Right in your very house

I love when albums are recorded in a way that makes it feel very personal, like a home recording. The poor quality and clips of dialogue from the band in between tracks makes it feel like you're watching them record it. Some of my favorite albums are like this, and some are my favorite for that very reason. I'm going to post some tracks from my favorite albums with that feel. Some might not really be home recordings, like Death Cab's We have The Facts and We're Voting Yes was recorded in the Hall of Justice, eve if it's Chris Walla's studio, they still had a studio.

Death Cab for Cutie - Title Track
Man this album is so good. It's one of a kind for Death Cab. Slow and ark, way more so then usual. You can really hear how they were influenced by Slint on this record. The dialogue at the beginning kind of sets the mood for the whole album for me, it makes it feel really personal.
Buy We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes

Elliott Smith - Good to Go
My favorite of Eliott's albums is his self titled. The recording has just a little hiss but the guitars sound great. And for the drums it's just a snare and a crash cymbal and it sounds amazing. It' so sparse, it showcases Eliott at his best.
Buy Elliott Smith

The Microphones - The Pull
I don't know why this album has that recorded at home feeling. Maybe it's just cause it was recorded with a ton of friends. I really don't know if it was recorded with studio time or not, but it has a really cool vibe throughout the whole thing. Pretty rough sounding, but also at the same time it's really captivating.
Buy It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water

Modest Mouse - Karma's Payment Plan
I love this EP. I feel it's really overlooked when people talk about their releases. The vibe's pretty much the same as all the other tracks, feels very personal. I especially love all the 30 second-ish tracks of cool noise in between all the tracks. Makes it feel a lot more complete. This is also one of my all time favorite Modest Mouse tracks.
Buy The Fruit that Ate Itself

Cocorosie - Madonna
I can practically see the bathroom where they recorded this with a bathtub full of equipment. Cocorosie always have a really cool sound and this album is the most interesting because it was recorded just by themselves in a bathtub.
Buy La Maison de Mon Rêve

Damien Jurado - Treasures of Gold
I love Damien and this album is so different from his other stuff. It has tracks like this one but then some that are just kind of noisy and he has this yelley type of singing. It was either this album or Ghost of David I had to choose between but I ultimately listen to this one more
Buy Waters Ave. S

Beck - Beercan
Mmm so funky. My favorite cut off of Mellow Gold. That whole album just feels so fun. I have no idea where he lived but by Whiskeyclone, Hotel City 1997, I get the feeling it was pretty boring and he was just trying to have some fun. Probably the best album Beck put out, just because of it's really cheap feeling.
Buy Mellow Gold


MP3's are up! Hotlinkfiles.com was down for a bit today but have no fear!

I <3 YACHT

Should I start posts with titles like that? Spelling out I like EYE was kind of lame. Whatever. I do <3 href="http://www.theveraproject.org/">Vera Project held as a grand opening for their new location. On the bill was: Ghost to Falco (surprisingly good, mellow band), Tiny Vipers (Yeah, she's good), Holy Ghost Revival (gross 70's nostalgia), and then YACHT. I didn't know YACHT started in the other room during Holy Ghost Revival's set which bummer me out so we caught him half way through. But man, I was caught off guard. I instantly loved him. All the songs were new to my ears and I remembered each and every one when I Believe in You. Your Magic is Real. came out later. After that show though, I bought his Mega LP which was a little bit different. I didn't know that his previous albums were all instrumental and the songs were usually under 2 minutes. I really didn't like it at first but it got more and more interesting with each listen. Now I really like it. My friends had to leave then so I didn't get to cath Mt. Eerie but oh well (he's playing another vera show in october! i love the vera!). I'm also very excited for Yacht's return to the Vera in September. He came to town with LCD Soundsystem and then with Architecture in Helsinki and did the What the Heck Fest in Anacortes but somehow I missed all those, and I'm especially miffed about the LCD Soundsystem show. I really have no clue why I wasn't there.
If you like YACHT just like I do, then hopefully I'll have some MP3 goodies you didn't have before, and if you're new to YACHT then I've got my personal fav's for you! Enjoy

Totally Stoked (On You) Off of "Mega"
I Love a Computer Off of "Mega"
It's Coming to Get You Off of I Believe in You. Your Magic is Real.
Platinum (Feat. Harvey Birdman) Off of I Believe in You. Your Magic is Real.
See a Penny Pick it Up (Architecture in Helsinki Remix)
Architecture in Helsinki - Heart it Races (Yacht's Should I Coco Mix)
Remember What This Feels Like Off of Super Warren XXXIV

I'm not an Indie Snob!!!/New Sunset Rubdown

I'm really sorry about yesterday. I was actually out of the hosue doing stuff! This week was really boring so I was really excited about actually doing something this weekend. So sorry I missed my post yesterday, so I'll push two things into one post doay.
I was talking with my friend the other day and he kept asking me about bands, and if I liked them, and I tended to answer that they were OK at first but then they got huge and I got annoyed with them (cause he asked me about bands like Wolfmother and the Arctic Monkeys). He now thinks I only like undergroud music and only listen to stuff no one's ever heard of just to be cool. To be honest that really offends me. Not only that, it's untrue (cause I listen to Coldplay. Come on). I'm going to prove him wrong by posting about bands that everyone likes that I like too, because it's good music! Simple as that. I don't listen to Arctic Monkeys because all their songs are the same, and I got tired of hearing that same song re-done and played everywhere.
OK:

Death Cab for Cutie - Lightness (Demo)
It's safe to say that Death cab are my favorite band. I was into them before Plans came out, and even though Plans may not have been my favorite, I still enjoy it time to time and don't rant and rave about how garbage it is like some snobs who'll drill a death cab fan about stuff like "Well... how long have you known about them? I was into them when the Photo Album came out. Do you even know that album?!" I don't like those kinds of people, and you meet a lot while waiting in line at shows. Anyways this is one of my favorite tracks, partly because the original is off Transatlanticsm, which makes me top all time albums list. The demo's also really good and pretty different.

The White Stripes - Now Mary
Seriously, who doesn't like the White Stripes? I haven't met many people. You know why??? Cause they're good! White Blood Cells is classic, I don't know if they can ever top that, but Icky Thump came pretty darn close, a pretty stellar new album, especially after Get Behind Me Satan. Seriously, everyone everywhere seems to like them.

Coldplay - X&Y
Now I don't get why people hate Coldplay so much. I know the theme of this post is about music that everybody likes, but I guess it's more music that everyone knows. EVeryone knows Coldplay and I get a lot of shit for liking them. People even hate X&Y which I still don't get, I think it's way better than A Rush of Blood to the Head (that album is bleh). But everyone seems to like Parachutes, even if they hate Coldplay. This is my favorite track of X&Y.

Beck - Scarecrow (El-P Remix)
Well this one's easy. He's really popular because he's really good again. He got a little lazy with the Information but all his other albums are really solid and you can hear the hard work that went into them. Totally an innovator. This song is so darn catchy, I get the chorus stuck in my head almost every day.

Led Zeppelin - The Battle of Evermore
I think everyone's noticed the new (not really new actually) trend of old bands like Pink Floyd and Zeppelin by looking at the huge amount of teens wearing "vintage" pre-faded shirts all over the place. I went through Zepplin phase in 7th grade, but I still like them. Seriously just listen to this track. Not only is it huge and epic, it's on a mandolin and it's about Lord of the Rings. Awesome. I get a cabby.


On another note, here's a new Sunset Rubdown song. I got it via P4k, but I have the MP3! Mwa ha ha. Man this is good. It's a little eh at first but around the 2 minute mark it really picks up. Key changes galore, oh my gosh! Spencer Krug is really in a league of his own, I really can't imagine how he sits down and writes a piece like this with his band. Here's the surprisingly un-Sunset Rubdown-ish new album cover for Random Spirit Lover

And here's the song: Up On Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days
And what a song title it is.

Album Feature: It's a Wonderful Life

SPARKLEHORSE! I love Sparklehorse, and this album was the album sparked my undying love for them. I knew Danger Mouse really liked them, and I had a song I liked by them, and DM was all into this record so I thought I'd check it out from the library. I had no idea I would totally devour the album and hold it so close to my heart as I do now. I didn't get into it right away, which is what normally happens with great albums, I thought it was a bit slow and didn't suit me too well. I really don't know where my change of heart came from. I just remember the perfect rainy Seattle day and sitting in my room as the whole album played through and I just toally vibed out with it. It's one of those albums that really gets in your head and changes your mood. I get a really wierd feeling when I listen this album, almost like depression, but I'm happy. I really can't describe it, but that's how good this album is!
The mix of lo-fi and high quality recording is perfect, Mark Linkous knows what sounds good and how to get that sound. It starts with the self-titled track which can be equally sad as it can be happy (it's funny like that). It's a little funny at first listen, or it was for me. I couldn't really get into it, probably because it was just so different, but now that's the reason I love that song, there's no other song I've ever heard that sounds at all like it. Then it jumps into the most likely single on the album, Gold Days which also has that happy-or-sad thing going on, but way more poppy with a great instrument called the Mellotron, which totally brings many Sparklehorse songs to life. Every song on this album is great, and features great cameos from PJ Harvey (Piano Fire) and Tom Waits (Dog Door, Morning Hollow) and just amazing production.
The funny thing is, I've noticed when people talk about Sparklehorse they usually talk about every album but this one. It's usually about the simple poppy sound on the first record, or the really eclectic sounding Good Morning Spider, or raving about how great the new album is, but no one really gives the album much attention, which is a shame because in my oppinion it's definitely the most beautiful album, and it's the album that flows the best, song to song. Although it's a good amount darker and more depressing than his other albums, I think that's why it's so good, and I think Mark does the best writing sad and dark music.
I'll give you a few songs to sample from the album, but I highly reccomend that you buy it, it's worth it in the long run.

It's a Wonderful Life
Gold Days
Piano Fire
Eyepennies (sorry about the skipping sound)
Dog Door
King of Nails (Video)

Buy It's a Wonderful Life (You can get a used copy for only 4 bucks!)
And here is an awesome Sparklehorse fansite.

Uninspired

I'm starting to get why it's difficult to post daily, and I understand why a lot more people don't do it. But I'm trucking on with it. Here are some songs I've been enjoying as of late:

Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
Lavender Diamond - Rise in Springtime
Eliott Smith - Christian Brothers
David Bazan - Bands With Managers (Daytrotter Session)
Madvillain - Fancy Clown

Wednsday Rarities

Ok, here are more random songs that aren't really released or are just hard to find or whatever. I'm feeling lazy so I'm not going to write a lot.







Sparklehorse - Return To Me (Live)
I don't know where this was but the qualitiy is really good. They totally re-worked it live. Sounds great.

Built to Spill - Rearrange
It's new. They just released a single, so... yeah, that's what this song is.

Architecture in Helsinki - Heart it Races (YACHT's Should I coo Mix)
I'm not that familiar with them still but I love this song a lot and I love Yacht.

Damien Jurado - Pink Moon (Nick Drake Cover)
mmm... Damien is so good.

Cloud Cult - Mr. Tambourine Man (Live at KEXP)
What an amazing cover. Seriously, if you didn't know you probably couldn't tell it was live. It's on the upcoming Live at KEXP Volume 3 which you should check out here: www.kexp.org. I'm glad this is finally getting released.
Also you should listen to KEXP.

Eye <3 Hip Hop

Time for my lengthy hip-hop post. This is the most I'll have written in a blog I think. For the longest time this year I wasn't really listening to as much Hip-Hop. Nothing grabbed my attention, and I pretended I was still a hip-hop junky by just listening to Atmosphere and MF Doom from time to time (not to say there's anything wrong with listening to them). But just the other night, I put on Danger Mouse and Jemini's Ghetto Pop Life and everything came back. I spent a good few hours in my room digging through my favorite from Wu-Tang, Lyrics Born, Blackalicious and Jurassic 5. I got the soul back! I was so happy, and I still am. I feel like a got a part of me back that was missing awhile.
If you're not really into hip-hop or one of those people who don't listen to it, like at all then I'm aiming to totally change your mind and open your eyes to show you how beautiful it can really be. Sample everything here and listen to it very closely.
I feel a lot of the hip-hop I hear now isn't really hip-hop. It's good but it's strayed away from the real soul of the music is gone. Don't get me wrong, I like Bus Driver and Spank Rock a lot but i feel like they just took parts of hip-hop and pushed it into another subgenre, but I stand behind them 100 percent because artists like them are really pushing music forwards. But I'm here to talk about the real traditional style of MC and DJ Hip-Hop.
I'll start with the first hip-hop album I ever bought, Jurassic 5's "Quality Control". This album changed my life. I heard the Influence and it was something entirely new. Until then all I had heard was Eminem and whatever other shit was playing at the end of the 90's. I was into good hip-hop before I was into good other music. My favorite bands were Linkin Park, Black Eyed Peas (yeah, I loved Elephunk. Wierd.), Jurassic, and Slipknot. I was an odd kid. But that's not the point, the point is Quality Control is still one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever. From front to back the one thing that this album has most is soul and flavor. You can tell by their energy how passionate all members in the group are. The flows are so nice, the 4 MC's compliemnt eachother perfectly and the chemistry is excellent. Here are some of my favorite tracks off that album.
The Influence
Great Expectations
Monkey Bars

Now instead of going on about sperate albums I'm just going to throw down a ton of tracks and talk about those

Lyrics Born - Do That There (Young Einstein Remix)
Oh my lord! Do you hear what he's saying? LB is one of the best MC's of all time, I think. He can sing and rap and he's got some ridiculous lines. This song doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but that doesn't matter. This is him just getting loose and having fun. I recomend you read the lyrics along with the song, it makes it about 10 times more fun. He can cover just about anything, check the Last Trumpet if you don't know already.


Danger Mouse and Jemini - The Only One
This isn't that old, but to me it screams "classic". This kind of song is timeless. That bassline hooks me everytime and then when the verse busts out it gets so live. According to wikipedia they're working on another album which would be great. While Danger Mouse gets around, this is Jemini's only major release, which is a shame because he's got a great style.

Blackalicious - Make You Feel That Way
If this track doesn't make you feel good I don't know what will. For a lot of people I know this is one of the tracks that made them realize hip-hop isn't always as the media portrays it. Plus Gift of Gab is one of my favorite MC's around. To appreciate his raw talent here's a link for the lyrics so you can read a long with the song. Lyrics

Atmosphere - Between the Lines
Atmosphere is also a great gateway drug. They did the Warped Tour and hooked all the angsty teens. Slug's at his best when he's telling stories, which is why this is one of my favorite tracks ever. There's a really powerful theme in the three stories in this song. Plus the beat is nice. Lyrics

The Roots - Act Too (Love of My Life)
Things Fall Apart is the best Roots album in my opinion and this is the best song off that album, so by definition this is my favorite Roots song. Ft. Common. The whole album has a really amazing vibe and groove to it, the production soudns so clean and amazing. I really wish they kept pumping out albums like this.

Well I didn't write as much as I thought I would. I hope you enjoyed this because starting now there's going to be lots more variety in my music posts, and probably more hip-hop.

On another note, I just want to boast about how I will be seeing Wu-Tang Clan at Bumbershoot this year (also Lyrics Born)! I am so excited you don't even know. The whole thing will be a blast, and I will report back with a very long blog recapping the whole three days.