Big Bird Has a Band?

So, what with SXSW (that's the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, for those of you who don't pay attention to these things) coming up, there are a lot of new bands getting talked about now. One of them is the band Yellow Ostrich. Despite the fact that Big Bird is a yellow ostrich (I think),  the band has nothing to do with Sesame Street. There is no link (although nothing could beat THIS link).

Hmm... they don't LOOK like Jim Henson creatures.

Despite the lack of Sesame Street cred, they are a really great band, with a ton of indie rock street cred instead. The band is basically the brainchild of Alex Schaaf, although now it includes Michael Tapper (from We Are Scientists!!) and Jon Natchez (from the bands Beirut AND Bishop Allen!!). They're based out of Brooklyn (who isn't these days?). Their music is pretty simple stuff-- a lot of looped vocals, drums, and fun guitar riffs-- but it's super catchy and I'm diggin it.

For example,
GOOD SONG: Hold On by Yellow Ostrich

It's just a very happy-making song that I have been enjoying blasting out my car windows as spring approaches...

If you liked this song, you might also check out:

Dr. Dog
Broken Bells
The Whitest Boy Alive
Throw Me The Statue

and I'm struggling to think of anything else that is even mildly similar.

BUY THEIR MUSIC HERE: Yellow Ostrich

Over and out,
Anna

Ice Day

So while putzing around on the internet today, enjoying my day off from school because of insanely icy roads (thus an "ice day" instead of a "snow day"), I discovered a fantastic singer. And her last name is Ices! Ice day! Ices! Get it?
I like that.
To tell the truth: her real last name isn't Ices. I don't know what it is. Her name, Lia Ices, is a pseudonym, and she keeps her real name under wraps.
Turns out she and I have something in common-- we both went to NYU. That's where our similarities start and end, though, I think.
She has this unbelievably beautiful voice-- haunting, achey, sort of angelic. And she is incredibly beautiful, to boot. Some people get all the luck, right?

She's like Giselle's more artsy, talented sister. 

Her album, entitled Grown Unknown (on the Jagjaguwar label, which is almost always spot-on), isn't actually out yet. It will be released on January 25th. But you can still listen to her music here:

GOOD SONG #1: Grown Unknown by Lia Ices. The title track. Has fun hand-claps, her amazing vocals, violin, and beautiful guitar. Definitely worth a listen.

On her upcoming album, she collaborates with Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver), who is also hyper-talented. Their voices meld really well. The collaboration is kinda a no-brainer, since they have a similar sound/musical aesthetic.  Check it out.

GOOD SONG #2: Daphne by Lia Ices with Justin Vernon.

Talented, but definitely not related to Giselle.

If you liked these songs, you might also check out:

Feist
My Brightest Diamond
Cave Singers (they're touring together soon)
Bon Iver
Volcano Choir
Cat Power
Nouvelle Vague
Bat for Lashes

BUY HER MUSIC HERE: lia ices

Over and out,
Anna

Strong Love, Weak Hearts

So a few years ago (November 2007 I think) I saw Dr. Dog live in NYC with a friend of mine. This fantastic band opened for them- the Delta Spirit. I was completely blown away by their energy onstage.
When they came onstage at the end of Dr. Dog's set, to help them sing/play the
GOOD SONG GREAT SONG "Heart It Races"
(originally by Architecture in Helsinki), I knew they were awesome. I eagerly got their album and then even more eagerly awaited more of their stuff. I have not been disappointed. Since then, they've gotten a lot more press but they haven't "sold out" or any of that sort of thing (what does that even mean anyway? Who cares?). This June they released their second album entitled "History From Below," which is fantastic. It's darker than their debut, but they work that quite well.  And I think it's high time their made their debut on AGSIHTF.

What most apartments in Bushwick look like.
Hence the blues. 

The band is originally from San Diego, and they still reside somewhere in Cali, I believe. It's comprised of Mathew Vasquez (vocals), Jon Jameson (bass), Brandon Young (percussion), and Kelly Winrich (other schtuff). Although they may hail from lighthearted SoCal, their songs deal with some heavy stuff. Example: the song "Streetwalker" on their debut album, which dealt with the subject of child prostitution. And the song on "History From Below" entitled "Ballad of Vitaly," which is about a Russian man who kills an air-traffic controller in revenge because... well, it's a long story. A true one. Super dark. But a FANTASTIC ballad.

Anyway, on their new album, I really like this GOOD SONG:  Bushwick Blues

FYI, Bushwick is a neighborhood in Brooklyn. It could easily give one the blues. 

I love the lyrics: 

Because my love is strong/

and my heart is weak/

after all

Anyhoo, if you like these songs, you might also like:

Dr. Dog

Dawes

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Cold War Kids (they toured with them)

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (they also toured with them)

Ra Ra Riot

Kelley Stoltz

BUY THEIR MUSIC HERE: Delta Spirit

Over and out,

Anna

P.S. Merry Christmas!!!

Your Video Game Soundtrack

So in my head I like to put together music videos for the music I'm listening to. Often times they include ridiculous, super-choreographed dance sequences that can only happen in my head. Lots of special effects. Engaging story lines. Beautiful people. You know, the works.

My imaginary music videos for the music of Ratatat are no exception. Cool (read: goofy) dances and the whole shabang. 

The one difference: All of my imaginary characters, set, moves, and costumes are stolen from Mario Bros. I freely admit it. Floating gold coins, overalls, and a princess are all extremely important in all my imaginary Ratatat music videos. I can't help it! I dare you to listen to Ratatat and NOT think of video game music. It's impossible. Their music (especially the songs on their earlier albums) is clearly influenced by the crunchy guitars and goofy sound effects you probably grew up hearing on your gameboy/nintendo/other outmoded and obsolete form of entertainment. 

Inspirational stuff.

Try imagining your very own video game music video with this GOOD SONG, from their album entitled "LP3": Shempi

Now, this isn't to say that Ratatat always sounds silly. Plenty of their music is surprisingly sophisticated, and actually moving (for some reason, this GOOD SONG always gets me, even sans lyrics: Breaking Away).  Ratatat is comprised of Mike Stroud (guitar) and Evan Mast (all that other stuff) , and they've got real talent. They met at Skidmore College and recorded their first album entitled, oddly enough, "Ratatat" in 2004. Excluding remix albums, they have four albums out to date: "Ratatat" (2004), "Classics" (2006), "LP3" (2008), and "LP4" (2010). Their first album betrayed their sense of humor, as pretty much all the vocals it included were only silly clips at the beginning and end of songs. The have kept this humor, which makes me like them a whole lot more. 

Serious music for serious people. Clearly.

Their most recent album, "LP4," came out just recently and has carried on their tradition of dance-able but unusual instrumental techno music.  Currently, I'm addicted to this GOOD SONG off the album:
Neckbrace.

You'll probably need a neck brace after bobbing around to that one as many times as I have.

BUY THEIR MUSIC HERE: Ratatat music!

If you liked these songs, you might also like:

LCD Soundsystem
Daft Punk
RJD2
Simian Mobile Disco
Justice

Over and out,
Anna

Ready for a little Soul?

Hello again, friends and neighbors.


So I thought for my second installment, I would mix things up a bit. I loves me some Sufie (Stevens, that is), but sometimes you just get a hankerin for some SOUL.


Today's GOOD SONG is "Better Things" by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.


Here ya go:
Better Things

Sing it, Mama Jones!

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are a fascinating little group. And by little I mean big. It consists of Sharon Jones on vocals and eight dudes on varying instruments. They record all their songs without modern technical equipment to give their music a really retro feel. And MAN, do they get it right. Really, I don't think I've heard of anyone listening to them for the first time and guessing correctly that they were contemporary. They get 1960's/70's soul/funk better than some of the 1960's/70's soul/funk bands did back then!
They have performed/collaborated with Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse (surprise, surprise), Michael Buble, heck, even Phish!


This song is off their most recent album "I Learned The Hard Way" which was released in April this year. This is a great song (especially if you have just gotten out of a relationship, by the way).


If you like this song, you might also like:
Etta James
Otis Redding
Mark Ronson
Amy Winehouse
Janelle Monae
Al Green
Marvin Gaye
and, apparently, anything else on the Daptone Record label.


And you will also like this song, Inspiration Information, which is my personal fave, from a compilation CD from 2009 called "Dark Was The Night."


Spooooooky connection to the last post: Sufjan Stevens lives in Brooklyn. The Dap-Kings hail from Brooklyn. Coincidence? I think not.


DOWNLOAD HER MUSIC HERE: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings


Over and out,
Anna


P.S. The posts are going to be pretty frequent this week, since school hasn't started yet. Unfortunately, I will probably have to slow it down a bit when I begin working again. But no fear! Not TOO slow.

A Long Time Coming

Greetings, friends and neighbors!
I've joined the blogging bandwagon.
Well, let me explain.
I love music. A lot. More than some, less than others, but a LOT. So I have decided to create a blog where I try to bring people to good music. As the URL says, a good song is hard to find. Well, sometimes. If you're not constantly tapping into the inner workings of the music world, it can get frustrating, or boring, or whatever. My friends complain a lot about how they are tired of all their music, but they don't know how to find new stuff.
That is where I come in.
At least once a week, I will post a GOOD SONG. They will vary a lot in style, genre, age, etc. This is not a hipster-music blog. There are plenty of those. Besides, I am not quite hip enough. This is a GOOD MUSIC blog. Music from all over the world, past and present (future is a bit harder), famous, infamous, and barely-heard.


So, without further ado, here is my first GOOD SONG:


A Good Man Is Hard To Find


This blog gets its name from this song by Sufjan Stevens entitled "A Good Man Is Hard To Find" (harder than a good song? really!). Tom Waits also has a song by the same name. Very different sounds though. Apparently Sufjan's song is based on the story of the same name by the writer Flannery O'Connor, which I have never read. I'll get on that.

Mr. Stevens himself, looking quite the ARTEEST

Sufjan is an interesting character. Born in Michigan, he is a very practicing Christian who plays just about every instrument imaginable. He has a really lovely voice, kind of ethereal-sounding in this song, very soft. However, he can really rock out, too. His albums vary widely from each other, especially his early stuff. For a while he promised us that he would make an album for every one of the 50 states! Yes! So he wrote albums for Illinois and Michigan. Unfortunately, I don't think that he is really going to follow through on that promise.
Good news, though: he did just release a new EP entitled All Delighted People. You can buy it online for only $5! Here is the link:


http://sufjanstevens.bandcamp.com/




If you like this song by Sufjan, here are some other artists you might like:
Elliott Smith
Nick Drake
Iron & Wine
Horse Feathers
Bon Iver




Look 'em up on http://www.last.fm/> if you're curious. It's a great site. Similar to Pandora in that you can create your own little radio station tailored to your music taste.




Anyhoo, comments are appreciated.
Let me know what you think!


Over & Out
Anna