So, every other day or so I take the time to peruse the blogs…get in my load of new music.  Randomly, I decided to go  to http://www.gorillavsbear.blogspot.com.  It is one of those blogs filled to the brim with great newmusic.  To think that I am the be-all-end-all of finders of new music is to be in total denial.  I love music and am therefore on a cosntant search for something to satiate me.

Soundway Records is a U.K.record label that specializes in something very unique–60’s and 70’s funk, disco, and rock from West Africa.  Their newest release is comprised of a slew of different musicians that recorded this stuff from the 60’s to the 80’s but were never released.  The album, Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Ghanaian Blue 1968-1981, is ridiculoualy fantastic.  Talk about getting your hips moving.  The rhymthms are multi-dimensional and the guitars are all over the place…in a good way.  Sometimes you have to wonder whether you are listening some remixed James Brown or something by Quantic.  But the truth of the matter is that these are songs.  It also proves that music is something universal.  In the end, it doesn’t matter that most of the songs are in a different language–the message still translates through the instruments.

Not to mention Fela Kuti and Sir Victor Uwaifo are also featured in the album.  Yum.

This is the only track that I have been able to find.  The album is released November 10, 2009.  Check it out

Them Crooked Vultures

The Band Members (Photograph by Joseph Mohan)

I am just trying to understand what is going on with this supergroup rock band.  I’ve heard little bits here and there but I can’t seem to get my hands wrapped around what is going on with them.  The band is comprised of Dave Grohl (of the Foo Fighters and Nirvana) on drums, Josh Homme (from Queens of the Stone Age doing vocals and guitar, John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) on bass and keyboards.  Also, Alain Johannes from Queens of the Stone Age is a live rhythm guitarist.

The crazy thing is that this was first talked about all the way back in 2005 when Grohl talked to Mojo Magazine about his next project being with Homme and Jones.  And it wasn’t until 2009 that things started rolling.  Then band did a few shows in Europe and just finished a quick tour around the United States (that didn’t include California).  Sad.

As you can tell I am being really bland because I haven’t been able to get my hands on any tunes.  Even their damn MySpace didn’t have music up when I checked.  What’s a girl gotta do to get a sample??

The album is coming out November 17th and is self-titled.  Here are the tracks:

01 No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
02 Mind Eraser, No Chaser
03 New Fang
04 Dead End Friends
05 Elephants
06 Scumbag Blues
07 Bandoliers
08 Reptiles
09 Interlude With Ludes
10 Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up
11 Caligulove
12 Gunman
13 Spinning in Daffodils

Every little thing I hear gets me all hyped up.  Can’t wait for the full-length.

Here is just a quick little sample of what to expect….it might get your panties wet. 

Them live playing “Elephants“

And a teaser if “Elephants” done in the recording studio

is an amazing LP.  I am so that I picked it up.  The Kings of Convenience are reminiscent of another time.  They note Nick Drake as an influence in their music and I can hear it.  That and maybe some Simon & Garfunkel.  You know how I was looking for music to do homework to?  This album would fit right in.  I know I said not too many lyrics but there is something just inherently soothing in their voices and instrumentation.  Norway put out two rad musicians.  Their lyrics make…sense.  You can relate to them it isn’t some fucking haiku that you can’t make sense of.  Thank you.  THANK YOU.

There is this song “Power of Knowing” and the lyrics are sad yet ring true to everyone…

I see you changing, girl, from day to day
impressed by, and trying to immitate.  Those
who are older, those who are colder.
Suddenly embarassed by your age.  A
bigger blessing, girl, is being young.  The
power of not knowing where you belong.  I
tried so hard to keep it not lose that
secret.  Waiting for someone like you to
come along.  Maybe it was me that made
you old.  Stole whatever it was that made
you glow.  A little touch of something, a lot
of love for nothing.  And now a heart once
open is now closed.

MMmmmm.  The beauty of youth and how those that are young dream of being older only to have the old dream of being young.  Having that fire and innocence to believe that anything in life is possible.  And how relationships can squelch that beautiful flame.

Anyway, I will try to put some tracks up soon to listen to.  They are yummy.

New Moon's leading couple--Robert Pattinson & Kristin Stewart

I am not part of the Twilight-obsessed clan but have recently taken some interest because of how huge the fan base is.  Once my older sister jumped onto the bandwagon I decided to Netflix that shit to my house.  And…it was aight.  I guess it is better to read the books and then watch the movie.  However, it is always nice to get a little invested in a movie about forbidden romance–it pulls on the giddy girls part of my heart.  And yes, that does exist.

Anyway, the first movie didn’t really have a soundtrack to write home about.  It had a few Paramore tracks and  Muse and Collective Soul made an appearance on the soundtrack.  I feel the main gap in obsession in Twilight comes from the college generation..the twenty-somethings.  And I feel like the creators of the movie fixed that this time with a killer soundtrack.  Whereas the original motion picture only had one of the artists I am obsessed with (Iron & Wine), this one has a never-ending list of bands/musicians that I love.  I mean  Bon Iver, St. Vincent, Death Cab for Cutie, Anya Marina, Thome Yorke, and The Killers…and that is just a few of ‘em.  Furthermore, I think the majority of the tracks are originals rather than being pulled from albums that already exist.  I appreciate that.  I mean, the soundtrack for Twilight: New Moon even got its own website: http://www.newmoonthesoundtrack.com.  Funny, eh?  I really liked the Bon Iver/St. Vincent track and Grizzly Bear’s.  One warning, the album is kinda down tempo and light.  So don’t go thinking that it is music to bump in your car because it isn’t.  It is music to relax to.

Here is the video for Death Cab’s song “Meet Me in the Equinox“, which is also on the soundtrack.

Adam Pascal as Roger & Lexi Lawson as Mimi

I’ve kept a secret from all of you… I am a total musical theater buff.  Yeah, I know, judge away.  But hey, it is the truth.  I spent my entire childhood and semi-adulthood singing.  Yup, magnet schools for vocal performance since 6th grade.  And, my mother nurtured this passion for singing by purchasing tickets to every musical that came into town.  This passionis what led me to the spot I am in today, still just as passionate but more…eclectic.  I guess that is the word that is appropriate.

Anyway, one of of my friends works for OCPAC and has helped me get reacquainted with the musical theater scene.  This week Rent came into town.  Now, this is a musical that I have already seen twice but this time Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal were performing as the leads Mark and Roger (respectively).  They were the originals.  Their voices are just…perfection.  I mean, Adam went on from rent to be the the lead in the musical Aida, another to-die-for musical.  So going to the show was a must…and I was lucky enough to get in for free in seats that were stellar.

There is something about this music that speaks to people. And last night it really got into my heart and woke me up.  Not only is it an incredibly well written musical with stellar lyrics and melodies, it also has a great message.  Furtheremore, it is a modern-day remake of the opera La Boheme, one of the most popular operas…ever.

It is on nights like last night that I miss being on stage.  There is such pure beauty when someone allows himself or herself to be on stage alone in the spotlight in front of thousands that is just…beautiful.  The actors/musicians last night were supreme.  Such chemistry.  It really felt like true life.

Anyway, if Rent is coming to your town, I suggest you go.  It was awesome!  And it reminds you to live your life fully and day by day.

…has begun.  And yet again, I am not there.  Hopefully I am missed. 

I got frustrated last night.  I am kinda backwards in certain ways.  One being the way I do homework/write papers.  I am trying to come up with words to explain what I mean but I don’t know if I will end up making sense…

When I do homework it is often hard for me to listen to music.  Instead of being soothed into focusing on my project at hand, I often find myself losing track of my thoughts and paying attention to the track of that moment.  Last night I ended up freaking out to the maximum due to my intense infatuation with procrastination.  Anyway, I had to write an important paper and waned to be surrounded by something more than silence.  So Sam, my boyfriend, went through my music library to find the appropriate music.  First he went with Air, which for me, is probably the only music that seems to work.  Not too many words, not too heavy of a beat, and it soothes to the bone… Sigur Ros is another one that hits the spot.  But suddenly he switched to Daft Punk and I hit the fan and freaked out.  I couldn’t focus, I couldn’t even think.

So after the freak out the music was silenced and the tv was turned on.  Suddenly I was able to write again.

My question is this?  What other music is good for doing homework to?  I am in a rut!

the xx

Have really gotten my attention in the last…10 minutes.  Whenever my brother fully enodrses a band my ears perk up.  He has good taste.  And let me tell you, to get some information about the band was not an easy feat!  Right now I have8 tabs opens just to simply learn more about them.  So here is what I can tell you about them…

The band has been together since 2005 and is comprised of four 20 year olds that met at quite the musically talented in England.  I say this because both Hot Chip and Four Tet came from Elliott School.  This year in August they released their first album, xx, on Young Turks and it made it on NME’s “The Future 50 List.”  And to me, that sounds about right.  I think that the band is just starting to get the attention deserved.

I first listened to the single “Crystalised” and there was something familiar about it…but I can’t seem to put my finger on it.  The sound was reminiscent of something I listened to in my childhood and yet I ccan’t figure it out.  It is something about the girl’s voice.  But I like it. Both Rough Trade and my brother say the influence comes from Young Marble Giants but I listened to a song and don’t totally hear it.  So I dunno…give it a listen and try to figure out who I am thinking of because I cant seem to.

I’m kinda excited!  The people behind Record Store Day have now come up with Vinyl Saturday which to me seems like a mini Record Store Day.  The date?  November 7th!  During this day we will be able to acquire exclusive new material from our favorite artists at our local record store.  Fingerprints here I come!

Unfortunately, that is all I got for you.  Just stay posted.  Things are gonna get exciting!

Kid Cudi

Man on the Moon: The End of Day (album cover art)

There is something about him that keeps my attention.  I’m a person that appreciates FM radio for what it is–driving music.  Pop music/main stream music has never been they type of music to kill brain cells or test my intelligence.  It is music for enjoyment.  And then there the auto tune musicians that make me want to vomit.  Full disclosure— I don’t get the hype with T Pain and Lil Wayne.  I will also admit that I haven’t taken the time to really listen.  I get annoyed too quickly.

So I am a little surprised with my intrigue in Kid Cudi.  I think I really got into him when he was on the Poke Her Face remix with Kanye and Common.  Suddenly he wasn’t just another KIIS FM artist that was on the air every 3.2 minutes.  Thank the heavens.  “Day N Nite” was getting old quick and Kid Cudi was going down in my ranking.  But my attention was sparked once again.

Why am I rambling on and on?  Because I really like his new album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day.  It has a nice groove to it.  Usually I like faster paced rap music but the slower tracks are just as good on this album.  However, there is some tracks that feel like wasted space..just push the skip button on those.  You’ll know them when they hit.

And can I make a side note to this?  If you are a Pitchfork or die person, try to look beyond that.  This album is better than 4.1.  I am trying to stop myself from ranting but here it goes—Pitchfork’s reviews are opinion based.  So use them as guides but don;t worship them like a Bible.  Use your own senses.  Make your own opinions.  Read the reviews to learn about someones opinion.  And if you want more legit information that isn’t too judgmental, go to http://allmusic.com.  There you’ll get simple, useful information.  Don’t get me wrong…I like Pitchfork.  I’m just tired of going back and forth with people about music choices that they base solely on a website.