Autumn Leaves in Yosemite, Click for clearer picture
for a lazy saturday/sunday
for getting over a cold/virus in 24 hours
for sunny cold weather
for future xmas cards
Bon Iver – Beach Baby (link taken down at the request of artist’s manager)
Cat Power – Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Sandy Denny / Fairport Convention cover)
TV On The Radio – Family Tree (BBC Radio 1 Session) - from KeepHopeInside
Lykke Li – I’m Good, I’m Gone
Bon Iver – Creature Fear
thx SMS
Music, at it’s best can be such a personal thing. The recorded notes can heighten any moment in time and be the catalyst for a journey of the heart, or mind. For me, live shows bring about another element of the music away from the recorded-forever-in-time version. And the best element that can transcend this singular version, is when the artist improvises and possibly twists an aspect of the song for the listener. La Blogotheque is a french blog with Vincent Moon directing these incredible improvisational moments for some of the best artists in music today. Below, are three of my favorites. From Zach Condon of Beirut on The Penalty playing a ukelele and strolling into a Paris bistro where the rest of the band is crammed in the back, to the Arcade Fire performing in a freight elevator, to Justin Vernon playing on the streets of Paris, these shows perfectly capture the live moment in a unique way.
Build Up, or Build Around, San Francisco, 2008
This is a two parter, so pay attention, if you can. First off, it was announced a few weeks back that Aphex Twin is playing at Coachella. The truly original Rick James. He hardly ever tours, so I might have to go just to check him out, but here’s hoping that he stops over in San Francisco to deliver his ambient-sub-bass-wretched genius. Maybe, he’ll get added to the Outside Lands Festival. The Radiohead driven festival at Golden Gate Park, due to last minute planning has a lack of talent. At least they have Regina Spektor, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, and Bon Iver.
As far as Bon Iver, with so much hype of indie rock music by the blogging community, who for the most part just take music from another blog and then repost it, or for some, just take verbatim what the another person wrote, and post it as their own thoughts, I gave it a quick listen awhile back and it fell through the cracks. I listened to it again this morning because of a recommendation from a friend, and it is one of those special albums that actually deserves the accolades.
I can’t tell you why I like one piece of music over another and how I sometimes agree with the greater majority, or just sometimes completely deviate to outer space, but I guess it’s similar to that quote about porn from the supreme court judge who said something to the effect that he can’t define it, but he knows it when he sees it. I hear it and I don’t care if it’s popular on pitchfork, or some blog, it connects to who I am from the music that I’ve experienced already. I can’t say it is the melody, or the rhythm because my music taste varies so much, but I think the one thing that connects all of the music that I like is the genuineness of the music from the artist, and how the delivery, or the message is unique to that artist. I don’t know how I can sense that, but I think most people can tell the difference between what is real and what is fake. You can see the emotional painting the artist creates through their words, music, or both.
I love music and I enjoy discovering new music, and not just rock music. Good music is good music ,whether it’s techno, jazz, ambient, classical, or 2 people banging chopsticks against cans in the corner of a room. People need to open their minds and not be stuck in one genre of music. I think Radiohead is helping people open up to new types of music because of their support of bands like modeselektor, four tet, liars, and burial, so hopefully we’ll see some blogs and Favorite10 lists change it up a bit. It seems like most of them are too influenced by Pitchfork. I can only name a handful of blogs that have a variety of music and one of them is Motel De Moka which through various contributors covers the spectrum of music. I’m done with my rant. Now, steal the music I love and add it to your great collection.
Adem – To Cure A Weakling Chile (Boy Girl Song) (Singer Songwriter) – part of Fridge with Four Tet. he makes quirky guitar based music with nice melodies. his latest album Takes is a covers album, but one that covers everyone from Bjork, Tortoise, Pinback, PJ Harvey to this song by Aphex Twin. The man has good taste. And he played all of the instruments on the album.
Aphex Twin – To Cure A Weakling Child (IDM, Ambient, Abstract) – one of the few artists i need to see before i die. i think the only artist to refuse a touring spot with radiohead. one of the most influential and original artists in music and probably the single person who has progressed music further than anyone today.
Bon Iver – The Wolves (Act I And II) (Singer Songwriter) – there’s no manufactured pain here. everything seems to work. the arrangements, the songs, the truth. one of the best things to come along in a long time. and it should get better with age.
Bon Iver – re: Stacks (Singer Songwriter) – ” Everything that happens is from now on” . what an incredible song. it’s as good as the trapeze swinger from iron and wine. unique perspective not quite fully understood, but it seems to create the mood from a lost love to the point of moving on…