Songbird
Dec
27
Favorite Albums of 2009 Part 2
Filed Under Album Picks, The Lists | 7 Comments
Noah and the Whale – The First Days of Spring
This band has become one of my favorite bands… Their 2nd full length album has taken my breath away and brought tears to my eyes on more then one occasion. Their debut album Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down was one of my favorite albums of last year and it is still on constant rotation. I was a little hesitant to put, First Days of Spring on my favorite list because of the two instrumental tracks on the album… Not sure of the purpose, even when listening to the album from front to back it just pulls me right out of the album. Aside from those 2 tracks it is an album that I never want to end.
mp3:Â Â First Days of Spring (explicit lyrics)
Florence + The Machine – Lungs
This album is something magical indeed… Another debut album that contains some of the songs from their EP but uncovers so much more to this UK band. The vocals of Florence Welch howl throughout the entire album with big drum rhythms to carry it all along. Lungs is brilliant, epic and dense and leaves me wondering what the hell is next?
mp3:Â Â Cosmic Love
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
I think this comes as no surprise, the album is brilliant. I was not a fan of their 2006 album Yellow House but I felt like this album had a more distinct direction. Most of all their music has progressed, their music is something I will compare other indie rock experimental music to in the future and that is a pretty high honor. From beginning to end this album is filled with amazing highs and some delicate dark lows. I love every moment.
mp3:Â Two Weeks
We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
Soaring guitar driven indie rock and the lead singer Adam Thompson belting out lyrics with his delicious Scottish accent. Yes please! I love this album, it was a huge surprise and it has become one of my most listened to albums of 2009. Great driving music, great indie rock. Can’t wait to see them live in February.
mp3:Â It’s Thunder And It’s Lightning
This concludes my favorite albums of 2009… A short list this year but I do have an honorable mention list in the works. I wanted to say thank you for sharing another year of music with me and I look forward to 2010. xx
Dec
25
Happy Holidays
Filed Under Music Mix Up | 4 Comments
Driving home the other night and this magical song shuffled on… Twinkle lights, cold nights, family and friends… A Charlie Brown kind of Christmas is the only way to go. Happy Holidays everyone!
mp3: Christmas Time Is Here – Vince Guaraldi
A Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack 1965
p.s. I will return tomorrow with the Part 2 of my Favorite Albums of 2009. For now I hope you all are enjoying your holiday.
Dec
22
Favorite Albums Of 2009 Part 1
Filed Under Album Picks, The Lists | 6 Comments
Other Lives – Other Lives
Other Lives took my breath away with their debut self titled album. A big harmonization of sounds… Combining folk, indie rock and classical string arrangements to create an original and beautiful sound. Other Lives has swiftly become one of my favorite new bands that I have found myself recommending time and time again.
mp3:Â Don’t Let Them
The xx – xx
An indie pop band hailing from London and knocking our socks off with a debut album that has certainly been on constant rotation in my car, at work and at home. I love the sleek, sexy synthesizing pop.
mp3:Â Shelter
The Leisure Society – The Sleeper
Yet another UK band, and now that I think of it they are not the last one. The Leisure Society is an indie folk band with just a dash of pop. Poetic lyrics and gorgeous melodies fill this album. If you enjoy Grizzly Bear, I think you may be in favor of The Leisure Society.
mp3:Â The Sleeper
The Decemberists– Hazards Of Love
I really went back and forth on this album… It usually takes me quite some time to really get into one of their albums. There are so many different layers to their music, they mesh so many different genres into their own unique sound. I was driving home the other day and The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned) shuffled on and I was completely lost in it. This album proves once again that The Decemberists are one of the most creative and profound groups of their indie folk-rock genre and possibly of this generation.
mp3:Â Â Hazards Of Love 2 (Wager All)
Dec
18
The Death Of My Hard Drive…
Filed Under News & Info. | 4 Comments
For a moment last night a part of me died… When I heard the clicking and the computer froze I kind of knew deep down that this couldn’t be good. When Shane told me the news I broke down, I just started crying… Thinking of all that I lost and beating myself up for not taking the proper precautions. I was assured that it would all be recovered eventually but still even that couldn’t be guaranteed… I cried myself to sleep.
Today Shane was finally able to read the hard drive, my documents, music and pictures were all recovered (possibly even my favorite 2009 list) and I didn’t need to outsource the hard drive and spend a ton of money on document restoration. Yay!
Since this little snagglefoo happened just as I was creating a new post there will be a few day hiatus, but I should be back Sunday with the first part of my Favorite Albums of 2009 list.
p.s. Back everything up, if you think it can’t happen to you, it can and eventually will… And we don’t all know a magical computer fixer. Thank you Shane for everything, for fixing any PC that needs fixing. This is the 2nd computer in 1 week that he has fixed. It is so appreciated.
***Edit***I spent most of the day getting my computer in order, downloading programs and frantically trying to recover my bookmarks. Still putting together my year end lists, tomorrow for sure I will have part one. For now, I am going to bed. :-)
Dec
14
And All The Rest Part 3
Filed Under Music Mix Up | 3 Comments
I can’t say I absolutely loved Metric’s latest album as a whole… Even though the album was a synthesizing indie rock pop fest and certainly their best album to date. Unfortunately for me only 3 songs on this 10 track album have made it onto the ipod (Help I’m Alive, Collect Call & Gimme Sympathy) the rest I was left feeling a bit bored with. However, those 3 songs are really quite good, they stick to you and play over and over in your head… Addictive and I love it. As for Collect Call, one of my favorite songs of the year. Enjoy!
mp3:Â Collect Call
Available at eMusic
Dec
9
Lissie Seems To Shine
Filed Under Album Picks | 2 Comments
I came across Lissie while trolling through eMusic the other day. First off, I am not a big country fan, however I do not really feel like she is as country as she has been labeled, borderline. I would classify her music as indie folk/singer-songwriter with a Mississippi mud influence…. Kind of like Band of Horses, which is not a coincidence considering the bassist produced this 5 track EP. Lissie hails from Rock Island, IL where my father grew up. She has a small town feel to her music, her lyrics are simple and easy to relate to. Her voice billows through the speakers and right into your heart. She has a ton of soul and I am intrigued to say the least. A couple of the songs off the EP crossed a little too far over my Country threshold but man she shows major promise and I cannot wait to hear more from her. Enjoy!
mp3:Â Everywhere I Go
Why You Runnin’ 2009 (Fat Possum Records)
Available on eMusic
Dec
3
And All The Rest Part 2
Filed Under Music Mix Up | 3 Comments
Fanfarlo is an Indie Pop band that debuted their full length album Reservoir in October. It kind of exploded all over the place, NPR, KCRW, MP3 Blogs around the Internet hailed it as one of the best albums of the year. I have to agree to a certain extent, however as uplifting as this album is I just couldn’t sink my teeth in to the entire album… There are about a handful of songs that really made my heart swoon on this 12 track album: I’m A Pilot, Ghosts, Comets and Sand & Ice really were the stand out tracks for me.
Not to say that I am not impressed, I just didn’t fall head over heals in love. That being said I look forward to the future and what Fanfarlo will bring to soaring indie pop in the years to come.
So today I share one of my favorite tracks from the album as part of my And All The Rest feature…
mp3:Â I’m A Pilot
Dec
1
The Long Awaited Fantastic Mr. Fox
Filed Under Film Box | 7 Comments
I must begin by saying that I have been waiting for this movie to come out for a LONG time. I first heard about the release about 5 years ago and I was delighted that Wes Anderson would take on such an interesting and beloved story as the Fantastic Mr. Fox. I immediately re-read the novel by Roald Dahl on a trip back East… When I found out that one of my favorite writers and directors Noah Baumbach would return to participate in the writing of the screenplay I was afraid I couldn’t wait, I was so excited! Of course with this anticipation and excitement comes great expectation… I began to get worried… How could this film live up to all my wildest dreams? Could they pull it off?
They freaking did. It was classic Wes Anderson, all the little nuances and details were so wonderful. And the writing team of Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach for me did not disappoint by any means. It was a darling novel twisted in a true Wes Anderson fashion, with a wonderful soundtrack that wrapped this film in a big giant red bow… I enjoyed every moment of this film and I cannot wait to see it again and again.
mp3:Â Street Fighting Man – The Rolling Stones
Fantastic Mr. Fox Soundtrack 2009 (Abkco)
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