18 January, 2009

"Vegas (LIVE)" by Sara Bareilles

"Bottle It Up (LIVE)" by Sara Bareilles



There'll be girls across the nation
That will eat this up babe
I know that it's your soul but could you bottle it up and
Get down to the heart of it,
No it's my heart you're shit out of your luck
Don't make me tell you again my love love love love.
Love love love love.

I am aiming to be somebody this somebody trusts
With her delicate soul
I don't claim to know much except soon as you start
To make room for the parts
That aren't you it gets harder to bloom in a garden of
Love love love love
Love Love love love

Only thing I ever could need, only one good thing
Worth trying to be and it's

Love
Love
Love
Love
I do it for Love
Love
Love
Love

We can understand the sentiment you're saying to us
Oh,
But sensible sells so could you kindly shut up
And get started
At keeping your part of the bargain aw please
Little darlin'
You're killing me sweetly with love love love love
Love love love love

Only thing I ever could need only one good thing
Worth trying to be

Love
Love
Love
Love
I do it for Love
Love
Love
Love

Started as a flicker meant to be a flame
Skin has gotten thicker but it burns the same
Still a baby in a cradle got to take my first fall
Baby's getting next to nowhere with her back
Against the wall.
You meant to make me happy make me sad.
Want to make it better better so bad.
But save your resolutions for your never new year
There is only one solution I can see here.

Love you're all I ever could need only one good thing
Worth trying to be and it's
Love
Love
Love
Love
I do it for love, love, love, love
Oh, only gonna get get what you give away,
So give love, love
Only gonna get get what you give away
Love.

"Cuchi Cuchi" - Los Amigos Invisibles

17 January, 2009

Look Around You - Episode 1 (Maths)



According to WIRED magazine the complete series of Look Around You educational spoof videos will be available to view on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. You can also just watch them on YouTube now!

16 January, 2009

Bollywood Millionaire

I recently watched the movie Slumdog Millionaire, and beside being struck by its beautiful and story and filmed brilliance (kudos Danny Boyle), I found myself completely entranced by the soundtrack. The music is like a cocoon over a butterfly, it covered and consumed me at various points during the film, almost overwhelming, but always encompassing and encouraging the dream within.

A great portion of this soundtrack was created by the Tamil artist A.R. Rahman, who has crafted scores of scores for movies from Elizabeth - The Golden Age to Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. His sound combines the mechanical and "industrial" feeling of Nine Inch Nails with highly artistic and delicate styles of Classical Indian music. It is post-modern in a very ironic and beautiful way. "Riots" sounds like something pulled from Blue Man Group's Bollywood excursion, while "Ringa Ringa" is repetitive and fragile, but has a strong percussion section that supports the rest of the song. "Latika's Theme" could have come from a Zero 7 album, it hums and throbs with the heartbeat of the love story that is the soul of this movie. "O...Saya" is the song that best chronicles the feeling of intensity and the racing pace of the movie. It completely encapsulates the feeling of running from and towards something momentous.

There are three songs on the album that do not include A.R. Rahman. The first is the surprise hit of the year "Paper Planes," while the second is the remix of this song by DFA. In the movie, "Paper Planes" has a strong place, soundtracking the main characters' movements into the world of crime. The song has a certain amount of the innocence and resignation that makes it a perfect backing track for frightened youth corrupted by necessity. It is for this same reason that the sample of the song "Paper Planes" does not work at all in the song "Swagga Like Us" by Jay-Z, T.I., Kanye West, and Lil Wayne. These artists may have once been as caged by their circumstances as the boys in Slumdog Millionaire, but as adults they have little connection to the innocence of youth, and their song only comes off as a venue for showcasing their lack of humility. The DFA remix of "Paper Planes" is a funky version that adds some bass and a dynamic feel to a smooth song. The final smooth song is "Aaj Ki Raat" by Sonu Nagam, Mahalaxmi Iyer and Alisha Chinai. The song has a danceable club beat with strong vocal work, and various backing sounds that continue to promote that feeling of the old and the new, the mechanical and the organic.

Overall, the soundtrack is a strong casing for an amazing movie. Each song propels the plot forward and adds to audience enjoyment. On its own, the album is highly danceable; it also makes you think.

14 January, 2009

"Walking With A Ghost" - Tegan and Sara



"No matter which way you go. No matter which way you stay. You're out of my mind (out of my mind)..."

13 January, 2009

"If I Were A Free Fallin' Boy (Mashup)" - DJ Earworm

"Doing It Right (Live at Bestival)" - The Go! Team



I think this video is amazing. I especially enjoy the random shot of the woman in the chicken suit pleading not to be eaten.

Here are the difficult to decipher lyrics:

Do it! Do it! All right!
Do it! Do it! All right!
Do it! Do it! All right!
Do it! Do it! All right!

You got a mouth, don’t you act like you
ain't heard a thing.
Who told you to play the victim, you ain't suffering.
I see that lazy-ass attitude, hey let it drop.
You got potential, come on take it to the tippity-top.
Come on and show that energy that you always give out.
Use it for something good,
Yeah, you know what I’m talking about.
Keep jumping, reaching higher, you can’t take a fall,
Give it all!
Give it all!
Give it all!
Give it all!

Do it! Do it! All right!
Do it! Do it! All right!

Got ideas to supply,
And a passport to try,
Everything we should but don’t.
Everything we could but won’t.
Got out backs to the pack,
And no plans to take back,
Anything we’ve ever owned.
Anything we’ve ever known.
And what happens next will be yours now,
'cause we’ve gotta figure out,
If we’re gonna show you how.

Do it! Do it! All right!
Do it! Do it! All right!

We have the right combination, we got everything.
And to strike faster than lightning, we raise what we bring.
We have the right combination,
It ain’t time to crawl.
Give it all!
Give it all!
Give it all!
Give it all!

Do it! Do it! All right!
Do it! Do it! All right!

Got ideas to supply,
And a passport to try,
Everything we should but don’t,
Everything we could but won’t.
Got out backs to the pack,
And no plans to take back,
Anything we’ve ever owned.
Anything we’ve ever known.
And what happens next will be yours now,
'cause we’ve gotta figure out,
If we’re gonna show you how.

Do it! Do it! All right!
Do it! Do it! All right!
Do it! Do it! All right!
Do it! Do it! All right!

"Constructive Summer" - The Hold Steady

Aztec Two-Step and Jack Kerouac

A kind of creamy 1970s blend of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and Creedence Clearwater Revival, Aztec Two-Step is playing at the Iron Horse on the 24th of January. I am not going to see this show, but I hope they play the song "The Persecution and Restoration of Dean Moriarty (On The Road)" which is a ballad to the man who makes Jack Kerouac's most famous book move.

Let me rephrase that, Dean Moriarty is the "white rabbit" of On the Road, while Sal Paradise is Kerouac himself and a post-WWII American Alice. The song is flat compared to the book itself, but it is an interesting history lesson for anyone who knows about Kerouac. Only free-jazz on par with Miles and Coltrane could ever hope to claim a handful of the spirit of On the Road, which has all the light and noise of a "flash in the pan", and the depth and layered quality of great poetry. The Aztec Two-Step ballad has the best intentions with no climax, no fabulous roman candles that pop and flash across the open night sky. If I had to attach songs to the characters in On the Road, I would have to say that Carlo Marx is John Coltrane's "Impressions", Dean Moriarty is Miles Davis' "Budo", and Sal Paradise is something at once old and new, possibly a careful mix of Duke Ellington's "Caravan" with a hint of "Django's Tiger", and a smooth finish with Coltrane's "India".

When it comes to songs that reference the book, I would always rather listen to The Hold Steady's recent Springsteen-esque "Stuck Between Stations," instead of singer-songwriter ballads. They don't have enough punch. "Stuck Between Stations" is a song that succeeds in calling up the connections between Sal Paradise and John Berryman, and every young man or woman looking for America. This is a magnificent feat when you think of how often a single literary allusion works in a song, not to mention two!

"Where Do We Go" - Sandrine



I read somewhere that this was the best day-dreaming music of the last few years, and I would certainly equate this song with the dreaminess of "New Soul" by Yael Naim (the song that tops my day-dream playlist). You can hear it in the movie Last Chance Harvey which I really want to see! Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, where can you go wrong?


08 January, 2009

Electric Owl Land



Hailing from Asheville, North Carolina - a vegetarian-friendly mecca in the midst of, well, North Carolina - Andy Herod is Electric Owls, a band that has yet to release more than five songs, but had me hooked from the first chord. Continuing the tradition of Bright Eyes before him, Andy is a one-man band with occasional backup from various musically talented friends. His extended play, Magic Show, was released by Vagrant records in early November of last year.

The cover art itself is enough to make you wish those hard copies were available in stores near you. The music beneath that art is tantalizing and stronger than most EP music. "Magic Show" sounds to me like some wonderful combination of ELO and Wolfmother. There is a definite psychedelic underpinning for a sound that swirls into a windy guitar riff and drums like hoof-beats. It makes me feel like I should be on a wild snowy mountain, in the midst of a storm (this is good). "Darken Me" has an extremely different feeling. In fact, as I listen to "Darken Me" I cannot help but think of Sufjan Stevens' Christmas carols. The lyric "I have tried to be your friend, but self-respect has worn so thin" is strong and soft in the song. It is a funny kind of sad song that doesn't bring you down until you really start to think about the words. "Cannibal Superstar" is similarly melancholy with a wild streak. Whereas most melancholy music is somewhat heavy and dense, this song is all about the wind and string instruments, and all about this feeling of levity that comes with certain kinds of sadness. "Throw the Switch" is the final song on the album, and it has an energy reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen, and a musical intensity similar again to ELO. It is very difficult to believe that these songs were created by one man with the help of a few friends, because the sound often feels cavernous and practically orchestral. I cannot wait for the full-length album, and I believe, if you listen along, you'll feel the same way.

07 January, 2009

Why I Can't Get Enough of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours"

I am an extremely contrary person, and upon finding myself in a community that prides itself on music-snobbery, I decided to go in the other direction completely. In about four months time, I could be found listening primarily to pop music from my youth (Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Something Corporate, Blink-182) and almost completely shunning the Grateful Dead and the Beatles (although the latter group is very difficult to shake). I had just had enough lyrical dissection sessions, and what I really wanted was a dance party. (What you need to know however, is that if I were to suddenly find myself in a world populated by people who only had dance parties to popular music, I would be the person locked in my room dissecting Beatles and Grateful Dead songs. It is just my nature.) Disney music and showtunes also took priority over campus-popular groups like MGMT and Au (this is not to say that I dislike any of this music. I just got sick and tired of the hype.)

During December, and now in the first days of the New Year, I have forged a passionate connection to Rihanna, T.I., certain songs by Beyonce (not "Single Ladies"), and the irrepressible Jason Mraz. Also, for some inexplicable reason, I have been listening to the BBC News. It is an odd combination, I must admit. The first three artists were not particularly attractive to me until recently, but I keep coming back to Mr. A-Z, and I feel like this deserves a coherent and logical explanation.

On We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., Mraz finds a new side to his own brand of musical magic. Whereas Waiting for My Rocket to Come was somewhat angsty but always hopeful, and tongue-in-cheek, and Mr. A-Z followed this pattern with enough experimentation (the bossa nova "Bella Luna" and the R&B inspired "Geek in the Pink" come to mind) to spice things up a little, this new album opens up a brand new world of pop goodness. The experimentation feels less forced, and the songs are smoother. I listened to "Make It Mine," "Butterfly," "Coyotes," and "The Dynamo of Volition," and they all reminded me of Jamiroquai songs like "Canned Heat" and "Blow Your Mind." It is a strong transition for Mraz, who was a strong songwriter from the get-go. The other songs on the album, including the first single "I'm Yours" are pretty stripped-down, laid-back, singer-songwriter R&B songs. "If It Kills Me" is the only song that really breaks from the two themes of the record, and it sounds like it belongs on Broadway in a love story. The album is well-worth a listen.

This post was meant to discuss the merits of "I'm Yours," because it is this song that has become my reason for listening to popular radio. The musical elements are intelligently mellow and equally upbeat. Everything rests on a light Reggae sound, a sound that is all about positivity and soul. The lyrics are positive, in fact they rest on this deep belief that you can find true love with fewer complications, and express this love without reservations (something that I personally wonder about, and that I am constantly working towards). It is a bittersweet feeling to hear these lyrics, and even the way that Jason Mraz sings them is bittersweet, a taste that adds depth to this song and brings it to a level far above the David Archuleta drivel that finds itself on the charts. I would go so far as to say that Jason Mraz is a more ironic and sarcastic incarnation of the talented John Mayer. They write music that is very different, but the sentiment is often similar and similarly catchy.


I'm Yours (Live) by Jason Mraz


Well you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks, now I'm trying to get back

Before the cool done run out, I'll be giving it my bestest
And nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some

But I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love

Listen to the music of the moment people, dance and sing
We're just one big family
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved loved

So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm sure
There's no need to complicate, our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

D-d-do do you, but do you, d-d-do
But do you want to come on
Scooch on over closer dear
And I will nibble your ear

I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and I laughed

I guess what I be saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do, our name is our virtue

But I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

Come on and open up your mind and see like me
(I won't hesitate)
Open up your plans and damn you're free
(No more, no more)
Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours
(It cannot wait, I'm sure)

So please don't, there's no need
(There's no need to complicate)
There's no need to complicate
(Our time is short)
'Cause our time is short
(This is our fate)
This is, this is, this is our fate
I'm yours

Oh, I'm yours
Oh, I'm yours
Oh, whoa, baby you believe I'm yours
You best believe, best believe I'm yours