I watched High Fidelity about a month ago. The best thing about this movie is all of thier “Top 3″ lists about the most radom parts of life. Since it is the season of Halloween, one of my favorite holidays, I will do my top 3 Halloween songs.
1. The Misfits’s Halloween
2. Rocky Horror Picture Show’s Time Warp
3. Michael Jackson’s Thriller
If you haven’t already discovered this, I do this blog a lot of the time, for school. I did a compilation of forgotten loved albums awhile back, and I’m doing part two for another class.
1. The Loved Ones‘ Build & Burn
The Loved Ones’ sophomore release on Fat Wreck Chords is too short. From beginning to end the songs are amazing, which makes the short run time of the album depressing. ”Selfish Masquarde” and “3rd Shift” are easily my favorite songs on the album. The Loved Ones have found the perfect balance of being a West Coast punk band without sounding too much like a West Coast punk band. Its a great album to pop in on a summer drive. Entertaining and exciting, everyone should check out this album.
2. Neko Case‘s Middle Cyclone
I love Neko Case…end of story. I think that Neko Case is the best female vocalist ever. Middle Cyclone is not necessarily her best album as a whole, but there are so many great songs on this album. Songs like “Prison Girls” and “The Pharoahs” are beautifully written, performed, and engineered. Sonically, the album has the great big sound only an amazing echo chamber can give. The last song on the album is a field recording of frogs croaking outside of Case’s home, and it somehow seems to fit.
3. The Decemberists‘ Picaresque
I once read on article comparing Colin Meloy, The Decemberists singer and chief songwriter, to a high school drama teacher gone crazy. I feel like that is a great way to describe the reason behind songs on Picaresque. The songs all tell a beautiful, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, always comprehensive story. If you can get down to folk…give the Decemberists a listen
My diverse musical tastes makes me switch up the songs and albums I listen to on a regular basis. My “favorite” albums and songs change a lot too. However, there are still albums and songs that always sound good to me. These three albums are the albums that aren’t always my first choice of listening, but have stuck with me long enough to be called forgotten loves.
1. The Gaslight Anthem‘s The 59 Sound.
If punk and soul had a baby, it would be The Gaslight Anthem’s sound. From start to finish, The 59 Sound is big and beautiful. ”Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,” “Miles Davis and the Cool,” and “Casanova, Baby” marry a rich sound and intellectually pleasing lyrics. I have yet to hear anyone meld two completely different genres with the success that The Gaslight Anthem has. The combination of great writing, rich sound, and talent makes The 59 Sound my favorite forgotten loved album.
2. Envy on the Coast’s Lucy Gray
This album is haunting. Envy on the Coast are, at least to me, pretty genre-defying. Each song tells a complete story and each story somewhat fits together to create an interesting vibe. Songs like “Starving Your Friends” and “Lapse” have simple but charming arrangements. Sonically, Lucy Gray has sharp and eerie tones that just add to the warped beauty of the lyrics. Every few months I find myself coming back to Lucy Gray. When that happens its usually a full week before I feel like listening to anything else. I would suggest to anyone listening for the first time, to listen to this album from start to finish.
3. Deez Nuts‘ Stay True
When you’re in a horrible mood, put on this album and see your unhappiness fade away. Stay True is chock full of catchy, humorous light hardcore. ”Tonight We’re Going to Party Like There’s No Tomorrow” and “I Hustle Everyday” get even the most dour person two-stepping. This album has great production quality. I love the songs because it still hits like happy hardcore, but Deez Nuts don’t take themselves too seriously. Listen and join the party.
Kat Edmonson-Lucky
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings-Let Them Knock
Band of Horses-The Funeral
Smoke or Fire-Patty Hearst Syndrome
Envy on the Coast-Headfirst In the River
Dead to Me-Something New
Fighting with Wire-Everyone Needs a Nemisis
Jakob Dylan with Neko Case-Nothing but the Whole Wide World
The first performer I saw at South by Southwest. Kat Edmonson opened Jackie Robbinson’s key note address singing a mixture of jazz standards and originals. I was lucky enough to meet Ms. Edmonson and ask here what it was like being a new artist in the current industry climate. It didn’t take long for me to realize that she is one smart cookie. Edmonson said pretty much everything we learn in copyright class; how the only substantial revenue streams that she has is publishing and touring. How downloading isn’t killing the music industry, and how new artists are coming up in an industry that is moving faster than it ever has.
Ian Rogers was a big hit for everyone that went to SxSW it seems. Rogers (middle) is the creator of Topspin Media. Topspin is a great company, and Rogers proved to be a great person, running great panels and kindly meeting people after they ended. Topspin creates and distributes marketing software for artist that easily links them to fans. Its is a revolutionary company for where both fans and artists can find what they need. Topspin diagnostic tools and their site in general is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in the industry so far.
Sometimes it takes going to a music festival to learn about other music festivals. I went to Austin, TX and learned about Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI. When I went to the panel about booking festivals, they had a representative from Summerfest. It sounds like a great festival much closer than Texas. It was interesting to hear how they balance up incomers and established bands when booking, and how the decide who headlines and how they deal with sponsers.
I have very little of a life, and end up watching Hulu, a lot. If you don’t have a Hulu account, I highly suggest it. There are so many movies and tv shows, that I felt the need to give you my top 3 best shows on the site.
The best show on television (which is in between seasons, sadly) is without a doubt Sons of Anarchy. The basic gist of the FX series is a modern-day Hamlet, if Hamlet and his family were in an outlaw biker gang. Kurt Sutter, who also wrote The Shield, did a brilliant job emotionally investing the audience in these rough-and-tumble, but good hearted criminals. The cast, along with Sutter’s writing, really make this show. Ron Perlman, Katey Sagal, and Charlie Hunnam star as the Morrow/Teller family who the show centers on. Motorcycles, gun running, intense action, and amazing story lines make this my number 1 pick.
Glee! I love this show so much! One of the main reasons I tune into my computer to watch this show is because they take song that are guilty pleasures for me (Defying Gravity from the Wicked Soundtrack, Someone to Love by Queen, Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Taylor, etc) and give them a glee club treatment. The show if pretty funny, hinged on a high school glee club full of misfits. Its corny, cutting edge, and wonderful.
Add one part socially handicapped forensic anthropologist, one part idealistic FBI agent, mix in a zany lab staff and sprinkle in some dead bodies, and you have Bones. The show follows partners Dr. Brennen and Agent Booth as they solve murder cases. Though sometimes the show is pretty graphic with the dead bodies, its in my top 3 favorite shows. Its sweet without being contrived and pretentious, funny, and exciting.
