it's been a long time, long time now

i am really quite impressed with Beirut's Zach Condon.
a 20-something, Santa Fe native, high school drop-out...making Eastern European-Balkan-inspired-gypsy music, and becoming more well-known around...well, everywhere.

what impresses me the most about him - not his youth (well, relatively young-ish age)...
not the fact that he's from Santa Fe and singing Balkan-styles of music...
nor the fact that he started recording electronic-influenced music at the age of 15...
nor the fact that he also made a doo-wop-Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers-inspired record at the age of 16...

it's...his voice.
especially live (although, i have not had the pleasure yet of hearing him live, and in person - you know, like 10 feet away-type of deal)

but from these Take Away Shows that i love to watch now and then when there's a good or interesting band, he manages to sound almost perfectly in pitch.

the first song he sings, Nantes, struck some sort of emotional chord within...that i was practically on the verge of tears.
yes. i admit to it.

i think it's the perfect combination of melody, and his tone that really gets me, as he seems to have a very 'warming' quality to his singing voice. (okay. warming is not...the right grammatical way of putting it. deal.)

also for Zach, himself. he's energetic. he's fun to watch...as he's uber cute (!!!), but also fun to watch because (you can tell) that he loves to make music.
"Frail Zach, with his skinny yet magical arms."

as for his music, the two records that are out now (Gulag Orkestar, and The Flying Club Cup) are incredibly good to listen to if you do enjoy the East-European-Balkan-gypsy styles of music.
DeVotchKa come to mind first, Gogol Bordello is a bit too too punk, but still insanely great nonetheless.

go: more Beirut on the Take Away shows.

photo courtesy of: *Ethel on Flickr.

frank's wild years...

tee dubya.

so, if you do not know who i am talking about, then you must have been under some sort of large rock for quite some years. or...you just were not introduced to his music. sadly.

i am of course talking about mister Tom Waits. yes, indeedy.
here's a little run-down of who he is, for those who have not had the listening pleasure of his music:

1) known for his voice, described as follows: "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."
2) also known for his theatrics - in a good way...not negatively speaking here.
3) (for those who have seen it) Coffee & Cigarettes: the scene with Iggy Pop. a classic. (for those who have not seen this...i do recommend renting/borrowing it)
4) his music: so unlike anything that is out there...even in his earlier hey-days, he would be making music that was drastically different from the mainstream.

lately, i've been listening to a lot of his music - re-acquainting myself, let's say, as i haven't listened to his music in quite a while. (i tend to go in phases. listen to a lot of one particular artist for a span of time, then go on to another...then go back to the other artist for another span of time)
then, from an encounter with a friend, who happened to mention him, i've just been listening to mister tee dubya practically everyday now.

got my hands on some of his earlier stuff - coincidentally, those albums are titled The Early Years.
i was quite surprised to find that in his early music, he doesn't have that gruff voice that he has come to be known for - not just yet anyways. it was surprising because the voice that i was hearing did not sound a thing like the tom waits that i was first introduced to...and it sounded rather pleasant.

so, if you like acoustic-mellow-sounding music, take a listen to his Early Years albums...bound to be pleasing.
and then if you are so bold, take a listen to these: Blood Money stands out, Frank's Wild Years, Swordfishtrombone, and of course the 3-disc Orphans, Brawlers, Bawlers, & Bastards.

these are just a few of the albums that i am recommending...i could even just go ahead and recommend all of his albums ! if someone were to have the time to go and listen to them from start to finish...if they wanted to. (i wonder...hmm...)

*another tid-bit: if you watch Shrek 2, listen in for his song "Little Drop Of Poison", played in the 'bar' scene with Captain Hook playing the piano part*

CBC Radio 2 Drive

i am currently listening to the awesome voice of one mister Rich Terfry....also known as Buck 65, or Dirk Thornton...
he has other aliases...but i don't know them at present moment.

he has put a temporary hold on touring/Buck 65 stuff to do some radio DJ-ing...something that apparently he loves to do, and has always wanted to do...
as he puts it on his website:

"It's going to be a learning experience, but I love radio and have always seen it as my dream job. And on the program I'm basically playing music and telling stories, my two favorite things!

For more information on the relaunch of Radio 2 and my new Drive program, please CLICK HERE.

For live international streaming of my program starting on September 2nd, please CLICK HERE. Live streaming happens from 2pm to 5pm Eastern Standard Time (EST)."

and so far, he's doing a great job. i've been listening in to his show, trying to catch it from start to finish, and it's been a lot of fun listening to him...
he does play a lot of great Canadian stuff, but not only Canadian either...he's played Caribbean, European, roots, grass roots, country, rap, and much more worldly stuff...
(listening today, he played my absolute favourite recent Coldplay song: Strawberry Swing !!!)

i just discovered a band from listening to this station, that are in fact from Ottawa: Hilotrons.
i think i shall enjoy them...as i enjoyed their song that was played.
i have heard of them before, but i haven't heard anything by them...until now.

being a DJ and musician himself, he undoubtedly knows his stuff, and what he is doing...so, once again i encourage everyone who reads this to listen in!
CBC Radio 2 Drive.

a chill in the air, in september she comes

will be writing a small blurb bout Coldplay's recent concert that was here in Ottawa - soon.
this is just a short 'n sweet note bout one of my favourite hip-hop/turntablists of all time.
that's right: Buck 65.

just released the video for his Shutterbuggin'. weird seeing him in a girls wig. a blonde he is not. sorry Buck. but, i do have to say that he has the moves :D
even shows people the Mick Jagger Interpretive Dance moves. check that shit out! hilarious!

AND one last thing.
i do try to listen in....i really do. BUT Rich Terfry can be heard daily from 3pm to 6pm on CBC Radio 2's Drive. listen in as he plays music from Canadian artists, stemming from all genres.
if not for the music, then just listen to him talk. listen to his stories.

[oh. and is it crazy for me to recognize the (cutie) drummer in this particular photo? from the thumbnail? it is, isn't it? he's the Woodman. Matthew Woodley. from Canadian indie group Plants & Animals. awesome.]

a look at Loyalty To Loyalty...

this past week (ok. last week, September 23rd.) Cold War Kids put out their second album, Loyalty To Loyalty, to some pretty decent reviews.

this is my stab at reviewing their album.
keep in mind, i am biased :D

track 1: "Against Privacy"
this song to me sums up the Kids and what they are all about. from what i gather of them, they just seem to go their own ways, not entirely caring (to a certain extent) about...trying to be mainstream.

track 2: "Mexican Dogs"
this one somewhat reckons back to their first album (Robbers & Cowards). it has that jangly feeling to it in the guitar parts. it does also feature a great lick mid-way with both drums and guitar.

track 3: "Every Valley Is Not A Lake"
when first read the tracklisting for the album, i was glad that they put this song on here. a little sad though that they have re-recorded it. their first recording of it is my favourite version (On the "Hang Me Up To Dry" single), but this song is still a great one nonetheless. again, love the piano and guitars. lead singer Nathan Willett has this ability to create such vivid stories in his lyrics, and this one is pretty clear.


track 4: "Something Is Not Right With Me"
at first, i didn't like this song. to be completely honest.
to my ears it, Willett's voice in the first verses, screaming out the lyrics, and the frenzied piano, something just didn't really sit well with me...
but after giving it another few listens, i've grown to like this song. listening closely to the lyrics, the music goes hand-in-hand with what is trying to be said: something is not right with me.

track 5: "Welcome To The Occupation"
hands down, this song has the best drumming on this album.
favourite song on the record. well, in the top 3.

track 6: "Golden Gate Jumpers"
this song is one of their most blues-y, but at the same time the most saddest songs they have written/sang about thus far. you can get from the title what the song is about, but it tells of a man trying to save a woman from jumping ("she's scared to jump, but terrified to stay")

track 7: "Avalanche In B"
not entirely sure what this song is supposed to be about, but it does remind of a Tom Waits song - from the piano to Willett's singing style. i like.

track 8: "I've Seen Enough"
like "Hang Me Up To Dry" was the song for Robbers & Cowards, this one will probably be their 'anthem song' from this album. this one shows off everyone's musicianship the best. again, the lyrics are great. live, it's probably that much better.

track 9: "Every Man I Fall For"
told from a woman's perspective, of course, this song is yet another one of those sad songs.
interesting, that Willett is male (duh.), and singing from a female's perspective. it just works, somehow. without thinking that Willett is gay (WHICH, he ISN'T. just to point out). that was a thought that never crossed my mind. a sure sign of great songwriting.

track 10: "Dreams Old Men Dream"
if "I've Seen Enough" is the anthem song, like "HMUTD" was for R&C; then this one is Loyalty To Loyalty's own "Hospital Beds", but a bit more dynamic. love the beat, lyrics, and everything about this song.

track 11: "On The Night My Love Broke Through"
the Kids have definitely grown musically, and this is sure evidence. one of their darkest songs on the whole album.

track 12: "Relief"
i have to say, this song just screams Radiohead. from the beat to the singing, it sounds very much like a Radiohead song. best line: "I love the shape your faces make"'

track 13: "Cryptomnesia"
another dark song, with the best imagery. slow and sad. heightens into something beautiful in the end.
after some research, cryptomnesia is hidden memory. term describes the experiences that people believe to be original but which are actually based on memories of events they've forgotten. [source.]

all in all, this is surely a step-up from Robbers & Cowards.
a good step in the right direction.

and any other 'step' analogies that you can think of.

Loyalty To Loyalty is a must-listen.

little bit of feel good...

(original from September 12th, 2008.)
listen up all you soul brotha's and sista's !

...

haha, alright i'm done.
anyways, this newcomer of an artist does have a lot of soul in him. a lot.

now, there is a rather small percentage of soul singers/bands out there at the moment, as Motown saw it's last glory days way back when...

strictly soul singers are a rarity in the music industry that is mostly governed by rock or pop, and the different amalgamations of those two...

with Jamie Lidell, soul and the gospel-type singing from the 70s is a huge (and clear) inspiration for his music.
merging the sounds of soul with his own contemporary pop-electronica vibe, Jamie Lidell creates a new kind of soul that is down-right catchy and just...good.

i can foresee Jamie Lidell making it to the air-waves and making it big sometime soon...if not already...(as i don't really listen to the radio anymore.)

listen/watch:
Little Bit of Fell Good - as he serenades to a lady-horse?
Another Day - looking spiffy as he walks the streets and makes everyone feel good...

new blog ! hurrah !

right...so, this is the new home to my music blogs.
hurrah !

i think what i shall do, with this new blog established now, is take the music blogs that i had already posted on my facebook page - so as to save room on my page - is repost those entries here.

sort of backlog...
(right term? backlog?)

but, here now is my newest blog written today, actually.

music blog :: the format wars revisited

so with many different types of formats out there at present moment in the music industry, it becomes much more difficult for people like myself to choose which to go with:

a) downloads (legal *ahem* or...*ahem*...yeah, you know what i'm talking about..)
b) buying it on CD
c) or now on vinyl

option (c) does come with its complications, if you are not in possession of a record player.
although, as i had mentioned way-back...bands are putting out their music in the vinyl format and then inserting each record sleeves with little cards in them, on which are printed codes so one may download the entire album digitally.

lately, option (b) is slowly dying out, i find. CDs will become like tapes, and like 8-tracks before that...

so, conclusively, option (a) seems to be the best bet nowadays for music.
whether it's downloading, or streaming music online, i'm sure every will agree that the internet is the best and (arguably) the most reliable source for finding/listening to music.

one can google such bands/artists, and surely they can find some sort of music website that has at least one link to their song(s) so listeners can listen to their music freely.
if you like the song/artist, you can surely find another website with more music to listen to/download other songs from said band/artist...

case in point: Cold War Kids, one of my top 5 favourite bands of all-time, are releasing their second album (Loyalty To Loyalty) September 23rd. but they are giving fans the choice of listening to the entire album - by streaming it (mtvu.com, apparently.) before the album even hits the stores.
(also on their myspace page, they have uploaded one of their songs and two remixes of this song for the fans to listen to and/or download.)

Coldplay were also ones to do this, as they previewed their whole album Viva La Vida... a few days before its release.

but, being a hard-core fan of both bands, i chose not to listen to the streams.
tempted, yes.
but in the end, didn't. i wished to remain surprised.

Radiohead i think, had the right idea with In Rainbows. Yes, they sold their album online for whatever price fans had wanted to give it - minimum of a mere penny i do believe though(?)
then later, they released it in CD format, and also (of course) as a vinyl.
in the end though, i'm not entirely sure of the sales that the cd had made...i want to say that it did well? maybe? not too sure...but i am sure that someone will correct me on this.

so when will we see the end of the cd? anytime soon? perhaps...
vinyl is seeing somewhat of a comeback. but will it stick around?
downloads and mp3s i figure will be sticking around for a good, long while...

(on a personal note...i much prefer vinyl. nothing sounds better.)