Tag Archives: playlists

We Meet Again, @ResonantPassage

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You know what happens every time [every freaking time] I go to write about a musician [I swear] I love the most or have  just [right this very minute] discovered?

I google them. Grab a few videos. Maybe an anecdote or two about their [inevitably] tortured childhoods…

And then…then, I skip over to Resonant Passage and realize he posted about them months ago [months!].

It’s maddening.

Does it stop me from posting? Not always. Does it edge me ever-closer to the tenuous verge of insanity? Yes, absolutely, thank you for asking.

Pearl Jam’s 20th Anniversary? I was a day late and a dollar short…so I skipped it [but not RP...no no, he was there with this post tossing around sentences like this about my man Eddie Vedder on the band's debut album: The frantic guitar riffs of Mike McCready on opening track “Once” signal the world’s proper introduction to Vedder, and the vocalist bursts through the sonic landscape with an acerbic, tormented yell that jars the listener to full attention....seriously?! acerbic? sonic landscape? unbelievable.]

pearl-jam-twenty011What about Ryan Adam‘s and his remarkable staying power in the increasingly flighty indie music genre? What a great post that would be, right? I know, totally.

artist_main_ryanadams

Too bad RP wrote “A Lesson in Staying Relevant: Ryan Adams” in…October…

Don’t you dare be happy for Resonant Passage, think of me! Think of the wind so continuously sucked right out of my sails! The slaps right across my face! The stalled fingers at my keyboard!

Today, well, today is no different. I wanted to talk about Shooter Jennings and his perfectly southern, boozy sound.

shooterwaltz(source)

Except RP already [unsurprisingly] did so here and he says cool things about his rugged twang and raw, uncensored emotions…damnit….

But I won’t be stopped. Nope, not today. I’ll still tell you how Shooter is the son of legendary country artist Waylon Jennings. And how this has given him a unique ability to blend between southern rock, country, even psychedelic rock, seamlessly.

Bonus? That very particular, barely concealed, cheesiness of country music videos reigns free and I cannot get enough.

Of Monsters and Men

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I feel like I used to do a cool little thing on here: talk about bands; about music and the many ways it calms/excites/soothes/speaks to me.

Then life got crazy and so did I and, alas, it’s been too long.

Apologies. Let’s talk about Of Monsters and Men.

(source)

Of Monsters and Men is a 6-piece indie-folk band that snuck up on me last year and, without even asking permission, stole my heart (they don’t appear to be returning it anytime soon).

There’s something foreign haunting their sound…after a bit of research you start wondering if it’s anything to do with their nordic roots…you swear you can hear the Icelandic scenery in their songs…then you get absolutely and irrevocably lost in the fantasies and, well, it all ceases to matter.

Hours, days, who even knows how long passes before you come to. And my favorite part? There’s more than just melodies to wrap yourself in.

Listening to the lyrics…you can’t help but think about the pure art of storytelling, about the unique ability to tell the same tale countless times and have it resonate differently with each go-around.

Like this one, “Six Weeks”, a completely and utterly bewitching fairy-tale.

Tolkein Imagery meets Motown Drums, and they both mingle deliciously with rough mountain sounds…all to tell a rather naive tale; a story wrought with blood and bones and wolves and woods that’s still, somehow, unashamedly joyous.

There’s two frontmen in this outfit: Nanna (an otherworldly beauty, herself) and Raggi (a portly, furry-faced, rosy-cheeked sort). Really, the only thing they’ve got in common is a shared acoustic guitar proficiency.

But he’s left-handed and she’s of the right side so, in live shows, they mirror each other–matching notes, running melodies, and weaving fantasies so perfect it’s a dare just to look away.

Good news for you, they’re got some U.S dates coming up. You can find them here, my ticket has long-since been purchased and I highly recommend you do something similar, should you find yourself nearby.

Old Habits Die Hard

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I hope you haven’t gotten used to me being in one place for too long because I’m back to my usual antics and boarding a flight this afternoon.

You see, as much as I love New York and all my new “goings on” here, there’s something rather special happening in my home town this weekend.

My very best friend since before I can remember having a best friend is getting married on Saturday. Happy is an understatement, but no word quite fits all my emotions between its first and last letter so it’ll have to suffice.

While I was lining up my in-flight entertainment (book from Tuesday and a new playlist), I thought I’d share some of the fun.

My dad recently turned me on to The Given Tree Project and this track has quickly become a favorite,

(If you’ve noticed a bit of an Americana trend poking through my most recent music selections, aren’t you a clever little devil…I can’t stop.)

In perfect honestly, I can’t remember ever making a playlist without including this next song. I fall hard for Eddie Vedder long ago and need him with me always.

Then this one…well this is for when I curl up in my little nook of a window-seat and pass out from this insane week. If you’d prefer to avoid the chance that you’ll find yourself face-down and drooling on your lap-top in the next 4 minutes…skip it.

Radiohead. Does it get any better? I don’t think I (or the record books) can muster even the weakest of disagreements.

If you’ve still got time on your hands and want to do a bit more reading, here are some articles that might be of interest.

- Esquire Magazine’s “The Last Days of Heath Ledger” : it’s fiction, and it was published a while ago, but boy is it amazing.

- Leonardo DiCaprio a woman? Go here and have a laugh (seriously, it’s remarkable).

And that’ll do it!  Have a great Thursday!

Au Revoir St. Louis

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I feel as though the most commonly mentioned event on this blog is me packing…eating is perhaps a close second…but packing certainly wins and now, I’ve done it again.

As you’re probably reading this, after an overwhelmingly wonderful 9 days at home, I’m lugging all my hopes, aspirations and far too many pairs of shoes to New York City.

Original plans had me leaving yesterday, and despite profound excitement for this adventure, there was an event here tonight I simply couldn’t refuse.

The (first) bridal shower for my best-friend-since-forever, Caroline.

I had pretty good-looking date and a decently good-looking dress, so I stayed and I couldn’t have made a better choice.

There’s plenty more bridal events and pictures to regal you with in the coming months as we toast my favorite couple so forgive me for posting them sparingly today.

I’ve neglected doing a playlist post for a short while and given that I’ll be rendered internet-less for a few flight hours, I thought I’d give you a peak into what I’ll be listening to beforehand.

An unwavering favorite obsession,

I first saw this band, The Civil Wars, on a peanutbutterrunner post (who has a great music selection) and I suppose it was love at first sight because I’ve been listening ever since.

And because few songs are as sure-fire a way to feel good, here’s this sorta-oldie but always-goodie,

I hope everyone has a great Saturday!!

Over.Whelm.Ed.

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It’s been a crazy day around this house. I live with four unbelievably fun girls and we’re being joined by hoards of siblings, parents, grandparents, neighbors, mailmen, pets, random passer-byes (you get the picture) this weekend for graduation festivities.

Which means we each need to pack, the house needs to be scrubbed, and all the extra linens deserve a good washing before the first guest crosses our threshold.

What’s getting me through the day?

Aside from a few many handfuls of homemade granola,

there has also been a constant stream of music accompanying me in the bathroom with my Scrubbing Bubbles, Clorox Wipes and bleach…and I thought you might like to take a listen!

An all-time, irreplaceable favorite by the all-time, irreplaceable U2.

My favorite Black Keys song (I hope it’s yours as well).

I love this song. I’ll always love it. I accidentally forgot about it but my younger sister has served her purpose today and kindly reminded me of it.

I dare you not to sing and dance to this one. No seriously, I dare you because I am just about certain that it can’t be done.

Any other recommendations? I’ve got another full day of cleaning and packing staring at me tomorrow…

Cold War Kids

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I am notorious for becoming obsessed with a band and then keeping them on repeat ad nauseum. For weeks at a time I’m consumed with their work, potentially even just one song (i.e. “The Shining” by Badly Drawn Boy). In the end, most are cast off, never to be heard again. The very thought of the tune is enough to send me into a tailspin of irritation.

But a few bands have survived the cycle. Cold War Kids is one of them. They’re an American indie-rock band out of Long Beach, California made up of vocalist/pianist/guitarist Nathan Willett (whom you will soon love), bass guitarists Matt Maust and Dann Gallucci, and drums/percussionist Matt Aveiro.

They started releasing records under various labels in early 2005 and their first major LP Robbers & Cowards came out in the summer of ’06 under a new Downtown Records contract. The whole album jumps between superfluous time-signature changes and darts back and forth between edgy Spoon-inspired sounds and White Stripes “blooz-rawk” affectations. And just when you think you’ve gotten comfortable… they start taking occasional dives into the kind of clanking Eastern European gutter polka more deftly explored by Man Man, DeVotchka, and Rain Dogs.

It’s an odd combination, but it keeps you engaged and it definitely keeps you interested.

The best songs of the records, and those I keep coming back to are “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “Hospital Beds”,

Their second album, Loyalty to Loyalty , released in 2008, is admittedly darker than their first. There’s a lot of narrative storytelling (don’t worry, not like a country song), as well as political and philosophical references (the title is from philosopher Josiah Royce‘s paper on learning to live in communal bliss) . It’s not necessarily my favorite collection but it’s always refreshing to see an intelligent collection get put out.

In 2010 they partnered up with producer Jacquire King who’s resume includes Modest Mouse, Norah Jones, and Kings of Leon (another love). The result…magic. I love it all. Mine and Yours was released in 2011 and I’ve been listening ever since.

If you listen to my Spotify playlist (check the sidebar), you’ve already heard my favorite track,

It’s slicker, it’s a heck of a lot cleaner, and in all honesty, it’s downright U2-ish. Sometimes I find myself missing some of their old rawness but the slinky “Cold Toes on the Floor” and “Royal Blue” are enough to fill the craving.

Bonus, this band tours incessantly. Check them out next time they stop by!