A Summer Bouquet

I know it's summer and I should have a lot more free time, being a teacher and all, but it's actually been a bit crazy. I've been outta town for a while, and heck, I'm still outta town. Thus, my posts this month will probably be pretty short. Oh well.

Some summery dudes making some summery music.

Here's a GOOD (SUMMER) SONG for y'all:   Get Up by Jonquil

Jonquil is a group from Oxford, England (one of my favorite places in the world. You walk into that town and feel centuries of knowledge just seeping into your bones. It's pretty cool). A jonquil, by the way, is pretty much just another word for a daffodil. In case you were wondering. Anyway, this song has some great guitar opening it up and then the drums and vocals kick in, and it just gets more fun. I have no idea what the song is about or what the vocals are really, but it's OK. It's still a fun song.

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

Wolf Parade
Yeasayer
Vampire Weekend
Yellow Ostrich
Local Natives

Over and out,
Anna

Birthday Post: Rolling Stones & Stone Rollin'

So, today is my birthday! Huzzah!

In honor of this festive occasion, I am posting a bunch of GOOD SONGS songs that I just can't get enough of. They are also GOOD SUMMER SONGS!

This is what real rocking out looks like. Look closely.
You may be tested on this later, kids.

The first GOOD SONG is Loving Cup by the Rolling Stones, off their album Exile On Main Street.
If you aren't a fan of the Rolling Stones, then I just don't know what to tell you.  I have to admit, in the Beatles vs. Stones argument, I always go with the Stones.
Exile On Main Street is a CLASSIC album, and is interesting in that when it was first released, it got really bad reviews by many people. But now people have come to appreciate it much more. Fun fact: the U2 album Achtung Baby (my favorite album of theirs, I think) was almost called Cruise Down Main Street, in homage to the Stones.
Loving Cup is a fantastic song for many reasons. That intro piano reminds me a bit of the Charlie Brown theme song. But it goes on and the drums come in and it gets so rockin. This song is a perfect taste of the album as a whole.
The song struck me as funny the first time I heard it, since the refrain is "Gimme a little drink from your loving cup/Just one drink and I'll fall down drunk," since in my family, if you wanted to share a drink with someone, you would ask if the other person wanted to share a loving cup with you. Apparently a loving cup is a ceremonial cup that used to be used at marriages and things like that, where everyone took a sip. I don't think that is what the Rolling Stones are talking about, but then again, maybe I'm wrong.

Also clearly a bad-ass onstage. Take notes.

Speaking of rolling stones, the next GOOD SONG is Go To Hell by Raphael Saadiq, from his new album called Stone Rollin'.
You can definitely hear the Rolling Stones influence in his music, which, although is classified as "neo-soul," has some real rock n' roll flavor to it. I love the song Go To Hell because it rises to a fantastic crescendo with that choir in the background and the cymbals and the string section (kinda like You Can't Always Get What You Want, although less over the top). I love the chorus: Let Love bring us together! Let Love bring us together!
The other truly GOOD SONG off the same album is the title track Stone Rollin' (be aware that the video is pretty sexual). The harmonica in the beginning reminds me of the song Midnight Rambler by the Rolling Stones (most certainly a GOOD SONG). Definitely listen to them both. Hear the influence?
Raphael Saadiq is an interesting cat. He was born Charlie Ray Wiggins in Oakland, CA in 1966, and was part of the R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!. He has collaborated with TLC, John Legend, Earth Wind & Fire, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Snoop Dogg, Stevie Wonder, and many, many more. Not surprisingly, he performed with Mick Jagger at the Grammy Awards show this year.
Stone Rollin' is his fourth solo album, and was only released May 10th. I think it's worth checking out.

If you liked these songs, you might also like:

Aloe Blacc (see this post)
Eli Paperboy Reed (see this post)
John Legend
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (see this post)
D'Angelo
Artists similar to the Rolling Stones? I don't even know where to start. You've probably heard them all. As for current artists who were influenced by them, the list is, again, way too long. Do your own research.

Over and out,
Anna

"Can't you live and be thankful you're here?"

So I first heard of the band Guillemots (pronounced Gill-i-mots) my freshman year of college when they released an EP that I heard somewhere and was instantly hooked. The band is based in London, although only one ban member is actually from England: Fyfe "Yes This Is My Real Name" Dangerfield. The other band mates are mC LOrd "Probably Not My Real Name" MagRao from Brazil, Aristazabal "Yes I Too Have Cool Name" Hawkes from Canada, and Greig "Lacking In The Cool Name Department" Stewart from Scotland. Aristazabal is a classically trained jazz musician, MagRao often plays unconventional instruments like the power tool, the theramin, and the typewriter, and overall their sound is unusual and fresh and super-FUN. 

See? Like I said, men just look better in hats.

Their GOOD SONG Trains to Brazil was on repeat on my ipod for months. And months.

I love this song because of the great energy behind it. It sounds like it was recorded at a party, and the saxophone that comes in is fantastic. There is surprising depth in the lyrics. My favorite lines?


"And to those of you who moan your lives
from one day to the next-
Well, let them take you next.
Can't you live and be thankful you're here?
See it could be you tomorrow or next year."

As I said, I first heard their EP my freshman year. However, for some reason known only to certain synapses in my brain (very secretive synapses that won't tell any other synapses the reasons for their actions), I didn't download any of their other stuff. Which was stupid of me, since they then released a full-length LP, and then another one in 2008. As far as I can tell, though, it's only available in Great Britain, which is really annoying. 

Fortunately for me, though, they are releasing another album this year, and it's been streaming live from The Hype Machine. I've only gotten about half-way through it, and it is also incredible. It hasn't been released yet, like I said, but I found one of my favorite songs off the album on youtube, performed live on the radio. 

Check it out:

GOOD SONG #2: I Don't Feel Amazing Now (live on the radio) by Guillemots
It's much more chill (especially in this pared-down live version, as opposed to the album version) and more melancholy. His voice has a sweetness to it, but not in a saccharine way at all. 
"Just take my hand and make me feel amazing/ Cuz I don't feel amazing now."

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

Elbow
Jens Lekman
Delta Spirit
The Elected
Dandy Warhols
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Buy their music here: Guillemots!
And cross your fingers that their new album entitled "Walk The River" (due out on this Monday, the 18th) will be available in America!

Over and out,
Anna

My Retro Music Dream Duo

Ever dream about having your own music festival, where you chose all the acts? Or about choosing your own musical dream team? Or even about what it would be like if two amazing bands became one, or two singers got married and had babies that were like perfect mixtures of their parents, with their collected musical genius?
'Cuz I do.


And one of my new favorite things to think about is what kind of kid Eli Paperboy Reed and Adele would have together, if they got together. I can't tell you what they would look like, but they would probably make music like their parents. Which is a very good thing.


Who are these people, you might ask. Well, with no further ado...

How could you not love this?

GOOD SONG: Take My Love With You by Eli Paperboy Reed and the True Loves.


So this dude is FANTASTIC. I saw him live with a bunch of my friends last Thursday at the Rock and Roll Hotel in DC, and he just blew us all away. Such an amazing live performer. You feel like you traveled back in time 50 years. A little info on him: Eli Reed is originally from Boston, but moved to Mississippi after high school, and got his career started there helping out with the gospel music with a just-starting-up church. The rest is history. His music is "neo-soul" which basically means great soul music that is also relevant and fun. It also means that his band, the True Loves, are freakin sweet. There is nothing sarcastic, ironic, shocking in his music. It's pure enjoyment. 
I HIGHLY recommend seeing him live if you get the chance.
(This is also a GOOD SONG of his: Come and Get It) 

Classy lady!

As for Adele, you probably know her because of her hit song "Chasing Pavements" from her album entitled "19," which was good, but honestly, just not as good as anything on her new album, "21" (I'm seeing a trend here). 

I really want her to get with Eli Reed because their babies would have more soul than... than.... I don't know, a lot of people. They would be FILLED WITH SOUL. FILLED, I TELL YOU. 

Her new album has a lot of goodies on it, and I am making a prediction right now: you will probably hear the song "Rumour Has It" a lot on the radio starting about now. 

But I think this song is even better:

GOOD SONG: I'll Be Waiting by Adele.

Adele is huge right now in England, and I am aware that this post is not going to be most people's first exposure to her, but honestly, I don't really care since that isn't truly what this blog is for.  She is an amazingly talented young woman (younger than I am!), and I gotta admit that it's pretty cool that a singer like her (soulful and gorgeous but not a skinny, slutty pop star) has made it so big. Her voice is so powerful that it gets me every time. Her songwriting isn't stellar, but she could be singing about cauliflower for all I care.

So yeah, that's my dream duo. 

Who's yours?

If you like these songs, you might also like these artists (both old and new):

Duffy

Sam Cooke

Aloe Blacc

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

The Zutons

Stevie Wonder

Otis Redding

Janelle Monae

Cee Lo

Over and out!

Anna

Bet You'll Like The Beta Band

I originally got into The Beta Band (from Scotland) upon the release of their album Heroes to Zeros (2004), which I fell in love with at first listen. NOT at first sight, though, since the cover looks ridiculous.

Stupid cover

Unfortunately, Heroes to Zeros was their last album before they broke up. Thus, I was forced to search deeper into their past for "new" Beta Band music. But it's OK! There made plenty of awesome stuff! I discovered their album The Three EP's, which, no surprise here, is a compilation of three EP's they made.

So, here's an older GOOD SONG song for ya from The Three EP's: Dry The Rain by The Beta Band.

It has a great chorus to it, and I can't help but groove to it. The song is hard to define, like most of their music. While doing some research on them, I discovered that they were listed as part of the following genres (listed in order of increasing ridiculousness): Alternative, Experimental, Art Rock, Folktronica,  Neo- Psychadelic, Space Rock.
Right.

Ever seen the movie High Fidelity? He puts this song in this scene:  "I will now sell five copies of "The Three EP's" by the Beta Band"

Los amigos del beta bandidos!!

If you liked this song you might also check out:

Tame Impala
Thievery Corporation
Panda Bear
Gruff Rhys and the Super Furry Animals
Air
Caribou (also known as Manitoba)
The Flaming Lips

Over & out,
Anna

"No One Ever Does It Like That Anymore"

Despite the fact that Mark Ronson was born in London, I think of him as being a New Yorker. Considering that he went to Collegiate High School in NY, then New York University (my alma mater!) and began his career in my glorious hometown, I don't think that this is a stretch.  He is such an enormously talented DJ/turntabelist/producer, I want him to be a New Yorker. The way he combines different musical traditions/band/sounds in his songs is just plain genius. Granted, his work can be a little hit-or-miss (or mostly miss, if you don't like hip-hop that much), but the stuff of his that DOES work is great.

Ronson, hard at work. 

His new album "Record Collection" just dropped a little while ago, and is a ton of fun. Ronson features of some of the songs, but an insane number of people are involved too, as usual. The record is technically by "Mark Ronson & The International" so I guess "The International" includes all those other folks.
The two best songs on it, that both have amazing videos are:

GOOD SONG #1: Bang Bang Bang (odd mash-up of old commercials, weird Japanese TV-show, and 80's style "futuristic" fun... oh yeah, and Q-Tip!!!)

GOOD SONG #2: The Bike Song (feat. Spank Rock)

One thing that I find interesting about him, though, is that as much as I love a lot of his fun singles (like the ones above), some of my FAVORITE songs of his are his short little instrumental bits that come in between songs on his album, like "Missing Words"  and "Selector" (from this latest album) and "Inversion" and "Diversion" from his previous album "Version."  Inversion is competing with "Can't Hardly Wait" by Justin Townes Earle as my #1 played song.

Anyhoo, hope you enjoy.

If you like these songs, you might also like:

(Note: OK so, since Mark Ronson has no particular style, these rec's run the gamut)

Calvin Harris
A Tribe Called Quest
M.I.A.
Adele
Lily Allen
Duran Duran

BUY HIS MUSIC HERE: MR & the Int.

Over and out,
Anna

Tales of Yore and Country Lore

On continues Recommendation Month on AGSIHTF!

This week's shout out goes to Jessie K. for her awesome recommendation of Seth Lakeman.

How he manages to play the fiddle so well with cold hands,
the world will never know.

Seth Lakeman is a pretty sweet (read: fantastic and award-winning) fiddler from Buckland Monachorum, Devon, England (read: middle of nowhere, English countryside). He originally made it relatively big on the British folk scene while performing with his brothers Sam and Sean (c'mon Mr. and Mrs. Lakeman, you couldn't have picked Gilbert or Theodore or something?).

In 2004 he released his album "Kitty Jay" which was a big success in England, and earned him a Mercury Prize nomination. Many of the songs on the album are folk songs based on stories, legends, and songs from his native Devon. Some of them are a bit morbid/spooky. In fact, the album gets its title from a local legend about a young servant girl who killed herself. A bit depressing, yes, but hey! perfect for getting into the Halloween spirit (ha! spirit! no pun intended).

The pleasant British countryside,
dotted with picturesque suicide graves.

Here is a link to the audio of today's GOOD SONG on youtube, but there are plenty of cool live versions to check out, too. --------- >  Kitty Jay

If you like this song, you might also check out:
(OK, so I wasn't sure what to write here, and so I checked Last.fm to see what it had to say.
Apparently, the following bands are closely linked to Seth Lakeman musically)

The Imagined Village
Peatbog Faeries
3 Daft Monkeys
Shooglenifty
Roddy Woomble


!!!!!!

CLEARLY, Seth has to get a cooler band name, because these freaking blow him outta the water. I think Shooglenifty is my favorite.

BUY HIS MUSIC HERE: Seth Lakeman

Over and out,
Anna