End of August

It's been a weird period of adjustment for a number of different reasons. Been listening to a lot of Editors, but not a ton of other music. But here are a few songs that are getting me through the days.

Smile (Pictures or it didn't happen) - Amanda Palmer
On and On - The Sea and Cake
Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
Demons - Imagine Dragons
Artificial Nocturne - Metric
Youth Without Youth - Metric
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors - Editors

Publishing this like 2 months after the fact. Need to collect my thoughts and put down what I'm listening to now. Ugh.

Firefly Music Festival

So this post is long overdue, but many other things going on have kept me from taking the time to get it down... but enough excuses.

My music thoughts from Firefly

1) The Killers did not disappoint.
     Spectacular live, we stood for 5 hours and were still some 15 rows back. Brandon looked like he was enjoying himself immensely. Guy beside me caught a drumstick. Musically they are better than you would know. They nailed every song, but at the very end - after overrunning the cutoff time by 5 mins or so, Brandon finally left the stage and the other 3 stayed out jamming for several more minutes. Musically quite good. All in all the highlight of the weekend.

2) The Head and The Heart
     Best "discovery" for me. Had heard of them, but didn't know their music. Raw, honest, lovely music. Quite impressed with them. They brought tears to my eyes, and that's a little hard to do, especially when it's new to me.

3) Imagine Dragons, Walk the Moon
     Awesome to see bands on the rise and both of these really gave the impression that they were pinching themselves and super excited to be there. Great set from Imagine Dragons, looking forward to their debut album - out next month. Walk the Moon was good, loved seeing the wives / girlfriends racing around the wings snapping pictures of the crowd. They looked astonished at the crowd response.

4) Death Cab for Cutie
     My opinion of Death Cab changed completely because of this set. Ben Gibbard is awesome - that is enough. In addition, they played an excellent set including some impressive multi-instrumentalism from several different members. Quite impressive musically.

5) Jack White, The Flaming Lips, Silversun Pickups, OK GO.
     All Awesome shows. But then we knew they would be.

6) Bassnecter, Girl Talk, Trampled by Turtles, Bombay Bicycle Club, Heartless Bastards, Ra Ra Riot
     The ones I didn't see that I completely wish I had. Sacrifices had to be made. Maybe next year!

7) AWOLNation, Grouplove, Polica, Tinie Tempeh
     The disappointments. Some like Grouplove and Polica were solid but I just didn't feel connected to the music as much as I hoped. Tinie Tempeh was terrible and AWOLNation just wasn't working for me.

8) Blind Pilot, Modest Mouse, The Black Keys
     Still trying to decide. Blind Pilot was good, I'm not sure I get their lyrics or their energetic chillness. Modest Mouse seemed like they used to be insane, and are now a shadow of their former selves... they didn't blow me away. The Keys were excellent at what they do, it's just not my forte. But man they can make a hell of a lot of noise. The crowd loved them, so I give them the benefit of the doubt there.

9) The grounds
     Amazing first year festival. Terrific execution. Lovely crowds. It was full but not crowded. If the festival grows, the grounds will need to grow as well.

10) The experience
     Planning to be there next summer. That says it all. The Live Festival experience is wonderful. I found myself completely at home there like very few other places.


If you are anywhere close to Dover Delaware in June of 2013, come visit me at Firefly. You won't regret it.

Jesse

June 1, 2012

And although it's already June, this is a collection of songs that I found interesting during the months of April and May.

The House That Heaven Built - Japandroids
Glorified High - Sarah Jaffe
Chew - Yuck
Walking Home - We Are Seranades
Grot - St. Vincent
Generals - The Mynabirds
White to Red - Fenster
The Night - Exitmusic
Guggenheim - The Ting Tings
Blood Stain - Tu Fawning
Monuments - Yann Tierson
Drax 2 - Squarepusher


Quite a variety, and they tend to be happier than I'm feeling now. Haven't had enough music in my life.

Coachella 2012

This band was new to me, but I love their tight and layered sound. Enjoy...

Yuck


(Also trying out linking the song from soundcloud.)

April 9, 2012

Bittersweet nothing. Astonishing how harsh "nothing" can be and how relieving when it's over.

Music is always there, regardless of how low I feel or excited I get.

Purchased tickets for my very first music festival, super pumped to look forward to that this summer. Feels like I'm showing commitment to music as a passion. Can't wait. Here are some songs that caught my ear recently...

New Ceremony - Dry the River

Oblivion - Grimes

When I Was Young - Nada Surf

We will all be changed - Seryn

Serpants - Sharon Van Etten

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings - Father John Misty

Say Goodbye - Norah Jones

Into Giants - Patrick Watson

I Lost You - A Place to Bury Strangers

Ekki Mukk - Sigur Ros

March 14, 2012

More Songs featured by NPR All Songs Considered in their coverage leading up to SXSW. I always enjoy an influx of new music into my consciousness. Even if everything doesn't tickle my fancy there are inevitably a number of new songs that remind me why I love music so much. Enjoy...

My Mistakes - Eleanor Friedberger

Come Home - Chappo

Smart - Girl in a Coma

Sun's Going Down - Stars

Jungle - Emma Louise

When I'm With You - Best Coast

Get it Daddy - Sleeper Agent

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

Dead Oaks - Now Now

Red - Lost in the Trees

Same Mistake - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Black Water - Apparat

I Found You - Alabama Shakes

March 12, 2012

Yes, much of my music comes to me thanks to NPR's All Songs Considered program. I highly recommend this regular exploration of all styles of different music throughout the year. This list is mostly drawn from the Austin 100, a list of 100 exceptional songs / artists who will be playing at the SXSW music festival in Austin TX. 4 days of music, 2000 different performers, and about as wide a variety of music as you'll find anywhere. That would be a blast to experience live... for now, I'll live it vicariously by way of the internet. So, here is new music, some of it terrific, all of it interesting. Oh and I can't decide if the Trippple Nippple song is so bad as to be good... or just really bad.

You Me and the Boatman - Quiet Company

House of Circles - Mr. Gnome

Travelers - Bright Moments

Stay with Me - NO

Landfill - Daughter

No Death - Mirel Wagner

LSD - Trippple Nippple

Floating in Blue - Young Prisms

Parted Ways - Heartless Bastards

Runaway - Imperial Teen

Cold Feet - Lost Lander

Andrew in Drag - The Magnetic Fields

Friends of Friends - Hospitality

Catapilah - Young Buffalo

March 8, 2012

Thanks to Pandora, spent a day or two listening to light, female driven alt rock... Hauntingly beautiful music but mostly sad, struggling, and all too relatable lyrics. Oh, and the Kishi Bashi song is awesome.

Sleep Through Summer - Now Now Every Children

I Won't Be Left - Tegan and Sara

Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John

Cheated Hearts - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Where is My Mind - Pixies

Don't Rush - Tegan and Sara

Magnetic Hill - Land of Talk

Everyone You Know - Now Now Every Children

Runaway - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Help I'm Alive - Metric

Isolation - Carissa's Wierd

Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Soft Shock - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

All the Rowboats - Regina Spektor

Bright Whites - Kishi Bashi

March 7, 2012

Plenty of things happening. Stress at work. Stress in relationships. Much to think about. Many questions. Few answers. Music is the soundtrack to my thoughts. Here are some things I've liked lately.

We are Young - Fun

Easy Way Out - Gotye

Heavy Metal - White Rabbits

Drifting in and out - Porcelain Raft

Brains - Lower Dens

Broke - Sea of Bees

Don't Sit There - Lucius

Liberal Arts - Hospitality

Never Change - Juliana Barwick

Electric Flame - Thee American Revolution

Swaggs - Mount Carmel

Lion's Den - Dry the River

The Pull - Now Now

Prehistoric - Now Now

Fur Felix - Julia Holter

... and a whole shitload of dubstep. Yes from the likes of Skrillex, Deadmou5, Bassnecter, etc...

(I choose to see this as musical dabbling rather than full scale evolution or reversion. But whatever. It kicks ass and works well with huge doses of caffeine.)

January 31, 2012

More Cleanup, More songs, all terrific, just throwing them out there. Better late than never.

Cheerleader - St. Vincent

One for You and One for Me - Bright Eyes

Bubble - King Creosote and Jon Hopkins

Perth - Bon Iver

Rubber - Yuck

Civilian - Wye Oak

Country Clutter - Delorean

Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes

Belong - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Estate Sale Sign - Mountain Goats

Abducted - Cults

January 30, 2012

Here is some cleanup from listening sessions months ago that never found their way to be published. Many of these were from October 2011 and a pretty tough stretch for me. Several things were ending, and not in a way I liked. I'm not over that, probably won't ever be, but music remains a constant thread through my life. Sometimes it has preserved my sanity and sometimes it has served to give expression to many of the emotions that are too hard to know how to feel about.

Swirly - Ringo Deathstarr

Always Looking - Dum Dum Girls

Vessel - Zola Jesus

Get Right - Megafaun

Montana - Youth Lagoon

Free As A Bird - The Beatles

Ghost Town - First Aid Kit

The Lion's Roar - First Aid Kit

And some from now...

Hair - Lady Gaga

Old Friend - Caveman

Gold - Delayed Trees

Art of Almost - Wilco

Always more to come...

January 3, 2012

I love when a song stops you in your tracks and begs you to go get the album so you can hear more. Sometimes music grows its way into your heart, and sometimes you just know that you are destined to love it for a long time. A lot like people I suppose. And also like people, music comes and goes. Sometimes you're close to it and what it says and means is very real to you, and other times there is distance. I always love when music closes the distance and speaks directly to my soul. (again - like people)

You want the Candy - The Raveonettes

Cruel - St Vincent

Every Teardrop is a Waterfall - Coldplay

Teeth - Lady Gaga

There are always more, but I wanted to throw a few songs up and I'll get back to it and hopefully post sooner than later.