The Seventy-Third Day.

I've discovered that Thurlow is poor mans Eulogies. The both have a similar sound but Eulogies is a little tighter and has had more experience in the studio, this (Here Anonymous) being their second recording and first full length album.

It is either this or just the song "Two Can Play" sound similar to Thurlow.
Either way, I'm more excited for Thurlow's progression into a full length album, then their current album which needs a little work. Still an enjoyable piece though.

The Seventy-First Day.

Thurlow
They only have a 8 track EP, but it's good. On the surface they do sound pretty generic, but truly, there is some intriguing stuff here. Of the two piece(both singers on different tracks) the girls voice isn't my cup of tea, but it is an interesting sound. She sounds very classically trained, with seemingly perfect pitch. I don't know, I like a little bit of misguided attempt, but it's still a good sound.

The tracks I like more are when the male sings. He has a very average voice for the genre I like, but I guess there's a reason I like it.

The band defiantly has potential to do more, like add more band members. Sometimes the production gets a little cheesy. The bass lines could be worked in a little better, but a solid album still.

The Seventy-th-Day.

So I guess it's really in fashion of higher register female singers to cover Kings of Leon songs.

http://hypem.com/#/track/797858/Bat+For+Lashes+-+Use+Somebody+Kings+of+Leon+Cover

Also an awesome 80's remix. AC Newman did it this year, but this remix some how uses more 80's stereotypes than the actual song.

http://hypem.com/#/track/797918/A+Ha+-+Take+On+Me+The+Twelves+Remix

Death Cab EP. thurlow.

Death Cab for Cutie has an EP coming out on April 14. It's called the Open Door EP



Of samples from Amazon, it sounds like a solid Death Cab album. Not too changed up, but why would you with such a working formula? Ben Gibbard's voice on anything becomes gold, so look out for this EP. In full versions there's probably a stand-out single that will show up everywhere. (Like the above video)

thurlow
little bit of happy mellow. Found them on Myspace, it's like if Mates of State decided to mellow out and use one singer more than two singers. They also have there own sound of course off of the Mates of State reference. There 8 track EP seems like just about the right size. Hope to get it soon.
http://www.myspace.com/thurlowmusic

The Sixty-Eighth Day.

The formula for music last year lies somewhere in loud happy music (ex Mates of State, Santogold, and so on) or very dark acoustic music with lots of harmonies and beards (Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and so on).

Already, the mixing of the level of happiness with loudness of the music has been changed up. Bruce Peninsula, for example, creates some haunting songs around a chorus of up to 10 people. Neko Case builds some happy music on her quiet, but full, record. All we need now is a very contemplative happy song from a man with a beard. Or maybe the opposite; Colin Meloy could grow a beard and his very loud, in the end miserable, album could satisfy all aspects of beardyness, sorrow, and volume.

BTW: Demigods by Mega Wand and Steamroller by Bruce Peninsula fit oddly well together if played at the same time by accident... Steamroller at a much lower level.

thanks to The Musicologist for the Mega Wands find(check under the others. with love
for his blog.)

The Sixty-Sixth Day.

It's Blitz!
By the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, it's the perfect popish album to come out this year. With the easy to enjoy, but not really capturing, sound which anyone can agree on. I'm glad it came out, and the album is prefect for just that, agreeing on a cd in the car where you can feel your indie edgeyness, but your mother can also sing along.

The only reason I would at all be a disgruntled customer would be of the lack of Yeah Yeah Yeahs essence. Fell In Love With the Night is undoubtly my favorite song by them. Maps is also up there, with the aggressive drums, simple but rough guitar, and smooth vocals or Karen O. They lose themselves a little behind the disco fever.

The album does show some progression in the band, in the use of electronics, and such, opposed to only vocals, drums, and guitar. Karen O.'s brand of vocals still adds all the vocal catches and breathy yells. I can just imagine drummer Brian Chase grooving with the Disco beat and instrument man Nick Zinner felling a little like a mad scientist creating the disco-era-parallel backing sounds under his emotionless facade.

Check out the 80ish dance moves from Karen O.

The Sixty-Fourth Day.

This truly is just hilarious.

http://hypem.com/#/track/793288/Franz+Ferdinand+-+Womanizer+Britney+Spears+Cover
Womanizer by Franz Ferdinand.

http://www.mediafire.com/?xmmwwjymq32

The Sixty-Third Day.

The Decemberists are amazing. The best album in a long time. Best album because it is amazing from beginning to end, and it is only the most enjoyable as the whole album.

I know I wasn't very impressed with them when their album came out, but I didn't listen to the whole thing through. A hour+ car trip changed that all, and maybe listening to a live recording as well. (go http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=51936526&id=267972899 to get the live recording from NPR)

DO NOT think of this album as singles at all. It is a piece, an epic as described on NPR. The story isn't extremely complicated, but I did get lost a little to the amazing music and swept-up-edness of many of the songs. The female voices are beautiful and powerful, epically of one My Brightest Diamond lead, Shara Worden.

The Sixty First Day.

Check these out. Tell me how they are.
I'm gonna be gone for about two days, away from internet and all, but these bands struck my interest.

Weird Weeds
Passion Pit
Explode Into Colors
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
Crystal Stilts


yes these are SXSW bands. I'm late to the game but riding that fact out.

The Eighth Playlist.

Balkan Brass (and some other) Music

1. Kocani Orkestar - L'Orient Est Rouge(the also have a song called KO v. Animal
Collective on their myspace page. It's interesting
enough to check out.)
2. Balkan Transit - Petruno Pile Sareno (ignore the light jaunty flute, more of the
deep bass drums in what this track my have
contributed to sound this year.)
3. Brass Menazeri Balkan Brass Band - Demiranov Cocek (seriously sounds direct from
Beruit's current album.)
4. Balkan Brass Band - Underground cocek

5. Angelite-The Bulgarian Voices - Krai Rekata (it's probably just the multiple
voices, but pieces of this seem like Bruce Peninsula
sought out the Bulkans this year as well.)
6. Zlate Uste - Memede

7. Angelite-The Bulgarian Voices - Sadba (an attempt to find the same deep,
passionate low brass instruments Zach Condon so
masterfully used in March of Zapotec in songs like
"The Shrew" and other songs.)

Brass band is on the left, Krebsic Orkestar is on the right.

The Fifty-Seventh Day.

Bats For Lashes album "Two Suns" is going to go out on April 6. Just in time for what looks to be an uneventful spring break otherwise. Here is a song from the album "Travelling Woman"
It's decent enough, but I'm hoping for some more exciting tracks.

http://hypem.com/#/track/786645/Bat+For+Lashes+-+Travelling+Woman

a more exciting track! It's called "Daniel" and it may have been released before "Travelling Woman" but it's exciting-mellow. What a great contradiction!

http://hypem.com/#/track/787741/Bat+For+Lashes+-+Daniel

The Fifty-Sixth Day.

Some good from SXSW. Not like it's bad often I just haven't shown any good or bad yet.

I'm still digging the background singer in this video.. She does so little.

and some Bishop Allen

The Fifty-Fifth Day.

So Disco beats is prevalent in this years music, but so is Balkan Sounding horns. 

Take for example Beirut's album. Most of it is littered with the sound thanks to an Oaxacan funeral Band. Sufjan also borrows the sound for his 10 minute song "You Are the Blood" on Dark Was the Night. Basically, the next playlist will be of Balkan music, specifically but not limited to, horns.

The Seventh Playlist.

Disco Playlist (maybe part 1,  maybe the only part)

1. Cerrone- Love in C Minor (1976)

2. El Coco- Cocomotion

3. Sly & The Family Stone "Hot Fun in the Summertime/Don't Call"

4. Average White Band- Person to Person

5. Luv You Madly Orchestra- Moon Maiden (1978) This song shows why disco needs to be reformatted to 2009, amazing sound to the song, but the lyrics are bogus.

The Fifty-Second Day.

So I'm working on a Disco playlist, in lue of the numerous bands this year accredited with "amazing disco beats and sounds"

Such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (album do out March 31st) and Music Go Music (album already out)

Grizzly Bears released an MP3 called "Cheerleader" off their upcoming album Veckatimest.

It's decent but I'd be much more exited to hear Christopher Bear, Daniel Rosson and Chris Taylors' lower octaves. There slightly more enjoyable.

The Fifty-First Day.

This song is constantly on repeat. The pitchfork.tv performance of this is amazing as well as the whole concept of Dark Was the Night from Red Hot.. Enjoy the video

The Sixth Playlist.

The Now and Than Playlist

1. No Doubt- A Little Something Refreshing (1992)

2. None Yet. They are not going to put out new songs until the tour starts. Though I won't be surprised if their new songs are completely unrelated to the good old days, and much more like Gwen's solo albums. Sad, but most likely true. I'm still giddy about their tour. Hopefully I'll go.

3. U2- Bullet the Blue Sky (1987)

4. U2- No Line on the Horizon (2009)

I realise I chose their album name, but it is my favorite track off their new album. And the difference between the two songs just shows the gallons of maturity gained in 22 years. Not only do they appeal to the general populous, they also have found a way to keep to a more unknown scene, even if it is Bono and U2. Though "A Beautiful Day" is a great song, this new album shows more progression then there past records.

5. Fastball- The Way (1998) - yes their "hit" but seriously, I grew up on it. It was the first NOW album, when the NOW albums were good.

6. Fastball- Little White Lies (2009) - Definitely changed their sound, but in a good way. The obscurity in "The Way" is much more dominant in this track, along with some disco drumming and guitar strumming. I guess they got the memo.

7. Smashing Pumpkins- Sweet Sweet (1993) James Iha 

8. Cheap Trick- I Dig Go-Go Girls (1977) Bun E. Carlos (Check out the drumming on this track for a feel of what he brings to Tinted Windows)

9. Hanson- MMMBop (1997) Taylor Hanson (the Middle Hanson)

10. Tainted Windows - Kind of Girl (2009) 

This is the only unsurprisingly dated sounding song on this play list. The band members are after their previous bands, Adam Schlesinge from Fountains of Wayne is also in the band. These songs were purely for fun, and the band looks ridicules in almost every band photo. Check out Taylor Hanson's overly pop-master singing in this clip (post above)

Enjoy

The Fourt-Seventh Day.

I'm so sorry I missed the playlist yesterday! it completely slipped my mind.

There will be one today when I get the chance, but it will definitely be today.

The Forty-Second Day.

Today I made a tab for Knotty Pine off of Dark was the Night. Hopefully it will be posted onto Indie Guitar Tabs soon.

Also, I've decided to revoke any music Saturdays. I was using them mostly to listen to whatever I want, rather than researching music for the playlist. Instead, if it has to do with playlist research, I can listen to any music I want. This probably will be more limiting, because I'm deciding what to do for playlists very early in the week, even though they will still come out on Saturday. 

This week the playlist will be a study of artists who put out music in 2009, but have also put out much older music. For example, U2's new album opposed to their older ones. There will be one song from this year, or something from at least 2006 on, and something from beyond at least 1995.

The Fifth Playlist.

 And also one of the first that's been posted on a Saturday for awhile. Sorry about that.

This playlist is going to be some music from a Jazz station I was listening too, as well as songs from bands Animal Collective was influenced by, because I was listening to Jazz music in the situation I was placed in, but I wanted to study these other bands Animal Collective was influenced by.

1. You Don't Know Like I Know - Sam & Dave (1966)

2. Marvin Gaye - Stubborn Kind of Fellow (1962) (The version I heard must have been from earlier, and it was a young Marvin Gaye backed by The Temptations, or at least that's my understating from the radio station as I was following people places and worrying about my at-the- moment non working iPod. If your really interested in the version that I heard which was absolutely amazing, the website for the radio station is http://www.wbgo.org/)

3. Contract on Love - Stevie Wonder (1962)

4. Clua Koonde - S. E. Rogie (the playful simplicity and delivery, but truly rich and complex beat most obviously influenced Animal Collective.)

5. Ena Eye A Mane Me - African Brothers Dance Band (International) 

The beginning of this song seems way too modern, and could be almost an exact sample from many recent works, along with Animal Collective.

        (Download a whole album of theirs at http://www.divshare.com/download/3469050-52f)