Travelogue Thursday: Iceland

Yeah, it was only a matter of time before these guys came up. Sigur Rós is one of the biggest names in indie right now, and probably holds the title for highest weirdness to popularity ratio. Their music is grand, sweeping, atmospheric stuff, and when the lyrics aren’t in Icleandic, they’re in an imaginary nonsense language dubbed “Hopelandic” invented by the band.

If this sounds pretentious, it’s because it is. It’s also really good stuff, at the same time both relaxing and emotionally powerful. No better proof of this can be found than the band’s inclusion in “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” during the scene where the crew of the Belafonte finally has its run in with the jaguar shark. As “Starálfur” plays over the scene and into the next, you’re given a sense of peace that literally sends chills down your spine, and no doubt contributes to the tears that well up in your eyes as the crew moves to place their hands on Bill Murray (hey, shut up—if you don’t get a little emotional during that scene, you have no soul).

Sigur Rós – Starálfur

Bonus! More proof of the emotional draw of Sigur Rós can be found in the epic video for Glosoli:

Women of Musical Genius Wednesdays: Ted Leo (yeah, you heard me)

No, Ted Leo is not a woman.

However, he does a wicked cover of "Since You've Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson, who, last time I checked, is.

Additionally, said cover features verses from the song "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, fronted by Karen O, who once again, last time I checked, is also a woman. That's enough rationale for me to put this up.

Oh yeah, and I'm feeling lazy.

Ted Leo- Since You've Been Gone

Teary-Eyed Tuesday: Jack White is the Coolest Guy in the Universe

Today, my world weary cohorts, I present to you the story of Jack White.


Once upon a time in the far-off magical land of Detroit, there lived a man named Jack White. Jack was a rock and roll man, and made kick ass rock and roll music with his sister Meg (who is really his ex-wife, but we won't go there... it ruins the story after all). One day, a big important music industry type heard Jack and Meg play, and decided they should be able to take their kick ass rock and roll music to the world. So he gave them a big contract and lots of money and deals to make really trippy music videos, and they became famous.

Fame, of course, brings with it all sorts of attention, not the least of which from the fairer sex. Such was the case with Jack, who while working on a movie (yet another perk of fame) fell for an actress by the name of Renee Zellweger. So they dated for a while, and Detroit radio personalities took great joy in seeing movie stars bumming around at Kroger while they visited their boyfriends.

Alas, as young Jack himself once sang, "My left brain knows that all love is fleeting," and after a time, Jack and Renee split up. Now this in and of itself, as anyone can tell you, is a rough thing to go through. But worse yet, Renee goes off and gets married within months of their split. And not only does Renee get married, she marries a country singer, and not the good kind of country singer like Johnny Cash, but the bad kind, like... well, Kenny Chesney, which is who she married.

Jack, meanwhile, goes back to Detroit and makes an album with Meg, all in a few short weeks. Jack claims this new album, entitled Get Behind Me Satan, is about truth and the bible and all that jazz, but anyone who hears it knows what it really is... a big angry breakup letter to Renee. Not that this was a bad thing, mind you: Jack White writes a devastatingly good breakup letter, full of powerful angry words along with some kickass hooks, not to mention the marimbas. Unlike the emo boys, who cried their way through endless albums of bad diary entries, Jack gets all his rage out in a brisk 45 minutes, all amounting in one big cathartic "Good Riddance!"... and with marimbas, don't forget.

Sadly, we are not big famous rock and roll men like Jack White, and we can't make Grammy-winning CDs that double as breakup letters. But we can turn up the speakers as loud as they can go, pop in Jack's angry letter, and scream along with it. And that, friends, is a very good thing indeed.

The White Stripes- Blue Orchid
The White Stripes- Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)

Men of Musical Genius Monday: Jon Brion

Jon Brion is THAT guy. The guy who you've never heard of, yet probably has had more influence on your listening habits than you could ever imagine.

Let me give you the rundown:

If you've seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I Heart Huckabees, Punch Drunk Love, or Magnolia, you've heard Jon Brion.

If you've heard any of Aimee Mann's work, you've heard Jon Brion

If you've heard Rufus Wainwright's debut album, you've heard Jon Brion

If you've heard Fiona Apple's "Extraordinary Machine", you've heard Jon Brion (or at least some lingering influence of his- It's complicated)

Hell, If you've heard the new Kanye West album, you've heard Jon Brion

Yes, Brion is a composer/producer extraordinaire. However, he can also churn out a damn good pop song- no, a perfect pop song. He's given a few small insights into his own musical abilities via the soundtracks to his movies (a lot of the time they were bonuses not even included in the film, but so fitting you couldn't even tell), but aside from that he's made one lone album that's near impossible to find. Naturally, I just had to track it down, and I was not disappointed. Jon Brion manages to be devastatingly intelligent, introspective, and vulnerable all at once- in short, its exactly the kind of music I wish I could write. It seems almost cruel that such a genius has such a limited catalog (there's persistent rumors of a second album, but I'm guessing the money is better producing and composing), yet at the same time the indie snob in me smiles to know something this good can still be kept a secret.

Jon Brion- Knock Yourself Out (from I Heart Huckabees)
Jon Brion- Gotta Start Somewhere (from Meaningless)

A Challenge To America's Youth

Well, boys and girls, prom season is upon us. It's a special time to be a young American, in which dreams are fulfilled and magic is in the... ah, screw it.

For most of us, prom is a comedy in errors. We flip out about who to ask, get lost on the way there, can't pin the corsage on right, etc etc. Yet when we look back, we can't help but smile for the times we shared with friends, or just for the sheer goofiness of it all.

Today, I'm offering one lucky young person out there the chance to have a guarunteed classic memory from their prom experience. Now, I know not a lot of high school kids out there read my blog- alert younger siblings, or use this yourself for the college soiree of your choice.
(the pic, btw, is of yours truly at my Junior prom.... see? I'm laughing already!)

The instructions are as follows:
1. Find the lucky girl/guy you'd like to take to the dance.
2. Obtain a portable boombox of some sort
3. Walk up to them in the hallway at a convinent interval with said boombox
4. Play this song, and mouth the lyrics (dancing also encouraged)

You may not get the date (in fact, i'll pretty much guaruntee you won't, unless they've got a *terrific* sense of humor), but several years down the road, when you've recovered from all the shame and embarassment, you will laugh your ass off.

And that, my friends, is what prom is all about.

hellogoodbye-jesse buy nothing, go to prom anyways
[website... these guys are about to become emo mall-punk darlings, but I love them anyway]

Travelogue Thursday: Australia (not Finland)

Yes, the band is called Architecture in Helsinki. Yes, they do in fact hail from Australia.

Why is this? I don’t know.

What I DO know is they make some of the most weirdly wonderful music I’ve ever heard. Too cutesy to be avant-garde, too manic to be twee, Architecture in Helsinki is broad expansive stuff, incorporating a range of instruments so wide their first album featured a chart to sort it all out with.

Usually, I write more… but this band just has to be experienced to understood.

Architecture in Helsinki- It’5!
[I mean, with a title like that, how can you not listen?]

NOTE: As my webspace is finally filling up, I thought I'd mention that to grab any of these songs for yourself before I take them down, right click on the links and select, save as... or whatever comparable option for your browser.... in case you didnt know.

Women of Musical Genius Wednesday: Aimee Mann

I stumbled across Aimee Mann in the most unusual way.

See, long long ago, there was a time when I was NOT an indie music geek (shocking, I know), but rather merely a political geek. I still am a political geek, but that's beside the point.

Like all good political geeks, I was an avid watcher of The West Wing, arguably the greatest drama on television even in its final season. During I think the fourth season, when President Bartlett was running for re-election, the plot involved a Rock the Vote rally, allowing for music types to make cameos. I was most psyched about Barenaked Ladies, but they turned out to be a major disappointment, jumping around on stage to the pre-recorded album cut of "One Week". Far more interesting, however, was the female folk-singer type covering the James Taylor tune "Shed A Little Light". I was definitely a fan, but not being a music geek at the time, I kind of just forgot about it, but the name always stuck in the back of my mind.

Fast forward to last summer, when Ms. Mann (heh, that's amusing) had a new album that was getting some fairly good reviews. I decide to look her up, and literally fall head over hells for the first song I come across. I later found out that this was most likely because the lyrics were a joint effort between herself and the one and only Elvis Costello. Furthermore, her albums (save the most recent) were all produced by Jon Brion, who wrote fantastic music for I Heart Huckabee’s and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind* (more on him next week). This is not to say that Aimee Mann doesn't stand on her own, however- she's got a terrific voice and a knack for ingenious lyrics. The company she keeps creatively just makes her that much cooler.

Aimee Mann- The Fall of the World's Own Optimist

*...and no, sadly I have yet to see Magnolia, which she essentially wrote the score for with Brion. It's on my to-do list somewhere.

Teary Eyed Tuesdays: Twee!

Believe it or not emo boys and girls, there is a music subculture out there with just as much focus as fragility and heartbreak as your own, a genre that manages to fly in the face of self-assuredness and all the other trappings of a well adjusted life with all the force of your beloved Dashboards and Something Corporates while managing to (gasp) write really good music.

Emo kids, meet twee- the happiest little sad songs ever to come out of the United Kingdom.

Twee pop, more often than not, relies primarily on the juxtaposition of really depressing (or at the very least deeply introspective) lyrics about insecurity and the challenges of growing up with bright and happy childlike music to create a sound that sticks in your head and warms your heart all at the same time.

(What's that? Why yes, I DO feel physically ill for having written that last phrase. Twee can have that sickeningly sweet effect on people, but I love it anyways)

The current titans of the twee pop world are Belle and Sebastian. Granted, they have added a bit of an edge to their sound with The Life Pursuit, but the essential twee ingredients are still all there in mass quantity. Today I'm posting (from their previous album) what may well be the happiest sounding song about a breakup I've ever heard, which I can also guarantee will not leave your head for at least a week:

Belle and Sebastian- I'm A Cuckoo

If you want to know the future of twee, however, look no further than The Boy Least Likely To. In an unprecedented act of indie snobbery, I ordered their CD on import last summer because I heard good press and couldn’t wait for a state-side release. It was more than worth it, and I have a feeling that these guys are going to be HUGE stateside in a few months.

The Boy Least Likely To- Be Gentle With Me

BONUS! Disgustingly cute music video (link here)

Men of Musical Genius Monday: Steven Page

[sorry for the later than usual post today.... was writing about orphans- don't ask. -JL]

Today's Men of Musical Genius pick may be the most controversial this blog will see, at least as far as the indie snobs would be concerned. In giving this man his due credit, I am running the risk of having my indie credentials revoked immediately by the powers that be, but that's just a change I'm going to have to take.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present for your consideration today Mr. Steven Page.

Yeah, that's right; I said it- the guy from Barenaked Ladies is a musical genius. Yes, long before they achieved one hit wonder status in the US with the pop culture referencing white boy rap that was "One Week" (which to their credit (?) was every middle schooler's favorite song when I was in the seventh grade), Barenaked Ladies already had three successful studio albums (as well as a live compilation) under their belt in their homeland of Canada. The best songs from this era, in my opinion, were written by Steven Page in collaboration with British pop musician Stephen Duffy. Songs such as "Alternative Girlfriend" and "Jane" were lighthearted, enjoyable, and above all very clever pieces of pop music.

Sadly, in the post-Stunt era, the contributions of Page and Duffy became less prevalent, as the band started to make songwriting a more collective effort. Though some terrific material was produced out of this as well, it was mostly hampered by the record label constantly promoting whatever song featured Ed Robertson saying a bunch of words really fast (even when said song was an obviously absurd throwaway track about postcards with chimpanzees on them)*

In any event, just as things were looking bleak, Steven Page came forth with a glimmer of hope for the long-suffering BNL fan: a solo collection of songs written with Duffy called (what else?) The Vanity Project. Though admittedly a bit less bright and carefree, the music and wordplay was as solid as ever. (The band, meanwhile, has finally been released of its contract with Reprise, giving them the freedom to make great music again as well).

The track I'm featuring today (alongside a classic BNL song) was actually a bit of a bonus track for The Vanity Project, recorded in conjunction with an article Page wrote for The Believer magazine. Nevertheless, it is a gorgeous song, and certainly representative of Page at his best.

Barenaked Ladies- Jane
The Vanity Project- The Chorus Girl [linked from TVP website]

*This, mind you, is not a critique of Mr. Robertson, who is quite talented in his own right, but rather one directed at stupid record companies trying to find the next "One Week" and uttely failing at it. Y'know, just to clarify.

"Don't tell me you don't know the difference, between a lover and a fighter..."

I was all warmed up for a rant tonight about this article from today’s New York Times which essentially ties together modern mall-emo-punk-crap such as Fall Out Boy to the 70s glam rock period exemplified by David Bowie. At the last minute, however, I had a change of heart—I’ve done well here to keep a positive outlook on music and culture, to build things up rather than to tear them down, so why stop now?

So in lieu of some angry bitter ravings about how pop music is all going to hell blah blah blah, I’m going to be a uniter (thanks, George!) tonight and highlight a band I’m pretty well convinced its impossible to dislike.

I came across Modern Skirts via Paste Magazine, perhaps the best source for finding that next great band you haven’t heard of yet, and their latest find is no exception. Out of the Athens, Georgia music scene comes this irresistibly catchy piano driven pop music (think Ben Folds, but slightly peppier) that pulls you in and won’t let you go. This is perhaps best evidenced by the fact that after listening to their contribution to this month’s Paste Sampler CD, I compulsively reached for the back button on my car stereo to hear it again… and again. This is not a common practice for me.

Anyhow, while it’s too soon to tell whether these guys will be a flash in the pan in terms of my musical tastes *cough*Dogs Die in Hot Cars*cough* or will be sticking around for a while, I do know that for the moment, it’s some damn good music:

Modern Skirts- Seventeen Dirty Magazines
(also, MySpace for more... I HIGHLY reccomend "My Lost Soprano")

Travelogue Thursday: Norway

There's actually a very excellent (if a bit long winded) rationale to my international selection today. See, once a month my dad had meetings up in Lansing, and likes to drop by beforehand with coffee for me, and we sit in the dorm lounge area and talk about life. This morning was one such morning, but as opposed to the usual small/medium coffee from the local coffee empire he usually brings, I was presented with a massive cup from Starbucks- a "venti", if you must use such terms. Anyhow, despite really only drinking coffee when i really need it so as not to become dependent, I deemed it necessary to drink the entire cup over the course of our conversation and into my 8am class. Three hours later, I found myself sitting at my desk twitching uncontrollably and wondering when my head would stop spinning... fun times.

But enough personal minutiae... the point is I needed some mellow music today big time to even things out, and you really can't get much mellower than Kings of Convenience. Somewhat unfairly branded as the Norwegian Simon and Garfunkel (but only somewhat), the duo of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe have produced two albums of not only some of the most soft and soothing music I've come across, but some of the most stimulating as well- lyrically articulate songs of love and loss delivered with gorgeous harmonies and intricate guitar lines, as equally suited for a lazy summer afternoon as for a cold winter night.

Sit back and relax:

Kings of Convenience- Singing Softly To Me

As a bonus, I'm putting up the video for arguably their most upbeat song, "I'd Rather Dance With You," as it's easily one of my favorite videos of all time and never fails to amuse me:

Women of Musical Genius Wednesday: Jenny Lewis

So here's the long drawn out story of my love affair with Ms. Jenny Lewis.

The fall semester of my freshman year, Rilo Kiley (the band in which Ms. Lewis is a member) was huge amongst the college set, getting all sorts of airplay on the radio as well as MTVu. Honestly, I didn't get the appeal, or at least not enough to really pay attention to them. Plus, their video with the lite brites and the guy with the building for a head and the tragic porcupine love affair kind of freaked me out a little.

Fast forward to this summer. Rilo Kiley has been getting props from all sorts of musicians I revere, from Elvis Costello to Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies (insert plug for next Monday's post here). I obtain a copy of their breakthrough album More Adventurous and give it a few listens through- it's good catchy indie music for sure with some killer country overtones, but I largely let it slip by once more.

Finally, one night over winter break I put More Adventurous on before I went to bed, expecting to listen to a few tracks, and wind up listening to the whole thing, beginning to end, completely transfixed. Like the girl who has been sitting in front of you all along just waiting for you to notice she's gorgeous, I fell in love with Jenny Lewis. The soulful crooning that came from the bottom of her heart mixed with a tongue in cheek wit that every indie rock girl just seems to naturally possess had me completely hooked. Upon discovering she was to release her solo debut in just over a month, I naturally opted to find a bootleg of the advance online (I’m impatient, so sue me). The disc instantly became a mainstay in my car until I went back to school. This was country as it was supposed to sound- stripped down, raw, passionate, and clever all at the same time, not to mention the indie all star lineup featured on "Handle With Care" (Ben Gibbard and Bright Eyes on the same track? surely you jest!).

The icing on the cake, however, was her cover of David Bowie's "Rock and Roll Suicide," I came across, a track so brilliant I burned it to a compilation CD, sent it to my roommate in Ecuador with the only liner note for it being "I think I'm in love here".

Tonight friends, I share what may be the only celebrity crush I've ever had with you. As always, enjoy.

Jenny Lewis- Handle With Care

Jenny Lewis- Rock and Roll Suicide

Teary Eyed Tuesday: He Said/She Said

Today's installment will focus on a particularly moving variation on the breakup song- the male/female duet. So much of the relationship and post-relationship angst in pop music is one sided, and its often difficult to remember that there are two sides to every story. Two songs in particular have come out in the past few years that pull this off absolutely beautifully, and I'd like to offer some thoughts on them today.

First is "Nothing Better" by The Postal Service. The album version features Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and little known indie chick Jen Wood. However, I'm partial to the live version from KCRW that features Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, not because I'm a music snob, but because I adore Jenny Lewis (but more on that tomorrow).

On the whole, I'm not a huge fan of either Postal Service or Death Cab (though both have turned out some good stuff), but I love this song. The lyrics are really well done and the two parts play off each other perfectly- the guy desperately trying to understand what's going on here, while the girl feels like she can't explain it to him any more clearly than 'it's over'. When Ben sings that he "will block the door like a goalie tending the net in the third quarter/of a tied game rivalry," I'm willing to ignore the fact that hockey is in fact played in three periods because the sentiment is just so completely relatable.

The Postal Service- Nothing Better (Live on KCRW)

The second song, "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" by Stars, is a much more post-mortem take on the concept, which if anything makes it that much more haunting and beautiful. There's a hell of a lot I want to say about this song, but it's really hard to get into words. I think most of all it's an example of how you can’t take lyrics at face value. When Torquil Campbell sings that "all of that time you thought I was sad/I was trying to remember your name", you can tell he's completely lying through his teeth- seeing her again hurts, and the only way to get through is to keep telling himself it doesn't. Likewise, the intense refrain at the end of "I'm not sorry I met you/I'm not sorry it's over/I'm not sorry there's nothing to save" lacks a certain resoluteness, said not because it makes them feel empowered or to hurt the other person, but because in the end, it's the only thing they can do.

I'm going to cut myself off here because I should be getting some sleep, not to mention work on actual schoolwork. However, I'm posting the video here as well (via You Tube- apologies for the slow loading, but its worth it). I think it really supports a lot of what I feel about this song, in addition to being a brilliant homage to my favorite scene in the similarly themed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (for those curious, you can read my Valentine's Day musings on the film here).

Stars- Your Ex-Lover is Dead
(Alternate video link here)

Men of Musical Genius Monday: Elvis Costello

so I'm back.

Chicago was good... i saw the Marina City towers made famous to indie dorks such as myself by the cover of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, plus was in the city for Casimir Pulaski Day, which Sufjan Stevens based an incredibly depressing yet beautiful song off of on Illinois. So all in all, a winner.


This week's featured man of musical genius probably needs no introduction, having been in the music biz for about three decades now. Over that time, Elvis Costello has gone from new wave and punk to flirtations with country, classical, jazz, soul and just about everything else, all while retaining a signature rich lyrical style and bittersweet outlook on life.

In the end, however, many would argue his earliest work is still his strongest. I would have to count myself among them, if for no other reason than "My Aim Is True" might be one of the best debut albums I've ever heard. Young Elvis Costello blazes through 13 tracks filled with raw energy and ridculously simple yet instantly catchy melodies. Far from lamenting his romantic failures in mopey self-loathing (emo kids, i'm looking your way), he artfully and elequently calls women out on their games with a lyrical cynicysm and wit far beyond his years.

In short, it's fast, fresh, bitter, and just about perfect.

Elvis Costello- (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes

C’mon, Baby Don’t You Wanna Go…

Nothing too lengthy today, folks. In a few short hours I’ll be off to Chicago, the land of Wilco, Ira Glass, The Blues Brothers, Jesse Jackson, and all sorts of other good stuff. Naturally, today’s musical selection reflects my excitement at the prospect of this vacation:

The Blues Brothers- Sweet Home Chicago

Not sure how the updates will go next week, as I’ll be separated from my beloved music collection. We’ll see what shakes out.

Travelogue Thursday: Wales

This week, our globetrotting adventures actually manage to leave the North American continent and take us to the land of Catherine Zeta-Jones and really long words without vowels in them. Aside from these notables, Wales also has a vibrant music scene uniquely its own. At its centerpiece are the Super Furry Animals, a band unlike anything you’ve ever seen or heard.

SFA was actually the first concert I attended in my career as an indie rock snob. I was invited by my friend Alain, and as I’d only heard their music now and again while driving in his car, I didn’t know quite what to expect. In retrospect, I can describe it as being something like a combination of the tripped out antics of the Flaming Lips combined with the UK sensibilities of a Belle and Sebastian (only amped up tenfold). Lacking such musical vocabulary at the time however, I could only describe it as awesome. Giant video screens with surreal cartoons, disorienting techno loops, and then the grand finale, in which the entire band came out dressed in Yeti suits…. simply astounding. I was hooked.



Super Furry Animals are one of those bands where I really and truly enjoy their whole catalog (including the stuff recorded in Welsh… now there’s a trip for you), so its incredibly hard to choose a song amongst the epic ballads about the perils of chewing gum (“Chewing Chewing Gum”) and straight up rockers about Einstein’s parents (“Herman loves Pauline”, which features the brilliant lyrics “they called him MC-squared, cause he raps like no other/an asthma sufferer, like Ernesto Guevara”), not to mention “The Man Don’t Give a Fuck,” which features the f-bomb being dropped over 50 times in four minutes.

However, as a SFA primer, you probably can’t do too much better than “Rings Around the World.” The titular track off of arguably their most ambitious and wide-ranging album, the song sounds something like a beach boys ditty recorded by space aliens. Also, it opens with one of the best metaphors for love ever—“you expose the film in me”. So yeah, an all around winner:

Super Furry Animals- (Drawing) Rings Around The World