meet me on the equinox, meet me half way when the sun is perched at its’ highest peak in the middle of the day. let me give my love to you, let me take your hand as we walk in the dimming light … but darling understand that everything, everything ends; that everything, everything ends.

meet me on your best behavior, meet me at your worst for there will be no stone unturned or bubble left to burst. let me lay beside you, darling, let me be your man and let our bodies intertwine … but darling understand that everything, everything ends; that everything, everything ends.

everything,

everything,

everything ends.

…

Just a few updates.  I just finished moving into my new place.  I still have boxes around, but I’m clearing them out little by little.  That explains the lack of posts by myself.  However, I will be starting to post slightly less due to another academic program I will be starting in a few months.

I’ve been listening to the radio lately and I just figured out who Lady GaGa is.  I’ve come up with this simple math equation to illustrate my summation of her music and style:  Ugly white women + terrible fashion sense + redundant house music + idiotic repetitious club/party themed lyrics = Lady GaGa.

It probably goes without saying at this point, but just in case people still think Death Cab is hip, cool, and indie I probably need to clarify.  The new Death Cab for Cutie song “Meet Me on The Equinox” from the New Moon soundtrack is awful.  Just plain terrible.  DCFC fell out of favor with me back on Plans and it has just gotten worse.  The only recent bright spot for Ben Gibbard has been his contributions on the Jack Kerouac soundtrack.

In other news I have been listening to Ester Drang’s Pleasure Themes and Get Rich Schemes and it is excellent.  I bought it while I was in Chicago at Reckless Records as well as a bunch of other vinyl.  I have all the other items in Ester Drang’s catalog and I like the, but there is always something about the often overlooked Ep’s bands put out the make them appealing.  Hardly do they ever live up to the hype.  Pleasure Themes… is the exception.  I highly recommend it.

• I don’t really know which has been worse, the second half of Season 13 for South Park (Whale Whores made me laugh) or the latest season of Family Guy.
• Head over to Amazon.com because they have some great Criterion Collection movies (Seven Samurai, Third Man, For All Mankind, M) that are a “must buy” for the movie lover on your Christmas list.
• The Third Man is out of print according to the official Criterion site so snatch up a copy if you can find one.
• Invictus comes out in a few weeks and it looks like a great holiday movie (it helps that I used to play rugby).
• Robert Rodriguez seems to think that he can save the Predator franchise from the streaming heap that it has become (see AVP 1 & 2)
• I haven’t been a fan of Death Cab For Cutie since The Photo Album, but this is still a great song 

Saturday night, I was in the presence of greatness. Her name was Lady Gaga.

Her show was incredible; everything a pop show should be. Her outfits were obviously insane, there was props, theatrics, great choreography and her vocals were actually fantastic (sang live the whole show, unlike most of her peers). It was one of the best concerts I’ve been to, and it got me thinking about all the concerts I’ve seen, and more importantly, all the ones I want to see.

Every music fan has a bucket list of who they need to see live before they die. Sometimes it’s all-time-favourite, sometimes it’s someone who impacted music in a big way, and sometimes it’s someone who just puts on a great show. My criteria is kind of all over the place, but these are the bands I would like to see play at least once in my lifetime.

I’d love to see The Foo Fighters in concert, they make my list. Dave Grohl is insanely talented (and intimidates the hell out of me but that’s another story) and it’d be great to see the man do what he does best. My friend Courtney saw them and said they were fantastic, so that helps their case.

The Killers are one of my favourite bands of the decade. I don’t know what their live shows are like but I would love to go see them. I love all their albums and know I would have a great time, and honestly? I’ve looked at their website and some of their merch is insane! I totally want a “Smile Like You Mean It” toothbrush!

Death Cab For Cutie are basically my favourite band. Part of me would be satisfied saying “Ben Gibbard in any form” because I would love to see some of his solo acoustic sets, but I need the full band. I want the real deal! How can “Sound of Settling” sound as perfect as it is without the whole band there?

On the flipside comes the two artists I will see in any capacity – Jenny Lewis and Jack White. (Not together, although that would be amazing). I love everything Jenny Lewis does and would be jsut as satisfied seeing her solo (or with the Watson Twins, Jonathon Rice etc) or with Rilo Kiley. Same goes for White – I’d see the White Stripes in a fucking heartbeat, but I’d be just as happy to watch his brilliance with the Dead Weather.

I’d like to see Britney in concert. Preferably it’d be Britney from five years ago when she was on her A-game, but I like to believe she can bring it back. I remember, even in my angsty rebellious days when I was “too good” for pop music, I would be mesmerized by her performances. She knew how to entertain, that’s for damn sure. I don’t know if she’s lost it for good or already got it back or what, but I’d like to go and just see for myself.

Morrissey is someone I would like to see, even though it will a) probably never happen as he refuses to tour Canada and b) not last that long as he is infamous for stomping off stage early for being upset about one thing or another. So yes, it might be a waste of money or a miserable experience, but the man defined my musical tastes. I’d like to see him in person, if only for one song.

Speaking of defining my musical tastes, Paul McCartney is hesitantly on my list. Not because I’m not sure if I want to see him or not, oh hell no, but because I don’t know if he is someone I need to see before I die. I feel like it’s rude of me to demand this – like if I do see him in concert, it would be an honour. A little less “oh my god my life is complete” and a little more “oh my god my life has been blessed to ahve been in his presence.” Truth moment: if I ever do see Macca live, I will bawl like a fucking baby. I know I will. I tear up watching him perform on TV (like his Thanksgiving special last week, or Live 8). And it’s fucking Hey Jude every time, where everyone sings along because it’s fucking Hey Jude, and I just get so overwhelmed… remind me to invest in waterproof mascara.

Finally, there is the Number One Ultimate My Life Is Invalid Unless I See This Man In Concert – David Bowie. He is everything I love in a musician. He is amazing, talented, fierce, epic, fantastic, perfect, etc. etc. etc. I will see this man perform and then I can die happy the next day – my life will have been complete.

Now don’t think these are the only artists I want to see – I won’t turn down the chance to see Metric, Santogold, Devendra Banhart, Blur, Connor Oberst or Bruce Springsteen (wait, how the fuck did those last few not make the list????). But let’s be real, David Bowie is the only thing that matters.

(note: my friends tell me their concert bucket lists include everyone from Marilyn Manson to Rise Against to Britney – who makes your list?)

So it has been a while since I have blogged and I am going to try and ease myself back into it with some music recommendations.

This is a broad music recommendation because these are music finds from the last few months and I must nod to those around me that are currently infleuncing my soundtrack.

The XX self named album is great espically for night time in particular late night talks over tea or vodka…. The newest single from the album  is Crystalised and another song I would recommend is ‘Heart skipped a Beat’ , they are playing in Tripod in December 19th.

I have only recently started to listen to Bat for Lashes and I am eagerly waiting for her to scheldue an Irish gig, but of you are new to BFL check out ‘Sleep Alone’.

One female singer songwriter that I have been listening to  for a while is Little Boots she played The Academy Friday night where she performed a new song she had written after seeing Twilight New Moon called ‘Echoes’ she may be able to get you moving with Remedy and Earthquake but this new song really shows the strength of her voice and her superb songwriting abilities.

Since we are on the topic of New Moon the soundtrack has been on my ipod for a few weeks now and contrary to what many music critics may say my favourite song is theDeath Cab for Cutie ‘Meet me on the Equinox’ it has been said that once DCFC are out of the way, the soundtracks stronger songs come forward but if you want to check out Death Cab for Cutie away from Twilight listen to ‘I will possess your heart’.

Returning back to female singer songwriter one of my favourites at the moment is Marina and the Diamonds she recently palyed a gig at The Academy, before releasing her latest single Mowgoli Road she had the enitre audience singing all of her songs back to her. Her videos are superb Mowgli Road , Obession and I am not a Robot are all worth checking out on her myspace.

Finally, an Irish band I would like to receommend is Heritage Centre a favouite of mine is ‘I like I will protect you’ unfortunately they have no upcoming gigs at the moment but keep an eye on their myspace.

Hello lovely people!

So this song literally seems to be following my everywhere I go at the moment notably due to a certain Christmas advert circulating the television screens of the nation. Former member of The Concretes- Victoria Bergsman or Taken By Trees as she’s also known, is mostly to blame for this. The Swedish songtress’ cover of Guns N’ Roses‘ Sweet Child O’ Mine is her first UK single to be released and it has already hit the UK top 40. Well done her!

Her latest album East of Eden is available to but now unfortunately that song is not included on the track listing, it’s still worth a listen though.

Hearing Taken By Trees‘ version suddenly made me want to share my favourite cover versions, done well.

Scarlett Johansson- Anywhere I Lay My Head (Tom Waits cover)

Scarlett Johansson- Falling Down (Tom Waits cover)

Cat Powers- Yesterday Is Here (Tom Waits cover)

Cat Powers- Stuck Inside Of Mobile (Bob Dylan cover)

Charlotte Gainsbourg- Just Like A Woman (Bob Dylan cover)

Yael Naïm- Toxic (Britney Spears cover)

Friendly Fires- I’m Good I’m Gone (Lykke Li cover)

The Shins- Will Become Silhouettes (The Postal Service cover)

Iron & Wine- Such Great Heights (The Postal Service cover)

Muse- Feeling Good (from several versions most commonly known for Nina Simone’s release)

Jimi Hendrix- All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan cover)

Led Zeppelin- You Shook Me (Muddy Waters cover)

The Byrds- Mr Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan cover)

The Byrds- My Back Pages (Bob Dylan cover)

The Byrds/ Nico- I’ll Keep It With Mine (Bob Dylan cover)

The Nitty Gritty Band- Mr. Bojangles (Jerry Jeff Walker cover)

The majority of these songs are Bob Dylan’s but that is probably due to bias. I do think he is the most amazing song writer.I wouldn’t say that these songs are better than the original but they are definitely on a par. What makes a good cover is subjective and differs for everyone. But these are definitely my fave!

Until next time…

Ieri am vazut Twilight. In locul trailerului, pe care sigur l-ati vazut, am preferat videoclipul celor de la Death Cab For Cutie pentru ca melodia lor o ascult de cateva zile mai des decat ar trebui si imi aminteste de una dintre legile lui Murphy despre dragoste: Cel care spune ca e mai bine sa iubesti si sa pierzi decat sa nu iubesti deloc, nu a iubit si nu a pierdut.
In ceea ce priveste filmul, nu va asteptati la prea mult sange, actiune, violenta, etc. Mie mi-a placut si nu pentru ca ma incita filmele pe tema aceasta, si se stie ca nu sunt o fana a filmelor de dragoste. Nu stiu de ce… Poate de vina este starea de spirit pe care o am in ultimele zile.
In concluzie, daca vrei sa mergi cu iubita, poti fi sigur ca ii va placea. Invers, daca vrei sa mergi cu iubitul… anunta-l sa isi ia si perna, ca sa nu se plictiseasca.

I ate the last cube of cookie dough for breakfast.

I’m not going to lie–Felicity Purwin (who just went out on her own and made this video) has a fan for life.

Continuăm Retrospectiva anilor 2000.

Astăzi începem seria de articole In Memoriam Teo Peter.

Albume 2003. Alfabetic

…

Beck. Sea Change

Belle and Sebastian. Dear Catastrophe Waitress

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Take Them On On Your Own

Cat Power. You Are Free

Elvis Costello. North

Dandy Warhols. Welcome to the Monkey House

Death Cab For Cutie. Transatlanticism

Brian Eno. Bell Studies for The Clock of The Long Now

Killing Joke. Killing Joke

Lamb. Between Darkness and Wonder

Mogwai. Happy Songs For Happy People

Radiohead. Hail To The Thief

White Stripes. Elephant

Xiu Xiu. A Promise

Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Fever To Tell

…

Autor: Eddie Better

Every time I come home for a weekend or for break, my OnDemand channel always let me catch up on older episodes of The OC. As I was watching two eps. from the second season today while eating breakfast, I started to wonder why The OC was so successful. I loved the show. Many people enjoyed it, but why was this show any different? Why is The OC more recognized than One Tree Hill or Smallville? These are the reasons I have come up with:

- The show was well liked by both males and females

- The show produced GREAT music. Indie rock at its best.

- You liked all of the main characters (Ryan, Marissa, Seth, and Summer)

- Newport Harbor High was way better than your highschool ever was

- It introduced new vocabulary to your every day life like Christmakah, stealth, brooding, etc. We all know that you never used to say that until The OC came along!

- Death Cab For Cutie performed on an episode

- It brought to light a new kind of humor

- They always rotated new characters in to create more excitement, but when you got tired of them, their exit timing was appropriate.

- They dressed well!

- You always knew in the end the Summer and Seth would end up together and Ryan and Marissa …sort of

- The OC lasted four strong seasons – well maybe 3 cause Marissa died.

- Catchy theme song – Phantom Planet’s California

- The OC launched the careers of all of the actors and actresses

- The OC really stands for “THE Orange County,” making it sound 10x more epic

well, it’s that time of year again. i’m sure many of you are out braving the black friday frenzy. we’re not ready to deal with that here, so when you’re done with all the craziness you can be sure that you’ll have a calm and cool shopping spree with us.

today i wanted to highlight some of the eclectic and fun items that we have here. any of these things (and really anything on our website) are really great gifts for that person who is just so hard to shop for. we often get dubbed the shop where you can get something for someone who ‘already has everything’. it’s so true! everything we have is unique, practical and price conscious. that last part is pretty important too, since everyone is looking for ways to save their pennies in this economy.

ok ok… let’s get started here….

first off, we have some beautiful new jewelry from aroha silhouettes. created by one of the nicest people around, tania hennessy, these earrings and necklaces are smaller, shinier versions of her popular vinyl record series. we loved those so much, we just had to get in on her new line of stainless steel pieces. so lovely!

we also have a lot of  fun stuff from gama go. cute wallets, coin purses, magnets, mugs, etc. all of it is so wallet friendly as well. all gama go merch is between $9-$24. it really doesn’t get any better than that, right??

i of course cannot forget to mention some of the amazing amazing prints that we also carry. this deathcab print is one of my faves and by local artist dan stiles. we also have tons and tons of other really fantastic screen prints and giclee prints.

for the people you know that work hard AND like to have fun, we have tons of really great office items like these ‘4 eyes flash drives’ from imm living. this flash drive is not only super unique and original, but also doubles as a bookmark too! how cool is that?

we also have some cool stuff for the kiddos like these bObles tumbling animals. these are really great for kids of any age to teach them coordination, agility, or just to kind of roll around on. they would also make great gifts for any adult who is a kid at heart, as stepping stools or for decoration.

last but not least, we got these super cool measuring cups/nesting dolls from fred and friends. you have to admit, this is absolutely genius. these measuring cups are sooo cute, practical and such a smart idea! i mean, come on… they are so adorable, you can set them on your kitchen counter instead of having even MORE stuff cluttering up your utensil drawers. not only that, but we got some other really fabulous stuff from fred. definitely check out our online store for all the cool stuff we have.

i want to let you all know as well that we can ship any of our items in time for christmas AND we can gift wrap!!! just make sure to get your orders in soon!

i have been listening to this album today and like many other albums i have i forget how good this album really is . you should give this a play if you dont already own it .

Throughout their career, and especially since they were forever enshrined as the favorite band of sardonic emo kid Seth Cohen on television’s THE OC, Death Cab For Cutie have always been known as indie rock’s most famous sensitive guys. Even at their most abrasive on previous albums like PLANS and WE HAVE THE FACTS AND WE’RE VOTING YES, Ben Gibbard and crew have always had an inherent gentleness along with the low-key pop sensibility that allowed them to make the jump from the indie fringe to major-label stardom. The ambitious, experimental NARROW STAIRS is Death Cab For Cutie’s unexpectedly edgy response to any preconceptions, a wide-ranging, noisy and exciting album that sounds little like anything they’ve done before. From the epic-length first single. “I Will Possess Your Heart.” through the spacy, almost psychedelic “Pity and Fear” and the noise-riddled “Your New Twin Sized Bed,” NARROW STAIRS is Death Cab For Cutie’s equivalent to Radiohead’s KID A, a bracingly ambitious attempt to counter expectations as their stardom ascends.
After spending the better part of a decade in the musical minor leagues, Death Cab for Cutie went pro with 2005’s Plans, a record whose optimism and Technicolor sound gave the band enough leverage to finally enter the mainstream. “Soul Meets Body” became their biggest rock single to date, but it was Ben Gibbard’s delicate love song, “I Will Follow You Into the Dark,” that earned the quartet a Grammy nomination and legions of new fans. Some bands might have taken a cue from such success and resigned themselves to a career of acoustic ballads, not unlike the Goo Goo Dolls’ transformation in the mid-’90s. But Narrow Stairs roughs up Plans’ bright palette with something starker, more harrowing, and altogether darkened by Gibbard’s blues. No longer crooning about immortal love or his desire to embrace all of Manhattan, the frontman lives inside his own troubled head on these 11 tracks — or at least the heads of the characters he conjures up with ease, like some music-minded novelist with a knack for pop melodies and witty observations. There’s “Cath,” an ill-married girl who “holds a smile like someone would hold a crying child,” as well as the creepy stalker in “I Will Possess Your Heart,” who simply demands that his intended lover give him the time of day. Elsewhere, Gibbard examines a friend’s recent heartbreak by referencing her bedroom furniture (“Your New Twin Sized Bed”), offering up his concern — if not quite his help — while the band conjures up a lazy summer’s day with gauzy keyboards and brightly chiming riffs. Such contrast between music and text plays an occasional role on Narrow Stairs, with songs like “No Sunlight” and “Long Division” pairing somber lyrics with upbeat orchestration. But the album largely paints itself as the darker, mysterious cousin to Plans — raw rather than polished, heartbroken rather than optimistic, enigmatic rather than energetic. Gibbard strings his words together with an army of free-flowing “ands” and “buts”, and the resulting lyrics — long, uncoiling sentences with no clear end — mirror his characters’ desperate attitudes. Narrow Stairs is far from desperate, however, and the album’s willingness to steer Death Cab into unfamiliar territory (or, to reference an earlier lyric, “into the dark”), is by far its strongest asset. ~ Andrew LeaheyRolling Stone (p.66) – 4 stars out of 5 — “[T]he album is as dark as anything the band has done….[T]he most indelible moment is ‘Grapevine Fires,’ a minor-key processional framed by churchy organ and electric piano.

http://www.mediafire.com/?hwmwwucikti

“Meet Me on the Equinox” is a song by indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, and was released as the first single from the soundtrack to the film New Moon.^[1] The song debuted on September 13 during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. The music video, directed by the Walter Robot team, premiered in October.

Alexandra Patsavas, music supervisor on New Moon, provided scenes from the film to some of the artists featured on the soundtrack as a guide. Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla said he had read two of the books in the Twilight series at the time of the song’s recording, and noted that the lyrics are more suggestive than literal.

Singer Ben Gibbard admitted that he hadn’t read all of the books in the Twilight series, and said that the song is more about his personal life than Stephenie Meyer’s fictional world. Gibbard said of the song’s meaning: “The song at its core is just about meeting another halfway, because life is very short, because there’s only a brief period of time to really connect with people, and that it’s important to recognize that.”Gibbard added, “I just wanted something that kind of tonally matched the story and the scenes within the film, so they could kind of be put alongside but not be telling a narrative you’re watching on the screen.”

I have been feeling recently like my 16 year old self is making a bit of a comeback. I’ve been going through a fairly emotional few months involving feelings of uncertainty concerning someone I love very much. It’s all up in the air, and is causing me hurt, regret and hours of reflection on a daily basis. And as a consequence, I’ve been finding increased meaning in song lyrics. Just like my teenage self, locked in my bedroom listening to bands like Therapy? and convincing myself I was the most tortured soul on the planet.

Much darker subject material then of course, all the songs that appeal to me so much just now are about love and relationships and similar topics. Not the cheesy pop anthems that entertain 16 year olds these days, I’m listening to Death Cab for Cutie, Iron and Wine, Band of Horses, the Reindeer Section…..thoughtful, sensitive, gently bearded types mostly. I suppose I should be grateful at least, that even if I’ve reverted to the habit of believing that certain lyrics are completely referring to my own personal circumstances, at least my tastes have grown up.

There is something so simple and uncomplicated and beautiful about song lyrics. I’ve sent a few songs to the person involved in this situation, and I suppose it’s my modern day version of sending a love poem. I’ve never really enjoyed reading poetry, but that’s what song lyrics are, modern poetry. Sometimes other people can express how you feel better than you ever could yourself. And especially songs about love and loss. We’ve all been through it, every one of us – it’s probably one of the most universal truths. We all want to love and be loved in return.

I don’t know what the outcome is going to be this time around but no matter what happens, I’m sure there will already be a song written that will do the job. Right now, while it’s all still unresolved but I’m trying to stay hopeful, this is my favourite. (If you haven’t heard The Reindeer Section before, make sure you do. They are in my opinion one of the finest bands ever to come out of Scotland).

You Are My Joy by the Reindeer Section:
I won’t leave you out of my will
But I will leave you out of my mind, for now
I won’t be there to break your sweet heart
But not being there might break your sweet heart

You are my joy

If I could cradle you into my arms
I would cradle you tight in my arms always
So don’t be scared of all the hurtful words
‘Cos in the end they’ll hurt themselves much more

You are my joy

The NME got in on the act early. This Sunday the Observer Music Monthly publishes its top 50. So I thought I might as well have a go. I wanted to get mine done first and see how much common ground I’ve got with the OMM seeing as its my favourite music mag. It’s harder than you’d think to select just 50 albums that span 2000-2009. I’ve had to leave out some records I really like. But here we go… Please comment as you feel necessary!

50 – Daft Punk: Discovery.

49 – Bob Dylan: Modern Times.

48 – Camille: Le Fil.

47 – Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.

46 – The Blue Nile: High.

45 – New Order: Get Ready.

44 – Mercury Rev: All Is Dream.

43 – R.E.M.: Accelerate.

42 – Fionn Regan: The End Of History.

41 – The Beatles: Love.

40 – The Avalanches: Since I Met You.

39 – Badly Drawn Boy: The Hour Of Bewilderbeast.

38 – Roots Manuva: Awfully Deep.

37 – Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever ago.

36 – Mark B & Blade: The Unknown.

35 – Coldplay: Parachutes.

34 – Malcolm Middleton: Into The Woods.

33 – Seafood: When Do We Start Fighting…

32 – Doves: The Last Broadcast.

31 – Duke Special: Songs From The Deep Forest.

30 – Morrissey: You Are The Quarry.

29 – Guillemots: Through The Windowpane.

28 – Bruce Springsteen: The Rising.

27 – The Gaslight Anthem: The ‘59 Sound.

26 – Billy Bragg & Wilco: Mermaid Avenue Vol. II

25 – Richard Hawley: Coles Corner.

24 – Fleet Foxes:  Fleet Foxes.

23 – Athlete: Vehicles & Animals.

22 – Spin Doctors: Nice Talking To Me.

21 – Sigur Ros: Takk…

20 – Goldfrapp: Felt Mountain.

19 – Maxïmo Park: A Certain Trigger.

18 – Delirious?: Glo.

17 – The Shins: Wincing The night Away.

16 – Ben Folds: Rockin’ The Suburbs.

15 – Green Day: American Idiot.

14 – Neil Young: Living With War.

13 – Ray Lamontagne: Til The Sun Turns Black.

12 – Death Cab For Cutie: Narrow Stairs.

11 – Idlewild: The Remote Part.

10 – Johnny Cash: American IV: The Man Comes Around

An extraordinary achievement for a man in his final year. Johnny Cash’s last ‘proper’ album has the power to bring me to the edge of tears. I bought it the week he died in 2003 and played it a lot. A mixture of originals and covers, Rick Rubin’s brilliant production means there’s pathos dripping from every track. ‘Hurt’ is one of the songs of the decade which couldn’t even be ruined by that dire Nike advert. When I first heard ‘I Hung My Head’ it stopped me dead in my tracks. Just like most of the rest of this awesome album.

9 - Interpol: Turn On The Bright Lights.

I think there’s a good case to be made for Interpol as the band of the decade. To my shame I’m yet to see them live but their three dark, brooding and melodic albums demand that I get round to it soon. I think their debut is the pick of the bunch. Starting with ‘Untitled’ which takes its cues from the shoegazing bands of the early 90’s, the album goes onto channel the best of My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division and classic Krautrock. I suppose it can be said about all the records in the list but I can’t listen to this album too many times. It sends me to sleep, it wakes me up and generally soundtracks my life.

8 – Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend.

The drums alone deserve some kind of award. Chris Tomson is, for my money, the best drummer in a rock band at the moment. But this isn’t Keith Moon fury, or John Bonham theatrics. He sees the drum kit as a melodic and harmonic instrument. The kit is a lead instrument here and when allied to fantastic songwriting, it’s a winning combination. The African influence if overstated (this isn’t even the noughties’ Graceland, let alone Fela Kuti or Ali Farka Touré). However, the hints of afrobeat are enough to make this stand out from the crowd. Walcott is a great track – but there aren’t any duds here.

7 – Grandaddy: The Sophtware Slump.

This outstanding record is often compared favourably with ‘OK Computer’. Well, I’ll put my cards on the table. There’s only one winner; and it isn’t Radiohead. Grandaddy are impossible to categorise, but this record combines the best bits of alt-country, electronica and post-rock. The audacity of a 9 minute opening track has been matched by many bands. The difference is they’ve not made a song as arresting as ‘He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s The Pilot’. ‘The Crystal Lake’ is among the best songs of the decade while ‘Undreneath The Weeping Willow’ showcases a brilliant knack for melancholy. Released at the start of the decade, very few records have got anywhere near matching Grandaddy’s Magnum Opus.

6 – The Hold Steady: Boys And Girls in America.

‘Best bar band in the world blah… blah… blah’ said the music press. Talk about damning with faint praise. The Hold Steady are one of the greatest bands of the 21st Century, full stop. And though their earlier albums are packed with gems, this breakthrough album sees their manifesto fulfilled. How many bands could start a record quoting Jack Kerouac but never fail to be fun? The sound was compared to classic E Street Band and that’s probably as close as you can get to describing this joyous racket. Craig Finn’s lyrics are always interesting and frequently brilliant. So looking at our checklist we’ve got superb music, superb lyrics and some guys that seem delighted just to be playing rock and roll. It’ll do for me.

5 – Elbow: The Seldom Seen Kid.

I suppose too much has already been written about this album. It’d be easy to include ‘Asleep In The Back’ to prove I’ve liked Elbow since I used to play them on student radio in 2000. But that would miss the point: for once, the awards committees, journalists and hype-merchants got it right. This is an amazing album. There’s not an average track in sight in an hour’s running time. Picking highlights almost seems crazy, but ‘Grounds For Divorce’ and ‘On A Day Like This’ have deservedly grabbed the headlines and soundtracked a million daytime DIY programmes. But some of the less well know tracks contain stunning music and lyrics. When Guy Garvey croons ”We kiss like we invented it” on ‘Mirrorball’ it’s enough to melt your heart.  We await their next move with eager anticipation.

4 - Midlake: The Trials of Van Occupanther.

Take a moderately successful Texan indie band and give them a copy of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours’. Stand well back and light the blue touch-paper. Doesn’t sound promising does it? How wrong could we be??? This was THE album of 2006. Inventive harmonies, layered synths and lyrics pining for the antebellum South came together to produce a stunning record. The guitar solo that comes halfway through ‘Head Home’ is one of my favourite musical moments of the decade, but this album contains several contenders for that title. The real genius of ‘…Van Occupanther’ is its ability to keep you on your toes. Just when you think it may slip into mid 70’s FM rock pastiche, the band pulls out a track like ‘Young Bride’ which forces you to admit this is a record which is far more than the sum of its considerable parts.

3 – Damien Rice: O.

David Gray is a perfectly decent singer songwriter. The same can’t be said for the likes of James Morrison and James Blunt. But how any of them came to be spoken of in the same breath as Damien Rice is beyond me. The irishman deserves to be in far better company (Jeff Buckley for example). This debut album was a slow-burning word-of-mouth behemoth that managed to retain artistic dignity while being offered on 2-for-1 deals in Tesco. Its strengths have been repeated endlessly, but any blogger who can’t find room for Lisa Hannigan’s beautiful vocals, the stunning string arrangements or the strange re-working of Silent Night is a fool. If this album has a flaw, I’m yet to find it. I can’t pick one track as a highlight because the others simply look at me reproachfully and say ‘actually we’re all rather lovely’. And they truly are.

2 – My Morning Jacket: It Still Moves.

This album sounds like the best party you’ve ever been to. If you want to label it I suppose it’s alt-country. But what on earth does that matter when the music is as much fun as this? Don’t get the idea this is some kind of comedy record though. Howling vocals, squealing guitars and pounding drums fuse together to create a brilliant racket. ‘One Big Holiday’ has a guitar hook to die for, but this isn’t an album of simple pleasures. The genius of the songs reveals itself slowly. The first time you hear it, it sounds like these are well crafted and edited jams. But like Led Zep at their peak, the tracks are more cunningly moulded than that. Crazy Horse are another reference point and when talking about a rock and roll band there are fewer bigger compliments than that. It’s a long record (71 minutes) but unusually for an album of that length, it doesn’t outstay its welcome. Superb.

1 – Stephen Fretwell: Magpie.

I’m annoyed I couldn’t find a decent picture of this album without the parental advisory sticker on it. Ok, maybe it doesn’t make an ideal present for a toddler, but any parent who’s doing their job properly should be investing in this if their child shows any kind of serious interest in music. It’s as close to a perfect record as its possible to get. At the start of the decade, Scunthorpe’s Stephen Fretwell found himself in Manchester as a promising singer-songwriter. A little while later, he was in a recording studio creating some of the most beautiful music that great city has ever produced. By 2004 it was ready for release. In reality, the Manchester thing is a bit of a red herring. Fretwell owes little to the genius of the Smiths and Joy Division or the more prosaic talents of Oasis. He’s just a good old-fashioned acoustic troubadour. So who are the key influences here? I’d guess Neil Young, Bob Dylan et al. But that doesn’t tell you much about this record’s greatest strength. Fretwell’s gift for melody is astounding. Songs like ‘Emily’, ‘New York’ and ‘Rose’ are beautifully crafted and sung. But there isn’t a track here which leaves you cold. You may know ’Run’ as the Theme of ‘Gavin and Stacey’ but don’t stop there. Investigate it immediately. Buy it and love it. There’s only one album of the decade after all; whatever the Observer says!

We at treeswingers think it’s important to be thankful for what we have.  And what we have is great music, so I’ve put together a quick Thanksgiving Mix.  Thanks for reading!

For Thanksgiving, parents get time off work, students get time off school and pretty much everyone returns home for a while.

Radical Face – Welcome Home

Here’s a reminder about who started it all–some dudes with buckles on their hats.

The Shins – Young Pilgrims

Many people have family to be thankful for (also notice the significance of the artist – think sauce).

The Cranberries – Ode to my Family

This one is a stretch, but family gatherings can totally be thought of as conspiracies.  It’s also just a good song.

School of Seven Bells – My Cabal

I never knew if this song was thanking someone sarcastically, but let’s pretend it’s genuine for today.

Third Eye Blind – Thanks a Lot

Time for the toasts…

Sugarcult – Champagne

…even if some of us don’t have the proper glasses to be thankful for.

Death Cab for Cutie – Champagne from a Paper Cup

Here comes the turkey, cooked to golden-brown perfection.

The Stranglers – Golden Brown

This one is more about the artist, since you can’t make pie without smashing pumpkins. (I picked this song because I think way more people should know how good it is)

The Smashing Pumpkins – We Only Come Out at Night

Yaaaawwwn.  Tryptophan…

Passion Pit – Sleepyhead

Hope you enjoyed it.  Here is the whole thing for download.

-charlie

Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7aMfB6nwQw

Here’s another band I’ve been following for a few years. The first song I heard by them was Munich, which I couldn’t stop playing. Another big league single for them was Smokers Outside the Hospital. Check these two tracks out at least. You won’t be sorry.

Lyrics here, more below:
We can never go home
We no longer have one
I’ll help you carry the load
I’ll carry you in my arms
The kiss of the snow
The crescent moon above us
Our blood is cold
And we’re alone
But I’m alone with you

Help me to carry the fire
We will keep it alight together
Help me to carry the fire
It will light our way forever

If I say shut your eyes
If I say look away
Bury your face in my shoulder
Think of a birthday
The things you put in your head
They will stay here forever
Our blood is cold
And we’re alone, love
But I’m alone with you

Help me to carry the fire
We will keep it alight together
Help me to carry the fire
It will light our way forever

Help me to carry the fire
We will keep it alight together
Now help me to carry the fire
It will light up our way forever

If I say shut your eyes
If I say shut your eyes
Bury me in suprise
Where I say shut your eyes

Help me to carry the fire
We will keep it alight together
Help me carry the fire
It will light our way forever

I have to say I’m fond of music that doesn’t follow the mainstream. As love songs go this is no exception. His voice is so different and he takes great pains to keep the edge on this song.

I got a bit lost trying to figure out what this spoke when I listened to it. It finally dawned on me that this felt more like opera than rock or alt rock or whatever you want to call it. It has that distinct operatic feel to me. The lyrics alone are brilliant but he brings that darkness with his voice. There’s a sense of high powered drama coming off of it.

Not sure how the New Moon/Twilight crowd will receive this particular track. But kudos to the production for going out and getting some amazing bands and amazing music (Thom Yorke, Death Cab, Muse and many more). The first Twilight movie was made for me hearing Supermassive Black Hole by Muse during the baseball scene. Classic!

So keep an eye on Editors. This will only enhance their exposure. I look forward to future of this band.

To you again,

I’m sorry.  Im sorry because I think I may have loved you.  And I’m sorry because I dreamed of being with you, I dreamed of being happy.  But now I know that that happiness was based on something I didn’t understand.

Today I saw her.  And maybe I still don’t understand, but even though that moment, your moment, even though it broke me, I think I realized.  I don’t want my happiness to be because of her pain.  It shouldn’t start that way and it was wrong of me to want it, to wish for it, so, so much.

So I’m sorry.  I’m so so sorry for not getting it.  I’m sorry for wanting it all.  I’m sorry for wanting you.  But now, even through my ridiculous pain, I can see, and through it I just want you to be happy.  I want her to be happy.  I can deal with the rest.

Oh, and by the way, she’s beautiful.

Me.

I’m not going to engage in the topic of whether New Moon is a good movie or not (but if you are interested in my thoughts on it, feel free to read my review at michaelbayistheantichrist.wordpress.com).  I would though like to draw everyone’s attention to the fact that the soundtrack for New Moon is pretty damn good.  Sadly, I think I must add that this is most likely awesome for the Twilight franchise, but not so awesome for these artists’ reputations.  Whatever gets people listening to good music, right?  … Maybe.

NEW MOON SOUNDTRACK TRACK LIST
1. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE – MEET ME ON THE EQUINOX
2. BAND OF SKULLS – FRIENDS
3. THOM YORKE – HEARING DAMAGE
4. LYKKE LI – POSSIBILITY
5. THE KILLERS – A WHITE DEMON LOVE SONG
6. ANYA MARINA – SATELLITE HEART
7. MUSE – I BELONG TO YOU (NEW MOON REMIX)
8. BON IVER & ST. VINCENT – ROSYLN
9. BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB – DONE ALL WRONG
10. HURRICANE BELLS – MONSTERS
11. SEA WOLF – THE VIOLET HOUR
12. OK GO – SHOOTING THE MOON
13. GRIZZLY BEAR WITH VICTORIA LEGRAND – SLOW LIFE
14. EDITORS – NO SOUND BUT THE WIND
15. ALEXANDRE DESPLAT – NEW MOON (THE MEADOW)

Maybe this video expresses how she feels about being involved with Twilight?:

Watch out, this video is themed:

I love this song:

Pay attention to the speech bubbles at the start; they are kind of funny:

Not that I’m not thankful for other, more deeply meaningful things too.  But anyway…

In my opinion, Death Cab for Cutie has the best love songs.  Ever.  Benjamin Gibbard writes lyrics that speak to my heart.  I can’t get enough of his songs.  (Brief aside: I hear he’s even written a song for that new Twilight movie.  I’m really not a fan of Twilight, but if you are, more power to you.)  Here’s why I can’t get enough: they are all kinds of love songs.  Eternal love, unrequited love, fading love… let me just illustrate:

Eternal Love
“I Will Follow You Into the Dark”
If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the ”no”s on their vacancy signs
If there’s no one beside you when your soul embarks
I’ll follow you into the dark

Unrequited Love
“I Will Possess Your Heart”
How I wish you could see the potential,
The potential of you and me,
Its like a book, elegantly bound but,
In a language that you can’t read

Fading Love
“Brothers On A Hotel Bed”
You may tire of me as our December sun is setting 
‘Cause I’m not who I used to be
…’Cause now we say goodnight
From our own separate sides
Like brothers on a hotel bed

Love Lost
“Title and Registration”
But there’s no blame for how our love did slowly fade,
And now that it’s gone, it’s like it wasn’t there at all
And here I rest where disappointment and regret collide
Lying awake at night

Less Than Love
“Cath”
But you said your vows
And you closed the door
On so many men
Who would have loved you more

Hope for Love
“Someday You Will Be Loved”
You may feel alone when you’re falling asleep
And everytime tears roll down your cheeks
But I know your heart belongs to someone you’ve yet to meet
Someday you will be loved

And on and on.  The last one is my personal favorite, because I think it speaks to the single condition really well.  But all of the songs are all just so beautifully written and sung.  I definitely have a geek-crush on Benjamin Gibbard.  Too bad he’s supposedly married now to Zooey Deschanel.  Who I can’t even hate because she’s so cute.  And they’re too cute together.  And I’ve resolved to quit being irritated by cute couples, remember?

Anyway.  That’s what I’m thankful for.  Beautiful love songs by my favorite band.

The Top 10 Things I Am Most Thankful For are…

10. Mats..because I can’t count how many times these have saved my life, or measure how much easier they have made it.

9. My cat Maddie…because even though she can be annoying at times, she never fails to put a smile on my face.

8. My mother’s never-ending collection of books…because books are my cure for boredom.

7. Software…because Word, InDesign and Power Point have been my best friends lately.

6. The feeling of a pillow beneath my head…because  sleep deprivation is the biggest problem in my life.

5. Grooveshark and WeAreHunted.com and Frostwire…because the only consistent thing in my life is the growth of it’s soundtrack.

4. The amount of sushi restaurants in Princeton…because too much of a good thing is great.

3. Attending PHS…because, let’s face it. I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else, and I can honestly say that I’m happy there.

2. Having a gymnasium so close to me…because not only is it convenient, it’s also my second home.

1. The people I love…do I really have to explain this one?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Having a good conversation is one of my favorite feelings. That moment when you feel almost buzzed with the excitement of how much you want to respond to and absorb what the other person is saying. These conversations happen both with the people I love most and oddly, the people I know least. With the latter category, the buzz comes from the fact that neither one has any expectations for what the other will contribute. I live for these chats.

Peace,

Sources: weheartit, imdb

Blog title from “The New Year” by Death Cab for Cutie