I heard an advance preview of Phoenix’s upcoming album, Bankrupt. It does not disappoint. Overall, it rivals the must-own quality of their last three albums, and runs circles around their forgettable debut album.
While Bankrupt doesn’t charter new territory, it’s undeniably fun. It will make you want to dance and sing. It’s like eating a perfectly ripe peach in August after waiting a really long time to indulge in the familiar sweetness.
For all the people with good taste who plan on adding this album to their library, here are five essential tracks I suspect you’ll be humming most: Continue reading…
When Return of the Rentals released, I was sixteen. I instantly fell in love.
Not only was it a five star album then, it’s a five star one today. To put my money where my mouth is, I think it’s aged as well as Weezer’s seminal Blue Album, something not a lot of ’90s albums can say. (Anyone tried to listen to Nevermind lately? Yikes!)
The reason The Rentals debut still speaks to me is because I like playfulness, groovy synths, classical music, catchy melodies, and ’70s hard rock. That and it makes me want to dance. It makes me want to play air guitar, head bang, and sing aloud. It makes me want to start a band again, even though I never will. It’s like looking at an old photo of yourself and liking what you see. That’s a beautiful thing.
And just like it did when I was 16, the song “Move On” quells any desire I have to run away from my problems. Just singing the words is relief enough to face them. That’s why I love this album.
If you’ve never listened to it, or if you haven’t in years, I highly recommend a spin. You friends with P.?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLjwkamp3lI[/youtube]
As part of her piano lessons, my 7 year-old studies one piece of classical music each week, hand-picked by her teacher.
Consequently, our entire family has been exposed to wonderful music, stuff well beyond the popular Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven pieces. It’s like we’re getting a personal classical music DJ or curator, in addition to professional lessons. Score!
I plan to make a compilation of our favorite new discoveries. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this playful, beautiful, and surprising dandy by Haydn, which was the study assignment for this week.
Enjoy.
… you like poetry, melody making, love songs, and stripped down but moving production. Listen on Spotify first. Then buy it on Amazon for $4 if you haven’t already.
Although I enjoyed all of the below from front to back without hitting skip, not all of them are great albums. So in order of most spins to fewest spins, most impressive to least impressive, and overall great to good, the top 10 albums of 2012 are as follows:
Continue reading…
And it came to pass, that rock ‘n’ roll was born. All across the land, every rockin’ band was blowing up a storm.
The guitar man got famous. The businessman got rich. And in every bar there was a super star with a seven year itch.
There were fifteen million fingers, learning how to play. And you could hear the fingers picking, and this is what they had to say: Let there be light. Sound. Drums. Guitar.
OOOOOOHHHHHHH, LET THERE BE ROCK!!!—Brian Johnson
I listen to this song often while working on my body. It never fails to get me going.
My awesome wife threw my oldest daughter a rock ‘n roll themed birthday party last week. It was the most rockin’ party I’ve been to all year (and I’ve been to some good ones). Continue reading…
Music consumers in recent years have no doubt noticed the growing trend of “deluxe edition” albums. They often feature 1.5-2 times the number of tracks, cost more, and feature an alternate album cover.
Here’s what they really are, though: A smart business and marketing proposition. A way to profit off throw away b-side songs, selling them to the most rabid of fans.
Thing is, I don’t even by the deluxe edition of my favorite bands. In my eyes, if a track isn’t good enough to make the original 10-12 song album, it’s not worth my time, no matter who wrote it. In fact, of the few deluxe albums I own, I can’t think of a single memorable, must-have, 4-5 star track.
So keep the deluxe edition, bands. I’m good.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgII2gDY-Rw[/youtube]
If this doesn’t make you smile, you have no soul.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiC__IjCa2s[/youtube]
Not a complete history, but a good one at that. For me, Scar Tissue, Link Ray, and Muse are standouts.
Either I enjoy music more than ever or 2012 is off to a great start. Either way, here are four recent albums that you should, at the very least, consider sampling: Continue reading…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWcpw3GAAms[/youtube]
Reason #428: The YouTube comment thread for Maurice Ravel’s masterful single-movement crescendo, Boléro. Some of my favorites:
- doesn’t anyone ever feel bad for the drummer?
- if i could squeeze my whole childhood into one thing it? would be this song
- If I had a dollar for every poorly written Ravel piece, I’d have zero? dollars.
- I love the? part from 0:00 to 14:52
- Little known fact is that this was originaly going to be the legend of zelda theme. Look? it up.
- I’m more into house music,hip-hop and reagge but this music is? a master piece.
- thumbs up? if your awesome taste of music brought you here.
- The trombone part at 8:00 gives me goosebumps every time i hear it, without fail. amazing how jazz was such an influence in orchestral? 20th century music. love it!
- As someone who has played this snare part, I can confirm that it is indeed excruciating.?
Although I really like this piece, the only thing I don’t like is the tempo change right at the ending climax. With the flat (or is it sharp?) notes, it comes off sounding a bit sloppy. If I were a conductor, I’d remix it to keep the tempo, kill the flat notes, and finish strong on the last note like it already does. Either way, the YouTube commenters are witty if not insightful.
The New York times ran an insightful piece this weekend on the decline of Sony, which is valued at just a quarter of where it was a decade ago, and just one thirtieth the size of Apple:
“Sony makes too many models, and for none of them can they say, ‘This contains our best, most cutting-edge technology,’ ” Mr. Sakito said. “Apple, on the other hand, makes one amazing phone in just two colors and says, ‘This is the best.’ ”
In addition to department infighting, that really sums up Sony’s troubles: too much product, none of them hits. Continue reading…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W559OMp-gSA[/youtube]
The song: “All Alright” by Fun. I could sing this refrain all day long. And often do.
The album: Some Nights by Fun. The whole album makes me want to sing out loud, and that’s a pretty solid metric for a memorable album.
Admittedly, the lyrics are cringe inducing at times. The first song is absolutely trash — I deleted it. But eight of the other 10 tracks are a blast to sing to. And at 2 minutes in, “Stars” features the most groovy breakdown I’ve heard in years.
Individual song ratings after the break. Continue reading…
I’m just like the rest of you. I put my pants on one leg at a time. Only once my pants are on, I make amateur dubstep mixes.
I first heard dubstep a couple of years ago and largely wrote it off. A handful of kids in my community and some online colleagues swear by the stuff though. So instead of holding onto the opinion that it’s mostly noise, I decided to keep with the times and find out for myself.
After listening to hundreds of tracks, I hand pick 20 of my favorites and mixed them with my new decks. Then I recorded and edited the mix at 140 bpm in Ableton 8.
The result: I really like dubstep now and hope my mix can serve as a teaser to fans and non-fans alike. The genre works especially well as audio wallpaper and workout music, me thinks.
Enjoy. Listen here (right click to save) Track list here
What’s the best album of 2011? After tallying the votes, the venerable Smooth Harold announced today that the debate was “too close to call” and hereby awarded the honor to both Junk of the Heart by The Kooks and Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming by M83.
“I couldn’t name just one,” Harold said via satellite transmission, while vacationing on an uncharted island with the Most Interesting Man in the World. “Junk of the Heart packs a tighter, more accessible punch, but the two disc Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is more rocking; more anthemic.
Either way, you won’t hit the skip button on either of these records — a very difficult feat for any musician to accomplish. That alone is a testament to each album’s worthiness.”
Another album Harold liked from start to finish was the excellent Young Love by Mat Kearney. “Dude’s the new Coldplay,” Harold said, “when they were still releasing really good albums 10 years ago before burning out. Rant aside: Young Love is as beautiful and fun to listen as Junk of the Heart is poppy and Hurry Up is ’80s rocky.”
When asked what other albums he discovered and enjoyed this year, including records from previous years, Harold named Hymns for the Rebel Soul, Tourist History, Jimmy Cliff Ultimate Collection, Bag Raiders, AC/DC Greatest Hits, Holy Ghost!, This is Country Music, 50 Greatest Pieces of Classical Music, When Animals Stare, A-1-A, and 100 Christmas Classics as memorable favorites.
Readers: What was your album of the year?
100 Christmas Classics. That it’s only $5 on Amazon is the icing on the cake. Seriously, if you’re too much of a Grinch to enjoy this refreshing and nostalgic take on Christmas, you have no soul. Bah, humbug.
The two-sided Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming by M83. 22 tracks. Catchy hooks. Soaring synthesizers. Big drums.
So far, Intro, Midnight City, Reunion, Claudia Lewis, This Bright Flash, OK Pal, and Steve Mc Queen are my favorite cuts.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
Assuming his biography well represents him, Steve Jobs was a jerk for much of his life. A work-a-holic with eating disorders, incredibly bratty, ruthless.
I’m sure a lot of devout followers will excuse his actions with “no one is perfect.” I prefer that justification, however, for people who are at least trying to improve their social skills with age, instead of sticking to their anti-social guns as Jobs did for much of his life.
Continue reading…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncY5eo0UiTo[/youtube]
Either that or this guy. “Let’s rock ‘n roll!”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XUwKewzdNs[/youtube]
New single by Band of Skulls—from their new album dropping “early next year.”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCMykkcoyu8[/youtube]
I’ve listend to this album more than a dozen times after discovering it last week. Probably twice a day on average. Whole thing is good, from song 1-12. I’m not familiar with previous Kooks albums, but this is a gem—for certain to finish as a top 5 albums of the year.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PF0h7oqUEQ[/youtube]
I’d be a Mormon even if one of the most poetic, influential, and “let’s bring keyboards and saxophones back” rockstars of the last decade wasn’t.
Plus, if I wanted to align myself closer with celebrity thinking, there are a lot more popular, less demanding belief systems in existence to boost my status.
Still, it doesn’t hurt to have Brandon Flowers of The Killers publicly casting his lot with mine. If anything, he rocks a religious promotional video better than other celebrities.
Of course, religion, following Christ, or believing in God will never be cool. Nor should it be. Depending on the community, persecution rightfully comes with the territory. (How else would deity test the faith of its followers?)
Nevertheless, it’s nice to have backup. Superstar DJs very much included.
We now return to regularly schedules jokes about magic underwear, big love, how religion (not greed) ruins the world, why educated people have a harder time believing in God than uneducated people, great and spacious buildings, how successful people often get prideful and turn into jerks, yesterday’s news that Joseph Smith was a controversial man since he was entitled to agency like everyone else (including other purported prophets), why neither atheist nor believers have faith-shattering proof of anything, and Christians calling other Christians non-Christians because the second group worships in a different way. Go figure.
See also:
At my daughter’s request, I read James Rumford’s Don’t Touch My Hat (a family favorite) to her kindergarten class.
I tell ya: I felt som’n fierce having 15 pairs of innocent eyes look up to me from a cozy reading rug while showing and telling the story. As I read, there was a sanctity and innocence in the room I haven’t felt in a very long time—maybe not since leaving grade school.
Admittedly, I’ve done a lot of satisfying things this year. I’ve even managed a few professional coups. But this is unexpectedly near the top of my “most gratifying” list for not only this year, but previous years as an adult and father.
More than anything, I’m humbled and honored that my daughter invited me. Magic is soaking my spine. And Rumford is dead on: It’s your heart that counts, not your hat.
PS — Vampire Weekend, you have no idea. The kids do stand a chance. I’ve seen it in their eyes.
It’s called When Animals Stare by The Black Ghosts. It’s like Black Keys + Band of Skulls + Magnet. Which is awesome. And it doesn’t fade halfway through like most albums. Double Awesome.
Thanks for sharing, David.
See also:
Fun story on recycled pop culture, based on a book by a man who claims we’re engrossed in unhealthy levels of nostalgia right now.
The take-away: Nostalgia is only good if you learn from it. And money-making adults—not senior citizens or youth—rule the roost when it comes to demanding the supply of retro pop culture (or at least what they thought was pop culture in younger years).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTx3G6h2xyA[/youtube]
The kid who made this is only 17 and hails from France. It’s a remix of 39 pop songs. Dubbed Madeon, he’s purportedly already signed to a label and releasing an extended play album this summer. It’s seriously some of the best live sampling I’ve ever seen.
Says a friend, “I see this sort of thing and basically give up on playing music. I’m a no-talent hack compared to this guy…” which is why this kid will have a long career in music.
Mangnifique!
I can count the number of country albums I like in the order I discovered them on one hand: Patsy Cline’s greatest, Garth Brooks Ropin’ the Wind, Hank Williams’ greatest, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, and Jimmy Buffett’s greatest (if you can call that country).
Truth be told, I think the genre may be the second most cliche and boring kind of music ever, after industrial, of course (with exception to Pretty Hate Machine and Downward Spiral).
But I digress. I now have a new favorite country album: Brad Paisley’s This is Country Music. Whether you like country or not, know this: Brad Paisley is a phenomenal musician, songwriter, Telecaster guitarist, and one of the best lyricists in modern music. Of any genre. Seriously, he could give Brandon Flowers a run for his poetic memory. He’s that good.
So if you ain’t scurred to try new things, click on the above link. Not only will it make you want to buy a 10-gallon hat and a pair of wranglers, I’m pretty sure one of the following eight highlight tracks will speak to you when listened to in their entirety: This is country music, A man don’t have to die, Camouflage, One of those lives, Toothbrush, Love her like she’s leaving, New Favorite memory, and Don’t drink the water.
For reals, this album is stacked. It’s in my running as album of the year. No lie.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWHOF_0-6Hg[/youtube]
(Thanks, Tim)
All 10 songs can be looped and are definitely worth the purchase price. And the Brian MacDonald cameo on track 10 is choice. Enjoy! (Thanks, David).
According to “certified” + estimated or “claimed” sales compiled by Wikipedia, they are as follows:
- The Beatles
- Elvis
- Michael Jackson
- Abba
- Madonna
- Led Zeppelin
- Queen
- Elton John
- Mariah Carey
- Celine Dion
No disrespect, but I was surprised to see Madonna, Elton, and Mariah so high on the charts. Who knew?
My latest for Fox & Friends. Not a shocker, but I still found it amusing.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9SPuUntnno[/youtube]
Bonus points to Russ for saying “scuzzed out.” And I love how tiny his head looks when he walks onto the street in new looks.
Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and Rocky Dawuni in that order. How about you?
You’re blind if you don’t see the Egyptian revolution (and its peaceful and unified protests) as a beacon to the world.
“During the fiercest clashes on January 28, I found a guy about my age guarding my back, who I later found out was a Christian,” Yahia Roumi, a 24- year-old protester from Cairo, told IPS. “Now we’re best friends; we never go to the demonstrations without one another.”
Unity.
UPDATED: In less than three hours, Smooth Harold reader Whit identified it! Thanks, Whit.
My memory and Google skills are failing me. After searching for an hour last night, I was unable to recall this really good sad song I heard last week. Some identifying attributes:
- Sung by a man.
- Not outright country, but I remember a little twang in it. Definitely a slow song.
- The man is singing to his wife, who has left him (again) at the worst of times, leaving him with the kids even.
- The song may or may not reference poverty, job, loss, etc, making the heartbreak all the more painful.
- A car or reference to “driving away’ may or may not be involved.
- I know the guy says something to the effect that he is truly heartbroken, especially by the timing of the women’s departure.
It’s one of the best sad songs I’ve ever heard. Any ideas, Internet?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdCqn4Xykws[/youtube]
Either way, this song rocks. 1964 was kind to pop rock lovers.
Those who know me well know that I love music. In terms of audio/visual entertainment, nothing compares. Not movies. Not games. Definitely not TV.
When opening it up to all forms of entertainment, music is right up there with books and dancing. In other words, if an armed man asked me which I’d prefer, I’d have a really hard time and probably die trying. What’s more, the latter is virtually impossible to enjoy without music.
That said, this is the new music I most enjoyed last year. New to me, at least. Call it my top bands, whatever. I had this stuff in heavy iTunes rotation last year: Continue reading…
I grew up on White Christmas and it’s awesome. Arguably the best Christmas album of all time.
But after 25 years of listening memories, I think I’m finally ready to say that Frank Sinatra has the better Christmas voice. His renditions of White Christmas, I’ll be Home for Christmas, and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas are the best I’ve ever heard. Even better than Bing.
Am I wrong?
Either way, what’s your favorite Christmas artist? (WARNING: Any mention of Mannheim Steamroller will be immediately deleted.)
Buy it here. A vast majority of the songs are keepers, particularly If You Want It, History of Modern, and Sister Marie Says.
You cannot call yourself an ’80s fan if you pass this up. Well, you can. But I’ll think less of you for it.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6mRyZw6Wbs[/youtube]
“In This Home on Ice” by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. It will make your weekend. Promise. Buy it.
Yahoo: Songwriter “Dirty Dancing” all the way to the bank
The New Jersey musician, whose first name is pronounced “Frankie,” co-wrote the film’s climactic anthem “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” a tune that helped turn a small coming-of-age tale into one of the biggest movies of all time.
Previte estimates that he gets quarterly checks of $10,000 to $30,000 for radio airplay, additional quarterly checks of $50,000 to $100,000 from the hit stage adaptation, and annual checks of $100,000-$125,000 when the song is used in commercials.
Awesome.
See also: Despite being 50 years old, my favorite jazz song makes $100k year
Flamingo, the debut solo album of Killers frontman Brandon Flowers. Better yet, it’s only $5 on Amazon. Runner up: Junior by Röyksopp. Although released last year, it’s leagues better than the duos’ follow-up release last month.
See also: 5+ bands I’m digging right now
I know because it happened to me this week.
I was in the living room. My five year old was sitting beside her mother on the sofa. All of the sudden, I hear the former speaking in this foreign language. Not an idiom. Music notation! She was reading aloud music! Passing off her piano homework to her mother!
“My kid knows how to read music!!” I thought to myself. “Even I don’t know how to do that!!” (Yes, there were exclamation points after all of these sentences.)
I can only imagine what other things she’ll learn as she grows older — things I never did.
You have no idea how proud this makes me as a father. It makes me want to sing “We are the world” or something. What an awesome feeling.
MLIA
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmDDOFXSgAs[/youtube]
That’s what I call perpetuity.
According to Spirited Men by Brian Doyle, Dave Brubeck’s classic cool jazz track Take Five makes a cool $100,000 a year in royalties. Imagine how much it made at its height in the early ’60s!? Yeah, baby!
Cooler still, the beneficiary of said royalties is none other than one of my favorite charities: The Red Cross. Song writer and Brubeck saxophonist Paul Desmond left the rights to the song to The Cross upon his death in 1977, as opposed to some deadbeat son like Will from About a Boy.
Bonus link: Radiohead vs. Dave Brubeck mashup in 5/4 (Thanks, Lexi Sara).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXOfU9N4CGI[/youtube]
Band of Skulls. Still awesome. (Thanks, Tim)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW-fPBh6w7A[/youtube]
This is really well done. Fallon’s delivery is impressive, especially for a night show host. The Roots on backup are phenomenal. (Thanks, Mark)
Are we human, or are we forever young? (click to play, right click to “save as” mp3). Thanks, Tim.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d49m6G9vOrI[/youtube]
Yeah, c’mon. More here.
“You sometimes lose what you go after. You always lose what you don’t go after.”—Sounder
Bonus video
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9jot0u80LM[/youtube]
