When you have been making music for as long as John Butler has, it would be easy to fall into the same routine and release the same album again and again.

Luckily he still manages to keep things interesting and part of this is forming a new Trio every few years. While it is sad to see previous members and amazing musicians in their own right, Shannon Birchall and Michael Barker leave, if his new single One Way Road is anything to go by, a new trio might just be a step in the right direction.

The video for One Way Road has just been released and the song is a bit of a departure from his Grand National sound, which I must admit  for the most part I wasn’t really in love with it. It’s definitely more upbeat and almost rocky while still retaining his signature sound. The riff sounds oddly familiar though. Does anyone else think this? It’s driving me mental trying to figure out where it’s from.

Also, if you are like most people and have trouble understanding the lyrics, they’re included in the description when you watch it on youtube.

John Butler is an artist I do not know too much about other then he is Australian-American, a former busker, and is a god at the guitar.

A friend sent me a link of John Butler playing the following instrumental one night. I watched it about 6 or 7 times back to back then immediately forwarded it to all my friends that I know who would appreciate the musicianship involved.

I would normally go on into some detail about why this video has some importance to me… but his talent speaks for itself. Things to note though are that he has long finger nails, but more importantly he has taken off the high-G string. I read in an interview he just dislikes the string and claims it gets in the way and serves no purpose.

JBT are back with a new single (out Dec 4th) and video, “One Way Road”. The video has preceded the track here on Youtube:

From 2008 Coachella Must See.. this is their final song in their set.. just incredible!!!

check out more deets on their myspace page

So I am pretty much planning on doing absolutely nothing this weekend and I am freakishly excited about it.  I am going to spend the weekend with my dear parents, sleep late, do laundry, read and luxuriate in being a complete bum.  Ohlala!

Also, if anyone wants to spend some time and come to my house and teach me how to wear belts and make it look good, I would really appreciate it.  I always try to do this and feel like I fail.  Boohiss.  (I’m looking at your Chloe, Elaine and Kim. Dang I’m jealous. )

Here are a few things that are making me happy on my exciting/boring Friday evening:

This pretty AT Loft top, which hopefully will also be appearing in a prettily wrapped Christmas package

These adorable Christmas cards, I'm not even a cat person and they made me feel all squishy

 (at twin ravens press - you should check out all of their cards because they are ridiculously adorable.  not kidding. )

This book, because the book series has been different enough from the tv series, that it has been surprisingly fun to read. (I still love the show more though.)

And finally this website, because my favorite band (The John Butler Trio) just posted a music from their upcoming album, hooray! (I know this isn’t the music thats up a lot of people’s alley, but I love it.  It’s my inner hippie/girl who loves festivals coming out.)

What is making you happy this Friday?  (And yes, you can say New Moon.  I am going to have to get on the train and read these books and see Twilight, so I can keep up with all of you hip hip ladies.)

I hope you all have a lovely, splendiferous weekend!

Checking some covers of Jack Johnson, John Butler Trio and Tristan Prettyman I saw this dude playing: “Beautiful” (a girl singing too), alright, the video is pretty awesome but I’m talking about him ‘cuz he has surf in hobby and music style. His name: Mike Salisbury, in his youtube channel you can watch him playing songs by; Jimi Hendrix, G Love and another important fact, he’s a songwriter. It’s a great recomendation if you’re a surf lover and a surf music fan – you can download his cd on his website, enjoy it, mahalo.

Mike’s Youtube Channel - Mike’s Official Website.

Phish - Hampton Comes Alive

Lights are low, the moon is high, and I want to know, Am I the brightest star in the sky??? I ordered that CD today from Amazon and I can not think clearly. I’m excited to get it in the mail via snail. Who doesn’t like to get mail ESP when it’s a PHISH cd. My ipod was STOLEN from me last weekend by a bunch of punk fools right out of my apartment- so now I have reason to update my music selections. The Hampton CD is sickkkk! I will be listening to it and groooovin to it non-stop so… see ya later homework … see ya later concentration! There go my academics I guess. Great.

Phish performing Grind at SPAC on 8/16

Oh yeah and 14 DAYS TILL I SEE PHISH AT THE WACHOVIA CENTER IN PHILLY!!!! Woww.. I can’t wait. I have seen them once before over the summer… ON MY 21ST BIRTHDAY nonetheless. Hands down- best day of my life. Trey has a smile that will melt avalanches into boiling tea kettles on a stove. It was insane. Me and 2 friends drove 3 hours with no tickets to their sold out last concert of their summer tour. My blood was pumping through my body- partly because I was madly hungover from my 21st birthday celebration the night before- but mainly because I had PHISH running through my bones. Everything worked out better then any of us could have dreamt up. When my friend, Kay, got back from Festival 8 she had a great description of Phish…

“They were in my head. Seriously, Phish got inside of my brain and controlled my thoughts and feelings and they were insane and it was indescribable.”

I hear ya Kay. They make you feel powerless and invigorated at the same time. Woww I miss it.  Phish is the only band of its kind. No wonder people drop absolutely everything to follow these musical geniuses. They leave behind the unimportant things and take off on one hell of a ride. Then once your head is on straight you’ll think to yourself, ‘my, what a long strange trip its been‘… And you’ll smile.

thank you for the pics, Flickr

It is so important to smile. Its life changing actually. I am learning more and more everyday the power of positivity. Yes- I know there are tons of bad things in the world… but why fixate on them when there is so much to be grateful for. Look around. The world is magnificant and if you think otherwise then you need some help opening your eyes. I swear to you.. we live in a beautiful world!!

EMISSÃO 24 – PODCAST

• DRAPHT – Jimmy Recard,

• The Ting Tings – We walk,

• Copacabana Club – King of the night,

• The Ettes – Gimme

• Kinky – A donde van los muertos

• The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

• Times New Viking – Move to California

• Banda de Turistas – Lo Comandas

• Sea Wolf -  Violet Hour

• Monsters of Folk – Say Please

• Mumm ra – She´s got you high

• Verdeoscuro – Come on

• John Butler Trio – Seeing Angels

El jueves por la mañana estaremos Fer y yo camino de Londres. Como no creo que pueda actualizar el blog hasta el próximo lunes (seguiré actualizando por Twitter (adolf_ITO) y Facebook), os dejo para estos días de parada técnica una nueva recopilación.

En esta ocasión me apetecían temas lentos y no me he fijado especialmente en el estilo (ha quedado muy ecléctica), sino que me he dejado llevar, enlazando una canción tras otra. Como novedades, el Star Power de Sonic Youth en una nueva versión acústica y el Space Oddity de David Bowie en italiano (lo había incluido en otra recopilación, pero en esta ocasión está remasterizado digitalmente –el otro archivo es una transferencia directa de un LP antiguo–). Por lo demás, muchos temás clásicos, algunas versiones y, sobre todo, canciones a las que suelo recurrir con cierta asiduidad. Espero que la disfrutéis.

Haz clic en la imagen para descargar la recopilación.

Los cantantes y grupos que he seleccionado en esta ocasión son David Bowie, Sonic Youth, Arcade Fire, Lambchop, Suede, Pixies, Cocteau Twins, Paul Weller, John Butler Trio, Bright Eyes, Cowboy Junkies con John Prine, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Johnny Cash, Frank Black, Five For Fighting, John Hiatt, Cyndi Lauper con The Minus 5 y Aztec Camera.

AQUÍ tenéis el listado de temas.

P.D.: La foto que he utilizado de portada es un detalle de una escultura de la Alte Nationalgalerie de Berlín.

So this morning I wasn’t quite feeling any umph to start my day so I put my ipod on shuffle and hoped for the best. Sounds stupid but really music does set the mood for my day more often than not. Today’s lucky winner was John Butler Trio. If you haven’t heard of them you should definitely look them up. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you like good, mellow music then they might be just what you need. They have a good variety though so even if you’re in need of a good kick in the rear to get started ( like me this morning) they might be a good idea as well. Zebra is one of my favorite songs of all time. John can play some amazing 12 string, check out the song Ocean. This particular one doesn’t have any lyrics but it’s a very beautiful song.

But I’m always looking for artists that I’ve never heard of and I have a pretty open mind so if anyone has any suggestions feel free to let me know. I’ll try to do the same. Music plays a really big part in my life. I’m not dillusioned enough to think I can sing..lol But I was a dancer for several years and so it does speak to me. That sounded more lame than I expected. haha but it’s true. 

I’m also a huge quote user. I have a notebook full of my favorites. I think other people’s insights can help us in our current situations. If we don’t learn from others pasts aren’t we destined to repeat their mistakes in the future? I think I might try sharing one of my favorites with you every post.. If I remember. Here we go first one: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” -Helen Keller

Later Days everyone!

Nunca he escuchado nada de este tipo, bueno ahora estoy escuchando un youtube, sin embargo el otro dia hablando con un colega me comento que nuestro adora john butler habia cambiado de banda y que Nicky bomba era su nuevo bateria asi que me puse a navegar un poquito y encontr su nuevo disco, Planet juice.
Como os he dicho no he escuchado nada, pero teniendo en cuenta que es miembro de john butler trio supongo que tocará ska, reggae con toque de música tradicional autraliana, si se que eso no os dice nada, a lo mejor os vale con que es música que genera buen rollito y alegre. pero como digo siempre lo mejor es escucharlo os dejo el myspace y un tubito para que decidais si darle una oportunidad.

1. Rocksteady Woman
2. Highgrade
3. Chop Chop
4. Jah In The Moment
5. Travellin
6. Dial PBS
7. Maybe You Should Try Some
8. Crush On You
9. Rock Ya Mama
10. Bombshell
11. Goldtown
12. Kruptanite

MYSPACE

If you have not, check out John Butler Trio and Xavier Rudd. They’re both extremely talented musicians and their lyrics are so positive. I’ve seen Xavier Rudd live and it’s an amazing performance to see. I almost like him better live than I do just listening to him on a cd. I haven’t seen John Butler live…YET but I hear he is equally amazing. So check them out…it might not be the type of music you like but give it a chance, never know. I’ll post links to some of my favorite songs by them (I’ve already previously posted Ocean by John Butler Trio…go listen to it! It will blow you away.)

John Butler Trio:
Zebra
Better Than
Losing You
Fire in the Sky

Xavier Rudd:
Come Let Go
Stargaze
No Woman No Cry

NOW GO AND LISTEN! I only listed a few, but the majority of their songs are super as I’m sure you’ll discover!
Keep it sunny
Love, Amanda

Okay, we all know about Rock Band.  In fact, unless you’re living under a rock (or North Korea), I think it would be fairly difficult to find anyone who doesn’t.  But that’s not the point I’m trying to make…kinda.  The makers of Rock Band and Guitar Hero seem to be vexed on putting a crap load of metal into their games.  While that’s not bad, it makes the hardest tiers unbearable for people (like me) who dislike metal.

Because of this, I created my own list of songs that should be in Rock Band.  From Indie Pop to Hard Rock, this list has it all–well not really.  It’s actually quite limited.  The list features bands like Collective Soul, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Third Eye Blind, and Band of Horses. As always, lemme know what you think should be added to the list!

Check it out after the jump!

Artist – Title of Song – Album

As Fast As – Florida Sunshine – Open Letter To the Damned
Band of Horses - Is there a Ghost? – Cease to Begin
Band of Horses – Islands on the Coast – Cease to Begin
Barenaked Ladies – One Week – Stunt
Barenaked Ladies – It’s All Been Done – Stunt
Ben Kweller – This Is War – Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller – The Rules – On My Way
Blind Melon – No Rain – Blind Melon
Collective Soul - Where the River Flows – Collective Soul
Collective Soul – December – 7even Year Itch
Counting Crows – 1492 – Saturday Nights, Sunday Mornings
Counting Crows – Cowboys – Saturday Nights, Sunday Mornings
The Cranberries – Zombie – No Need To Argue
Dave Matthews Band – Funny The Way It Is – Big Whiskey & The GrooGrux King
Dave Matthews Band – What Would You Say - Under the Table and Dreaming
Dr. Dog – The Ark – Fate
Foo Fighters – Learn to Fly – Learn to Fly
Foo Fighters - All My Life – One By One
Foo Fighters – Times Like These – One By One
Gin Blossoms – Til I Hear it From You – Empire Records OST
Guster – Amdsterdam – Keep it Together
Guster – Barrel of a Gun – Lost and Gone Forever
Harvey Danger – Flagpole Sitta – Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone?
John Butler Trio – Funky Tonight – Grand National
John Butler Trio – Fire in the Sky - Grand National
Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire – Only By the Night
Marching Band – For Your Love – Spark Large
Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s – Quiet As a Mouse – The Dust of Retreat
Modest Mouse - Dashboard - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
Monty Are I – In This Legacy - Wall of People
Our Lady Peace – Supersatellite – Naveed
Radiohead - Just – The Bends
Radiohead – Paranoid Android – OK Computer
REM - It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) – Eponymous
REM - What’s the Frequency, Kenneth – Monster
Rilo Kiley - Portions for Foxes – More Adventurous
Rogue Wave – Lake Michigan – Asleep at Heaven’s Gate
Sam Roberts – Love at the End of the World – Love at the End of the World
The Silent Years - No Secrets – The Silent Years
Spin Doctors – Two Princes – Pocket Full of Kryptonite
Sugarcult – Memory – Palm Trees and Power Lines
Stereophonics – Devil – Language, Sex, Violence, Other
Still Water – Fever Dog – Almost Famous OST
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Me and Mia – Shake the Sheets
Third Eye Blind – Graduate – Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind – Blinded – Out of the Vein
Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life – Third Eye Blind
Vampire Weekend - A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
The Wombats - Let’s Dance to Joy Division - A Guide to Love, Loss, and Desparation

Thanks to reader Moonshadow for passing along the news…

So here’s the thing: He’s an artist and he has every right to do his thing to make his art. But my heart still feels like it’s breaking.

Who are these…strangers? Are we expected to love them?

It’s like when mom and dad get divorced and then one of them introduces you to their new love interest. Blech. I hate them, and for no other reason than they are the new people. Sorry new people. I don’t know you, but I have to hate you. At least for now.

The music sounds pretty good, I guess.

Don’t you just love a musician who cares about the environment? We do and so does CLIF Bar (who knew we had so much in common with healthy foods?!).  While the CLIF GreenNotes project  is dedicated to helping emerging artists reduce the environmental impact of their tours, it is also dedicated to bring you great music from the likes of Brett Dennen, John Butler Trio, and Michael Franti with their new Protect the Places We Play Benefit Album.  Buy it from iTunes and you’ll be supporting great organizations like the Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, and the National Environmental Education Foundation. 

To sweeten the deal, CLIF GreenNotes is giving away FREE STUFF! Download two free tunes from the album or enter to win a Martin Guitar made from sustainable materials.   Going green and saving green…it sure is a wonderful world!

This has nothing to do with the winery, but I think that everyone should watch this, if for nothing other than it’s artistic merit.

Plus, until Patrick and The Professor send me photos and news to write about, I am going to start writing about whatever I feel like. =)

Confirmado. E nós também, Ele vem pro Festival de Jazz e nos estaremos lá.

O show será uma apresentação solo e ele vai fazer um uma mistura dos álbuns Grand National e Sunrise Over Sea. Para quem não conhece muito, este cara merece atenção. Produz todos seus álbuns, criou um selo, multi- instrumentista e luta por boas causas.

Separei aqui uma música dele mais curta, mais dançante.

Agora, para quem tiver mais paciência e curte guitarra, se liga

Ae Vidal, pra te empolgar!

The John Butler Trio have a habit of constructing catchy rhythms and mixing them with ingenious lyrics. Sounds like a good combination to me. Good Excuse, from the album Grand National will have you tapping your feet in no time. A talented group of musicians, The John Butler Trio has won a permanent spot on my playlist.

All you want is
What you can’t have
And if you just look around man
You see you got magic
So just sit back relax
Enjoy it while you still have it
Don’t look back on life man and only see tragic

Because you could be better than that
Don’t let it get the better of you
What could be better than now
Life’s not about what’s better than
You can be better than that
Don’t let it get the better of you
What could be better than now
Life’s not about what’s better

All the time while you’re looking away
There are things you can do man
There’s things you can say
To the the ones you’re with
With whom you’re spending your day
Get your gaze off tomorrow
And let come what may

Because you could be better than that
Don’t let it get the better of you
What could be better than now
Life’s not about what’s better than
You can be better than that
Don’t let it get the better of you
What could be better than now
Life’s not about what’s better

All I know is sometimes things can be hard
But you should know by now
They come and they go
So why, oh why
Do I look to the other side
‘Cos I know the grass is greener but
Just as hard to mow

Life’s not about what’s better than.

All you want is
What you can’t have
And if you just look around man
You see you got magic
So just sit back relax
Enjoy it while you still have it
Don’t look back on life man and only see tragic

Because you could be better than that
Don’t let it get the better of you
What could be better than now
Life’s not about what’s better than
You can be better than that
Don’t let it get the better of you
What could be better than now
Life’s not about what’s better

John Butler Trio

I’m hooked! To the sunrise, that is. For the past few weeks, especially since New Zealand “fell back” for daylight savings time, I have been rising with the sun.

My routine is to snatch my camera, head down to the beach before it pops above the horizon and begin snapping away! I also find myself humming my favorite John Butler Trio song…”Sunrise over sea, no longer, my cup half empty…” Ahhh, pure bliss!

Here are some pics of the sunrises on the East Cape, the most easterly part of New Zealand and therefore the first area of the world to see the sun rise.

Sunrise outside of camp site

sunrise at Hicks Bay, just west of East Cape lighthouse

There are heaps more photos to share and I promise we’ll organize them all on our flickr account soon. For all you sail boat & water lovers, yesterday Matt and I  sailed on 36 foot yacht all around the Bay of Islands in Northland and landed upon the same sacred land  Captain Cook discovered back in the late 1700’s. Today we’re off to catch a glimpse of the giant Kauri rainforest trees, which are currently under careful care and are approaching the world’s endangered list.

Most you have probably heard the latest, and most popular single by the John Butler Trio, Better Than, whether you know it or not. Blowing up all over the radio this summer, this song has a very feel good sound that you can’t help but listen to. Growing up in Pinjarra, Western Australia, Butler has incorporated much of his Australian upbringings into his music through his singing style as well as utilizing such unique instruments as a didgeridoo and steel slide guitars. Releasing three albums in the past 8 years, two of which reached #1 on the Australian charts, this jam band really does provide some very quality music. Consisting of some very good and meaningful lyrics, top quality guitar riffs and percussion, all three albums are full of feel good music that has a folksy, alternative, yet unique sound that I’m sure you will love, and is perfect for the summer time. Performing at Rothbury this year, I am sure they will put on an amazing show, so yet another reason to go see this amazing festival, or at the very least check out their music. Here are a few of my favorite songs from their last three releases:

Three

Betterman, Life Ain’t What It Seems

Sunrise Over Sea

Peaches and Cream, Company Sin , Zebra, Oldman

Grand National

Better Than, Used To Get High, Gonna Take It