The Music Mavens

Music Video of the Day: Lose My Breath - Destiny's Child

2011-03-12T12:42:00.002-05:00

Back in my middle school days I loved Beyonce and her little cohorts, particularly the husky, sexy sound of Michelle Williams, but the other day I realized that I hadn't paid attention to them in years. I've grown into appreciating a different type of music by this point in my life but that doesn't mean there still isn't room for some old fashioned fun courtesy of a truly talented R&B group. This song, "Lose My Breath", particularly stood out to me because of the lyrics. Unfortunately.

There's always a song for every mood, whether good or bad, and suddenly this song just spoke to me at the right time. The beat is great and very dancy but honestly, some of the lyrics really speak to frustration. It's very rare to hear women singing about not getting enough action. I think a group like Destiny's Child gets a bad reputation for becoming so commercialized but this is really them doing what they do best. There really aren't that many groups that could get away this subject matter while still catering to a very young audience - and specifically females. There are many more rap and R&B men discussing sexual themes than ladies. And although the lyrics definitely get the point across, Destiny's Child still manages to be a little discreet in this song. It's just the right amount of metaphors.

Enjoy

Lose My Breath lyrics - Destiny's Child

Can you keep up?

Baby boy, make me lose my breath
Bring the noise, make me lose my breath
Hit me Hard, make me lose my (Hah Hah)
Can you keep up?
Baby boy, make me lose my breath
Bring the noise, make me lose my breath
Hit me Hard, make me lose my (Hah Hah)

[Beyonce]
OOOh
I put it right there, made it easy for you to get to
Now you wanna act like ya don't know what to do
After I done everything that you asked me
Grabbed you, grind you, liked you, tried you
Moved so fast baby now I can't find you

OOOh
I'm startin' to believe that I'm way too much for you
All that talk but it seems like it can't come through
All them lies like you could satisfy me,
Now I see where believing you got me
Gave you the wheel, but you can't drive me

[Chorus]

[Kelly]
OOOh
Two things I don't like when I tryin' to get my groove
Is a partna that meets me only half way and just can't prove
Take me out so deep when you know you can't swim
Need a lifeguard and I need protection
So put it on me deep in the right direction

OOOh
You understand the facts that I'm tryin' to give to you
You movin' so slow like you just don't have a clue
Didn't mama teach you to give affection?
You're the difference of a man and an adolescent
It ain you boo, so get tha steppin'
[Chorus x2]

[Michelle]
If you can't make me say OOO
Like the beat of this drum
Why you ask for some and you really want none
If you can't make me say OOO
Like the beat of this groove

[All]
You don't have no business in this here's your papers
Baby you are dismissed, dismissed, dismissed, dismissed, dismissed, dismissed, dismissed

Somebody to Love: Paul McDonald and The Grand Magnolias

2011-03-04T21:24:00.001-05:00

I had so many things I was planning to write about through my travels today but when I finally made my way home and to this computer the only thing left on my mind to write about was Alabama native Mr. Paul McDonald, the best American Idol contestant since Michael Johns. He is one of those rare musicians American Idol lets slip through that has actual artistry, not just in the way he tweaks a well known tune to make Randy happy but the kind that is so natural it flows through his veins. His rendition of "Maggie May" was actually a bit of a Rod Stewart sound-alike during the Top 24 performances but it was his performance style that instantly captured my attention. McDonald, unlike the others this season, has a very fluent interaction with the audience that seems to be authentic. He is simply himself and that's enough. With his kitschy flowered jackets (that are pretty phenomenal) and beat-up cowboy boots, he stumbles around the overdone stage with the grace of a drunken southerner on a Saturday night on Beale Street. I was impressed to find that he's only 26 and has been touring the country opening for acts ranging from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Augustana. He's an interesting concoction of folk, R&B, and certainly a large dash of southern/vintage rock mixed with a singer/songwriter sensibility. He's great on guitar and his voice is just the right amount of raspy and sweet.

As lead singer of The Grand Magnolias, McDonald is also the current holder of a top 10 spot on the iTunes rock charts, currently leading bands like Guns 'N Roses and Bon Jovi. It's pretty ridiculous. McDonald and company are an instant sensation. I'm not even sure if another Idol contestant in the history of the show has managed to sell as many copies of a pre-Idol album as McDonald has. As a few have mentioned, I didn't even know it was possible for someone with a record deal to be on the show let alone make such a mark with their band while still vying for the Idol crown. If ever an exception should be made though, it's for Paul McDonald. Take a listen, he's pretty extraordinary.

I also find it rather interesting that The Grand Magnolias' website is surprisingly stylish and modern. Unlike a lot of local or supporting bands, this band has clearly taken pride in their aesthetic and managed to cultivate a really nice, cohesive appearance. They make it known right away that they're serious about their professionalism even if Paul referred to himself as a "starving artist" before making his way on to the show. This band knows who they are and have found a perfectly shaped niche inside of their genre. The more I listen to them, the more they grow on me. There are very few bands these days that would impress me enough to buy an entire album after just one listen, particularly after finding their lead singer on American Idol, but I strongly believe this band has a future long after the show is over and their frontman loses to some guy we won't even recall come this time next year.

Perfect if you like: The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Drive-By Truckers.

Video of the Day: Adele - Lovesong (cover)

2011-02-24T13:15:00.000-05:00

I was just sampling the clips of Adele's new album on iTunes after hearing immense praise of the highest order for her. I didn't anticipate this cover though. This song has been done so many times and usually it ends up the same way, beautiful but average. This is an exception. It's equal parts sensual, touching, soft, and elegant. It was meant to be sung by such a gorgeous voice. I can't believe how beautiful the tone is.

Music Video of the Day: Dilly - Band of Horses

2011-02-22T16:53:00.001-05:00

While looking through live Band of Horses video for a post yesterday, I came across this video from 2010 for the song "Dilly" off Infinite Arms. I'm a little disappointed with myself that I hadn't noticed it earlier but am just thankful to have it now. It's one of the funniest/most brilliant clips I've ever seen. It's such a departure from the airy "Laredo" video that primarily showed the band on a stage and yet still keeps their Southern vibe alive in a more retro (yet very natural to them) sort of way. Not a lot of bands could get away with a video so kitschy without coming across as obnoxious or a copycat of the millions of other bands doing a vintage look right now but this has such substance. It reminds in a way of Muse's video for "Knights of Cydonia" in the same old fashioned cinematic Western way yet it's even more tongue in cheek and maybe even more original. It's also reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino.

I don't know. Take a look for yourself. It's definitely worth a few minutes.

Song to Love: 99 Problems - Hugo

2011-02-22T16:42:00.002-05:00

I originally heard this song late one night on 101.9 RXP, the best radio station in the New York area, and it resonated with me instantly. I got out my phone, went to their website and immediately found out the artist so I could download it when I got home. It was the kind of moment when you know you're finding something completely different that you can't survive another minute without. Yes, that's dramatic but I know any music lover understands that second where you know you've struck gold. A lot of songs are just "okay" and that gets you by but it's such a great feeling to find one that is fantastic.

Although I don't know much about Hugo as a band, I know they have a couple albums out and their big break seemingly came when this song was featured on the soundtrack to the Natalie Portman/Ashton Kutcher film "No Strings Attached". I only found this out while searching Youtube. I thought I was going to find some acoustic version of a single guy playing this at a cafe with a straw hat on and found that Hugo has their own Vevo channel already and this video has half a million views. And I thought I was finding something obscure. Ha! In any event, the video is pretty crazy and the production value is great. It's a short song and another that just leaves you wanting more.

It's a fun, quirky cover with a country twang and an urban vibe. I hope Jay-Z likes it.

Picture of the Day: Matt Berninger

2011-02-21T15:11:00.000-05:00

of The National.

Horses Tell the Sweetest Love Stories

2011-02-21T15:02:00.000-05:00

Tyler Ramsey, Band of Horses guitarist

Band of Horses has some of the greatest love songs I have ever heard. So simple, so slow, so painful and slightly sad.

Not in time for Valentine's Day but still a good choice of music for a loved one.

I love the image of everything else in time getting older and love staying fresh. It's difficult, right?

The intertwining of country and rock is also perfect.

(and this band is kind of gorgeous too. oh my.)

Song to Love: The Forms Feat. Matt Berninger - Fire to the Ground

2011-02-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

This is my current favorite song. I've listened to it probably 30 times in the past two weeks.

The Forms (whose style Wikipedia considers "math rock"), are a Brooklyn band that formed in the early 2000's and have since released two albums with a third on the way.

The song features The National's Matt Berninger and the combination could not be better.

At just under three minutes, the song goes on for just the right amount of time to leave you wanting more.

Headphone Dreamers

2011-02-21T13:05:00.000-05:00

On a particularly long bus ride today, I couldn't help but notice a young man all decked out in Rutgers regala listening to something intently on his headphones. What struck me about this was his expression that never really faded from fascination. He looked like the kind of guy that needs to make sure his socks are always clean and his sneakers are always in fashion but aside from that, a really simple person. Maybe he plays on the football team or some other wacky sports team. He kept his hands in his pockets and just listened to whatever was on that iPod.

Going to Rutgers, it's obvious that I always see people walking with headphones in and if I'm in close enough range I try to sneak a peek at whatever they're shuffling around on their little music players but not all of them seem so enthralled in their music. I imagine for most it's just a distraction from noisy bus engines and little girls chattering. Sometimes someone will have their music up so loud that I'm able to distinguish it as Katy Perry or Jay-Z but rarely do I hear something unique or outstanding. Just as clothes make a man, so does music. Whatever this young person was listening to determines a lot about what he was thinking at the time and the meaning behind that facial expression that was plastered on his face. Imagining it was Willie Nelson's "Stardust" album as opposed to Nickelback's "Greatest Hits" changes the value in my head. And not because one sound is better than the other, just that if it were something completely random and unexpected that gave him a particular jolt of sadness or remembrance of something in his life, it would have a more significant value to my imagination. I'd be disappointed to find out he was just zoning out while listening to Wiz Khalifa. It's rare in life that we get any profound moments of time and yet music really does contribute greatly to those rare occurences. It is often when I'm listening to music that I get those feelings I don't know how to explain. That's why I've always found music to be the most difficult thing to write about and therefore the most challenging. Not only do you have to feel inspired but you have to know how to put it into words and certain feelings just don't have accompanying words to express them. This person's facial expression today encompassed a lot of what I feel when listening to my favorite music and there's no way I could explain it on a little blog. I'm always looking for big moments in life but then when they come around they're too big to go home and write about. It's the smaller times that are the easiest.

Radiohead vs. The National

2011-02-21T12:45:00.004-05:00

I absolutely adore Radiohead's new music video for their recent single "Lotus Flower" that, by the way, already has nearly 4 million views on Youtube and was only released 5 days ago(!) but I can't help but think it is too closely related to The National's video for "Bloodbuzz Ohio" that depicts frontman Matt Berninger awkwardly dancing around in black and white.

Although Berninger was better dressed and better bearded, I've been a longtime fan of Thom Yorke's crazy dancing abilities which puts me on the fence. On the 2009 Grammy Awards, Yorke danced his way through "15 Step" and it was rather awe-inspiring. It's the kind of thing you can't take your eyes off, whether you're enjoying it or not. There's something so odd about his face and tiny, little body that it keeps your attention. "Lotus Flower" as a whole is a great song but I'm disappointed it sounds so similiar to everything we've come to expect from Radiohead. Maybe that's not giving it enough credit, since it's definitely one of the best songs to come out recently, but without this fantastic video I'm not sure that I would even be paying much attention to it. The National's "Bloodbuzz Ohio" wasn't really a departure for them either. On music blogs last year the real discussion was whether or not the video was arrogant or humorous. Basically, it seemed like the conversation was mostly about the visuals rather than the song. Regardless, I still listen to it all the time over a year later.

I think the bottom line is no amount of sophistication and good looks are going to trump Thom Yorke's exceptional dancing abilities. Did he get inspiration from Matt Berninger? That remains to be seen.

Where For Art Thou, Amazon?

2010-11-09T15:54:00.003-05:00

It has been about three weeks since I wrote anything on this blog. I'm not sure why to be honest. I've been listening to so much good music there really isn't an excuse. Although I'm still a devout believer in iTunes, my enthusiasm is waning. In weeks past, particularly with the legal elimination of Limewire, I've been searching for a reliable yet cheap method of acquiring mp3's. And then out of the corner of my eye I spotted Amazon.com, a friend that had always casually been there but suddenly our relationship was becoming something more...

I'm having a love affair with Amazon and their brilliant Digital Download department. I'm so angry at myself for not realizing it before. They have an unbelievable, almost guilt-inducing amount of free downloads (that are actually really good!). Like any passionate affair, I'm not sure of its origin. I think it was innocent at first - I noticed that Of Montreal's "Sex Karma" single featuring Solange was a "free download of the day". Since I'm the king of sexy music and I love both artists, I figured I'd use it as a sample download to see if Amazon was even compatible with my aging laptop. Surprisingly all Amazon required from me was to install a very small program on to my computer in order to automatically transfer any of my purchases on to iTunes and bam: I was the proud owner of free, legal music.

All at once I realized something in my heart was changing. I would wait with baited breath until I could get home each night and search for more free/cheap music on Amazon. As my laptop lay on my chest and caressed the skin of my fingertips with every new song I bought, I knew this was something good. It just kept going - the recommendations I was getting for FREE songs that I actually wanted to own were blowing my mind. An entire album of 2010 Merge Record hits? Yes. A new Badly Drawn Boy single? Don't mind if I do. Chaka Khan singing James Bond theme songs? Yes, yes, yes! Even my recommendations matched my quirky personality. It was a match made in heaven.

So we're up to date. As I sit here listening to a live track from Lambchop (the band, not the lovable puppet) that was free and completely unexpected, I feel content in my musical accomplishments - although I have not been sharing them. You know how it is with a new relationship, you want to keep all the love to yourself. But now I'm ready to talk about it. Amazon and I are together. I'm sorry iTunes, you tax all your overpriced songs. I wanted to buy Cee Lo's new record from you today but you insisted on $1.29 a song when Amazon was asking a flat fee of 0.99. What am I supposed to do? You would do the same thing.

It might seem a little silly to compare music sites to lovers but you know I'm starting to think they're not too far off. The feeling I get from a sensual song is somewhat similar to the sensual feeling in real life. Because I was in the loving spirit I bought a lot of songs from Amazon today in addition to my free downloads, one of which was "Private Eyes" by the incomparable Hall and Oates. I know it's embarrassing that I didn't own it before (although I have on vinyl for many years) but it always seemed less important than other H&O songs. Now I just want to complete my collections of every artist I love. ANYWAY, it is such a sexy song - and "Do What You Want, Be What You Are", also by Hall and Oates. I wouldn't even know this song existed if it weren't for Amazon. I've amassed 56 songs in the past week because of these people. I'm pretty excited for our future together.

If we're being honest though, my emotions have been shifting back and forth frequently over the past three weeks I have been absent from this blog. There have been so many incredible highs but mentally several lows that I'm not sure how to explain. Music is a great reliever of pain and tension but sometimes it accelerates it. When you're in compromising positions mentally certain lyrics set you off just so and you can't listen to them. Lately I've been unable to relate to most songs because I'm not sad or angry or anything very strongly (except romantically charged). I mean Usher's "Trading Places" and N.E.R.D.'s new single "Hypnotize You" are definitely working with that theme but I'm in a deeper state than that somehow. It's not worth explaining as I don't even need an explanation. Actually, I'm also in a recent quest to find songs that are completely unrelated to relationships/love. The National are always good for this as very often their themes are a bit larger than mere love, it's much more nationally (no pun intended) and economically charged with a lot of lyrics trying to decipher the woes of growing older and getting up just to work and "live". I'd like to find other bands like this. It's tough because even the greatest songwriters turn to love more than absolutely anything else. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to hear about it though.

I'll leave you with all of this brilliance below:

Video of the Day: Rihanna - Only Girl (in the World)

2010-10-16T13:48:00.002-04:00

I don't know why I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I genuinely like Rihanna. During her "Pon De Replay" days or whatever she wasn't my thing but lately with the prior release of her "Rated R" album and the recent songs on the radio from her upcoming album, I'm really appreciating her sound. And not just that, I like her strong, nearly masculine message of taking charge and questioning the prowess of her admirers. There's something kinky and exciting about her image and overall aura.

In her latest video for "Only Girl (in the World)", she takes a step back from the overtly graphic lyrics and moves into subtlety risque territory - the entire video is just her wearing midriff baring tops with neon colored balloons floating in a meadow. It's still risky but kind of beautiful and really interesting to watch. The images almost work against the music which adds a nice contrast. This is really just a dance song with some so-so lyrics but like Lady Gaga, when you add these massively colorful, memorable scenes to it, there's this new layer that makes the song that much better.

I had a friend who used to insist that music videos were pointless because music must be heard not seen. We would harass him, saying that everyone should just close their eyes at concerts then because what would the point of looking at the musicians be? You should just let the music flow through your ears. Of course, I understand his logic a little but it's music videos like these, that have that extra edge of surprise that make the art form very worthwhile. When I used to watch MTV Hits, the 24 hour music video channel, obsessively, I would always love when Rihanna's "Rude Boy" video came on. It was during the Chris Brown controversy and possibly for that reason or something unbeknownst to my own mind, I always felt like this was a rather melancholy song. There's this air of sadness or creepiness about it although it's truly sexy and different (maybe a little M.I.A. "Paper Planes" but in my opinion, even better). I think of Rihanna more as a performance artist than musician. Perhaps my friend is right and music videos aren't necessary for songs like "Wonderful Tonight" or "Rave On" because classic, GOOD songs stand alone but carefree, fun dance songs need the visuals to back themselves up and become greater than the sum of their parts.

Take a Ciara music video for instance. Her songs bore me to tears but whenever she's on the screen I can't stop watching. The way she moves is hypnotic and in turn I start feeling the song more. I'm not saying it's right to use cheap tricks like that to sell music but it just happens. If I'm enjoying a song on a soundtrack to a movie that I never realized I liked before in real life, chances are I'll appreciate it a lot more from now on - in part because of the context I now think of it in. Rihanna's songs have always been like that for me too. I like her so in turn I like her music. To me, she's charismatic, beautiful, and fascinating. Of course I've never taken the leap and actually listened to any of her songs outside of the singles because I'm not sure it's my style but nevertheless I value her work as something that's more than just cheesy dance music. She reminds me of Tina Turner.

Enjoy.

Song to Love: John Mayer - Edge of Desire

2010-10-15T19:24:00.002-04:00

I feel like I've been all John Mayer-ed out for years now but there's something about his songs that always makes me come back. I'll be thinking situations out in my head and randomly think of his lyrics without meaning to - a classic sign of a great songwriter. It's not necessarily that the words are so brilliant, it's rather the very raw, natural emotions in his simple lyrics that make them so relatable. Some of these lines are just phrases someone might say within a normal conversation. He nails the feeling because he doesn't mask it in metaphors, it's all out in the open.

This song particularly is one of my favorites from Battle Studies. It might sound a little silly but the power it has live is pretty amazing.

(Studio)

Edge of Desire lyrics by John Mayer

Young and full of running
Tell me where has that taken me?
Just a great figure eight or a tiny infinity?

Love is really nothing
But a dream that keeps waking me,
For all of my trying
We still end up dying, how can it be?

Don't say a word just come over and lie here with me,
'Cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see,
I want you so bad, I'll go back on the things I believed,
There I just said it, I'm scared you'll forget about me.

So young and full of running, all the way to the edge of desire
Steady my breathing, silently screaming,
"I have to have you now"
Wired and I'm tired
Think I'll sleep in my clothes on the floor
Maybe this mattress will spin on its axis and find me on yours

Don't say a word just come over and lie here with me
'Cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see
I want you so bad I'll go back on the things I believe
There I just said it, I'm scared you'll forget about me

Don't say a word just come over and lie here with me
'Cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see
I want you so bad I'll go back on the things I believe
There I just said it, I'm scared you'll forget about me

(Live)

Video of the Day: The National - Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks (Live Unplugged)

2010-10-04T19:45:00.002-04:00

My dear friend saw The National live last night at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN and while she said the entire show was incredible, she singled out an unplugged version of "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks" as one of the best parts. Seeing the entire crowd softly singing along really affected her - "not even a microphone!" she text me.

Well I didn't understand it until I saw this video. Have you ever seen a band do something like this before? This song is already an emotional segment of the show at a regular concert but to see it done like this is overwhelming. Seeing the entire crowd singing back up is unbelievable. The lyrics to this song are particularly poignant and it's strange how the diversity of the crowd doesn't change the fact that we all have these thoughts. There is a genuine feeling that lives inside this song that just resonates with people - any one of these audience members could've written these lyrics because they are truly that universal. Like I said in the last post, many of The National's songs can easily become anthems for people in their own lives. The repetition of certain lyrics bring out the truth in them somehow. It's also strange to hear the last line, "I'll explain everything to the geeks", without Matt Berninger's classic shouting. It all works though.

This is so impressive and a perfect depiction of how interactive and perceptive The National are as a band.

Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks Lyrics by The National

Leave your home
Change your name
Live alone
Eat your cake

Vanderlyle, crybaby, cry
Oh the waters are risin'
Still no surprisin' you
Vanderlyle, crybaby, cry
Man its all been forgivin'
Swans are a swimmin'
I'll explain everything to the geeks

All the very best of us
String ourselves up for love
All the very best of us
String ourselves up for love
All the very best of us
String ourselves up for love
All the very best of us
String ourselves up for love

Vanderlyle, crybaby, cry
Oh the waters are risin'
Still no surprisin' you
Vanderlyle, crybaby, cry
Man its all been forgivin'
Swans are a swimmin'
I'll explain everything to the geeks

Hangin' from chandeliers
Same small world
At your heels

All the very best of us
String ourselves up for love
All the very best of us
String ourselves up for love
All the very best of us
String ourselves up for love
All the very best of us
String ourselves up for love

Vanderlyle, crybaby, cry
Oh the waters are risin'
Still no surprisin' you
Vanderlyle, crybaby, cry
Man its all been forgivin'
Swans are a swimmin'

I'll explain everything to the geeks
I'll explain everything to the geeks

The National, Wellmont Theatre - September 24, 2010

2010-10-02T13:39:00.001-04:00

I don't know how many times I can say it: Matt Berninger is the greatest frontman in contemporary rock music.

After seeing The National six times this year I almost go to their shows hoping I won't like something so I'll have a shot at writing a different review. Of course, all I'm left with after the fact is a brilliant show that doesn't need my words slobbering all over it. There are only so many times I can start these reviews with "I can't express how much I love The National..." or "The National are the greatest band on earth..." Some people might get the impression I'm a little obsessed. I am.

Before I get into my usual gushing, I have to say that I've been to two concerts since I saw The National perform and although both were great in their own ways, I couldn't muster the excitement I thought was necessary to appreciate either fully. The National has ruined me for any other band. I go to a show knowing that the singer is not going to completely encompass the lyrics of the songs and I know they're not going to come into the audience and sing into people's faces half inebriated and half embarrassed. Maybe it's strange that I love Matt Berninger more than anyone in the world or maybe it's just that he is incapable of disappointing me - and everyone else in the audience.

And it's not just Berninger. Aaron and Bryce Dessner, Scott and Bryan Devendorf, and the occassional Padma Newsome make this band the greatest around. Their artistry and musicianship is unmatched by any I've seen.

Friday at the Wellmont was no exception. I've never been a fan of this venue but The National made it sound better than ever. Berninger came out drunker than usual with the requisite wine bottle and immediately went into "Runaway" which had been more of a closing number in their summer tour. While 50% of the show was dedicated to songs off High Violet, the other half managed to have a couple surprises, mostly in the form of "Daugthers of the Soho Riots" and "Available" which are songs I've seen this year but not recently.

It's always extraordinary to see a song start off calm and collected and end in a beautiful shambles. Songs like "Afraid of Everyone" and "England" begin in nearly a whisper with simple lyrics that set the scene and by song's end the anthemic lines begin in repetition with Berninger screaming at the top of his lungs and falling into microphone stands, Aaron and Bryce closing their eyes intently playing guitar all the while. There is no other band that could pull off a line like "Your voice is swallowing my soul" nearly ten times in one song and practically bring the crowd to tears. I clutch my heart every time I hear it.

After an exquisite performance of "Fake Empire" to close the set, the encore started with "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks", a song I had a difficult time appreciating since the new album came out. I think the title is corny and since it's near the end of the record, I just dismissed it more than I should have. Hearing it live gives it an entirely new life. The beginning lines "Leave your home, Change your name. Live alone, eat your cake" are basically just Berninger a cappela and it kills me every time. Hearing his deep voice trying to hit the high notes and faltering just enough to sound authentically painful is incredible. He makes himself so vulnerable on stage that I can't imagine the entire audience not falling in love with him by the end. He feels the lyrics with every fiber of his being - or at least makes it appear that way. His charisma is otherworldly.

In true National fashion, the show ended with Matt climbing on speakers and falling into the audience with his trademark, larger than life microphone cord trailing behind him. It's impossible to explain how it feels to watch him perform unless you're there to experience it. There are a lot of great musicians out there but it takes something a long the lines of magic to be the best.

The National Setlist - 9/24/10

Runaway

Anyone's Ghost

Mistaken For Strangers

Bloodbuzz Ohio

Slow Show

Squalor Victoria

Afraid of Everyone

Available

Conversation 16

Apartment Story

Sorrow

Abel

Daughters of the SoHo Riots

England

Fake Empire

Encore:

Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
Secret Meeting
Mr. November
Terrible Love

All photographs courtesy of me and my bozo camera.

Video of the Day: William Fitzsimmons - "King of Wishful Thinking" Cover

2010-09-30T14:01:00.000-04:00

Originally a song by Go West off the Pretty Woman soundtrack, William Fitzsimmons makes it sound contemporary and much sweeter.

Picture of the Day: The National (and Obama)

2010-09-30T13:55:00.002-04:00

Pussycats, Pavement, and J. Lo

2010-09-30T13:13:00.001-04:00

Today I woke up at 7am. It's a disgusting practice and I pray every time it happens that it will never occur again. I'm the worst morning person in the world. I look, sound, and act like Walter Matthau before 12pm and it's not pretty on me. The one thing that makes any morning better is my iPod.

A few days ago after one too many homemade margaritas, I decided to go on Limewire and illegally download "feel good" songs. In my head these would be hip, cool songs that I could listen to when I'm home having a couple drinks, partying with my cat. Needless to say things turned ugly fast and good taste (Pavement, The Kinks) turned bad (Jennifer Lopez, The Pussycat Dolls).

I don't know what it is in my brain that likes absurd music that I know is created by machines and auto-tune but I can't help myself. I'm overly empathetic towards a lot in my life and music is no exception. After watching Jennifer Lopez's Behind the Music where she chronicles her first traumatic recording sessions, I liked her music even more - despite the fact that she was openly admitting to having a bad voice. When Usher sings about infidelity and gets on his knees to hug faceless women's legs in music videos, I chalk it up to unique artistry, certainly not scumbag-level arrogance. When Snoop Dogg is featured in every video with girls dancing around in skimpy clothes (i.e. Katy Perry's "California Girls", Pussycat Dolls "Buttons"), I figure it's because he needs to make extra dough to support his adorable family I grew to love on "Snoop Dogg's Fatherhood", the spectacular E! Entertainment Nework reality show.

It all comes back to this morning. As I was standing outside in the pouring rain I decided to put my headphones on and listen to Ms. Lopez's classic song "All I Have" with LL Cool J. I won't deny my history with this song - I love music videos. When I was younger they were all I watched. This particular video was on all the time. As a youthful teenager I thought Jennifer Lopez was utterly beautiful: she wore Jimmy Choo boots, furry coats, had those curves.. so much to look at. Indirectly, I'm sorry to say, this video, and others like it, are probably in my subconscious for the rest of my life. Luckily I think I understand the ironic humor within the lyrics and don't plan on dating any guys that tell me they're "cats that creep all over town" (you know I'd prefer to play that role). I never realized until today in the rain how insanely sexist the lyrics are or how good this song is. I don't think it's really trying to teach anyone a lesson and of course which of these artists is truly synonymous with power? The answer is obvious so there's no reason to feel too bad for the plight of females within this context. Although it's important to point out that it's dangerous to listen to songs like this when you're young. I do believe that personal relationship insecurities can be stirred by false images in pop songs. If I have children I won't let them listen to Neil Sedaka until they're at least 17.

The thing that bothered me most is my relationship with songs like this. I always thought I had a healthy relationship with music, so much that I could openly relay any of my interests to anyone who wanted to know. Standing there in the rain, with my black glasses, skinny jeans, and wannabe Rastafarian, maroon hat, I quietly listened to Jennifer Lopez... any time someone would walk by I lowered the volume as if I thought they cared or would even hear it over the raindrops falling on cement. I was embarrassed. I should be listening to something different, not Jock Jams from 2002 or something. Who do I think I am? It brought back memories of sixth grade when my friend Danielle told me I had no right to appreciate Selena's music.

"But I really love her."

"Why because you saw the movie?"

"Yes but I swear I have at least one of her cd's in my room."

"Please. You don't understand her."

I don't know why I always remember that. Danielle was actually one of my best friends at the time so I know she wasn't deliberately hating on my musical preferences but she felt a particular kinship to Selena that apparently I wasn't allowed to feel. I can't even express to you how much I really did love that crazy movie. I've always been a total sucker for all things Jennifer Lopez. I'll watch that movie with her and Matthew McConaughey about the wedding stuff anytime it's on and I usually hate movies like that. She has some crazy charisma that I'm drawn to - or as a drugged up male friend of mine once said, I'm just drawn to the "exotic ladies".

And it really doesn't end there. I go from 12 year old in 2002 to 45 year old in the '80's. "King of Wishful Thinking"? "Danny's Song"? Kenny Loggins? TOTO?! What am I doing?

Does anyone remember Joe? The song "Stutter" has always been a personal favorite. I relate a little too much to the lyrics these days but when I was a kid I just thought he was a pretty good looking cat with a great voice.

I'm also in love with Pharrell but I'm not too embarrassed by that.

I think that's all I'm ready to admit.

I actually believe Nicole Scherzinger is an excellent role model for young girls. I'm always an advocate for women taking control of their own sexuality and not leaving it up for the debate of the opposite gender.

Video of the Day: The National - You've Done it Again, Virginia

2010-09-20T20:23:00.000-04:00

All week I'll be posting about The National in one respect or another leading up to the concert on Friday. This particular video is a couple years old but I never get tired of it. I have an addiction and I love it. In this moment, there's nothing I love more in fact.

The Sun Never Shines But That's Alright: Songs for Getting Older

2010-09-19T14:29:00.001-04:00

I don't know why the tides have shifted in the past few days but something happenend and I can't get my groove back. I have at least two new wrinkles on my face and in honor of my rapid aging process in my early/mid-twenties, I'd like to share a little list of some songs. Sometimes I feel like the apocalypse isn't too far and sometimes this music helps.

I'm almost on the cusp of wanting to meet real people again and get out of my headphones for a few hours a day. I wonder what that will be like, actually wanting to answer the phone for people other than the few I do now. Imagine if I met someone like Cory Booker that was actually real and incredibly intelligent and perceptive. Someone genuine who wasn't afraid. Maybe that will happen at some point but all that is certain for now is the aging process.

"All of this around us will fall."

Here are 16 songs, along with some choice lyrics, about growing old.

Aerosmith - Dream On
The definitive song I think of when I see my reflection, unfortunately:

Every time that I look in the mirror
All these lines on my face getting clearer
The past is gone
It went by, like dusk to dawn
Isn't that the way
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay
Yeah, I know nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know it's everybody's sin
You got to lose to know how to win

Mary J. Blige - Work in Progress
Sometimes I get down, sometimes I want to cry,
Sometimes I get depressed,
No one promised there would be sunshine all the time.

John Mayer - Stop This Train
No I'm not color blind
I know the world is black and white
Try to keep an open mind but...
I just can't sleep on this tonight
Stop this train I want to get off and go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly won't someone stop this train

Billy Joel - Vienna
You got your passion you got your pride
But don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on but don't imagine they'll all come true

Third Eye Blind - Wake For Young Souls
Well the wind that blows its blowing colder and the child that grows she's growing older
And the friends we know they'll turn a shoulder
The friends we know they are growing colder

Rod Stewart - You Wear it Well
Anyway my coffee's cold and I'm getting told
That I gotta get back to work
So when the sun goes low and you're home all alone
Think of me and try not to laugh and I wear it well.

Badly Drawn Boy - The Time of Times
Oh, sweet morning
And your head's not right
Did you hear my warning
This is the time of times
And your head feels like your body
Your mind is close behind
There's a teardrop on your shoulder
Says this is the time of times
It's the time of times again

Jackson Browne - These Days
And I had a lover
It's so hard to risk another these days
Now if I seem to be afraid
To live the life I have made in song
Well it's just that I've been losing so long
I'll keep on moving
Things are bound to be improving these days
These days I sit on corner stones
And count the time in quarter tones to ten, my friend
Don't confront me with my failures
I had not forgotten them

The Killers - When You Were Young
And sometimes you close your eyes and see the place where you used to live
When you were young
They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet
You don't have to drink right now
But you can dip your feet
Every once in a little while

The Strokes - Someday
In many ways they'll miss the good old days
Someday, someday
Yeah it hurts to say but I want you to stay
Sometimes, sometimes
When we was young oh man did we have fun
Always, always
Promises they break before they're made
Sometimes, sometimes

Death Cab For Cutie - No Sunlight
With every year
That came to pass
More clouds appeared
'Til the sky went black, and there was
No sunlight
And it disappeared at the same speed
As the idealistic things I believed
The optimist died inside of me

Silversun Pickups - Growing Old is Getting Old
Suddenly
We decompose
But we're not alone
So we all
Are growing old

and my favorite line: I memorized your smile lines from left to right.

Tracy Chapman - I Did it All
When they come to interview me
For my made for TV movie
Say I'm the bitch who was a bastard
Who did it all for the love and laughter
I did it all

Jay Z - 30 Something
I'm from the era where ni**as don't snitch
you from the era where snitchin' is the shit
I'm afraid of the future, why?
Y'all respect the one who got shot
I respect the shooter
Y'all go to parties to ice grill
I go to parties to party with nice girls

George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
Now the darkness only stays the night-time
In the morning it will fade away
Daylight is good at arriving at the right time
It's not always going to be this grey
All things must pass

LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge
I used to work in the record store.
I had everything before anyone.
I was there in the Paradise Garage DJ booth with Larry Levan.
I was there in Jamaica during the great sound clashes.
I woke up naked on the beach in Ibiza in 1988.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent.
And they're actually really, really nice.

October Fires: Autumn Playlist 2010

2010-09-18T22:25:00.002-04:00

Not only is autumn my favorite season, it also seems to be the time I find some of the best music - whether new or old. Every time I put together one of these lists I feel like I'm giving away treasure. I don't often share music one on one so the songs become really personal to me. I have reasons for loving every one of these songs but really their defining characteristic to make this list is fall appeal. I can easily envision someone in a tweed coat and hat enjoying a crisp leaf shower while playing any one of these songs. Autumn is a time of breezy coziness and the music has to match. I hope you enjoy.

01 Band of Horses – Blue Beard
I'm completely crazy about Band of Horses. If The National weren't so incredible, they would probably be my favorite band. This song particularly has a dark, Beach Boys vibe that I continuously come back to.

02 Blood Feathers – Don't Know You At All
I found this band last week and already I'm smitten. It's probably the most important song on the list to try out. If you like The Felice Brothers, Johnny Cash, or Buddy Holly, you will love them.

03 Sam Bisbee – Molecules
This song is ridiculous, full of talk-rap, incredible beats and real, authentic musicianship of the strangest kind - like the way Owl City would be if they were cool.

04 Sic Alps – L Mansion
Another recent discovery but one I'm so excited about. Sic Alps has a throwback appeal in a Kinks sort of way and I have iTunes to thank for finding them.

05 Wolf People – October Fires
Wolf People are an English psychedelic rock band that is fairly new but extremely interesting. Their sound sounds at once familiar and very different. October Fires is my favorite track so far.

06 Gayngs – Crystal Rope
I had been hearing about Gayngs, a rap/indie rock supergroup featuring Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, for a long time now and finally got around to checking it out a few days ago. I instantly fell in love with this song although I don't think the entire album lives up to its "mood music" reviews.

07 Ray LaMontagne – Shelter
The most beautiful song of the past several years.

08 Drake – Fancy
After his performance on the VMA's this year, I couldn't get this song out of my head. Although it's the least autumny of the bunch, it's a great song to dance around to with your pet.

09 The Ramones – I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
I had been listening to the Pete Yorn cover of this song for so long that I forgot what this version sounded like. I'm not typically into punk rock but this transcends the genre and what better time to celebrate a new romance than autumn?

10 Ambrosia – Biggest Part of Me
One of the bigger hits on the list, this song is so reliable yet I don't think it gets proper credit. Ambrosia is certainly not a well-discussed classic rock band in the same way as Boston or Journey but their songs are equally as classic. One line of this song and you'd know it instantly.

11 Foreigner – Waiting for a Girl Like You
This song has that eerie, sad/happy feeling that I always crave. It's equal parts nice ("I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life") and troubling ("Maybe I'm wrong, won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong, this heart of mine has been hurt before").

12 Sting – I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying
This is probably my current favorite on the list. Instead of the usual lite-rock sound, Sting comes in with a country twang that rivals Ryan Adams and discusses how he's "so happy" about his significant other leaving him. I always appreciate a good double meaning.

13 Ryan Adams – Somehow, Someday
Off Adam's 2001 album "Gold", Somehow, Someday is one of the best tracks. It's classic Ryan Adams but also one of those songs that evokes its own mood instantly.

14 Wheat – Half of the Time
Although they're still primarily unknown, Wheat has been making music for over a decade and were featured on the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's film "Elizabethtown". This is a newer song off their 2009 album "White Ink, Black Ink" that perfectly portrays their sound. I'm in love with it.

15 Naked Eyes – Promises, Promises
This just reminds me so much of Hall and Oates that I'm drawn to it. Naked Eyes is probably best known for "Always Something There to Remind Me" (which is fantastic) but this is equally as good vintage synth-poppy music.

16 Rihanna – Only Girl
This is her latest single and basically it's really fun. Also I won't deny that I can relate to the lyrics.

17 Fitz & the Tantrums – Moneygrabber
One of my favorite bands. Their debut album "Pickin' Up the Pieces" just came out last month and this is the track I've been playing over and over again.

18 Pete Yorn – Velcro Shoes
Although his new album has yet to be released, Pete Yorn has been giving away individual tracks for free on various websites for the past several months. Velcro Shoes, a fast-paced rock song that strays slightly from Yorn's usual formula, is my favorite of these tracks so far. Full album available September 28th.

19 The National – The Geese of Beverly Road
What can I say? It reminds me of Halloween and makes me feel a longing for something indescribable. Perfect for fall.

20 Duck Sauce - Anyway
I take it all back, this is my favorite song on the list. Watch!

To sample some of the other songs go to: 8Tracks

And to relive last year's list: http://musicmavens.blogspot.com/search/label/Autumn%20Playlist%202009

I LOVE BAND OF HORSES

2010-09-18T16:21:00.003-04:00

Why I Should be a Roadie for The National

2010-09-18T15:23:00.003-04:00

You didn't think I wouldn't talk about The National this week did you? It's been too long. I do have to say that I shouldn't even be writing right now with my thoughts so jumbled but the greatest thought of all is seeing The National six days from now. It's slightly bittersweet because there aren't any more National concerts lined up for the rest of the year after this (!!!) but that's why I'm going to milk this for all it's worth. For the next six days I might only write about The National in anticipation for it.

Right now I'm listening to the painful "Geese of Beverly Road". For the past two hours I've just been listening to The National. I woke up with a rather somber, strange feeling and somehow that transferred into the need for The National. Everyone gets a little lost sometimes, I think some people are forever lost and it's hard to know where to put that mess. Simple is rarely simple. The National is not simple.

The other day I watched a great interview with Matt Berninger where he said that a lot of his songs have dark humor within them that people don't get. They think songs like "Conversation 16" in which he discusses putting his head in an oven ala Sylvia Plath are real. The interviewer went as far as asking him if that song was based in reality. Berninger obviously denied it and said it's meant to be silly. He's not afraid of eating anyone's brains and he's never tried to commit suicide. I'm not sure I completely buy that answer - maybe not to that extent but he's writing based in his own feelings for sure. I'd put a lot of money on it. He writes about the same recurring feelings and themes consistently.

Lately I'm starting to get a little lesson in things masquerading as something else and realizing that everything that seems like it means something might not but I'm damn sure that The National mean something. I have it tattooed on my body that it means something. More importantly, I feel it. I have seen Matt Berninger destroyed on stage while singing lyrics that obviously mean something to him. My best friend and I have joked about being jealous of his wife - then concluded that he must be a handful to deal with on a daily basis. Yeah, but imagine how incredible it would be to know someone who is so truly intense.

I don't want to sound like a 15-year-old talking about Justin Timberlake and how "Like I Love You" shatters her world but I do like the idea of having an external sound evoke so much internally. If I were a scientist I'd do some research on my brain and find out why I go back to The National every time I need something to surround me, almost like gluing everything together. Whether we love work or school or our friends, there are always those days when we want to get away from everything. We need a break from life. Sometimes I'd prefer to live out a day as someone else, not because I want to be someone else but because I'm exhausted. I'm older now so things are a little different, when I want a break I know how to shut off my mind and not care about anything. It's a little heartless but it's also necessary in order to not break your own heart. The National helps me with this. I think about Berninger's lyrics and genuinely believe that there's another ridiculously, stupid intense person in this world that doesn't know what to do too.

That's why I think I should just leave everyone I know, drop out of school, quit my job and travel with The National as a roadie - I don't know how to tune a guitar but I know how to duct tape a setlist to the floor and roll out a carpet. I know how to put a few Poland Spring waters on the ground and ice a nice bottle of wine. I could buy towels or carry microphones or really anything. I'll work for free - just a place to sleep and some food. I don't need any more material possessions, I don't need anybody else in my life, I just want the music. I just want to stand on the side of the stage every night and listen. If life is about finding something you love and surrounding yourself with it then this is what I should be doing. I'd miss my cat but it wouldn't be the entire year, just a few months.

I'm crazy. I'm crazy because I'm serious. I seriously would just drop everything if ever this was a possibility. I'm considering going online right now and searching for how one acquires jobs like this. I am just tired. I'm tired of seeing people give up and give in. I'm afraid it will happen to me too. When I say out loud that I see myself being successful, I'm starting to hear myself sounding like a child. Don't I know no one is successful anymore? How did I hang on to these childish, whimsical dreams for so long? I'm the only one left.

I believe it even more when I hear Matt Berninger sing.

"I'll do what I can to be a confident wreck." - M.B.

The Geese of Beverly Road Lyrics

We'll take ourselves out in the street
And wear the blood in our cheeks
Like red roses
We'll go from car to sleeping car
And whisper in their sleeping ears
We were here, we were here
We'll set off the geese of Beverly Road

Hey, love, we'll get away with it
We'll run like we're awesome, totally genius
Hey, love, we'll get away with it
We'll run like we're awesome

We won't be disappointed
We'll fight like girls for our place at the table
Our room on the floor
We'll set off the geese of Beverly Road

Hey, love, we'll get away with it
We'll run like we're awesome, totally genius
Hey, love, we'll get away with it
We'll run like we're awesome

We're the heirs to the glimmering world

We're drunk and sparking, our legs are open
Our hands are covered in cake
But I swear we didn't have any
I swear we didn't have any

Hey, love, we'll get away with it
We'll run like we're awesome, totally genius
Hey, love, we'll get away with it
We'll run like we're awesome

We're the heirs to the glimmering world

Oh, come, come be my waitress and serve me tonight

Serve me the sky tonight

Oh, come, come be my waitress and serve me tonight

serve me the sky with a big slice of lemon

We're the heirs to the glimmering world

Oh, come, come be my waitress and serve me tonight

Serve me the sky tonight

Oh, come, come be my waitress and serve me tonight

serve me the sky with a big slice of lemon

Ray LaMontagne Makes Me Sick

2010-09-15T21:05:00.002-04:00

The title of this post might actually be inaccurate if taken literally. When I see Ray LaMontagne something comes over me that does make me feel a little woozy but mostly because his beard is so intoxicating (added to that voice and his hat collection) that I can't feel my feet. On a quiet night at home, I find myself searching through Youtube videos trying to find something of interest that I never caught before and keep coming back to fairly recent live footage of Ray.

Not too long ago I was having a discussion with a friend about the song "Shelter" off LaMontagne's first studio album, 2004's "Trouble". As usual, it's one of those songs I'm in love with but can rarely listen to these days because of the feelings I relate to it - and the person. There was a time in 2006 when this song was the greatest piece of music my ears could choose. 'Person' and I would laugh about how we couldn't pronounce LaMontagne correctly and it was just all love and turtledoves. Today, I'm much more realistic (or jaded) and realize love like the kind Ray sings about in "Shelter" might not exist or at least not last forever. Love is god awful. That does put a damper on a lot of really good music but nevertheless, Ray LaMontagne's music manages to overcome that with the absurd craftsmanship of every track and the genuine soul in his unbelievably beautiful voice. I cannot say enough good things about him. His elusive nature also adds this interesting, mysterious quality that makes songs like "Old Before Your Time" and "New York City's Killing Me" off his new album "God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise" even more exquisite. I get off on his music like my cat does to catnip, you know what I'm saying?

Take a listen and a good, long look at Mr. Ray LaMontagne, whether you're already familiar with him or not.

This song is better than sex. Can I say that? Guess I just did. It is utterly, disgustingly, incredibly amazing beyond words.

"Held you in my arms one time, lost you just the same".... can you handle it? "I pictured you holding a picture of me. I still don't know what love means."....

Shelter Lyrics by Ray LaMontagne

I guess you don't need it
I guess you don't want me to repeat it
But everything I have to give I'll give to you
It's not like we planned it
You tried to stay, but you could not stand it
To see me shut down slow
As though it was an easy thing to do
Listen when
All of this around us'll fall over
I tell you what we're gonna do
You will shelter me my love
And I will shelter you
I will shelter you
I left you heartbroken, but not until those very words were spoken
Has anybody ever made such a fool out of you
It's hard to believe it
Even as my eyes do see it
The very things that make you live are killing you
Listen when all of this around us'll fall over
I tell you what we're gonna do
You will shelter me my love
I will shelter you
Listen when
All of this around us'll fall over
I tell you what we're gonna do
You will shelter me my love
I will shelter you
If you shelter me too
I will shelter you
I will shelter you

Evolution of a Song: Lindsey Buckingham - Trouble

2010-09-15T11:08:00.000-04:00

I love Lindsey Buckingham. Not only is Fleetwood Mac one of the greatest bands to see live - and they continue to get better - but the first concert I ever worked in my life was for one of Mr. Buckingham's solo tours and it will forever stick with me. I remember seeing him before soundcheck walking around the entire perimeter of the venue making sure the sound was right from every angle. As I walked past him, we made eye contact for a second and I wanted to say something but his glare was so intense that it scared me off. I heard rumblings about him being really mean and slightly offended that his tour wasn't going as well as he expected but seeing him in that moment alone made me feel like I understood him a little bit. He's a perfectionist and wants his craft to be taken seriously and get the acclaim it deserves. I'm not sure why to this day people don't mention his name when discussing the greatest guitarists of all time. He is a visionary.

There's really a lot about Lindsey Buckingham to love but specifically it's been his solo song "Trouble" off the 1981 album Law and Order that has caught my attention in the past two days. I was in a coffee shop yesterday feeling kind of down when this song came on and at first I couldn't even recall who the artist was. It took me at least a couple minutes to recognize the voice as the entire song is sung in a high falsetto style that doesn't sound anything like his Fleetwood Mac days. I don't know if the song made me feel better or worse but I can't get it out of my head.

After doing some research, I found that this is the only song on the entire Law and Order album in which Lindsey doesn't play bass or drums - only guitar and vocals. Mick Fleetwood was asked to do drums and when things soured in the studio, a continuous loop of a four second drum track was used instead. I would never have known. In a way, I do find this song to have an interesting sexual quality to it but it's also really eerie and sad. I've heard several people say that perhaps Lindsey Buckingham is a little over the top both in concert and vocally (maybe even lyrically) but what's a musician without a little bravado? Interestingly, I found several clips online of this song that show how very different sides of a song can come out depending on the presentation of it. I think it takes a great piece of music to work in two completely different ways.

Check it out for yourself.

Most recent live, acoustic version. I think this is Buckingham's best vocals of the song (and okay, I've also always had a bit of a crush on him in this older man state he's in now, it just works.)

A live 1992 performance where not only does he look completely different but he's just so much cheesier and the song sounds completely different.

The official recording (I loathe the beginning, it is corn central).

Video of the Day: John Mayer - Ain't No Sunshine (Cover)

2010-09-12T11:44:00.003-04:00

Taken during his two night stint at Madison Square Garden at the end of February 2010, this video perfectly encompasses all that I love about a John Mayer concert. His recent addition of "Ain't No Sunshine" not only gives him an opportunity within the set to display what he's best at (guitar solos) but puts such a sophisticated spin on the entire concert. This song actually fits in with his usual collection of songs much better than his own earlier work does. Hearing "I Don't Trust Myself (Loving You)" and then "No Such Thing" never worked for me.

I was lucky enough to be at this performance with pretty much the same seat as the person taking this footage. This was the first time I saw him perform this live and over the summer he played it at every concert I went to - maybe even performing better than in this clip.

Below you can also find Bill Withers' best known version of this song that I have become obsessed with over the past 24 hours. After adding it to my "Lonely Mix", I can't stop listening. I don't understand how he fits so much into 2 minutes. His voice is breathtaking and the "I know, I know, I know" part takes up about 1/6 of the entire song. It almost feels like an inner monologue being played out in song. It's also interesting how much the delivery of the "I know" changes the song from one version to another. In Withers', it almost comes across as melancholy to me while Mayer's version is slightly breathless and darkly intimate. The balance of that is fantastic. I know there are tons of versions of this song and I definitely plan on finding more but for now I'm enjoying these.

Also: take note of the drummer in the second video. He gets so excited when the funky parts come up. I hope this guy is still alive and willing to be my friend. I want to borrow his striped blazer.

Ain't No Sunshine Lyrics

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.
It's not warm when she's away.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long anytime she goes away.

Wonder this time where she's gone,
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away.

And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know

Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone,
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone, only darkness everyday.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away.

Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.

Top 20 Songs to Be Lonely To

2010-09-12T01:44:00.003-04:00

The weekends are always very strange for me. I'm an active person so anytime I'm left with as much as a little empty space in my schedule, it makes me nervous. I'm one of those people who doesn't want to be left alone with themselves. I like distractions and reasons to not think. Naturally, music is the perfect antidote. Since my closest friend had a severe accident, my best friends live in different states, and I'm a picky person, the weekends aren't what they used to be. I have friends that come and go, people I see from time to time but the person I spend the most time with is myself and my trusty iTunes catalog.

Just like everyone else, I have certain music that I feel at home with. There aren't any pretenses with these songs. They're not songs I have to get dressed up for or be with other people - they're songs that are mine. I am very musically sensitive in the sense that if I hear a song playing in someone else's car or in a restaurant or bar, I will instantly relate that song to that situation every time I hear it from there on out. Sometimes this is great and makes me love a song even more but occasionally it's the worst thing that could happen and I can never listen to the song again. Usually it takes a rather massive situation for this to occur but I always hate when it does. Take for example the gorgeous song "Dear Lord" by Joseph Arthur. I absolutely love this song - it could potentially be one of my favorite songs of all time. For a long time I didn't have it on my iTunes because I gradually tuned it out of my mind. Everything from the jangly, West Virginia sound of the guitar to the lyrics that so perfectly describe my ex-boyfriend, made me hate it. I hated the power it had over me. Every time I heard this stupid song I would cry like a maniac. With lyrics like "I'm sorry for the things I've done, I'm sorry for wanting to run" - when I hear it, it just brings back a time I want nothing more than to forget. Yes, this time was the basis of my personality today but I'd rather not think of the person that destroyed my youth (and shaped a great deal of myself). It's rough and I can't believe that a song could bring all that rushing back. And that's not even going into "Close to Me" - The Cure or "Your Eyes" - Peter Gabriel. They make me want to kill myself, figuratively. And for anyone that thinks I'm nuts, I dare you to consider your own personal history and tell me that there's not a song that does the same to you. I'm certain you'll find at least one if not a dozen others.

Finding old mix cds is like hell for me recently. The last two I found were from a person who committed suicide and the aforementioned lover. It's always great to hear love songs that now mean nothing - that are now probably on a cd for someone else. I love the art of a mix cd but the pain that comes after the initial rush is sometimes not worth it. I had a friend not so long ago who was making me a supposed mix catering to all my favorite styles - namely sensual tunes that he thought were more respectable than my more overtly sexy preferences. I saw on his iTunes that the list was named after me and everything. Great, I thought, I love new songs. I'm always more than ready to hear what turns other people on. Of course before I received said mix cd, we got into a musically charged fight and I will probably never receive it.

Music is such a strange animal. Music might be the biggest social tool - and lubricant - there is. More than sports and maybe even alcohol in some cases, music gets people talking and relating. I'm always amazed when I'm sitting at a dinner table and people start talking about music. Their eyes light up and they try to trade little stories that they think will make them sound impressive to the others, sometimes not even realizing that everyone at the table is trying to sound cool in one way or another. Sometimes I'm convinced that's the only reason people even talk about music. In some places it's almost taboo to talk about music in fear of sounding inferior. I had to delete a post on here one time because I spoke so inappropriately about a man I met at a bar that belittled me until I had no choice but to walk away. I had never come across such an arrogant person in my life. In my naivete, it was difficult for me to even believe that this man loved music as much as he was claiming. How could someone who was willing to sit with me for two hours discussing a single topic have such a strong disdain for music he didn't understand? He refused to even amuse the idea of someone like John Mayer having any talent whatsoever and bashed The National for becoming too mainstream. Unfortunately, the more I meet people who claim to be music lovers, the more I come across this same problem. It seems that every "music lover" of a certain age has the same opinions on what music should be. No young "hipster" guy ever openly admits appreciation for someone like John Mayer and any girl who likes him will bashfully say it or add the requisite "embarrassingly!" at the end. I've given up on trying to understand why this is. I continuously use the example that you wouldn't let someone else tell you what to eat so why do you let them influence what you listen to but clearly it's more important to be socially acceptable than - God Forbid! - like a pop artist. A band like The National could be making the greatest music of their career but if they're selling 300,000 albums in their first week doing so then all their "indie cred" is gone in certain circles. It's absolutely baffling to me. They're not working with Britney Spears' auto-tuning guy just because they're popular, they're still making the same album in their little studio whether they sell 1 copy or 1 million copies (clearly there's more to it than this but in theory they're still the same people with the same musical abilities regardless).

It has become so frequent that I hear music discussions I'd rather eavesdrop on than participate in that I have become very leery of ever discussing music myself. I don't like when people challenge me or try to test my music knowledge when they find out I want to be a music writer and I don't like having my own tastes on display in one-on-one conversations. I recently had a run-in like this on a Greyhound bus where I was suddenly put on the spot to discuss my "favorite genre". Granted, I'm a hypocrite because these are the kinds of questions I like to ask other people but when they come my way I try to avoid them. The person was very nice but my answer was incredibly jumbled. "Older R&B? Classic rock? Singer/Songwriter/'70's/folksy/country/twangy/quiet/dancy/hand clapping/hip shaking/short-type of songs"

Maybe I didn't say it in that way but I felt very strange. I felt like I didn't want to sound like an idiot and I didn't want to sound snooty at the same time. Somehow I almost felt like there was a right answer I should give. If you talk about music as if you know something about it, it comes across as pompous but in the same respect you can't act like you don't know anything. The thing I've always wondered is how anyone can judge someone else's taste when they probably know nothing about it if it's not their particular preference. There's an insane array of music out there! There's no way a single individual could be a master of it all in one lifetime. If someone told me right now that their favorite band in the world was Sugarland, I'd nod my head and really have no idea what to say. I don't know very much about contemporary country and therefore I can't tell you if they have great music or not. They could have some incredible lyrics, just because they're not my favorite doesn't mean they're not the best. There are patrons at the concert venue I work at all the time that are devout lovers of specific metal bands that I would consider awful at face value but really, have I given it a try? These people pray at the bottom of the stage these musicians perform on. They wear matching band shirts, get tattoos of their favorite lyrics, and sing along to every word. I am in awe of these people. I am one of these people. My outrageous love of The National is very often put into question among everyone from my friends to strangers. I have a tattoo dedicated to them, a half dozen National shirts in my closet, and listen to them absolutely obsessively. I don't think I'm weird so how could I ever judge another music lover even if it's not the kind of music I love? Actually, I tend to find that it's the people who really have an undying respect for the art of music that usually tell me they don't understand my particular interest but they love my passion for it. That's the attitude more people should have.

Sometimes it's even hard for me to believe that a few pieces of three minute works of art could have such a bearing on someone's life but that's the same kind of mystery that keeps me coming back. In my life, there have been some two hour movies that have made me feel intense things and I will watch them over and over again but are there ever any that I watch 100 times over again? No way. Are there songs I'll listen to over 100 times? Without question. In high school I went through what could only be considered the biggest singer/songwriter phase of my life. I would lay on my bedroom floor with my head up against a long, white dresser and just close my eyes trying to absorb every inch of an entire album by Howie Day or Josh Kelley or the great Jason Mraz. I'd listen to these songs so much and so intensely that they became part of the fabric of my being. I didn't necessarily intend for that to happen but they worked their way into my subconscious. When I hear Josh Kelley's "Home to Me", I am instantly brought back to that time. I guess now in some ways I wish they had been artists with a little more musical depth (I know some of my friends' high school experiences included Pavement, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, etc.) but for me these songs did have depth. I didn't know to listen to something because it was 'cool' or because someone was telling me to. I will certainly admit I had a slight *Nsync phase but I loved their acappela performances and still believe them to be rather decent singers (and dancers for that matter).

I kept a journal in high school and every entry would involve the music I was listening to. Of course I'm not the only one but I remember it was important to me to be very detailed. I would write down an entire album track by track and explain why it meant something to me. I'd use lyrics I knew by heart and write lists of all my current favorite songs. I'd look up similar artists everyday on AOL (the in thing at the time) and find interviews with my favorite musicians to see their influences and then look them up too. I'm not ashamed to say that through John Mayer I started loving jazz music. I guess the writers at Rolling Stone would probably laugh but I would never know who Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, or even Miles Davis was without Mayer's influence. Because I had such a desire to learn, I can actually recognize music from these people, not just know their name so if that's embarrassing then I'm happy to be embarrassed.

I'll tell people upfront that I'm not keen on Leonard Cohen, although I hoped I would be, and that I think Joy Division is overrated. I'm almost positive that somehow certain things got good word of mouth and people started to believe that to be taken seriously they had to go with the flow whether they wanted to or not. Something is not instantly cool because it's "lo-fi" and something is not instantly uncool because it's catchy and produced. I just saw Train - unintentionally - for the third time in two months tonight and although I'll agree that their music is over the top corny, I sort of love it. Pat Monahan gets on stage and not only gives his all but isn't afraid of looking like a loser. He's flittering around like a ballerina and he's having a great time in the process. He's also a great vocalist and songwriter - better in my opinion than a lot of indie bands that all end up sounding the same. It's the bands - in every genre - that take risks that end up coming out the victors.

I've been to over 30 John Mayer concerts and I'll tell you right now that besides some preppy girls that are too afraid to make fools out of themselves, everyone has a good time. At the 12 or so concerts of The National I've been to, I'd be hard pressed to think of more than a handful of people that looked like they were enjoying themselves. If you check out a video on Youtube of these people at the Brooklyn or Manhattan shows, they look like zombies while Matt Berninger is out there singing his soul out. It's almost like these people don't want to appear as if they're having a good time. Wearing their perfect pair of $200 vintage oxfords and their perfectly placed Urban Outfitters fedoras, heaven forbid they shake their hips a little. I am like this too sometimes, especially if I'm alone and a little worried of looking like the creepy, tall one, but by mid-show I tend to get over it whether I want to or not. I am taken in by the music I love more than most of my own family members. When someone's voice is in your ear every day for years you tend to get an attachment to them. I have been hearing John Mayer's voice in my ears for nearly 10 years now. That's longer than all my relationships combined and most of my friendships. When he's out having sex with half of Hollywood, it's not going to stop me from thinking of him as Uncle John. He's my poet. I don't care what the skinny guy in the bar with the tight "Ithaca is Gorges" shirt tells me, you know? I don't get it. And it's not just those kinds of people, it's much more than that. A lot of people preface their favorite music by saying they know it's "not cool" or something like that. I am a victim of this very often as well for some reason. I love Hall and Oates. Do you know how many people hate Hall and Oates? Neither did I until I started telling people I loved them. The game of music is very weird.

ANYWAY, I think this all started by explaining why I get lonely on the weekends. I used to have tons of people around me all time time. My friend and I would bring a bunch of people back over to my place after the bar or we'd get invited to a party or something and now that my partner in crime is otherwise detained, I'm left alone. When I'm wallowing the pain away in a drink or in someone else's company, the pain is easier but when it's a Saturday night and I know what I'm missing, it's a lot more difficult. I get a little sappy and start to feel sorry for myself and end up listening to The National or watching Chelsea Lately, depending on whether I want to get more depressed or pick myself up. In times like these I have my friendly musical voices to keep me company and I'd rather that than people I don't know - unless the people I don't know are the new songs I'm about to download on iTunes.

And as promised, here are the top 20 songs that I enjoy listening to while I'm all alone.

01 Amos Lee - Seen it All Before
02 Amy Winehouse - Wake Up Alone
03 John Frusciante - Song to Sing When I'm Lonely
04 Chet Baker - The Thrill is Gone
05 Band of Horses - Window Blues
06 John Mayer - Perfectly Lonely
07 Andrew Bird - Tenuousness
08 Buddy Guy - I've Got Dreams to Remember
09 Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine
10 The Beatles - Norwegian Wood
11 Smokey Robinson - Tracks of My Tears
12 Sondre Lerche - Stupid Memory
13 Frank Sinatra - Glad to Be Unhappy
14 Sufjan Stevens - To Be Alone With You
15 Dave Rawlings - To Be Young (is To Be Sad, is To Be High)
16 The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
17 Peter Sarstedt - Where Do You Go to My Lovely
18 The National - Daughters of the Soho Riots
19 Pete Yorn - Don't Wanna Cry
20 Otis Redding - (Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay

Matt Berninger is Perfection

2010-09-11T13:31:00.000-04:00

Song to Love: Give a Little More - Maroon 5

2010-09-09T21:25:00.001-04:00

It's no secret that I love sexy songs. I don't know if you could categorize that as a musical genre but it's certainly my favorite musical grouping. I like to feel something when I'm listening to music and a strong sensual message is a great example of a simple sound transferring into an actual emotion. Of course the usual mix of sad sack songs and love songs can sometimes incite an emotion but it's just not as fun. For me personally it's a weird bag of random songs that captures that particular sensual essence for me. It's not really the standard Barry White songs (as seen in my eclectic prior posts on seduction songs not too long ago), it's much more the setting of any given song.

Take for example Maroon 5's new single "Give a Little More". I don't really find lead vocalist Adam Levine's voice to be enticing but if I were creating an image in my head of this song, it would be a bearded guy (of course) crawling on top of some well dressed girl on a leather couch - he doesn't want to give in but he does sort of thing. It's the feeling inside a song that I enjoy wrapping myself around, whether that song happens to be a poppy fluff piece or something with a little more substance.

When I came across the new music video for this Maroon 5 song, I was slightly disappointed - happy they didn't go the overt Christina Aguilera/Bionic way - but disappointed nonetheless. They could've roughed things up a little. This video proves Mr. Levine can give a knowing glance and the girls are definitely attractive but what happened to all his "This Love" sexual appetite? That music video was so over the top, VH1 had to censor some of the images and Youtube asks you to prove you're 18 before viewing. I miss that. Maroon 5 has always been rather open with their musical agenda and I commend them. In concert, Levine is not above gyrating against his guitar or bringing girls on stage to sing to. He'll tell you upfront that he wants to "dig" his fingertips into you and everything else. Based on prior knowledge, I expected more but the song is still excellent and better than anything else I've heard on the radio in the past few months.

The mostly family friendly "Give a Little More"...

and the sophisticatedly risque "This Love".

PING: Why Does iTunes Do This?

2010-09-08T12:17:00.000-04:00

I really believe that I love iTunes more than anyone in the world. I know it's not perfect and I strongly disagree with the disgusting $1.29 a song plus tax garbage they've recently pulled on all popular (not just new) songs but it's like being in a bad relationship: you grow to love something and although it slowly stops being the thing you originally fell for, you can't stop the eternal flame (which is also coincidentally the name of a Bangles song I almost downloaded last night for $0.69).

iTunes for me has been a constant companion over the last four years. I would come home, put it on my lap, sit with it for several hours while it found me 'suggestions for similar music', and gently play 30 second samples of every song it wanted me to hear. When the Genius application came along, I would practically slit my wrists with blank CD's in excitement for what six song suggestions were going to put up after I hit the purchase button. I've probably spent $50 a month on that site just scooping up everything I think I'll potentially love.

To get up to date with the current transitional phase of iTunes, it has to be noted that every few months I start to dread the little pop-up box telling me a new version of iTunes must be downloaded. Recently I tried to rebel and would completely disregard these messages when they were sent to me but eventually my iPod stopped working and it became necessary for me to download the unnecessary new version. Why do I hate it you might ask? Because I get so used to the layout of the old versions and then there are suddenly more little sidebars to click, my computer becomes slower, and I feel like all this nonsense begins to take up too much space at a certain point.

iTunes 10 has probably been the worst of these transitions for me. In addition to the format completely changing (ELIMINATING the section for date last played!), the "social network" Ping has been added to bring iTunes in the 21st century I suppose? Honestly, I don't get it at all. At first I was really intrigued by the idea of connecting with people who liked similar music. I pictured it being a social version of the Genius bar or a more direct version of like.com. It advertised itself as a place where you could learn about your favorite artist's current listening habits and learn about stranger's musical taste (my favorite thing in the world).

The day I finally agreed to sit for 45 minutes and have this downloaded on my already archaic computer, I eagerly set up my Ping account. I thought the questions would include my top five favorite artists or have a chart of my most listened to songs for the week but instead it was a randomized display of a few album covers to songs I rarely listen to. "Cousins" by Vampire Weekend? I don't know where they're getting this from.

After setting up my own profile to the best of my ability, I set out to find other profiles to link to or whatever. I was only given around 20 options of people I might be interested in and really I wasn't interested at all. When I finally came across the real profile of one of my favorite musician's, it was definitely underwhelming. Basically the profile contained the amount of people following him and the songs he had recently "liked". That was about it. No list of what he recently purchased or listened to or anything of value whatsoever.

I've read other reviews of Ping that refer to it as a stepping stone to Apple's overall master plan of masquerading a social networking site into basically a glorified store but I don't even understand the purpose at all right now. I want to buy music and nothing on Ping made me crave any particular songs. The format is unappealing and I might be an idiot but I found it a little confusing, more so because I didn't understand the reasoning behind it. From what I've read, I think Facebook was originally supposed to be incorporated into the layout which would certainly explain it a little - if people are supposed to invite their friends and find followers from that, it would make a little more sense.

Nevertheless, I'm still disappointed.

Music Video to Love: Cee Lo Green - Fuck You

2010-09-04T13:48:00.001-04:00

There are some things, usually musically, that are so good they bring me to tears. This doesn't typically happen but when it does this blog definitely comes in handy. EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE THIS.

I know this song is already all over the internet from music blogs to Perez to Facebook but this music video seals the deal on making this the greatest song of the year. I cannot believe how superbly executed this video is. It makes me ridiculously happy. I love Cee Lo's face and the crazy singing trio of ladies behind him and the nostalgic theme... everything! And I don't know if it's just me but he reminds me a bit of Marlon Brando in The Godfather. Overall though, it is pure perfection.

For some quick background, the song itself was released August 19th and quickly got over two million views on YouTube - even before this video was released. According to Wikipedia, the radio edit of this song is called "Forget You" although I have yet to hear that version - it has to be rather lame compared to this. Cee Lo co-wrote this track with Bruno Mars of "Billionaire" and "Nothin' on You" fame.

I know you'll enjoy this.

Picture of the Day: The National on Their Favorite Musicians

2010-09-03T15:06:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love this. Found on Tumblr via the brilliant http://fuckyeahthenational.tumblr.com/.

Concert Reminder

2010-09-01T14:34:00.001-04:00

All except one are tentative but I'm really hoping for all six among others.

Also: With an actual internet connection at my home base, I will definitely be updating at least four times a week, if not more. I'm very happy about this.

Jackson Browne - Sept. 2 - Monmouth University
Union County Music Festival - Sept. 11 - Clark, NJ
John Legend - Sept. 23 - Terminal 5
The National - Sept. 24 - Wellmont Theatre
Miike Snow - Oct. 6 - Terminal 5
Pete Yorn - Oct. 5 - Bowery Ballroom (Sold Out as of now..)

Something in the Air: Best Seduction Songs

2010-08-14T15:53:00.002-04:00

I am a huge fan of songs that make you feel something. A couple years ago I created a top 25 list of the sexiest songs out of frustration from looking on the internet and finding nothing. In the years that have passed, I've been lucky enough to amass an additional 20 songs on to the list of perfect songs to seduce your lover (or lovers) to. I can't say that it always works but add a glass of wine and a starry eyed glare in the right direction and you might have yourself a fantastic evening, courtesy of these touching tunes.

00The National - Lemonworld*
01 The Rolling Stones - Beast of Burden
02 Hall & Oates - One on One
03 Chicago - No Tell Lover
04 Sade - Sweetest Taboo
05 Michael Jackson - You Rock My World
06 Joseph Arthur - September Baby
07 Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine
08 Bon Iver - Skinny Love
09 Corinne Bailey Rae - Closer
10 Dwele - Weekend Love
11 Elvis Presley - One Night
12 Norah Jones - Sunrise
13 Paolo Nutini - Last Request
14 Mary Wells - You Beat Me to the Punch
15 Todd Rundgren - Hello, It's Me
16 Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats
17 Maroon 5 - Woman
18 Badly Drawn Boy - Silent Sigh
19 Sheryl Crow - My Favorite Mistake
20 The Shins - Sea Legs

*Lemonworld basically inspired this list. It is an otherworldy song.

Video of the Day: The National - England

2010-08-13T17:15:00.003-04:00

As usual, thank you Matt Berninger for writing some of the most beautiful lyrics on paper and singing them even more beautifully.

The National makes everything right.

England Lyrics

Summer sent a runner
Through the weather that I'm under
For the feeling that I lost today
Summer sent a runner
For the feeling that I lost today

Summer sent a runner
Through the weather that I'm under
For the feeling that I lost today
Summer sent a runner
For the feeling that I lost today

You must be somewhere in London
You must be loving your life in the rain
You must be somewhere in London
Walking Abbey Lane

I don't even think to make
I don't even think to make
I don't even think to make corrections

Famous angels never come through England
England gets the ones you never need
I'm in a Los Angeles cathedral
Minor singing airheads sing for me

Put an ocean and a river
Between everybody else,
Between everything, yourself, and home
Put an ocean and a river
Between everything, yourself, and home

You must be somewhere in London
You must be loving your life in the rain
You must be somewhere in London
Walking Abbey Lane

I don't even think to make
I don't even think to make
I don't even think to make corrections

Famous angels never come through England
England gets the ones you never need
I'm in a Los Angeles cathedral
Minor singing airheads sing for me

Afraid of the house, stay the night with the sinners
Afraid of the house, stay the night with the sinners
Afraid of the house, 'cause they're desperate to entertain

On Days Like These, It's Nice to Have Music

2010-08-13T14:54:00.002-04:00

I'm clearly a sucker for music. My passion for sharing music with strangers has been a constant throughout my life. Sharing personal experiences with strangers has also been a strange coping mechanism I've had for awhile. I can't explain it without giving an example.

When I was in 7th grade, I got into the worst car accident of my life. My cousin was driving me to school in the morning - only a 10 minute drive - when a tiny, red sports car spun out of control on the other side of the road and collided head on with us. My cousin's car was totaled beyond repair and gas was leaking out of the front, leading us to believe that it could go on fire. I was horrified, my nose was fractured, and the seat belt had dug so far into my chest that I thought I was internally bleeding. My cousin had scraped her leg pretty badly on the dashboard and the driver side airbag had come out at her full force. The entire experience was just on the verge of life-threatening.

For some reason my first instinct when I got out of the car was to run to a stranger. A middle aged man had seen the entire incident happen from across the street and ran over immediately to see if we needed any help. I saw him running over and I just grabbed him. I was so scared and I knew my cousin was even more frightened than me so I took comfort in a total stranger. Since I was a little kid, he hugged me back and asked a thousand times if we were alright. I don't think he actually did anything to physically help us in the end because the ambulance came quickly and rushed us to the emergency room for x-rays but his support was something I'll never forget. He was just an average guy that might not even remember doing anything on that day but I think of him fondly.

ANYWAY, that story illustrates exactly how I feel about strangers in general. As long as I don't have a reason for having ill feelings towards someone, I usually figure they're the same as me: just a regular person struggling to fit in and find peace in a rather tumultuous world. My desire to share things with them stems from sharing the human experience with other people that are not friends or family. Sometimes the greatest connections happen out of not knowing someone at all.

My grandfather passed away yesterday evening and I didn't want to be around my family or friends. I didn't want to get a hug because a family member lost his life. It felt disingenuous. I know it's great to give and receive comfort at times like these but I can't deal as well with my own close relations as I can with strangers. When there are immense feelings involved it becomes overwhelming. I don't want to see my mother cry, I don't want someone to see me cry, I don't want to be a part of it at all. I wanted my grandfather to always be there and that's it. I don't know how to put this in perspective.

I do know that I had a feeling it was going to happen from the first second he was admitted into the hospital this last time. His breathing had become shallow and he was immediately put on life support. My cousin and I rushed to the hospital to see him and in a strange fit of longing for normalcy, I brought a Benny Goodman record I had gotten for him on Father's Day. I kept forgetting to give it to him and I remembered on the day he is barely surviving. I carried it into the emergency room with me and put it in front of his face.

"Look! Benny Goodman! Greatest Hits! You'll be able to listen to this when you get out!"

He couldn't really move his head from the position it was in so when he even nodded slightly, I took it as a good sign. My mother wanted me to have a few minutes alone with him - I guess to say my goodbyes in case he didn't make it through the night - and although I didn't want to, I stayed in the room with him. Luckily, a nurse came in after only a couple minutes and saw I was having difficulty finding things to say.

"This is your grandfather?"

"Yes, I brought this record for him."

"Oh! He likes Benny Goodman? He looked like he might like that kind of music, that's why we have this station on."

She pointed to the television that had been set to one of those weird music channels in the 800's. Of course "Big Band Music" to her means elevator orchestra music that equates to the audible version of a dying emergency room.

"Yeah, I'm sure he likes this," I lied.

"YOU LIKE RECORDS??" she yelled at him upon seeing the record so he wouldn't have a chance of missing the question.

He nodded adamantly.

I don't know. After that I tried telling her that he used to be an award winning dancer and it was his favorite thing but she was more interested in talking about her great-uncle that used to play with Benny Goodman. She was nice though. Once again, a stranger saved me from myself.

Of course the real meaning behind that story is the music. My grandfather was dying and the one thing he was most receptive to was discussing music. The only rational thing in my brain, despite the irrationality of it, was bringing that record to the emergency room. My mother seemed skeptical when I walked in holding it but I couldn't help it. My grandfather and I shared a massive love of music. He passed it on to my mom who passed it on to me.

Every Christmas we would buy my grandfather blank cassette tapes. He loved to transfer vinyl on to cassette but never got into the whole cd wave - and certainly not mp3's. As cassette tapes became harder to find, we'd still scour out stores to buy them, particularly my cousin. And when we'd hand them to him, he'd always say, "Just what I needed!"

As he got older and couldn't hear as well, he'd blast his music louder and louder from his room. I lived across the hall from him for years so I had the good fortune of listening to Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, and all the other legendary performers - all through really good speakers. Sometimes he would dance to it alone, sometimes he would just lay on his bed and take it all in. I can understand.

He had thousands of records. Thousands of cassettes. and hundreds of shoes (our other shared passion). He was a collector.

My grandfather got me into classic movies, Gene Kelly, musicals, stereos, fashion - everything - and yet we never had the closest relationship. I remember my grandmother always had to fold his pants a certain way so the crease was down the middle. When I was younger I always tried to mimic that with my own silly clothes because I thought it just looked so cool. My grandfather was a snappy guy. I can't believe he's gone.

With all my heart I hope he's in a better place. He was suffering a lot near the end. I hope he's with my grandmother and they're dancing in some version of "heaven". Musical Heaven.

I love you, Grandpa.

Picture of the Day: Matt Berninger

2010-08-10T16:56:00.000-04:00

The absolute best magazine cover I have ever seen in my life.

The National, Terminal 5 - July 29, 2010

2010-08-06T16:41:00.000-04:00

Since I've written a lot of reviews of The National over the past few months and there's still one more to come for the year, I'll do this review in a list format. Here are ten facts from The National's concert at Terminal 5 that seem most important:

01. Suckers, one of two opening bands, was phenomenal. They managed to be both entertaining and talented. Kurt Vile (other opening act) was the opposite.

02. Matt Berninger has never looked better. His outfit, consisting of fitted black jeans cuffed at the bottom, worn in black boots, tucked in button down shirt, vest, and black blazer, was utterly perfect. He is my choice for best dressed person in music today.

03. The concert was way too short. At around an hour and a half, the time element was disappointing and very unlike The National who usually give their audience at least 30 minutes more.

04. I'm not the biggest fan of Terminal 5, particuarly their strange routine of lining everyone up against the wall of the roof like cattle until the doors officially open for the show. I had never experienced that before and it made me feel sticky and stupid - not a good combination.

05. Bryan Devendorf is my favorite drummer. His t-shirt that read "The Ultimate is Here" is not a joke. He IS the ultimate. He adds so much to the caliber of The National that I can't imagine another drummer doing what he can. There's so much personality and unique performance style mixed in to his playing. He came out on stage early to set up his drums and people in the front row immediately started snapping pictures. When I see him, I know great things are about to happen.

06. The sophistication and elegance of a National concert is never lost on anyone. The hush that comes over the audience when Matt steps on stage never fails to amaze me. It's a magical feeling.

07. I was disappointed by the lack of "Daughters of the Soho Riots" and "About Today" which have become frequent in recent set lists. There were no surprises whatsoever.

08. Although the band joked that it's the hardest song to perform, "Lemonworld" has never sounded better and gorgeous lemon/lime lighting only added to the eerie feeling of the song.

09. "Conversation 16" was the other highlight of the set for me and has seemingly become an anthem among crowds at recent shows. "Squalor Victoria" and "Mr. November" were also standouts in a louder fashion. Unfortunately no stage diving or running across bars for the drunken Mr. Berninger though.

10. Every concert The National puts on is destined to be great. This one was no exception. It wasn't the all time greatest but I'd see Matt Berninger perform in a McDonald's wearing a Ronald McDonald costume if it meant I got to hear these songs live. They can do no wrong.

All photographs courtesty of ME.

A Concert in Pictures: John Mayer, PNC Bank Arts Center - August 3, 2010

2010-08-06T15:14:00.000-04:00

The great Train, a headliner, in their own right, opened for Mayer with an incredible 50 minute set that completely blew every other John Mayer opener in previous years away. Train is the kind of commercial rock band that I wish I didn't like but they're irresistable..

...particularly because of frontman and songwriter Pat Monahan who is one of the best live singers I have ever heard. His voice gives me chills when I least expect it and although it's slightly difficult to get past his showy stage demeanor and strange Ed Hardy-ish style, his music and specifically unusual lyrical phrasing, really makes it worth it.

This is my third and final time seeing part of John Mayer's summer tour and while I didn't think he could get better than his Jones Beach concert on July 21, this topped it by far. Consistently Mayer surprised the audience with his candid honesty and silly behavior (trading bracelets with a girl in the audience and telling the crowd how much he loves to sleep alone).

Wearing a black headband, fully buttoned plaid shirt, and rolled up khaki pants, Mayer didn't necessarily look the part of a rock star guitarist but during the always astounding cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", his skills were front and center.

It's no surprise to anyone who has seen Mayer live before that he makes absurd faces.

And he looked a little high...

But managed to bring a new spin to every song he performed. Standouts included a gorgeous rendition of "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)", "Clarity", and "Heartbreak Warfare".

For the underappreciated final track on "Battle Studies" entitled "Do You Know Me?", Mayer brought out the harmonica and teased the audience with a small sampling of the hit "Say" near the end.

Another classic Mayer technique: ending the show with some guitar playing on the ground. People go completely nuts and as you can see, run up to the stage and block my view. It's one of the most incredible things I've seen at a concert though. Anyone who says John Mayer is talentless has clearly not seen him play live.

Mayer's playfulness on stage definitely helps to make the audience feel a connection to him as not just a musician but a friend in some way. After seeing him over 30 times in the past nine years, I can tell you that his banter only enhances the concert experience.

More incredible guitar playing (if you're still unfamiliar with his style, check out the unbelievable "Gravity" as evidence of his genius).

John Mayer will probably be on tour for the next three months at least so make sure you check him out. Lawn seats are cheap!

John Mayer Setlist - August 3, 2010

Chest Fever -> Bigger Than My Body

No Such Thing

Clarity

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

Perfectly Lonely

Ain’t No Sunshine

Who Says

Waiting on the World to Change

War Of My Life

Gravity

Heartbreak Warfare

Do You Know Me

The Boys of Summer (w/ Patrick Monahan)

Half of My Heart

-encore-

Edge of Desire

All photographs courtesy of ME.

Music Video to Love: Clap Your Hands - Sia

2010-08-01T18:49:00.000-04:00

I LOVE THIS SONG.

I'm not even sure what else to say. I can't picture some "macho" guy in boots and a bandana liking this so I know it's not for everyone. You should know that I read perezhilton.com religiously and have no problem with tabloids. I'm a little bit of a cheesy, Cher-loving, neon-colored person. That's what this song reminds me of.

Sia is brilliant though and she can go from fluff like this to "Breathe Me", the song that closed the series Six Feet Under. She is not to be underestimated. This music video proves that - one of the most creative I've seen in a long time.

Twenty Songs For August 2010 Playlist

2010-08-01T18:37:00.003-04:00

I feel like it's been awhile since we had a simple playlist post so here it is.

On a muggy summer day with a tiny purple fan and a hot cup of raspberry coffee (for some reason), I sit here hoping you will enjoy this music as much as I do. Some songs are old, some new, some corny, some blue, but all will have you moving your feet to the interesting beat.

That was stupid and these songs are not. Enjoy.

01 Janelle Monae - Tightrope
02 Sia - Clap Your Hands

03 Jack Johnson - At or With Me

04 The Doobie Brothers - You Belong to Me

05 The Bird and the Bee - I Can't Go For That (cover)

06 The National - You've Done it Again, Virginia

07 Beyonce - Why Don't You Love Me

08 Josh Ritter - Southern Pacifica

09 Usher - There Goes My Baby
10 Hall & Oates - It's Uncanny

11 Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs - Beg Steal or Borrow

12 Norah Jones - Back to Manhattan

13 The Rolling Stones - Beast of Burden

14 The Black Keys - Howlin' For You

15 Leela James - Tell Me You Love Me

16 Kanye West - Flashing Lights
17 James Hunter - Carina

18 Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Take My Love With You

19 Raul Midon - About You
20 Darondo - Legs

Some listening samples:

Somebody to Love: Suckers

2010-07-31T13:34:00.001-04:00

You know how typically opening bands are pretty bad? Particularly before your favorite band comes on and you're waiting hours and hours through one horrible band after the next because nothing compares to them? Yeah, me too - until Suckers opened for The National at Spin Magazine's anniversary concert at Terminal 5 last Thursday.

The second I heard their first song I knew it was something I'd have to write about. This band (particularly after the sound difficulties of Kurt Vile) sounded not only technically good in a weird psychedelic way but really fun. Standing alone in a sea of shorter people, feeling uncomfortable and uneasy, they actually got me dancing. Before the show I had read a review of the band that called them a "Brooklyn version of The Beach Boys" or something to that effect so I was expecting something a little different than a dirty-looking-Robert Downey Jr.-in-his-drug-phase young man to come out with makeup on and a turquoise hat singing about "getting your body moving".

Everything from the set up of the band on stage (drums front and center) to the versatile looks of the band members were strange. From left to right it looked like a clean-cut, pin-thin David Bowie on guitar, a drugged out college freshman on drums, an Indian spaceman on lead vocals, and the math nerd next door on trumpet and other various instruments. These descriptions actually make it all sound a little too normal if you can imagine. I don't want to say this band is what I imagine rock 'n roll to be in the '60's but certainly in comparison to the bands I normally see in concert, they gave me a taste of something new.

Quinn Walker, lead vocalist and seemingly leader of the craziness, is fascinating. Watching him on stage was weird and stupid and just fun. I saw two cute girls in front of me giving each other faces over his strange physical antics at one point and figured this sums up the general consensus of the audience. What are we watching? I guess it's awesome. Are they faking? They didn't seem to be. Their quirks seemed authentic, particularly Walker's desire to act out every lyric of the songs as he sang. I've never seen such a thing but I guess I'm going to the wrong concerts.

As for a little background, Suckers is in fact a Brooklyn-based psychedelic-pop indie quintet that had their first EP produced by Yeasayer’s Anand Wilder and Chris Moore of TV on the Radio and Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame, which says much about the style of this band. They're wonderfully strange and although I've read bits of articles where they're predicted to be a "flavor of the week" or just a quick flash in the pan, I think there's something really interesting about their music and have little doubt that they're phenomenal musicians judging by their live performance. Walker's voice is particularly exceptional. Take a moment to check out Suckers.

Picture of the Day: John Mayer

2010-07-17T20:03:00.000-04:00

The passion of a guitarist.

Top Albums of 2010 So Far

2010-07-15T17:49:00.001-04:00

Initially I was not going to make this list but the pressure of a helpful reader lead me to believe that it would be a fun idea. Although this is not as comprehensive as I would like it to be, here are my top 10 favorite albums of 2010.

01. The National - High Violet
It is no coincidence that the best band in the world also came out with the best album of 2010 so far. While it's their most melodic, accessible album to date, it's the emotion of each song that brings this album to life and lets me find new things with each listen. This Brooklyn-based, indie rock band also managed to get their highest ranking ever on the Billboard charts with this album during one of music's slowest weeks of the year. That alone proves their power. Soaring ballads like the gorgeous "Runaway" are balanced by poppy fare like the catchy "Anyone's Ghost" but really it's the entire album as a whole that will leave you unable to listen to anything else for the rest of the year. This is the best album I have heard in the past five years, forget the past seven months. I promise you will not be able to get Matt Berninger's voice out of your head.
Best Tracks: Conversation 16, Lemonworld, Runaway, Bloodbuzz Ohio, Anyone's Ghost (in that order)

02. Jack Johnson - To the Sea
Although I was a huge fan of Johnson's 2001 debut, Brushfire Fairytales, I was never overly impressed by his follow up albums until now. To the Sea continues Johnson's appreciation for relaxed, upbeat little songs but unlike some of his other recent work, you can't as easily picture Curious George singing along with them. There is a maturity on this album that makes his music much more lush and introspective. Somehow I believe him more on this record than any before and I have fallen in love with a few of these songs. A song will start off barely audible and turn into a fun, strange story within seconds. "Only the Ocean", the closing track, is a slow, painfully beautiful ode to the ocean that even has a non-swimmer like me relating to. Although "Flake" off Brushfire remains my favorite Johnson track, To the Sea has become my favorite Jack Johnson album overall.
Best Tracks: You and Your Heart, Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology, Only the Ocean

03. The Bird and the Bee - Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates

While this album came out in March, it was a recent, accidental discovery for me. I had been searching on iTunes for different versions of the Hall and Oates classic "One on One" when I noticed that The Bird and the Bee had done a cover. I had heard of the band before so I just listened to the 30 second sample and it blew my mind. A female voice singing these familiar radio mainstays was not only interesting but happily refreshing. It brought an entirely new perspective to the lyrics while their arrangements stayed very true to the original, only updating the sound slightly. After purchasing "One on One", I went on to get the best track - and probably best known - "I Can't Go For That" which far exceeded my expectations. As a big fan of Hall and Oates, I didn't anticipate appreciating a cover so much. I don't know why The Bird and the Bee thought a Hall and Oates tribute was necessary or if there will be a volume two focusing on a different band, but I am now a believer in this band's abilities.

Best Tracks: I Can't Go For That, One on One, Kiss on My List

04. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - I Learned the Hard Way

This may be a biased choice as Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are one of my favorite bands, but this particular album is so smooth and funky that in it's own genre there is nothing that has come out this year that can compare. There's been a lot of talk about Sharon Jones singlehandedly leading the soul revival of the past few years and while I believe that to be true, it has to be mentioned that Jones herself is 54 years old and in fact grew up with the music that these competing twentysomething bands are trying to mimic. Sharon Jones is the real deal and this album, like her other vintage-style classics, proves it once again. Unlike many, she is contributing to the '60's soul sound, not copying it.

Best Tracks: Better Things, I Learned the Hard Way

05. The Black Keys - Brothers

This is one of the only albums in 2010 that I was actually looking forward to ahead of time. There was an anticipation lingering in the air for several months before the record was released and airplay of the single, "Tighten Up", made it that much more exciting. Somehow it's come about that I still have yet to spend a lot of time with each of these songs but there are some tracks I've listened to more than any of their previous work. The album, released on May 18, marks the band's highest selling album to date with 73,000 copies sold in its first week and received almost unanimous praise from critics.

Best Tracks: Tighten Up, Howlin' For You

06. Band of Horses - Infinite Arms

Also released May 18, Infinite Arms is Band of Horse's third studio album and released on their own record label after leaving Sub Pop. Although it received some of the best reviews of the year, I like it particularly because I don't think it strays very far from the band's other albums. The soothing rhythms and overall appeal of their specific style is still clearly intact and this record seems to serve as a continuation of 2007's Cease to Begin. In contrast to what a lot of bands seem to do on studio albums, Band of Horses is okay with staying one pace throughout and content to do what they do best - there is no experimentation or shocking bits. It's a great album for sitting in the dark.

Best Tracks: Laredo, On My Way Back Home, Blue Beard

07. Raul Midon - Synthesis

Mr. Midon has one of the best voices. It is like melted honey falling off a soft teddy bear's tongue. It astonishes me that someone like Michael Buble can attract a massive audience and yet only few know about a voice like Raul Midon. Blind from birth, it seems Midon has acquired supernatural musical powers that allow him to makes sounds with his mouth that perfectly mimic the entire family of woodwind instruments. He has successfully collaborated with living legends Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock and on his third studio album, Midon is at his finest both vocally and lyrically. These tracks are both surprising and familiar. They feel like coffeehouse songs you've been hearing for years with a mischievous twist.

Best Tracks: About You, These Wheels

08. Usher - Raymond v. Raymond

Definitely the most mainstream record on the list, Raymond v. Raymond, is not only undeniably catchy but rather inspired as well. Usher may be seen as a popular R&B star that dances and cheats on his girlfriends and wives but this record once again proves that he also makes long lasting pop music that falls under that guilty category despite genuine craftsmanship. With this record, Usher continues his trend of honestly confronting his own life through song while still maintaining a great high energy, rhythm-centric sensibility. As much as I don't want to, I really like this entire album.

Best Tracks: There Goes My Baby, OMG

09. Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away

I am certainly not the first person to say that every Josh Ritter song sounds like a sweeping epic. The cover of this album pretty much says it all: with a dimly lit ocean liner and a bridge in the distance, the photograph is a 2D representation of the mood Ritter sets with his eerily serene voice and flowing arrangements. Luckily for me, this is one of the most loved records critically of the year so I have no problem recommending it. With a glass of wine and no one home on rainy day, you'll definitely thank me. Listen to the entire album twice.

Best Tracks: Change of Time, Southern Pacifica

10. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea

This is Rae's first album since the untimely death of her husband Jason Rae following an accidental overdose at their home. Not surprisingly, compared with her self-titled debut album, the material on The Sea is much darker and deeper. There's a beautiful sexual undercurrent and a strange mix of love and pain that makes it a difficult yet worthwhile listen. Considering that a musician's sophomore album is usually known for being poorly received, it speaks volumes that Rae's album was not only critically praised but artistically lauded. Although it is just number 10 here, it's probably one of the album's most worth your time.

Best Tracks: Closer, I'd Do it All Again

Yacht Rock!

2010-07-13T16:12:00.001-04:00

I never realized it before but this might be one of my favorite musical genres. It seems that everything I listen to lately can be combined under this title. My lovers Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross, even Todd Rundgren to a certain extent. My latest musical crush, Michael McDonald, is probably the king of this genre though. His ridiculous voice and absurdly smooth sounds make him the ultimate cheesy go-to guy. I can't say I know much about him and I'm too caught up in listening to his voice right now to read Wikipedia or some other unreliable internet source but I get a really big grin on my face when I hear him - and he has a great beard to boot.

"What a Fool Believes" is one of my all time favorite songs. I wish I wrote it.

"I Keep Forgetting" - another classic. I always try to stop myself from being a Lite FM jukebox but I can't control myself. It is my guiltiest pleasure. It might go along with my desire for 50 year old men. If you folks aren't actually clicking and listening to these videos you're seriously missing out.

"Tin Man" always drives me crazy as well. The sound is so different and really sounds a lot more innovative than most songs on the radio today.

My mother's old best friend would always sing this at karaoke nights when I was little. It has probably been stuck in my head for the past 18 years.

How can you deny this music? You can't.

Chicago & The Doobie Brothers - July 9, 2010 PNC Bank Arts Center

2010-07-10T15:56:00.002-04:00

I have been seriously in love with Chicago keyboardist Robert Lamm since I was 3 years old. I know he's 500 years old (66 this year to be exact) but the thrill of seeing him live has never waned. His voice and appearance are just as delectable as when he was 25 (not that I was alive but I've seen enough video to know these things). Seeing Chicago every summer has been a family tradition for over 20 years in my household and although there have been some changes that need to be mentioned, the concert still goes on and continues to sound pretty fantastic for a bunch of senior citizens.

The biggest surprise this year came in the form of musician Lou Pardini who as of last year replaced 30 year veteran of the band Bill Champlin, best known for bringing the band's biggest ever surge of soul and making the Peter Cetera/Jason Scheff executive change a little smoother. Since the band chose to open with Pardini singing "Make Me Smile" it was a little jarring to accept this new person. It seemed at first like he didn't belong. Standing behind the keyboard usually designated to Champlin, I just couldn't get used to him for at least the first 10 songs. By song 11, I loved him. Yeah, he's not the Bill Champlin who was far and away one of the most talented and loved members of the band but he brings that added jazz necessary to keep up the stamina of one of the longest running pop music bands in the world. After seeing a band 15 or so times and knowing all the tricks and medleys up their sleeves, it's kind of exciting to see someone new up there and have the wonder once again of what the song will sound like. Sadly, it's at the expense of someone who should not have left.

Beyond the Champlin controversy, a very unwelcome addition to the show was a Walter Parazaider imposter that not only jumbled the flute solo on "Colour My World" but just didn't seem to fit in. He looked confused on stage and while he appeared aesthetically like Parazaider, the founder of Chicago, it was offputting to see anyone else play the sax/flute. Luckily, the rest of the horn section was intact with James Pankow looking sharp as usual and Lee Loughnane taking the vocals on "Colour My World", a song occasionally sung by Lamm or Champlin since the death of original singer Terry Kath in the '70's.

Jason Scheff, a man who I used to consider the lead singer of Chicago (mostly because he was the Cetera replacement), was also pretty off last night. I love him wholeheartedy but I wouldn't be surprised if he was an alcoholic. His frantic movements and fragmented singing was driving me crazy throughout the entire concert. It almost sounded like a parody of Peter Cetera. This is all rather unfortunate too since in recent years I have grown particularly fond of his versions of the Chicago songs I used to only like with Cetera. While at 48, he is one of the younger members of the band, his voice seems to be falling flatter than the ones pushing 70. Of course Scheff has been singing these songs since he was 23 years old and without much variation in Chicago's repitoire, despite them having over 30 studio albums, I can see why he'd be bored.

Keith Howland and Tris Imboden, both impressive musicians and later members of the band, were flawless and their solos were some of the best parts of the evening. Not to be outdone was the true leader of the band, Mr. Lamm, who spoke to the crowd at one point as if he was a professor, directing them to websites and explaining the band's recent involvement with breast cancer research. While it may have been a little cheesy, I actually enjoyed the bits of conversation between songs. I think of the band members as imaginary family at this point so it's interesting to see glimpses into their personalities. When I was a kid I remember being a little miffed that we would see them live so many times all over the state and yet we'd never stay after the show to meet them. My aunt and cousin had Chicago pen pals and were fevered members of the official fan club yet never a handshake? I didn't understand.

The ultimate highlight for me was Robert Lamm strapping on his acoustic guitar and coming center stage as he's been doing for decades to sing my all time favorite song "Beginnings". In a fitted pink t-shirt, dark denim, and white shoes, Lamm with his tan and fluffy hair doesn't look a day over 50 and he can still pull off the sexy, mysterious vibe the song needs. He's old enough to be my grandfather but I'd gladly date him in a second (see: inside cover photo on "Hot Streets"). I was then left waiting until the encore for "Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is" but naturally, well worth the wait. They brought The Doobie Brothers on stage for a back and forth song swap thing and with probably 25 of the best live musicians on stage, the songs sounded unbelievable. The Doobie Brothers' hit "Listen to the Music" probably stole the show more than any other but inevitably the concert ended with Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4", a Lamm penned, Scheff sung finale classic.

Flaws aside, I loved the show and secretly hated everyone who refused to stand up when Chicago came on stage. It is sacrilege to me to sit at a rock concert. You pay for the seat but you stand to show respect and dance. If you feel embarrassed, that's what the alcohol is for. Unfortunately, I even saw one woman scold a group of younger folks for standing up against the rail in front of her - on the lawn! Later, when two older ladies started dancing in front of me blocking my entire view of the stage, I couldn't help but fall in love with them. Dance! Dance your troubles away! That's what a concert is for, it's supposed to be the exact opposite of death - and most likely why the members of Chicago manage to look younger than me. I need their moisturizer.

Favorite Moments: "Beginnings", "Call on Me", Lamm busting out the keytar for "Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is?"

This is some great footage I found online of recent Chicago concerts. None from this concert but it nevertheless gives the vibe I'm talking about:

All photographs located on Chicago's official fan club website

One Track Mind

2010-07-10T13:33:00.001-04:00

If you just happen to be glancing through this blog for the first time you might begin to wonder why I always write about The National. You might even think that you should stop reading because this person is crazy and only talks about one band when the blog itself pretends to be about music as a whole. For these reasons, I'd like to explain why I write so much about one band.

It's very difficult for me to be critical. I started this blog because I wanted to have some writing tucked away somewhere in case one day I apply to Rolling Stone and they ask me how often I write. I wanted to be able to tell them that I write nearly everyday - and here's the proof! Initially I thought it would be fantastic to literally be a music critic and review albums, concerts, etc. Lately, I realize that I am not equipped to do that (actually I think I am much more than others but emotionally I'm not good at it). The only things that really makes me passionate enough to sit down and write entire articles or posts are those songs or artists that I absolutely love. I'm rather young - or at least still a novice - so I'm trying to get over the gushing phase of writing about an artist I admantly admire but I do all my research before I brace a topic and go from there. To be honest, I'm probably not the greatest music writer in the universe because I never think objectively. I'm biased and a gigantic, loving fan of what I write about. I'm much better at writing about other things but that's also why music writing is so much more fun - it's the challenge added to the passion that equals the only thing I ever really feel like writing about (or talking about for that matter).

The National, of course, is the personification of everything I just said. They are the ultimate band that is so perfect it's almost as if the particles of everything I love in my brain came together and created them specifically for me to listen to. When I'm at work and put on a Youtube video of one of their recent performances, I get so riled up I immediately run over here and write a rambling, bumbling essay about how incredible they are and how I can't stop listening to Matt Berninger's voice. I work alone in a very large building so the companionship I get from music and video while at work is even more important. With The National, I never have to be critical or insensitive to someone's art - I always know I'll love it and I want anyone reading or passing by my blog to be a part of the greatness. To be honest as well, I like championing other people's artistic endeavors much more than my own. I'm able to write here, what I love doing more than anything, and yet also have the comfort of knowing it's the music people are coming to find, it's not my writing specifically, so the pressure is slightly off me.

ANYWAY, this was all brought on from this video:

Watching it just now brought memories of Radio City Music Hall to the front of my mind and this song particularly was a highlight for me that night. It's my favorite off High Violet and so incredibly different and emotionally charged that I have yet to get even a little tired of it. Every time I listen I expect the eerie feeling to finally wear off and it never does - the sign of a great song.

After watching that video I thought to myself, why do I suddenly feel like writing now when I had planned to write a Todd Rundgren post that I haven't had the energy to finish? Why do I always have to write about the same thing? It was driving me crazy so I figured I'd just get it out of my system and write about my feelings instead of trying to sound professional.

Thanks for reading.

Vintage Somebody to Love: Daryl Hall & John Oates

2010-07-08T18:04:00.001-04:00

I am on a crazy Hall and Oates kick lately. I'm not completely sure of my obsession's origin but it's been growing for years.

Late last month it reached its peak when I took a trip to the Princeton Record Exchange and bought the album Private Eyes for $1 on vinyl. I'll be honest and tell you that I don't listen to my record collection as much as I should (especially for the amount of money I spend) but I put this one on immediately. Yes, this newfound interest in listening to them constantly was fueled by hearing them at The National's concert twice but it's more than that. I've been lucky enough to see them a few times in concert opening for Chicago and consider "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" one of the sexiest songs ever recorded.

In recent months, it also seems like they're popping up everywhere. From the independent film 500 Days of Summer that featured "You Make My Dreams" prominently in advertising to the band's guest appearance on the finale of this season's American Idol. If you go by Wikipedia's definition of Hall and Oates you may know them from their "six #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Rich Girl", "Kiss on My List", "Private Eyes", "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", "Maneater", and "Out of Touch", as well as many other songs which charted in the Top 40." Well, that's a mouthful that you don't typically hear about a band. Last year marked the duo's 40th year together and they're currently on tour in the U.S.

At the risk of being the millionth person to critique their sound, I'd say they're much more soulful than poppy while still managing to make some of the greatest hooks in pop music history. Amazingly, they have also managed to stay relevant over the past four decades to the point that references to their music can be found regularly in television shows and magazines. Yet in my opinion they're similar to Chicago in the sense that they never receive the full respect that they deserve. They have 'lite radio' hits that we all know if we hear them but never delve further into the catalog to hear the deeper cuts and that's a shame. Unlike a lot of other bands, they have little filler on their full albums. Listening to Private Eyes, I was immediately drawn to the song "Mano A Mano" that has such a weird chorus I found myself humming it for days after (maybe too many days actually). This could have easily been another hit! If I were a musician I'd re-record and take it as my own.

Hall and Oates' music in three words: sexy, cheesy, lovable.

Music Maven's Top 10 Hall and Oates Songs (subject to change if I listen to more albums):

01. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

02. Out of Touch

03. One on One

04. She's Gone

05. Kiss on My List

06. Mano A Mano

07. Rich Girl

08. You Make My Dreams

09. Private Eyes

10. Sara Smile

So check them out!

p.s. John Oates is the one with the dark afro.

Video of the Day: Lil' Wayne feat. Nicki Minaj - Knockout (2010)

2010-06-26T21:26:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge sucker for hip hop videos. I love the kitsch, the glamour, the big, ridiculous hooks. Lil' Wayne, the talented guy with the silly name, is a really interesting example of this. I always enjoy his addition to other people's songs but his own songs have never been favorites. Typically they go right over my head but this song is rather unique. There are several pros and cons that I'd like to share in a goofy "pros and cons" format.

Pros

The obvious: Nicki Minaj is usually completely unlikable. I think this is universal. I took a Gender, Race, and Culture in the Media class and she was one of the only musicians singled out as a bad stereotype of all three. Lil' Wayne makes her likable somehow. Their chemistry in the video is actually kind of nice and her hair makes me crave ice cream.
Lil' Wayne plays guitar? I don't know much about him or about how to play the guitar but I like it. I think he's good - and even if he's not, it seems like he is which is just as important.
The entire song feels like a hybrid of genres that when combined sound really good together.
The dynamic of just two people in a video. I think a random guy pops up at the end as well but let's forget about him. It's really Nicki and Wayne. They're both small, well dressed, and funky. They're just cute together.
There's something dark about the video that makes the part where she sings "Baby 1,2,3" kind of eerie and depressing, which I'm always fond of.
I think the entire video looks pretty cutting edge.
They play it a lot on MTV Hits and I'm always a fan of whatever makes music videos more popular.

Cons

The lyrics are awful.
Ms. Minaj never stops moving her head.
Lil' Wayne doesn't really rap in it - and I like that he sings - but it's more her song than his.
I don't understand the point of this song whatsoever.
Nothing happens in the music video. It's a nondescript boxing ring with a fake audience almost entirely blurred out and no action. Kind of weird/kind of cool.
There's no way I'd be able to listen to this ten years from now or probably even ten days.

Enjoy!

Knockout Lyrics - Lil' Wayne

(Lil Wayne)

Uhh,
Yeahh,
Uh ohh,
Yehh,
Hey barbie, ah, ah, ah, are you into black men?
He- hey hey barbie! I can be your black Ken
Wow! cause' once you go black, you never go back
She wore her hair black, with curls in the back
Then she threw that ass back, back, back
Then I fell to the mat, and after that
Everything went black!

(Chorus)
Baby 1, 2, 3
Tell em get the referee
Cause he can, get the knockout
If the telephone rings
Its emergancy
Cause he can, get the knockout
Get the knockout

(Lil Wayne)
Hey barbie, can I call you Barbara? haha
Hey barbie! can I call you tomorrow, and today
Cause' once you go black, you never go back
And once you go wayne , everybody else is whack
She threw that ass back, back, back, then I fell to the mat
And after that everything went back!

(Chorus)
Baby 1, 2, 3
Tell em get the referee
Cause he can, get the knockout
If the telephone rings
Its emergancy
Cause he can, get the knockout
Get the knockout

(Nicki Minaj)
Awe fuck it
Give me that damn bucket
Wh-when I throw this pussy
You better not start duckin
Oh yo
Head on with the blow
Lo-look out in the crowd
And everybodys yellin no
Grab him by the locks
And give us a good box
The head of the below the belt
I wanna give him good tock
Tock, tock
Give him good tock
And if it below the belt
I wanna give him good tock
1,2,3
They yellin 1,2,3
I done hit him with that motherfu---- court piece
Tell em, tell em the mouth out
To late to cop out
Give him more head than toothpaste like I locked out

(Chorus)
Baby 1, 2, 3
Tell em get the referee
Cause he can, get the knockout
If the telephone rings
Its emergancy
Cause he can, get the knockout
Get the knockout

(Lil Wayne)
So just knock me out
So just knock me out
Yea
Just knock me out
So just knock me out
Just knock me out
Just knock me out
Just knock me out
Just knock me out

I Love Pre-Concert Discoveries

2010-06-26T14:52:00.000-04:00

I learned a long time ago that it's not okay to say you like something because it's "good". I guess that means it's also not okay to say you like something because it's the best thing on earth.

Of course I'm speaking of The National. What else? I'm thinking of changing this blog's name to Music Maven: Because The National Sounds Good but it's a little corny - and not correct. They sound way better than good and I never want to listen to anything else. BUT, when I do get around to putting some other music in my ears, it helps if they're slightly associated with my favorite band in the world.

Enter The Rolling Stones and Hall & Oates.

So far I've been fortunate enough to catch two concerts on The National's official summer tour and both times the pre-show music (hopefully selected by the band?) was phenomenal. I wish I wrote down every song played but two standouts were "Beast of Burden" - Rolling Stones and "Out of Touch" - H&O. Particularly over the amazing sound system at Radio City Music Hall, these songs sounded so good I had to write them down and purchase them the next day. I should've already owned them. Both share a sexy, eerie quality that The National themselves master so well. "Out of Touch" particularly evokes this mood where the lights need to be low and shoulders need to be exposed if you know what I mean. It's an effortlessly cool sound that is perfect to open a concert like that.

I love pre-concert discoveries. I was really upset a couple years ago when I attended a She & Him show and the recorded music over the speakers was better than their real opening acts. It was this mixture of indie/classic country music that I desperately wanted to find out about. I went as far as googling some of the lyrics to one song and nothing came up. I searched online the next day to see if they had a list of the music they play before their set but no luck. If musicians have full official websites that give tons of information about their tour, their management, etc, the least they could do is add what music they play before their set! I know sometimes it's venue-chosen but when I hear the same music every time I see a band on tour, I start to grow fond of it and want to know who it is. John Mayer is another example of an artist who always has the best pre-set music but typically lame opening acts.

If you think about it, it takes a pretty bold musician to play something like The Rolling Stones before their own set. That's a lot to live up to. Once the audience who has been sitting (or standing) for two hours has "Beast of Burden" in their head, how can their songs measure up? The National has nothing to fear of course but other bands... on an unrelated note, in the film "Crazy Heart" Jeff Bridges' character is a country musician opening in a PNC Bank Arts Center-like venue for a younger, better known musician in one scene. During soundcheck, the sound guy is fighting with him saying that the sound is perfect while Bridges knows that his vocals are being drowned out. He then says that he'll stay on stage until the guy fixes it because he's been around long enough to know that technicians deliberately make the opening act sound bad so the main act sounds better. I don't know if that's true but it's something that is sort of stuck in my head now. Lately, I haven't seen many opening bands I've liked. Unfortunately.

But that pre-show music. Here's a sample of what I'm talking about. I'm now obsessed with these two songs. Next time I see The National I'm going to try to take note again and get some kind of full list of all the songs they play. Once again, I don't know who's choosing this music but they're rather remarkable. These songs fit the mood perfectly and get me into seeing a concert.

Photo courtesy of my Google image search. Sorry, don't know where it's from but I love it.

Adam Lambert - June 5, 2010, Starland Ballroom

2010-06-23T15:05:00.001-04:00

This comes rather late but I just wanted to mention the wonderful concert I was lucky enough to attend at Starland Ballroom earlier in the month. As one of the fastest sellouts in Starland history, Adam Lambert managed to live up to most of the hype and deliver a vocally phenomenal performance.

While I'm not the biggest fan of his songs individually, his voice makes up for anything the music itself may lack - and the fans! For an artist that has only been around a little more than a year, these people are pretty obsessed. While most of the crowd was females of every race, creed, and age you can imagine, the standouts to me were the young men (and even some older) dressed in Adam's trademark black eyeliner and spikey hair. These people made the night for me. Many ladies dressed for Adam as well with feathers, chains, shiny black materials, and any other synthetic fabrics out there. I'll admit that I did a little Glambertification as well. Wearing torn black tights, a brightly colored skulll t-shirt (that happened to be THE NATIONAL band shirt I picked up at a concert the night before), and black ankle boots, I was definitely trying to get in on the action.

Of course no one beat the original. Lambert looked stunning in the Cher-Lady Gaga-Rihanna sort of way. His outfits were so magnificent and arena worthy that they actually looked absurd in such a small club. With a gigantic feather in his Tom Petty-sized hat and a gorgeous jacket that I was too far back to get a good look at, he emerged at the end of a pre-recorded version of "For Your Entertainment". I will say that the beginning of the show was really odd for me. The lights went down and a random bunch of photographs of him in various glam settings came on to the screen and people started screaming like he was Mick Jagger - or more appropriately Britney Spears. The whole thing was a little too worship-like for me but then again some of these people had been waiting for 12 hours for him to get on the stage so I can understand their over-excitement (seriously, Starland had to post a warning on their site that no one would be allowed to wait over night in their parking lot and they turned their first person away over 24 hours before the show began - this is a standing room only, general admission venue after all).

I'm not an expert on the album but I'm pretty sure he did every single track off it along with an Egyptian version of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" (as some of you will remember from American Idol - Country Week was it? HAHA) and the wonderous Tears For Fears "Mad World". That obviously brought the house down. My absolute favorite of the night was an acoustic version of "Aftermath", a song I long forgot off the album that sounded ten times better live. Lambert's voice is a force to be reckoned with. Something that is not such a force is the strange dancing that goes on within the show. He has four dancers behind him and he also manages to get in quite a bit of choreographed dancing during the performance. It's not that it's bad, on the contrary the professional dancers are excellent at their craft, but after seeing him master Led Zeppelin on television, it's difficult to get into the zone of Pink-esque pop music that he is really a part of. I wish he would've gotten a little more rock but he was certainly trying to cater to every audience he has garnered since the American Idol days. He literally glamified every major genre, changed costumes at least four times, and sang in so many different styles that I couldn't keep track. He is trying in a big way. I can't wait to see where he is in five years.

Also, I must say, Adam Lambert is a great personality to be with for a little over an hour. His rapport with the audience was so easy, it was almost as if he was friends with everyone in the venue. He's articulate, funny, and rather witty - one of those people you can instantly tell is intelligent and has a sense of self. This was only his second stop on his first ever concert tour and he really did a fine job.

Adam Lambert - June 5, 2010 - Starland Ballroom Setlist

Voodoo

Down The Rabbit Hole

Ring of Fire

Fever

Sleep Walker

Whataya Want From Me

Soaked

Aftermath

Sure Fire Winners

Strut

Music Again

Broken Open

If I Had You

Encore:

Mad World

This is my favorite kind of video. Just found this on Youtube and although it's not the greatest sound quality, it gives you that 'concert feeling'. The wonderful excitement of the crowd cheering and singing along with every word. Watch and enjoy. "Aftermath" is a great song.

Photos courtesy of myself and my ridiculous camera.

Music Video to Love: Why Don't You Love Me - Beyonce

2010-06-23T14:17:00.000-04:00

I'm positively in love with this video. Yeah, what a surprise that I'm overly excited about something, I know, but this is exquisitely done and so different. Beyonce may be one the most mainstream artists around but she continuously proves her artistic integrity. Not only is she drop dead gorgeous in this video but the song itself is relatively unique and it's something I could picture myself listening to regularly.

Really though most of the credit must go towards the visuals. Everything from her makeup (which is art in itself) to her stunning, sexy costumes to her martini glass is perfect. I'm so impressed with this video. It's the kind that makes me really sad that this is basically a dying art form. I did first catch it on the 24 hour music video channel, MTV Hits though so there's still a glimmer of hope.

In a time when Christina Aguilera is failing to reinvent herself as a retro sexpot and Lady Gaga has begun to overdo the crazy, Beyonce does both wonderfully.

I promise the next four minutes of your life will not be wasted.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T16:58:00.001-04:00

For 18 years now I haven't had anyone to call Dad. One of the most important words in the English language is not one that has ever really been in my vocabulary. My father was one of the most interesting, troubled, funny, weird characters I've ever heard of though. No father is perfect and mine was even further than most but I still feel unusually lucky. I'm not prepared to give a speech here or write a eulogy but my father was a musician - a brilliant drummer - and he looked the part to perfection. What I missed in time with him is continuously given back to me through music I know he loved and music I imagine he would've enjoyed. In my still 6 year old eyes, I see his curly blond hair and picture every blond musician as having a piece of my father's spirit. I see a man with big, broad shoulders with a little girl and see him and what I had at that age - for a little while at least. I remember his silver jewelry, skull collections, faded blue jeans, high top sneakers.. classic hair metal band style. I never used to miss him but I miss him everyday now. I don't have a single physical item of his but I have 50% of everything he was and that means a lot more. This blog wouldn't exist without him, my love of Led Zeppelin wouldn't exist without him, and my own face wouldn't exist without him so I owe him a lot. I feel a huge gaping hole inside when I think about it too much but I thought I'd take this second to pay a little homage to some music my father, the card carrying rock drummer, Chip "the Wolf" Pepe, loved.

Hanoi Rocks - Finnish rock band and a favorite of Guns 'N Roses.

Rose Tattoo - Wish I could remember the story about this but a few years ago I had my friend burn an entire cd of their music because I needed to know what they sounded like. They were one of his favorites.

And now a couple bands with frontmen who look like him:

Apparently he would sometimes get mistaken for Robert Plant. This is the most frequent story I hear when I ask about my dad. Now how many daughters can say that?

The brilliant and underrated Lee Michaels. I can't count the times my mom has told me the cover of his album "5th" looks like my dad. I got my own copy of the album last week.

When bands like The New York Dolls play at the venue I work at, he's always in the back of my head.. really he's always there.

Happy Father's Day.

Music Maven Record Collection

2010-06-20T15:56:00.002-04:00

The other day I finally got around to cataloging my records. It wasn't a grueling task but it was one of those things that I always meant to do but never had the patience for. Now I realize that there's not really a place online to even record them. I registered with recordnerd.com but unfortunately without the use of Microsoft Office on my computer, I have no access to a spreadsheet therefore no access to completing my profile on the site. I can't believe there's not a database on the entire internet for vinyl. It's a little depressing, right?

Anyway, I don't have a great collection of rare gems or anything but as of now I have around 200 albums that make me really happy to own and will contribute greatly to a new segment I have planned for the site. If I have any goal this summer it's to learn more than I ever have about my favorite musicians.

If you're interested, click here.

Music Video to Love: Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National

2010-06-20T15:18:00.002-04:00

This is seriously porn for me: Matt Berninger. Trench Coats. Beards. Vests. Wine.

Is there anything else to say? I can't believe its taken me this long to post. I have probably watched it 50 times and it's the only video I bought for my iPod. It's hard to believe he looks like that and gets to have that voice. Lucky guy.

The National, Electric Factory - June 4, 2010

2010-06-17T23:36:00.002-04:00

Since I've already over indulged in the last post about The National, I will keep this to a minimum. Friday, June 4th was my second time seeing this band at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, PA. It's an okay place filled with an okay staff and an okay sound system. What made this evening special of course was The National themselves. After waiting two hours for doors to open, my comrades and I were lucky enough to secure front row center spots and wait another two hours (or maybe even longer) for The National to finally hit the stage. I do not want to be the one to say this but opening act The Antlers left much to be desired. I was extremely unfulfilled in a way that almost soured the first few minutes of The National's set. I can't understand why a song that has no emotional gravity must be over 10 minutes long. That is probably 7 1/2 minutes too many. Some of these songs might actually be really decent if it weren't for the fact that many sounded the same to me (possibly because of the sound quality of the venue) and the length drove me crazy. On a positive note, I know this band has a pretty good following and a lot of people with great taste have told me multiple times that this is a band to check out so I'm not writing them completely off just yet - and really - is it fair to judge anyone on the same night as The National?

The wait was well worth it once they hit the stage. With the trademark blazer on his back and wine glass in his hand, Matt Berninger made this another concert for the books. The packed crowd was treated to the classics "About Today", "Cherry Tree", and one of my personal favorites, "Baby, We'll Be Fine". To say that this was a phenomenal setlist is an understatement. Hearing some of these songs for the first time live was an absolute treat and well worth braving the weirdos in Philadelphia yelling at you to park your car in abandoned areas for $10 and your hat.

Since I was standing a little further off to the side, I had the pleasure of being directly in front of Bryce Dessner most of the night and it was the first time I was able to see firsthand how incredible this man is at his craft. The unbelievable intensity he has while playing is not only fascinating to see but technically perfect. And this can truly be said about any member of the band. Every individual is so talented and professional that it is genuinely astonishing. There is so much detail and texture in every note that I am continuously blown away by the cumulative power of it all. There is not a single portion of a National show that I walk away being disappointed by. No matter what night you catch them, it is obvious that they are putting their entire heart and soul into the actions.

Thankfully, we were able to capture some of the best shots of the band that I have ever had the fortune of getting which display their emotional intensity pretty well. Although this was a bit of a somber night in terms of catching any wonderfully crazy antics from Mr. Berninger, it was special in other ways. There was a spontaneous authenticity that brought electricity to the room.

And not just because it was the "Electric" Factory. (haha?)

The National Setlist - Electric Factory, June 4, 2010

Mistaken For Strangers

Anyone's Ghost

Bloodbuzz Ohio

Baby We'll Be Fine

Slow Show

Squalor Victoria

Afraid of Everyone

Little Faith

Racing Like A Pro

Conversation 16

Apartment Story

Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks

Abel

Cherry Tree

England

Fake Empire

Mr. November

Encore:

Runaway

Sorrow

Terrible Love

About Today

The National, Radio City Music Hall - June 16, 2010

2010-06-17T00:09:00.111-04:00

I have no choice but to start this entry from my phone on the bus home from Radio City Music Hall. The concert I just experienced was probably the best of my life. I am slightly dumbstruck right now by what I just witnessed but there must be a way to sum it up.

The first time I saw The National was Hammerstein Ballroom for a New York Magazine party I had heard about a few weeks earlier. I was already beginning to fall in love with this band and was starting the still neverending saga of nonstop listening but as with any relationship, I didn't know how long it was going to last. I've seen hundreds of bands in my short span on earth and some have been great - others are okay. You never know. So much depends on the personality of the musicians themselves, not just the songs.

Matt Berninger changed my way of thinking about concerts. I work at a music venue, I see different kinds of artists make different kinds of splashes in their own way every other night. Never had I seen a vocalist so involved with what he was saying. His emotional experience on stage made the experience for the people off of it exuberant. I was taken back and it took me a while after the show was over to understand my feelings. This wasn't idol worship at a Tom Petty concert or oogling James Mercer and his cutesy humming at a Shins show. This was something so real that it was practically tangible. I was hooked after that one performance. Yeah, Matt Berninger is not the first frontman to throw an alcoholic beverage at the back of the stage or break a microphone stand but I've come to learn that every night those moments come from a place I can't even understand. My words, as usual, are probably a waste trying to explain something that you have to see to understand. Berninger's intensity on stage is so incredibly powerful that it takes over the focus of the room. And amazingly, it is not just in the crazy moments of wine glass flinging and crowd surfing, it is in the quiet moments when it is just his deep baritone voice and a single spotlight that the exceptional power comes out.

That was particularly the case tonight at Radio City. Performing the fan favorite and long missing song in so many sets of late, "Daughters of the Soho Riots" stood out like a bright green peacock in the middle of this stunning venue. The sound of Berninger's voice was simply the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I am not afraid to tell you that I cried at Carnegie Hall last year when another stunning ballad "Runaway" was still being called "Karamozov" in its early stages. I was surprised by the instantaneous feeling it gave me. That kind of rush of emotions over a song didn't seem right. I don't typically cry over the emotional depth of a song but once again tonight I was struck with the same feeling. It is not even my favorite National song but there are few perfect matches as Matt Berninger and "Runaway". He was meant to sing those words. Radio City was given a planetarium-like makeover with spinning starryesque lights chasing one another throughout the audience and the moment was awe-inspiring.

"Conversation 16", my current favorite off the new album High Violet, finally got the justice it deserved as well. Maybe it was the backdrop of one of the most famous venues in the world or the lighting that served the song perfectly but, well, let me just set the stage for you: Berninger opens with saying the song is about cannibalism, someone (I think it was Aaron Dessner) says, "this song is just weird", then lights go down, they go through the verses and the light shines on Berninger as he sings, "I was afraid I'd eat your brains" - then lights go red and the explosion of "'cause I'm-m-m evil". This segueing directly into one of my favorite lines on the entire album:

"I'm a confident liar, had my head in the oven so you'd know where I'd be, I try to be more romantic, I want to believe in everything you believe."

Later on, the brilliant, sexy, and vaguely dark "Lemonworld" was an incredible addition to the encore (that no matter what could not be long enough). And of course, the masterpiece of the evening - like any good National evening - "Mr. November". Where to begin! I have probably seen this song live ten times and never was it as good as the Radio City version. It was the kind of performance that should go down in history. Imagine, a bearded man in a smart, sophisticated suit holding the longest microphone wire you have ever seen scaling the walls of a music hall - literally climbing the edges of the walls to reach the mezzanine and then walking through the entire front row of the mezzanine, falling along the way on audience members, then walking back to the stage in the opposite direction with the wire going over the entire length of the orchestra section. Barely missing a word, not breaking anything, and getting safely back on stage. I wish I had a photograph of the faces with jaws open and eyes wide staring and smiling in disbelief at the greatest frontman in rock music. There is no one that even comes close to Matt Berninger. I try to refrain from saying such grandiose statements that might seem embarrassing but I firmly believe this.

The show ended with the best version of "Terrible Love" I have heard and somewhere in between this lucky audience also got to hear "Available" off the older but equally magnificent album Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks", another new song I never appreciated enough until last night, and "Abel", jokingly referenced as a quiet song, among others.

Every time I write about The National I tell myself that I will contain the gushing to maybe one sentence. I will try to be objective and think from a "music journalist's" perspective. Luckily, I have no idea how to do that so I can only be honest. I can only suggest that you get on Youtube immediately and find some footage of this unbelievable concert. I will also say that it was not just The National that helped to make this one of the best sounding events I've witnessed - the quality and precision at Radio City Music Hall is haunting. The technical beauty of this place is indescribable. I've never been more excited at a concert and I wonder if I ever will.

The National - Radio City Music Hall Setlist - June 16, 2010

Mistaken for Strangers
Anyone's Ghost
Bloodbuzz Ohio
Brainy
Secret Meeting
Slow Show
Squalor Victoria
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks (with St. Vincent)
Afraid of Everyone (with Sufjan Stevens)
Little Faith
Available
Conversation 16
Apartment Story
Abel
Daughters Of The Soho Riots
England
Fake Empire

Encore:
Runaway
Lemonworld
Mr. November
Terrible Love

Photograph from my collection - Electric Factory, June 4, 2010 (review and more photos still to come)

Fitz & the Tantrums - May 28, 2010

2010-06-05T15:45:00.002-04:00

I had the privledge of seeing Fitz & the Tantrums last Friday night at the Mercury Lounge, a band I've written about before here. Fitz and his Tantrums has been one of the few musical acts in the past couple years that I became genuinely excited about within an instant of listening to them. I originally found them on iTunes while looking up similar acts to Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings and upon listening to Fitz, their sound immediately hit me as the exact kind of soul revival sound that I'm always talking about here on Music Mavens.

On their studio EP, Songs For a Break-Up - Vol. 1, they have an authentic quality to their retro sound that makes me actually believe them as opposed to some other wannabe soul revitalists that have hit the airwaves as of late. Live, this band takes that a step further and brings a fun vibe to their music that is missing in a lot of modern concert atmospheres. It's not just a concert but an interactive event. Songs like "Winds of Change" and my personal favorite "Don't Gotta Work it Out" brought people of all ages down to the ground, up to the sky, and got them shaking their derrieres all over the place.

And while it may seem that Fitz is the lead vocalist of this band (he's got some moves!), co-singer Noelle Scaggs manages to steal the spotlight more than a few times within the concert with her high octane dancing and gorgeous vocal stylings that were not only impressive but surprising - I didn't recall her having such a large part on the record. Similarly, drummer John Wicks and bass player Ethan Phillips, stood out significantly to me throughout the show and that alone is a testament of a good band dynamic.

Although I didn't come in anticipating such a high energy, almost event-like spectacle, it was one of the most interesting concert experiences I've ever had. Seeing an entire floor of twentysomethings and beyond, probably most tipsy, obeying every word of a musician - no matter how silly (ex. "It's been a long week, go crazy!") - is usually unheard of yet Fitz & the Tantrums have already mastered the art of audience/musician interaction. They're hitting that line right between fun and cheesy but in a way that manages to stay classy. Fitz and the gang's excellent choice of smart suits don't hurt either.

A lot of credit has to go to a band that doesn't even have a full length album out yet they get a crowd going wild as if they know the words to every song - even though they've probably never heard most of them in their life.

Check out their website here. Very cool cats. Wish I had the setlist.

Photo courtesy of Fitz & the Tantrums Myspace

Listen to This: The National - High Violet

2010-05-11T02:54:00.002-04:00

I'm afraid to even touch this topic. It's past 2:30am and I know it's already been said by others who are much more advanced in their musical musings but I want to say it:

The National's High Violet is one of the best albums I've ever heard in my life.

Maybe I don't have wonderful new words to describe its intensity and haunting beauty but I am obsessed. Obsessed in a way that doesn't fade after a few listens, obsessed in a way that continues to gain momentum with every listen and drive me crazy wondering how music like this can even be created. I can't decide which song is best because every song just keeps sounding better and better. I'm not well enough acquainted with these songs to give a full view of everything I'm thinking or will be thinking within a few more listens. You have to absorb these songs and give them time to settle in your brain. I give a lot of credit to someone who can write a coherent review of this without gushing all over it. There is not a single poor word to be said about this masterpiece. I don't even know how many layers fill up every second of each piece -- it makes me want to be a musician just so I can try to understand the complexity.

The amazing thing about Matt Berninger particularly is that he makes these incredibly complex, jarring, exquisite pieces relatable to even an untrained ear such as my own. His voice fills up the holes that inevitably occur for someone who can't translate the foreign language of these incredible instruments. His lyrics are both mystifying and real. This is not just music that sounds good (as my blog title would imply) - this is music that makes you feel something. And for that matter, it is not just "something" - it is the deepest, darkest part of your heart that is hardest to reach. It makes you remember that there is another layer of yourself as well.

I can't even believe I'm saying these crazy things about a set of a few songs. It's not unusual for me to be extremely excited about my favorite music but I assure you, this is not just music. This is a sound reminding me that I have more in me than I even realize. I am in my early/almost mid twenties. I am in a weird place in my life that I often try to ignore. It is a scary time in anyone's life but even scarier to be this age in the times we live in. I get scared a lot. Matt Berninger's voice reminds me of this and yet makes me feel like I should be brave about these fears. He openly admits his feelings of fear, inadequacy, and confusion... not in any way I have ever heard though. It is sophisticated, endearing, full of space to place yourself in his position.

I may never find the right words to express how I feel when I hear The National. It is so different from any other music I have ever experienced. When you hear Sam Cooke sing "A Change is Gonna Come", you feel something deep inside your gut that tells you this is the real thing. The National has this in every song. It is realistically magical and unfathomably honest and stirring. Matt Berninger sings "doo doo doo doo" and you feel the earth move.

Photo from the brilliant Vanity Fair article, "Feasting on the National".

The National - Lemonworld (Live)

2010-05-01T16:42:00.002-04:00

Wow, wow, wow.

This is the kind of song I want to live inside of. If people in Japan can marry virtural reality characters, I should be allowed to marry this song.

The sound is not so good but if you google the song or follow this link you can find the studio version that blows my mind. It is sexy, eerie, scary, and beautiful all at once (which is the way I'd describe The National in general).

Youtube user that uploaded this: Thank you for being incredible. I am in debt to you.

Video of the Day: Not Myself Tonight - Christina Aguilera

2010-05-01T15:09:00.001-04:00

I am extremely liberal and very supportive of artists in any medium expressing themselves in the way they feel fit. I only begin to have a problem when a married mom is seen making out with women in latex, wearing red lingiere while riding some overly greased buff guy, and deliberately making it appear that she is having sex with a woman when we know very well she's heterosexual.

I am not making a judgment about all of this but just throwing my opinion into the ring. I think Christina Aguilera is exceptionally talented. I've been a semi-fan since I was probably 11 years old or something. She's got a great voice and her style is typically really neat. Also, it must be said that I usually love outlandish music videos. I actually like "Not Myself Tonight" as well but I think it is merely verging on a collection of images purposely provoking a reaction - and that's it. The song itself - other than her incredible voice - is really silly. The generic dance beat in the background is bland and the lyrics certainly aren't anything new. I think Aguilera knows this - and maybe she just likes to dance and have a good time - but I didn't realize that's the image she was going for. I thought she was a serious vocalist.

Not to retract that statement but I don't want anyone thinking I like my artists to come in a package: it's important for musicians to expand themselves into as many genres and styles as they please but why would one deliberately regress? It is not like she is trying to get a message out that's important to her: she did not write this song and seems a little angry overall, giving the camera the middle finger at points. But why is she angry? I'm so confused.

There's no denying she's thin, blonde, and beautiful but she can be all those things in a REAL video too. Why does she have to simulate oral sex with a woman and very graphically show scenes that look like they're right out of a porno? That's actually the thing that bothered me the most - I love women being sexy and taking control but those images were gratuitious. Like, it is fine to be naked in your music video or whatever but this is beyond that for no apparent reason. You can say it's for fun but who is having the fun?

I don't know. This is a tricky situation. I know some artists make music to turn people on and there have been musicians like David Bowie, Madonna, Prince, etc. shocking people for years. Compared to those, this probably won't get any notice except for her apparent 'blatant copying' of Lady Gaga. The only thing is I don't even see the Gaga copy because Lady Gaga wouldn't just do things for the shock value. I actually believe her when she says there is an underlying context to her performances and videos. She articulately explains that she just expresses herself in a different fashion than others and you have to look closer for the meaning. What could possibly be the meaning behind this Christina Aguilera video?

If people had a problem with Katy Perry's song "I Kissed a Girl" because it was portraying homosexuality in a fun, frivolous way for heterosexuals, I can't imagine what people would think of this video. Why do people continuously think it's sexy to dress in latex and make out with other girls? The gross, middle-aged guys that watch this alone late at night are not the audience I would think Ms. Aguilera was going for. And I'm just going to put this out there as well: I know music videos are acting but if I were her husband I would be pretty disgusted. He could be totally open-minded but if my boyfriend was gratutiously making out and basically having sex with a girl in a film or music video I wouldn't be able to look at him the same way. Tina Fey recently said that while filming "Date Night", both her and Steve Carrell felt awkward during the kissing scenes (that are really not sexual at all) because they're both married. I know it depends on each person, but I've heard that a lot in interviews - and I believe it. That has to be insanely awkward - if it's important to the plot of a scene I understand but once again, why in a music video?

I don't mean to sound so stiff but I feel like this video is making a mockery out of music videos and that offends me personally because it's already a dying breed and already seen as entirely too sexist. I love tons of sexist videos but this is just too much for no reason. I don't hate it but I just don't get it.

Also, when did she get her new British Aristocracy accent? I've lost count of how many pop stars are doing this now.

It seems very ironic now that she would complain in interviews all the time about not being taken seriously as an artist with songs like "Genie in a Bottle" that only accentuated her sexuality and not her voice. It makes me really sad to think that some music is just about the money..

Guess I have to just suck it up and go out and buy some bondage materials.

Not Myself Tonight Lyrics
Written by Polow Da Don

You know tonight
I am feeling a little out control
Is this me
You wanna get crazy
Because I don't give a...

1ST VERSE
I'm out of character
I'm in rare form
And If you really knew me
You'd know its not the norm

B SECTION:
Cause I'm doing things that I normally won't do
The old me's gone I feel brand new
And if you don't like it **** you

The music's on and I'm dancing
I'm normally in the corner just standing
I'm feeling unusual
I don't care cause this is my night

HOOK:
I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

2ND VERSE:
I'm dancing alot and I'm taking shots I'm feeling fine
I'm kissing all the boys and the girls
Someone call the doctor cause I lost my mind

B SECTION:
Cause I'm doing things that I normally won't do
The old me's gone I feel brand new
And if you don't like it **** you

The music's on and I'm dancing
I'm normally in the corner just standing
I'm feeling unusual
I don't care cause this is my night

HOOK:
I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

BRIDGE:
In the morning
When I wake Up
I'll go back to the girl I used to be
But baby not tonight

HOOK:
I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

Yah, that feels good
I needed that
Get crazy
Let's go
That's right
Come on
Give it to me now, don't stop

Ten Things I Love About Matt Berninger of The National:

2010-05-01T13:19:00.002-04:00

01. He's able to turn a simple, two minute song into a treasure (see: "Fashion Coat")

02. His beard.

03. The business chic attire on stage and in all these new publicity photos.

04. Awkward, nervous, confident, quiet, pensive, creative, etc. personality.

05. "I leaned on the wall and the wall leaned away."

06. Lives in the tri-state area.

07. This description of him from a recent article: "Their focal point is a frontman who admits he finds the idea of being the singer in a rock band 'sort of embarrassing'."

08. His desire for the new album to sound like "loose wool" and "hot tar".

09. His outrageous antics on stage (carrying a microphone stand on his back, throwing alcohol across the stage at a New York Magazine gala).

10. The sound of his voice.

Buy This: Melissa Etheridge - Fearless Love

2010-04-30T21:22:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite musicians, Melissa Etheridge, has seemingly been everywhere in the past week. I spotted her on Dancing With the Stars, Good Morning America, and loved her sincere interview on The View this morning. Her new single, "Fearless Love", is one of her best songs to date in my opinion and now her entire new album is available for only $3.99 on Amazon.com. I don't mean to sound like a commercial but that's a ridiculous price for such excellent material, especially considering that each song individually is 0.99 so you'd be a fool to only buy one.

I'll give you an example of how much a Melissa Etheridge record can mean:

One day in the summer of 2007 I was incredibly depressed. There was a liquor store within walking distance from my house and I would occassionally stroll over and purchase a cheap bottle of wine to drink alone in my room. I had just moved home from West Virginia and was still pining over a lost love. I felt more alone and lost than I ever have in my life. Next to the liquor store was a ubiquitous Drug Fair that sold a stack of compact discs next to the register. Occasionally I'd peruse the racks but never actually make a purchase. On this particular day I was really hitting rock bottom and needed something to take my mind off the trouble I was going through. This was actually my first big breakup and as anyone who has been there knows - that is probably the worst feeling on earth.

I spotted the cover of Melissa Etheridge's Breakdown instantly with a woman (her?) laying in a field wearing something that looked like a Mexican poncho. The title and photograph combined made me feel like there would be songs on this album that I could relate to in that moment.

I was completely right.

Those songs helped me through that entire summer and has remained one of my all time favorite albums to this day. This same feeling happenend again when I got Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled. I couldn't stop listening to it and her voice took me to another place. Songs like "Come to My Window", "Like the Way I Do" and my personal favorite "I'm the Only One" are iconic. And it's not just her songwriting that is soul shaking, it's the magnitude of her voice. In her covers of Tom Petty's "Refugee" and Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart", she finds something within the songs that I don't notice in their originals - there's a genuine ache in the arrangements that's really stirring.

What Melissa Etheridge is capable of doing with her voice alone, many musicians aren't able to accomplish with an entire band.

Here's proof:

I highly suggest you purchase her new album and while you're there, grab a couple old ones too and have a good shout (or cry - whatever you're in the mood for).

Fearless Love Tracklist:

(samples of every song are available on Amazon)

1. Fearless Love
2. The Wanting Of You
3. Company
4. Miss California
5. Drag Me Away
6. Indiana
7. Nervous
8. Heaven On Earth
9. We Are The Ones
10. Only Love
11. To Be Loved
12. Gently We Row

Somebody to Love: Rufus Wainwright

2010-04-30T19:29:00.002-04:00

Rufus Wainwright is an interesting artist for me. I've never been a fan but only because I was never exposed to his music. It took a friend randomly playing "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" in the car one night for me to finally recognize his talent.

Even still, it wasn't until this week that I finally downloaded the song for myself. I cannot stop listening to it! It's one of those realizations that come on so fast that I'm left wondering how that is the only song of his that I own. I need more.

I'm not even going to claim that I know anything about his albums but I do know this song is off "Poses" and I hear the rest of the album is equally superb. It came out in 2001 when Wainwright was supposedly addicted to crystal meth and living in the Chelsea Hotel. During this time, he reached out to Elton John who in turned directed him to rehab after a really ugly turn in which Wainwright temporarily lost his vision.

Wainwright, 36, has a biography that reads more like a suspense movie and I'm disappointed that I didn't know much of his story before. There's so much to say about this guy: his Wikipedia page states that he would dress up in red lipstick and stilettos while singing Judy Garland and is quoted as saying he wasn't originally a big supporter of same-sex marriage because he "loves the whole old-school promiscuous Oscar Wilde freak show of what 'being gay' once was". Crazy!

I will definitely be following this guy more closely in the coming months and hope to aquire a lot more of his music immediately. How did I not know?!

Rufus Wainwright Discography

Rufus Wainwright (1998)
Poses (2001)
Want One (2003)
Want Two (2004)
Release the Stars (2007)
Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall (2007)
Milwaukee at Last!!! (2009)
All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu (2010)

Video of the Day: Todd Rundgren - I Saw the Light (Live - 1974)

2010-04-29T00:34:00.000-04:00

I love vintage Todd Rundgren videos possibly more than anything else on YouTube. This one is not actually my favorite but "I Saw the Light" is one of the greatest songs of all time, by any measure, and I couldn't stop watching this tonight.

Mr. Rundgren is absolutely underrated for his songwriting, musicianship, and style.

Please enjoy.

April Showers Bring May Music Sounds

2010-04-29T00:21:00.004-04:00

I've been listening to so much good music lately. It's almost ridiculous. I haven't been in the mood to write a real post lately though - sometimes the pressure in my head gets to be too much and I can't handle my own words. Words are really powerful. I know you know that already but each one of them is a gift that doesn't need to be wrapped (but they can be rapped - my attempt at humor).

I'm in a library right now with my fantastic headphones in tow and listening to some songs I just downloaded from my beloved best friend iTunes.

Sometimes when I write sentences like the above I wonder if it makes me sound like a friend-less nerd. I'm not. My favorite thing on earth (other than music) is a good margarita. There is no other alcoholic beverage that is as delicious or beautiful. I'd like one right now. I'd like one before class or before work or before a doctor's appointment.

Anyhow, hopefully you're not here to hear about me, you're here to listen to some incredible music and I intend to give that to you.

01 Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - I Learned the Hard Way
02 Ryan Shaw - Morning, Noon & Night
03 Brenton Wood - Gimme Little Sign
04 Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - Crimson and Clover
05 Ringo Starr - Photograph
06 Shania Twain - It Only Hurts When I'm Breathing
07 Julie Ruin - I Wanna Know What Love Is
08 Ruben Studdard feat. Rick Ross - Don't Make 'Em Like U No More
09 TV on the Radio - Crying
10 Band of Horses - Laredo
11 Jay & the Techniques - Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie
12 Martha Reeves & the Vandellas - (Love is Like a) Heat Wave
13 Damien Rice - Cannonball
14 B.O.B - Nothing on You
15 Elton John - Teacher I Need You

You can listen to these songs under the playlist "Maven Mix" and check out other mixes at http://8tracks.com/angelicadiamond

I wasn't able to find Julie Ruin on 8 Tracks but here is the song below from YouTube. This is the lead singer of Bikini Kill sampling tracks and cursing like a crazy person. I'm obsessed with it for some reason, this is not usually my thing but a good beat cannot be denied.

Women Rock (Or I'm Not Very Creative With Blog Titles)

2010-04-20T00:45:00.001-04:00

I was just on my new favorite site, http://8tracks.com/, and randomly decided to create a mix entitled "Women Rock". Yes, not that creative but it is full of songs that do not die: "I Love Rock 'n Roll" - Joan Jett, "Something to Talk About" - Bonnie Raitt, "I'm the Only One" - Melissa Etheridge, and the INCREDIBLE "My Favorite Mistake" by Sheryl Crow.

Actually, I'm not a big fan of female singers. That sounds bad but it is certainly not a conscious choice. It just so happens that my absolute favorite musicians always seem to be male. There is not a single female that makes it to my top 10 (well, Fleetwood Mac..).

Yet when I was going through a serious break up way back when, I immediately turned to Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow religiously. Once again this was not a conscious choice but for some reason I gravitated towards their powerful voices and strong lyrics. This was about the time (early 2007) that I really started to learn about their music inside and out. I would go on a stationary bike and scream the words to "I'm the Only One" like the person I was directing it towards was right in front of me. It helped me blow off a lot of steam and I'm eternally grateful for this amazing music.

It wasn't until recently (as documented in another post) that I re-discovered Bonnie Raitt, another incredible female voice, and fell in love with women rockers all over again. Tonight I found myself listening to Heart, Stevie Nicks, and Patti Smith all in a row and enjoying it more than I could've imagined. These are voices I've heard all my life - with mixed feelings - and they've become part of my personal landscape. They're probably some of the only strong female influences I've ever known.

My cousin, who is an intense music lover in her own right, is a huge fan of female vocalists (although she'll deny that she has a particular preference) but they usually fall more on the pop side of the spectrum. If you're in her car for longer than ten minutes you're sure to hear Natasha Bedingfield, Katy Perry, or Shakira. She seems to rarely buy full albums these days but these are three of the most recent purchases.

Although this strays very far from my taste, I don't think there's anything wrong with this of course. I just find it interesting that if you compare our personalities, she is actually very into having female friends. She is always telling me about a debacle with one of the women she works with or a friend that broke plans, etc. She is very into being around females. I am not. I have some of the most beautiful, intelligent, special girl friends - but very few. I can't stress how unconscious this is (I would love to have more female friends) but nevertheless I have never been a girl's girl. I'm very feminine and fashion obsessed but I'm usually not compatible with many females. They confuse me. Is that wrong to say? Probably but I don't mean it like that. I'm equally confusing and so is every guy out there. My female cat is a much less complicated person than anybody I've ever met. She also has great taste in music.

Point being, I wonder if there's a correlation between my cousin loving to be around girl friends and also loving female voices and me having few female friends and not particularly listening to female artists. I'm probably looking way too much into it but I find it an intriguing coincidence (and the fact that I usually like deeper, raspy voiced female singers).

Maybe I'm just high.

So, in celebration of you reading this post, here's a great list of some of my favorite songs by some incredibly inspiring and immensely talented females of all sounds and styles.

Stevie Nicks - Stand Back
Melissa Etheridge - I'm the Only One
Bonnie Raitt - Not the Only One
Sheryl Crow - My Favorite Mistake
Cher - Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves
Heart - Alone
Mary J. Blige - No One Will Do
Adele - Cold Shoulder
Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind
Audra McDonald - Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home
Jewel - You Were Meant For Me
Mandy Moore - I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week
Amy Winehouse - Valarie
Beyonce - Me, Myself, and I
Billie Holiday - Speak Low
Sharon Jones - Got a Thing on My Mind
Queen Latifah - Hello Stranger
Regina Spektor - Eet
Nina Gordon - Horses in the City
Rihanna - Rude Boy
Mary Wells - You Beat Me to the Punch
Alice Russell - Hurry on Now
Carrie Underwood - Last Name
Chrisette Michele - Best of Me
Corinne Bailey Rae - I'd Like To

Check out my playlists at http://8tracks.com/angelicadiamond

Video of the Day: Phil Collins - Another Day in Paradise

2010-04-16T16:06:00.000-04:00

Hopefully I'll get the ambition for a much larger post on Phil Collins but I want to send this out into the world:

No one sounds better on good speakers than Phil Collins.

I don't know why but it's a fact (in my world at least). I don't think I even like him much as a person from what I've read about him but his voice is like a pretty bird from a heavenly village of lovely singing creatures.

Also, I'm not sure if I'm the only who thinks Phil Collins looks like Kevin Spacey but that's for another time.

I can't speak for everyone but if you're around my age, this 1989 hit will surely bring you back:

Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie - You Were Young and So Was I

2010-04-16T15:49:00.001-04:00

Music is such a strange animal. Although I was born in the mid/late '80's, I feel like I grew up with my mother and aunt's music more than my own. While it is true that I was obsessed with Paula Abdul and had a Michael Jackson button on my winter coat, it was the music playing on CBS FM 101.1, the "oldies" station, that I recall as the music of my childhood. I've probably said it before but it was Bobby Darin, The Spinners, and Bobby Vinton that I thought of as musical geniuses when I was younger. I remember getting so excited when "Beyond the Sea" would come on the radio. That song along with "Heat Wave", "I'll Be Around", any Chicago song, and another silly favorite "Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" were the songs that would get me going. Between the ages of 3 and 11, I'm not sure that I knew any other music exisited. It wasn't until TLC and who knows what else that my friends in elementary school made me realize that it wasn't "cool" to like oldies.

Although I wanted to fit in, it took me years to finally appreciate new music as it came out. Maybe by eighth or ninth grade I got the hang of it (and I'm not too embarrassed to admit that I did like *NSYNC - I thought their vocal harmonies were excellent and I still do).

For a long time after discovering Pete Yorn, basically the artist who got me into the style of music I still most enjoy today, I let go of some beloved oldies tunes. I got so absorbed in new singer/songwriter music during my teen years that it wasn't of interest to me to listen to the same old songs I had been hearing since my youth.

Since high school that has dramatically changed. MOST of what I listen to today has harkened back to that time in my childhood when the only thing I wanted to hear was classic R&B. It's not the easiest thing to explain because my favorite musicians still are John Mayer and The National, but as a whole classic soul/R&B is my favorite genre to hear. While I can point to certain musicians like Sam Cooke, The Temptations, The Spinners, and Mary Wells specifically, it's really the songs like Jay & the Techniques "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" that bring me back to that certain time in my own history that was the sweetest. It was a much simpler time for sure but also might have been the best time of my life musically.

I just downloaded that Jay & the Techniques song onto my iPod for the first time today and I've been listening to it nonstop. It is such a classic and gives me this wave of nostalgia that I quite enjoy.

Also, I should give credit where it's due: this post sort of came to me after reading about Phil Collins' new album full of motown covers, trying to give homage to the music of HIS youth that he claims to love most of all. I adore Phil Collins and although I was hoping, like many others, to hear some new material, I'm super excited for this new album.

So give this song a listen - and don't forget to check out more classic R&B on Amazon, iTunes, or wherever you get music.

Something to Talk About

2010-04-14T19:22:00.006-04:00

I know I talk about John Mayer too much but this is my blog so who cares?

I've been an extreme John Mayer fan for almost a decade now and although I've gone through my fits of loving "Neon", "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)", and "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room", I truly believe "Assassin" off his latest album Battle Studies is the absolute best of his career. For my ears it is one of the best songs I have ever heard. I am a huge lover of all kinds of music but this song has something so indescribably special about it. It is a sweeping, dramatic, dark, rock song with some of Mayer's best vocals and phenomenal guitar solos.

My absolute favorite part is when it breaks down in the middle with the bridge:

Suddenly I'm in over my head and I can hardly breathe
Suddenly I'm floating over her bed and I feel everything
Suddenly I know exactly what I did, but I can not move a thing
And suddenly I know exactly what I've done
And what it's gonna mean to me, mean to me
I'm gone

It is emotionally overwhelming. It's a perfect example of a song that goes outside the regular limits of a piece of music. It is not a song that stays within the confines of your headphones, it gets into your head and evokes a new feeling that sticks with you. A lot of John Mayer's songs do this for me but "Assassin" particularly has an inescapable net that gets me every time. There are so many different components all rolled into a nearly six minute song. It's an episode of a television show or a mini-movie.

There are a lot of biases that come with John Mayer's music for some reason and I'm aware of this. I know he's a love/hate celebrity and his voice is in that Conor Oberst/Bob Dylan category of such distinction that you either want to hear it all the time or think it's as bad as nails on a chalkboard but his musicianship cannot be denied. Even the biggest John Mayer haters recognize he is a brilliant guitarist first and foremost and his songcrafting skills are superb.

Forget "Say" or "Daughters" or any other schmaltz he has out on the radio, the real meat of any John Mayer album is in the deep cuts, the tracks you'll never hear on the radio (his best single, "Clarity", was rarely played after its release). Listen to a song like the bluesy "Come Back to Bed" off Heavier Things or my personal favorite "Covered in Rain" off Any Given Thursday and you'll hear the superior musicianship of a man far beyond his peers in terms of style, technique and ability. It's astonishing. This is a guy who has the nerve to cover "Bold as Love" and "Crossroads", two of the best-loved guitar tracks ever on his major label releases and actually pulls it off! (I don't completely understand his cover of "Crossroads" - chopping it up and making it jazzy but he makes it his own).

He is one of the only people I would EVER spend $100.00 a ticket on, let alone five times a year on some occasions. I may be a young female like the majority of his fans but you don't see a dude thirty times in a few years because he looks good - it is because he is a tremendous musician with the power and talent to put together some of the best concerts I have ever seen. His music is haunting, sophisticated, and sensual in a way that is usually reserved only for jazz. He is an absolute musical force. I don't care how dopey he is in his personal life.

There is a moment near the beginning of the new Tina Fey/Steve Carrell film "Date Night" where Tina's character is getting ready for a night on the town - "Heartbreak Warfare" begins playing and there is no dialogue during that time. When it came on, I immediately wanted to write a blog post about it: I completely fell in love with John Mayer's voice all over again. Embarrassingly I saw this movie alone (maybe because no one wants to be seen with a John Mayer freak?) and when the song came on, I felt like I was with an old friend. I probably would've felt this way about The National too but no other artist. Music is a faithful companion.

Embarrassingly once again, I can actually think of several times off the top of my head when John Mayer played at just the right time (during the written portion of my driving test, in the movie 'Serendipity', when I was sad in a supermarket..etc.). John Mayer and The National are probably better friends to me than most of my real life friends and definitely better than most of my distant family. And I believe if you all think hard enough about it you'll realize that your favorite musicians are the same way. Music is an all-encompassing, passionate art form that when used properly can take over every inch of your mind and body.

I'm in love.

(fan-made video that is really exceptional for John Mayer's "Assassin")

Somebody to Love: Alex Lambert

2010-04-10T16:15:00.001-04:00

Although this is the first season I have yet to miss an episode of American Idol (not the greatest accomplishment, I know) I don't particularly have a favorite yet. It's getting down to the top eight and really none of them impress me all that much.

This isn't to take away from the fact that any young person who can get on a stage in front of millions of people is amazing in one way or another but none of the music is really my cup of tea this season. Casey James and Crystal Bowersox have their moments of brillance (last week Casey had the best performance of the season in my opinion with "Jealous Guy") but it was Alex Lambert that has stood out to me as the real find of the year.

Eliminated right before the Top 12, Alex has recently been given a second chance at fame, getting a spot on the Simon Fuller internet reality series "If I Can Dream" documenting six rising stars lives in the Hollywood Hills. I watched the first episode with Alex in it and believe me, he is the only good part. This show is absurb beyond all measure but I guess it has semi-good intentions.

There is so much to like about this kid: his floppy, mullet haircut, shy demeanor, laid back personality, sneaky charisma, adorable smile, slight scar beneath his left eye, and most of all, phenomenal voice. This guy has a voice that is way beyond his 19 years.

Singing songs by some of my favorite artists throughout his time on Idol - John Legend, Ray LaMontagne, etc. - he was able to not only do them justice but bring a new flavor to them. More really is less sometimes when it comes to the simple, sweet songs Lambert was prone to choosing and unlike so many other young people who go straight to impersonations or overdoing the scatting, every performance choice felt like it was coming from his gut - he didn't seem to be thinking about it or going nuts with the showmanship - which could be why he was eliminated. Simon and the gang insisted on focusing on his lack of confidence instead of his incredible, natural gift.

I was hit with the desire to write this post upon hearing Lambert's brilliantly simple rendition of Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" this morning at work. His voice does wonders for an already special song and I HAD to include my favorite of his performances, his own reworking of Mario's R&B hit, "Let Me Love You" which he did live on Ellen back in March.

I could go on and on about Alex Lambert but in fear of sounding like a pedophile, I think I'll just let you be the judge and enjoy these samplings. I swear, if I were an A&R person, I would sign him fast. He could really go places.

Music I'm Downloading

2010-04-08T13:47:00.000-04:00

Tonight, on a very slow night thus far, I got the idea to go through some of my cd's and rip some songs I have yet to transfer to my iPod.

Although there are some incredible songs I've been missing for a long time and have little excuse, my original iPod back in 2006 (I was a late bloomer in the iPod department) could only store about 1800 songs and I was suprised how quickly that went. For a long time prior to getting my new and improved iPod late last year, I was deleting really good songs off my old one to make room for new favorites. It was a sad day anytime I had to let go of some songs - I had a method in which I would arrange my entire library from "date last played" and delete the songs that weren't played in a long time in addition to only being listened to twice or less. I figured it was less of a loss that way.

Luckily it's the dawn of a new era and I'm in a position to continue adding another 2000 songs to my new iPod (hopefully not all at once or that would defeat the purpose) but I'm in a good spot right now, spacially speaking.

So far tonight I've been focusing on adding more Jimi Hendrix and The Clash (as inspired by a college course I'm taking on "Authenticity in Pop Music"). I had "some" of this music already including a few Hendrix covers but I have these entire cd's that I used to listen to and just now am getting inspired to go back to them. In addition, I'm revisiting Bonnie Raitt's "Luck of the Draw" and John Mayer Trio's "Try" which I've been meaning to add for a long time now.

I absolutely love Bonnie Raitt's voice and always recall John Mayer saying in an interview that seeing her live is a phenomenal experience. Apparently she knows exactly the right place to add a fresh word to a worn song and a little extra scat or emotional pause. She is pretty unbelievable over headphones too. "Not the Only One" is a song I should've been listening to consistently for the past ten years. It breaks my heart in the best way possible - and that is not even beginning to speak of the beauty that is "I Can't Make You Love Me" - holy cow. If you want to kill yourself, be sure to put that on the record player first. It's painfully elegant.

The Clash is a weird one for me. I will be honest and tell you that I don't know as much about them as I should. I know the titles of records and their biggest hits are my favorite of their songs. I'm not into the deeper cuts and "Rock the Casbah" was my ringtone right after high school. "Train in Vain" is one of my favorite songs ever and "Should I Stay or Should I Go" is really fun and a regular on playlists but other than that I can't claim to be a real fan. The only cd I ever gave a real, consistent listening to was "The Clash: The Singles" and I know that would be considered sacrilige to a true fan. Punk is something you have to grow accustomed to - like wine or Guinness. Oh but I must say "Spanish Bombs" is like a drug, I'm in love with it.

There's not too much you can say about Jimi Hendrix - or rather that I can say. I know some really die hard fans that would probably punch me in the nose for even trying to say anything about him. I really enjoy the sound of his music and I know he's a genius guitarist without being a guitarist myself. I can't read music and I don't know much about guitars beyond Guitar Hero but I LOVE - unabashadly love - the sound of good guitar playing. It's one of the most incredible things about music. Eric Clapton, George Harrison, John Mayer and Jimi Hendrix are all in my Top 20 favorite musicians of all time with the first three being in the top 10. I haven't given much time to thinking about whether or not it's generic to like those four but I will say I also love and greatly appreciate Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, B.B. King, and Robin Trower so maybe by proxy alone I'm not a total guitar idiot.

And of course there's nothing left to say about John Mayer. On April 12th the presale begins for his summer tour and you can bet I'll be at more than one of those shows although I've already seen him three times in the past five months. It's revolting, I know, but the greatest feeling in the world is being at a John Mayer concert. There is something about that music that feels like home.

Music Video to Love: "Heartbeat Radio" - Sondre Lerche

2010-04-03T16:36:00.000-04:00

The adorable Sondre Lerche wins once again with this clever video for his latest single "Heartbeat Radio" off his fifth album of the same name. The album was released on September 8 but just recently am I hearing a little more buzz about it.

Lerche is a brilliant singer/songwriter/guitarist with a knack for biting lyrics, humorous takes on serious topics ranging from love, death, memories, etc. and reinterpreting old standards in a whole new way.

This particular album didn't grab me in the way I wanted it to but Lerche is one of my favorite songwriters and luckily comes out with one or two albums a year. He's highly influenced by Elvis Costello whom he's toured with in the past and lives in Norway (two details I always think of with him).

As you may guess from the lyrics, I have never heard this song on the radio.

To learn more check it out here.

Heartbeat Radio Lyrics

Tell me what you think about this song?

Sue me if you reckon it's too long.
I wanna know how you really feel.

Tell me what you think this is funny?
Spending all my time and my money.
Trying to find
How you really feel.
The radio's perfect pitch makes me nauseous.
Oh, the Dimwits are digging a ditch
On my heartbeat radio.

Tell me what's the deal with the static?
FM has become automatic.
I wanna know, did the DJ drown
In a sea of reverb and compression?
Oh, but wait till you hear the refrain
On my heartbeat radio.

My darling, waves can't be replaced
But I will remember you.
I'd sell my soul.
Payola dole.
Still I'm not receiving you.

Tell me why you're changing the station?
What comes after heavy rotation?
I wanna know, am I coming through?
I wanna know, what I've done to you?

You're wearing out my favourite song
And everyone else's.
Oh, nothing but sad honky tonk
On my heartbeat radio.

My darling, waves can't be replaced
But I will remember you.
I'd sell my soul.
Payola dole.
Still I'm not receiving you.

Tell me what you think about this song?
Tell me what you're thinking of
Tell me what you think about
Tell me what you think about!

We laughed and cried
But don't ask why
My poor heart still beats for you.

My darling, waves can't be replaced
But I will remember you.
I'd sell my soul.
Payola dole.
Still I'm not receiving you.
Oh, my heartbeat radio