International Month Post #2: West Africa (Cape Verde, Ghana, & Nigeria)

Sorry this post took me so long. Life got busy on me. The school year is almost over!

Anyway, across the Atlantic we go! Off to Africa! Cape Verde, Ghana, and Nigeria specifically.

Although not too far from the influences of Portugal, it seems. I just had to post something by Cesaria Evora. Her music makes me happy. My mom would always play it when she was cooking, especially at big family events like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cesaria Evora is from Cape Verde, which is a group of islands off the coast of West Africa. It was colonized by the Portugese in the 15th century, and its official language is still Portugese, even though they gained independence a while back. Cesaria Evora is freaking amazing. They call her "the barefoot diva" since she so often performs in bare feet. She started her career in 1988 at the age of 47(!!). She is still alive and touring around, being an awesome old lady, basically. Her music is jazzy and fun and sounds similar to Brazilian music, but with a distinct Cape Verdean twist to it. She is famous for singing "morna" which is the national music of Cape Verde (like the tango for Argentina).

What a freaking amazing lady. Honestly.

Here is a GOOD SONG #1 of hers:  Carnaval De Sao Vicente (Jazzy Carnaval Mix) by Cesaria Evora.
This one is much more upbeat and fun and danceable than her others.

This second one is a more standard one of hers that I love. It's more sultry, let's say. I think it's a "morna." DEFINITELY worth a listen.
GOOD SONG #2:Mar Azul

Next up, Ghana!

He's pointing at YOU.

GOOD SONG #3: Borga by Sarkodie
So I was just searching online for good African hip-hop, and turns out Ghana's pretty big on the map. I don't pretend to know much about this guy, or African rap, but I liked this song. Check it out! Rapping in umm... whatever language it is... sounds really cool! Sorry, I can't tell the difference between the different Ghanaian dialects/languages. The video is surprisingly well done, too. He looks like a baller, I gotta admit.
Definitely worth checking out if you like hip-hop in any way, shape, or form.

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but...

GOOD SONG #4: Sorry Sorry by Femi Kuti
And last but not least, Nigeria!
So Femi Kuti is the son of Fela Kuti, the "legendary"Afrobeat musician from Nigeria. Femi played in his father's band (the Nigeria '70 and then later the Egypt '80) and Afrobeat certainly played a big role in his musical upbringing.  Femi's own son is part of his band, so he's keeping the tradition alive and all in the family, it seems. Which probably isn't too hard, since the family is large.... that's what happens when your father has had 20+ wives! Anyway, this song in particular is funky and cool, with a great beat. I love it when the horns join in. I wanna dance to this song so badly. Whooooooo

If you liked these songs, you might also check out:
Ana Moura
Lura
Seun Kuti
Youssou N'Dour
Samini

Over and out,
Anna

International Month Post #1: Brazil!

Hello all!
This month I have decided to dedicate to music from the non-English-speaking world. It's fun to get out a bit. And this first post is dedicated to... Brazil! Whoo-hoo!
Brazilian music is super cool. There are tons of influences in most Brazilian music, and much of it is sort of a fusion between different styles, cultures, and sounds. Samba, tropicália, rock, funk, African music, jazz, folk, pop, reggae, and Bossa Nova all play their part. This seems quite appropriate, as Brazil itself is such a mixture of cultures and traditions. 
So, without further ado are three (!) GOOD SONGS for you, straight from Brazil!

GOOD SONG #1:Essa é Pra Tocar no Rádio by Gilberto Gil and Jorge Ben

Alert! Alert! Man in a hat! My favorite!

I first heard really good Brazilian music when I worked at a coffee shop in NYC and my coworker would play the album that this song is from. It is totally different from the music that I was used to hearing, filled with an unstoppable beat, wild and wonderfully weird monkey-like vocal noises, elements of ... of... all sorts of cool/hot Brazilian sounds that were new to my ears. I loved it! This is my favorite song from the album Gil e Jorge, I think. But the whole album is definitely worth listening to, if you like this song. Gilberto Gil and Jorge Ben are icons on the Brazilian music scene, and are good artists to start exploring. 

GOOD SONG #2: Essa é Pá Tocar no Rádio by Slim Rimografia

Slim Rimografia, not related to Slim Shady.

This song is so fun! I think I discovered Slim Rimografia on amiestreet.com (alas, now taken over by amazon, and totally useless), although I'm not positive. However it was I'm glad of it! This is a really great song by a Brazilian hip-hop artist, and it samples none other than my first GOOD SONG! I have no idea why it's called "Essa é Pá Tocar no Rádio," though, instead of "Essa é Pra Tocar no Rádio." Who knows. Anyway, I love his vocal style, and also the style of the girl (?) Coruja who is also featured on the track. I'm surprised by how cool Portugese rap sounds. 

GOOD SONG #3: Já é by Jorge Aragão.

You'd be smiling, too, if you were this dude.

I got further (MUCH further) into Brazilian music after my friend Matt made me a Brazilian music CD, some 40 tracks long, that introduced me to some amazing Brazilian artists that never, ever fail to make me feel happy. This track was on there, and I just had to share it with you all. It's a fantastic live recording of his, and man, it just makes me want to MOVE. 


If you liked these songs, you might also check out:
Caetano Veloso
Elis Regina
Milton Nascimento
Djavan
Sergio Ricardo
Contra Fluxo
Kamau


Over and out,
Anna

King (Joseph) Arthur

Sometime in high school I got a copy of CMJ magazine, which had a CD attached to it and heard the song "Let's Embrace" by Joseph Arthur (which I couldn't find on youTube unfortunately), and fell in love with it's lyrics and poppy beat. Since that day long, long ago, he has released a bunch more albums, of which I have only a few. But the ones I do have are great. And definitely worth spreading the word about.

Channeling the Bob Dylan look, methinks

So Joseph Arthur is originally from Akron, Ohio (like the Black Keys!). He tours a hell of a lot, although I still have yet to see him live. I find a lot of his lyrics interesting, and I like that his songs range from quieter, more melancholy singer-songwriter-y songs, to fun, high-energy poppy numbers like the first one I heard. A lot of people compare him to R.E.M., and in fact they actually covered a song of his. He's released five full LP's so far. He lived in NYC for a while, was there for 9/11, and then to escape NYC he moved down to New Orleans... right before Katrina hit. Man, he doesn't have the best timing for choosing places to live, does he?? His latest album didn't get the best reviews, but I don't give a crap. I like a lot of the songs on it. Like this one:

GOOD SONG: Black Lexus by Joseph Arthur (from his album Nuclear Daydream).
The song sounds like it's about a woman wanting to head out from NYC to LA, to make it big, and yet can't seem to get the momentum. I really like the guitar on this one, and also the lyrics
"You don't know where you're going
Almost anytime
Things lost just lighten up your load."

Buy his music here: Joseph Arthur

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

Fistful of Mercy (another group that he is part of, with Ben Harper & Dhani Harrison)
Pete Yorn
Griffin House
Johnathan Rice
Ray LaMontagne
Langhorne Slim
Liam Finn

Over and out,
Anna

"If I had an orchard..."

So here goes a quick post before Easter for y'all (I'm allowed to say that now. I live below the Mason-Dixon line).

So most of you are probably acquainted with Fleet Foxes already, but in case you're not: They're based in Seattle (again! I can't avoid em!) and released two EP's before they really got noticed. Their song "Mykonos" off their second EP "Sun Giant" is a GOOD SONG, too. Check it out if you haven't already: Mykonos. They relelased their self-titled debut album in 2009 and got rave reviews.

Look at all that hair! Look at all that plaid!

They were just MADE to be indie folk stars.

Fortunately for FF fans, they're releasing a new album on May 3rd! Also fortunately, they released a single from that album already:

GOOD SONG:  Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes (from their upcoming album of the same title as the song).

This is a GOOD SONG for many reasons: first, I love the lyrics.

 

"I was raised up believing I was somehow unique

Like a snowflake, distinct among snowflakes

Unique in each way you can see.

But now after some thinking

I'd say I'd rather be

A functioning cog in some great machinery

Serving something beyond me."

To me those are interesting: aren't we all raised up believing we are totally unique and yet don't we all want to be part of something greater, too?

And then:

"If I know only one thing, 

it's that everything that I see

Of the world outside is so inconceivable 

often I barely can speak

Yeah I'm tongue-tied and dizzy 

and I can't keep it to myself.

What good is it to sing helplessness blues?

Why should I wait for anyone else?"

I often feel this way: everything is so beautifully crazy and inconceivable that sometimes I feel like anything I say will just fall short. But it doesn't mean lack of action, or helplessness, or despair. Instead, it's joyful. 

And then the last part of the song (I promise! No more lyrics now!):

"If I had an orchard, I'd work til I'm raw.

If I had an orchard, I'd work til I'm sore."

Yes. And yes. 

Second, their sound is awesome. Their chiming, jangling guitars and their distinctive echoing vocal harmonies are so refreshing. There is real beauty in their music and I can't wait for their new album.

Buy their music here: Fleet Foxes

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

Simon & Garfunkel

Bon Iver

Panda Bear

Grizzly Bear

Vashti Bunyan (super folksy & weird)

Joanna Newsom (super folksy & weird)

Iron & Wine

Over and out,

Anna

P.S. Happy Easter!!

"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

What I Ask

Just the other day I was listening to a mix I made in high school, and I came across a song that I hadn't listened to in a while. I guess I must have forgotten about it for a while, which is insane and kind of shameful, since it's an amazing song and I used to listen to it all the time. Oh well. I have returned to it. Why don't you all give it a listen?

GOOD SONG: What I Ask by David Kitt

What I Ask is for you not to spit on my mic

I didn't know much about David Kitt before I decided to write this post, so I did a little research. He's an Irish musician (from Dublin) and has toured with such big names as Yo La Tengo, Tindersticks, The Magic Numbers, and Television. The guy ain't no joke. He's released six LP's so far, with his most popular one being "The Big Romance" (2001), which is the record that "What I Ask" is from.  His most recent one is "The Nightsaver" (2009).

This song is great in its lyrical simplicity; the refrain is simply:
"Love/ is what I ask/ no less."
 I like his rather warm, earthy voice (can I use that adjective?) combined with the almost entirely electronic musical elements; he makes it work. I love the guitar that kicks in right around the 4:10 mark. The song keeps getting bigger, more beautiful, and more earnest as it goes, but eventually fades into a rippling guitar chord and then silence.  It's a great song to listen to while driving at night. Trust me.

Buy his music here! David Kitt

If you liked this song, you might also like:

Joseph Arthur
The Rosebuds
Loney Dear
The Frames
Simple Kid
Sufjan Stevens
The Beta Band

Over and out,
Anna

Behold the Power of Telekinesis!

Telekinesis (also called psychokinesis): the ability to move or affect objects unconnected to the body using only the mind.

Right.

Fortunately, it also happens to be a great band from Seattle (Seattle! Again! Something in the water maybe?).
Telekinesis is just one guy basically, whose name is Michael Benjamin Lerner, but on tour he's joined by Cody Votolato (former member of The Blood Brothers, and whose actual brother is Rocky Votolato, who is a great folk singer in his own right), David Broecker, and Jonie Broecker. So far there have been only two full-length albums: "Telekinesis!" (2009) and "Twelve Desperate Straight Lines" (earlier this year).

Here is proof of the power of telekinesis:
GOOD SONG: Fever Chill by Telekinesis.
This seemed like an appropriate song to pick, since I am feeling sick, and there is definitely some terrible fever chill bug going around amongst my students. I think I may have caught it :(

Watch out for that eagle behind you, my friend. 

It might have telekinetic powers. 

Their new album is awesome. It's great guitar-driven and hook-filled pop, but it's not just fluff. "Fever Chill" is a little bit darker than some of the other songs on the album. His voice sounds very young, but there is a quite mature brooding emotion on the song that I really like. When the drums kick in (literally), the song reaches another level of greatness. Give it a spin!

If you liked this song you might also like:

Throw Me The Statue

The Rural Alberta Advantage

Weezer

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

Smith Westerns

Over and out,

Anna