Local Music

Happy one week anniversary! I made it this far, hopefully we'll be celebrating our annual anniversary. I don't see why not.
Today I was looking back at some of the songs I posted and realized they were all probably from guys you've heard of before. I really hoped I'd venture into unknown musical territories with this blog and introduce you to new music. So I'm going to talk about some music from Seattle that you may not know about. No Built to Spill or Death Cab or any of those big guys. I hope you like.

First up
BOAT: I was going to do this blog today on just BOAT because I love them so much and haven't been able to stop listening to them this past week. I saw them a week ago at the Vera Project for the release of their new CD "Let's Drag Our Feet!" and they were stellar (that's also where the picture at the top came from). Super poppy and catchy with loads of hooks in every song. I'm cathing them again at this years Capitol Hill Block Party (which you can expect a lengthy blog afterwards, on the festival with pictures and MP3's. Oo boy, I'm excited). Without further ado here are some songs:
Greasedip Hairlip
The Fercious Sounds of Lobsters and Snakes
Elephant Ears
Buy Let's Drag Our Feet!


Velella Velella: I saw them live at new years a few years back and downloaded what I could. I'll admit I haven't bought their CD yet. I probably should, cause they're really good. For the most part they're instrumental with dancey and ambient instrumentation and some of the coolest bass licks around. Live they have a gazillion intruments on stage and they're always passing things back and forth. They get some crazy sounds that I really dig.
Hey Cuz
Alex Boom Selector
Do Not Fold/Do Not Bend
Buy Bay of Biscay


Natalie Portman's Shaved Head: These guys have been getting a lot of hype around town for awhile. Another band I'm catching at this year's Capitol hill Block Party, and Bumbershoot for that matter. Goofy and dancey to the max. These guys bring the heat, their live shows are so fun. If you like fun and dancing (and who doesn't?) then you'll love these guys. It's pretty wierd actually, my brother and the guitarist, David Price, were really close friends in elemntary and middle school and we're still really good friends with their family, and I watch their hosue and dogs while the family's out of town. They just recently picked up a record deal and are working on a full length debut. Expect to hear about them soon, they are rising stars.
Unfortunately there's no where to buy their music right now, but here are some MP3's.
Beard Lust (Demo)
Doing Coke (Demo)
Sophisticated Side Ponytail (Demo)


Tiny Vipers: Not that familiar with her still, but I saw her awhile ago, and I'm seeing her again pretty soon. She plays really original music with just an acoustic guitar, but I wouldn't call her Singer-songwriter. Her songs have really big and vague themes that she says aren't personal. I always imagine mythology when I listen to her music, which is probably not what any of the songs are about, but to me that's waht my brain clicks to. Sub Pop just put out her debut which you can buy here. Here's some demos.
Shipwreck
They Might Follow You

On another note, I just got a new sidebar thing up of some of the other blogs that I read. You've probably heard of a few, but I really recomend Be Kind and Remind. It's my pla Alex's and we're both struggling for readers... I bet we have the exact same readers, but whatever. He advertised for me, so I thought I would return the favor. But besides him cool, his blog's really great also.

I hope I give you a cabby.

What's a cabby? I know you're wondering that. It's a word we were trying to describe the feeling you get when you shiver, but it's a good kind of shiver. The kind of shiver you get after you it's really cold and you get in bed under a blanket and get all toasty, or, I always get babby's from really powerful songs that make me feel good. When people say "this song gives me the shivers" they're talking about a cabby! I hope you understand what I'm talking about.
So to stress my point furhter I'm going to post 6 songs that give me huuuuuge cabby's and explain how I feel when I listen to them so maybe you can come closer to understanding the wonderful feelings that come from cabby's.
Listen to these songs LOUD

Björk - Joga
This song is so huge. Björk probably gave me the most cabby's that I ever got at a show. Even though I was very very far back and couldn't see much the music was just so epic, I just got so many goosebumps. This song is questionably her best in my oppinion.
Buy Homogenic

Wolf Parade - I'll Believe Anything
One of my all time favorite songs. It's so loud and rambunctious, I always crank this song up when I'm alone in my room and march around screaming along to the words. Once the loud part kicks in that's when the cabby comes. When I'm on the bus and listening to my headphones I'm sure I get a few stares when I listen to this song, because it's just about impossible not to move when I listen to this song.
Buy Apologies to the Queen Mary

Pixies - Where is My Mind
I don't love the Pixies as much as a lot of people, but I still think they're pretty gosh darn good. I remember watching that Coachella documentary and when the Pixies stepped on and played this song. Evenn on DVD the effect on me was huge. Seeing a crowd full of people cooing "ooo-ooo". That is probably the greatest cabby I've ever experienced. I lay on my couch just laughing cause it was so good. It lasted almost the whole song! It was amazing.
Buy Surfer Rosa

Vast Aire and MF Doom - Super Friends (Edan Remix)
Oh I love me some Doom. MF Doom is easily one of my favorite MC's, up there with Gift of Gab and Lyrics Born. I actually haven't heard the original of this track, but I don't think it can be better than this remix. Edan's beat is just so great, it sounds a little jazzy but noisy and electronic.

The Cure - Mint Car
This is one of the happiest songs ever. Another song that makes me look wierd when I listen to my headphones because I usually start running and jumping with happiness.
Buy Galore

Zero 7 - Speed Dial no. 2
The melodies on this song are just perfect. I think a lot of people are nervous about Zero 7 because it's too poppy and seems like... I don't know any adult contemporary artists, but whatever, this song is great. as I said in my previous post, this whole album is amazing. Get it.
Buy When It Falls


Are you getting a cabby? Do you even know what I'm talking about anymore? If you have any further questions about cabby's just send me a comment and ask me about it.

July July!

(Getting tomorrow's post done today)

Oh my gosh, if only you knew how hot it is here in Seattle. I know there are places that get this kind of heat almost every day of the year but for someone who doesn't spend much time in hot places and is used to the rain, this is really unbearable. I'm rolling around in my bed at night in a pool of sweat. Ugh.... But Summer does have it's peaks right? Of course!!! For one I don't have to go to school and I have no obligations (almost). Also I get to make summer playlists for myself and soak up the sun in ways that I see fit like walks to the library or bike rides or staying out until 10 o' clock without the sun setting (I know, that's ridiculous isn't it).

I know my blog's been pretty average and mediocre so far and not too original, I think that has something to do with the summer. Something about the summer makes me listen to lots of, what you call indie music. Normally I'm way more varied in my taste. I loooove hip-hop and I always considered myself pretty varied with my music taste which was the main reason I thought my blog would go over well, it would be a little different. So with this summer playlist I'm going to try and throw in some of my favorite "non-indie" songs (but it's pretty hard for me to make a summer playlist without the Long Winters, or the Decemberists, just cause).

Also I get to use this as a chance to premiere a brand new song by Benjamin Gibbard! It's a Beat Happening cover that was done for a soundtrack for a new Kurt Cobain documentary which you can read about here. It's called Indian Summer, and it just so happens to go perfectly with my playlist.

EDIT: I had to take down the Ben Gibbard track, by label's request.


1. The Long Winters - Pushover
2. The Decemberists - July, July (Live at Soho)
3. Ben Gibbard - Indian Summer
4. G. Love and Special Sauce - Making Amends
5. De La Soul - Eye Know
6. Presidents of the United States of America - Love Delicatessen
7. CSS - Pretend We're Dead (L7 Cover)
8. BOAT - (I'm a) Donkey for Your Love
9. Sparklehorse - Some Sweet Day
10. Antony and the Johnsons - For Today I'm a Boy


Buy BOAT'S cd and support northwest talent.


Man, that just screams summer to me. Now go load these on your iPod and get tan!

Song Feature: Somersault

Today I want to share another of my favorite songs ever. I thought this would make a neat feature, every now and again I'll feature an album or a song. Today it's Somersault by Zero 7.
I love When it Falls, it's one of my favorite albums. It establishes such a relaxed mood and really acts as an escape. This song is the big hit from the album, but for good reason.
If you're unfamiliar with Zero 7 or Sia Furler then this is your chance to find out what you're missing. Sia's voiceis so mezmerizingly good and perfect. She knows when to do exactly what. Her solo stuff is pretty good but when backed by Zero 7 she's unstoppable.

I'm going to offer up 4 different versions of the song today. All these different versions make me love the song even more because it feels like the song is endless. Each version is incredibly different and just as good. I hope you enjoy.


(sorry the Danger Mouse remix isn't the best quality. I bought it on iTunes so I can't share without you logging into my account, but it's worth buying so I recomend you do so)

Somersault (Original)

Somersault (Danger Mouse Remix ft. MF Doom)

Somersault (Hot Chip Remix)

Somersault (Acoustic, Live at KEXP)

Wednsday Rarities

I'm not feeling so creative today so I figure I'll start this idea off... I just post not so common songs that I've collected over the years, and I'll do this every Wednsday. Stuff like covers, b-sides, live cuts and bootlegs, whatever I think is really cool and a little hard to find. This week I'll do an easy theme, covers!
Everyone loves covers, atleast I think they do. I do.

David Bazan - Waitin' for a Superman
It's simple and it's great. I've been listening to this a lot lately. Even if it's not the best take, or recording, I think that adds something to it. The way David's whistle sort of dies, and when he messes up the words, it adds a certain likability to the song. Like he's struggling to get through it. This song is great to fall sleep to.

Ben Gibbard - 26 is Too Soon (Kind of Like Spitting)
From a show Gibbard and Barnett did back in 2001. The whole show is great, you could probably find it somewhere online. Check hypemachine, it's worth it. My favorite part about this track is hearing the two at the end talk about the song with that cliche "no your version is much better" "no yours is". I would kill to go to that show, but back in 2001... jeez I don't even know what I was doing.

Flaming Lips and Cat Power - War Pigs (Black Sabbath)
umm... well I think it's pretty obvious why this one's really cool. War Pigs is a rad song, weather you admit it or not. And Cat Power is cool. This is live at Austin City Limits somewhere. You can find it on youtube somewhere if you desire the video.

Cocorosie - Ohio (Damien Jurado)
I love both of these artists to death. I was so excited when I saw this existed, and it's just as awesome as I thought it would be. The two are not exactly similar artists and I wouldn't have guessed Sierra and Bianca were fans of Damien, but they're pretty unpredictable.

Junip - The Ghost of Tom Joad (Bruce Springsteen)
I love Jose Gonzalez, and I haven't heard much of this side project but this track... ugh I'm tired of trying to describe songs. Just take the MP3's and be happy!

Buy Junip's "Black Refuge" EP


Also, I want to thank Dianna for making me a new banner that's way cooler than the one I made. She's quite a cool cat and is pretty good with a camera. Check her out: aphotyx.org

Connect the Dots: Xiu Xiu to Harvey Danger

So notice anything different? A new banner?
Yes! I made it. Do you like it? I do.
So here's a game I thought I'd try out. I'll connect a band that are considerably different to another band through collaborations, or things along those lines. Like that movie game where you connect actors by films they were in with other actors. I'm sure this has already been done but whatever, I'm giving you MP3's so be quiet.
So we'll start with Xiu Xiu, and end with Harvey Danger. But in the future how about I accept challenges, but it has to be possible. Don't name Beyonce and Yacht cause I'm pretty sure that's impossible. Think one through and send it in the comments and I'll do it next time I do this, with MP3's.
So here's the first one:

Xiu Xiu - Ceremony (New Order Cover)

Sunset Rubdown - Appistat Commander
Appistat Commander is a Xiu Xiu song which Sunset Rubdown played for their cover and remix album, which that New Order cover also appeared on. They also toured together and are kind of friends I think.

Wolf Parade - Disco Sheets
Spencer Krug is in Sunset Rubdown and Wolf Parade.

Hot Hot Heat - Bandages (The only hot hot heat song i like)
Dante DeCaro joined Wolf Parade after quitting the Hot Hot Heat.

Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticsm
Death Cab's Chris Walla produced the Hot Hot Heat's EP Knock Knock Knock

Harvey Danger - This is the Thrilling Conversation You've Been Waiting For
Sean Nelson sings on that Transatlanticsm track, and Ben Gibbard sings on this song.

+
Buy Transatlanticsm, one of my favorite albums of all time.


Wooooooah, 6 degrees of seperation, I didn't even think that out intentionally. OK so new rule, it has to be at most 6 degrees of spereation away.
Send me your ideas, but warning, I'll probably get stumped easily so send me something a little easier.

My hands are blue!

So the other day I was tie dying with some friends (which is tough! let me tell you.) Well I walked away with blue hands from the dye and it doesn't come off that easy. Also I may have ruined one of my favorite shirts and stained my pants. But whatever cause now I've got a sweet shirt and some ugly orange socks that look more like an out of control foot fungus than tie dye. Without furthur ado, here are some songs that help me cope with this new found blueness.

Alexi Murdoch - Blue Mind

Kind of Like Spiting - Blue Period

White Stripes - Blue Orchid

TV on the Radio - Blues from Down Here (live on KEXP)