Posts tagged addictive songs
the song: Compliments from Band of Horses
Jul 27th
Okay. So this will complete my “bearded songs I suggest you listen to” week. Compliments from Band of Horses from their new cd Infinite Arms.
While I have always liked their sound I also have thought their music has been a little uneven in listenability. But they have such a distinct sound if you like one song (and No One is Gonna Love You Better is as good as it gets) you keep on coming back around for more. Compliments has a slightly more upbeat and bigger sound than many of their other songs.
In addition. The video for his song is awesome. Really interesting in its use of morphing ad photography. The technique they use is fascinating and you will be tempted to slow down or pause in sections just to see what they do (although the entire video can give you a headache if you watch it too closely).
Here is the video (I wasn’t smart enough to figure out how to link to it so my friend Brad was kind enough to send it to me):
URL: http://vimeo.com/10566868
To be honest with everyone this isn’t brilliant songwriting. The music certainly doesn’t push the envelope and true musicians will probably suggest it is mainstream mediocrity (that doesn’t make it any less fun to listen to).
And the lyrics can be a little trite.
(chorus): “if there is a god up in the air, someone looking over everyone, at least you’ve got something to fall back on.”
But.
It is feel good nonsense. And really good listening feel good nonsense. And it is good enough to remind you that Band of Horses is a better than average band. And it gives you hope that somewhere in their songwriting future portfolio is something truly iconic.
Oh.
On top if it all. Beyond the well crafted hooks and beautiful jangly rambling melodic chords there is Ben Bridwell. Looking past his healthy beard you will find a vulnerable clear voice that raises above all the music with a pureness that makes band of horses …. Well … band of horses.
I would imagine the cd is a good listen. I know this song certainly is. Enjoy.
addictive song: beg steal or borrow by ray lamontagne
Jul 27th
Ray Lamontagne is an acquired taste. He has a new cd coming out in mid august (that is not it to the left .. . that is an old good cd example). I think this song, Beg Steal or Borrow, is the pre-release for the cd. A lot of his other stuff gets a little too soft for my tastes but this song has a little folksier rambling sound to it.
It kind of has a Pure Prairie League sound to it (which is a good thing because Falling in and out of Love/Amie remain one of my favorite songs of all time).
(had to include that song): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8X_gws1Rck&feature=related
Anyway.
‘Beg Steal or Borrow’ is country but not country. It has a slow non rushed western rolling sound to it. It just kind of moseys along (I don’t get to type that often). It certainly has the sound you can imagine playing this while cruising down an old highway somewhere in the middle of America. It has some nice nuanced key changes in the vocals and beautiful steel guitar.
In general Ray’s music isn’t for those seeking uplifting energetic music (unlike wakey!wakey! who I posted yesterday and also has a beard). Ray’s lyrics tend to be introspective and he writes stark melodies. But. Owning a couple of cds of his, his good stuff is good. This one is good.
Beg Steal or Borrow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6a_1R3w5i4
Enjoy.
new song: Light Outside by WAKEY!WAKEY!
Jul 26th
So. About the only thing I am a sucker for in songwriting, beyond a bass player who writes songs, is a keyboard singer/songwriter. This guy is a dynamic personality at the piano and isn’t afraid to wrap different instruments (violins and strings) to fill out a pretty frenetic writing style. 
Also has a wonderful habit of filling in the harmony with a female voice which is interesting because his voice has a higher quality anyway.
Anyway. Light Outside is a simple but complex song which probably makes it interesting.
Simple in that at its core it is just a piano player singing a minimalistic lyric story.
Complex because it has a parallel frenetic and calm musical style.
Anyway. His singing style isn’t really conducive to a love ballad but his song has a heart wrenching thread to it that kind of tugs at your heart and makes you think. (I include another track at the end of the post too.)
Light Outside youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD02bI09dOM&feature=related
(i don’t particularly like the official video so I didn’t include it)
The lead singer is really interesting. This comes from their website:
“I was a scrawny, dopey kid—the worst athlete on the face of the planet,” says Wakey!Wakey! frontman Mike Grubbs. “You know tee ball? I got to first base one time.”
Grubbs grew up in a house learning to play a burgundy baby grand in a music room that also housed a French horn, clarinet, violin and autoharp. In his youth his mother—a longtime piano teacher and choir director—would ask the kids to sight read songs before they could even think of eating cereal.
“For every school subject done,” he says, “I could play the piano for an hour. It was almost like video games for me.” The games got a bit more complicated in high school, as Grubbs stumbled upon the songbooks of Billy Joel and Elton John. Not to mention the arena-ready anthems of Led Zeppelin as well as Bach, Beethoven and Brahms (you will note a classical thread in his music).
“One of my main influences now is the fact that I didn’t have someone teach me proper jazz or rock playing,” explains Grubbs. “I had no idea how to put a song together; no one telling me, ‘Hey, you should check out Gershwin,’ but it was all so fascinating to me. So I found my own style by experimenting with what works and what doesn’t.”
It is a different style of music. It is an infectious frenetic pop sound with classical (or maybe jazz) undertones. Pick up the song. Heck. Pick up the cd.
Oh.
A bonus. “Almost Everything.” It is the second song I heard from Wakey!Wakey!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiQo6DoXknY
It sounds really good. It will be interesting to follow these guys.
Addictive song: Ghost Town by Cary Brothers
Apr 29th
Ok. It may not be addictive (like an Owl City song which just makes you seem so happy it’s like listening to “It’s a Small World” at Disney … anyway … different post) but it is one of those songs you hear on the radio and then want to hear again … and again … and turn it up … and (unfortunately for Cary Brothers) you will want to sing along, especially on the chorus. Oh. Just so you know. The band is not made up of brothers. That’s the guy’s last name. First name Cary. Last name Brothers. Ok. Moving on.
He says he was influenced by Radiohead and The Cure but he sounds like a smoother Stereophonics or Travis to me. But, hey, what do I know. Cary Brothers is a singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. You may have heard one of his songs on either Bones or Garden State soundtrack or Last Kiss soundtrack. Interestingly, an independent musician, his marketing strategy is to actually seek out having his songs featured on TV shows and in movies. I don’t know. That’s just interesting to me. Ok. Moving on again.
Although I do love “Ghost Town”, which is really, really easy to listen to, sing along to and drive to, Ride, a track off his first cd, Who You Are is another very, very good song. Anyway. The newest cd, Under Control is actually chockfull of great songs (assuming you like “Ghost Town” and “Ride” you will like pretty much everything on the cd).
So. His new cd, is off to a great start in sales, but he is doing everything independently so doesn’t have the marketing money to keep pushing it. So (in his words) “now it essentially is left to word of mouth to keep this thing going in the next many months. touring is coming this summer, so that will help, and there is a video i’m working on to have for you next month, but for now you telling your friends about it is the best way for this record to grow. please spread the word.”
I am doing my part. Not because I think he is a great guy (I don’t know him) but I do think he is really talented and I wanted to write about “Ghost Town” on my site so I figured I kinda owed him.
Addictive song #2 from Owl City
Apr 28th
Owl City “The Bird and the Worm.”
Ok. This song could possibly be called “part 2 of Fireflies” (because it just sounds like some producer said “hey can we cut out three and ½ minutes of that 7 minute firefly song you wrote and call it something and release it as a song?”).
But. It is just as addictive as Fireflies.
Now. I may have been tempted to call it something other than “The Bird and the Worm” but what the hell. This kid wrote most of these songs in his basement so he can call them anything he wants.
Anyway. If I was right about Fireflies being addictive (and I was as it worked its way to numero uno at one point) I am gonna be right on this one.
It’s fun. It’s catchy. It’s incredibly easy to listen to. It doesn’t have that same infectious hook that Fireflies has, but it is so frickin’ listenable all the way through its sickening. Happy. Bounces along and kind of makes you feel good about life.
“You and I left all our troubles far behind but I still just had one more question in mind”
It ain’t Mozart. It ain’t even U2. But is sure is addictive and fun to listen to. I can almost guarantee it will become a radio regular in the near future.
Addictive song: Animal by Neon Trees
Mar 29th
Neon Trees. They are kind of like a hyped up techno Keane. They are one of The Killers favorite bands. “Animal” (of which you will have no idea why it is called Animal when you listen to it) is a great first release for an unknown band.
Neon Trees are a combination of slick pop hooks and a sturdy melodic hard hitting rock energy with songs that would sound good in an arena as well as a dance floor. Songs are shameless anthems of adolescent angst delivered with the kind of heart-on-the-sleeve passion.
The first single, “Animal,” takes off from a round of weaving, angular guitars moving into a hook happy new wave with an odd techno charisma. Whatever words I may use it is fun to listen to and interesting. As they are so young they do have a rawer feel and you hope it only get better with each cd. Their first cd, Habits, was released late this month.
Another Song: The House that Built Me Miranda Lambert
Mar 27th
Ok. This song snuck up on me on the radio. Once you have heard Miranda Lambert, you will remember her distinct country voice every time you hear it again (assuming they ever play her songs on the radio). So I thought it was her voice and started paying attention.
The haunting ballad “The House That Built Me” (I know that they say you can’t go home again/I just had to come back one last time) shows us when Miranda comes to play she can do something other than shove something in your face. It is truly a beautiful song that seems just a little more …. Well … something (I can’t think of the right word) because of her southern drawl delivery.
Miranda Lambert is a spit fire with the stunning voice and sharply written tunes. She writes most of her own songs and she is a talented musician. A great mix of country, southern twang, angry chick, balladeer and some hard rock all in one.
It’s a shame she is not appreciated more. She is this generation’s equivalent of Tanya Tucker. You can count on her to kick your ass, drink you under the table or grab an acoustic guitar and sing you a ballad that will make you cry (and then kick your ass again). Her songs have a habit of taking root in your brain.
I have always loved her style. I love her kickass songs (although Bring Me Down was a stunning ballad on her first cd). It would be a shame if this song wasn’t heard by a lot of people.
As I have said before Miranda is black coffee to Taylor Swift’s grande flavored coffee with extra cream and sugar. Try your coffee black for once. It is worth it.
Addictive country style: American Honey by Lady Antebellum
Mar 18th
So. I got sucked into Lady Antebellum with “Need You Now,” a song that has beautifully crafted harmonies and an addictive chorus.
Tonight I heard “American Honey” for the first time. Wow. If this CD has other songs as good as these two this is gonna be a good buy.
“American Honey,” which Hilary sings lead on, is a laid back tune which eases along with a mix of violins and high string guitar and should remind you of a classic Dixie Chick hit from early in their career. Unlike “Need You Now” it is clearly a country song but one of those sweeping country ballads that sound good no matter what type of music you like. This band is good. Very good. I purposefully compared them to Dixie Chicks because I think they write stuff very similar to great Dixie songs. Plus they have a male singer who can switch in for lead vocals, so harmonies sound slightly richer.
Addictive song: Vaporize by Broken Bells
Mar 16th
Broken Bells: James Mercer and Danger Mouse
Every once in a while, you have the radio on a good station while driving and although you really aren’t paying that much attention, some piece of music fights through whatever may be rambling through your head at the moment and you start focusing on what you are hearing. In my case when it happens, I hope (a) I don’t swerve and hit another car and (b) that it wasn’t so late in the song that I basically miss it and (c) it is one of those stations that not only doesn’t tell who is singing the song but doesn’t have the technology to make it show up on your radio.
This was one of those “once in a whiles” and neither a, b or c happened. Vaporize is an awesome song. Shit. If you go to their website you hear a song called The High Road (which automatically plays) and that song is almost just as addictive (but not quite as good in my mind). It is a really cool website with a visual in the main screen like a purple disco ball light (it is their album cover) which you can manipulate with your mouse.
So. Who the fuck is Broken Bells?
It is Danger Mouse (billed by his real name, Brian Burton) and James Mercer, the lead vocalist and guitarist for the The Shins.
Awesome combination.
Their sound is like the best of everything you love about The Shins (cause their not best is sometimes not good).
The pair decided to work together after meeting at some music festival in 2004 and finding they were fans of each other’s work. Utilizing the internet to introduce themselves and their new album, on December 14 they released an email update offering a link to the band’s web page for ‘further details’. On the morning of December 21, the band informed fans in an e-mail message of the release of their debut single “The High Road”, which was made available as a free download on their official site. Their album just came out on March 9, 2010 and you can hear it now on their website.
Addictive song: Letters from the Sky by Civil Twilight
Mar 15th
I guess I first heard of Civil Twilight maybe late 2008 or early 2009 and got their CD directly off their website (which at that point I believe was the only way you could actually get their cd). But I just heard Letters from the Sky on a radio station’s “breakthrough” program recently. This is a South African band and their CD was really tough to get until lately and they seem to be making another run at the United States. They kind of get compared to a Jeff Buckley but their big songs have a U2 anthemic feel. Letters isn’t their most upbeat song but it is beautifully written.
The CD is chockfull of songs that mix the Buckleyesque languid ballad, leading into a bigger feeling, fuller song. Anybody out There is probably my second favorite song on the cd. Their music is multi-layered and often meshes a type of Beatle melodic feel with a draggy grunge type underlay.
Don’t be scared by “South African band.” They are admittedly inspired by American and British bands and they don’t have any African feel to them.
Oh. Nothing to do with the music but their name is interesting.
Morning civil twilight begins when the geometric center of the sun is 6° below the horizon (the point of civil dawn), and ends at sunrise.
Evening civil twilight begins at sunset and ends when the center of the sun reaches 6° below the horizon (the point of civil dusk).
In general, civil twilight is the point where artificial illumination is required to read outside.
The brightest stars appear during the civil twilight, as well as planets, such as Venus, which is known as the ‘morning star’ and/or ‘evening star’.
