A Remix of a Remix //// Summer Songs 2010

It is going to be an amazing summer for music.

This is me compiling what I’m dancing to around my flat, walking down the street, in my head when I should be listening to a lecture, waiting for the tube, and at my desk. I’ll probably add to it. You’ve probably picked up on most of these already. You’ll see below I don’t have the most sophisticated or insightful approach to music – I don’t really do them much justice. Furthermore, this doesn’t include the new LCD Soundsystem OR the new Arcade Fire, which are being described as … well, epic. Those albums will still be spinning decades down the road.

Alas, here they are in one spot. My narrative and soundtrack for the summer — most because of their sweet beats and melodies along with some of the best lyrical content I’ve heard in a while. They’re all melodic and choral in one way or another, you’ll notice … a theme.

Yeasayer /// O.N.E. (…and the rest of the Odd Blood Album)
I am a fan of their video aesthetic, and I think their dancing really sums up my feelings about this song. There is something beautiful about a synth-drum filled dance song of constant motion saying “You don’t move me anymore– and I’m glad that you don’t/Because I can’t take it anymore/Control me like you used to“. I can’t wait to hear this out at a bar in London.

=====================================================
Ida Maria/// Oh My God
Another Norwegian rocker has  stolen my heart.  The song that sums up what is going on in everyone’s mind, as we seem to sail through life, looking relatively intentional, purposeful, and composed, when really we come into being more like a Jackson Pollack– things are violently flung into place in reactionary decisions. Not always, but more than most of us want to admit. I first heard this for the Its Kind of a Funny Story trailer, here, and had to seek it out. Shout along.

=====================================================

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros /// Home (RAC Remix) / Home (original)
When I first heard this song, I had it on a looped playlist and I couldn’t stop listening to it, or whistling it. I’m a sucker for brass, strings, and piano in melodic folk and indie songs. Once I sat down and really listened to it, I feel like its probably the most romantic song I’ve ever heard, and it reminds me of summers past. Both versions = brilliant.

=====================================================

Vampire Weekend ///Horchata
Don’t get me wrong, I love the catchy cords and springy vocals of that was the entirety of the first VW album, but the new album offers a richer take on the same idea. This one in particular has delicate instrumentation and build up that swells into a sea of xylophone, drumming, clapping, and tambourine moving back to delicate strings and bells to a choral anthem:
“Here comes a feeling you thought you’d forgotten
Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on
Oh you had it but oh no you lost it…”
I could listen to this every day of the summer.
=====================================================

Vampire Weekend /// I think Ur a Contra
Couldn’t really find a good video for this. One of their first real ballads — it ends on an even more delicate vocal note than the album opens on. The narrative of this song is so strong it almost stings, if it weren’t so sweetly sung. Incredibly timely for my summer.
=====================================================

Antlers /// Bear
This is a dancing song. Actually, its about a traumatising decision for a couple, yet its sung so sweetly, it rivals Ben Fold Five’s ‘Brick’ which is on the same subject. He quietly sings “All the while I know we’re fucked and we’re getting unfucked soon” and then comes in the snare and horns, as the music video depicts a visualised grimness to what the lyrics are actually talking about. Still, how you could resist dancing around is beyond  me.

=====================================================

DailyBeatzBlogwave Summer /// MIXTAPE
[ie: Bag Raiders-  Shooting Stars]

This is only one song off the best mix I have found all summer, with this being the most upbeat of the electronic mixes (definitely download this). However it features CSS, Delorean, Delphic, Tunng, and a range of others. This is a genuine dancey electro pop song that could make the atmosphere at any club in the summer time. Honestly, there is just something about it, I can’t stop listening to it– something about the keyboard refrain. And, check out the 90′s tech spacey journey 3-D modelled music video.
=====================================================

Two Door Cinema club /// Undercover Martyn
Everything about this band reminds me of weeery UK electro-guitar pop that came out years ago. I could care less and I am totally okay with their Northern Irish approach to borderline emo highly-dancable beats and dry lyricism. I think you have to make that decision for yourself.

=====================================================

Neon Indian /// Psychic Chasm
Filtered hazy vocals and highly stylized synth. For me, its almost relaxed, slow-moving pop that I can have playing while I do most anything around my room.
=====================================================

Caribou /// Odessa
I have had this song on repeat for a while to dance to when no one is looking. There is something throwback and funk about these beats that is completely modern with an electric downbeat that I catch myself moving to as I am out around Londontown.
=====================================================

Hot Chip /// I Feel Better
Perhaps I am just sheltered, but one of the most ridiculous music videos I have ever seen. Worth watching  just for that. Had this come out 15 years ago, the context alone would change the sound; the video embraces their overly dramatic 90′s synth sound– despite being very white electropop indie nerds from the UK. Its EPIC. I can’t imagine this won’t be played everywhere this summer.
=====================================================

Yeah Yeah Yeahs /// Soft Shock – Hysteric
Same album, well-played in my car as I drove around last summer, especially around twilight when I’d be getting off work. Soft Shock  is easily one of my top 5 YYY songs. Karen O completely woos me with her cadence  in both of these songs and everything that goes with them musically. Very different, but for me, always played during warm drives home and to see friends.
=====================================================

Camera Obscura /// French Navy
Such a whimsical way-retro pop ballads. I feel like we’ve all been on this holiday in Paris, and we want to know where it went. It inevitably ends. How sad. Still perfect for summer.
=====================================================

Teenagers /// Remixes of …

Delorean \\\ Love No Remix
Another band of the summer. They have a list of songs that are gratifyingly upbeat  and do something amazing with their electro sound. And their Spanish, so to me they are even more summery!  (If the remix doesn’t do it for you, Stay Close will. Unless you don’t like my taste in music. Entirely possible).

Vampire Weekend \\\ Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa Remix

You have to listen to this almost as if its another song. I think this is the best kind of remix– it  loops and layers the best hooks of the song and themost poignant lyrics, adding bass and starry synth. Again, I think you can see a theme as to what I’m listening to right now.

=====================================================

Bloc Party /// England

This is just something that comes on my lists every so often and I always like it more than I think I will. One of those songs you walk home to when the streets have emptied out and it just echoes in your ear. It makes me strangely content.
=============================

||||||  I am taking requests.

The New Romantics (Emocon 2010)

Some people out there really like to get down on Valentine’s Day. We’ll generalize and say these people tend to be of the single variety. But they really love to hate everything behind Valentine’s Day.

Not me.

Any excuse to celebrate ‘love’, even if it is superficial and cheesy, is also a great excuse for me to bask in equally cheesy sappy love songs. Recognizing there are a few moods one might to set– whether for your ipod on the drive to dinner tonight, or after when you’re on the couch in your living room/ parent’s basement- I compiled three  lists of ‘modern’ love songs, depending on what you want to say to that special someone.

They are rated by awesomeness, and my personal interpretation. And for those of you who asked, do not worry, the first list is about as sappy as it gets (you’re welcome, Molly).

Undying Love/Growing Old Together:

10.  Make you Feel My Love – Adelle [This is more selected for the video, I'm pretty sure you can recycle it for your Valentine. It would work. You should try.]

9. Postcards to Italy – Beirut

8. Naive Melody (This must be the Place) – Arcade Fire’s cover of Talking Heads (Its just more romantic to have Arcade Fire & David Byrne all in one song)

7. True Love waits – Radiohead

6. I will Follow You Into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie

5. Two Doves -  Dirty Projectors

4. Swallowed by the Sea - Coldplay

3. Maps -  Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2. First Day of my Life – Bright Eyes

1. Sea of Love - Cat Power’s Cover

I  miss you/I want you [Upbeat]:

7. Better Things - Passion Pit

6. Nashville – Casiotone for the Painfully Alone

5. Lets make Love – CSS

4. Forever - Chris Brown (yeah, that just happened)

3. Emily Kane - Art Brut

2. Digital Love - Daft Punk

1. Such Great heights – Postal Service
And for all of you mourning Valentine’s day,  simply in-hate with your ex, or embracing a broken heart – I’ve made you a list too.

I think we should break up/ Me? Bitter?:

7.  One more Night – Stars

6. Landlocked Blues- Bright Eyes

5.  Pictures of Success – Rilo Kiley

4. Sentimental Heart - She & Him

3. Love Rhymes with Hideous Car Wrecks - The Blood Brothers (oh man)

2. My Dreamgirl Don’t Exist – Neutral Milk Hotel

1. This is How you Spell “HAHAHA, I’ve destroyed the hopes and the dreams of a generation of faux-romantics” – Los Campensinos

I am sure I am missing other great modern love songs; surely there are Mason Jennings , Bloc Party, and Shakira songs I am missing. Not to mention this pays no tribute to the classics  (Oh Joy Division, Smiths, has there ever been a heartfelt playlist without you?).

Enjoy, and Happy mf Valentine’s Day.

{Cannot remember the source of the Bike photo, but kudos to whoever took it}

A Podcast to be Friends With

Part of my job is writing descriptions for podcasts to be used in ad sales and promo materials. While writing descriptions for one of the thousands of podcasts we have, I came across Will & Iris.
Ever since, they truly been the podcast I look forward to; even more than NPR’s Talk of the Nation (whoa, I just said it).

My semi non-political post of the week is recommending you listen to Will & Iris. It is a down to earth, simple, production of essentially a radio show with a husband and wife, with the occasional cameo of their son Jason. For me, probably like most people who listen to podcasts, its more like listening to an intelligent conversation coming from Progressive parents with silly anecdotes and interesting opinions on the world as they see it.  These are quite the intelligent modern Wisconsonites. I’m not sure if that’s what you call people from Wisconsin, but that’s pretty appropriate.

Reasons to love them:
- They, especially Iris, are unapologetically non-religious yet more socially conscious than most anyone you would meet.
- Will is out to share his entire library of indie music so he plays songs from some of his favorite new bands every show.
- Their eldest son Jason, who is in the realm of 8 years I believe, co-hosts music shows and has some pretty solid taste in music. You could call him an music snob but its not like he’s trying to impress his 8 year old friends with Caribou. Hey, I was really digging Ace of Base when I was his age.
-The other son they simply call Mr. Nobody (I’m not sure if that’s Jake, or the other son?).
-Iris holds public office somewhere in the great state of Wisconsin. They don’t really talk about it, understandably.
- Their lack of pop culture knowledge, and its evolution over episodes would amaze any anthropologist. I just love that they don’t know and don’t pretend to know “Top 40″ music, that Nicole Richie is Lionel Richie’s daughter, or much of anything you’d ever read in People magazine; it’s great. Reminds me how little it matters.

Basically this show is the perfect combo of family, politics, and music. You get hard and serious rants about politics (with Will giggling at his wife in the background, she tends to get intense), and then you get samples of ‘new’ music Will really wants Iris to like. Win- win.
Plus, they love calls and emails. Check them out.
I’m probably their biggest fan; I hope they don’t find that too sad.

WillandIris.Org or subscribe on their iTunes page.

Cheers

The Church of Scientology Just Got Legit

Amongst this primary political chatter, with all the headlines about the economy in recession (another bit to itself; we are a society in denial), out comes a curious video where Tom Cruise relates his intense relationship with the Church of Scientology.
My sister endlessly defends Mr. Cruise and his rants, out of what I will deem pity more than empathy or compassion for the religiously stricken. Seriously, she tends to be the latter two, but in this case I give her the benefit of the doubt in saying that she just doesn’t want to hop on the ‘pick on Tom Cruise’ band wagon. She says “he’s harmless nuts”.
My thoughts? Prove it.

But this post isn’t about Tom Cruise, it’s about the Church of Scientology and the real reasons no one buys into it. After a conversation with a co-worker, this humorous but possible reasoning came to light.
People really get off on making fun of Scientology, but honestly, what religion has been wildly accepted that isn’t a few thousand years old? In terms of major world religions, Hinduism is the oldest, Buddhism somewhere close-by, then Judaism, Christianity, then newest of those would be Islam. Obviously we are not discussing legitimacy but just the time line where it entered society. I’m not a theologist or historian, but I’d say initial persecution of any religion is normal for a few hundred years. If your followers can take the bullying, the religion lasts (Christianity), if it doesn’t it either dissolves or goes underground. Let’s be honest, the legitimacy factor has not be the reason lost religions fade away, it’s the peer pressure( I kid).

So what are the issues that are keeping people from jumping on the Scientology boat? I mean, other than needing to be incredibly wealthy to actually move up the religious ladder, and Tom Cruise in general. Well in that conversation with my colleague, one thought we had is that really, when you bring aliens into the equation, people tend to have mixed feelings about it. However, if the terminology were to be adjusted, or eventually if aliens became a part of our reality (not physical, just apart of our society in a mainstream sense) then Scientology might not seem so ridiculous.

My proposition? The Church of Scientology is responsible for the UFO sightings in Texas this past month, maybe this past century. Think about it: Aliens begin to get street cred, what is the first hyped religion thats going to seem a lot more legit?
Last I checked, Judaism and Christianity stay away from polarizing words like ‘aliens’, unless we’re talking about border control.

Either way, I urge others to educate themselves on Scientology. I’m sure there is an article on Wikipedia.

Wonder who they support for the presidential campaign?