Some New Things

In this post I'll be sharing a few new things I've found lately.

Number 1: A cover of Wilco's Radio Cure by the Bad Plus. The Bad Plus are like an alternative jazz band, similar to Brad Mehldau (if you don't know him, buy the album Largo now!) and in their most recent album, they included a cover of Radio Cure, a track from Wilco's album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. They take some nice liberties by making it their own, but the beauty and awesomeness of original song remain intact. It starts out a little odd but really picks up towards the end. It's a great listen and shines a new light on an already great song.

Number 2: I recently found out about the band Funeral Party and they are really awesome! Like REALLY REALLY awesome. They kind of have a dance aspect to their sound but bring an Alt. Rock hint to it. They have a really fresh sound and I'm really excited about them. I could only find 3 of their songs on iTunes and I couldn't find any of them on the internet so if anyone wants to send me some more of their stuff let me know! They are definitely worth checking out and the 3 songs are definitely worth buying on iTunes.

Number 3: For those of you who watched the 500 Days of Summer trailer that I posted about a few weeks ago and enjoyed the song in it, I found out the name. It's called Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap. Even if you didn't see the trailer (which you should), listen to the song. It's pretty good.

Number 4: I found a really good Damien Rice single on iTunes called Unplayed Piano. It's very good and it's one of my favorite songs by him now. The song features Lisa Hannigan who I've never heard of but I really enjoy the song. It's very nice and relaxing.

Number 5: Wilco announced a while ago that they were coming out with a live concert DVD titled Ashes of American Flags and they recently posted a link to the trailer on their website. It looks pretty good and I'm excited to see it. I think it won Best Cinematography at a film festival (possibly South by Southwest) so check it out. http://ashesofamericanmovie.com/

Number 6: iTunes sometimes has celebrity playlists advertised on the Music Store and I recently found Bon Iver's playlist. Some pretty interesting music and unfortunately I couldn't find it again but for those of you interested, you might want to check out what he's listening to. Bellow is a list of his picks.

1. A Forest - The Cure
2. Steal Away - Sam Cooke
3. Seems I'm Never Tired Lovin' You - Nina Simone
4. A Song For You - Donny Hathaway
5. All Fires - Swan Lake
6. Fun - Collections of Colonies of Bees
7. Get Right Church, Let's Go Home - The Staple Singers
8. Valerie - Amy Winehouse
9. Made In The Dark - Hot Chip
10. Like You'll Never See Me Again - Alicia Keys
11. Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough (Original Demo from 1978) - Michael Jackson
12. One Mo'gin - D'Angelo
13. Long Distance Runner - Fugazi
14. Matchstick Maker - Bowerbirds

Thanks for checking in and I'll have a few new album reviews up in the next few days so be sure to check back.

Hold Time

Hello everyone! It's been a while and I'm sorry for that but I'm back with a great new album from one of my all time favorites, Alt.-Country-Folk superstar, M. Ward. His new album, Hold Time, is his first solo album since the creation of his side project She and Him, and I think it shows. The songs on this album feel a little brighter and a little crisper. There are some really great tracks on this album and it's a lot of fun to listen to. This album definitely sounds more produced than his previous albums but it doesn't take to much away from the usual rawness found in his music. The music sounds much more put together and without any space between the parts of the songs. I know that sounds like a good thing but I prefer M. Ward with the Lo Fi recordings and scratchy instruments. There are some really awesome tracks on this album though including Rave On, Never Had Nobody Like You (both featuring the other half of She and Him, Zooey Deschanel) and One Hundred Million Years. The best song on the album however, is Oh Lonesome Me, featuring Lucinda Williams. This song is really fantastic and full of emotion. The combination between the two of them singing is really powerful and a pleasure to listen to.

On Hold Time, M. Ward takes a new approach to his music. Instead of songs filled with heart ache, loneliness and folky guitar, the songs on this album are much happier and peppier. But as much as I like his new found happiness, I'm missing the classic M. Ward that he displayed so beautifully on albums like the Transfiguration of Vincent or Post-War. I think Hold Time has some really nice tracks and I definitely think the album was worth my $9.99 but in the end I'm going to give this album 3/5 stars. If you don't know M. Ward well, don't start with this album but I don't think fans will be too disappointed.

My Favorite Soundtracks

I recently made a short film from school and used the original score from the film Solaris and after screening it, someone said, "the music choice is perfect. How did you find it?" Now something you must know about me is that I love original scores and compilation soundtracks. I think that without them, every single movie ever made would become completely ordinary. They add an enormous amount of emotion and can completely change the mood of any film. I find that many people don't really like original scores but in this post, I will first list my top 10 favorite compilation soundtracks and then my top 10 favorite original scores, all along with a brief explanation. Each entry on the list is there because of how important they are to the over all mood of the film and it's enjoyment value outside of the film. Enjoy!

Compilations:

10. Stubbs the Zombie - Now even though this is a video game, the soundtrack is AWESOME! It's got a bunch of great bands including Death Cab for Cutie, The Flaming Lips, Rogue Wave, Ben Kweller and a bunch more all doing covers of songs from the 50's. Definitely worth buying.

9. High Fidelity - First of all, this movie is great and should be seen by every music fan and not to mention, every guy. The soundtrack has a lot of fun stuff but also a lot of emotion. There are some sad break up songs and some happy break up songs. It ranges all over the place and really comes together in a strong way.

8. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - This is the first of a few Wes Anderson soundtracks and although great, only comes in at number 8. The movie is a lot of fun and so is the soundtrack. It's got a good mix of various bands such as Iggy Pop, David Bowie, The Zombies and not to mention some great Bowie covers by Portuguese musician Seu Jroge.

7. I'm Not There - For a long time I didn't love Bob Dylan. I appreciated his work but couldn't really get into him until a little before this soundtrack came out. However great his music is, this CD really showed how great it could be in a totally different way. There are a lot of awesome bands on this album from Jeff Tweedy, Yo La Tengo and The Black Keys to Karen O, Sonic Youth and Stephen Malkmus. It's a lot of fun and really deep. Some artists really go somewhere new with their songs and some stay on a similar track as the original. The highlight for me is Marcus Carl Franklin, a 15 year old black kid who plays Bob Dylan in the film,doing a rendition of When the Ship Comes In.

6. Rushmore - The 2nd Wes Anderson soundtrack on the list and the first one I ever heard. There's a lot of happy peppy songs on here and like all of Anderson's films, they plays a key roll in the film. Mark Mothersbaugh's score is interspersed throughout the album and there are a lot of great old songs on here, my favorite being Ooh La La by the Faces.

5. The Pianist - For anyone who has seen the film, which is incredible, the music is something that really sticks out. Adrian Brody's characters does a phenomenal job bringing emotion to the movie but the music brings the mood. Each song chosen by director Roman Polanski himself is truly beautiful and powerful. Every time I listen to it, it makes me remember how heavy and deep the film is.

4.I Am Sam - I haven't seen this film since it first came out on DVD but it's a great film and again, the music plays a huge role in the plot. Each song is a cover of a Beatles song by many contemporary artists such as Ben Harper, Ben Folds, Eddie Vedder and tons more. It's a lot of fun to listen to even if you haven't seen the movie and brings a lot of new energy to old favorites.

3. Almost Famous - Anyone who has ever seen a Cameron Crowe movie always remembers the music and this film is all about the music. The film is incredible and the soundtrack is just as good. It's got a bunch of great classic rock songs and is packed with energy. The highlights of the album for me are America by Simon and Garfunkel and Sparks by The Who. The images in the film go along perfectly with the music and having the soundtrack is a great way to relive the film.

2. Garden Sate - This is a soundtrack that I think almost every single person has. It's awesome and really opened up the indie world to the mainstream. The songs are really fun, relaxing and fresh. It all goes very well together and the film does a great job of incorporating them. It's an awesome album and could possibly one of the best soundtracks of all time, not just for its music but also for its impact on the music world. One of my favorites is Don't Panic by Coldplay and New Slang by The Shins.

1. The Royal Tenenbaums - As well as my favorite soundtrack, this is also my favorite movie. It packs in a lot of great tunes and really takes you through a journey, the same way the film does. It's filled with great bands like the Ramones, the Clash, and the Velvet Underground but also has an awesome score by Mark Mothersbaugh. The most memorable songs from the movie and the soundtrack would have to be Needle in the Hay by Elliot Smith, Fly by Nick Drake and These Days by Nico. This is a Wes Anderson soundtrack at it's finest and should be owned by everyone.

Other Notable Compilations:

Blow, Children of Men, The Darjeeling Limited, Dazed and Confused, Easy Rider, Jerry Maguire, Little Miss Sunshine, Zodiac


10. Bottle Rocket - Bottle Rocket is Wes Anderson's first film and also a great one. It's a very playful, light and cool movie. Fun to watch and easily enjoyable. The soundtrack by Mark Mothersbaugh is not utilized very well throughout the film but is still pretty good. It's got some jazz on it and some very fun tracks that just make you happy, my favorite being 75 Year Plan. This is a pretty hard to find CD but if you're as a big a fan of Wes Anderson as I am, you wont want to miss this one.

9. Christmas on Mars - This is an awesome movie and I don't understand a minute of it. The film was a project by the Flaming Lips and was made over five years. It's a total trip and if you're a big Lips fan, you'll love it. The soundtrack really captures the weirdness of the film and is totally crazy! There is no singing on the entire CD, only sounds and mixed to be compatible with 5.1 surround sounds systems, this CD is sure to blow your mind.

8. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - As I said before, this was one of my favorite films of the year. It was a truly touching and beautiful film. The images are put together like a work of art and flow brilliantly. Alexander Desplat's score is beautiful and haunting at times. It is very powerful, but not over emotional. It added a lot of feeling to the film and is a nice album to relax to. My only complaint is that there are audio clips from the film throughout the CD which is a little strange but I can deal.

7. MILK - I LOVED this film and I LOVE this soundtrack. I believe it to be one of Danny Elfman's best scores and is extremely moving. The songs move like a good opera and is just as powerful as one. The CD reminds me a lot of Harvey's character in the film. Sometimes very calm and loving but sometimes sad and overwhelmed by the world around him. My favorite tracks on the album is Main Theme and Harvey's Theme. This is a great score for anyone to buy and I highly recommend it as a first original score in anyone's collection.

6. Chelsea Walls - This movie, unfortunately, flew way below the radar when it came out in 2002. Ethan Hawkes directorial debut, the movie tells stories of various characters living in the famous Chelsea Hotel. It is a beautiful and poetic film and is something everyone should see at least once. The score is done by two of my favorite people in the world Wilco lead singer Jeff Tweedy and drummer Glenn Kotche (pronounced Kot-chee) and it is great! It is sometimes very haunting and eerie but sometimes very beautiful and calm. The soundtrack could stand alone without the film but the film really gives it meaning. There are also two songs on the album by actors Steve Zahn (yes that Steve Zahn) and Robert Sean Leonard, from house. One song is a cover of Wilco's Lonely One and the other is a little folk ditty. If you are a big Wilco fan, you will want to get this and I think after seeing the movie, everyone will want to buy it. Key tracks include The Wallman and Finale.

5. Solaris - Solaris is Steven Soderberg's remake of a 1970's Russian Sci-Fi film and is a beautiful masterpiece. The movie is presented like a delicate piece of art. Both haunting and human yet very distanced and alien. There is minimal dialogue in the film so you hear a lot of the soundtrack and it is exceptional. Cliff Martinez wrote a great score using mainly xylophones and various electronic sounds. The score goes perfectly with the film and is great to chill out to.

4. 2001: A Space Odyssey - Hands down, one of my favorite movies of all time. Anyone who has seen it knows exactly how great it is and it's immense beauty. The soundtrack utilizes a lot of sounds which goes perfectly with the tone of the film. At times the songs can get a little scary but it's all part of the film. Kubrick hand chose every song on this soundtrack and personally supervised the score. The original songs are great and perfect for any fan of the film. Songs such as Blue Danube Waltz and Also Sprach Zarathustra are used in very memorable moments in the film and are parts of some the greatest moments in cinematic history.

3. The Fountain - An Incredible film by prodigy director Darren Aronofsky. The film is a work of art to be marveled at. It is as inspiring as it is beautiful. Clint Mansell and Aronofsky have collaborated before on Requiem for a Dream, in which the score was a little less coherent. This album is extremely deep and powerful. The heavy strings really bring a ton of emotion to the film. This album is definitely worth buying.

2. Into the Wild - This is one of my favorite films to come out in the past few years. It is really truly, an excellent film from every single angle and Eddie Vedder's original soundtrack is nothing short of phenomenal. It is raw and powerful and an awesome album to listen to. It's got really upbeat and hard hitting tracks such as Hard Sun and very emotional songs such as Guaranteed. It rarely happens that an original soundtrack can really stand out alone as an album as well as go perfectly with the film. Everyone should own this album, I give it 5/5 stars and recommend everyone to see the film.

1. There Will Be Blood - This film was also one of my favorites to come out within the past few years. It is an absolute masterpiece and I think it will go down as one of the greatest films of the decade. This score was written by Radiohead guitarist, Johnny Greenwood as a solo project before the film was made. When he started to win all kinds of awards for his work, it attracted Paul Thomas Anderson's attention. P.T. Anderson then incorporated into his turn of the century, oil tycoon film, filled with dark and ominous themes. The score is perfect for the film and if you didn't know any better, you would think that Greenwood worked closely with Anderson to create a perfect accompaniment. The film is fantastic and the score is also great, however I do recommend seeing the film before buying the album, but this album is phenomenal from start to finish.

If you are a fan of older Scores, I highly recommend buy The Essential Hollywood, a compilation of memorable scores throughout film history.

Sky Blue Sky

From time to time I will search through my library and post on a personal favorite. Today I will be discussing on of my all time favorite albums Sky Blue Sky by my favorite band Wilco.

Sky Blue Sky is Wilco's 6th studio album and arguably one of their best. Released May 15th, 2007, it sold 87,000 copies in it's first week making it Wilco's best selling record. Recorded at their Loft in Downtown Chicago, this was the first album with Multi-Instrumentalists Nels Cline as a full time member and Pat Sansone. It received mostly positive reviews except from sources such as Pitchfork Media, criticizing it's "dad-sound." 

The band wanted to create a much more mellow sound, therefore took a more relaxed approach to the recording process compared to their previous album, A Ghost is Born. Tweedy took inspiration from bands such as The Byrds and Fairport Convention and looked to make a sound similar to The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys and The Beatles. 

The album starts off with the mellow Either Way and a great guitar to begin the record. The song has a little bit of a folky start but gets a bit experimental with a crisp guitar solo towards the middle. The next song, You Are My Face, is a nice picture and features more of Jeff Tweddy's poetic lyricism. In the middle of the song, there is a great solo featuring a very cool raspy guitar played by Nels Cline. Tweedy's vocals become stronger and have more emotion at this point and thus the song becomes more powerful. The next song is my favorite on the album, the jazzy, Impossible Germany. This song utilizes both Tweedy's beautiful lyrics and Nels Cline's awesome guitar abilities. It ends with one of the best guitar solos on any Wilco song. Next is the title track Sky Blue Sky, a country song that would sound a little more appropriate on their second album, Being There, but is still a good song. After that is Side with the Seeds, a bluesy song with Tweedy belting out his vocals against a cool guitar part. The middle of the song gets a little hectic but will be enjoyed by any Wilco fan. Next is the funk influenced Shake it Off with a great bass line by Jon Stirrait. Then is the very deep and emotional love song Please Be Patient With Me, which is done entirely solo by Jeff Tweedy. The next track is the blues song, Hate It Here, a great ballad to a missing woman. The song has great guitar parts interspersed throughout and of course fantastic belting vocals. The next song, Leave me (Like You Found Me), is a bit plain and would also easily fit into Being There but is still a good song. Then there is Walken, one of the better tracks on the album with a very fun slide guitar by Nels Cline and some great guitar playing by Jeff (the song may sound familiar from the Volkswagen commercial). Then the album's single, What Light, which is a country song about being your own person, a nice moral to come away with. It is a good song and reminiscent of the Mermaid Avenue collaborations with Billy Bragg. The final song on the album On and On and On is the weakest song in the collection with very mediocre and shallow lyrics, possibly written by Tweedy's sons Spencer (13) and Sam (10).

This album gets a 4/5 stars. It is a near masterpiece and comes together in a very strong way and is the bands most mature work to date. They have announced an album coming out some time this spring so keep your eyes out for that. This is an album every collection should have so if you don't already own it, go out and buy it now.

Strange Weirdos

Strange Weirdos is Loudon Wainwright III's most recent album and is also the soundtrack to the film Knocked Up. No this album does not contain songs like Shimmy Shimmy Ya or Rock Lobster but is rather songs from and inspired by the film (mostly inspired by). There are a few songs that were featured in the movie such as Daughter and Grey in L.A. but this album rings very true to Loudon's usual work. 

The album is great and of course Wainwright's voice is perfect as always. There are a lot of great fun songs on here such as X or Y, Feel So Good, and Passion Play but he also takes some breaks to slow down and relax on Lullaby and Final Frontier. Most of the songs are some sort of love song in one way or another. Some are more personal than others and some sadder than others. I'm not sure if it's his voice or if what the songs are about actually happened to him, but he sings each song with a lot of passion and a lot emotion. 

My personal favorite song on the album is X or Y. It's a fun song with a lot of bluesy influence and you can really feel Loudon's voice and energy come through on the track. The background vocals are a nice touch and the twangy guitar is a nice accompaniment. So whether your new to Wainwright III's work or your veteran, this is a good purchase. There are a few songs I could live without so maybe you want to pick and choose on iTunes but it's worth checking out.

My Morning Jacket New Years Eve 2008

Now I know this is a little late but I think it's something that must be shared with the world. On new years eve 2008, my girlfriend and I went to see My Morning Jacket at Madison Square Garden and it was one of the best nights of my life. We took the subway down there and as we got closer to the garden, we started to see people dressed up in the most bizarre outfits,  ranging from tuxedos and party gowns, to long curly wigs and tie die shirts. We immediately felt under dressed in our regular clothes. 

We were sitting there for about an hour as the arena began to fill up with more of the same crowd and at about 9:15, the band went on. They opened with a cover version of Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield and although most of the crowd did not know the words (myself included), we all went crazy. Next they played the title track from their new album Evil Urges but this time, the crowd went crazier. Both the audience and the band were filled with tons of energy and we knew we were in for a wild night.

They continued to play until 11:40, playing mostly their own songs but they pulled out a few covers by Marvin Gaye, Charles Wright and Dion. All funk songs and all packed with enthusiasm. They ended their first set with Mahgeetah, a personal favorite and promised the hungry crowd they'd be back in 20 minutes, just in time to ring in the new year. 

Surely enough, at precisely 11:59 and with 20 seconds to go, they started the countdown and at midnight, they dropped a huge projection screen down from in front of the band to reveal that they had changed into white tuxedos, equipped with matching top hats and canes. They played Celebration by Kool & the Gang, a major crowd pleaser, and Get Down On It, also by Kool. Their second set was just as good as their first possibly even better. The crowd was completely psyched up and was dancing like there wasn't anyone watching. 

Definitely one of the best concerts I have ever been to and probably the most fun. They put on a great show and played almost all of their best songs. If you have the means to see them, I highly recommend it.