Playing games that young people should

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Wildlife.

From Toronto.

Their album is called Strike Hard, Young Diamond.

And it carries you away.

Wildlife.

That is the name of the band.

Spirited Canadian mountain children.

Awesome.

Click Play.

Click to Play Wildlife – When I Get Home

I’m at a loss for words with this album. I feel like I am along for the ride while a bunch of energetic besties grab their banjos and flannels and head for the hills to jam. Each track just keeps up the driving pace and delivering on the intensity. By the time they get to Track 9, “Move To The City”, I am positive they are playing in the lively field of my imagination as they repeat the anthem that they’d never move to the city because “…it doesn’t sound like us!“

This album is driving me a bit crazy with wistful thoughts of vitality and spontaneity… What would I do, where would I go, if I was making this kind of music?

Where would you be? Who would you be with?

Order their album Here. Support independent music. Moreso than ever, support GOOD independent music.

No Protection

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There are some days I like to kick back and listen to a certain song over and over and over again. This is one of those songs. Massive Attack used the vocal talents of Everything But The Girl‘s Tracey Thorn for their second album, and the title track of Protection became something of a sensation. The music video was something of a wonder, also, as Michel Gondry took on the role of turning the song into a video masterpiece of its own.

Click to Play Massive Attack – Protection

That being said, you would think that it would be tough to outdo the original. In most cases, I would agree with every one of you. One of the two remixes I’ve been digging non-stop for fifteen years, now. I had to place an order for the Massive Attack VS Mad Professor CD, and seeing as how Arkansas wasn’t really noted for their diversity in music, I was considered something of an oddity for having this disc. A guy I met while at college in Arkansas actually placed the order for me, and he was one of the few that really fed into my passion for music while I was in school there. The Mad Professor mix of “Protection” is nothing short of breathtaking in every way, shape, and form. This has been played to death, and is one of the rare songs I can listen to and just never tire of.

Click to Play Massive Attack – Radiation Ruling the Nation (Protection)

The other remix is by ambient and electronic legend Brian Eno. I discovered this remix only recently, but there is a real harkening to his Music for Airports days in this remix. It’s astounding in its own right, and I strongly suggest taking a listen.

Click to Play Massive Attack – Protection (The Eno Mix)

Regardless of what version you prefer, you won’t get an argument from me about which one is tops, as I consider all three to be mind-blowing. Enjoy these!

She once belonged to us

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For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn.

-Ernest Hemingway


In the 1920s, Ernest Hemingway’s friends and colleagues bet him that he couldn’t write a COMPLETE story in just six words. As you can read above, they had to pay up. Hemingway considers it his best work.


I’m sure that this isn’t what the song “Baby Shoes” by the group Bad Books is about… but maybe you could be persuaded?


Click to play Bad Books – Baby Shoes


Bad Books is a band/project that joined friends singer/songwriter Kevin Devine with Andy Hull and his band Manchester Orchestra. I had first heard about the project while talking with Kevin Devine before his show at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas.


I’m still waiting for this album to ship on vinyl, but I have had the MP3’s for a few weeks now. It’s the best sort of mash-up. Two of my great bands getting together and make something new and fresh.


I found a statement about the “story” of the song “Baby Shoes” from Andy Hull. During a studio session with 104.5, a Philadelphia radio station, he said this:

“It’s a fictitious story (…) if it was me, say I’m the character. I have a kid and the kid dies and then I give the kid to Satan and Satan brings it back to life. But it’s an apocalyptic baby so it tries to kill me and so I try and kill it and that lands me in prison and her out on the loose.”

Bad Books



That dude is so hilarious, isn’t he?


Have you heard about this concert in Atlanta the day before Thanksgiving? It’s called The Stuffing.


I beg you…whoever is in charge. I hate Thanksgiving. Family get-togethers give me the worst kind of fear and anxiety. Please…send me free tickets to cover The Stuffing… I’ll have no choice but to go. It’s work…can’t get out of it. My family would have no choice but to understand. No grinding my teeth while anguishing over dry turkey and awkward conversations. Maybe… finally, I can have a Thanksgiving that is memorable in a good way.


Full line-up for The Stuffing:
Manchester Orchestra
Dead Confederate
Bad Books
Kevin Devine
Death On Two Wheels
O’Brother
Gobotron
Stadiums
Harrison Hudson
All Get Out


Check out the first official video from the band Bad Books:



Elvis has returned to the building

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How do you keep writing fresh, relevant music after 30+ years in the business? I’m not quite sure, but Elvis Costello has it down.

Since 1978’s My Aim Is True Elvis (wasn’t there another guy with that name once?) has been releasing edgy, intelligently irreverent music. I have a feeling he would have been relegated completely to the underground if he didn’t write such catchy tunes. Instead, he has managed to sneak the occasional mainstream hit in over the years while he’s busy cranking out great pop-rock albums, delving into jazz music (most notably in collaborations with his wife Diana Krall), and even working up a chamber opera. Sadly that last one never quite came to fruition.

Costello’s new album, National Ransom, is a solid release. It’s got plenty of the familiar pop-meets-punk-meets-new wave vibe Elvis does so well, with some genre benders thrown in along the way. Here’s the opening track, which I would say rocks.

Click to play Elvis Costello – National Ransom

The man’s ballads always get me, as well. He’s quite the crooner.

Click to play Elvis Costello – You Hung The Moon

And above all, you’ve got a love a guy who joins Spinal Tap onstage for a classic hit:

Give it a listen. There’s a lot to like, even if you’re not a die-hard Elvis Costello fan.

…Is Getting Burned

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Track One is called “Schizophrenia.” But it’s adorable and perfectly composed, so I don’t dial up the head shrink when Jukebox the Ghost skitters through the Yes I can, No I can’t, Yes I can lyrics like they are performing warm-up scales at a frenetic pace.

…yes I can
I swear to it,
that’s just how my brain works.

It might be one of the best opening tracks ever to grace an album. It just might be. Jukebox the Ghost has been touring nonstop since 2006 and their second LP is called Everything Under The Sun.

They got guns, they got knives,
they got guns, they got knives,
they got guns, they got knives and spies,
I am no informant.

They’re a three-piece. You know how much we love three-pieces who sound like half an orchestra around here. And I love a lyricist who can make me smile.





They knew my name,
they screamed and screamed,
they knew everything.

You could say that I’m well liked
but I’ll never be friendless…

You could say that I’m alright
or you could say schizophrenic…

And now, The Little One is hooked, because you’ve got upbeat tunes, excellent song composition, a mixture of instruments, and lyrics that help me explain myself to you.

They’ve played with Ben Folds, Tally Hall, and showed up on David Letterman in September of this year! Woot, boys!

Probably more notable to mention than the tour they literally JUST kicked off with Barenaked Ladies is their appearance at both SXSW and Lollapalooza this year. Yes, that means it’s time for you to know about them, since you obviously missed them on NPR’s World Cafe Wednesday. Tell your friends. It’s like, everything you love about The Mountain Shin Lips in a Death Cab. Isn’t it? ISN’T IT.

Check out Track 6, “The Sun”.

Click to Play Jukebox The Ghost – The Sun

Quick, buy the album NOW and pretend you’ve owned it since it was released in September. Buy Let Live & Let Ghosts, too, because that one is a dandy-dandy.

Mmmm…..Royksopp

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Back in 2003, I had the chance to see Royksopp here in Boston. It was one of the better shows I’ve seen, to be quite honest. If I could find the pictures I took, I would share those with you in a heartbeat. That same night, I then went from the Paradise over to the Phoenix Landing to check out Fish Go Deep. Fitting that it was the day before St. Patrick’s Day. Just one of many amazing days I’ve experienced in my life where music was involved. I think we can all agree that music inhabits a certain place in all of our lives. It’s honestly a big reason why George started this blog, in my opinion. We get to share not just music with you all, but who we are, as shaped by the music we’ve grown up around. Well, I have shared just that. And hope to keep doing so for all of you. Do you guys have any good stories from shows? Shows or nights out that helped define the person you are? If so, let ’em rip.

With that said, it’s time to bring it back to the original topic, which is Royksopp. They’ve released a new album, entitled Senior. Fitting since their last one was Junior. The mood of this one is decidedly more mellow, and shows the scope of who Royksopp are. In fact, check out the video for the tune “The Drug”. Mildly disturbing, at points, but the music is pretty grand. Definitely a keeper of a track.

Now, this post? I’m actually going to dig back in time with these guys. You’re going to be treated to a couple of remixes off of their seminal album Melody AM. Those in charge of the remixes here? None other than Tom Middleton and Derrick Carter. Those of you that have been reading for a while may remember my interview with DLC, the Chicago house music legend. If you don’t? Hell, go read it now! And Middleton is a familiar name to those of us that have followed electronic music for a while. He was half of both Global Communication and Jedi Knights. Pretty good resume of music, in itself.

Anyhow, Derrick lent his boompty remix skills to the first track of Melody AM – “So Easy”. Middleton’s crafts are on display with his remix of the track most people would be familiar with – “Remind Me”. Enjoy these tunes, guys!

Click to Play Royksopp – So Easy (Derrick Carter Remix)

Click to Play Royksopp – Remind Me (Tom Middleton Cosmos Mix)

Now go buy something. NOW!

Everybody Knows What’s Best For You

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Tomorrow is November 2nd. For most people it’s just day 306 of another poopy year. 59 more to go until a fresh start!

In the U S of A it’s significant every year as it’s our Election Day. This year, it’s a tough election. Your mailbox has been filled with thousands of politicals ads and flyers that candidates collectively have spent millions of dollars on. Dollars that would have been better spent to help the constituents they are trying to persuade.

Popular words this election? Reform, Recovery, and Jobs.

New fad this year? Tea. Tea? Some new party drug I think. /shrug

Germs Of Perfection  a tribute to Bad Religion

I have been listening to a lot of Bad Religion lately. They are my favorite band. Of. All. Time. That being said, it is not unusual for me to listen to some BR. There was a catalyst for me to queue them up this time around.

Spin and Myspace just released an album of Bad Religion covers in a tribute album called Germs Of Perfection. It’s free…so start your download now and here.

If you need a push…check out William Elliott Whitmore‘s cover of “Don’t Pray On Me” from the 1993 album Recipe For Hate.  It’s definitely my favorite cover from the tribute album. Click the play button below!

Click to Play William Elliott Whitmore – Don’t Pray On Me (Bad Religion Cover)

With 18 Bad Religion albums on repeat for a few days and an election on my mind, a particular song stuck out. Well, it was a lot more than one song, but there was one that I have always liked a lot and that fit particularly well for your Election Day.

Click to Play Bad Religion – You Are (The Government)

Hey sit down and listen and they’ll tell you when you’re wrong.
Eradicate but vindicate as “progress” creeps along.
Puritan work ethic maintains its subconscious edge
As Old Glory maintains your consciousness.
There’s a loser in the house, and a puppet on the stool,
And a crowded way of life, and a black reflecting pool,
And as the people bend, the moral fabric dies,
The country can’t pretend to ignore its people’s cries.
You are the government.
You are jurisprudence.
You are the volition.
You are jurisdiction.
And I make a difference too.

Yep. That’s all there is. A lot gets packed into that 1:22 punk rock rocket ride.

I’ve always understood that this song was probably a call to Anarchy. I like to think it’s just a call to excercise your rights. This, after all is a country “Of the People, by the People.” Sometimes I think that we Americans take this for granted. We ARE the government. If our Government failed us, then it was our own failure. We don’t have to wait for the Government to change things. The power of change is in our hands. Maybe the way to change is something more revolutionary than just casting a ballot. That I can’t tell you. I do know that this is ours, and together we can be great again. Together we all vote. On November 2nd, we are the Government.

You get your say tomorrow on how we walk into the future, and I make a difference too.

it’s not trash, it’s garage

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I hate that you can spend so much time listening to music and still miss so many great bands that are out there. The flip side of that is great, though: there’s always a new opportunity to find something you love. A group or artist from any era or genre can catch your ear and you’re a new fan. And that’s nothing to be sad about.
I was recently introduced to The Ettes. They’ve been around since 2006 and, while I was completely oblivious, released three great albums. I’m going back through their catalog now and loving the garage-y vibe. Here’s a sample:


Download The Ettes – I Get Mine

And another, complete with cutesy video:

They were even cool enough to have a song on the Whip It movie soundtrack. Or Drew Barrymore was cool enough to put them on there. Maybe she’s out there looking for brilliantly talented folks – like blog contributors – with panache and intelligence so she can support them and take them out to dinner in a romantic interlude kinda way. Please, please, say it’s so.

Anyway, if you’re down with the garage rock thing you should check them out.
On a related (and more timely) note, the band’s singer, Coco, works with a side project named The Parting Gifts. This group is pretty exciting because it also features members of Reigning Sound and The Raconteurs, and there’s at least a little involvement from The Black Keys. It’s a veritable who’s who of the current garage rock scene, in a way. I don’t have the fancy connections to give you a preview mp3 in this case so we’ll have to lean on youtube again:

The Parting Gifts have an album coming out in a couple weeks so keep your eyes peeled.
What discussion about garage rock would be complete without posting some MC5? None, so here you go:


Download MC5 – Ramblin’ Rose (Live)

Fallout: New Vegas – The Music!

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Yes. I am one of those nerds. I loved the music from Fallout 3. I loved the music used in both Bioshock games. The classic songs that bring you back to a gentler, nicer time. Except, well, those games aren’t gentle or nice. They’re brutal, in fact. And that may be why I love them. Well, now with Fallout: New Vegas? We get more of the classic sounds. Hell, I was so psyched for this game when I saw the initial trailer. It features one of the songs we’re posting today. Check it out.

While the game can slog on for points, the pros heavily outweigh the cons, in my opinion. There are a few bugs and glitches, but nothing that really ruins the game experience for me. Hell, just do what people tell you you should be doing – SAVE OFTEN! This game is massive. There is so much to do, and even though I’ve been playing a lot since the game came out last Tuesday, I still haven’t made it onto the strip. Part of the reason for that is I’m more enamored with the Mojave Wasteland. I’ll get into the strip soon. I promise.

The music, however, is what I love the most. The trailer above features the track “Jingle, Jangle, Jingle” by Kay Kyser. His big band sounds are featured in this number. Those certainly were the days, eh?


Download Kay Kyser – Jingle, Jangle, Jingle

Now the next track is one people probably know. It’s hard to make a game about Vegas and not include some mention musically of the Rat Pack. Dean Martin is featured in the game’s soundtrack with one of his better known hits – “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head”. And it fits in the sense that when you start the game? You’re not kicked, but shot, in the head. How’s that for a shitty day?


Download Dean Martin – Ain’t That A Kick In The Head

Now this last one, I had heard before. Living in the South for a while, I guess I couldn’t help that. It’s not a bad thing. Being exposed to a lot of the old crooners growing up as a kid was a great thing. It helped get me into singers like Louis Prima, for example. Hell, getting to see Sam Butera perform twice (for free!!) while living in Las Vegas years ago was one of the biggest thrills for me. I only wish I still had the picture I took with him. :sadpanda: indeed. Anyhow, this song is one that’s featured prominently if you’re out in the wasteland. It’s by Marty Robbins, and the song is “Big Iron”. This is a guy that had the crossover appeal before the alt-country tag was there, I guess you could say. A lot of his songs were played on pop radio, but to be honest, pop radio then mixed genres moreso than it did now. Anyhow, this is a great tune, and it’s perfect for the times you’re trekking out in the middle of nowhere.


Download Marty Robbins – Big Iron

And speaking of Bioshock, have you guys seen the gameplay video for the upcoming Bioshock Infinite? I don’t know about you, but I am excited for this one, also. Also, go buy some music. Don’t be cheap!

Seems like you got a little more than you asked for

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I sometimes wonder if Lady Gaga just bit all the great things about pop stars like Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, sexed it up, magnified it, perfected it, and then realized… oh…I could have just stolen all of this from Peaches!
The Canadian-born Peaches has always been completely out there and on the edge of performance art. She has pushed past comfort levels on sex, gender,  and fashion. She’s been doing that for over 10 years. That means all the women pop and rock stars who have a bit of extravagance in their albums and on stage did it in the wake of the very talented Peaches.  
M.I.A. … I’m calling you out. You too Ms. Aguilera.

 More by Peaches Rocks

Some of the Peaches first shows included strap on dildos and stage blood.  She’s recently performed with what she calls a “pussy-light”
You might think Peaches is just shock and awe. I had thought that before, until I learned that she plays all her own instruments, programs all her own beats, and produces her own albums.
She was signed to Sony but was dropped after her big budget video was released. It revolved around Peaches sitting in a locker room while her armpit and pubic hair grew to Rapunzel-esqe lengths. Peaches has opened for Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails, and Marilyn Manson.

If that isn’t enough to get the message across to you about her eccentric individualism, I’ll tell you a story about the one-woman show interpretation of the  Andrew Lloyd Webber/Sir Tim Rice musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” that she decided to take on earlier this year. At first, the people who owned the rights to the musical said nope… but she was persistent and finally got the opportunity to put on the show on March 25-27 an Berlin’s HAU1. You might be thinking it was a disgusting disaster. Right?
Not according to Artforum::

“Not only did Peaches set it off, she managed to surprise us all by showing off an expansive vocal range, a musician’s natural sensitivity to the dynamics of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score, and an emotive prowess that is rarely if ever displayed in her own, less holy, music.”
I’ve only seen parts of this musical, and it doesn’t seem totally outside what she would be interested in. Still, I had to learn why she wanted to do this. It’s a lot of work and probably was exhausting to make it happen and then to perform it alone all night. Doing a bit of research I found this quote from The Peach herself:


“When I was 16, I often sang the whole musical to myself all alone in my room. It tells an entire story without spoken text, only with vocals, in the style of a rock opera. I’m a performer, my concerts are extravagant and play with exaggerations. This project allows me to do without all this. I wanted to confront this task totally exposed, because it is a possibility. It’s a question of stamina. Performing ‘Peaches Christ Superstar’ is the most intense and powerful stage experience I have ever had.”



Those of you who are intrigued but dissapointed you missed those dates in Berlin, never fear. She’s coming Stateside and it’s probably a once in a lifetime kind of event.


Here are tour dates for ‘Peaches Christ Superstar’:


Dec.10 — Boston — Institute of Contemporary Art
Dec 11 — New York — The Concert Hall at New York Society for Ethical Culture
Dec 14 — Chicago — Portage Theater
Dec.17 — Los Angeles — Orpheum Theatre
Dec. 18 — San Francisco — Herbst Theatre
Dec. 21 — Toronto — Queen Elizabeth Theatre



But wait there’s more!
Because I like you, I want to give you a BONUS! A remix treat just for you.


Download Peaches – More (Robert Oleysyck Remix)

Robert Oleysyck – Tracks – SoundCloud