Great music video, or greatest music video?
Feb 112011
Feb 062011
I love this song by Toronto band Sweet Thing. I first heard “Lazy Susan” on CBC Radio 2. At first I was only half listening, but when the chorus kicked in, I really started to pay attention. It has this great 70′s pop/funk vibe, and the vocals reminded me of the BeeGees. I absolutely love it.
The video is pretty cute too, with all the helpful and informative captions!
Their self titled first album is getting good reviews, and their song “Change of Seasons” is getting some pretty heavy rotation. Check out their Myspace for more!
Feb 012011
Here’s Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, performed on an organ, and visualized in bar graph form.
There are a ton more on this YouTube channel. And here is a link to a program so you can make your own.
(via naimeless)
Jan 292011
My god can Adele sing.
For those who don’t know her, Adele is a singer from London, only 20 and possessing a voice well beyond her years. Her first album 19 was a huge smash in England, but she didn’t break out in the states until she performed on SNL (the same episode Sarah Palin was on). She’s since won a multitude of awards, including a couple of Grammy’s.
She released her second album 21 just last week, and “Rolling in the Deep” is the lead track. I heard it on the radio the other day and was blown away. Her voice absolutely knocks you out, and the thumping drums and backup vocals make for a powerful listening experience.
Jan 232011
Aloe Blacc is a soul singer whose sound is so wonderfully retro that when I first heard him, I had a hard time believing he wasn’t from the ’70s.
Blacc just released his second album Good Things in 2010, which this song is from.
(Yeah, the Saturday Song already turned into a Sunday Song. I knew trying to post on Saturday wouldn’t help.)
Jan 152011
Well, I sure haven’t done this in awhile! I always seem to forget it’s Monday, and by the time Tuesday rolls around, I realize, “crap! I didn’t do Music Mondays!”
So I thought that maybe if I did it on Saturday instead, I would remember. Maybe.
Anyway, here’s a song from Baltimore band Beach House, who have been reaping critical acclaim since their first album came out in 2006.
Their latest album is called Teen Dream, and “Zebra” is the first track on the album.
I like the way the guitar lazily rolls along, producing a dreamy, relaxed kind of mood.
I’d never heard of the Rubberbandits before, but I am enchanted by this song, despite that fact that even the 40 per cent or so of the lyrics that I can decipher are mighty filthy. Actually, that probably helps, not hinders.
But more than being just dirty hip-hop comedy from the group who also sing about getting wrecked on “Bags of Glue,” I like to think of this song as an Emerald Isle repudiation of our North American car-based culture, co-opting a potent symbol of the freedom of the mythological American West, then, by contrasting it with flashy modern import vehicles, selling us on the desirability of what we’ve lost by using sex and foul language.
Classic.
Dec 242010
Amy and I got a Boxee Box earlier this year and we adore it. As a “Merry Christmas Eve,” the Boxee folks highlighted this video. I thought it was perfect for sharing.
Who here knows the legend of animals being given the gift of speech at midnight on Christmas Eve — allegedly to reward them for giving up their manger (and the rest of the barn) to the newborn Jesus.
I find it kind of odd that this legend seems to have floated along, under the radar, and isn’t more of a main myth every Christmas. Every child wants to wait up and catch Santa delivering presents, but no one wants to have a chat with Fluffy?
Anyway, this adorable compilation of singing animals was sent to me by Kent. I do not think I can improve on his explanation, which went thus:
Merry Absurd Χριστός-mas, Granty. ooo Kent And Ally. After extensive review, I have found that the x’s might be kisses and the o’s might be hugs. So just hugs to you, or kisses, take it however you like. Also, xxx might have been misleading. So yeah, back to the point, I just showed you why they call it X-mas, in a long winded, roundabout way.
Happy Caturday, Kent and everyone!
Dec 142010
As part of a top-secret homemade Advent calendar project for Amy, I came up with a couple of Christmas playlists for her. But, now that she’s opened that door in the Advent calendar, I can share those Christmas playlists with you.
There are two playlists, with 20 songs each. I played with trying to get to 24 or 25 songs each, but it seemed to naturally fall at 20 songs. One of the playlists is a little slower and quieter, the other one a little faster. But neither of them are exactly raucous. And both tend towards the folky/acoustic side of things, but not from any actual effort on my part to make them that way.
My entire modus operandi was to create playlists that you could put on in the background of a holiday party — nothing that would be the main event itself. And yet, I wanted to branch out and find non-standard Christmas tunes. I tried to only use Christmas songs that I had never heard before, although a couple of familiar ones did sneak in.
Let me know what you think!
Red Christmas
She’s Underneath the Mistletoe Again – Antsy Mcclain
Great Adventure – Dan Bryk
Don’t Want Another Christmas (Like Last Christmas) – Gentleman Auction House
Xmas In The Jailhouse – Ox
All I Want For Christmas – The Genuine Fakes
It’s Christmas Time Again – Harley Poe
All These Winter Nights – The Higher Elevations
Christmas On The Beach – Irene
Jingle Jangle Christmas – Metro Jets
Christmas Peace – Shadetree
Christmas Day – Strayfolk
Here Comes Christmas – Bill Kelly
(Merry Xmas) Thanks For The Roses – Antje Duvekot
Whiskey Christmas – Darby O’Gill And The Little People
Gold Front Tooth – Dick Smith
X-mas song – Fireflies
Last Christmas (Wham! cover) – Jimmy Eat World
Just Like Christmas – Low
I Wanna Spend My X-Mas Time With You – Phil Lee
Black Christmas – Poly Styene
Download “Red Christmas” in a single zip file!
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Green Christmas
Christmas at the Trailer Park – Antsy Mcclain
Christmastime Blues – Jaimi Shuey
Christmas in London – Krista Detor
Christmas Is Coming Soon – Blitzen Trapper
It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It’s Spring) – Milberg
Oh Sweet Christmas! – Oh Sweet Music!
A Blue Christmas – The Perishers
Carol For The Lonely – Sofia Talvik
Holy Night – Thomas Denver Johnsson
Christmas Isn’t Christmas – The Boy Least Likely To
I’d Like You for Christmas – Christabel and the Jons
Red-Eyed Santa – Dick Smith
Christmas In Prison – Emmy The Great & Lightspeed Champion
Be My Valentine On Christmas – Glenna Bell
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Hem
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Hoax Funeral
The Christmas Song – Mark Jungers & the Whistling Mules
Christmas is for Losers – Mike Nicolai
All I Want is Truth (for Christmas) – The Mynabirds
That Was The Worst Christmas Ever! – Sufjan Stevens
Download “Green Christmas” in a single zip file!
Yes, I am a bit of a Scrooge. Christmas is fine and dandy, but I don’t need a month and a half of it — two weeks is even pushing it.
Yet, it’s that time of year when Christmas specials start to take over and there is nothing we can do about it. Or is there?
Yes. I can take that kind of Charlie Brown Christmas.
Until maybe December 23rd, then give me the real deal. As long as you have it cleaned up and put away by the New Year.
Nov 022010
The Black Keys are on the way up. Six albums, two EPs, and nearly ten years later, the blues-rock due from Ohio are starting to get a lot of attention in a lot of different places.
Maybe it’s because their newest album Brothers, is fricken fantastic. I haven’t been able to stop listening to it!
A few years ago Grant downloaded a couple of their songs for a mix CD to give me, but I was apparently at a point in my life where I didn’t want to bother with albums. Too bad, because I may have been spouting about their greatness before the curve!
The Black Keys sound is reminiscent of 60s and 70s rock, with a modern twist. Singer Dan Auerbach’s voice is often really soulful, and they have a definite groove happening at times.
My current favourite song is “Tighten Up.” You may recognize it from the car commerical where the guy drives through puddles. It really seems to be everywhere these days, including the local rock radio station. You definitely know it’s hit the mainstream when good ol’ KX96 starts playing it.
Sep 302010
Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake are pretty damn white, but this was still good. And I did hear some Slim Shady and Beatie Boys in there.
(via)
At an Irish music festival that also featured acts like Massive Attack, The Frames, and Modest Mouse, this performance by a couple of kids (brother and sister) in the open mic tent is the clip that’s going viral.
Also, open mic tent? Awesome idea! Old couch under the tent? Awesome idea.
Anyone out there from the Winnipeg Folk Festival reading this?