Two quick notes, while I'm grading papers...
1) This is a fabulous article. I haven't even finished it but I think it deserves reading:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/235560
2)New collaboration of Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend and Wes Miles of Ra Ra Riot called "Discovery." Catchy, but you know this will get excessive rotation at Pac Sun, Urban Outfitters, etc etc etc. There's a long silent part at the end I'm sorry!
So these days I spend many a late night in the uncomfortably warm LRC in the Library, either studying MMBIO or grading Italian papers...which gives me a great chance to listen to excellent music right? Lately I've been listening incessantly to two of my favorite vocalists, Laura Pausini and Regina Spektor.
Let's be honest, there is nothing indie about either of these two: Pausini has been one of the biggest names in the Italian and Latin music industries for the last decade, as she releases almost all of her records in Italian and Spanish. And if you're an American and still haven't heard of Regina Spektor, you probably live in a barn. And it might be in the middle of north dakota/wyoming/nebraska/idaho/montana. Anyway, some listen to music to get pumped up, others listen to dance, to pass the time as you drive, to make you laugh, or to be inspired. These songs, to me, are simply beautiful. And there's not much else to say to better explain that. Some guys apparently did a little video slide show for each of these songs, hope ya like 'em!
Oh about me, you ask? Why I'm doing well. I'm going to california next weekend and I couldn't be more excited. I guess for me right now life feels like I'm on the brink, of what I'm not sure. But hopefully it's something even better than I could ever imagine it to be. K bye!
Laura Pausini-"Cinque Giorni" (Five Days)
Regina Spektor-"Braille" --please excuse her language at 3.08!
-Roscoe
Hasn't it been? Frightened Rabbit, a band I admit I know very little about, recently released their new cd "The winter of mixed drinks." I haven't heard a track yet that I haven't liked a lot. My favorite so far is called "Swim Until You Can't see Land" and it is just so catchy and endearing, I encourage all to love it with me. I'll post the music video up here, but I really dont like it. I'm sure it was fun to shoot, and fun for all those groupies standing around with flashlights, but it hurts my eyes. And my brain. Just push play and go check your facebook or something :)
-Ross
Oh hey guys, thanks for the birthday surprises! My 23rd birthday was a week ago, and I would have been satisfied with the fact that James Mercer came out with some new material, but it didn't stop there. Ted Leo and his pharmacists released their 7th(?) full length album last monday, and it's gonna get some major movement going at live shows. Their latest work, "The Brutalist Bricks" might not have the same sugary, joyous effect that "Tyranny of Distance" and "Shake the Sheets" had on me, but what it lacks in catchy sing-a-longs, it makes up for in non-stop power pop bliss. This is the perfect album for a summer drive with the windows rolled down. (I'm sure they planned to release it then, but they put in some extra hours to get it finished when they heard it was my birthday. Of course.) There is a lot to sink your teeth into with this album, so it's hard for me to know what song to feature, but I think I've got it. "One Polaroid a Day" is one of the catchier songs on the album, although he sings it in an uncharacteristically low voice on the album. This live acoustic version is in his usual style of singing. Amazing.
Who's performing on Letterman's The Late Show tonight? James Mercer you say? Normally I would be so so thrilled about that and start singing about "gold teeth and a curse for this town"...but this is no performance of a new song by The Shins, this is for the debut of James Mercer's collaboration efforts with Brian Burton (AKA Danger Mouse) for the new group "Broken Bells."
Don't hold your breath.
All the reviews I've read so far keep saying, "I just need to give this one a few more spins this weekend and see if it grows on me..." I'm just not buying it. Their first single "The High Road" is a fairly catchy song, although it sounds nothing like anything the Shins have put together. After that I listened to a couple more tracks and quickly put it away; I refuse to challenge the infallibility of Mercer that has been so time tested over the years.
Have a taste of The High Road and then just keep praying the shins can finish a new album with their new band members. Or maybe they can just make amends with the old ones and get back to the magic that was Chutes Too Narrow and basically everything the Shins wrote up.
-Ross
p.s. can anyone explain this music video to me? Mercer stealing a remote control from a little kid? I was so surprised when that little altercation didn't turn into a light saber duel.
