The Spirit Farm

Live on the Spirit Farm

2010-03-24T11:38:00.000-04:00

Long time no post!

I'm still here and there's still a radio show at least for the rest of the semester. It's 10 pm on Tuesdays now, streaming online at www.wjhuradio.com. Yesterday, I had Diana Peralta on and we did a couple of covers. Here they are in case you missed it and want to hear it.

"You Really Gotta Hold On Me" - as preformed by She & Him, written by Smokey Robinson
"Be my Baby" - originally by The Ronettes

The Spirit Farm on Radio: Where's the Guitar? (11/17/09)

2009-11-23T12:52:00.001-05:00

This week on The Spirit Farm, our theme was "Where's the Guitar?" In other words, there was absolutely no guitar featured in the show at all. My co-host for this week was my old co-host from The 6 at 9 last year, Nora Conklin. Lets get on with it!

"In the Flowers" - Animal Collective

What can I say about Animal Collective that hasn't been said already? This song kicks off Merriweather Post Pavilion (which is awesome if you've acquired the taste for this type of thing). What's most amazing about the song is the gradual build for the first half of the song. It just slowly creeps and builds, adding more and more elements until it become overbearing, forcing it to explode right at the middle of the song. The bass drums and manic synths start pounding and before you know it, you're deep into a lush meadow of sounds. And the exhilaration only lasts for a short amount, leaving the listener satisfied but ready for more. It's the perfect introduction for their epic album, and that's how I chose to start the show. -Greg

"Heimdalsgate Like a Promethian Curse" - of Montreal

of Montreal has successfully done one thing better than any other musical act anywhere: express happiness - when I think of of Montreal, I think happy. "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethian Curse" is off of 2007's Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? by the band that expresses happy so well. The trick for this particular song is to start with really ominous minor chord on synths just before Kevin Barnes, in his vulnerable warble, implores "mood" to "shift back to good again." Then it changes - this is the key moment. The synths are no longer dark, but bright and hopeful, bouncing along down a rolling slope of joy. And that keeps up for the rest of the song, ending on a completely different note in terms of tone and mood. Fade out. -Greg

"I'm Not Your Toy" - La Roux

I tried to mix up this playlist from stuff I played on the 6 at 9, but failed at that sometimes. I played La Roux last year, but I had to put her on this show for two big reasons. One: she's such a great and fun artist that I continue to try to do my part to bring her big commercial success by passing on her tracks to you. Two: I went to see her in NYC last month, where she was suffering from a viral infection but continued to soldier on and perform nonetheless. During one particular song, the synth got all messed up and La Roux just started laughing. When the song finished, she said to the audience: "You see? If you're going to start a band, you play with regular guitars, yeah?" I took that as a subtle hint to put her on the no-guitars show. This is her latest single, and it's one of my favorites. I hope you love it too! -Nora
The intro sounds like one of the greatest things I've ever heard. La Roux's voice is silky smooth up in the higher frequencies. The low bass synths really boom and provides the necessary contrast, while discretely driving the groove of the song. The steel drums are a charming touch that will always win me over. Although it doesn't really change, it grabs onto an upbeat and comfortable tempo and rides that into the sunset. -Greg

"Heavy Cross (Yuksek Remix)" - The Gossip

I noticed during the show that I had a mini-French theme going on, and this is one of my picks that fits into that category. Although I don't listen to The Gossip that much (not that I don't like them, I simply haven't gotten my hands on the album- I can be pretty late on the trends sometimes, as you'll see later), I do follow a new DJ called Yuksek. His real name is Pierre-Alexandre Busson, and he comes from the land of Justice and Daft Punk (that means France, guys). He came out with an album of original materical called Away from the Sea this year, but it's his remixes that stand out to me. He's got a few great ones, and this one's probably my favorite so far. (Also check out the remix of Phoenix's "Lisztomania" and Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" if you're interested.) -Nora

"Your Eyes Open" - Keane

I know, I know...I played Keane last year too. I put these guys on here as a necessity - I felt that piano rock needed a representation on this playlist. Keane may not be a new discovery, but it's still phenomenal how much big, lush sound they consistently make with no guitar. For that reason, I thought they needed to make it on the playlist. I tried to pick a song that wasn't a hit - this is off of their first album "Hopes and Fears." -Nora

"Nantes" - Beirut

This is another song on my French sub-theme. Although Zach Condon of Beirut is from Santa Fe, he recorded this album ("The Flying Club Cup") partly in Arcade Fire's studio in Quebec. This album was also heavily influenced by French chanson/early pop music (think Jacques Brel, Yves Montand, and that dirty old man Serge Gainsbourg). Condon was also influenced by French film and culture - even the album title and cover is inspired by a fair in Paris. This is the first song I ever heard from Beirut (I actually heard the Take-Away Show first, which you can see here), and I fell in love with the touching melody. I think it's charming and evocative, and that's why this song has stuck with me. -Nora
Zach Condon is a madman. His back story according to Wikipedia can be summed up as "true American Bohemian." He dropped out of high school and traveled to Europe and discovered "world music" which he brought back with him in Beirut. The chimey organs provide such a wonderful bounce and resonance to the song. Add that with Condon's warbling baritone, busy - but reserved - percussion, the melodramatic horns, and charming accordion, you got a pretty good thing going on. Each of the elements I've named are added strategically to feature them at specific points throughout the song, providing the moving action of the song. In the end, the effect of the song is dreamlike and ethereal. -Greg

"Ohio" - Dan Deacon

Dan Deacon is a Baltimorian musician who made his name bending the circuits to create a sound akin to 8-bit video games on crack. Recently with the release of Bromst, Deacon returned to using more traditional instrumentation (I'm using traditional in the loosest sense of the word), using real percussion, and actual horns rather than electronic bleeps and boops. "Ohio" is actually an earlier Dan Deacon song, released in 2004's Twacky Cats. This features Deacon without using a crazy pitch distortion on his own voice. We get the insane, glitchy-sounding electronic backing paired with the uncanny vocal performance by Deacon himself. It's utterly unlike anything else I've ever heard before or since. -Greg

"Videotape" - Radiohead

I put this on the playlist for two reasons as well. One: unless I'm mistaken, Radiohead has made it onto every episode of this show, and who am I to break the chain? Two: as I mentioned before, I can be very late on the trends - while everyone else in the world fell in love with In Rainbows when it came out in 2007, it took me until this summer. The album was one of my favorites to listen to on the train to DC in the mornings or walking through Capitol Hill on my way to work. This song was one of the first to grab me, and remains one of my favorites from the album. (In case you're interested, the Live from the Basement DVD features a great performance of this song: check it out.) -Nora
Off on In Rainbows, "Videotape" is a brooding work of art by Radiohead. The full back story with the song itself is a long one causing Thom Yorke "considerable agony" finishing it. In the end it became a piano ballad, and a haunting one at that. -Greg

"Caroline" - MC Solaar

This is the last song on my French tangent. MC Solaar is a huge rapper in France - a Senegalese rapper from Chad, he's been doing it for twenty years now and has achieved international success. He's known for his smart lyrics and wordplay, as well as his wide variety of influences. Way back in 1991, he released his very first album, Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo, which is a play on the Biblical proverb Qui sème le vent recolte la tempête, or "He who sows the wind reaps the whirlwinds." The album is highly jazz influenced and it's one of my favorites of his seven so far. This song, in fact, was the first I ever heard from him, and I fell in love with it. Lyrically, it's about a girl he was in love with who's now gone, and the rhymes and worldplay are all over. The big theme for puns in this song is cards - Caro, the nickname for Caroline, is a homonym of "carreau," which is the French word for the suit of diamonds. The refrain is, "Je suis l'as de trèfle qui pique ton cœur," or "I'm the ace of clubs that beats your heart." Even if you don't understand the lyrics, I hope that the sweet, mysterious melody and MC Solaar's smooth voice leave an impression on you. -Nora

"Dominos" - The Big Pink

The Big Pink are a new act out of London. They are a duo doing the electro/pop thing. To be honest, I thought I could try and connect them to a similar act, but I really can't. In format they look like the Postal Service, but in sound they're somewhere between house music, LCD Soundsystem (see below) and Danger Mouse. It's much more nuanced that it would seem at first glance. The song itself sounds simple but lush. There's a very simple formulation to the song's structure (add a new element each time around in the chorus), but despite how simple it is, it feels oh-so-fresh. I suspect that a big part of that his how the sounds he uses are all geared to a single focus: that large, large sound. -Greg

"The Way We Get By" - Spoon

One of Spoon's defining songs. It's off of 2002's Kill the Moonlight, and was written on Piano by Britt Daniel. The percussion is wonderfully selective in when and where it's in, something that drummer Jim Eno does quite well. That's not to say that Daniel's piano-work is bad. No, it's quite to contrary. It's rhythmic, interesting and lively. And for the entire song, it's just piano, bass, drums and hand-claps. Despite that, it definitely grows and moves before it comes to an easy halt. -Greg

"Dirty Harry" - The Gorillaz

I don't know what it is about this song, but I was absolutely obsessed with it a few years ago. Let's try to unpack why this was the case. The first thing that jumps out as the song starts is the clanking percussion in tandem with the jerky synths. Pretty quickly, a childrens' choir, a groovin' bass, hand claps, electronic glitches, and more airy sounding synths all are added in. By 45 seconds into the song, you have the entire thing right at your fingertips. It's so lush and full. Slowly, the backbeat become more and more pronounced just until all that is pushed back momentarily by a quick break by strings. Then the backbeat returns, bigger than it was before as we get a couple of verses spit by Bootie Brown. Essentially, all the logic that was created by the first half of the song is tossed out the window by this point, and we have an anarchic, but still joyous song that slowly comes to a rolling halt. Another example of a sonic adventure in pop music. -Greg

"Someone Great" - LCD Soundsystem

This song is what turned me onto LCD Soundsystem a couple years ago. LCD Soundsystem is the stage persona of producer James Murphy of DFA (Death from Above). He released his self-titled debut in 2005. This song is off of 2007's follow-up called Sound of Silver. With his debut, LCD Soundsystem was brash, sarcastic, unwieldy, and fun. The Sound of Silver was better. It maintained the same spirit of his debut but added new colors to the songs revealing a beautifully tragic side of Murphy we didn't see. "Someone Great" is the best example of that change from the debut to Sound of Silver. The song samples a section of 45:33, a track of music designed for runners which was made by Murphy through Nike's commissioning. So, unsurprisingly, musically, the song is almost perfect to run to. But to contrast this up-and-down monotony of running, Murphy wrote lyrics that are remorseful, tragic, and inherently personal. Murphy lost something dear to him, what it exactly was we cannot know- it's too cryptic in the song, and Murphy refuses to tell us what it is. No matter, the beauty of this song is in Murphy's expression of this emotion we're all too familiar with. -Greg
Love this song. This one sticks with you. -Nora

So that was Where's the Guitar? Next week, the theme will be 3/4 - all the songs will be in waltz time. My co-host will be Kaitlin Warnock. Until then, know your way back.

My 50 Favorite Albums From This Decade

2009-11-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Funeral/Arcade Fire - 2004
Vekatimest/Grizzly Bear - 2009
Merriweather Post Pavilion/Animal Collective - 2009
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga/Spoon - 2007
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot/Wilco - 2002
Oracular Spectacular/MGMT - 2008
You & Me/The Walkmen - 2008
Sound of Silver/LCD Soundsystem - 2007
Real Emotional Trash/Stephen Malkmus and Jicks - 2008
Feels/Animal Collective - 2005
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots/The Flaming Lips - 2002
Return to the Sea/Islands - 2006
Vampire Weekend/Vampire Weekend - 2008
The Stage Names/Okkervil River - 2007
Girls Can Tell/Spoon - 2000
Illinois/Sufjan Stevens - 2005
Sung Tongs/Animal Collective - 2004
Kill the Moonlight/Spoon – 2002
Volume One/She & Him - 2008
The Reminder/Feist - 2007
In Rainbows/Radiohead - 2007
Night Falls Over Kortedala/Jens Lenkman - 2007
Strawberry Jam/Animal Collective - 2007
Red Yellow and Blue/Born Ruffians - 2008
Consolers of the Lonely/The Raconteurs - 2008
The Shepard's Dog/Iron & Wine - 2007
Neon Bible/Arcade Fire - 2007
Person Pitch/Panda Bear - 2007
The Stand-Ins/Okkervil River - 2008
Stankonia/Outkast - 2000
Is This It/The Strokes - 2001
Give Up/The Postal Service - 2003
Arm's Way/Islands - 2008
Noble Beast/Andrew Bird - 2009
The Bake Sale/The Cool Kids - 2008
Oh, Inverted World!/The Shins - 2001
It's Frightening/White Rabbits - 2009
11:11/Regina Spektor – 2001
We Were Dead Before The Ship Sank/Modest Mouse - 2007
Comfort Eagle/Cake - 2001
Fleet Foxes/Fleet Foxes - 2008
Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?/of Montreal - 2007
Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone/The Walkmen - 2002
Modern Guilt/Beck - 2008
Black Holes and Revelations/Muse - 2006
The Grey Album/Danger Mouse/Jay-Z - 2004
Dark Was the Night/Various Artists - 2009
Fever to Tell/The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - 2003
Kid A/Radiohead - 2000
Bitte Orca/Dirty Projectors - 2009

Some rapid reactions:

My bias really comes out, lots of Animal Collective and Spoon.
I feel like 2005-2009 is more well represented given that I was paying attention to music more then.
To back up my last claim, my most popular year on this list was 2008 with 13 albums. That's followed up by 2007 with 12 albums.
Apparently the first decade of the new millennium wasn't so great for hip-hop. Only two hip-hop albums made my list.
11 of the 50 albums were debut LPs\
I am an indie-loving douche bag.

Kind and Mild (Live on WJHU) - Traffic in Delaware

2009-11-14T11:36:00.000-05:00

So, this past week on The Spirit Farm, we were able to feature a live performance from Jay and I's band Traffic in Delaware.

The band's name will make sense to anyone who has been up or down I-95 between Baltimore and New York- you always hit traffic in Delaware. We started recording together since the start of September. We're still writing songs and slowly recording them. Hopefully by the end of the academic year, we'll have some sort of album done.

This song is one I wrote and we're calling it "Kind and Mild" for now. We played it live on the Strings! show of The Spirit Farm. On the track we have Jay on guitar, me on vocals and Carlos Valdes-Lora lent a helping hand doing some percussion (hand claps and shakers). Our lack of rehearsal will be very apparent- but hey, it's not a bad first attempt.

Kind and Mild (Live on WJHU) by Traffic in Delaware

The Spirit Farm on Radio: Strings! (11/10/09)

2009-11-13T13:36:00.001-05:00

Fuck it, I give up. Blogger isn't co-operating with me- it deleted the entire write up post I did. Forget it then. As you know, this week's theme was Strings! I'll just put up the playlist here instead. Do without my comments for a week. The recording of the live preform ace in studio will be up on a separate entry on the blog.

Jay's Pick of the Week - 11-3-2009

2009-11-05T11:12:00.010-05:00

Hey guys, I decided that each week I would scrupulously judge Greg by picking my favorite song he put on his show for the week. No worries, it won't be at random, I'll explain myself. And, to prove to Greg I kinda know my stuff, I'll pick an extra song I would of thrown onto the playlist. Now before you get any more bored, here's my pick:

Rolling Stones - "Ventilator Blues"

I know what you're thinking - way to take the easy way out. Hear me out. "Ventilator Blues" was released in 1972 on Exile on Main Street. This was 2 years after The Beatles released Let it Be, meaning the Stones had officially outlasted them. But for most of the '60s, these two bands vied for public attention, and had two clearly different approaches to rock 'n' roll music. One of the center aspects of this debate was, strings or horns? The Beatles favored the former, the Stones the latter. In fact, the Stones specifically stated that they would never use strings, as it doesn't represent what is truly rock 'n' roll, they'd leave that for other bands. For the Beatles, orchestral instrumentation was a way of reflecting a turbulent generation by reinventing what it means to be popular music. The Stones represented a sort of escapism, a retreat to the guidelines of the past. They wanted to stay as "pure" as possible. Well then, horns are okay, strings are not. What came out of this debate was a dichotomy that lasts even today. There is no better way to fall into a genre than by putting one of these forms of instrumentation into your music. Pop music favors strings, they followed the lineage of the Beatles. Alt. Rock, Punk Rock, if they do expand their instrumentation, will use horns. And thus, songs like "Ventilator Blues" began a connotation with horns that has lasted for decades.

My Pick for the Week:

The Clash - "Rudie Can't Fail" -- It's off of London Calling, which is an amazing album. It's fun, it's punk, it's awesome, and I might add, quite horny.

Rudie Can't Fail - The Clash

The Spirit Farm on the Radio: Horns! (11/3/09)

2009-11-04T23:59:00.001-05:00

This week on The Spirit Farm we looked at songs with horns in them (the theme was thus appropriately called "Horns!"). The guest host was Carlos Valdes-Lora and he'll provide his part of the commentary below. Without much further adieu, here's the recap:

"This Devil's Workday" - Modest Mouse

Featuring The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, this track off Good News... is out of control. At just under two-and-a-half minutes it packs enough brass and brazen for any Brock fan. For whatever reason "This Devil's Workday" doesn't open the album, but the first blaring ten seconds finds itself listed as Track 1, and for good reason. Like Brock's blunt and unapologetic lyrics, this song encapsulates tonally the album as a whole. Banjos and Baritone Saxophones -- what a contrast.-Carlos

"It's Coming Down" - CAKE

I love CAKE. What they do really well is produce a really gritty sound. You can hear that in John McRae's deadpan voice, the jangly acoustic guitar, the minimalistic - yet crunchy - electric guitar, the vibra-slap, and the lone trumpet of Vince DiFiorie. What completes their sound is a tight, tight rhythm section. This song is just a perfect example of their sound. The members of CAKE are musicians in the truest sense of the word. The staccato trumpet hits in synchrony with the drums to open the song signal to the world that the song has begun. It's funny to me how the electric guitar sometimes sounds like a low brass instrument. And on top of that, the trumpet takes a prominent part of the solos and breaks that are peppered throughout the song. Like every other CAKE song. -Greg

"Holland, 1945" - Neutral Milk Hotel

This song is mind-numbingly fun. It's off of their brilliant 1998 album, Aeroplane Over the Sea. If CAKE has a gritty sound, then Neutral Milk Hotel's sound is down right caked with mud. If you listen carefully to the song, you can hear that everything is slightly distorted from its natural sound in some way. A little bit of drive on the percussion, the lo-fi sound on the vocal tracks, and the unabashed blasting by the trombone, sax and trumpet really muddy up the sound. But, despite the sound, the song is not unpleasant to listen to. Rather, it's joyous and manic- and, with the aid of the quick tempo, feels like a three minute long adrenaline rush. -Greg

"You Goy Yr. Cherry Bomb" - Spoon

Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of Spoon. This song is where I actually got the name for this radio show. There's a lyric that goes "now you know your way back to the spirit far." I always heard that line as "now you know your back to the spirit farm," and always wondered what the hell a "spirit farm" was. Being off of their 2007 album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, "Cherry Bomb" is a more noticeably produced track. A part of that is the effect of the restrained, but sizable brass section they used for a good chunk of the album. The horns in this song make appearances in the choruses and bridges of the song, providing the balls in what might have been an anemic song. -Greg

"Vapours" - Islands

Islands are a Canadian band centered around charismatic lead-man Nick Diamond. "Vapours" is the title track of the album of the same name released this year. For this album, Diamond completely reshuffled the lineup and general instrumentation. The expansive strings from Arms Way were replaced by synths. Luckily for me and the sake of this particular show, "Vapours" also happens to feature horns- providing a different kind of depth to Islands' sound. I was actually lucky enough to catch them at the G-Spot the night before- they sound like this but better live. Between their visual musician/showmanship and their wild-yet-controlled sound, it was something else. When they played this song live, they didn't have live horns unfortunately. But that didn't stop me from rocking out. -Greg

"Handjobs for the Holidays" - Broken Social Scene

I still don't get the title, but somehow I don't think it's meant to be gotten. Broken Social Scene is a collective of remarkable indie musicians out of Canada. of all places (kidding). Their music's been described in the past as "perfect pop" and I couldn't agree more. Although totally inoffensive and very much accessible to those of the mainstream persuasion, you can't help but bop your head cause it's that kind of good. A hip steady beat and a hundred horns pump this track full of colors, and soft spoken lyrics fall lightly on the ears like pedals, pretty little flower pedals. Did someone mention handjobs? -Carlos

"I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" - Ida Maria

This is the first non-theme song of the night. Ida Maria is just another living example of how Swedes have somehow acquired a mastery over writing English pop songs. To be fair, this song is a pop-rock song, but still. And the "rock" part of the song is pretty killer. The guitar hits on 2 and 4 cut through the song as the walking bass line does its thing. But by the time you get to the chorus, that changes into an all-out assault with everything blasting away. Ida Maria's voice is oddly captivating- it sounds innocent but there's enough of a raspy growl in there to give it a subtle edge. And it comes and goes in just over three minutes. Awesome. -Greg

"The Night" - Morphine

Now I really have to admit that I'm not a regular Morphine listener. I can't name very many other tracks, frankly. I started up a Tom Waits pandora session a couple months back and "The Night" starting playing a few songs into the playlist. It struck me at the time only because I had really given up on the sound of saxophone. But the baritone sax here is notably expressive. This is definitely a late night track. I wasn't surprised to read later that many Morphine haters can't help but admit to liking "The Night," the opening track off the band's fifth and final studio album of the same name. What's not to like? The languid quality of both vocals and instrumentation draws me right in. Cooool. -Carlos

"Life in a Glasshouse" - Radiohead

Off of Amnesiac comes "Life in a Glasshouse." To be honest I'd usually end a listen-through of this album on Spinning Plates, and just skip "Life" altogether, but when Greg asked me for songs featuring horns, this one came to mind pretty quickly. I started listening to it more, and it's frequently left me speechless. The clarinet, which can only be described as a woodwind crying empathetically with its lead singer, steals the show, although the army of brass that in brief spurts rises and tumbles like waves against cliff rock really completes the experience. What a way to end an album. -Carlos

"Starry Stairs" - Okkervil River

I am a huge fan of Okkervil River, especially after they released The Stage Names and The Stand-Ins in 2007 and 2008 respectively. I feel that they found a good little niche between folk, dense lyrics, homages to the past, and a flair for chamber pop. All that's found in "Starry Stairs." This song comes off of The Stand-Ins. The horns in this song are really the first thing that jumped out at me when I first heard the song. That little ascending melody the horns play sounds so Motown, and it gives that sense of old familiarity with the song. There are other examples of this kind of thing going on through both their albums. -Greg

"Spilled Milk Factory" - Ugly Casanova

Even if you've never heard the band name before, it only takes a few seconds of listening to "Spilled Milk Factory" to spot the hard-to-forge signature of Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock. While similar to the MM ouvre in numerous ways, there's something somewhat off kilter in comparison to the songwriter's studio label material, which is a good thing. The percussive elements here really drive the experience. A perpetual metallic strike, like a hammer against nail, propels the song forward like a workers' chant. Harmonicas make a prominent appearance as well. I love harmonicas. -Carlos

"Ventilator Blues" - The Rolling Stones

I had to put on a Rolling Stones song on this playlist if I wanted to have any measure of self-respect left. As I like to say, The Rolling Stones were the pinnacle of rock 'n roll. And you can really hear that in this song. You have that heavy, delta-blues style slide-guitar lick being belted out by Keith Richards, the blues piano, the blaring horns, and Jagger's throaty and gritty voice. "Ventilator Blues" is off of 1972's Exile on Main Street and is one of the less well-known Stones tracks. It's not that it's a bad song, it's just that it's the Rolling Stones with hundreds, maybe thousands, of recordings that this song gets lost. It's unfortunate that it does, because, as I said, this song rocks. -Greg

"Winter" - The Dodos

"Winter" is off of the Dodos' magnificent 2008 album, Vister. To be honest, my co-host last year, Nora Conklin, that turned me onto the Dodos. Thanks Nora. Anyhow, this song, being called "Winter," really gets the sense of this season across I feel. The primary chord progression we hear in the verses sounds like it's coming from a mandolin- which is generally higher pitched than a guitar and reminds of snow flurries. Plus, the horns and percussion that come in during the refrain of the song are melodically moving and thus conveys a sense of movement. I see swirling snowflakes in a winter storm. It's a different sound from the Dodos, but it works nonetheless. -Greg

"Dos Gardenias" - Buena Vista Social Club

I learned about Buena Vista after watching the Wim Wenders 1999 documentary of the same name. The ensemble of legendary Cuban musicians play some of the most painfully romantic and haunting folk selections unique to the island and its tumultuous history and culture. The lyrics are extraordinarily simple but delivered with earnestness and dense with feeling. A singular muted trumpet booms with stunning intensity and clarity. A classic 1930s bolero finds its definitive form in this very special recording. -Carlos

"Ring of Fire" - Johnny Cash

I feel like I'd be neglecting the theme of the show if I didn't play this song. This song is actually one of the reasons for the theme. The first time I heard this song, I thought it was incredibly strange. The mariachi horns punctuated by a male baritone voice singing in English, which at time is accompanied by a country-sounding chorale. Most people who've encountered this song will never forget the horn lick that is peppered throughout the song. And that's why it was played. -Greg

That was Horns! Next week on The Spirit Farm, we'll look at songs featuring strings. The show is aptly called "Strings!" The guest host will be (Jim willing), Jim Steinhardt. Until then!

The Spirit Farm on Radio: On My Mind's Ear (10/27/09)

2009-10-27T18:28:00.168-04:00

Welcome to the Spirit Farm! That's the name of the radio show this year. For the most part, this will be kind of a solo effort by me- I count of having plenty of help from my friends co-hosting. This is our first show of the year. The theme, On My Mind's Ear is just a fancy way of me saying: this is a bunch of songs I've been hooked on since you last heard my soothing, sexy voice. The debut show this year features my buddy Jay as a guest host. Again, the first of many. Alright, without further adieu, here's the playlist and commentary.

"Percussion Gun" - White Rabbits

This is adrenaline in song form. The pounding toms are the first and the last thing you hear in the song. For such a simple rhythm (straight 16th notes and a quick set of triplets before the phrase repeats), I found it surprising that it had the effect it did. In the absence of the percussion line in the bridge/breakdown, the song really feels like it's kinda just floating around in a formless ether- just until the pounding drums return to give the song the same balls-to-the-wall energy. I guess what I really am doing in commenting on the production of the song itself. The production is really sparse and simple (not surprising considering Britt Daniels produced this song and the album it's off of- It's Frightening), and provides a sense of space. The percussion line, in contrast to the rest of the song, is really heavy and dense and becomes even more dense as other elements such as the booming piano or the abrasive sounds of muted guitar strings mirror that rhythm in different parts of the song. And since the song is built around the percussion part, it allows the title to act as a double entendre. -Greg

"Chips Ahoy!" - The Hold Steady

Yea, agreeing with everything Greg already said, I really dig Craig Finn’s versatility. He’s leant his voice to some pretty weird tracks before, including a rap song by P.O.S. Boys and Girls in America is a great album, and I think "Chips Ahoy!" is a good representation of the album as a whole. It’s lyrics are pretty mesmerizing as usual. As far as “bar band” is concerned, yea Springsteen fans will love their sound, but their a bar band with character. Each and every album they manage to bring it, even in their most recent release, Stay Positive. - Jay
The Hold Steady's appeal is somewhere in between Bruce Springsteen, Black Flag and Bob Dylan. I like calling them "the best bar band ever." What they do really well is tell these rich, meandering stories with characters we can relate to for the most part. "Chips Ahoy!" is no different. Craig Finn's baritone and almost flat vocals would be fit for a singer-songwriter, but instead he's backed by a band that screams Jersey grit. Just listen to the words, man. -Greg

"My Body's a Zombie for You" - Dead Man's Bones

Dead Man's Bones is a nice little surprise. The band is a project between actors Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields (don't worry, I've never heard of Shields before either). I was surprised because Dead Man's Bones is definitely not a vanity project- it's an actual, serious band. It's more She & Him than Scarlet Johansson doing Tom Waits or Joquin Phoenix rapping. In fact, the first time I heard this song, I thought for a moment that it was Arcade Fire or something- seriously. Gosling's warbling baritone, the childrens choir, the horror-folk subject matter, and the large hall reverb are all guilty of providing that charm and that sense of authenticity that is missing in other actor musical vanity projects. At the end, it's all in good fun. Good job Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields. -Greg

"All is Love" - Karen O and the Kids (From Where the Wild Things Are)

First, do yourself a favor and see Where the Wild Things Are if you haven't already. Did that? Good. Now about this song.... Karen O shows us a side of her we rarely see with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This song has that sense of innocence and revelry that we all vaguely remember from childhood. I think it's the group-singing, the spelling out of words, and the jangling guitar that really aid in that particular aspect of the song. Yet at the same time, Karen O couldn't really tone it down as much. I almost want to say that you should divorce the song from the movie itself. While watching Where the Wild Things Are, I felt that the music was a bit too distinct from the film itself. That's not saying the music was bad- it just didn't work as well as say Spoon did for Stranger Than Fiction. If we take this song as a song rather than a part of a soundtrack, it becomes a tenuous musical representation of what it's like to be a kid again. It was successful in catching that theme, I just didn't think it works in a film. That's all. -Greg

"Night Windows" - The Weakerthans

The Weakerthans a Toronto band, in case their solemn melodies didn’t give them away. Their newest album Reunion Tour features some great tracks including "Civil Twilight," "Sun in an Empty Room," their title track "Reunion Tour" and of course, "Night Windows." It’s kind of a long song, but it moves and brings a level of depth that comes full circle at the end. Also, keep your ear to the track for the background noises the Weakerthans cleverly pull in and out. It adds an ambience indie fans are coming to love. -Jay

"Welcome Home, Son" - Radical Face

I got into Radical Face by accident, he came on an Andrew Bird Pandora playlist. Since I heard him, I’m in love. Ben Cooper is Radical Face, hailing from Gainseville, Florida, playing all the different instruments heard in the album. He uses unconventional percussive elements coupled with simple acoustic melodies and a pretty good voice to boot. His album, Ghost, tells each song from the point of the view of a house. As such, he gives the album a phenomenal sound, panning most of the elements to the side making everything sound superbly wide. -Jay

"While You Wait For The Others" - Michael McDonald and Grizzly Bear

Veckatimest is a great album. It's really fucking good. "While You Wait" might be the best cut off of Veckatimest. What made it even better, and by better I mean ironic, was that they released a cover of the song by Michael McDonald. Yes, that Michael McDonald- the adult contemporary musician. Me being a member of my generation, I appreciated the irony of Michael McDonald doing a song by Grizzly Bear- completely and utterly unexpected. However, that's not saying that this song is a joke. No, Michael McDonald's baritone blue-eyed soul voice really works in the cut. I never meant to insinuate that Mr. McDonald wasn't talented because he really is quite talented. All I mean to convey was that it was unexpected. And sometimes, the unexpected is where you'll find gold. I think I found some gold. -Greg

"Stillness is the Move" - Dirty Projectors

Alright, so the reason why we weren't on air last week is because of Dirty Projectors. They were playing at the Ottobar and I thought it'd be more worth my time to see them than do the show. I hope y'all understand, y'heard? I love this song- it's so catchy. Honestly, this song is a shout-out away from being a Hot 97 jam. The drums in this song is what really does it- it sounds like something the Neptunes would throw together. And on top of that there's Dave Longstreth's jittery guitar that adds a kind of asymmetry to the song that keeps it interesting and new to the listener. Amber Coffman sings the lead vocals in this particular track and her voice really shines. The song is just full of hooks everywhere and it's just catchy as hell. -Greg

"See the Leaves" - The Flaming Lips

This track is off of the Lips' newest album called Embryonic. This album is a bit of a departure from the last couple Flaming Lips albums in that it's not a concept album. As Jay said during the show, they've probably out-concepted themselves after they made Christmas on Mars, which was a film they've been working on for nearly a decade. How this album was done was just a collection of songs the Flaming Lips were working on and eventually consolidated into a double album. The song itself has much more of a harder edge to it than some of their more recent stuff they've been putting out. The fuzz effect on the guitar track here is absolutely out of control- and that's a good thing. -Greg

"You Are the Blood" - Sufjan Stevens

This song is epic. Honestly, I almost forgot about Sufjan Stevens before I heard this song. It's been a few years since he released a proper album. This song is a part of a massive compilation album released in January called Dark Was the Night that features a who's-who of indie rock luminaries such as Stevens, Arcade Fire, Spoon, Feist, Anthony Dessner (from Anthony and the Johnsons), Ben Gibbard, Grizzly Bear, My Morning Jacket, Bon Iver, Iron & Wine, Cat Power, New Pornographers, etc. Like I said, it's quite a list and quite an album. The song runs over 10 minutes, and there's not a dull second in the entire thing. Sufjan does what he does best: mixing the electronic sound with an analogue sound. And does he do that in this song! There's a beautiful piano, booming brass, electronic bleep and boops, fluttering woodwinds, looming vocals- the only word I have to describe this is epic. -Greg

"Exit Music (For a Film)" - Radiohead

As much as I love Radiohead, it’s hard to pick a song that everyone doesn’t know. In the past few weeks, Exit Music has become quite personal for me, as I’m trying to produce a film soundtrack myself. For me the song articulates the movie it was in (Romeo + Juliet, I don’t recommend it) but is self-aware of the fact that it’s a song to be heard as the credits roll. I mean, look at the damn name. If that’s not enough for you, the song builds and builds escalating about 2 and half minutes through as the drum and distorted bass (or guitar?) come in, making people do that double take as they walk out the theater. I promise you this though, I will top it. -Jay

That's it for this week. Next week we'll look at songs that feature brass instruments on the show; the theme is "Horns!" The guest host will be Carlos Valdes-Lora.

Hey, long time no see! List now.

2009-08-28T15:11:00.003-04:00

It's been a long time since I've posted anything (the link is to a new CAKE song of the same title they played at Artscape this summer). Well I'm back now and I return with a list.

If you've noticed, Pitchfork made a list of what they consider to be the 500 best songs of this decade. Ambitious, I know. Inspired, I decided to do something similar. Instead, I ended up choosing 100 tracks, 10 from each year. Yea 2009 isn't done yet (I'm still eagerly awaiting Built to Spill, Muse, Islands and possibly CAKE drop albums this year), but I'll probably make a proper list for 2009 in December. These are songs that I consider the best, although I'll admit there is bias towards my favorites (see the high average ranking of Spoon songs). Whatever man.

2000
1. B.O.B - Outkast
2. Optimistic - Radiohead
3. Me and the Bean - Spoon
4. Gravity Rides Everything - Modest Mouse
5. Yellow - Coldplay
6. Everything Reminds Me of Her - Elliott Smith
7. Slow Descent into Alcoholism - The New Pornographers
8. Spoonful of Sugar - of Montreal
9. The Way I Am - Eminem
10. Happy Birthday - Sufjan Stevens

2001
1. New Slang - Shins
2. Someday - The Strokes
3. Fell in Love With a Girl - The White Stripes
4. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk
5. Short Skirt/Long Jacket - CAKE
6. Clint Eastwood - The Gorillaz
7. Tribute - Tenacious D
8. I Might Be Wrong - Radiohead
9. Island in the Sun - Weezer
10. Strange - Built to Spill

2002
1. Do You Realize??? - The Flaming Lips
2. Jesus, Etc. - Wilco
3. The Way We Get By - Spoon
4. Get By - Talib Kweli
5. Baudelaire - ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
6. Dreaming of You - The Coral
7. All Bad Ends All - The Books
8. Bowl of Oranges - Bright Eyes
9. Hurt - Johnny Cash
10. NYC - Interpol

2003
1. Hey Ya! - Outkast
2. Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3. Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
4. Dirt Off Your Shoulder - Jay-Z
5. Such Great Heights - The Postal Service
6. July Jones - The New Pornographers
7. Pink Bullets - The Shins
8. Hysteria - Muse
9. Danger! High Voltage - Electic Six
10. Yellow Ledbetter - Pearl Jam

2004
1. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) - Arcade Fire
2. Float On - Modest Mouse
3. The Rat - The Walkmen
4. Leaf House - Animal Collective
5. Lysergic Bliss - Of Montreal
6. Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
7. Seventeen Years - Ratatat
8. Dream - TV on the Radio
9. Naked As We Came - Iron & Wine
10. Me and Mia - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

2005
1. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens
2. I Summon You - Spoon
3. Grass - Animal Collective
4. Fake Palindromes - Andrew Bird
5. The Skin of My Yellow County Teeth - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
6. Requiem for O.M.M.2 - Of Montreal
7. I Will Follow You Into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie
8. 7/4 (Shoreline) - Broken Social Scene
9. Use It - The New Pornographers
10. Feel Good Inc. - The Gorillaz

2006
1. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
2. Rough Gem - Islands
3. Fidelity - Regina Spektor
4. Knife - Grizzly Bear
5. My Love - Justin Timberlake
6. Wolf Like Me - TV on the Radio
7. Smile - Lily Allen
8. Rehab - Amy Winehouse
9. Knights of Cydonia - Muse
10. We Used to Vacation - The Cold War Kids

2007
1. Fireworks - Animal Collective
2. Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem
3. The Underdog - Spoon
4. Umbrealla - Rihanna
5. Dashboard - Modest Mouse
6. Jigsaw Falling Into Place - Radiohead
7. I Feel It All - Feist
8. Australia - The Shins
9. My Body is a Cage - Arcade Fire
10. War Pigs - CAKE

2008
1. Kids - MGMT
2. In the New Year - The Walkmen
3. M79 - Vampire Weekend
4. White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
5. Lost Coastlines - Okkervil River
6. Abominable Snow - Islands
7. Baltimore - Stephen Malkmus
8. You! Me! Dancing! - Los Campesinos!
9. 88 - The Cool Kids
10. I Need a Life - Born Ruffians

2009

1. Brothersport - Animal Collective
2. You Are the Blood - Sufjan Stevens
3. Not a Robot, But a Ghost - Andrew Bird
4. Stillness is the Move - The Dirty Projectors
5. Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear
6. Percussion Gun - White Rabbits
7. Lisztomania - Phoenix
8. Actor Out of Work - St. Vincent
9. The Reeling - Passion Pit
10. Born On A Day The Sun Didn't Rise - Black Moth Super Rainbow

My 2 Cents: What are your favorites?

2009-05-09T01:41:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was with Hannah (she guest DJed on one of our shows) about our favorite music. I asked what still-active bands/musicians are her favorite. She gave her answer to my question on her blog, so I decided to do the same.

The hardest thing about this little exercise is that a lot of my favorites are no longer in existence. I spent my formulative years listening to 60s pop and rock, blues, jazz, doo wop, motown, and old school hip-hop- I only discovered contemporary music late in high school. I'm going to make this a little bit more challenging for me and limit my list to just 5, otherwise I'd talk about every contemporary act I listen to. So here we go...

Arcade Fire - Time magazine called this band "the most interesting" Canadian band back in 2006. It's not hard to see why anyone would say that. Arcade Fire burst onto the scene back in 2004 with their brilliant debut, Funeral. They followed that up with Neon Bible in 2007. No one else writes songs like Arcade Fire does. There's a certain kind of anthemic feel to Arcade Fire's music that's provided by the sheer size of their sound- they sound large. The largeness of their sound is provided in part by the vast instrumentation of their music- Arcade Fire is a rock orchestra in the most fundamental sense of the term. The vast anthems they create at the end of it all is what really does it for me.
CAKE - This was the band that brought my faith back to contemporary music. Up until the start of middle school, I listened to the standard top-40 stuff that everyone else listened to. Then I discovered classic rock, blues, blues-rock, jazz, etc. - all of which led me to conclude that good music was no longer made. Come middle school, I heard "Short Skit, Long Jacket" and I was hooked. CAKE's music is really groovin'- their rhythm section (bass and drums) are always tight and moving and always adds to the song. Add to that witty and sometimes cynical lyrics, a dirty, garage-like production style, trumpet, vibraslap, and a guitar with just the right amount of attitude, and you get a CAKE song.
Islands - Another Canadian band! This band rose from the ashes of The Unicorns. These guys are real interesting. Like Arcade Fire, they too are a rock orchestra of sorts- they feature a small "orchestral" section. They sound nothing like Arcade Fire. These guys have a defiantly have a harder edge on their songs. And with that edge, they cut out pictures and sounds from the collective consciousness to create collages that range from jolly to gut-wrenching. I thought that Arm's Way was one of the very best albums last year- nice, dark and brooding. After that, I went back and checked out their debut, Return to the Sea(a happy edge to the sound), and I was absolutely blown away- that one was better. They proclaimed "Islands are forever." I sure do hope so.
Spoon - Spoon is great. When they started out almost 20 years ago, they sounded like the Pixies. Since then, they've evolved into a minimalist groove machine. They started this particular crusade off with Girls Can Tell where the sparse instrumentals were given lyrics about love, loss, life, and living in Britt Daniel's throaty voice. They followed that up with a Kill the Moonlight which had a more happy-go-lucky feel to it. Then Gimmie Fiction upped the minimalism but upped the intensity somehow. Then 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is the product of everything before it. Having reached the barest of ends, Spoon brought back elements that really added to their sound like a brass section and chimes at times. And through the progress of these albums, Daniel picks up more and more effects leading to the absolute spacey sound in Ga^5. The most amazing thing about them is their ability to create these dense songs out of what sounds like almost nothing- they do it by making a solid groove. I'm not the only person who feels this way about Spoon- there's a Spoon-centric music festival later this year. They're working on their next album which is expected in 2010. I can't wait.
LCD Soundsystem - Surprised? Don't be. LCD Soundsystem, James Murphy's project, is notable for two things. First of all, it's really good dance music- dripping with the sensibilities of a cynical New Yorker and hints of punk. Secondly, Murphy's songwriting is insane. When the self-titled debut album dropped, I gave it a listen and wasn't too impressed. I liked it, it was fun, witty at times, solid beats. Then in 2006 Sound of Silver, was released and I was blown away by it. The witty, fun, cynical stuff was even better, and Murphy had songs that tugged at your soul. "All My Friends" and "Someone Great" are absolutely tragic and beautiful. That album made me a fan.

Other bands/artists I considered listing: Andrew Bird, Animal Collective, Built to Spill, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, Iron & Wine, MGMT, Of Montreal, Okkervil River, The Raconteurs, Regina Spektor, Stephen Malkmus and Jicks, and Vampire Weekend

Below are some songs! Hurray!

My 2 Cents: Technicolor Health by Harlem Shakes

2009-05-03T16:51:00.009-04:00

Every summer, it seems some indie band from Brooklyn seems to hit it big. In 2005, it was Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!. We didn't have one really in 2006, but in 2007, we got two in MGMT and Vampire Weekend. Well, here's a somewhat bold prediction: the summer of 2009 will be the world's introduction to Harlem Shakes.

Technicolor Health is Harlem Shakes' debut LP and it tries to capture the spirit and energy the band plays with live. There are mixed reviews about how the album did to capture the band's raw live energy, but for those who have not experienced the Harlem Shakes live, the album still provides a solid glimpse into what these guys are all about. These guys have garnered comparisons to fellow Brooklynites in Vampire Weekend and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and it's easy to see why. Each one of the Shakes' tracks have a healthy dose of bottled sunlight with a bright, up-tempo, rhythm that is littered with melodic hooks all over. The lead singer (who as far as I can tell, is only known as "lexy" by the virtue of the band's myspace page) has an throaty delivery of his vocals to give a somewhat strained sound that is akin to CYHSY!

The choice of instruments is pretty 'typical' of the modern indie band: synths, bright guitars, bass, saxes and horns, and rickety percussion. And like most modern pop, there is a distinctive lack in dynamics (which you really can't fault them for).

In the end, the album as a whole is a solid pop album. Some of the more rock-oriented listeners (like Nora) may be turned off by the copius amounts of aural sunshine, but all-in-all, it's a very, very tight and straightfoward pop album.

Favorite Tracks: "Nothing But Change Part II," "Strictly Game," "TFO," "Niagara Falls," "Sunlight," and "Natural Man."

Flavor of the Week (5/3/09)

2009-05-03T16:35:00.003-04:00

This week's flavor is Grizzly Bear.

I've been going through a discovery (re-discovery?) of this wonderful band from Brooklyn. Really, I can't pinpoint why I'm diggin' them so much, it's not like they're really breaking down boarders or doing something completely innovative (don't get me wrong, they are innovative but it's not enough of a departure from the norm to consider it as something new). I usually get into music that's uptempo and moving for the most part and it's kinda odd I'm falling for Grizzly Bear. Anyhow, the song I've chosen is "Knife" and it is off of their second album Yellow House. The video I got for you guys below is a live, acapella, street performance of "Knife" done for La Blogotheque's "Take Away Show."

The acapella performance of the song really brings out the subtleties of the song itself. The album version of the song is quite lush in how it's produced, but all that is stripped away in this particular performance. What you have left are the fundamental elements of the song- the bare minimum. And in the end, you realize it's really just a doo-wop song- real simple and really well-constructed.

Well, the song's right below and if you dig it, check out the rest of Grizzly Bear's work, particullarly their latest album Veckatimest.

Spencer Krug, man.

2009-05-01T14:12:00.005-04:00

Hey guys! So this is potentially my last guest post on this blog, but I just had to share this with you. As you know, I love Spencer Krug. I played Sunset Rubdown for you yesterday, and I mentioned that they've got a new album due out next month that I'm super-psyched about. I know Spencer Krug's voice is a bit hard to get used to at first, I know his music may be a bit too ambient and dream-pop-y for you to get into right away, but he really is such a fabulous and talented (not to mention hard-working) musician that I can't stop listening to him and wanting to show you what I've found. Among the things I've come across is this video. It's a shoot that Sunset Rubdown did recently while they were in London for the Black Cab Sessions, which I'm a big fan of. They basically hail a cab, ask the driver if it's cool for them to play in the back, and film the band playing a song while driving around in the backseat. It's lo-fi at its finest, I think, and Krug is all about it. This song is a new one that will be on their new album "Dragonslayer" - I can't wait to hear the studio version after this awesome live take. Enjoy it!

The 6 at 9: The Last Hurrah

2009-04-30T22:00:00.006-04:00

This is The 6 at 9 and this is our last (official) show of the year. For this show, we decided to forget about a specific theme and just play music we like and couldn't really find space for in this show. I'm sure my co-host will agree with me, but I still am not satisfied with what I wasn't able to play.

What I did for this show is I chose a couple of new tracks I've been digging as well as some from my consistently favorite bands. What Nora decided to do was share things she wanted you to hear but couldn't seem to fit in any other show. Well this is what we got after that.

1) Lately - the Helio Sequence

I felt like this was a good song to kick off with because of the effect it had on me. This was the first song I heard by the Helio Sequence, a Sub Pop-affiliated band out of the indie haven of Portland, OR, and it was a real eye (or ear, i guess)-opener. It's the first song off of their fourth and latest album "Keep Your Eyes Ahead," and it marks a big evolution in their sound - lead singer and guitarist Brandon Summers actually damaged his vocal chords and had to relearn how to sing. I think this album is really quality and very complete - you'll find a little electronica, a little sparse acoustic folk, a little bit of all sorts of styles when you're in the mood for simple and sunny, yet evocative and meaningful, indie rock. I love the sound on this song (and album), and even more I love the lyrics - Summers is in charge of those, and I think he hits the nail right on the head. I always wonder when I hear this song whether he actually got over her or not - what do you think? -Nora

2) Rebellion (Lies) - Arcade Fire

This song was one of my ATF (all time favorite) choices. If you've been listening, or reading, or both, you'll know I really like Arcade Fire. We only were able to feature them a couple times on the show (I think), and I don't that that's enough. What I love about Arcade Fire is that they capture this epic sound, a sound only associated with a couple of acts (Bob Dylan in the 60s and 70s, and Bruce Springsteen). Part of it is Win Butler's singing, part of it is the vast instrumentation, the airy back up vocals- it all just adds the sheer largeness of their sound. Yea, that's all I can really say to describe it: their sound is large. "Rebellion (Lies)" is just a solid example of how big they can sound. It's off of Funeral (which was just declared the best album from the last 5 years by Clash Music) which doesn't have a bad song on it. I love this song, I love that album, I love this band. -Greg
First song I heard by Arcade Fire, and one of my favorites off the album. Good choice! -Nora

3) Stadiums and Shrines II - Sunset Rubdown

Ok, so as you've all probably heard, I love Spencer Krug. Love. I included Wolf Parade and Swan Lake on previous shows, but never his other project, Sunset Rubdown, so I figured it was time for that. However, as you can imagine, it was an incredibly hard decision - Swan Lake has a new album (called "'Enemy Mine") that was just released in March that I'm really in love with, so I was tempted to include some of those songs, and of course there are several Wolf Parade tracks that I love that didn't make the cut on the Canadians show, so I had a lot of things I wanted to share. However, I thought Sunset Rubdown needed some representation, so here they are! They've got a ton of songs I love - "The Mending of the Gown" and "The Taming of the Hands that Came Back to Life" were also in consideration - but this one won out simply because it fit nicely onto the playlist. While Wolf Parade is a collaborative effort and Krug is not at the heart of Swan Lake (Frog Eyes' frontman and Krug's former roommate Carey Mercer has that honor), Sunset Rubdown is where Krug really gets to follow and explore his own ideas. This song's off of their third and latest LP, "Random Spirit Lover," and they've got a fourth called "Dragonslayer" coming up in June - get excited! (I know I am!) -Nora

4) Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear

This song on the other hand, is a new track that I've been digging. I was going to play a Grizzly Bear song for the New Yorker show, but it didn't make the cut. "Two Weeks" is off of their latest album Veckatimest and it's a wonderfully airy song that I've been listening to while I walk around outside in the sunny spring weather. Grizzly Bear's characteristic airy background vocals are littered throughout the song. Add a catchy keyboard/synth part, and you got a fine little song here. The song starts with that precise part, and it builds. It really builds into this wall of sound and harmonies that would make Brian Wilson blush. Yea, it's a good song. Check out the rest of Veckatimest too. -Greg

5) Sleepyhead - Passion Pit

I'm about to pull a Greg here - this is a song I heard on NPR's "All Songs Considered" podcast. Robin Hilton (who is the one I seem to have the most in common with musically on that show) picked out this song as he was investigating bands leading up to SXSW. He said it just instantly stood out to him, and that's exactly how I feel too. This band comes out of Massachusetts and their LP is due out very, very soon - May 19, to be exact. However, you can get a hold of this song right now on their EP "Chunk of Change", which was apparently made as a Valentine's Day present to lead singer and keyboardist Michael Angelakos' girlfriend. (How awesome! If any guys out there are looking to win me over, follow this example and make me an album.) It became really popular on the Emerson College campus, which is where Angelakos went to school, and their popularity has only grown - they've opened for Death Cab for Cutie and Girl Talk. Keep your eye out for what these guys do in the future and have fun dancing around to this song! -Nora

6) The Bones of You - Elbow

This one was an inspiration from something else I'd formerly done on the show. Not too long ago, I included the Frames on the 90s playlist. They're an incredible band who's enormously popular in their homeland of Ireland but remain largely unknown here. Elbow seem to be in a similar situation - they've been around forever (nearly 20 years) and are relatively well-known in Britain, but are very undergound in the US. However, that's all starting to change - their latest album "The Seldom Seen Kid", released in 2007, is finally gaining them a bit of the commercial success that seems to have eluded them, despite the critical acclaim they've received. Their name comes from a line in the BBC TV miniseries "The Singing Detective": apparently, one of the characters describes how 'elbow' is the most sensual word in the English language - not because of its meaning, but because of how it feels to say it. Another fun tidbit: if you're a fan of covers (like Greg is), they've got some really fun and interesting ones under their belt, including "One Thing" by Amerie and "Independent Woman" by Destiny's Child. I think this song is interesting musically and lyrically, and I just love lead singer Guy Garvey's voice - smooth, clear, and with a British accent (how perfect!). -Nora

7) Lines in the Suit - Spoon

This is another ATF choice. I love Spoon. I just saw them this weekend in Lancaster and we've only played them once, so here they are now. "Lines in the Suit" is off of 2000's Girls Can Tell and as far as albums go, it defined what Spoon is today, just like how The Soft Bulletin is exemplary of the Flaming Lips' sound now. The song is a good sample of what Spoon is known for: their minimalism. There's not too much going on- everything's readily identifiable, a guitar with a little crunch and reverb, drums, bass and keyboards- everything's really simple. But from this bare-bones sound, with the use of their mastery over rhythm that they bend and craft the sound to form a complete and groovin' song. If Spoon does one thing really well, it's making a groove- Britt Daniel has this blue-eyed soul vibe to him in general. Of course now, they like playing around with effects to further bend the limits of their minimalism (see/listen to Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga), but this is Spoon at its finest. -Greg

8) I Feel It All (Diplo remix) - Feist

This is kind of a nod to two ideas I had over the course of the show. I've always wanted to include Diplo in the playlist for a number of reasons. First and foremost, although he's based out of Philly, he's got a longstanding history and presence in Baltimore since his B'more club days with the Hollertronix collective. He's also just an incredible DJ - he loves all sorts of music from Miami bass and B'more club to Brazilian baile funk and British house, and he's able to incorporate all of these into his mixes really well. He can handle all shades of the spectrum, from edits to mashups to remixes. I also wanted to include this particular remix because I mentioned before on the show (I think it was the Girl Power edition) that I only had one song by Feist...well, this is it. Diplo's tackled all sorts of material remix-wise, from Spoon to CSS to Pixies, and he gives them all a fresh take and a great groove. It seems like Diplo always knows how to make me move, no matter what. (A few fun facts: his name is short for Diplodocus, since he was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid, and he's done a lot of work with former girlfriend M.I.A. that you should definitely check out.) -Nora

9) Till I Get My Way - the Black Keys

I've really wanted to share the Black Keys with you for a long time, but they just never seemed to fit in to any of the themes. They came to Ram's Head in Baltimore earlier this year - I missed the show and am still kicking myself. This is a group out of Ohio that makes a lot of sound for only two guys, and boy do they know how to rock. To me, their music is always classic, bluesy, and soulful. It's also timeless and universally appreciated - I mean, their songs have been included in American Express and Victoria's Secret ads, trailers for the shows "Dexter" and "Gossip Girl", and in NHL 08 and Grand Theft Auto 4 video games. What's more, Robert Plant, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, and Thom Yorke & Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead are all self-professed fans of the band. Just goes to show that everyone from preppy teenage girls to esteemed musicians to video-gaming sports fans appreciate some well-crafted rock-and-roll. Personally, I haven't been able to stop listening to their latest album "Attack and Release," but I chose this song off of their third album "Rubber Factory" because - you guessed it - it's the first one I fell in love with . -Nora
I couldn't find a studio version of this song for the playlist below. Instead, I found a live version played at the 9:30 Club last May. -Greg

10) Room Full of Mirrors - Jimi Hendrix

This is another ATF track for me. I only really started listening to music after I heard Jimi Hendrix. His wailing guitar was so unlike anything I had heard up to that point in my life. His sound convinced me I had to go digging to find better music. I picked up a guitar because of Hendrix. I can't really say too much about Hendrix anymore, he's as deified as they come in the world of music. I chose "Room Full of Mirrors" because it's a deeper cut into Hendrix's catalog of songs. The song was never released during Hendrix's short life (having only lived to 27). At the time of his death, Hendrix was working on his next studio album. Although he didn't have any of the songs finished to his liking (Hendrix was infamous for being meticulous in the recording process), there were a bunch of demos and rough tracks of for this album. As a bootleg, this song first appeared in 1974. It was Hendrix's favorite song he was working on at the time of his death. You can hear the direction Hendrix's music would have taken had he survived past 27, it's getting funkier and funkier- I don't think funk as a genera would have existed without Hendrix. It's at a comfortable uptempo that Hendrix himself is driving and in control of- Mitch Mitchell is just keeping up with Hendrix. It's lyrics are cryptic the way that Hendrix is, but the guitars are spacey and just soar above the rest of the song. Hendrix wails only the way he can. And of course there's a guitar solo. That's a Hendrix song for you. -Greg

11) Actor Out of Work - St. Vincent

This is a recent dig from me. I featured St. Vincent on our "Grrl Power" show. Too bad I didn't discover this song before the show. With my choices for that show, I felt that my choices didn't have the right spirit for a show called "Grrl Power." I mean, I had females singing, but the attitude wasn't exactly there. "Actor Out of Work" is off of Actor which was just released maybe a month ago. While St. Vincent (AKA Annie Clarke) had a more intricate and nuanced sound on her debut album Marry Me (which is where I got the first St. Vincent song from), she puts on her rocking boots on for this one. This song's a little more than 2 minutes, but it sure packs a punch. The guitars smash away, something that was conspicuously absent from her first album, while screaming synths interject and Ms. Clarke's beautiful mezzo-soprano voice just floats above the chaos. It rocks. -Greg

12) Baltimore - Stephen Malkmus

This is a bit of both an ATF and something I'm digging at the moment. We played some Stephen Malkmus in the form on Pavement on this show. Over this past summer, I really got into Pavement and Mr. Malkmus. Luckily for me, there was a new album out at the time, Real Emotional Trash, that I really got into. This is my favorite track off of that album (by a hair- that album is solid). What I love about this song, and Stephen Malkmus in general, is his songwriting. Not just lyrically, but musically as well. Malkmus is really underrated as a guitarist in my opinion. He really shines in this song with the lead guitar part and shows that he can rock with the best of them. And about his lyrics, I'm not sure what he's talking about in general, but he does say some cool things doesn't he? He has a way of choosing interesting phrases and stringing them up together. And how fitting is it that the song is called "Baltimore," the city I'm appreciating and falling in love with every day? It's great, all of it. -Greg

That was our last show! Don't worry, I'll get to posting more frequently with the summer, I promise. At the very least I'll make a new playlist every week. And who knows, maybe we'll be back next semester. Adios amigos.

The 6 at 9: New Yorkers

2009-04-23T22:00:00.011-04:00

NUKED!

Flavor of the Week (4/19/09)

2009-04-19T13:59:00.003-04:00

This week, I give you a live performance of "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire.

I love Arcade Fire- they're one of my favorite bands still in existence (along with CAKE, Spoon, and Islands). They have a reputation of putting on quite a live show. This video is a performance of "Wake Up" outside of Porchester Hall in London. It's grassroots rock- Arcade Fire, performing amongst a crowd of people, everyone singing along to the song. Yes, "Wake Up" is quite anthemic don't you think? I would kill to be one of those crowds. I hope I'm lucky enough to every see Arcade Fire in any capacity live.

The 6 at 9: Brits!

2009-04-16T22:00:00.005-04:00

This wee on The 6 at 9, we're looking at our allies across the pond, the Brits.

1) Rocks Off - The Rolling Stones

I'm so glad this was our first song of the night. I like to claim that Rock 'n Roll, an American innovation, was perfected by the Brits. This song is my exhibit A. Listen to it- the driving rhythm, the guitar lick with just enough distortion to give it a nice juicy "crunch," the same energy as a Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry. And the horns are a nice addition. You might know that I'm a fan of horns in music that's not really supposed to have horns. The horns work. The song works. -Greg

2) Dreaming of You - The Coral

To follow up the absolute pinnacle of Rock 'n Roll in "Rocks Off," we then played this charming little number by the Coral. The Coral are a contemporary act out of Liverpool (like the next band just below this song). What makes this song great? First, it's full of hooks everywhere, left to right, up and down. The bouncing bass part drives the song while being accented by drums, the electric organ (that somehow got lost in the 60s and finally found its way back into mainstream rock), and the jangly guitar. In front of all of this, we have lead singer James Skelly's great voice singing very simple lyrics. The song as a whole, after summing up all the parts, is a great pop-rock song that sounds like it was lifted straight from the 60s. Got that? -Greg

3) I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles

These guys from Liverpool did quite a lot- and it all began with this. Well, okay, it wasn't their first single or anything like that- it was only the first track off of their first LP (Please Please Me) back in an era where the singles ruled. While the Rolling Stones might have figured out rock 'n roll, the Beatles figured out pop music to a T. The song is going somewhere, it just drives on forward without pause, following the standard verse-chorus-verse-bridge formula of pop music, while a groovy bass, manic high hat, cool guitar and hand-claps hooks your ear. And the song itself is just a really straight forward love song. It's brilliant. -Greg

4) Precious Time - The Maccabees

I wanted to share a band with you that, if you were just discovering them, it would be a good time to get into them. The Maccabees, out of South London, are a good example of one of my favorite genres - British post-punk. They opened for Bloc Party (another of my favorite British bands) recently and have been pretty successful in the UK, but have remained largely unknown here. This song in particular is one of my favorites (although "About Your Dress" was a close runner-up for my playlist choice), and they've got a new album called "Wall of Arms" due out next month! Their debut album "Colour It In" features a lot of songs like this one, with poppy, guitar-driven energy and Orlando Weeks' almost pouty-sounding vocals. -Nora

5) Sway - The Kooks

The Kooks are one of my all-time favorite British bands. This week's choices were really tough for me, since I had so many things I love that I wanted to include, but this song made the cut because I just love them so much. The Kooks have a couple of songs you may have heard of (probably "Always Where I Need to Be", the single from their latest album "Konk"), but this song is probably my favorite off of that album. I don't know exactly what it is I love about the Kooks, but whatever it is, it gets me listening to them again and again. Hopefully you'll like this song as much as I do! As a side note, I saw them live last summer and they unfortunately had nowhere near as much energy as they do on their studio stuff...at least I have their albums to cherish. -Nora

6) Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants - Wild Beasts

I love NPR. Their All Songs Considered program introduced this little ditty to me a few months ago. Wild Beasts (isn't that a great band name?) are a band out of Kendall, England and "Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants" (say that three times- fast) is their first single off of Limo, Panto- their debut album. Based on the title, and the lyrics, this song doesn't make much sense. That's alright through, it's not supposed to- it's supposed to make you want to dance. And it does make me want to dance- in fact, I'm dancing as I type this. The thumping bass, syncopated wood-block, jangly off-beat guitar, and Hayden Thorpe's outer-worldly falsetto all synergestically (I don't think that's a word) create this mass of sound that just makes one move. -Greg
Wild Beasts are one of my recent discoveries that I'm listening to a lot right now - I'm glad they made it onto the list! The two lead vocalists (Hayden Thorpe, who has that Antony Hegarty-esque voice that you hear on most of their tracks, and Tom Fleming, who also plays bass for the band) did a Black Cab session a little while back that I'll try to post soon - it's very pared down and lets their vocal talent really shine through. My favorites from them right now are "The Devil's Crayon" and the wonderfully titled "She Purred While I Grred" - check them out! -Nora
I couldn't find an album cut of this song for the playlist below, but the version I got on there is still good. -Greg

7) Any Way You Choose to Give It - The Black Ghosts

Ok, so besides the post-punk thing, I also love house music that comes out of Britain. I mean LOVE. I could do a show just on that...but I'm pretty sure Greg would jump out of a window about three minutes in. So I'll refrain. However, I couldn't keep house off the list entirely. While The Black Ghosts aren't really house per se (they'd probably be better classified as electro-rock), the two members of this duo are very strongly associated with house. Simon Lord, the vocalist, was the singer of SIMIAN - ie, the precursor to Simian Mobile Disco (who is coming to town on the 25th, get your tix!), and Theo Keating is better known as Fake Blood, who I played on the Cover/Remix show - he's causing a big stir in the DJ world with his chopped-up ravey sound and just did an Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1, which basically means he's an important DJ to know. Actually, you may already be familiar with the Black Ghosts from their contribution to the "Twilight" soundtrack. Their songs are actually pretty diverse, but this one is my fave - hopefully someone out there will back me up on how catchy and good this song is. -Nora

8) Can't Stand Me Now - The Libertines

I felt obliged to include the Libertines just because they were such an important band in the contemporary British rock scene. Their style kind of blends indie and straight-up punk, and it really marked a resurgence of Britrock because their sensibility is so characteristic of England - I mean, these guys couldn't possibly be from anywhere else. The Libs always sound to me like they're about to fall apart, but they actually kept it together well and made some great rock that's unique and fresh while being totally adherent to the British aesthetic at the same time. This is the opening track off their second album, which is self-titled. They've unfortunately split up since, allegedly over lead singer Pete Doherty (who was on-and-off with Kate Moss for quite some time)'s drug addictions. He's gone on to front the band Babyshambles, but to me his music will never be quite as good as it was with the Libs. -Nora

9) 15 Step - Radiohead

There's nothing more I can say about Radiohead that hasn't been said before. They validated my previous statement in 2007 with the release of In Rainbows. That album in some ways was that statement- no, you really can't say anything about Radiohead that hasn't been said, they're that good. "15 Step" is the opening track off that album. The feel of the song is being overwhelmed- the busy procession creates an overwhelming sense of chaos as Thom Yorke asks "how come I end up where I stated?" over and over again. The elements of the song accumulate quickly building into a song that soars and stretches far and above. To some Radiohead can be a spiritual experience. Perhaps. -Greg

10) Olympic Airways - Foals

While there's a lot of great post-punk and house coming out of Britian, there's also some music that kind of defies classification. Take Foals, a group out of Oxford that is actually enormous in the UK - their album made #3 on the charts there. I think this band is so unique and interesting - if you get into their sound at all after hearing this song, get your hands on their album, "Antidotes", which was produced in part by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio. It takes you on such an interesting ride, and their music really is unlike anything. I picked this song because it's probably the most accessible while still giving you a taste of their characteristic sound. As you can tell from a lot of my choices throughout the history of the show, I like music and artists that draw from a range of influences, and you can see a bunch of genres at work here - electro, punk, minimalism, math rock...the list goes on. To me they sound experimental yet very well-put together. See what you think. -Nora

11) You Know I'm No Good (Amy Winehouse cover) - Arctic Monkeys

So while picking songs for this week, I wanted to put in both an Amy Winehouse song and an Arctic Monkeys song. I decided to make a compromise. The boys from Sheffield covering the tabloid sensation of Enfield. The good thing about this is that the Arctic Monkeys are always willing to play covers of songs and there's a bunch floating around the inter-webs. The song gives a look into the Arctic Monkeys' sound- generally, they pump up the bass and treble and kill the mids, and Alex Turner's accent comes out in full force. A lot of folks may not like either of these two artists associated with this song because of their behavior or some such. To those people, I ask: who gives a shit? It's good music. -Greg
I used to not like the Arctic Monkeys very much, but they're really grown on me. My favorites are probably "Balaclava," "Fluorescent Adolescent," "Do Me a Favour," and "A Certain Romance." -Nora

12) Babe I'm Gonna Leave You - Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin. What can I say? My dad listened to them. I listen to them. My children will probably listen to them. To me, they always top the greatest rock bands of all time (sorry, Beatles and Rolling Stones fans). Their live stuff and jam sessions are simply out of this world - most bands you hear today aren't able to even record stuff that good. Honestly, if you don't think Led Zeppelin is the greatest band ever, I will fight you. That's no lie. This song has to be my absolute favorite - it was an eye-opener and life-changer when I first heard it in high school. I can't even articulate everything that's awesome about Led Zeppelin - vocals, merging of different genres, sweet sweet guitar...I can't even put it into words, so I'm going to stop trying. Just listen. -Nora

That's it for this week. Tune in next week where we'll look at New Yorkers. Nora's 21 then, maybe we'll drink to it.

Flavor of the Week (4/12/09)

2009-04-12T12:10:00.002-04:00

This week I present to you The Harlem Shakes.

These guys have been around for a couple of years but they just released their first LP earlier this year. They're one of the many bands to come out of the Brooklyn scene and you can hear the similarities with other Brooklyn acts like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and Vampire Weekend. Personally, the Harlem Shakes sound like they fit between those two bands somewhere.

This song is called "Strictly Game" and it's off of their debut album Technicolor Health. The main knock on Technicolor Health is that it doesn't capture the Shakes' live sound- which is apparently something those hipsters dig. Having seen them only once, I can't really remember what their "live sound" unless I describe it in vague adjectives like "fun" and "energetic." All I really have to make any judgment is Technicolor Health- and tell you the truth, I kinda like it. In "Strictly Game" the energy really comes out in the recording- it's a synergy of the drum line, the harmonious "ooohs," the group-singing of the chorus, that quick bending guitar lick and the lead singer's delivery- it's just so full energy.

Below are two videos of the song, the first one is a video of a live performance of it, the second one is the studio version of the song. You know for comparison's sake. Give it a listen.

I'm not kidding about Glen Hansard

2009-04-11T14:09:00.006-04:00

Hey guys! I never do this (have my own posts), but I felt the need to share this with you all. Ever since playing the Frames on the last show I've been delving a lot more into their stuff. Listening to a studio recording can only show you so much, and Glen Hansard is such a powerful musical talent that his live material is absolutely stunning. To prove my point, I found this clip from a concert he did in Berlin last year. The stage is dark, so you can't see much, but the sound of the video is so raw and elemental it's unreal. I'm sure it's nothing to seeing him perform in person - if I ever get the chance, I'm all over it (and the same should go for you!) - but this should give you a taste of what a phenomenal musician he is and what seeing the Frames live might be like. Hope you enjoy it!

The 6 at 9: The 90s

2009-04-09T22:00:00.003-04:00

This week on The 6 at 9, we look at the 90s. The 90s was the decade we all grew up in so you'll get a bunch of songs you should recognize.

1) "No Rain" - Blind Melon

When I found out our subject was the 90s for this week, I asked myself how I could grasp the entire decade in one song. My answer to that hypothetical was "No Rain." Between their music video of this song (the tap-dancing bumble bee), and just the sheer conspicuous presence of the song during the era, the song = the 90s. That opening sliding guitar lick and the opening line ("All I can say is that my life is pretty plain") captures that sense of the 90s as the hangover from the 80s. Gone is that glossy sound from the hair-metal production style, in is the lo-fi-ish sound. Gone are the terrible lyrical innuendos about sex, in are straight-forward lyrics about doing nothing at all. And to cap it all off, the song was a one-hit-wonder since lead-singer Shannon Hoon died before Blind Melon could make another hit. I don't know really- it makes sense to me. -Greg

2) "Baby's Got Sauce" - G. Love and Special Sauce

This song was one of my favorites back in the day. G. Love & Special Sauce make some really chill, laid-back, blues-y alternative hip-hop, if that makes any sense...you might not get what that means until you hear them. Great music for the summertime or just cruising, it totally incorporates that chill vibe characteristic of the nineties that Greg was talking about earlier. Their self-titled album that this is off of is a solid one to check out if you like this tune. -Nora

3) "Nicotine & Gravy" - Beck

Beck, who I played a little bit ago on the Californians show, is an artist that I listened to a bit when I was younger but have really been delving deeper into lately. Although I haven't gotten my hands on this album (Midnite Vultures) until recently, it was a pretty big one at the time of its release in 1999. What I love about Beck, as I've mentioned before, is how he takes all sorts of elements from all sorts of genres and crafts some really unique and great grooves. Because it's inspired by such a wide range of influences, Beck's music really is timeless and there's something for everyone. I've been listening to this song a lot recently, and I hope you like it as much as I do! -Nora

4) "C.R.E.A.M." - Wu-Tang Clan

What would a playlist about the 90s be without some hip-hop? The Wu-Tang Clan is a legendary hip-hop collective from Staten Island and it features RZA, GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, Masta Killa and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. Of all 90s hip-hop, I have a special place in my heart for the Wu. The Wu made an art out of sampling through the brilliance of RZA's production skills. This track samples from "As Long As I've Got You" by The Charmels, and features Method Man, Raekwon and Inspectah Deck and is probably the Wu's most prominent hit. Give it a listen, and remember: "cash rules everything around me, dollar, dollar bills y'all." -Greg

5) "King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1" - Neutral Milk Hotel

Of all the songs I chose, this is probably the only song I never really heard during the 90s. I actually discovered Neutral Milk Hotel on my own last year and I'm glad I did. Well, I'm glad now because I love indie rock, and Neutral Milk Hotel's pretty indie, coming out of that Elephant 6 group. (I actually only heard this song for the first time about a month ago.) This track is off of Aeroplane Over the Sea, arguably the best album of the 90s. I love the instrumentation of this song- starts with acoustic guitar, then accordion and bass, then violin. It's used to add layers to add to the build effect throughout the song. It's great. -Greg

6) "Someday" - Sugar Ray

Back in the 4th grade, I bought my first album with my own money. That album was 14:59 by Sugar Ray, and because of the above fact, it will always be a part of my history. Choosing that one album to buy with the money I'd strategically saved from surplus lunch-money wasn't a task I took lightly. I really liked this album. I've since found music that I prefer, but just listening to anything off this album instantly brings back memories of playing it on repeat on road trips during those summers- blasting them from my computer speakers as I read Huckleberry Finn- rocking out with the door closed because I was too self-conscious of being embarrassed. The memories. And this song has that sense of optimism I was full back then. -Greg

7) "Don't Look Back in Anger" - Oasis

"Slip inside the eye of your mind..." When I hear that line, the only thing I want to do is sing along. I can always rely on someone playing this song on the jukebox when I'm out in a pool hall somewhere and then everyone sings along- privately or aloud. That's what's great about this song: it instantly compels its listener to take part. Its chorus is what does it- it's just challenging-enough vocally to make it feel like an accomplishment afterwords. And boy do you feel good! Yea, so what if (What's the Story) Morning Glory? isn't as "good" as Definitely Maybe? Nothing on that album makes you feel so kick-ass afterward. Excuse me while I sing along... "SO SALLY CAN WAIT..."-Greg

8) "Electioneering" - Radiohead

"Electioneering" is the 8th track off of Radiohead's masterpiece OK Computer. The guitar riff is- let's just say the first time I heard it, I felt like I was punched in the face, but in a good way. This song just rocks so hard. It moves at a brisk 228 beats per minute kept by cowbell, Thom Yorke's voice just soars above the colossal-sounding guitars, elements are added throughout the song building into something monstrous in its aural size. I never understood what Thom Yorke was actually singing, but I don't have to- you listen to it, and you get it, you understand. Do you understand? -Greg

9) "Sunburn" - Muse

Muse. I love them. So good. This album (Showbiz, released in 1999) was actually the last one that I got my hands on and fell in love with (because I fell in love with each of the albums once I got a hold of them). This song is a great representation of their sound and what they do so well. Matt Bellamy's almost eerie tenor/falsetto (not to mention his phenomenal guitar and piano skills) are all showcased here, as well as the blend of melodic, hard rock, and alternative styles that define their music. The intensity of the music, lyrics, and vocals always get me, and this song really shows off all those elements that make Muse one of my all-time favorite bands. -Nora

10) "Perfect" - Smashing Pumpkins

This song was another one of my favorites back in the day. I always thought it was so beautiful and mysterious in such a way that I felt I never fully understood it. The Smashing Pumpkins were without a doubt one of the best bands of the nineties (that's a fact) and Billy Corgan is such a phenomenal musician and lyricist. This song was the second single off the album "Adore" (the follow-up to the iconic "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness"), but it never fully took off. I guess that's because this song expresses emotion in such a way that it's almost impalpable; you can't quite grasp what Billy Corgan is trying to say but the emotion still hits you and tugs at your heartstrings. At least, that's how I always saw it - let me know if you totally get what he means. -Nora
I couldn't find a copy of "Perfect" for the playlist below. In its stead is "Today." Sorry. -Greg

11) "Revelate" - The Frames

I wanted to throw a little something different on the playlist, and I chose this song, which I've been listening to quite a lot recently. If you've seen the movie "Once" (which is one of my absolute favorites), you know the singer/songwriter Glen Hansard, who acted in and wrote music for the film. Before he was involved in the movie (the theme song for which he and co-star Marketa Irglova won the 2008 Academy Award for Best Original Song), he was the frontman of an Irish band called the Frames. They have been incredibly influential and popular in Ireland, but remain largely unheard of in the US. They're still going strong - they released an album in 2008 called "The Cost", which is available on iTunes - but this song is the first track from their second album "Fitzcarraldo", which came out in the mid-nineties. It's a recent discovery for me but it's definitely inspired me to give this band some more attention, and hopefully you'll feel the same way. -Nora

12) "Talking Shit about a Pretty Sunset" - Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse has taken me a while to get used to and fully appreciate - it thought they were too folksy at first and Isaac Brock's voice really got to me - but this is one of the songs that helped me make the transition. Their music can be eclectic and the vocals take some getting used to, but they're absolutely a great band and a skilled set of musicians. They've also got the lyrics, which is something I definitely look for. This song is hard for me to describe - beautiful, chill, heartbreaking, despairing, hopeful... I can't really pinpoint the range of emotions this song evokes for me. All I know is I love and connect with it, and I hope you do too. -Nora

So that's what we got for the 90s. Tune in next week when we'll be looking at music from Great Britain- or "Brits" for short. 'Till next week.

The 6 at 9: Grrl Power

2009-04-02T22:00:00.003-04:00

This week on The 6 at 9 our theme is Grrl Power. We're looking at music made by and featuring women. Lots of contemporary music on this one.

1) Sunshowers - MIA

This is probably my favorite MIA song, and it was her very first single (in contrast to the meteoric popularity of her latest single, 'Paper Planes'). MIA is an incredible artist - the first song of hers that I heard was "Bucky Done Gun", which I thought was really wierd and crazy but really kickass at the same time. I love her music because it's distinctive and blends so many different things all together - you can really hear the world influence in her beats. As an honorable mention, I was also considering 'Galang' for the playlist, which is my other favorite off of her debut 2005 album "Arular." Definitely check it out! -Nora

2) Smile - Lily Allen

I remember the first time I heard this song. I was driving home from school and it began to play on WFUV. I couldn't help thinking how catchy it is. The production is really loud and there's no sense of dynamics, but the all-encompassing nature of the sound gives the song a certain effect: it allows the music to be as engrossing as possible. I wasn't bothered by Allen's distinct accent- in fact, I thought it was quite fitting given the hints of ska throughout the song. What I love the most about this song is that while the music is all bouncy and happy-sounding, the lyrics paint a different picture. The singer enjoys watching her ex significant other in misery- it "makes her smile." The contrast is mind-boggling, and that's why it's awesome. -Greg
I'm really glad Greg chose to put Lily Allen on the playlist! She's got attitude and her music is unique and distinctive to her, which is exactly what I look for in female singers. If you like this one, you should also check out my favorites off of her first album: "Knock 'Em Out", "Not Big", and "Shame for You". -Nora

3) Piece of My Heart - Janis Joplin

So I chose this song for a number of reasons. One: As I've mentioned before, I'm really not into most female singers I hear today. I hear very few special female voices overtop music I'm into - while a lot of contemporary female singers have nice voices, they use them in a way that I think is very airy-fairy and sing overtop nice & pretty folk music. Boring! I like female voices with grit over music that rocks, set a bit apart from the folky female singers that are so popular today. I think Janis was the precursor to artists like Karen O - taking a musical style dominated by men and showing that not only can women rock as hard, but they can also add something really special and unique to the genre. What says girl power more? Two: I mentioned on last week's show the influence that my parents had on my musical upbringing, and this one was one of my mom's favorites. I actually stole the Janis Joplin CD that this track is off of from her...sorry, Ma. -Nora
What can be said about Janis Joplin that hasn't been said? What always made Joplin special for me was just the way she infuses emotionality into her singing. When she sings about hurt, it really does, when she sings about joy, it really is. -Greg

4) Mercy (Live on BBC Radio One) - Duffy

Before anything, let me say that I hate the studio recording of this song. It's everything wrong with production today- its noisy, overbearing and too glossy. This particular version is a more stipped down version with a more distinct R&B or soul feel to it- they got rid of all that production crap and replaced it with simple drums and guitars. Doesn't Duffy's voice "pop" more in the stripped down live version? I think it does. Speaking of Duffy, she's huge across the pond- she's become the face of the Pepsi's UK campaign. She's got the vocal chops to justify her hugeness, but it's only a matter of time before us Yanks catch on to this Duffy character. - Greg

5) I'm Good, I'm Gone - Lykke Li

I really like Lykke Li's voice and music because it fits the standards I've been talking about, although maybe in not as obvious a way. What I like about her voice is that it's not just sweet and pretty - I think she sounds like a sassy little girl mouthing off (maybe it's just the Swedish accent, but whatever it is, it works). Her music is also very unique and fun, blending all sorts of sounds to create a great sort of pop that works very well with her sound. She's hit pretty big, look out for more of her in the future! - Nora
Why is there so much great English pop music coming out of Sweden? It's great that there is, but it doesn't seem to make too much sense. Lykke Li took a little while for her to grow on me. Something about the music itself screamed "I'm weird!" and I've come to accept that. I love the percussive piano and hand claps in this song, it effectively provides a measure of soul in a song that otherwise could have sounded like a part of the flat electronic soundscape. Piano = soul. Thanks Motown music! -Greg

6) He War - Cat Power

Cat Power's also got it ('it' being unique music and a voice with attitude). A one-woman show, Chan Marshall brings her distinctive vocals, piano accents, and deconstructed guitar riffs all together to bring a new sort of take to the term 'singer/songwriter.' This song is off of her album "You Are Free", which I think is the only one you need from her (to me, her original material far surpasses her covers). -Nora

7) Human Racing - St. Vincent

St. Vincent, otherwise known as Annie Clark, spent years as a member as The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens' band. She's real good. No really, she is. "Human Racing" was off of her debut solo album Marry Me. It's a really cool song if you're a fan of bossa nova. It starts like one with the intricate guitar part that becomes less bossa nova like as it gets more and more busy. The song builds into something that goes beyond bossa nova and brings it solidly into the world of popular music. Hand-claps, organs, horns, and a reverb-induced sense of the cosmos is what does it. If you liked this song, check out the rest of Marry Me and hold on for St. Vincent's new album Actor, which comes out in about a month. -Greg

8) Uh-Merica - Regina Spektor

I love Regina Spektor. She's not bad playing those keys, has a charming quirkiness to her music in general, and her vocal ability is astounding. Her control over her own voice is tremendous, and she routinely uses unconventional vocal techniques in her songs like the use of glottal stops in the "UH!" of this song. This particular song is one of the deeper tracks in her catalog, it was one of the bonus tracks on the deluxe edition of 2006's Begin to Hope. The song is simply a piano and Ms. Spektor, but despite that, the song doesn't feel flimsy- everything feels like its been accounted for. And what do those lyrics mean? I have no idea, I suppose it's whatever you want it to be. -Greg

9) Falling Man - Blonde Redhead

I know a bunch of people who absolutely love Blonde Redhead, and I never got that into them until recently. I've come to really appreciate shoegaze-inspired music, of which I think bands like Blonde Redhead and Asobi Seksu are the contemporary forerunners. One of the things I find really interesting about shoegaze is that shoegaze bands are traditionally fronted by women (just look at two of the greats: The Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine). How many other genres can say that? It totally works - I really can't see a man's voice giving the same otherwordly feel and attitude as Kazu Makino's. Most fans say that "23" is their best album, but this one's off of "Misery is a Butterfly". -Nora

10) 100 Days, 100 Nights - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

Sharon Jones is trying to keep soul alive in the new Millenium. She's doing one fine job at it. She was working as an armored car guard when she got her big break. Jones is definately a revivalist act, but she doesn't harken to a specific artist or sound. Rather, she seems to hark on the entire sound of the 60s and 70s Motown and soul scenes. She's got a powerful voice that could just as easily have been used in an epic disco ballad- but instead she's doing soul. She's backed by the Dap-Kings who are a backing band much like Booker T and the MGs. It's great music- glad it's making a comeback. -Greg

11) Master of None - Beach House

I included this song because I think Beach House is a really great, unique band. Their music truly does sound like a stay at a beach house - ambient and relaxing, you can almost hear the waves and the seagulls in the distance. Also, they're local (from Baltimore), which is why I wanted to make a plug for them. I've had a few chances to see them but none have worked out - hopefully it'll happen before I leave the city. It was a close tie between this song and 'Gila', but I chose to include 'Master of None' because it was the first one I fell in love with. -Nora

12) Acid Tongue - Jenny Lewis

There's really no specific reason why I like Jenny Lewis. She's not particullarly groundbreaking or anything, she's just real good at what she does. If it's not creating solid pop music with Rilo Kiley, it's folk-infused singer-songwriter stuff. This is some of the latter. The peculiat thing is that there's really not much that draws the listener in. Most of the song is just a guitar, Jenny Lewis and some disembodied back-up voices. Despite the simplicity of the arrangement, she song has a definitive sense of building. In fact, I think the song gets louder as it progresses. Really the most interesting thing about the song is the lyrics- it's hard for a song to exist as a lyrical entity today. More credit to Ms. Lewis. -Greg
I absolutely hate this song. I'm sorry. I can't keep it inside. -Nora

Well that was the show. Tune in next week, our theme will be the 90s. There definitely will be flashbacks to your childhood.

Flavor of the Week (3/29/09)

2009-03-29T11:51:00.003-04:00

This week, I give you "Pork and Beans" by Weezer.

It's been a little while hasn't it? This past week we did a show on California and Weezer was one of the featured bands. To my surprise, my co-host, Nora who chose the Weezer song, was completely unaware of Weezer's latest album, the Red Album. So this "Flavor of the Week" is for Nora.

"Pork and Beans" was Weezer's first single off of the Red Album. The music video for this song has been one of the most memorable recently in that it features and references a whole slew of internet memes that have existed. From the Numa Numa guy, to the dramatic hampster, afro-ninja, Tay Zonday, the Mentos and diet Coke guys, history of dance, Chris Cocker, PEANUTBUTTER JELLY TIME, and so fourth.

The song itself isn't bad either. It's Weezer doing what they do best- making pop-punk, a genre that they themselves helped to create. It has the same angst as all the other Weezer songs that we all listened to an enjoyed back in middle school and high school. It's not as raw, but tempered angst is better than none. Rivers Cummo's delivery is always drenched in sarcasm- his verses are bitterly sardonic with references to brands and popular culture but his choruses tell you that he "don't give a hoot about what you think." The song is littered with great little hooks all over the place, my personal favorite being the humming of the guitar part in the verses.

Well that's that. I'll be back same time next week.

Pork and Beans - Weezer

The 6 at 9: California

2009-03-26T22:00:00.003-04:00

This week on The 6 at 9, we look at the great state of California. A lot of great music has come from the Golden State we'll just show you a little bit of our favorites.

1) "Santeria" by Sublime

Sublime was a band from Long Beach, CA that I feel most people in our age bracket are familiar with. I've always associated Sublime's sound with southern California- that sorta ska sound with a swagger that can only attributed to Mary Jane and her friends. "Santeria," which has nothing to do with the Caribbean religion, is a nice little tune that showcases everything Sublime was all about musically- great bass grove, the reggae/dub ascetic, guitar part with hints of psychedelia, and a narrative in the lyrics. Yea, that's Sublime for you. -Greg

2) "Miss Alissa" by Eagles of Death Metal

This is a band that Greg got me into, actually. They're tons of fun - just straight up hard rock, no restraint, no excuses, and their music is a roarin' good time while not worrying about too much else. This particular song came up when I downloaded a playlist that Jack Black put together of his favorite songs: he described it as a "rip snortin' humdinger", and I don't think I could say it any better myself. -Nora
I love this band. Straight outta Palm Beach, CA, with Jesse "the Devil" Hughes and Josh Homme (of Queens of the Stone Age fame), make some great balls-to-the-wall rock. I hear the story behind the name of this band was a phrase someone used to describe the band Vader to Hughes- "they're like the Eagles of death metal." Hughes took this idea and asked "what would 'The Ealges' of death metal be like?" and resulted in the first album. Let me tell you, it's nothing like death metal. -Greg

3) "Hang Me Out to Dry" by the Cold War Kids

This band is from Fullerton and brings with them a strange sound. They definitely have an aged sound- between how they use reverb, the use of an upright piano, and general attempt to get a more "garage" sound. The bass part in this song, despite how simple it is (it's only 4 notes total), is absolutely mesmerizing. Everything else builds on top of this hypnotic and unyielding drive of the bass. The guitar and piano in those instrumental breaks are like little moments of sunlight on an overcast day- they cut through for brief moments before they become obscured again, leaving you wanting a little more every time. -Greg

4) "Soul Kitchen" by the Doors

The Doors are from Los Angeles and were comprised of Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger, and John Densmore. Their sound was a fusion of blues, garage rock, soul, and avant garde poetry. This particular song is off of their self titled album and is often overshadowed by the other cuts on it, but I feel like it is the best one-song representation of what the Doors are all about. That organ that starts out the song, that opening guitar lick that Robbie Krieger just busts out, the jazzy chord progression, the nondescript poetry, the energetic explosion in the chorus- that's the Doors alright and it's only the Doors. No matter what, the original line up of the Doors created music- they created a sound- that was absolutely unique. -Greg

5) "Evil Ways" by Santana

Before Carlos Sanata was giving praise to Metatron, he introduced America to Latin Rock. Formed in the acid-soaked streets of San Francisco in 1966, Santana (the band) has seen a revolving cast of musicians led by Carlos Santana. The music of Santana (at least early Santana before the late 70s and the 80s happened) had elements of Latin music, jazz, and blues/blues rock. Unsurprisingly, their sound, as well as the caliber of musicians they had, they were quite capable of jamming and were a big part of the San Fransisco jam band scene in the late 60s with bands like The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. "Evil Ways" is a fun song- the vocals are sung by Gregg Rolie (who also plays that awesome Hammond organ) and features two prominent solos by Rolie on the organ and Santana on guitar. The fusion of their styles are quite apparent- we get the jam band stuff with the two long solos they have, the jazz flavors in that syncopated chord progression, and the Latin flavors are all in the percussion (I'm convinced that that's all it takes to give a song a "Latin" feel- percussion) between the claves, guiro, bongos, and timbales. -Greg

6) "Cellphone's Dead" by Beck

Beck is a really interesting character in the alternative rock world. He's been around for fifteen years now, but his music still sounds fresh. He takes from a broad range of influences - blues, rock, jazz, hip-hop, folk, and the list goes on - to make some really interesting tunes. I've been listening to this song a ton lately - it's from Beck's 2006 album "The Information," which was the result of three year's on-and-off recording and is supposed to be his take on a hip-hop album. I don't know if that best describes it (I find a lot of disco and funk, especially on this track), but whatever you call it, the groove is killer. -Nora

7) "Frank Sinatra" by CAKE

Yet again we feature CAKE on our show. CAKE's from Sacramento and they're one of my favorite bands. This particular song is my favorite CAKE song. The song is incredibly charming- between the odd organ/keyboards (I guess California = organs for me), the jangly acoustic guitar, the lead guitar with the crunchy distortion, the echoing drums, the trumpet, the quirky lyrics, the distant yelping, and always awesome bass part, there's enough elements to make this song as unique as it possibly can. And all of those elements build from the beginning until you have this large audio stew at the end that fades out. I love this song. -Greg

8) "Stereo" by Pavement

Pavement, hailing from Stockton, California, was by some accounts the first modern indie rock band. Back in the 90s, they churned out five classic albums that were thought-provoking as well as id-provoking. Something about Pavement songs make me want to do something hedonistic or senseless- I'm not quite sure why. Stephen Malkmus, who's gone on to continue after Pavement, has a talent for song writing. It's a kind of stream of consciousness type of lyrical debauchery/musings that gives each song an intrinsic and uncanny charm. We see that in "Stereo" with one of the greatest opening lines in any song: "Pigs tend to wiggle when they walk." What? If none of this is making sense to you, it's okay. It's music, it's meant to be listened to, not talked about. Listen to it. -Greg

9) "Lights" by Journey

This song is in tribute to my dad, who had a big part to play in fostering my love of music early on. While my grandmother was an organist and my mom played the piano and sang (with a beautiful soprano voice), my dad let me play in the basement with his turntable and hundreds of albums that he bought when he was in high school and college (among them: Rubber Soul, Abraxas, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, Are You Experienced?, Black Sabbath - and my personal favorite, The Rascals, which I always used to play in middle school when I needed to get away). Although I can't say I'll ever love Jethro Tull or Yes as much as my dad does, Journey is one of the bands he shared with me that I grew to love as well. Believe it or not, they've got a ton of great rock songs under their belt, and it always makes me angry to hear them simply referred to as the band who sang "Don't Stop Believin'." There's a lot more out there, guys. Take this song, for example, which is a tribute to their hometown of San Francisco. -Nora

10) "The Good Life" by Weezer

I would feel remiss if I didn't include some Weezer on the Californians show, since they're really a band of our generation (the Echo Boomers, as I've heard we are called). However, they shouldn't be dismissively labeled as a band of the nineties and early 2000s - let's not forget the incredible musical talent that is Rivers Cuomo and the countless sweet guitar riffs and solos that Weezer came up with. I've actually discovered this song pretty recently, and I enjoy it quite a lot. It's off their second album, "Pinkerton," which was critically and commercially panned but which many staunch fans claim is their best album. -Nora

11) "Don't Forget Me" by Red Hot Chili Peppers

I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I'll say it again: I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And no, not "Dani California" or "Scar Tissue" - I mean "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," "Show Me Your Soul," "This is the Place," and "Charlie," to name a few of the other songs I was considering for the playlist. This band has been around for around twenty years now and they continue to rock like nothing else - between Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, Flea, and Chad Smith (who are all legends in their own right), the talent is unbelievable. I saw them play during my freshman year - it involved me spending a few hundred dollars and leaving to come back to Baltimore for class the next day at 5am, but it was 100% worth it. I chose this song because it's one that every true Chili Peppers fan knows and loves. -Nora

12) "The Season" by the Dodos

We've played this group on the Valentine's Day edition of The 6 at 9, but I think they're so great that they're showing up again. They're a duo out of San Francisco that released their debut album "Visiter" last year. They've been called a "psychedelic folk" band, but I'm not sure exactly how I would describe them. This song is probably my favorite by them - I think it's just magnificent. Stunning, droning, moving, lulling, haunting... and always so powerful and beautiful. I can't wait to hear what these guys will create next, and I hope you enjoy the journey of this song as much as I do. -Nora

And that was the great state of California.

I think it's pretty clear what kind of music we listen to. I mean, where's the hardcore hip-hop, the g-funk, the Beach Boys? When we're forced to choose, I think Nora and I both lean towards guitar-driven classic rock and indie before we move to having to chose the more obvious choices. Of course, we have our differences too- Nora will grab a house song while I'll be more inclined to choose a standard or classic rock.

Join us next week as we look at "Grrrl Power." Toodles.

I Love The Colbert Report

2009-03-20T16:12:00.005-04:00

I really love The Colbert Report. Something about snarky sarcasm- it always appeals to me.

Recently Colbert had issued a challenge to RNC chairman Michael Steele to a freestyle battle. You know, because Mr. Steele has been trying (and I stress, trying) to convince talking heads on the news networks that he's trying to appeal to "urban and suburban hip-hop settings." So in the video below we have Stephen Colbert's "freestyle" rap (I'm cynical so I think he read off a prompter) followed by Steele's "hip-hop response" which is a pretty cool mashup video.

Give it a look.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Michael Steele's Rap Battle Response

comedycentral.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Mark Sanford

Everyone Loves CAKE

2009-03-18T20:01:00.003-04:00

How are you all doing today?

I've been a bit lax with the posting and stuff- I missed putting up a flavor of the week so I'll make up for that with this little video below.

Now a lot of you know I love CAKE, the band and the foodstuff as well. I'm not the only one. Here's a video of a 5 year old "covering""The Distance" by CAKE. How adorable. She's gonna be one chic indie rocker when she grows up.

Enjoy.

No show this week

2009-03-12T21:06:00.002-04:00

Like the title says.

Seems like the radio station's closed for spring break... or everyone just went to the Modest Mouse concert. I'm still kicking myself for not getting tickets in time before they sold out- there was no way I was going to pay a scalper twice the price of the ticket. Oh well.

When we come back from spring break, our first show after will be on California. We'll be looking at bands and artists from the Golden State. Until then, enjoy your spring break and take care.

-Greg

Flavor of the Week (3/8/09)

2009-03-08T14:39:00.002-04:00

This week I give you "Rocks Off" by The Rolling Stones.

"Rocks Off" is a great song. It just so happens that it is a Rolling Stones song. It's the lead track off of Exile on Main St. and deserves its spot right there. As a Stones song, its got everything you'd want from the Stones- the raw sexuality of Jagger spitting out the lyrics, the locomotive guitar riffs of Keith Richards, blaring horns in the chorus, blues piano, moving rhythm part- just everything that made the Stones great in the first place. The lyrics, like the rest of the song are brash- "Headed for the overload, /Splattered on the dirty road, /Kick me like you've kicked before, /I cant even feel the pain no more." In some ways, you could consider this song the epitome of rock and roll. That spirit, that sense of reckless abandon and absolute freedom- this is what Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis was inevitably heading towards.

And maybe that was it. It makes sense now why Spoon played this song when they were touring to promote their album, Ga^5, last year. I heard a lot of Exile on Main St. on Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga- from the color pallet of the album art, the prominent use of horns, enough hints of blues to remind you of rock's roots, shifty song writing, white-soul infused singing- that was Spoon's best approximation of Exile.

So that's why this is my song of the week- I spent a lot of time splitting my time listening to my share of indie rock and classic rock and I've settled on it- "Rocks Off" is the zenith of rock and roll as a genera of music.

Enjoy. Until next week.

The 6 at 9: Recent Discoveries

2009-03-05T22:00:00.006-05:00

This week on The 6 at 9, we look at our recent discoveries- meaning songs we've come across recently that we like. We also have our first Guest DJ in Hannah Spangler, so to accommodate Ms. Spangler, we each chose 4 songs rather than our usual 6.

1) Never Had Nobody Like You (featuring Zooey Deschanel) - M. Ward

This M. Ward track is off of his latest album which dropped a couple weeks ago on the 17th. I ran into this song while listening to NPR's All Songs Considered Concert Series where M. Ward played this amongst others solo. I have to admit that my gut reaction is that M. Ward's live sound is more pleasing to my ears than his studio sound. That's not to say his studio stuff stinks- this isn't bad at all. It's very bluesy with its syncopated 8th notes and classic 12 bar pattern driven by M. Ward's crunchy guitar. And floating above all that, we have the more delicate vocals of both M. Ward( and later Zooey Deschanel's in the chorus) to give the song an interesting measure of contrast. -Greg

2) You Only Live Once - The Strokes

I've loved the Strokes for a long time. Something about Julian Casablanca's scratchy wails and moans appeal to me. I had Impressions of Earth for a long time before I listened to anything besides "Juicebox". The other day I had their whole discography on shuffle and this song came up. It came upon me like a 90s tune you hear on the radio and get excited about. The jangly guitars do it for me, hopefully for you, too. -Hannah
The Strokes are one of my all-time favorite bands. Expect to hear more of them on the show for sure! -Nora
"Oh-ho"-Greg

3) In for the Kill - La Roux

This one is brand new! This British electro-pop duo, made up of Ben Langmaid and Elly Jackson (who has absolutely phenomenal red hair, hence the name 'La Roux'), are set to release their debut album this year and open for Lily Allen on her UK tour. This is one of the two singles they have released so far. I first heard Skream's Let's Get Ravey mix of this song which, if you love British fidget and wonky dubstep, you should definitely check out (and then give me a call so I have someone to talk to house music about). It wasn't until later that I looked up the original, which I haven't been able to stop listening to. I think it's got a nice blend of fun and bouncy vs. dark and deep, and to me it's just retro enough. -Nora
I could only find the radio edit, sorry. -Greg

4) Many Shades of Black - The Raconteurs

I had the second Raconteurs album (Consolers of the Lonely) on my iPod but hadn't really given it much consideration. Then, just last week, this song came up on my shuffle and I got really into it. I like how it draws from a bunch of different musical themes and sources - a little blues, a little jazz, a little hard rock - and, as I mentioned before, I'm all about the lyrics. Brendan Benson keeps his simple, and you can hear exactly how he feels, which is the ultimate criteria for great songwriting. -Nora
Ah, I love the Raconteurs! I love how it brings about another side of Jack White that we don't see with the White Stripes- less experimental and more straight up rock (perhaps it's because he's not being held back - I still love Meg White though). I kinda fell into it with the Raconteurs fairly recently as well, at the end of the summer. Consolers of the Lonely was one of my favorite albums of last year (check the post below). -Greg

5) The Ancient Commonsense of Things - Bishop Allen

Bishop Allen is another of the long line of bands that seem to be appearing out of Brooklyn. Their approach to their songs are more folk-pop oriented than anything else. You can hear that approach in this song with the mandolin and vibraphone we can hear. The song is literally full of hooks, a good amount of them being non-verbal. The title itself is probably the only verbal hook that's actually there. The mandolin part, the echoing guitar part, the singing of "oh"- all of these just grab a hold of your ear. This is another band I've grown fond of through NPR (I can't stress enough how great NPR is). -Greg
I couldn't find this song online for the playlist, so I put another Bishop Allen song up called "Click, Click, Click, Click." -Greg

6) Opera Singer - Cake

For reasons I still haven't figured out, I only had twelve seconds of this song. The mp3 must have broken but I never noticed. When I first heard this whole song, I listened to it about 30 times. Rediscovering their whole collection over the last few weeks has been fun but I would half to say Comfort Eagle... takes the cake... -Hannah
Ba-dum-chh! -Nora

7) Lion in a Coma - Animal Collective

This song is off of Animal Collective's latest album Merriweather Post Pavilion which was released this past January. Animal Collective is always interesting- they take a collage of sounds, that would be simple noise in some contexts, and organize it in such a way to create music. This song rests on the merits of a single sound: the dijeridu. It's kinda fun how it sounds like "lion in a coma." The odd time signature (I'm going to guess that it's in 5/4 with the dijeridu's phrase being two measures long), coupled with the task of trying to decipher the lyrics ("this wilderness have to get out of clothes (?) and get into my bathroom (?)") provides plenty of opportunities for this song to sit in your mind and be contemplated. -Greg

8) I Wanna Get High - Cypress Hill

Credit for this song would have to go to my dear friends Larissa and Abby, who love Cypress Hill and know every word to this song. Cypress Hill's career in the 90s is so impressive to me, considering you had all the other hip hop stars and their music is almost exclusively about marijuana. But credit to Sen Dog-- writers write what they know. I think the same should apply for hip hop. In any case, this is a great song. Also check out "Roll it Up, Light it Up, Smoke it Up" if you need something to chill to. -Hannah

9) Tenuousness - Andrew Bird

This song is off of Andrew Bird's latest album, Noble Beast, released this past January. I only really started listening to this song over this past weekend while I was sick. I needed something soothing and comforting to distract me from my diaphragm trying to reorganize my insides and that shrinking feeling you get from a fever. The lyrics, despite not knowing what the hell he's talking about, just sound really pretty. The rest of the song also gives me a sense movement that gently carries by rather than rush or crawl. And forget about it when he whistles- that's the cake. Just a good song is all there to be heard here. -Greg

10) Are You Swimming in Her Pools? - Swan Lake

As I mentioned on the Canada show, I am in love with Wolf Parade and have really been getting into Spencer Krug's side projects (namely, Sunset Rubdown and Swan Lake). I got my hands on the Swan Lake album (Beast Moans) a few weeks ago and, while I haven't listened to it exhaustively yet, I fell in love with this song. I think it's so great for so many reasons - I love Krug's singing and songwriting, and I love the experimental and eclectic yet completely melodic and beautiful sound the bands he's involved with create. I think this song gives you a perfect taste of what they're about. Check out the range of instruments they use - I can't even keep track! (Although I'm pretty sure I hear some xylophone in there). Also, keep your eyes open for their new album, Enemy Mine, which is due out this year. -Nora

11) Machine Gun Funk - The Notorious B.I.G.

First of all, I would like to say it now, once and for all: Biggie was better than Tupac. I might cause some problems with this statement but there it is and I'll stand by it. This particular song is one of the highlights of Ready to Die, one of his best AND it was produced by Easy Mo Bee. So there's that. If you're ever driving down 83 into the city, I highly recommend this song. Once, I timed it correctly and the line about seeing his boys in the pen played right as I drove by our lovely local jail. Biggie, the working man's poet. -Hannah

12) My Body is a Cage - Arcade Fire

This song is one of my friend Jess's favorites, but for some reason I never got into it until it came up on my shuffle last week. I go on and off of Arcade Fire, but this song strikes me as beautiful, haunting, and sexy. The organ really adds to that sense of longing and isolation that Greg mentions below, and when punctuated by the drums, I think it makes a really great and interesting sound. I thought it would be a cool song to end on as well - strong, eerie, and lingering. - Nora
I love this song- it actually was almost my song for Flavor of the Week. A lot of people knock Neon Bible in comparison to Funeral. Well you know what? Screw 'em, Neon Bible's great. This is one of the many reasons why. One word describes the mood of this song: isolation. The sense of isolation in this song is profound- the protagonist is alone and is trapped by his physical self- he's done with the material. Wanna see something that only makes the song better? Watch this[youtube]. -Greg

That's what we had this week. Tune in next week for our favorite artists from the great state of California!

Flavor of the Week (3/1/09)

2009-03-01T13:27:00.003-05:00

This week, I give you "Furr" by Blitzen Trapper, off of their 2008 debut album (off of a major label), Furr.

There's something so comfortable about this song. Between the folk instrumentation and the doubled lead vocals, the song oozes a sense of familiarity. Between the even and alternating tambourine and bass drum, in contrast to the jangly sound of the mandolin, you get almost a "metal" sound in terms of sound frequencies- there are little mids, but lots of highs and lows. Lyrically, the song is quite pretty- it's nothing substantial, but it presents a story that's like a less dour version of Kafka's Metamorphosis- the protagonist becomes a furry animal (a dog or a wolf).

That's all I got for now (I'm at war with a sickness). Until next week, enjoy.

My favorites from 2008

2009-03-01T13:01:00.003-05:00

I posted this exact entry on my old blog a few months ago. I figured I'd replicate it here.

2008 was a strange year for music. Bunches of new bands with new sounds filled my iPod. Without further adieu, here's my top 20 albums of 2008 along with my favorite track from each. It's arranged so that it's [album title]/ [artist]/ "[favorite track]." Debut albums will have an asterisk next to them.

1. Oracular Spectacular/ MGMT/ “Time to Pretend”*

2. You & Me/ The Walkmen/ “In the New Year”

3. Vampire Weekend/ Vampire Weekend/ “M79”*

4. Volume One/ She & Him/ “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?”*

5. Fleet Foxes/ Fleet Foxes/ "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song"*

6. The Stand-ins/ Okkervil River/ “Lost Coastlines"

7. Arm’s Way/ Islands/ “J'aime Vous Voire Quitter”

8. Modern Guilt/ Beck/ “Gamma Rays”

9. Real Emotional Trash/ Stephen Malkmus and Jicks/ “Dragonfly Pie”

10. Consolers of the Lonely/ The Raconteurs/ “The Switch and the Spur”

11. Youth Novels/ Lykke Li/ “Let It Fall”*

12. Hold on now, Youngster…/ Los Campesinos/ “Drop it Doe Eyes”*

13. Dear Science/ TV on the Radio/ “Golden Age”

14. Evil Urges/ My Morning Jacket/ “Evil Urges”

15. Furr/ Blitzen Trapper/ “Furr”*

16. For Emma, Forever Ago/ Bon Iver/ “Skinny Love”*

17. At Mount Zoomer/ Wolf Parade/ “California Dreamer”

18. Acid Tongue/ Jenny Lewis/ "Acid Tongue"

19. The Rhumb Line/ Ra Ra Riot/ “Dying is Fine”*

20. Narrow Stairs/ Death Cab For Cutie/ “I Will Possess Your Heart”

Honorable mentions: Limbo, Panto/ Wild Beasts/ "Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants"*; Ode to Sunshine/ The Delta Spirit/ "Trashcan"*; Da Carter III/ Lil Wayne/ "Mr.Carter (Featuring Jay-Z)"; LP3/ Ratatat/ "Mi Viejo"; Stay Positive/ The Hold Steady/ "One for the Cutters"

A quick look at the list...

Of my favorite 20 albums of the year, 9 of them are debut albums. If we include the count into the honorable mentions, there's two more debuts there. That's a lot of new music that I liked.
My favorite album was the MGMT album, but my gut feeling says that that album will probably sour on me like over time, just like milk. As far as timeless albums go, I think Vampire Weekend, Islands and Okkervil River's albums will fare best. These are the kinds of albums I can come back to in 10 years and still sound fresh to me.
Some of these albums would probably have ranked higher if I had more of a chance to listen to it- particularly I'm thinking of the Blitzen Trapper album as well as the Jenny Lewis album.
I think I'm the only person who liked You & Me as much as I did. There really isn't a big single off the album, but it's a solid full album. A friend of my put it well- The Walkmen sound like a cleaner Lou Reed. What really did it for me for this album is the live preformance of it. I saw The Walkmen live and they preformed it with an energy I haven't seen since.
One album I really didn't like that others did was Santogold's self-titled (you guessed it) debut. It just sounded like another pop album and Santogold's voice wasn't doing it for me.

I'm on a Boat

2009-02-28T17:28:00.002-05:00

Remember "Jizz in my Pants?" These guys just released their first album, Incredibad, a couple weeks ago and this is their first single: "I'm on a Boat (Featuring T-Pain)." I won't keep you too long, here it is:

Best line: "Yeaaaaaa- Poseidon look at meeeeeee" - T-Pain

The 6 at 9: Cover/Remix

2009-02-26T22:00:00.012-05:00

This week on The 6 at 9, we look at our favorite covers and remixes of songs. Well, honestly, we looked at my favorite covers, and Nora's favorite remixes. Covers and remixes are strange beasts in the world of music- they're not original, but when they can fool us into thinking they're original, they're good... or something like that.

1) Come On Eileen (Dexy's Midnight Runners Cover) - Save Ferris

What a great little way to start the show! Everyone knows the original classic from the 1980s. Pretty unique in itself. Part of what makes a good cover in my opinion is making a song "uniquely your own" as an artist. One of the easiest ways to do that effectively is change a song's genre. That's what Save Ferris did. Replace the bouncy fiddle of the original for some horns and off-beat rhythm guitar. Just when you thought the original song couldn't be any more fun, this one does. Something about ska in general makes things seem more fun. -Greg

2) We Share Our Mother's Health (Ratatat Remix) - The Knife

Ratatat makes some great remixes, but the more popular ones are off their two remix albums, which are mostly (if not all) hip-hop and R&B. However, they're just as good with a wider range of material - for example, with this song by an indie band from Sweden. I threw this on there to show a different side of Ratatat and how well their sound translates across the board. -Nora

3) All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan Cover) - Jimi Hendrix

This is probably the best cover ever. Period. This cover's so good, it is what represents the song- it made people forget about the original Dylan song. Hell, even Dylan himself changed the way he played it after hearing this version- he said Jimi did it right. And damn if it isn't a good song! This was Hendrix's only top 40 hit while he was alive (technically he's a one-hit-wonder). It's classic Hendrix, soaring guitar solos, unladen energy, driving groove, Hendrix's howl- all there. Those guitar solos, those 4 solos, each build upon one another. Each one out-does the one before until the last one kicks the song into the stratosphere at the end. First time I heard this song, I could only think one thing: "wow." No matter how many times I hear it, that's all I can think. Wow. -Greg

4) I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor Cover) - CAKE

This is my personal favorite cover. Like I've said, CAKE is one of my favorite bands and this is one of the reasons why. Everyone knows the original. When the piano flutters in, just before Gaynor's opening line "At first I was afraid, I was petrified," everyone knows the song. When CAKE starts the song, gone is the glossy piano, hello jangling acoustic guitar. On a first listen, you're not sure what this could be, but then you hear John McCrea sing "At first I was afraid, I was petrified," you instantly know what song it is. And then you smile- it's kinda funny - ironic - that a band like CAKE would cover a disco classic. But the way CAKE preforms it, there's no irony in it at all. That's what's great about this- CAKE turned this song into their own. The trumpet solo (replacing the strings of the original) gives the right amount of melodramatic flair into the song. John McCrea's flat delivery of the lyrics give the song a more of a "bitter male romantic" feel versus Gaynor's "strong righteous woman" feel. This change of feel is aided by the electric guitar that cuts through the song like a hot knife through butter. I can't stress how much I love this song. -Greg

5) Electric Feel (Justice Remix) - MGMT

I love Justice's remixes! That disco bash-y sound is so unique and, i think, adds a great edge to a lot of different material. They've remixed all sorts of stuff (Franz Ferdinand, Britney Spears, Daft Punk), but this one is probably my personal favorite of theirs - to me, it sounds like Saturday night. -Nora

6) Sexyback (Justin Timberlake Cover) - Corinne Bailey Rae

Can you see a pattern here? Most of us have heard the original Justin Timberlake version, produced by Timbaland. Corinne Bailey Rae is a modern-day song-bird more in the mold of the classic jazz singers than modern pop stars. She replaces the highly polished electric soundscape Timbaland created with a highly polished cool-bop/lounge sound. She changed the song and made it her own. The way she coons the lyrics she added a new sensuality to the song. It's an interesting cover the say the least about it. -Greg

Just another note, I couldn't find this particular version so the original is what's down in the playlist. Sorry. -Greg

7) Bring it On Home to Me (Sam Cooke Cover) - Spoon

Again, this is one of my favorite bands being featured again. I can't help it. Spoon (or is it just Britt Daniel in this instance?) covers a Sam Cooke classic. The original definitely had a classic soul feel to it- the Spoon cover brings more of a white-soul feel to it. The way Daniel sings (the almost-nasal, strained-throat sound) adds a measure of personal vulnerability to the way the song comes off. The sparse-sounding production (probably a large-hall reverb) of the Spoon cover aids in this effect. The end product feels like a Spoon song at the very end. -Greg

8) Paris is Burning (Cut Copy Remix) - Ladyhawke

Cut Copy is another very solid remix-er group. Their ambient 80s pop sound is awesome in their original work, and I think it adds a nice dimension to a bunch of different songs that they remix (like CSS, The Presets, and Kaiser Chiefs). This one is one of my favorite remixes of the moment because I love the groove it has - perfect to chill out or dance to. -Nora

9) Let Down (Radiohead Cover ) - Easy Star All-Stars

I'm a sucker for removing a song out of its original genre. This cover of Radiohead's "Let Down" (off of OK Computer) is done by the Easy Star All-Stars in reggae. Awesome. Taking Radiohead and moving it into reggae definitely give a new feel to the song. It sounds almost anachronistic playing a Radiohead in reggae, and it's definitely a nice contrast between the music's tone/mood and the downer lyrics. -Greg

10) Little Bit (CSS Remix) - Lykke Li

This one consistently tops my recently played list. CSS is another group that makes amazing remixes, but they're a bit different from the others I've picked out because I think they bring something that's a little bit unique to the songs they work on. With Justice and Ratatat and CSS, you can tell their sound as soon as you hear it, but I don't think CSS brings that to their remixes as much. (Maybe I'm just not that perceptive, but that's how I feel.) CSS has a bunch of great remixes under their belt, but this one is set apart to me by Lykke Li's vocals. I like her sweet, light voice with the edgy, techy punctuation. -Nora

11) Touch Too Much (Fake Blood Remix) - Hot Chip

Fake Blood is another one of my favorite remixers of all time, but he's pretty different from the other artists I included (and not as accessible, I think). His sound can be a little rave-y at times, but I think he's got great technical skill and the way he chops up vocals is pretty amazing. For example, the "Fake Blood"s that appear in his remixes are made by putting together the syllables from the vocals he's editing - in other words, it's not added in, it's built from sounds that were already in the original song. Pretty crazy! This is his latest remix, and I can't wait to hear what's next from him. -Nora

12) Love in This Club (MSTRKRFT Remix) - Usher

In case this didn't come across, I love MSTRKRFT. We heard how good their original material can be last week, and this week we can see their unsurpassed talent at remixing (they really have not put out one bad remix). This one is probably one of their best in my opinion. Better than the original? You decide! -Nora

That's what we got for now. Next week we'll be playing artists and songs we've recently discovered. Remember, you can chat with us on AIM at WJHU DJ during the show.

Bale Out

2009-02-25T13:11:00.004-05:00

The timing of this things is almost too perfect.

This week we'll be looking at remixes and cover versions of songs on the show, but before we do. In my search for songs fitting the theme of the show, I came across this little gem.

Unfortunately, we didn't include it onto our playlist this week, but this is pretty solid, isn't it? This is either a "cut-up" mashup or a remix of Christian Bale's pissy fit on the set of Terminator Salvation. I really don't have much to say about this other than dance.

What don't you fucking understand? No - fuck - no!

My 2 Cents: "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel" by Wilco

2009-02-22T12:57:00.000-05:00

Yankee Foxtrot Hotel by Wilco has somewhat of an arduous history.

Originally recorded between 2000 and 2001, their record label at the time, Reprise Records, refused to release the album because of a couple reasons: it was far enough of a departure from their more folksy-rock sound and the album wasn't as radio/single-friendly as the label hoped. Reprise Records dropped Wilco from their roster without releasing Yankee Foxtrot Hotel. As a part of their agreement, Wilco got the mastertapes of Yankee Foxtrot Hotel when they got their release from Reprise Records. Without a label to release the album, Wilco streamed the album online for free, building up buzz. Eventually, Nonesuch Records picked up Wilco and released Yankee Foxtrot Hotel in 2002. The album has since been considered the first great album of the new millennium.

The content of the album is what makes this album great. Yankee Foxtrot Hotel retains the classic elements of Wilco: great songwriting, atypical rock insturmentation (pianos are used in various conventional and non conventional ways, use of a string section, folk insturmentation), and a laid-back vibe. What's new was more of a traditional rock rythmn drive. Even the slower tracks like "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" have a consistant driving rythmn section. The production style of Yankee Foxtrot Hotel is more rock-oriented than their past work as well (you can actually hear a bass in the album).

As far as the songs go, Reprise Records had a point that the album wasn't radio-friendly. Only one song ("Heavy Metal Drummer") is shorter than 3:30. Despite the lack of radio-friendly tracks, there isn't a single song that's bad in any sense of the word. Again, Yankee Foxtrot Hotel is better taken as a complete album, the entire thing in context with itself.

My highlights? "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," "Kamera," "War on War," "Jesus, Etc.," "Heavy Metal Drummer," and "Pot Kettle Black."

Flavor of the Week (2/22/09)

2009-02-22T11:12:00.000-05:00

This week, I give you "Not a Robot, But a Ghost" by Andrew Bird.

I already talked about this song in my album review for Noble Beast here.

The song starts with a fluttering of muted snare-drums and of the clattering of something metallic. Then we have a short chorale with two clarinets and a guitar until we hear an unearthly sound lead into the song. Now that unearthly sound is a whistle from Bird, and it sounds like it came straight from the ether of space back in 1860 or so. When I listed whistling as one of the things Bird does, I wasn’t kidding, he really whistles. The verse hears the driving drum beat with what sounds like a large plastic tube being waved around to create yet another unearthly sound. Between Bird’s coons, you hear this wonderfully distorted guitar belt out a lick. Eventually, a larger ensemble – complete with booming piano, whistling, harp and subdued violins - joins in. There’s a quick break that features violins and Bird’s whistling to create a strange feeling of enchantment in the song – this was the part of the song where we feel we crossed into the other world. The full ensemble is back in the song along with the addition of is the staccato notes of plucked strings on violins and vocal harmonies. The song peaks and draws to an enchanted close.

All that still applies. Andrew Bird himself must have known this song was a gem. You can tell by how it was laid out in the album. It's buffered by "Ouo" before it and "Unfolding Fans" after it- both songs are instrumentals that are under a minute in length. They effectively serve as the pedestal for "Not a Robot" on the album.

In the end, this song is great. It's so great, it has a grip on my soul- I can't escape it, I can't stop listening to it almost a month after the album's release. I probably won't stop listening to this song until the next calendar year.

The 6 at 9: O, Canada!

2009-02-19T22:00:00.008-05:00

This week on the 6 at 9, we took a look at our neighbors up north. The show this week, titled "O Canada," has Nora and I picking 6 songs by Canadian artists. This is the first 'real' show we've put on so you'll really be able to hear which songs are mine and which are hers. Canada's been producing a lot of great new music these days and we'd just like to let you all know about it.

1. "Magic Spells" by Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles has really gained a lot of popularity recently, and I think with good reason. This Toronto-based electronic duo, named after She-Ra's lair, tends to be either really clashy and loud or really chill in a way, like this song. I like it because it always reminds me of daydreaming - I think it's a great song to play and get lost in your thoughts. -Nora

2. "She's the One" by Caribou

I have to credit my friend Jess with introducing me to Caribou. His music is just atmospheric enough for me - I never got really into groups like Air or M83, but to me, Caribou seems to give that kind of sound a good structure. I also like the almost haunting nature of his music - I think it kind of ebbs and flows really nicely. -Nora

3. "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby" by Islands

Islands are one of my favorite bands of the moment. They're unique in the instrumentation featured in their band- they're one of the few bands that I know that utilize xylophone, violins and saxophones and create straight rock music. This particular song's one of their 'poppier' ones. It's light, quick, catchy as hell and silly (do do, do do). It stands out of their catalog of songs in that it's not something that rattles your bones. This isn't the last time you'll be hearing Islands on this radio show, I promise you. -Greg

4. "Neighborhood 2 (Laika)" by Arcade Fire

What I said about Islands above in general, I could probably say the same about Arcade Fire. They're a great Canadian band (from Montreal like Islands) that creates songs using unique instrumentation in the popular music soundscape. In this one, you can hear accordions and a string section on top of the usual rock instruments. Win Butler's singing sounds strained and almost tortured, but it's always under control and is used to play into the building action of the song's arc. The melody they create is full of hooks but it's not soulless pandering to the audience to simply sell records. In the end, all I can say is, "this is music." -Greg

5. "Plus rien" by Les cowboys fringants

I wanted to include a song that was authentic - in other words, a song from a band you probably wouldn't know about unless you were Canadian (although these guys actually have a huge underground following in France and Switzerland). This group (whose name translates to "the snappy cowboys") is part of the Quebecois neo-trad movement, which is basically modernized folk music from Quebec. Their music also marks the revival of political songwriting and folklore - their songs tend to deal with big topics like environmentalism and poverty, and even themes like Quebecois history and fictitional stories. Although the subject matter can be intense, they treat it amusingly and ironically. You can take a look at the lyrics to see what I mean...or, if you don't speak French, you can simply enjoy the music. -Nora

6. "7/4 (Shoreline)" by Broken Social Scene

I was torn between choosing a Broken Social Scene song versus a Feist song. I chose this particular song because there's a lot of Feist in it (listen to her "hah" at 1:53) and I can't just ignore the Broken Social Scene. As many of you may know, Feist was originally one of the many members of Broken Social Scene. Eventually she went and did her whole solo thing and became the darling of indie music in 2007 and 2008. This song captures what I love about Broken Social Scene in one swoop. It has the driving pace of the rhythm with a wide and encompassing sound, but with enough of an hard edge to it to give it some meat. -Greg

7. "I'll Believe in Anything" by Wolf Parade

I am in love with Wolf Parade! I've recently gone on a Spencer Krug kick, delving into a lot of his side projects (like Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake, and Frog Eyes). I think they're all amazing, but his work with Wolf Parade is probably the most accessible - some of the other stuff is pretty far out there. It was an incredibly tough choice to pick a "favorite" Wolf Parade song to include on the playlist (I also gave "The Modern World" and "Animal in Your Care" serious consideration) but this was the first one I fell in love with. It's stuck with me ever since. -Nora
It took me a little while to get used to Wolf Parade. Once I had, I have had no problem with them what so ever. Their sound reminds me a bit of TV on the Radio between the heavy rhythm section and Spencer Krug's singing. Solid band. -Greg

8. "Heartbreaker (featuring John Legend)" by MSTRKRFT

This song is brand-spanking-new! It's a single off of MSTRKRFT's forthcoming album to be released in March. I got my hands on it just a couple of days ago and have been listening to it nonstop ever since. MSTRKRFT is phenomenal, and their shows cannot be beat. They're known for their remixes (which I also highly, highly recommend), but this track is original. I love the combination of John Legend's smooth vocals and lyrics mixed with MSTRKRFT's electronic edge and compositional skill. Believe me, these guys are the next Timbaland. -Nora
Just a note, I couldn't find a copy of this song online so on the playlist below, we have "Easy Love" instead. Sorry. -Greg

9. "In a Cave" by Tokyo Police Club

I really enjoy Tokyo Police Club's frenetic post-punk sound and sharp lyrics. (I don't know if this came across in my selections so far, but I'm a sucker for two things musically, and one of them is great, poetic lyrics). I saw them perform in October - it's funny to see a group of guys who are so young making music that's so wise and well-put together, although it's still definitely edgy and they've held on to a trace of that playing-in-the-garage-after-school element. I love last year's "Elephant Shell" so much all the way through that it was hard for me to choose just one song from the album, but I think this one's a good representation of what they're about. -Nora

10. "Across the Great Divide" by The Band

I never realized that The Band was a Canadian band. I mean, for a band that's associated with southern rock, why would you think that they were from the great white north? The Band, like the other Canadian bands I chose before this one, are full of multi-instrumentalists. This one is more of their straightforward songs in terms of musicality. I really dig the organ in rock music. -Greg

11. "American Woman" by The Guess Who

I just had to choose this song- it just rocks so hard. That guitar is one of the greatest sounds in rock history. And yes, the Lenny Kravitz version is just a cover. -Greg
Great song! Makes me wanna get on bell-bottoms and go-go boots (in a good way). -Nora

12. "Sugar Mountain" (Live at Canterbury House, 1968) by Neil Young

I feel like this is a great song to say "goodbye" to. There's something so ethereal about this song while it is sweet at the same time. It feels like something mom and dad used to sing to you before you went to bed when you were young. Just the right way to end the show. -Greg

Well, I think this show puts things in perspective for the rest of the way. Between our choices, you can hear where our tastes overlap, but more importantly you can see where our tastes diverge. I hope you all can expect more of the same.

The entire playlist is below.

Flavor of the Week (2/15/09)

2009-02-16T02:53:00.005-05:00

This week, I give you "Love Lockdown" by Kanye West.

No. I'm not kidding.

It's a little bit of an understatement to say that Kanye West has been a little bit eccentric this past year. He starts the year as the brash, preppy hip-hopster with some witty lyrics (but more noted for his production) with a penchant for picking odd public feuds. Then his mother died of plastic surgery complications. Then he goes through an artistic binge and begins to experiment, all the while still picking odd feuds. The result is Kanye's foray into straight-up pop music, 808s & Heartbreak. He liberally uses the infamous auto-tune effect for his singing (made notable by T-Pain and Cher).

"Love Lockdown" is the first single off of 808s. I was completely surprised at how good the song as a whole was. I was never a fan of auto-tune in songs- I thought it was a cop out used by talentless singers; a cheap effect. But consider Kanye: he wrote (to some extent) and produced all his material - the entire song is his creation in the end. This is what you would call "art," no? Also, just the way Kanye uses the auto-tune is distinct- it's more purpose driven rather than obnoxious like others have used in the past. What really aided this was Kanye's consciousness of the dynamics of the song between the verses and the choruses. And lets get to the rest of the song- it's a fuckin' solid pop song. In some ways, it feel a lot like a Spoon song- sparse and minimalistic with a driving rhythm and tight production. He does the whole Moby-thing by adding a new element every four bars in the beginning. But that's done to build for the climaxes in the choruses. When the Japanese taiko drums come in, beating that almost tribal beat, with Kanye's auto-tuned-voice wailing over it, it just feels satisfying to finally see the result of the sonic build.

In the end, "Love Lockdown" is a solid working product. You can dance to it, sulk to it, jam out to it, whatever. Enjoy.

The 6 at 9: Lovesongs (2/12/09)

2009-02-12T22:00:00.003-05:00

The inaugural show of The 6 at 9 was Thursday, February 12, 2009. The theme was Love songs. Because Valentine's Day is only a couple days away, Nora and I each chose a few of our favorite love songs.

1) "Tonight You Belong to Me" by Patience & Prudence

I love this song- it's a short and sweet little love song about living in a moment with the one you love. It is a novelty song with Patience and Prudence singing as teenagers. But unlike other novelty songs of the era, it continues to persist because of the timeless nature of the song itself. - Greg

2) "They Can't Take That Away" by Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald

In today's music scene, I have a lot of problems with female voices. There's very few I enjoy - I only have one song each from Regina Spektor and Feist. In my opinion, female singers were at their peak before I was born. I included this song for my stepfather, who sheds tears when he hears Ella sing. I also noticed when Greg and I put the playlist together that Greg chose more straightforward love songs than I did - while this one is definitely sweet and romantic, it kind of references the end of the relationship also, and the message to me seems to be that each relationship is a finite thing to be enjoyed in memory. -Nora

3) "Baby Love" by the Supremes

Nothing sounds like "love" more than Diana Ross's coons. Ross's voice and her delivery ("Ohh I need you") sell this love song more than anything else. It's songs like this that defined the Motown sound that still persists today. - Greg

4) "And I Love Her" by the Beatles

Choosing one love song form the Beatles for me is like asking a parent to chose who their favorite child is- it's a very tough choice. In the end, I chose this little tune from A Hard Day's Night. The Beatles wrote this song in a minor key to enhance the feeling of longing. The kind of love they paint looks familiar to me as well- sounds like it's the kind of the love where just the mere presence of a specific person can literally make your day brighter. - Greg

5) "Love You Madly" by CAKE

CAKE is one of my favorite bands, and this is probably their only "love song." Although the subject matter is similar to "And I Love Her," CAKE takes a very different approach to how they present it. It's more uptempo and in a major key. In the end, the love in this song is more of that wonderfully overwhelmingly manic feeling. - Greg
I love that Greg chose to put this on the list, but I saw its message pretty differently. To me, "Love You Madly" was about wanting things to be perfect and not worrying about anything else. I hear John McCrea saying "I don't want to think, I don't want to mess it up, let's just do this thing." -Nora

6) "You Really Gotta Hold On Me" by She & Him

This is a classic love song by Smokey Robinson of the Motown tradition. This version is a cover by the actress Zooey Deschanel (She) and M. Ward (Him). The single acoustic guitar and Deschanel's smokey voice (and ocasional harmoy with M. Ward) add another quality to the song that Robinson didn't throw in. The entire song builds to a single line that's repeated over and over again: "hold me." Isn't that all we want in the end? - Greg

7) "Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

This song rocks. This song's punch is in the development and build of the song. From a tremolo note, the guitar eventually builds up into a meaty riff that cuts through the haze of the emotions of the song. Karen O is a bit more delicate in this song. This is the kind of song you hear in your head as you watch someone you know leave. It's the last, perhaps even private, declaration of love to the departed. - Greg (You're welcome, LauKo!)

8) "The Sound of Settling" by Death Cab for Cutie

This one was a request for my friend Kristen, who brought it up when I told her that I wanted to include some not-so-optimistic songs for the Valentine's Day show. I've never listened to them before, since I'm not crazy about Ben Gibbon's voice (his fiance's, on the other hand, is definitely something special). However, I took Kristen's advice on this song because, like the others I chose, I liked the message. Having "a hunger, twisting my stomach into knots" about "every love that could have been" is just as powerful as being madly in love with the person you're with now. -Nora

9) "Noticed." by MuteMath

I listened to this song a ton last year. I guess I got so into it because I love the way it repeats and drones a bit, then builds - a la Interpol, one of my favorite bands -and also because its lyrics resonated with me. It seems to touch on a variety of important themes - the fear of being hurt, being oblivious, and just the rush of meeting someone new and getting excited about them. -Nora

10) "Ordinary People" by John Legend

I wanted to include a song that portrayed love as it often is - difficult. Sometimes things suck, sometimes you're always fighting, but you're still willing to stick with it and give it all you've got because the love is there. Even though it's not sunshine or rainbows or lollipops, it's still profound and special, and I think John Legend shows that well. -Nora

11) "My Funny Valentine" by Chet Baker

As far as jazz standards go, this is one one of the big ones. Chet Baker is Mr. Cool Jazz (apologies to Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck). Between Baker's silky voice and the subdued instrumentation behind him, this song paints a very delicate and beautiful picture of what love is. This song also builds to a single line as well, "stay little valentine, stay." Again, like other songs on this list, is there anything else we can ask when in love? - Greg

12) "Undeclared" by the Dodos

This band is wonderful! I love them. They came to Baltimore in October - I missed it and am still kicking myself. This song is so great: sweet, simple, short, while saying it all. My favorite types of love songs are ones about unrequited love because they're so tortured and powerful. While this one isn't so all-out forceful, it still hits me with its understated tinge of despair. -Nora
When I saw this song and was making the playlist for this show, I decided to give it a listen along with other songs from the Dodos. Boy was that a good decision. Nora hit the nail on the head. It's a simple song about unrequited love. The simplicity of the song gives it a certain charm. And we can all relate to the subject matter- we've all been there before. -Greg

13) "I Summon You" by Spoon

Spoon is another one of my favorite bands. Britt Daniel sings about that magical power of love to let you escape or tolerate the world around. Despite the dour "weight of the world," Daniel just want to "summon you into my love." He makes love sound so simple- and I'm standing around wondering why it's so complicated. - Greg

14) "My Girl" by the Temptations

Come on, how could you not? -Nora
I agree with the previous statement. (Talkin' bout my girl- my girl, my girl!)-Greg

15) "Somebody to Love" by Queen

So classic. Why the hell is there no one out there for me?! No one seems to understand me on that as much as Freddie Mercury does during this song. Honestly, if you're single and don't rock out to this, I think there's something wrong. -Nora

16) "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys

Before I knew what else I was going to include, I knew I wanted to end with this one. Whoever it is in your life that keeps you going, I think the Beach Boys say it all. To me, it's the perfect message for Valentine's Day. -Nora

The playlist is below.

PS - Just so you all know, you can talk to us during the show by logging onto AIM. Send us an IM at WJHUdj

Flavor of the Week (2/8/09)

2009-02-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

This week I give you to "You! Me! Dancing!" by Los Campesinos!.

Los Campesinos! is from Whales and is seven members strong. "The Peasants!" released two albums last year Hold on Now, Youngster.... and We are Beautiful, We are Doomed. "You! Me! Dancing!" is off of Hold on Now.They do the whole "we're a band so lets make a common surname like The Ramones!"-thing. Thus we have Aleksandra (keyboard, horn), Ellen (bass), Gareth (glockenspiel), Harriet (violin, keyboard), Neil (guitar), Ollie (drums), and Tom (guitar) Campesinos!. Look at that instrument list - violin, horn, glockenspiel - this band just screams "indie" and that's not a bad thing.

This band is fun. Between the unconventional instruments (hear the glockenspiel!) , the guy/gal vocals, the choral shouting, driving guitar riffs, and unyeilding drums, Los Campesions! make fun music.

"You! Me! Dancing!" displays everything that makes Los Campesinos! so unique and great. Man, dig that glockenspiel!

So about that radio show...

2009-02-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

If anyone is paying attention to this blog, they should know that there's a net-radioshow that will be, I guess, used in tandem with this here blog.

That radio show is The 6 at 9 on wjhu. It'll be on Thursday nights, starting February the 12th, at 9 PM. You can stream the show (as well as others) by going here. The show's going to be hosted by yours truly and a friend of mine named Nora. The concept is that every week, we have a new theme and we chose 6 songs each about that particular theme and have ourselves a show. I'm not sure what the topic for the first show will be, but I'll bet that it'll probably invovle love songs and such being that it's a couple days before Valentine's.

Anyhow, tune in Thursday night.

My 2 Cents: "Noble Beast" by Andrew Bird

2009-02-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

Noble Beast is the name of Andrew Bird’s new album. It was released wide on January 20th.

The music of Andrew Bird is somewhat unique in the vast soundscape of modern music. He has a sound that feels like it’s from another era – an era when scientists still believed in the ether of space. But at the same time, his sound is crisp, novel and interesting. What explains these seemingly contradictory feels is Bird’s instrumentation. Bird primarily plays the violin, sings and whistles (more on this below). He only started playing the guitar in 2004. Also on the album we hear more violin (sometimes heavily distorted), a drum set, piano, harp, clarinet, bass, and accordion. By the way, Andrew Bird plays all of them. It’s not that all these instruments are all used at once- each is used separately for their own purpose.

Take what I consider the highlight of the album, “Not a Robot, But a Ghost.” The song starts with a fluttering of muted snare-drums and of the clattering of something metallic. Then we have a short chorale with two clarinets and a guitar until we hear an unearthly sound lead into the song. Now that unearthly sound is a whistle from Bird, and it sounds like it came straight from the ether of space back in 1860 or so. When I listed whistling as one of the things Bird does, I wasn’t kidding, he really whistles. The verse hears the driving drum beat with what sounds like a large plastic tube being waved around to create yet another unearthly sound. Between Bird’s coons, you hear this wonderfully distorted guitar belt out a lick. Eventually, a larger ensemble – complete with booming piano, whistling, harp and subdued violins - joins in. There’s a quick break that features violins and Bird’s whistling to create a strange feeling of enchantment in the song – this was the part of the song where we feel we crossed into the other world. The full ensemble is back in the song along with the addition of is the staccato notes of plucked strings on violins and vocal harmonies. The song peaks and draws to an enchanted close. Andrew Bird was able to pick and chose the best instruments to create a specific feel in a song unlike any other. And what more, every song is like this – each song is carefully constructed by Bird to produce a specific affect on each of us.

I really like this album. The highlights? “Oh no,” “Masterswarm,” “Effigy,” “Tenuousness,” “Not a Robot, But a Ghost,” and “Anonanimal.”

(Sorry, I couldn't find "Masterswarm" or "Anonanimal.")

My 2 Cents: "Merriweather Post Pavilion" by Animal Collective

2009-02-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

Merriweather Post Pavilion is the 8th album released by Animal Collective. It was released in January (the vinyl on the 6th and the regular CD on the 20th).

Every so often you'll find an album that's a complete album. Each second of the album is right where it should be- there's no wasted energy in the songs at all. Last year, I felt this way about You & Me by the Walkmen. I feel this way about this particular record as well.

Merriweather Post Pavilion is most definitely an Animal Collective album- their sonic stamp is all over it. Animal Collective continues to do what they do best: taking soulless electronic sounds and combining them to create soundscapes full of life. What's different on this partular album is the addition of a pop music sensibility. This album isn't full of the strange experimental noisescapes that were present in their earlier work. This doesn't mean that Animal Collective has fallen into 'regular songwriting' by any means (they use a freaking dijiridu on "Lion in a Coma" and you still the get crunching electronic sound in "Summertime Clothes"), it's just that the songs are more personable than they've ever been before. How? Less screaming, less noise, more melody, more direct lyrics. The reason for this is probably how this album was made. The guys at Animal Collective made this album while touring extensivly. They used songs that worked live and consolidated it into an album. Aparently, there are a bunch of songs that weren't included becasue they guys were "not ready to finish" them.

My highlights from this album? "My Girls," "Blusih," "Lion in a Coma," and "Brother Sport." The copy of "Bluish" and "Brother Sport" below are live versions.

New Walkmen Video

2009-02-04T14:18:00.000-05:00

The Walkmen just released a video for "Four Provinces" off of their album You & Me, released last year. The video's interesting- none of the Walkmen actually appear in it (perhaps for the better). It's animated with multiple still frame shots rather than shot on conventional film. It give it a jerky quality that fits in with the rimclicks of the song itself. The narrative is simple. A little girl meets other children in a sandy valley in Central Asia somewhere and dance happily. Watching this, I couldn't help to think that somehow, the open spaces of the mountains of Central Asia seems to be an all-too-perfect visual compliment to the Walkmen's vast and airy sound.

Give it a look and listen. What do you think?

Flavor of the Week (2/1/2009)

2009-02-01T14:19:00.000-05:00

This week, I give you "Lost Coastlines" by Okkervil River.

Okkervil River is a band from Austin whose music has been described as "ultra-literate rock." As an "ultra-literate" act, they share their similarities with other "literate" bands like Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst and the Decemberists in that their lyrics have something to say. But this is not why "Lost Coastlines" has been stuck on my iPod in repeat.

What really puts this song, and the band, apart from others is their very literary way they construct their songs. Not only do they make references in the lyrics, but they make melodic and musical references as well.

In the song, listen to the rhythm section as they come in. I hear a tambourine on the off-beat, hand claps, and a thumping syncopated bass line. Add to that the jangly sound of the guitar at times. In the end it feels kinda like "Can't Hurry Love" by the Supremes. And in fact, that's one of the primary references they're making in this particular song. But that's not the entire shtick of the song either. Some are content with using a song to pay homage to a style of the past, but "Lost Coastlines" does more. They add enough to differentiate themselves from their references and create a new, buoyant, fun song.

I love this song- I hope you do too.

Welcome to The Spirit Farm

2009-02-01T14:13:00.001-05:00

This is my new music blog- The Spirit Farm. I'm generally going to talk about anything music related on here.

As far as regular content goes, there will be two weekly entries at least. One will be a recap of the radio show I'll be co-hosting this semester, The 6 at 9 (Thursdays at 9 PM- stream it from http://wjhurado.com), and the other will be a song of the week type deal that I'll call Flavor of the Week (creative huh?). Every once in a while, I'll also review new records, review shows I go to, talk about upcoming shows, etc.- you know the standard music blog stuff.

So that's the plan and I'll do my best to stick with it.