Ben Folds--glasses-wearin'singer-songwriter who's had a piece of my heart since middle school, is set to release Way to Normal--his first disc of new material in three years--on September 30, 2008. On the 17th of this month, an anonymous user (believed by many to be Mr. Ben Folds himself) posted a leak of Way To Normal. The leak isn't the complete album, the original leak has 9 of the 12 songs slated to be on the album, and then the copy of the leak I found only had 6.
Full or not, this leak is leaving me foaming at the mouth for the rest of the album. Ben while not at his finest, is not far off, the piano driven pop melodies tight and well, poppin'. & with the track, "Long Way To Go," Ben proves that lyrics, albeit an important aspect of the music, are only as good as the voice singing him, as the only lyrics in this 1:35 minute piece are "Long Way To Go." My favourite tracks off the leak are "Brainwashed" and "Dr. Yang." "Brainwashed" is an angsty ditty, while "Dr. Yang" is Ben doing what Ben does best.
And the bitch is back. R.M.'s favourite trainwreck of a diva, Britney Spears, is back with a new song, "She'll Never Be Me."
Ok, so the song isn't completely new since a demo of it was leaked last year, but this si the real deal now, ya hear?
Not the best of songs, but definitely not trash either. I am still thoroughly convinced that Ms. Spears could once again reign supreme on the pop charts. I also believe she would have with Blackout, if that MTV performance hadn't of sunk her. Nobody wanted to give her a chance after that, and Blackout has some solid jams on it. It's also unfortunate that Jive is choosing to release no more singles off Blackout too. Shame.
In good news, Ms. Spears is set to release a new album Mid-December. Huzzah! Now that homegirl is getting her act together proper, it's time for a real comeback.
Anyways, back to the new track. Catchy, electric, and thrashy. (Also a bit reminiscent of "Stronger.") Also, for shits and giggles, Raza remix of Spears' "Break the Ice" featuring vocals from J.Timb and Clipse. Hottness in a 4 minute package.
Santogold, while phenomenal on her own, I can't help but love the remixes better. With appearances by Diplo and M.I.A. these tracks are loved by me by default.
Broken Social Scene--indie-thuper-band-extradoniares. I'm not even going to pretend that I know anything about them. Before the Siren Festival this past Saturday, I knew only one of their songs: "Fucked Up Kid." Admittedly, I was blown away by their set. Their frontman and main vox, Kevin Drew, was extremely charming and personable with the crowd. He had me captivated.
As amazing as they sounded live, I was disappointed upon returning home and finding their music less than amazing. Not bad by any means, but not up to par with how they performed live. Which is all together, disappointing since one cannot see a band live all the time. Especially when poor. I am still giving them a shout and recognition though, because they really did blow my mind Saturday.
Anyways, perusing Hype Machine as I am wont to do when it comes to stimulating my ears with new tunes, I stumbled upon David Myles tune, "I Don't Want to Know." A smooth and gritty voiced singer-songwriter with a voice eerily similar to unlike Jakob Dylan, I instantly fell. Since I am over my box account limit, and cannot seem to find a lone stream of "I Don't Want to Know," I am directing you, my dear readers, to his website, where you can stream a handful of his songs for free.
The Magnetic Fields NYC based indie-pop, has been a bedfellow of mine since moving. Polished lo-fi--brassy, synthy, all heart, pop sensibilities without the glossy luster of it's top 40 brethren, the Magnetic Fields definitely can't be accused of following the crowd.
I know they get a lot of hype for their 69 Love Songs albums, and don't get me wrong, they're great albums (a personal soft spot for vol. I), but I've always found myself drawn more towards i. Great album. Great, and if you're unfamiliar with it, then I have only one thing of advice for you: get yourself familiar with it.
Like any good middle schooler: I listened to Weezer. But, unlike your average middle schooler, I only listened to Pinkerton--beyond that album, I do not know much about Weezer besides their singles. Pinkerton was a good friend at the time favourite album, and was nine times out of ten the soundtrack to our shenanigans--whether it be at her or my house, blasting, or emanating from our shared Sony discman--Rivers Cuomo and crew followed us most everywhere. That album has so many memories connected to it. Dicking around after school, trying cigarettes for the first time, running around the football field in our underwear, teasing the boys on the football (and baseball) teams, and just general tomfoolery. MY fave Pinkerton tune, "Across the Sea" is videoless, so to kickoff things, my second favourite, "El Scorcho." I think I'd be good for you, and you'd be good for me...
Weezer -- El Scorcho
Weezer -- Say It Ain't So
Weezer -- Buddy Holly
Weezer -- Photograph
Weezer -- Island in the Sun
And the award for Pretty Fucking Rad Video goes to: Weezer -- Pork and Beans
A Beach party. That is what the White Rabbits sound like; a beach party. Rock infused with flamenco, salsa, reggae, ska, and pop--throw in a couple of cold brews, a hawaiian shirt or two, and ray bans, and we're set. Opening for Spoon the other night, this sextet originally from Missouri and now Brooklyn based, blew my music lovin' heart & mind.
Check it. Two guitarists/one vox, one bassist, one keyboardists/bongo man/vox, and two drummers. The drummers also play whatever other instruments are needed, tambourine, keyboard, maracas, etc.. It was a musical feast for both eyes and ears. The rhythms were rolling and made it impossible for you to just stand still. I absolutely loved them, and can not recommend a band more highly. Check out their debut album, Fort Nightly, you will not be disappointed. I haven't been able to get enough of them.
Admittedly, before Tuesday, I hadn't really given Spoon much consideration. Sure, I owned Girls Can Tell and Gimme Fiction, and did listen to them on occasion (especially Girls), but for one reason or another, they just didn't manage to capture my full interest. That folks, has changed after seeing them live. I mean the passion put forth, especially by their charismatic frontman, Britt Daniels, didn't leave anyone denying that they love what they do.
Pre-concert, I had attempted to familiarize myself with Spoon's latest release and the like, Ga Ga Ga Ga, but largely due to a sloth-like laptop, could not burn the album for a proper listen. Now that laptop runs much smoother, and am able to run more than one program at once without it taking an eon to do anything, have procured myself solid copies of what was missing from my Spoon collection.
Laundry--you money sucking fiend. Not only do I have to drag you to the laundromat, but I have to fight with other ne'er-do-wells who also have nothing better to do on a Tuesday morning, and then pay nearly $5 to wash and dry you. Granted, being near broke, one wash was all I cold afford, but it's the principle of the matter, is all. I mean, I buy you from the store--save you from the grimy hands that pulled you day-in and day-out. Then when I bring you home and take you out a few times, you demand to be cleaned. I mean, honestly? Couldn't you at least wash yourself?
Also, besides mini-psuedo-ranting, the main reason for this post is the first song on this mix, Bitter:Sweet's "Dirty Laundry."
And this song purely for the ~lulz~
Bonus!Video!Jam! Don Henley -- Dirty Laundry (modified form its original version)
Bare bones with just enough production to polish their sound and underscore their simple melodies, The Weepies have managed to create three über low-key-sunshine-mellow albums. Granted, their latest release Hideaway is noticeably less bare bones and more produced in sound, but the sentiment prevalent throughout their earlier works is still at the core of it.
Saccharine packed with heart and interesting metaphors, The Weepies songs lend themselves all too easily to mixtapes. "Somebody Loved," "Gotta Have You," and "Take It From Me" three prime examples of superb lovey mixtape centerpiece songs. The simplicity of the overall production of those songs packs them with a bigger emotional wallop. Those songs are the songs you send out because they're songs you wish somebody would think of whilst assembling a mixtape for you. They're gushy without being obnoxious.
I had stumbled upon "Somebody Loved" in summer '06, and being of the mushy hearted variety, quickly procured and aurally devoured the rest of the album, Say I Am You. In my opinion, Say I Am You is a quintessential summer album. On my desert island top 5 list of summer albums, Say I Am You would be number 2, second only to The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds. There are none in my book that trump The Beach Boys in summer tunes. None.
Paul Simon: one of my musical heroes since I was little. "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" has been one of my favourite tunes as long as I can remember. My mom was a Simon & Garfunkel fan, I remember summer nights on the porch, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme drifting out of the house as my mom cooked. While I love Art Garfunkel, it's impossible to deny that Simon was the driving force behind the duo. He wrote the songs. It was his heart and soul being poured into their simple melodies and lyrics. His solo career is even better than Simon & Garfunkel (and I am a giant Simon & The Funk fan). Varied in its sounds, incorporating blues, grassroots, gospel, African, and good old fashioned rock, just to name a few.
And I know everyone looks to The Beatles for simple love songs ("I Want to Hold Your Hand" being a personal favourite), but Simon's "Song For the Asking" oozes simplicity and vulnerability, that one can't help but want to fall in love with the next person they lay eyes on. And who can deny his poetic flair with words? "A Heart in New York," "Poem on the Underground Wall," "Sound of Silence"--just to name a few.
What better way to kick off the Fourth than with Moz? Having had two Moz-centric dreams in as many days, I decided to see what the former Smiths frontman was up to--apparently appearing half naked on magazine covers, as well as in the midst of releasing a new album, Years of Refusal. I support it.
Below, besides a video for the single off the new album, "That's How People Grow Up," scans from a nifty interview Moz did for Hot Press last month. I've never loved Morrissey more. Yes, he's a crazy vegetarian, but whatever, that's minor.
Mark Ronson: creaming panties since Summer '07. Is it the dark hair & dark eyes? The strong nose? Or maybe, maybe it's the fun, phat, & playful beats you lay down?
Queensbridge's finest; Nas hooked up with Ronson and Busta Rhymes for "Fried Chicken"--a song from his upcoming (and much anticipated) release, Untitled (out July 15th). Seeing Nas and Ronson's names strung together highly piqued my interest. Being a fan of both, I couldn't imagine the two collaborating. Ever. Now that my imagination stands served with the unimaginable and corrected, I listen with grateful ears.
Ronson's brassy sound shines on the song, contrasting with Nas and Rhymes's vocals seamlessly. However smooth the production, the real gem of this track lies in the imaginative lyrics, using fried chicken as a metaphor for ladies. Original and amazing.
Twenty-One. Ovary Carrier. Philosopher. Overworked. Underplayed. Writer. Lover. Music Appreciator. Batman Freak. Red-Haired. Freckled.
Just an old sweet song, keeps Georgia on my mind...
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