know, just hanging out, no drama, there hasn’t really been a lot of drama or just crap tension or anything.

A: That kind of leads to my first real question… How do you feel the tour has gone so far? This being the first headlining tour with the new lineup, the new lead singer?
J: From my experience I feel like it’s definitely a situation where the band is starting over in a lot of ways. One of my fears was that we would lose all the old Further fans because I joined or whatever, but it hasn’t been the case at all. All the Further fans have rallied to the cause and they’re supporting the new album and they’ve received it really well. This tour has been really great. Every night’s been worth coming out and playing and I’m pleasantly surprised with how well it’s gone. They said the other times, when Jason toured, there was a lot more static and was more difficult to make the transition. I think the smartest thing we did was to make a new album right away and so that period in between records went by fast so. They (the listeners) have a new record to listen to and decide whether or not they want to continue with the band.

A: As far as live performances go, where do you feel you guys are at right now, just starting out the tour? I know you guys have done a few shows and Cornerstone Festival up till now, but where do you guys feel you’re at now?
S: I think we’re light years from the first Cornerstone Festival, haha. I mean it’s sort of hard when Jon’s coming in on his first show and we’re playing in front of ten thousand people. We’re at the point now where we’re half way through tour and it’s a well oiled machine at this point and we’re definitely getting in a zone and definitely enjoying where we’re at in our set now.
J: It becomes second nature at this point. There’s all these things you want to try and improve upon in your own mind and you think of how you can do something better. But everyday is different because it depends on how you’re feeling on that day, you might not be the healthiest on one certain day and so you’re just trying to, like, improve and at the same time one day you’re feeling really good and you’re not able to pull it together. It’s just really weird, touring is a definite challenge.

(...)
Read the rest of Further Seems Forever Interview (2,522 words)

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AARON ROBERTSON: So, this is your first interview. How does it feel?
BRADLEY HATHAWAY: Feels weird.

A: Yeah? Does it feel cool?
B: Yeah. What’s that movie?… Notting Hill? When he kept going to all those different… he kept pretending to be the horse people or whatever. It feels like that.

A: Nervous?
B: I’m not nervous, but it’s just that it’s going to get written down. It’s kind of different. But Blindside’s bread is making it ok… Hahaha…

A: So, first off… er, second off I guess, is this the first time that you’ve done your act in front of a church, to a bunch of young kids?
B: Actually the first time I ever did poetry was in front of a hundred and eighty or two hundred junior high kids, but they were from the ghetto, so they kind of thought I was trying to be Eminem. So they didn’t really get it… I forgot about that until just now actually. So it was a different vibe, cause they were like ‘thugged out’ kids. I didn’t have The Boobie Poem then so I wasn’t worried about anything. This is the first time I’ve done The Boobie Poem in front of… well this other one was a Christian concert, but it was on a college campus, so I wasn’t as weirded out about it. This was the first time in front of a full on church show. I was a little uncomfortable. I felt a little weird.

A: Can you explain what The Boobie Poem is all about?……

A: So just to let the readers know, we took a break cause Bradley just got tasered by a police officer for the fun of it. Tell me how the experience of being tasered went.
B: Dude, it was pretty cool. No, it wasn’t… to me the tongue thing felt worse, but that was still shocking, cause it was a taser gun.

A: The tongue thing?
B: Like when you stick a battery on your tongue. That feels worse, but um, that was just really funny.

A: That was a good time, I mean, how many times has someone done that after a show?
B: I wish somebody would have taken it up the rear.

A: I wish someone would have taken it for like twenty seconds.
B: No, it was tough. It was cool. I felt tough.

(...)
Read the rest of Bradley Hathaway is a Manly Man (1,367 words)

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© Brandon for Diafero Collective, 2008. | Permalink | %%comment_text%%

Now you may be asking “who really gives a shit?” I know I don’t. But I do think that it is extremely funny. They should consider updating their name to something along the lines of New Geriatrics in the Ward.

What’s even worse is that the reunion will most likely be a success. Followed by five successful seasons of a NKOTB reality show leading right up to the reunion tour of N’Sync! And undoubtedly some snow or skate production company is gonna think it’s a great idea to use one of their (NKOTB) hit songs for a video segment under the belief that it’ll will make them appear more “core” and “funner”. Can somebody say Mack Dawg x NKOTB? Oh I can’t wait.

For all you closet NKOTB fans, here is a flashback for your viewing enjoyment:

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Here’s the story:

Sony BMG is no stranger to piracy. As one of the most vocal supporters of the RIAA and IFPI antipiracy efforts, the company has some experience hunting down and punishing consumers who don’t pay for its products. The company is getting some experience on the other side of the table, however, now that it’s being sued for software piracy.

PointDev, a French software company that makes Windows administration tools, received a call from a Sony BMG IT employee for support. After Sony BMG supplied a pirated license code for Ideal Migration, one of PointDev’s products, the software maker was able to mandate a seizure of Sony BMG’s assets. The subsequent raid revealed that software was illegally installed on four of Sony BMG’s servers. The Business Software Alliance, however, believes that up to 47 percent of the software installed on Sony BMG’s computers could be pirated.

(...)
Read the rest of Sony’s BMG Full of Hypocrisy (250 words)

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