Archive for the ‘musica’ Category
New Track: Big Tree
I first heard of this awesome little group years ago. My sister went to school with one of the incredibly talented members of the band. I liked them back then, but that was when I was more in a heavier rock stage of my life, not that I don’t still love heavy rock.
Anyway, last time I was home my best friend and I somehow ended up in my sister’s car having a serious dance party to this jam…
I don’t know if it’s the timing of where I’m at with my life, the memory from having so much fun with my sister and co. that night, the fact that Big Tree now resides in SF or the humble happiness the music creates, but I absolutely adore this song.
In this song you can individually hear how each musician contributes his/her talents to the song and yet when you listen to them all together it makes for an even more powerful tune.
In so many ways this song reminds me of moving to California. Yet, it doesn’t make me long for the way my life was when I first put my foot on the gas to leave the East coast. Instead this song acts as a reminder to me that this is the journey. Through the ups and downs life remains so beautiful.
As I’m about to turn 26 I try not to look back. It was a rough year to say the least. I finally feel like I’m at the end of such a dark chapter of my life.
When I came back to San Francisco from Portland last weekend I felt like I was coming home. This is where I’m supposed to be. I have no idea where I’ll be a year from now, nor do a dare venture a guess. To quote the writing on the inside of my Grandma’s memorial service program, “you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.”
Moving to California didn’t turn out how I ever imagined it would, yet I know I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. This song has a fabulous way of reminding me of that.
New Track: Generationals
I heard this tune by the Generationals a few weeks back and it instantly put me in a better mood:
As it comes up again and again on my playlist I find I can’t help but relax a bit. It’s a perfect tune for the weather in SF this week and despite any set backs or pains that have come up, this song always does at least a little bit to help me shake it off. The sunshine surely doesn’t hurt either!
It’s one of those songs that gets me to start running in zig zags down the side walk when it comes up on my running playlist. Does anyone else do that?
All around, it’s just a feel-good jam. Enjoy your weekend.
Backwards with Time
This song is so appropriate for a variety of reasons. I spent the last night I was home with some of my nearest and dearest friends, the Kenney sisters and Jackie. Per usual, there was mucho listening to the Avett Brothers.
Now, en route back to San Francisco I’m having a glass of red wine having just finished a phenomenal book and contemplating the state of my life.
After a constant weekend of being on the go, I am alone, listening to music, writing; I’ve never been more grateful for a six hour flight in my life.
How irrevocably my life has changed in the past 8 months.
“Some say with age our purpose comes clear,
I see the opposite happening here.
Are we losing the fight?
Are we growing backwards with time?”
I used to know exactly what I wanted. I would spend my summers in Rockland hanging out with my friends and family. Eventually I grew restless.
Times changed.
Rockland is no longer a desired place to live for me.
People have changed and most of my friends have moved on.
But when it comes to the matter of family how do we move on? After living several months in San Francisco with a serious lack of love, in comparison to the immense amount of love when surrounded by so many friends and family I have back home in Maine, I was truly humbled on this last trip home just how much lighter life is when you let that much love in.
Spending some time with my brother and his girlfriend I was genuinely envious. My brother, most days, is content and happy with his life. A fisherman who loves a girl, his friends and his family. He spends his free time either hanging out with his best friends, his love or doing handy work for my parents.
A part of me is envious of that. I am envious that it could have so easily been a life I’d chose. A simple life.
However, when it comes to the familiar and the unknown I’ve always chosen the unknown. A part of me is much more comfortable with it.
My question now is: is choosing the unknown a weakness? Is it instead choosing what we know the harder option? Being satisfied with what we know and wanting what we have, not constantly striving to have what we want?
Is my life now a case of wanting what I cannot have? And not wanting what I have? Honestly, I’m not sure.
I know what I have is an incredible heart and love and loyalty for my family and friends but I also know I have a talent as a writer and a love for travel. How do I equally honor both those things?
Sigh.
“I was young and love was fun, now it’s so serious.
Now all the fun has equal pain,
There’s something wrong with this.”
New Track: Phosphorescent
I’ve been listening to Songza’s “Coachella” and “Blogged 50″ playlists pretty much non stop all week. Naturally, my iPhone is now chuck-full of new music again. (FUN FACT: The phrase “chuck-full” comes from ”a person or thing stuffed to the point of choking was ‘choke-full.’ In modern speech this expression has become ‘chock-full,’ or in less formal American English, ‘chuck-full.’”)
A couple of songs by Phosphorescent kept coming up on the “Blogged 50″ and I especially enjoyed them and I really liked the album cover. So, I bought the whole album, “Muchacho.”
“Ride On/Right On” has been one of my favorites thus far:
Whilst working away in my Virgin America headphones at work I can thankfully hear no one else in the office. Every time this track comes on I get that much more lost in the music and instantly start tapping my feet along. I love the beat.
I also really like the 60′s-ish, electric guitar in the background. It makes for a totally…groovy…sound. 
This song is one of the coolest and most unique I’ve heard in awhile. It makes me want to walk right out of my office and throw down at the nearest outdoor party.
Maybe tomorrow.
New Track: Jim James
One of my long-time favorite bands is My Morning Jacket. I frequently come back to their old albums and fall in love with their unique sound all over again. I learned of My Morning Jacket in one of those phases where my sister and I weren’t getting along all that well. She introduced me to them and it totally changed my perspective of her musical tastes.
They are one of those bands that sounds incredible recorded and puts on an equally amazing show usually with lead singer Jim James running around stage. In a cape. He’s awesome.
I was super excited when I learned he was putting out some solo work.
This song really emphasizes Jim James’s voice, which I adore. It’s also got this Paul Simon beat going on in the middle. All in all it’s just a really simple, sweet, upbeat song that displays Jim James’s incredible talents as a musician.
It’s another beautiful day in California and this song only makes my morning that much better. Big smiles.
New Track: Allah-Las
Over the weekend some friends and I celebrated the holiday together, not that any of are particular serious about celebrating Easter. It was more just a time to get together, eat some good food and laugh. It was an amazing time. We have all known each other for a while and it’s kind of like family now. As I get older I’ve realized the importance in having a few good friends vs. a lot of okay ones. I’m truly blessed to have such amazing friends here in SF.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, they’d all be rolling their eyes at this point. 
The point of this post is that one of my dear friends turned me on to some great new music this weekend. Namely, the Allah-Las.
This California band has a sound that is so incredibly unique and unlike anything I’ve heard a modern band produce before.
Right?! Listen to it again. Right now. Just listen.
They’ve got a total California vibe with that classic old school, 60′s, rock ‘n’ roll sound. Reminds me of one of my all time favorites; yes, The Doors.
The whole album is pretty incredible so it was hard to pick just one song. I chose “Catamaran” because it represents some of the classically cool lyrics the Allah-Las have produced.
They’ve apparently been around for a while but haven’t gained much in popularity. I see that changing. Soon.
I can seriously put on this album and it brings me a new perspective to life. I know that’s dramatic, but it’s true. For some reason the whole album just makes me relax and think about the bigger picture. The music relaxes me and the lyrics speak to me.
Music is different for all of us, but even if the Allah-Las self titled album doesn’t change your perspective on life, I highly recommend you download it.
New Track: Gus + Scout
This was another gem I came across when researching SXSW bands. Gus + Scout have an awesome sound.
While this song was put up over a year ago, I’m just hearing the band for the first time and am clearly hooked.
I like this slow rock and roll jam that really lets Scout’s voice be emphasized. I think her sound is totally unique and incredibly powerful. Both are extremely talented and create an awesome blues-ey/rock ‘n’ roll sound. Powerful vocals mixed with some heavy guitar and some almost Mo Town-inspired instrumentals. Into it.
Plus their story just makes me dig them even more: (From Nylon magazine) “Gus + Scout has been a long time in the making. Gus Wenner and Scout Willis (yes, their parents are Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner and Bruce & Demi, respectively) met while growing up in Hailey, Idaho, but lost touch until the were re-introduced as students at Brown University.”
The article goes on to explain how their first self-titled LP was created at Brown as an independent study project. Their story is adorable. The Nylon article is well worth a read.
New Track: Vampire Weekend
I remember first hearing of Vampire Weekend from a friend I studied abroad with in London back in 2008. I instantly fell for their sound and bumped their self-titled cd on repeat for a while. Now that I’ve heard those songs too many times to count, I’m excited for new album due out this May.
In Vampire Weekend’s new track, “Diane Young,” you hear a whole new sound from the East coast band.
The song still has some of the same tendencies of previous Vampire Weekend songs; fast-paced lyrics and a solid beat. I really like the contrast of the slow-mo fire and the rapid music in this video. Their sound is much more electronic.
I’m not sure how I feel about the song’s morphing electronic vocals, but I am a fan of the lyrics and the lead singer’s voice.
While they’ve seemingly grown as a band with their musical capabilities, they still have that same Vampire Weekend-feel, which, to me, reminds me of a new age Cape Cod. Maybe I just think that because of their track titled “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” or maybe it’s the Kennedy reference in the lyrics in this song. Either way I like it.
New Track: The Neighbourhood
I can’t decide if I like this video or the song better…
I came across this song on the Rolling Stone SXSW playlist the other day. Expect to hear more “New Track” posts off this list.
Anyway, I really like the LA feel both to the song and the video. I also like that the video is in black and white. The whole style is very ’50s James Dean, rock ‘n’ roll, raw and romantic, clearly not in the traditional sense of the word.
I’ve seen the views for this video jump tremendously over the past few days. I can’t tell if this is going to be one of those “cooler” indie songs that only the in kids know about or if it’s going to go main-stream teeny bopper style and get totally over played. I’m kind of leaning towards the latter.
Either way, right now I’m really enjoying the flow, the lyrics, the video, the 1990′s Romeo and Juliet movie-feel (would you say that’s accurate ?) and the music. Hope you do too!
New Track: Haim
I was recently introduced to Haim, a group of sisters who formulated the band in LA, CA years ago but never became all that popular until their music exploded on the UK scene. Their music video for their latest track, “Falling,” already has over 739,000 views.
The few popular tracks they have recorded have exploded all over YouTube. I’m telling you, these girls are in the process of taking over the indie music scene. I’ve been following them on Facebook and it seems that almost every day they have added more tour dates, including this year’s Bonaroo music festival.
The sisters, who look like they just walked out of an American Apparel store at all times, are extremely talented and have incredibly unique voices.
While seemingly just another indie girl band embodying all that is “hipster” these days (even their music video has what we might call an Instagram filter over it). They are incredibly talented and are so much more than a style. I was absolutely convinced of this when listening to the acoustic version of their “Go Slow” track.
All of their songs have this 80′s feel to them that make it all too easy to dance to in your chair at work while your coworkers look at you like, “What the?! It’s 10 am on a Tuesday.”
Whatever, I totally dig their sound. Furthermore, as a 20-something girl always trying to find meaning in life’s everyday adventures and constantly stumbling and learning from the falls, the lyrics are very relatable.
“Don’t stop, no, I’ll never give up
And I’ll never look back, just hold your head up
And if it gets rough, it’s time to get rough
They keep saying
Don’t stop, no one’s ever enough”
